Z Channel & Choke & Hancock OH MY!

It seems as of late that I watch a film and it slowly slides out of my brain pan. Nothing has really stuck enough for me to sit down and write about it. So to remedy this, I give you a giant mishmash of stuff!


Choke
Anyone who follows me on twitter (www.twitter.com/Paracinema) may have caught my slightly disillusioned tweets after viewing. Even days later I can't put my finger on what I disliked about the whole affair. For anyone who doesn't know Choke is the screen adaptation of a Chuck Palahniuk novel of the same name. I really enjoyed that book and even though it's been years since I read it, I remember it effected me deeply. I was expecting the movie to do the same and it just didn't. The acting was solid, the adaptation was OK; there was no glaring reason why this should have left such a "meh" taste in my mouth. Dare I blame the direction? Although I'm not positive that's the root of my issues, I can't think of any other reasons. I certainly didn't hate it. It just felt a tad hollow.

Lifeboat
Lifeboat is my new favorite Hitchcock film. Sure there isn't any blackmail or torrid love affairs or even a strangling; just some people stranded in a lifeboat. Let the hi jinks ensue! I love people trapped places! It really becomes a study on the human condition. This is a solid and entertaining 96 minutes based on a John Steinbeck story. It's fast moving and very satisfying. Give it a whirl, it's on netflix instant watch!

Hancock
Why did I watch this? Curiosity. And instant watch. Hancock had a lot of potential. I was roped in by the setup. Unlike many, I am a fan of Will Smith and I find his characters to be empathetic. The alternate reality where a superhero is just something to deal with was a fascinating premise that Smith pulled off rather convincingly. It's a shame the film didn't continue along that same route. I would have been content watching 90 minutes of the characters strife and struggle in a world where he has become a burden. Instead I got *spoiler* Charlize Theron flying around and quickly trying to shoehorn in a lengthy back story and complex mythology *end spoiler*. It was a super fun cast and I did chuckle a few times. I love you instant watch!


Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
Where to begin... Z Channel is probably one of the most perfectly executed documentaries I have ever watched. I had never heard of the pay channel known as Z Channel and I am overcome with jealousy that I will never know it's sweet embrace. For a genre fan, hell for any fan of film, Z Channel is like a wet dream! The documentary expertly balances the individual yet often overlapping tales of the rise of the channel, the movies it brought into the mainstream and the man who made it all happen. This is a staple in any film fans collection. The rewatchability is so high because of the documentaries many focuses. You could spend the whole running time just jotting down films you now have to track down. It's not every day you find something of this nature with a compelling story and heart that is also informative.

So that's what I've been watching. That and Doctor Who.