A Deadly Combo: Death Proof & Planet Terror

We decided to humour ourselves this weekend and rented the Grindhouse flicks Death Proof (by Quentin Tarantino) and Planet Terror (by Robert Rodriguez).

Although we watched Planet Terror first, this review will start with the Tarantino movie Death Proof.

In a nutshell, it was awful - absolutely atrocious and worthless. The acting was done better in this movie, but without a script that had some semblance of direction, not even the best actors could pull this one off. I understand that Tarantino had a vision for this movie, a homage to Grindhouse movies of old. However, surely he could have done it with a little bit more twists and turns. A homage without structure just doesn't sustain my interest (Superman Returns, anyone?). From my point of view, Tarantino redeems himself only in the last 9 minutes of the film, which means I just lost an hour and 37 minutes of my life.

For pete's sake, I'm already 34. I can't afford to lose any more time.

Planet Terror, however, is another thing altogether. It was silly and camp and just atrociously wonderful. It was so ridiculously cheesy that one automatically puts down one's guard and because of that, it was easy to enjoy this silly ride. Watch this film without any expectations and you will enjoy it. By the time it got to the rocket launcher scene, I was just slackjawed in utter shock.

The best thing about this movie is its sheer camp appeal and its playful tongue-in-cheekness. The bad thing about this flick (both flicks, actually) is Rose McGowan. She executes a finer acting job in Death Proof, which only proves one point - she REALLY can't act. Even her pole dance scene was numbing - it was as enticing as watching a dog taking a poop in Centennial Park.

Planet Terror - 3/5 slices
Death Proof - 1.5/5 slices

A Movie with Heart: Be Kind, Rewind

I personally didn't want to see this movie at first, and I think it had a lot to do with its two lead stars: Mos Def and Jack Black. For me, these two "actors" should be shot, a punishment for all the films these two have starred in and a grim reminder to all the young children that they should not emulate these less than ideal people.

However, this movie was also directed by Michel Gondry, the directorial equivalent of Bjork, and who doesn't like Bjork? :-) So I watched it, thinking that finally, Mr. Gondry has sunk to the low that is Jack Black.

To my surprise, it turned out that the two have risen to the level of Michel Gondry. The movie is quite quirky (not to my surprise) but it has a strong cultural commentary on film making and the companies that capitalises on it. It touches on the money-grubbing film companies and directors who churn out film after film of crapilicious proportions.

But more importantly, it tells of a story of how, in the hands of the right director, movies have the power to transform people, which I think is the strongest point made by the film. It shows how even the

Given the erratic pace of the film, I don't think this film will win Best Picture anytime soon. However, the ending makes up for the wait. Also, it does get points for having a beautiful message and -in all honesty- the directorial vision is nothing short of breathtaking.

I would definitely recommend it. 3.5 / 5 slices.

A Recipe: Mikey's MegaMagnificent Mangria

It's actually a sangria, but I wanted the 4M effect - also, I may have stolen this recipe from Princesse who doesn't know this blog exists, so tough luck.

This makes a pitcher of Mangria. I suggest half everything and start from there.

750 ml of Red Wine
22.5 ml of Triple Sec (roughly 7 jiggers)
22.5 ml of Brandy (roughly 7 jiggers)
135 ml of lemon juice (a bit more than half a cup)
675 ml of Sprite / Lemonade
135 ml of Grenadine (or any nice cordial that you have. I like raspberry)

Mix these up in a jug, add tonnes of chopped fruits. Put this is a fridge. Enjoy!

A Review: the Rocky Horror Show

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Welcome to A Harmonic Slice

I've always wanted to do a blog that is connected to my gmail account - and this is the result. A Harmonic Slice is a blog about the music, the food, the shows and the lifestyle that make Sydney so appealing to me.

I hope you all get to enjoy the stuff here. I will posting recipes, insights, critiques and whatnots from the point of view of someone who is a relatively new to the scene.

My thanks to all the LJ bloggers who helped me decide the name for the new blog, and of course, Olav who remains the inspiration behind all the beautiful things in my life.

May you all enjoy A Harmonic Slice.