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davetong
Reviews
The Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1983)
I would do anything to get this on DVD
I'll never forget the first time I saw this. I turned on part way through and missed the beginning, but in no time I was quite literally rolling on the floor, laughing until I cried.
Gavin Richards was absolutely superb as the anarchist. The comedic timing was spot on and they took full advantage of the fact that this was a recording of a play in front of a live audience, slipping [deliberately] out of character, getting the audience to swear in unison ("Oh you lovely people! On the telly! In front of millions!") and taking a tea break between acts.
20 years on, and it's a real tragedy that this still isn't available to buy. This was what Channel 4 was all about.
Star (2001)
The car's not the only star
Guy Ritchie yet again demonstrates his ability to tell the whole story in the minimum number of frames. All the BMW films are worth the download time, but STAR is definitely the pick of the crop. Clive Owen is a fine dramatic actor (I really enjoyed his performance in Croupier); now he gets the chance to do comedy - and he does it very well. Considering that he spends the entire film sat in a car he does a great performance with his eyes alone. The script is very funny, the editing sharp to a frame, and Madonna demonstrates that being a pop diva doesn't mean that you can't laugh at yourself.
Why are you reading this when you could be downloading it?
Snatch (2000)
All meat, no fat.
Here's a movie that doesn't let up for the whole 90 minutes. Apparently the first cut was 3 hours long, so Guy Ritchie cut out every frame that did not advance the storyline. The result is fast, furious and four letter word-ing funny. As with his debut film "Lock, Stock..." it features a collection of "large" London criminal types whose paths criss-cross chasing a significant illegal prize, in this case a stolen diamond.
Oh, and the DVD is worth buying for the director's commentary alone.