I have to be honest and say that i'm struggling to find ways to watch most of the films that i haven't yet posted about. I will probably have to order them online but until i've gone back to work and worked out finances etc... those films are going to have to wait so just bear with me please.
Today's film was Wrath of the titans.
I have seen the original clash of the titans but not the remake. I only watched this film because it has Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in it, plus i saw the advert in the cinema and really liked the advert!
Liam Neeson was fantastic (of course) as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes was elegant as Hades.
Just to clarify for those that don't know the plot of this film, this is a much better version of Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters. The storyline isn't quite the same but it's about how Perseus, Zeus, Hades and Poseidon take down Kronos after Hades and Hermes used Zeus to awaken him.
Percy Jackson was terrible so it's good to see a film showing us how it should've been done!
Overall I really liked it. There were a few fight scenes where i was kinda like... just get on with it, he's massive and you're a stick there's no way that you should win but you're going to.
It did test my patience at some points but if i can endure 2001 a space odyssey then i can endure anything!
I would opt to watch this over percy jackson any time!
Two cups of coffee, some popcorn and great nights in, all year round! Proud to support http://www.ninjabookbox.com/ use the discount code CLARE15
Tuesday, 26 August 2014
Saturday, 23 August 2014
I Frankenstein
Again- Clare here.
I saw the advert for this film when i went to see The Hobbit part 2 in the cinema and i wanted to see it- maybe not enough to make me pay to go and see it but nevertheless it was added to our list.
I spent ages in the cinema trying to work out where i knew Miranda Otto from until i clicked that it was Miranda Otto and she is Eowyn in The Lord Of The Rings and of course she is Juliet Draper in Cashmere Mafia which is really awesome, they should've made more instead of making sex in the city instead. If you're a woman and you haven't seen this tv series then watch it- you'll love it.
Anyways- back to the film. Miranda Otto Kicks ass in this film as the queen of the 'good people'. I want to say that they are gargoyles or gremlins but i don't think they are. Her people are descendant from arch angel Michael and are in charge of fighting the demons (those who study theology will know that it was Michael who threw Satan out of heaven and guards the gates).
This story is of course about Frankenstein's monster and it explains that the monster kills Frankenstein and his new wife because Frankenstein tried to kill him and abandoned him.
Unless i'm very mistaken it also has the woman who plays Jane in the Keira Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice. She is a scientist and plays a role that is completely unexpected based on her performance in pride and prejudice.
And of course... Bill Nighy keeps popping up in films of this nature. This makes 6 films that i've seen him in recently, those being the underworld films, wild target and this. I have nothing to say about him that i haven't already. I have sung his praise in every post recently about a film he has been in. I will continue to sing his praise but i see no reason to write loads about how magnificent his performance was.
I know that i've just been writing about the names that i can remember but take nothing away from the cast that i haven't mentioned. They were Lobstrominous and awesome as well.
I saw the advert for this film when i went to see The Hobbit part 2 in the cinema and i wanted to see it- maybe not enough to make me pay to go and see it but nevertheless it was added to our list.
I spent ages in the cinema trying to work out where i knew Miranda Otto from until i clicked that it was Miranda Otto and she is Eowyn in The Lord Of The Rings and of course she is Juliet Draper in Cashmere Mafia which is really awesome, they should've made more instead of making sex in the city instead. If you're a woman and you haven't seen this tv series then watch it- you'll love it.
Anyways- back to the film. Miranda Otto Kicks ass in this film as the queen of the 'good people'. I want to say that they are gargoyles or gremlins but i don't think they are. Her people are descendant from arch angel Michael and are in charge of fighting the demons (those who study theology will know that it was Michael who threw Satan out of heaven and guards the gates).
This story is of course about Frankenstein's monster and it explains that the monster kills Frankenstein and his new wife because Frankenstein tried to kill him and abandoned him.
Unless i'm very mistaken it also has the woman who plays Jane in the Keira Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice. She is a scientist and plays a role that is completely unexpected based on her performance in pride and prejudice.
And of course... Bill Nighy keeps popping up in films of this nature. This makes 6 films that i've seen him in recently, those being the underworld films, wild target and this. I have nothing to say about him that i haven't already. I have sung his praise in every post recently about a film he has been in. I will continue to sing his praise but i see no reason to write loads about how magnificent his performance was.
I know that i've just been writing about the names that i can remember but take nothing away from the cast that i haven't mentioned. They were Lobstrominous and awesome as well.
Friday, 22 August 2014
Easy Rider
I watched the whole of Easy Rider without really understanding the plot- but i must admit that i was also playing professor Layton and watching You only live twice at the same times as well so i wasn't giving it my undivided attention.
I read the summary and now i understand it a bit better.
Summary
Wyatt and Billy are two motorcycle riders (bikers) on their way to Mardis Gras, and encounter hitchhikers, a drunken lawyer, a jail cell, a whorehouse and the death of a friend.
I really liked the soundtrack to it. Born to be Wild is a great song and perfect for the motorbike movies.
It's not a bad film overall but it's not interesting enough to keep me really engaged in it. I easily flicked between them, listening to the film more than watching it. There are some films that the music has made me switch back to the film and give it my undivided attention but this wasn't one of them.
It's difficult to determine if it was a good film or not but i have no reason to suggest that it's a bad film and i think it was on Empires top 301 films.
I read the summary and now i understand it a bit better.
Summary
Wyatt and Billy are two motorcycle riders (bikers) on their way to Mardis Gras, and encounter hitchhikers, a drunken lawyer, a jail cell, a whorehouse and the death of a friend.
I really liked the soundtrack to it. Born to be Wild is a great song and perfect for the motorbike movies.
