Dead Calm v Regarding Henry

Last Sunday I landed at my folks place with a Gin hangover. We listened to England lose the Cricket on the wireless, ate a steak and watched Dead Calm on ITV3.

DEAD CALM 
Plot Summary

Nicole Kidman and husband Sam Neill embark on a boat trip. Sailor Sam spots a sinking ship on the horizon and jogs off to investigate. Meanwhile Billy Zane jumps on board like a sneaky cuttlefish (see LIFE on the BBC) and slips her one.

Now let me get to the nub, the real meat and potatoes of what this film is about. It's no secret that Billy Zane plays the villain in this piece, but if you look carefully at this film, peel back the layers of the onion, you will see there a larger, more darker force at work. The deceitful anti-hero that is played by Benji the dog. You may notice how Benji always yaps when Kidman attempts to sneak off for the gun or tranquilizers giving her up like the treacherous swine he is. Full of dash and cunning, even when Kidman throws the motor key in the ocean in attempt to slow the boat down, Benji dives in and retrieves it for Zane whom he is obviously in league with. I for one was happy to see him shot through the door with a harpoon, and did Kidman weep for his loss? Of course not. She knew what she was doing. 

Geeky Trivia from IMDB


The movie is based on the novel "Dead Calm" by Charles Williams. Orson Welles had filmed it under the name of "The Deep" (previous title: "Dead Reckoning"), based on his own script. The film starred Jeanne Moreau, Laurence Harvey, Michael Bryant, Welles' then-wife Oja Kodar, and Welles himself. The original story had more characters in it than the 1989 film version. Filming lasted from 1967 till 1969. A few scenes could not be filmed, due to the death of Laurence Harvey in 1970, and so Welles' version never reached the big screen. 

  Peter Meter - 87%

  Tomato Meter - 95% (critics)

  Tomato Meter - 43% (audience) 

The other day I sat down with my girlfriend and watched Regarding Henry on Netflix.

REGARDING HENRY
Plot Summary

Harrison Ford gets a bullet in the head in the middle of a foiled robbery. He then develops a fetish for Ritz crackers. 


This was a film that I watched when I was very young. I always had fond memories of it but sadly it didn't hold up. Unlike Dead Calm this was very thin, bit baggy and had some scenes that were excruciating. Like the one where Harrison Ford learns to read again. (See below)

   Peter Meter - 52%                     

   Tomato Meter - 44% (critics)

   Tomato Meter - 50% (audience) 

FINAL VERDICT

I caught up with all the episodes of The Apprentice on iPlayer recently. That little guy (the white Gok Wan) is a bit creepy isn't he? If he had to plot a murder for the next challenge he would wipe the floor with that lot. I think it will be him and Neil in the final. I liked that Alex guy but his eyebrows were freaking me out. My prediction is that little guy is going to win. So WATCH that little guy win The Apprentice and NOT Dead Calm OR Regarding Henry.