Uberstrange is this independant film, but very well shot, well paced, and soundtracked by Amon Tobin. 3 stars but well worth checking out.
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The film is in three sections, with each protagonist being the father of the next. Each of the three men is in the grip of some kind of obsession.
We begin during World War II, with medical orderly Vendel Morosgovány (Csaba Csene). Vendel is a hapless figure fixated on sex. At the beginning of the film he shows us his particular party piece by ejaculating a long flame from his penis. He wants to shag everyone with two X chromosomes in sight. Unfortunately for him, that includes his commander’s wife. The resultant child – once a pig’s tail has been removed – grows up to be Kálmán Balatony (Gergely Trócsányi), who in the 1960s becomes a champion speed-eater. This middle section allows Pálfi to indulge in some cynical jabs at the Communist era of Hungary’s recent past. Finally, we’re in the present, with Lajos, Kálmán’s son. Shy and retiring, he works as a taxidermist, so skilled as to be able to stuff an embryo. He shops in a supermarket, buying vast quantities of food for his father (now played by Gábor Máté), who is now super-morbidly obese and confined to the house. But Lajos dreams of one final, ultimate artwork…
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watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7bqyh4u4xM

This film is excellent! I've had the DVD from Ryan for a year now but have only just got down to posting about it.
It is about the art of the spin, a way with words, and the choices we make in life. For me it was a new perspective on the career of a lobbyist, a spokesperson who represents the ideals of a tabacco establishment, who is also the face of the establishment. Everything else is no harder to represent than tabacco, when you have to deal with organisations campaigning against the health aspects of cigarettes.
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Nick Naylor, chief spokesman for Big Tobacco, makes his living defending the rights of smokers and cigarette makers in today's neo-puritanical culture. Confronted by health zealots out to ban tobacco and an opportunistic senator who wants to put poison labels on cigarette packs, Nick goes on a PR offensive, spinning away the dangers of cigarettes on TV talk shows and enlisting a Hollywood super-agent to promote smoking in movies. Nick's newfound notoriety attracts the attention of both tobacco's head honcho and an investigative reporter for an influential Washington daily. Nick says he is just doing what it takes to pay the mortgage, but the increased scrutiny of his son and a very real death threat may force him to think differently.
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watch the trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thankyouforsmoking/trailer

I found this movie truly entertaining and especially when it is also inspired by a true story of a person who began his career on prison radio.
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In the mid-to-late 1960s, in Washington, D.C., vibrant soul music and exploding social consciousness were combining to unique and powerful effect. It was the place and time for Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. to fully express himself--sometimes to outrageous effect--and "tell it like it is." With the support of his irrepressible and tempestuous girlfriend Vernell, the newly minted ex-con talks his way into an on-air radio gig at WOL-AM, where fellow prison inmate Milo's brother Dewey Hughes is the program director. At the station, Petey becomes an iconic radio personality, surpassing even the established popularity of his fellow disc jockeys, Nighthawk and Sunny Jim. Combining biting humor with social commentary, Petey openly courts controversy for station owner E.G. Sonderling. Petey was determined to make not just himself but his community heard during an exciting and turbulent period in American history. As Petey's voice, humor, and spirit surge across the airwaves with the vitality of the era, listeners tune in to hear not only incredible music but also a man speaking directly to them about race and power in America like few people ever have. Through the years, Petey's "The truth just is" style--on and off the air--would redefine both Petey and Dewey, and empower each to become the man he would most like to be.
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watch the trailer:
http://www.focusfeatures.com/talktome

Five Stars & it made me watery-eyed. (Thanks to Serene! ;-)
A sad but very original and wonderful story based on Takuji Ichikawa's best-selling novel "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu," from which this film takes its inspiration. Never thought I'd say this but the film really gave insight to the meaning of the word 'soul mates' and showed me the practical possibility of it, though it would be very rare for most of us.
The story is held together by what we experience as 'premonition' as you'll later discover if you watched, with close friends. You wouldn't want anyone else catch you wide-eyed and watery now.