It's not a bad film overall but it's not interesting enough to keep me really engaged in it. I easily flicked between them, listening to the film more than watching it. There are some films that the music has made me switch back to the film and give it my undivided attention but this wasn't one of them.
It's difficult to determine if it was a good film or not but i have no reason to suggest that it's a bad film and i think it was on Empires top 301 films.
Wednesday, 20 August 2014
The Gold Rush
My first taste of Slapstick Comedy and Charlie Chaplin!
I had seen the artist so i knew something about silent pictures but i was surprised by how much i enjoyed this film.
The story was difficult to follow (don't try multitasking) at some points, especially if you missed a bit for whatever reason.
The film was a good laugh though and I can see why Charlie Chaplin is so highly recommended. As a bit of context this film was made in 1925 and its about a guy who mines and finds Gold. He becomes a multi- millionaire and chases after the woman he is in love with. His house which was on top of a mountain appears to get destroyed as it falls off the point of the mountain but Chaplin and his companion survive so that they can be happy millionaires. Alls well that ends well!
A lovely film and worth the struggles of watching! Comical and enjoyable at all times and i would be forced to watch it again just to try and properly understand the plot.
Chaplin is brilliant!
I had seen the artist so i knew something about silent pictures but i was surprised by how much i enjoyed this film.
The story was difficult to follow (don't try multitasking) at some points, especially if you missed a bit for whatever reason.
The film was a good laugh though and I can see why Charlie Chaplin is so highly recommended. As a bit of context this film was made in 1925 and its about a guy who mines and finds Gold. He becomes a multi- millionaire and chases after the woman he is in love with. His house which was on top of a mountain appears to get destroyed as it falls off the point of the mountain but Chaplin and his companion survive so that they can be happy millionaires. Alls well that ends well!
A lovely film and worth the struggles of watching! Comical and enjoyable at all times and i would be forced to watch it again just to try and properly understand the plot.
Chaplin is brilliant!
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Die Hard
I almost laughed when I realised that Alan Rickman was the bad guy in it but he is absolutely brilliant in Die Hard. I also marvel at the fact that he really suits a beard, in fact, i think it makes him look better which is good cos as Professor Snape he was definitely not considered attractive.
Anyway- I had seen the second Die Hard film but this one is so much better! Bruce Willis is young and has hair! He's not just shooting everyone up but he's actually doing some acting and i think hair suits him well.
Overall I really liked the film. I can't see why they would make 5 films out of the story but i liked the plot for the first film.
Bruce Willis getting his arse kicked by a blond German was kinda ironic but it was still a great film.
I know this post is short but i don't like to give the plot of the film away cos there could be some people that haven't seen the film when they read this post. I will try and be more professional about this post but it's late and i'm very tired, so it will have to be starting tomorrow.
Goodnight.
Anyway- I had seen the second Die Hard film but this one is so much better! Bruce Willis is young and has hair! He's not just shooting everyone up but he's actually doing some acting and i think hair suits him well.
Overall I really liked the film. I can't see why they would make 5 films out of the story but i liked the plot for the first film.
Bruce Willis getting his arse kicked by a blond German was kinda ironic but it was still a great film.
I know this post is short but i don't like to give the plot of the film away cos there could be some people that haven't seen the film when they read this post. I will try and be more professional about this post but it's late and i'm very tired, so it will have to be starting tomorrow.
Goodnight.
Monday, 18 August 2014
Long walk to Freedom
Again it's Clare posting from Esther's account cos her account is the administrative account so it's easier for me to be signed in as her.
Idris Elba stars as Nelson Mandela in what happens to be a VERY long book. Of course his life is a very long story and they did well to make it into a 2 and a bit hour long film.
Idris Elba is brilliant as Nelson Mandela. I think perhaps that Morgan Freeman is still my favourite old Mandela but Elba still deserves awards for his performance.
Having watched the film I am now able to understand more about Mandela's life. We all know (or should know) that he was imprisoned for 27 years but we I didn't get taught in History was that his wife was arrested a few times and taken away from her children. You could argue that Mandela's acts were selfish because he left his children without a father for so long and even sometimes without a mother. On the other hand you could say that it wasn't because he was fighting for the freedom of his people... it just depends on how you see it. I'm the kinda person that would put family before politics but not everyone would do that.
Anyway back to the film. Mandela's second wife is a very moving character and so are his daughters when they grow up. His daughter speaks for Mandela whilst he is in prison and manages to keep the people that he fought for united when they are killing each other off in other parts of South Africa.
Of course it's a moving film, the subject is moving and there was no way that it couldn't be moving. To many people Nelson Mandela is something of a hero.
This film along with The Butler, Lincoln, Invictus and The Help is an outstanding film and thoroughly deserves to win awards. Films that are based on politics usually win lots of awards but that's because they are well made and well deserving of the awards that they win. This is a breathtaking and moving film, packed with violence but a film that manages to make it's point very clearly and really tell the life of Nelson Mandela.
Idris Elba stars as Nelson Mandela in what happens to be a VERY long book. Of course his life is a very long story and they did well to make it into a 2 and a bit hour long film.
Idris Elba is brilliant as Nelson Mandela. I think perhaps that Morgan Freeman is still my favourite old Mandela but Elba still deserves awards for his performance.
Having watched the film I am now able to understand more about Mandela's life. We all know (or should know) that he was imprisoned for 27 years but we I didn't get taught in History was that his wife was arrested a few times and taken away from her children. You could argue that Mandela's acts were selfish because he left his children without a father for so long and even sometimes without a mother. On the other hand you could say that it wasn't because he was fighting for the freedom of his people... it just depends on how you see it. I'm the kinda person that would put family before politics but not everyone would do that.
