Got to be short and sweet, I’m falling behind.

RAIDERS! ★★★★

Great documentary about the kids who spent seven years creating their own scene by scene recreation of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Years later they reunite to complete the one scene they couldn’t do as kids. Well made, and feel-good.

PAWNO ★★★☆

Australian film about a Footscray pawnbrokers. Nice effort for a first go, and good to see a local film that tries to do something a little different. One of the two ex-junkies looks so much like Mark Hammill, it’s strange. Worth a watch; think Clerks vs Smoke.

THE POSTMAN’S WHITE NIGHTS <not rated>

Russia has a lot to answer for so far this year. Fell asleep about ten minutes in.

COLIN HAY: WAITING FOR MY REAL LIFE ★★★★

What a wonderful, warm-hearted documentary this is. I was a big fan of Men at Work when I was a kid, and re-discovered Colin Hay’s solo work through the Garden State soundtrack. A perfect mix of retrospective, and what Colin Hay’s life is like now. Truly a successful artist. Go listen to his new album now, I know I will be.

VICTORIA ★★★

I was hoping for great things from this film after having heard good thing. It wasn’t bad, but maybe I’d set expectations a little too high. It’s about a girl who’s new to Berlin meeting a group of guys as she leaves a club one night. It was certainly an impressive film in that it’s done in one long take for the entire story, and given the numerous locations, including inside cars and elevators, and shots outside during the day and the night, I regularly wondered how they did it. However, ultimately I had a hard time empathising with the main characters, and not feeling particularly involved when things did or didn’t go their way.

DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON ★★★

Well produced, and well constructed documentary about The National Lampoon magazine and ongoing legacy to comedy – obviously instrumental in decades worth of American comedy. Somehow though it didn’t feel like the film paid off at the end. Maybe because the key players weren’t interviewed (in many cases because they’ve passed on). Worth a watch if it comes on TV.

ROBOT OVERLORDS ★★★☆

If Steven Spielberg were making his 80s films today, this is probably what would be the result. Definitely a tale for kids, and I’m a little too old to be its target audience, but enjoyable, and a great tale of adventure where kids overcome challenges. If you liked The Goonies, then this’d be a good choice to check out. The story is about what happens when robots from outerspace take over the world for an undetermined time while they analyze humans, with the only rule being that no one is allowed to leave their house. Predictably the kids try to save the day. Great acting as usual by Ben Kingsley, and I didn’t realise the lead adult female was played by Gillian Anderson until the credits rolled.

MISSISSIPPI GRIND ★★★

Great performances by the two male leads, Ben Mendehlson and Ryan Reynolds, in an otherwise somewhat well trod story of gambling addiction that didn’t feel like it offered much new.

MY GOLDEN DAYS ★★

French film about a man reminiscing about his youth. It dragged and while watchable, didn’t really provide much story. Kind of disappointing.

THE END OF THE TOUR ★★★☆

I liked this semi-biographical film about a Rolling Stone reporter doing an interview with a celebrated American author (David Foster Wallace) as he completes his book tour for his very successful novel (Infinite Jest). If that sounds a little bit like Cameron Crowe’s ‘Almost Famous’ that’s because it does bear some resemblence (don’t be friends with the band!). While not as good as Almost Famous, worth a watch. I’ve added Infinite Jest to the list of books I don’t seem to get time to read, but want to.

THE OVERNIGHT ★★★★

Funny American film starring stars like Jason Schwartzman and Adam Scott, about a couple who’ve moved to LA, meet some new potential friends, and spend a night at their place, in all kinds of funny and awkard moments.