"'Good morning.' `Good night.' `This tastes good.' `Are you alright?' `Did you sleep well?' `Come here.' Love lives within these words. To me, that's what being a couple is all about. But back then, I hadn't realized it yet." ~ "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu" a novel by Takuji Ichikawa

Summary: When two souls find one anoter , nothing can tear them apart. Widower Takumi (Shidou Nakamura) lives a quiet life with his six-year-old son Yuji (Akashi Takei) after the loss of wife and mother Mio (Yuko Takeuchi). Yuji unfailingly remembers her promise to him: "I'll be with you again in a year's time, when the rains come." On the first anniversary of her passing, Takumi and Yuji are taking a walk in the woods when they come across a woman sheltering from a monsoon downpour. She bears an uncanny resemblance to Mio, but has no recollection of who she is or what she is doing there. Family life resumes from where they left off, while Takumi and Mio's memories of their first encounter in high school come flooding back. However, their new life together is interrupted by the discovery of Mio's old diary, which reveals the secrets of her past and how they must say goodbye once more in six weeks time...
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watch the trailer:
http://www.tbs.co.jp/movie/english/bewithyou/

This was fun! A lite film about embracing life amidst the hectic lifestyle of London's financial sector elite Russell Crowe. I liked that Ridley Scott intended for it to be a lite movie with nuggets of humour sprinkled thoughout a main cast of delightful characters, and it's got wine with accompaniment of a very classy yet fun soundtrack, exactly how I love to have my wine. So I would totally recommend this film for when you are taking a break and do not wish to indulge in anything too heavy on the mind.
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Trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/agoodyear/

The disappearance of his fiancée, Ritsuko, puzzles Sakutaro. He travels to Shikoku in search of her, to a town where he experienced his first love, Aki, a high school classmate. Things he sees after seventeen years vividly refresh his memories of vision making him feel as though he were travelling backward in time…
At age sixteen, Sakutaro falls for Aki, the class idol, who is cast as the heroin in the school play of “Romeo and Juliet.” Another boy plays Romeo but Aki calls Sakutaro Romeo. Evidently, their love is mutual. However, her parents interfere with their romance by forbidding her to use their phone, so she must communicate with Sakutaro via recorded cassette messages that a little girl delivers. The young lovers enjoy the springtime of their lives and spend a night alone together on an otherwise deserted island.
Then Aki learns that she is suffering from leukemia and her days are numbered. Her dream is a tour to Ululu in Australia, the pictures taken and, for fun, pose for a photo of their imaginary wedding. On a stormy night he secretly spirits Aki from the hospital to the airport, but all flights
are cancelled owning to the storm. Then a lit attacks her. Though confined to the hospital, she sends her tapes to Sakutaro, except for the last one that is missing.
After seventeen years, Ritsuko, Sakutaro’s fiancée, visits the photo studio in Shikoku and finds the pictures of Sakutaro and Aki in bridal costumes. She was the little messenger girl, and now she learns how desperately in love they were. Aki’s final tape, long missing, at least reaches its destination…
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watch the trailer:
http://people.smu.edu/japanclub/mi/sekai.html
(official site) http://aiosakebu.yahoo.co.jp/movie

One of my best movies of all time. Pedro Almodovar continues to make great movies till this day. A great character study of two men who fall for two different women bound by similar circumstances i.e. that of being in a coma in hospital. The story line is captivating and urges the viewer for more. The controversial cartoon "story" did get the tongues waging and I think this is the high point of the movie. Almodovar is a great film director, he never wanted to portray any explicit scenes but leaves everything to the imagination of the viewers to make their own conclusions as the story unfolds. What I find appealing about this film is the excelent DD 5.1, the use of bright colours as the bullfighters prepare for the occasion, the wardrobe's smart constumes & hats, the soundtrack including a performance by Caetano Veloso 'Cucurrucu Paloma' - wow!!!
watch this at http://youtube.com/watch?v=YwFXR_7C_70
a sublime voice to die for. This belongs to all serious movie collectors. I don't usually use the word "Masterpiece" lightly and this is it.
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watch the trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287467/trailers