Anyway back to the film. Mandela's second wife is a very moving character and so are his daughters when they grow up. His daughter speaks for Mandela whilst he is in prison and manages to keep the people that he fought for united when they are killing each other off in other parts of South Africa.
Of course it's a moving film, the subject is moving and there was no way that it couldn't be moving. To many people Nelson Mandela is something of a hero.
This film along with The Butler, Lincoln, Invictus and The Help is an outstanding film and thoroughly deserves to win awards. Films that are based on politics usually win lots of awards but that's because they are well made and well deserving of the awards that they win. This is a breathtaking and moving film, packed with violence but a film that manages to make it's point very clearly and really tell the life of Nelson Mandela.
Saturday, 16 August 2014
12 Monkeys
12 Monkeys, in some way a completely pointless film and in other ways a totally brilliant film.
Brad Pitt is outstanding in his portrayal of a crazy man in a mental institution. His performance at times makes you want to burst out laughing. Of course he then goes on to be the leader of the twelve monkeys and to be an absolute psychopath.
Christopher Plummer is his father and is a bit of a weird character. He gets kidnapped by Brad Pitt and then accepts that his son is a psychopath but a little too late.
Bruce Willis is as good as he can be in this film. A guy that has a criminal record and is sent back in time to stop the virus that had been released by the twelve monkeys from eradicating the human race.
I really like the film, even if they fail to stop it in the end which just kinda seems pointless. This is possibly the first Terry Gillian film that i have seen so i can't draw a comparison with any of his other films. A little weird but still good.
Brad Pitt is outstanding in his portrayal of a crazy man in a mental institution. His performance at times makes you want to burst out laughing. Of course he then goes on to be the leader of the twelve monkeys and to be an absolute psychopath.
Christopher Plummer is his father and is a bit of a weird character. He gets kidnapped by Brad Pitt and then accepts that his son is a psychopath but a little too late.
Bruce Willis is as good as he can be in this film. A guy that has a criminal record and is sent back in time to stop the virus that had been released by the twelve monkeys from eradicating the human race.
I really like the film, even if they fail to stop it in the end which just kinda seems pointless. This is possibly the first Terry Gillian film that i have seen so i can't draw a comparison with any of his other films. A little weird but still good.
Friday, 15 August 2014
28 Days later...
I was surprised when i looked at the back of the case and discovered that the cast was very small. Now that i've watched the film i'm not at all surprised.
Cillian Murphy was absolutely awesome in his role as a guy who wakes up in hospital to find out that everyone has left or has been killed/ infected. He suddenly has to start killing people to keep himself alive.
In the first scene he is completely naked (which probably went down well with most of the female audience) but i was left questioning whether it was absolutely necessary for him to be naked.
Brendan Gleeson was brilliant as the father and taxi driver that saves Cillian Murphy and the girl from the infected people. He eventually becomes infected and gets shot but he manages to pretty much get his daughter and the other two passengers to safety.
This film is about a guy that wakes up to find that the whole of manchester has been infected or killed by an unknown species and there are very few people left. The film is about his struggles and how he manages to get to safety.
He even gets shot in the end by a military dude that he has been staying with because he kills all the other army guys. To be fair the army guys have been typical 'men' towards the women and he didn't like it so he was completely justified... not to mention that they probably became infected because they were keeping someone that was infected chained up in the courtyard area.
A great film for what it was. Not something that i would watch again but still a very powerful film and in some ways a bit like Shaun of the dead (I haven't seen Dawn of the dead so i can't comment).
Cillian Murphy was absolutely awesome in his role as a guy who wakes up in hospital to find out that everyone has left or has been killed/ infected. He suddenly has to start killing people to keep himself alive.
In the first scene he is completely naked (which probably went down well with most of the female audience) but i was left questioning whether it was absolutely necessary for him to be naked.
Brendan Gleeson was brilliant as the father and taxi driver that saves Cillian Murphy and the girl from the infected people. He eventually becomes infected and gets shot but he manages to pretty much get his daughter and the other two passengers to safety.
This film is about a guy that wakes up to find that the whole of manchester has been infected or killed by an unknown species and there are very few people left. The film is about his struggles and how he manages to get to safety.
He even gets shot in the end by a military dude that he has been staying with because he kills all the other army guys. To be fair the army guys have been typical 'men' towards the women and he didn't like it so he was completely justified... not to mention that they probably became infected because they were keeping someone that was infected chained up in the courtyard area.
A great film for what it was. Not something that i would watch again but still a very powerful film and in some ways a bit like Shaun of the dead (I haven't seen Dawn of the dead so i can't comment).
Thursday, 14 August 2014
The final chapter (for now)
I've finally watched the fourth underworld film 'Awakening' and i was right- they have left the ending open to a fifth film. I really don't see how they could make a sixth though so i really hope that they end it with the fifth.
It was nice to get back to the cast that i had expected to see in the third film. Kate Beckinsale was kick-ass as always and her daughter was just as good! Charles Dance was very... I want to say Charles Dance-ish but i guess that's a bit vague. His character wasn't the greatest but i think it suited him quite a lot. It's nice to see him make an appearance as a vampire because i'd got used to only seeing him on the big fat quiz of the year reading extracts of slightly dubious books.
Now that Bill Nighy is gone i guess they needed someone similar to take over a slightly questionable role and he did that. He wasn't the evil guy, just a slightly coward-like vampire that didn't want to risk his men for the sake of a hybrid girl.
The evil guy was played by the same guy that is in V for Vendetta! The inspector turned into a lycan- a massive lyan and decided to be evil instead of good... at least he shows his versatility.
