2008 December | Movie Talk

Archive for December, 2008

Chocolat and other meals on reels

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Beth

on December 31, 2008

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On BBC2 tonight at 9pm

I have a dream that someone one day will set up a film club called Meals on Reels. For your ticket you’d get a screening of a great foodie film followed by an exquisite dining experience in which a top chef recreates the dishes from the movie.

These are the Top 5 films I’d love to attend if this dream ever becomes a reality:

1. Like Water for Chocolate

This Mexican romantic drama is the perfect appetizer before consuming a menu of morsels cooked with fiery Latin American passion.

2. Eat Drink Man Woman

Tasty Taiwanese treats would go down perfectly after watching Ang Lee’s acclaimed comedy drama.

3. Babette’s Feast

A magical Danish period drama followed by a delicious Danish spread.

4. Big Night

A charming comedy drama topped off by a sumptuous Italian banquet.

5. Chocolat

Mouth-watering chocolate treats should always be consumed while watching this delicious tale.

The Magdalene Sisters

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Beth

on December 30, 2008

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On Channel 4 tonight at 10.05pm

Imagine how irritable you’d be if you’d spent an unsatisfactory night in your hotel room while on a business trip. For some reason you’ve been unable to sleep and an unpleasant smell has been troubling you. The following morning you’re glad to get away and can’t wait to get in the taxi when it arrives to take you to the station. The cab driver asks you about your stay, so you’re honest, you tell him about your unpleasant night and lack of sleep.

Imagine how you’d feel if he then revealed to you that the hotel you’d been staying in was built on the site of a former Magdalene asylum?

I know someone who had this experience. When she got home she checked out the hotel on the internet and verified the taxi driver’s revelation, learning also that the room she’d stayed in was particularly notorious for its bad energy.

Magdalene asylums were Roman Catholic Church-operated institutions designed to rehabilitate “fallen” women. In Ireland they were known as Magdalene laundries and existed until as recently as 1996.

Set in 1960s Ireland, tonight’s fact-based film paints an extremely powerful picture of life in one of these places. The main characters include Margaret (Anne-Marie Duff), who was raped by her cousin at a family wedding, thereby bringing shame on her family, Rose (Dorothy Duffy) who has given birth out of wedlock and orphan Bernadette (Nora-Jane Noone), who is deemed in ‘moral danger’ simply for being too attractive. The girls interned in the laundry are treated with shocking cruelty by the nuns in charge. It’s incredibly harrowing to watch, but essential viewing.

Superman Returns and the Superman curse

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Beth

on December 29, 2008

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On BBC1 tonight at 8.30pm

It’s surprising that they decided to make this film, considering the reputation of the infamous Superman curse. Whether you believe in it or not, it’s undeniable that a extraordinary number of those involved in the Superman franchise have since suffered illness, unhappiness or hardship.

So has anyone been afflicted since this movie was made three years ago?

Apparently so, click here to find out who’s fallen victim to the hateful hex.

Genevieve

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Beth

on December 28, 2008

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Couch Potato Pickings

On Film4 this afternoon at 3.10pm

A couple of years ago, my partner and I headed out on a drive into the countryside and found ourselves passing cheery people huddled at the roadside on their camping chairs, clutching their flasks and waving as we drove by.

How odd, we thought, until we spotted a shiny vintage car chugging along ahead, and then another, and then we got stuck behind one which eventually ran out of steam and had to pull over…

Yes, we’d found ourselves on the same route as the infamous London to Brighton car rally, which is what this classic movie today is about.

Like those cheery roadside well-wishers, this film comes with a good-hearted sense of fun, as well as offering the drama of a few spats between the contestants en route.

This is the perfect film for a Sunday afternoon.

Starter for 10

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Beth

on December 27, 2008

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On BBC2 tonight at 9.30pm

If you’re a fan of University Challenge, then you’ll know that the title of tonight’s romantic comedy refers to the popular programme’s famous catchprase.

On this popular quiz show, starter questions are answered individually on the buzzer and are worth 10 points.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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Beth

on December 26, 2008

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On BBC1 today at 5.50pm

Did you go looking for Mr Tumnus in a wardrobe as a child?

If you’re wondering if I was one of those juvenile wardrobe explorers, I’ll give you a clue. My cat’s called Aslan.

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

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Beth

on December 25, 2008

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On BBC1 today at 4.30pm

I’m not a big fan of animated films but I make an exception for Wallace and Gromit. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas in this country without these much-loved characters.

In The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, nutty northern inventor Wallace and his canine companion Gromit have formed a pest-control outfit, Anti-Pesto, to protect their neighbours’ prized gardens from the local rabbit population. Their success attracts the admiration of local aristocrat Lady Tottington, much to the annoyance of her fortune-hunting suitor Victor Quartermaine, but everything goes pear-shaped for the duo when one of Wallace’s outlandish inventions inadvertently unleashes a fearsome monster on the town.

I’m a northerner. I love cheese. I grow my own veg. I love clever puns. I enjoy spotting film references in movies. This film pushes all the right buttons for me.

The following films are just some of the many movies wittily referenced in this movie. How many can you spot?

The Matrix, King Kong, Tremors, The Wolf Man, The Curse of the Werewolf, An American Werewolf in London, Watership Down, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Frankenstein, The Fly, Dracula, Metropolis, Harvey, The Italian Job, The Exorcist, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Jurassic Park, Mighty Joe Young, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Lord of the Ring: Fellowship of the Ring, The Wizard of Oz, Strangers on a Train, Spartacus, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.

And while on the subject of film references, Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death - the wittily titled new Wallace and Gromit short film - also shows today at 8.30pm. I have a feeling that will be the perfect time to get out the cheeseboard and the port.

A Christmas Carol, but which one?

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Beth

on December 24, 2008

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Couch Potato Pickings

There are always plenty of movie adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic festive tale, A Christmas Carol, to choose from at this time of year, but this one is my personal favourite.

On Channel 4 today at 6.45pm

Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Audrey’s style

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Beth

on December 23, 2008

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Couch Potato Pickings

It’s the dream of plenty of women to achieve the style and grace of Audrey Hepburn, and the iconic outfits she wears in this classic film are probably the most coveted.