This is actually good despite my stingy 2 star rating. Appriciate the directors use of color and frame composition. I just don't take too well to documentaries... yet.
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The dances in Rize are electric even if the documentary doesn't go that deeply into the performers' lives.
Famed photographer David LaChapelle gets behind a different kind of lens for RIZE, his feature film debut. LaChapelle heads to Los Angeles to make his mark in the cinematic world, shooting a documentary about a style of hip-hop dance called "krumping." Dividing his time between the personal lives of the dancers and some spectacular on-screen demonstrations courtesy of the cream of the krumpers, LaChapelle's bright, vivacious photographic style makes an impressive translation to the big screen. Central to LaChapelle's film is Tommy "The Clown" Johnson. In the wake of the 1992 L.A. riots, Tommy performed as a traveling clown act for children's parties. Unable to satisfy the enormous demand for his act, Tommy set up a small clown-recruiting business which flourished under his tutelage. As the 21st century dawned, Tommy noticed his younger recruits had worked a unique and highly agile dance routine into their act, and krumping was born. LaChapelle slowly unravels the ties that bind Tommy and his cohorts throughout the movie; broken homes, domestic violence, and other horrors have cast an irrepressibly dark shadow over the dancers lives. RIZE illustrates how krumping offers a cathartic release from these personal demons, and as the dancers cavort and gyrate for the cameras, it feels like their tortured souls are literally trying to escape from their bodies. In fact, krumping has become so successful that many of the dancers have turned their back on the shadowy gang activities that formerly offered them a highly dangerous outlet for their pent-up frustrations. As the dancers perform a jaw-dropping array of moves, a deliriously infectious mixture of fun, intensity, and jubilant release pours from the screen. Playing out like a west-coast relative to fellow 2005 film, the New York-based MAD HOT BALLROOM, LaChapelle's movie gloriously demonstrates the healing powers of dance.
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watch the trailer:
http://www.rizethemovie.com/

Full of the humor, mild humiliation, and bittersweet lessons of growing up, this coming-of-age comedy from Malcolm D. Lee (UNDERCOVER BROTHER) unfolds on the South Side of 1970s Chicago. Xavier (Bow Wow, LIKE MIKE) and his wisecracking crew of friends rule the local roller skating rink, but when it closes their summer looks to be an empty one. Reluctantly, they head over to Sweetwater, the glitzy rink across town where the rich kids skate, and where the cocky Sweetness (Wesley Jonathan) presides over all as the unchallenged king of the floor. The boys are ridiculed upon their arrival, and soon vow revenge at the upcoming competition, for which they begin to hone their skills. Meanwhile, X deals with his troubles at home, as his mother has recently died and his dad, Curtis (Chi McBride, I, ROBOT), struggles to make ends meet. The two attempt to understand each others’ grief, and help one another to move beyond it. X also makes the acquaintance of new kid Tori (Jurnee Smollett, COSBY), a gawky girl with braces and a sharp tongue, who tags along with the boys as an ugly duckling, later to emerge a swan. Tori’s hot mom (Kellita Smith, KING’S RANSOM) attracts a great deal of attention on the block, notably from two quick-talking garbage men (Mike Epps and Charles Q. Murphy in a hilarious bit part), and X tries to navigate his budding relationship with the seemingly-unattainable Naomi (Meagan Good, D.E.B.S.). The roller disco mania is infectious, driven by a great soundtrack featuring artists both new and old. The story, too, hits all the right notes, by turns touching and hilarious, with the underdogs-make-good story avoiding the saccharine, and giving Bow Wow the chance to shine.
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watch the trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/roll_bounce/

erm.
Superb for all the retro styling. To die for... really.
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Terry Zwigoff finally follows up his 1994 breakout success, CRUMB, with this infectious, insightful, and ultimately sad look at teenage angst and boredom in suburbia that recalls such films as WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE and RUSHMORE as well as MTV's excellent DARIA series. The screenplay, written by Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes, is based on Clowes's underground comic book, GHOST WORLD. Best friends Enid and Rebecca have graduated from high school, and now they need to figure out what comes next. Rebecca gets a menial job at a coffee shop and starts looking for an apartment, while Enid wallows in her miserable (Daria-like) worldview, in which all jobs are sellouts and nearly all people are creeps, geeks, and losers. But when she plays a practical joke on the biggest dud of them all, Seymour, a lonely man who lives only for his collection of classic 78s, her life gets turned upside as she finds herself needing him in ways she never thought possible. Thora Birch (Enid) and Steve Buscemi (Seymour) are nothing short of marvelous in their complex roles, and they receive ample support from Scarlet Johansson, Bob Balaban, Teri Garr, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas, and the great David Cross. The excellent soundtrack includes songs by Skip James, Blueshammer, the Buzzcocks, Lionel Belasco, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, and Mohammed Rafi, among others. Note to Buscemi fans: There's a small bit at the end of the credits, so stick around.
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Watch the trailer:
http://www.ghostworld-the-movie.com/ns/index.html