I'm kinda looking forward to the next film (if they make a fifth film). I think that they have developed the story line well enough to keep people interested throughout the next film. Certainly i liked this film as much as i liked the other films and i don't feel that any one of them is weaker than the others.
I liked the addition of the new guy as Michael was hardly in this film. The new guy had an awesome voice and was generally cool (plus he has a massive knife).
Loved it!
It was nice to get back to the cast that i had expected to see in the third film. Kate Beckinsale was kick-ass as always and her daughter was just as good! Charles Dance was very... I want to say Charles Dance-ish but i guess that's a bit vague. His character wasn't the greatest but i think it suited him quite a lot. It's nice to see him make an appearance as a vampire because i'd got used to only seeing him on the big fat quiz of the year reading extracts of slightly dubious books.
Now that Bill Nighy is gone i guess they needed someone similar to take over a slightly questionable role and he did that. He wasn't the evil guy, just a slightly coward-like vampire that didn't want to risk his men for the sake of a hybrid girl.
The evil guy was played by the same guy that is in V for Vendetta! The inspector turned into a lycan- a massive lyan and decided to be evil instead of good... at least he shows his versatility.
I'm kinda looking forward to the next film (if they make a fifth film). I think that they have developed the story line well enough to keep people interested throughout the next film. Certainly i liked this film as much as i liked the other films and i don't feel that any one of them is weaker than the others.
I liked the addition of the new guy as Michael was hardly in this film. The new guy had an awesome voice and was generally cool (plus he has a massive knife).
Loved it!
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
The Birds
This was the last Hitchcock film on the list and once again quite different to what i have seen. All Hitchcock films has a death in them and most of them contain espionage but they are all different.
The birds is in my opinion not as good as psycho. I loved psycho and it's possibly his best film although there is a tough call for it to be rear window! I know what you're thinking "you've only seen 5 films how can you judge?" My sister has a boxset of 15 and i fully intend to watch every single one in that box set.
I'm informed that when she gets attacked by birds, Hitchcock actually tied birds to her so what was happening was real and she probably was actually hurt as much as we see in the film which is a method that health and safety would stamp their HUGE feet all over and the idea would never have been approved. Then again this film was made in 1963 so we have to make some acceptances.
As always, the blood looks like paint and some of the acting is questionable but i really liked the film. I'm not sure that it's better than vertigo but it's still a good film and possibly better than the one i watched the other day which was about a spiritualist and her boyfriend that go looking for some guy that's thought to be dead on behalf of a client because they want the money reward. That film was kinda ridiculous and made me laugh lots. The birds was less ridiculous and had a simple storyline to it.
I once again commend Hitchcock for his work in the film industry (even if his methods are slightly questionable).
Share your views on Hitchcock films with us.
We have posted the list of films that I was watching this year and I will post the list of films for next year. If you want to add films or create your own list that you think i should watch then comment or email us! We'd love to hear from our readers (even if it is a different person every day).
The birds is in my opinion not as good as psycho. I loved psycho and it's possibly his best film although there is a tough call for it to be rear window! I know what you're thinking "you've only seen 5 films how can you judge?" My sister has a boxset of 15 and i fully intend to watch every single one in that box set.
I'm informed that when she gets attacked by birds, Hitchcock actually tied birds to her so what was happening was real and she probably was actually hurt as much as we see in the film which is a method that health and safety would stamp their HUGE feet all over and the idea would never have been approved. Then again this film was made in 1963 so we have to make some acceptances.
As always, the blood looks like paint and some of the acting is questionable but i really liked the film. I'm not sure that it's better than vertigo but it's still a good film and possibly better than the one i watched the other day which was about a spiritualist and her boyfriend that go looking for some guy that's thought to be dead on behalf of a client because they want the money reward. That film was kinda ridiculous and made me laugh lots. The birds was less ridiculous and had a simple storyline to it.
I once again commend Hitchcock for his work in the film industry (even if his methods are slightly questionable).
Share your views on Hitchcock films with us.
We have posted the list of films that I was watching this year and I will post the list of films for next year. If you want to add films or create your own list that you think i should watch then comment or email us! We'd love to hear from our readers (even if it is a different person every day).
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Rise Of The Lycans
This is the third underworld film. I left to go.
Full of slightly ridiculous spinny fight scenes which make you laugh cos they're blatantly for show and nothing more.
This is a back story explaining why Kate Beckinsale's character was left alive when Viktor had killed her entire family. Viktor had a daughter called Sonia who fell in love with a Lycan called Lucian (Michael Sheen) and she abandoned him and i think died because she helped Lucian escape and then he came back for her. Lucian thinks that he has killed Viktor but ultimately he hasn't.
Again the acting was great (the sex scene was unnecessary) but with the typical OTT expected in an 18 rated film.
I liked it as much as i have liked the other films because it is different from the other two. Michael does not feature in this film, which allows the fourth film to be tied in to all the films (if that is what they did with it). Instead of building on a complicated story, they decided to explain bits of the story which i love, especially as rumours spread suggesting a fifth film!
There is a lovely fight scene at the end with Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen where you expect Bill Nighy to win because although he is fighting a younger man, Bill Nighy was an assassin and a giant squid so he can't be outclassed (except by Liam Neeson). However Lucian 'kills' Bill Nighy except we all know that in order for him to be in the first film then that can't really be true.
The films ends classically, with the doors shutting on Viktor.
A great film and nice to see that it is one that manages to be separate and yet link the films together.
I will watch the fourth one either today or tomorrow and post.
