Red Hill...

RELEASE DATE: 25th November 2010

- "Yay" for Australian Films!

An Aussie thriller of the 'cult' low budget variety, "Red Hill" sees Steve Bisley, Tommy Hill (The Proposition) and Ryan Kwanten (True Blood Fame, formerly Home and Away) battle it out, as young and old in a small town join forces against Tommy Hill's character, convicted indigenous killer "Jimmy Conway".

Ryan Kwanten's character, "Shane Conway" is a young family man having arrived overnight in a small town, with a pregnant wife in tow, ready to start a new life in small town Australia. Shane is the newest member of the local police force, led by Steve Bisley's character "Old Bill".

This film has been compared to 'The Cohen Brothers', "No Country for Old Men", although the similarities cease to exist once you look beneath the surface. Both films have a lead character intent upon killing others but the motivators behind the killings couldn't be further apart. "Jimmy Conway" as we discover, is motivated to kill because of his loss, whereas Javier Bardem's character in "No Country for Old Men" is a psychopath who kill's for the 'game'.

In a nut-shell, Steve Bisley and his 'local gang' are intent upon killing "Jimmy" for his past transgressions, but little is said about their own, until the end of the film. Steve Bisley plays a fantastic 'red neck' along with others in the local gang, such as John Brumpton (The Loved One's, Romper Stomper).

There are definite elements of the cult variety in scenes where we see Jimmy Conway entering the main street of the deserted town, on horseback, reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in "A fistful of Dollars". Other classic scenes include the "shoot out" in the local pub, where the wounded publican is filmed dragging his wounded body across the floor, leaving a bloody trail behind.

Being a fan of and supporter of locally made films in Australia, I think "Red Hill" (although not the classic it tries hard to be) deserves recognition for its entertainment value.

http://www.charisse-movierevue.blogspot.com/



Machete..

RELEASE DATE: 11th November 2010

  -Sure to be a hit with 'the Boys', a smorgasboard of saucy and sexy women!!

Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Danny Trejo and the 'infamous' Lindsay Lohan star in the new Robert Rodriguez film, "Machete".

As we have come to expect, Rodriguez has assembled a cast of new and old favourites, such as "Cheech Marin". Danny Trejo stars as the warrior 'Machete', a hit with 'the ladies' young and old! Machete escapes from Mexico after local Mafioso boss, played by Stephen Segal, beheads his wife.

Rodriguez film caters for every young boy/man's fantasy of the 'kick ass' babes, frolicking in skimpy clothes (or none at all in the case of Lindsay Lohan and onscreen Mum). With characteristic 'campness' (not sure if Rodriguez would like to be referred to in that way!), the characters shoot, blast and seduce their way through this film as Machete attempts to lead the quiet life in the USA.

This blatantly obvious (as intended) focus on women as sex objects managed to frustrate me, although we have come to expect the ever present 'babes' in his films. The film focussed on little else than "Guns and Babes" as I'm sure was the intent, but lacked the wit and humour of his other films such as "Desperado" (El Mariachi- Mexican release) and it's sequel, "Once upon a Time in Mexico".

http://www.charisse-movierevue.blogspot.com/