Many have agreed. One of my favourite films this year. Watch the trailer:
http://www.itsallgonepetetong.com/
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Shot in a mocumentary style reminiscent of THIS IS SPINAL TAP, director Michael Dowse's IT'S ALL GONE PETE TONG is a funny, touching tale of a DJ who loses his hearing. The title refers to a hugely popular DJ from the UK, who briefly features in the film, and also fulfills the role of executive producer. "It's all gone Pete Tong" derives from Cockney rhyming slang--a popular UK method for inventing phrases by finding unusual words that rhyme--and when used, means that "it's all gone wrong." Frankie Wilde (Paul Kaye) is the hearing-impaired DJ who delights the clubbers on the island of Ibiza by coupling his larger-than-life drug and alcohol-fueled persona with undeniable skills behind the turntables. But as Frankie's hearing rapidly disintegrates, and his former manager, wife, friends, and record label slowly fade away, the distraught DJ plunges into the depths of despair. After Frankie hits rock bottom, Dowse steers his film into calmer waters, with the fallen star kicking the drugs, and concentrating on rehabilitation.
While the events unfold around the fictional character of Frankie, many real-life DJ's appear in the film, giving it a comedic edge as luminaries such as Carl Cox, Tiesto, Paul Van Dyke, Lol Hammond, and others muse on Frankie's rise and fall in the cutthroat world of dance music. But it's Paul Kaye's performance that really gives the film its heart and soul. Infusing his character with a passionate likeability that shines through even when Frankie's behavior plummets to new lows, Kaye conjures up just the right amount of pathos to stop the film from teetering over into corny sentimentalism, making his portrayal a supremely convincing depiction of a star caught in the terrifying throes of a career-ending condition.

Chanced upon this the first time in London when I was roaming the streets of Islington and walked pass an Indie cinema. This is a raw & retro American indie film based on true events of the lending of the surf style to skateboarding, a favouritest of pastimes... years ago.
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In the late 1960s, a group of burnt out teenagers from broken homes ambled together and began to surf along Venice, California's Pacific Ocean Park pier, a ghostly shell of a former amusement park nicknamed "Dogtown." United by their attention to style and willingness to take risks, this group of unruly boys were handpicked and nurtured by maverick surfboard designer Jeff Ho, who christened them the Zephyr surf team (or Z-boys). Originally taking up skateboarding as a distraction for the non-surfing hours, the team ended up revolutionizing what was to become an internationally popular sport, using emptied out pools to create a surf-inspired style that was fluid and vertical and ultimately made them legends.
In this fine, frenetic documentary, director Stacy Peralta (one of the most famous Z-boys) tells the inspiring story of himself and his team. Through interviews, archival film footage, and stunningly beautiful still photographs taken by the Z-boys photographers Craig Stecyk and Glen E. Friedman, Peralta delves into both the large and small of the story--from the personal details of skaters' lives to their lasting impact upon a sport that became a culture. The soundtrack--an expertly chosen mix of classic punk rock and heavy metal including The Stooges, Black Sabbath, and Alice Cooper--is the perfect aural complement to this story, reflecting the rebellious attitude that fueled the boys.

No groundbreaking concepts here but the film is entertaining.
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LAYER CAKE, a riveting thriller set in the drug underworld of the UK, marks the directorial debut of producer Mathew Vaughn (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) and stars Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, Kenneth Cranham, George Harris, Jamie Foreman, Sienna Miller and Michael Gambon.

Sleek, well dressed and polite, our unnamed hero (Daniel Craig) is a consummate professional. Treating cocaine and ecstasy like any other commodity, he has made a fortune for himself by keeping his hands clean and staying under the radar. Having made the decision to retire, his aim is to break free from the world of crime, drugs and violence and live a simple, quiet life with the money he has amassed.

But before this can happen, crime boss Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham) wants two last favors from him. First, he must track down the missing, drug addict daughter of powerful criminal Eddie Temple (Michael Gambon). Second, he must negotiate the sale of a huge shipment of ecstasy with The Duke (Jamie Foreman), a loose cannon petty crook playing well out of his league. What should be routine transaction is anything but and nothing goes according to plan. Instead, duplicity and hidden alliances become the order of the day, in a struggle for power that reaches from the crack dens of London to the highest ranks of British society. Quickly he learns he is part of a machine much greater than he imagined, and getting out won't be quite as easy as getting in.