Full of slightly ridiculous spinny fight scenes which make you laugh cos they're blatantly for show and nothing more.
This is a back story explaining why Kate Beckinsale's character was left alive when Viktor had killed her entire family. Viktor had a daughter called Sonia who fell in love with a Lycan called Lucian (Michael Sheen) and she abandoned him and i think died because she helped Lucian escape and then he came back for her. Lucian thinks that he has killed Viktor but ultimately he hasn't.
Again the acting was great (the sex scene was unnecessary) but with the typical OTT expected in an 18 rated film.
I liked it as much as i have liked the other films because it is different from the other two. Michael does not feature in this film, which allows the fourth film to be tied in to all the films (if that is what they did with it). Instead of building on a complicated story, they decided to explain bits of the story which i love, especially as rumours spread suggesting a fifth film!
There is a lovely fight scene at the end with Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen where you expect Bill Nighy to win because although he is fighting a younger man, Bill Nighy was an assassin and a giant squid so he can't be outclassed (except by Liam Neeson). However Lucian 'kills' Bill Nighy except we all know that in order for him to be in the first film then that can't really be true.
The films ends classically, with the doors shutting on Viktor.
A great film and nice to see that it is one that manages to be separate and yet link the films together.
I will watch the fourth one either today or tomorrow and post.
Monday, 11 August 2014
Evolution
Firstly I apologise that there wasn't a post yesterday, I wasn't able to find either Easy Rider or the 400 blows so i wasn't actually able to watch anything yesterday.
I have got films that i'm trying to watch but finding the space is just complicated with my family around on holiday.
I'm being taken to see the Birds on thursday which i'm super excited about so I will post about that once i have seen it!
I said that i would watch the rest of the underworld films and i'm keeping to my word by watching the second film : Evolution.
I Liked it as much as i liked the first film and I have to admit that i really liked seeing the awesome politician from Gladiator play the father of Marcus and William. I kinda wondered how they would go about making another three films after the first one and part of me almost wanted to bet that they would be terrible but i'm very glad that i didn't bet on this one because it's far from terrible.
This one explains why her family were killed. Her father built the prison that holds William and Victor didn't want anyone to know about it because he didn't want Marcus to locate the prison. She is the last map of the prison and she held the key for a while.
Of course there are epic battle scenes that just had to happen but it's still a very good film and not complicated to follow (which in this day and age is always good!). She has many attempts at killing Marcus- 5 in a single barrel shot gun if i'm correct but even in the hand to hand combat she is not massively overpowered (which is something that films always get wrong by making the baddy stronger than the goody). She does manage to shoot Marcus in such a way that he can't get his wing like things out, so he is trapped in the ruins of the building as it is falling down because he can't fly and is physically blocked in. She has countless attempts at killing William with guns and still fails (although they did state that the rounds they had wouldn't kill him).
Then of course she gets surrounded by Lycans and has no amo- but not to worry- she'll kill them all with her bare hands (and a few accessories).
I should just point out that it's somewhat ridiculous that Marcus can lift up the wall to the prison so that he can escape. If he could do that then why did he go through all the trouble to get the key?
Anyway, all in all a great film, an equal match to the first film and thoroughly enjoyable.
I have got films that i'm trying to watch but finding the space is just complicated with my family around on holiday.
I'm being taken to see the Birds on thursday which i'm super excited about so I will post about that once i have seen it!
I said that i would watch the rest of the underworld films and i'm keeping to my word by watching the second film : Evolution.
I Liked it as much as i liked the first film and I have to admit that i really liked seeing the awesome politician from Gladiator play the father of Marcus and William. I kinda wondered how they would go about making another three films after the first one and part of me almost wanted to bet that they would be terrible but i'm very glad that i didn't bet on this one because it's far from terrible.
This one explains why her family were killed. Her father built the prison that holds William and Victor didn't want anyone to know about it because he didn't want Marcus to locate the prison. She is the last map of the prison and she held the key for a while.
Of course there are epic battle scenes that just had to happen but it's still a very good film and not complicated to follow (which in this day and age is always good!). She has many attempts at killing Marcus- 5 in a single barrel shot gun if i'm correct but even in the hand to hand combat she is not massively overpowered (which is something that films always get wrong by making the baddy stronger than the goody). She does manage to shoot Marcus in such a way that he can't get his wing like things out, so he is trapped in the ruins of the building as it is falling down because he can't fly and is physically blocked in. She has countless attempts at killing William with guns and still fails (although they did state that the rounds they had wouldn't kill him).
Then of course she gets surrounded by Lycans and has no amo- but not to worry- she'll kill them all with her bare hands (and a few accessories).
I should just point out that it's somewhat ridiculous that Marcus can lift up the wall to the prison so that he can escape. If he could do that then why did he go through all the trouble to get the key?
Anyway, all in all a great film, an equal match to the first film and thoroughly enjoyable.
Saturday, 9 August 2014
Psycho
A well renowned and truly awesome film!
I have to admit that i burst out laughing during the shower scene and didn't find any of it scary at all which for me is massive because i hate horror films and find most things scary.
A woman steels $40,000 off her boss and then runs off with it. She acts very suspicious and gets followed by the police because they think that she has done something wrong because she is acting so weird. She trades in her car for another one straight away and drives to a motel like place. She occupies cabin number 1 and that is where she dies.
She pays for everything in cash which is also suspicious.
She gets put in the back of someone's car and driven away. Her body is being searched for by a private investigator who is employed by her boss.
The guy that owns the cabin is a little weird in the head and he has a mother that is an invalid.
This is by far one of the best films i've watched and possibly the best Hitchcock film i've seen so far (I've seen 4 out of 15 so far). There have been a fair amount of films that i've enjoyed on this list (Django, the Great Gatsby, Underworld, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon etc) but this is possibly the one that i am most likely to watch over and over again.
My sister had told me not to watch the film alone and not to watch it at night and to be perfectly honest i totally get why she said it but it really didn't effect me at all. Infact- I have to be honest and say that the stabbing of the man on the stairs is possibly scarier than the shower scene.
Once again- I take my hat off to Hitchcock for a truly outstanding film!
I have to admit that i burst out laughing during the shower scene and didn't find any of it scary at all which for me is massive because i hate horror films and find most things scary.
A woman steels $40,000 off her boss and then runs off with it. She acts very suspicious and gets followed by the police because they think that she has done something wrong because she is acting so weird. She trades in her car for another one straight away and drives to a motel like place. She occupies cabin number 1 and that is where she dies.
She pays for everything in cash which is also suspicious.
She gets put in the back of someone's car and driven away. Her body is being searched for by a private investigator who is employed by her boss.
The guy that owns the cabin is a little weird in the head and he has a mother that is an invalid.
This is by far one of the best films i've watched and possibly the best Hitchcock film i've seen so far (I've seen 4 out of 15 so far). There have been a fair amount of films that i've enjoyed on this list (Django, the Great Gatsby, Underworld, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon etc) but this is possibly the one that i am most likely to watch over and over again.
My sister had told me not to watch the film alone and not to watch it at night and to be perfectly honest i totally get why she said it but it really didn't effect me at all. Infact- I have to be honest and say that the stabbing of the man on the stairs is possibly scarier than the shower scene.
Once again- I take my hat off to Hitchcock for a truly outstanding film!
Friday, 8 August 2014
Money makes the world go round
you may have guessed that today's post is on Cabaret!
A musical with awesome jazz like show stopping tunes that makes the film very enjoyable.
Set in Germany with the dialogue about Nazi's, a cabaret show that runs most nights makes comical performances about certain things.
Known for the blockbuster performance of 'Money makes the world go round' - Liza Minelli stars in this film which was originally a 1966 broadway production of the book by Isherwood. Unlike a few musicals around that time, Cabaret has more than one enjoyable and memorable song. The Opening song is about welcoming and starts off in German and the finale 'Cabaret' is equally as enjoyable.
I loved every minute of the film and will enjoy watching it again and again.
Next post will be on Hitchcock's 'Psycho'- but probably not until tomorrow!
Thursday, 7 August 2014
Robocop
I have to admit that this wasn't one of the films that I added to the list. I didn't know anything about this film and certainly didn't know that it was going to be released in cinema this year (although i think it's a remake?). For a while someone I work with has been telling me to watch it because i'm not getting his robocop references and so I examined the list to see where i could fit it in and realised that it had already been listed.
Another film with Samuel L Jackson in and another film for which i can't fault his performance. He is one of those actors (and there are only a select few) that I can never seem to fault for his performances. Even if he has made a bad film (of which i can't find one) his performance would still be awesome.
So i'm not actually sure what i thought of robocop- kinda a mixture of i robot and this idea that everyone has about making a film with scientific technology that can make humans walk again. I'm not sure if that kind of film has been made but the idea seems to be commonly occurring at the moment.
Certainly I enjoyed the film and I liked very much the idea that you can take a man who is paralysed and practically dead and make him walk again, unfortunately the plot that he would be controlled in some way was very predictable and you could see it coming from reading the synopsis. Nevertheless, the performances were fantastic and I deeply enjoyed the film.
Because this film is actually a remake of the 1972 version (yes I only just found that out) I take back the comment about a need to use scientific technology and it being like I robot. I will now go and watch the original so that i can discuss the needs that producers have to remake films regardless of how good they originally were!
Another film with Samuel L Jackson in and another film for which i can't fault his performance. He is one of those actors (and there are only a select few) that I can never seem to fault for his performances. Even if he has made a bad film (of which i can't find one) his performance would still be awesome.
So i'm not actually sure what i thought of robocop- kinda a mixture of i robot and this idea that everyone has about making a film with scientific technology that can make humans walk again. I'm not sure if that kind of film has been made but the idea seems to be commonly occurring at the moment.
Certainly I enjoyed the film and I liked very much the idea that you can take a man who is paralysed and practically dead and make him walk again, unfortunately the plot that he would be controlled in some way was very predictable and you could see it coming from reading the synopsis. Nevertheless, the performances were fantastic and I deeply enjoyed the film.
Because this film is actually a remake of the 1972 version (yes I only just found that out) I take back the comment about a need to use scientific technology and it being like I robot. I will now go and watch the original so that i can discuss the needs that producers have to remake films regardless of how good they originally were!
The fall of Tom Felton in the rise of the planet of the apes
So I'm watching the rise of the planet of the apes and I'm wondering why Tom Felton who obviously can't act was hired to be in this movie.
I know that people prefered him to Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter but he actually can't act. I'm very close to someone who's met Tom Felton and says he's an absolute ****. The character he plays in this film is similar in personality to Draco Malfoy- an arrogant ****.
I liked the other characters in the film. I thought that the rest of the cast did really well but Tom Felton was the let down. If he wants to prove that he can act he needs to play a character who's not a twat, otherwise we think he's only playing himself!
The film is about a scientist trying to use a drug on apes that he thinks will cure Alzheimer's. The Ape that he was using it on gives birth to a child and becomes protective, which the lab staff mistake for aggressive so she is shot. The scientist takes the ape home and monitors his development. Caesar (ape) becomes a super intelligent ape that can speak sign language and understand humans very well. Because of this the scientist uses the drug on his father and for a while it looks like things have changed for the better... until the body starts to fight the virus and Alzheimers returns. Caesar goes to protect the father and gets taken away from his home, where he meets twat- head Tom Felton.