Sony Pictures Classics presents a Matthew Vaughn Production, LAYER CAKE, starring Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, Kenneth Cranham, George Harris, Jamie Foreman, Sienna Miller and Michael Gambon. Written by author J.J. Connolly (adapted from his novel of the same name), the film is produced by Vaughn, David Reid and Adam Bohling. The Executive Producer is Stephen Marks, Director of Photography is Ben Davis, Editor is Jon Davis and Production Designer is Kave Quinn.

Too crap to miss out on this.
http://www.pistolwimp.com/media/40930/

(1) Visit http://www.ktone.fm
(2) Click on all the links
(3) Come to our launch party

SCRATCH is a feature-length documentary film that explores the world of the hip-hop DJ. From the birth of hip-hop, when pioneering DJ's began extending breaks on their party records (which helped inspire break dancing and rap), to the invention of scratching and "beat-juggling" vinyl, to its recent explosion as a musical movement called "turntablism," it's a story of unknown underdogs and serious virtuosos who are radically changing the way we hear, play and create music.
WORD
This was educational for me and also that I was always interested in the technicality of turntablism & how each DJ & their 'Battles' continue to creatively push any boundary of this Genre that has only been around for 20 years or so.
This documentary movie features the likes of Afrika Bambaataa, Jazzy Jay, DJ Krush, Premier, Qbert, Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys), Cut Chemist, DJ Shadow and many more.
TRAILER
http://www.justmovietrailers.com/video/1817/scratch_main_trailer.html
URL
http://www.scratchmovie.com/

The Motorcycle Diaries is an adaptation of a journal written by Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Bernal) when he was 23 years old. He and his friend, Alberto Granado (de la Serna) are typical college students who, seeking fun and adventure before graduation, decide to travel across Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Peru in order to do their medical residency at a leper colony. Beginning as a buddy/road movie in which Ernesto and Alberto are looking for chicks, fun and adventure before they must grow up and have a more serious life. As is said in the film itself, it's about "two lives running parallel for a while." The two best friends start off with the same goals and aspirations, but by the time the film is over, it's clear what each man's destiny has become.
TRAILER
http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/the_motorcycle_diaries.html

The Cardiff club scene in the 90's: five best friends deal with their relationships and their personal demons during a weekend. Jip calls himself a sexual paranoid, afraid he's impotent. Lulu, Jip's mate, doesn't find much to fancy in men. Nina hates her job at a fast food joint, and her man, Koop, who dreams of being a great hip-hop d.j., is prone to fits of un-provoked jealousy. The fifth is Moff, whose family is down on his behavior. Starting Friday afternoon, with preparations for clubbing, we follow the five from Ecstacy-induced fun through a booze-laden come-down early Saturday morning followed by the weekend's aftermath. It's breakthrough time for at least three of them.
WORD
"The Weekend has Landed". An absolute must watch this comedy/drama as the friends take you through a series of events leading to a weekend of clubbing and after that. Don't watch if you really cannot understand any Brit talk or contemporary youth culture. Thanks to Adrian for introducing this to me before it was too late.
TRAILER
http://www.justmovietrailers.com/video/369/human_traffic_main_trailer.html

Andrew Largeman shuffled through life in a lithium-induced coma until his mother's death inspired a vacation from the pills to see what might happen. A moderately successful TV actor living in Los Angeles, "Large" hasn't been home to the Garden State in nine years. But even with 3,000 miles between them, he's been unable to escape his domineering father Gideon and the silencing effect he's had on his son from afar. Stunned to find himself in his hometown after such a long absence, Large finds old acquaintances around every corner living quite unique lives as gravediggers, fast food knights and the panderers of pyramid schemes. Meanwhile, at home, he does his best to avoid a long-simmering but inevitable confrontation with his father. By a twist of fate, Large meets Sam, a girl who is everything he isn't. A blast of color, hope and quirks, Sam becomes a sidekick who refuses to ride in his sidecar. Her warmth and fearlessness give Large the courage to open his heart to the joy and pain of the infinite abyss that is life.
WORD
I like realistic films directed in an inordinary way. It takes just a little bit to make a good film that isn't anything too Hollywood. Watching it to the end left a warm fuzzy feeling with its heartfelt portrayal of Andrews turn in life. Should watch although not a must, and it's got a good soundtrack with Coldplay, the Shins & Zero 7 among others. Not for action film buffs.
TRAILER
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/garden_state/

1st. Dr.Loosen . Riesling Spatlese
2nd. Fritz Haag . Riesling Kabinett
3rd. Selbach . Rheinhessen
4th. Hugel (Jubilee) . Gerwurztraminer