It's a very good film but Tom Felton was a major let down.
If you don't agree with me- feel free to comment or show me something that he's done in which he isn't a twat. I'm open to debate but that requires someone to debate this film with me.
I know that people prefered him to Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter but he actually can't act. I'm very close to someone who's met Tom Felton and says he's an absolute ****. The character he plays in this film is similar in personality to Draco Malfoy- an arrogant ****.
I liked the other characters in the film. I thought that the rest of the cast did really well but Tom Felton was the let down. If he wants to prove that he can act he needs to play a character who's not a twat, otherwise we think he's only playing himself!
The film is about a scientist trying to use a drug on apes that he thinks will cure Alzheimer's. The Ape that he was using it on gives birth to a child and becomes protective, which the lab staff mistake for aggressive so she is shot. The scientist takes the ape home and monitors his development. Caesar (ape) becomes a super intelligent ape that can speak sign language and understand humans very well. Because of this the scientist uses the drug on his father and for a while it looks like things have changed for the better... until the body starts to fight the virus and Alzheimers returns. Caesar goes to protect the father and gets taken away from his home, where he meets twat- head Tom Felton.
It's a very good film but Tom Felton was a major let down.
If you don't agree with me- feel free to comment or show me something that he's done in which he isn't a twat. I'm open to debate but that requires someone to debate this film with me.
Wednesday, 6 August 2014
Spending a night with caramel hot chocolate and vampires.
I know that there are a lot of films that have vampires in them so i'll just make it clear- this post is on the first 'underworld' film.
Kate Beckinsale stars as the awesome kick-ass protagonist and this is the synopsis:
A war has been raging between the Vampires and Lycan for centuries, Selene (Beckinsale) is a death dealer, assigned to hunt down and eradicate the last of the Lycan. When she comes across Michael Corvin(Speedman)who holds the key to end the war she must decide where her alligances will lie.
Kate Beckinsale stars as the awesome kick-ass protagonist and this is the synopsis:
A war has been raging between the Vampires and Lycan for centuries, Selene (Beckinsale) is a death dealer, assigned to hunt down and eradicate the last of the Lycan. When she comes across Michael Corvin(Speedman)who holds the key to end the war she must decide where her alligances will lie.
so this is where i write about my view on the film...
I enjoyed it a lot. It's like a more sci-fi and more awesome version of Van Helsing. True that this film is missing Hugh Jackman but Kate Beckinsale was in Van Helsing as well so she is applying her trade to this film to make it even better than Van Helsing.
She shows off her ability to fire a weapon and her ability to fight. There isn't a member of the cast that did anything wrong, the acting was brilliant and the fight scenes were fantastic (especially when she jumps out of the train through the window right at the start of the film!)
Speedman also plays his part of the human that has been hunted by the lycan. He struggles with his body after he gets bitten but he plays the transformation well. Nothing about the film is particularly unrealistic. There are some films that have fight scenes that are ridiculously unbelievable and acting that is also unbelievably however, this isn't one of those films. They don't overdo the stunts and keep everything just as it should be.
A truly awesome film to watch and enjoy- 1 down, 3 left to go (i think!)
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The Pianist
A truly fantastic Roman Polanski film about a Pianist in Nazi Germany.
As a musician i was fascinated by the movement of his hands, but lets not take anything away from the film itself. It's a moving film, in a similar way to life is beautiful except that he doesn't die.
This film is about how the pianist managed to stay in Nazi Germany throughout the war until the Russians invaded. He was helped by a German Captain when he was close to death and he is rescued by the polish forces once the germans have fled.
His friend who was a prisoner of war meets the German Captain who has himself become a prisoner of war when he is released from prison and he goes back with the pianist to find this guy but they can't. The pianist does have a name- it's just that I can't spell it, so I haven't tried.
You feel for him throughout his struggles in which he has to run away from burning buildings and gets shot at a few times. His bravery and determine is honourable.
Adrien Brody's performance is breathtaking.
This film won 3 Oscars and 2 BAFTAs' and it was well deserving of the awards that it won. It's not the type of film that you would watch over and over again but it's not the type of film that you would forget either. It's like The Boy In The Striped Pajamas and Life is Beautiful- the topic makes it very hard to forget those films.
I take my hat off to the cast.
As a musician i was fascinated by the movement of his hands, but lets not take anything away from the film itself. It's a moving film, in a similar way to life is beautiful except that he doesn't die.
This film is about how the pianist managed to stay in Nazi Germany throughout the war until the Russians invaded. He was helped by a German Captain when he was close to death and he is rescued by the polish forces once the germans have fled.
His friend who was a prisoner of war meets the German Captain who has himself become a prisoner of war when he is released from prison and he goes back with the pianist to find this guy but they can't. The pianist does have a name- it's just that I can't spell it, so I haven't tried.
You feel for him throughout his struggles in which he has to run away from burning buildings and gets shot at a few times. His bravery and determine is honourable.
Adrien Brody's performance is breathtaking.
This film won 3 Oscars and 2 BAFTAs' and it was well deserving of the awards that it won. It's not the type of film that you would watch over and over again but it's not the type of film that you would forget either. It's like The Boy In The Striped Pajamas and Life is Beautiful- the topic makes it very hard to forget those films.
I take my hat off to the cast.
Wild target
This is a brilliant film!
Rupert Grint was stunning, Bill Nighy was Awesome and Emily Blunt was pretty good.
I really liked the touch of the old mother in the wheelchair also being a trained assassin.
I'd been saying for a few years that I hadn't seen this film and that I kinda wanted to see it... now i have seen it and it's a film that i wouldn't mind watching over and over again, Rupert Everett was fantastic as always and Martin Freeman was outstanding in his own way.
There are times in this film (many of them) when you want to slap Emily Blunt's character round the face and tell her to just get on it but you have to grin and bear these things which are stupid and typical so that the other characters can have their own moments of class.
Bill Nighy is a hit man and he is hired to hit Emily Blunt when she conns Rupert Everett out of £900,000 and sells him a fake Rembrandt painting. He has many attempts at killing her but she is clever and manages to change her disguise or use other people to shield her. He only shoots one person that he thought was her and after that he struggles to kill her. Instead, when he goes to kill her he ends up killing some other guys that were there to kill her and thats when Rupert Grint who had been sitting in the car park picks up the gun and shoots the guy that was in the back of the truck in the leg. Bill Nighy decides to take him on as an apprentice.
Martin Freeman is the opposing hit man and he eventually gets killed but he's pretty kick-ass in his own way.
I loved the film and the performance from each character, plus the plot was believable and it was filmed in London and the Isle of Man so two thumbs way up!
Rupert Grint was stunning, Bill Nighy was Awesome and Emily Blunt was pretty good.
I really liked the touch of the old mother in the wheelchair also being a trained assassin.
I'd been saying for a few years that I hadn't seen this film and that I kinda wanted to see it... now i have seen it and it's a film that i wouldn't mind watching over and over again, Rupert Everett was fantastic as always and Martin Freeman was outstanding in his own way.
There are times in this film (many of them) when you want to slap Emily Blunt's character round the face and tell her to just get on it but you have to grin and bear these things which are stupid and typical so that the other characters can have their own moments of class.
Bill Nighy is a hit man and he is hired to hit Emily Blunt when she conns Rupert Everett out of £900,000 and sells him a fake Rembrandt painting. He has many attempts at killing her but she is clever and manages to change her disguise or use other people to shield her. He only shoots one person that he thought was her and after that he struggles to kill her. Instead, when he goes to kill her he ends up killing some other guys that were there to kill her and thats when Rupert Grint who had been sitting in the car park picks up the gun and shoots the guy that was in the back of the truck in the leg. Bill Nighy decides to take him on as an apprentice.
Martin Freeman is the opposing hit man and he eventually gets killed but he's pretty kick-ass in his own way.
I loved the film and the performance from each character, plus the plot was believable and it was filmed in London and the Isle of Man so two thumbs way up!
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
American Beauty
This film won 5 Oscars including best picture and 6 BAFTAs' including best film.
Starring Kevin Spacey it's a slightly weird film if i do say so, but not as weird as the girl with the dragon tattoo.
Kevin Spacey has a boring job and he's depressed and his life has gone to sh*t. His teenage daughter is being filmed by the guy that lives next door and she's a bit put off by it. After a while they start dating and you start to learn about him. This guy is played by Wes Bentley (who is in the hunger games) and he's very weird. His dad has tried to discipline him with military school and then when he got kicked out sent him to hospital instead.
Kevin Spacey is having sexual fantasies about his daughter Jane's friend which is just weird but whatever. He quits his job, starts working out and buys a really nice car. His wife starts cheating on him with a real estate guy but that doesn't bother Spacey too much. In the end he hooks up with the girl but then gets shot.
It's a very weird film but I can see why it won so many awards. It touches upon topics that have been occurring for a long time. The acting is brilliant from the entire cast. I'm not sure that I would watch it again but even so it was worth watching.
Starring Kevin Spacey it's a slightly weird film if i do say so, but not as weird as the girl with the dragon tattoo.
Kevin Spacey has a boring job and he's depressed and his life has gone to sh*t. His teenage daughter is being filmed by the guy that lives next door and she's a bit put off by it. After a while they start dating and you start to learn about him. This guy is played by Wes Bentley (who is in the hunger games) and he's very weird. His dad has tried to discipline him with military school and then when he got kicked out sent him to hospital instead.
Kevin Spacey is having sexual fantasies about his daughter Jane's friend which is just weird but whatever. He quits his job, starts working out and buys a really nice car. His wife starts cheating on him with a real estate guy but that doesn't bother Spacey too much. In the end he hooks up with the girl but then gets shot.
It's a very weird film but I can see why it won so many awards. It touches upon topics that have been occurring for a long time. The acting is brilliant from the entire cast. I'm not sure that I would watch it again but even so it was worth watching.
Friday, 1 August 2014
Rocky
I don't know if this film was actually on the list but I haven't seen it and I thought that I really should considering how much i like the main theme song 'Gonna Fly Now' by Bill Conti.
Sylvester Stallone really can't act at all but the film overall is good. I know people that really don't like it because they don't like the topic but if you like boxing then it's ok.
This is the film that made his career and it's very dated. There are moments when you just laugh at how dated it is or how ridiculous it can be. I'm thinking two scenes in particular when I make this point and they are the date between Rocky and the girl (whos's name I have Forgotten) when they are skating round the ice rink and the man is calling out things like seven minutes and then before they've even done a lap of the rink it's three minutes and then time is up. It's things that they didn't realise that people would notice but the time continuity is a big thing that directors need to be aware of, it has to actually give the appearence of being seven minutes, not thirty seconds.
The second point is just shortly after when he practically forces her into his house and then molests her a bit and then she's like- yeah ok whatever. Guys if you were going to make her character difficult and hard to buy then you need to do a better job at it. It's pathetic at how easy she gives up.
Overall I liked the film but Sylvester Stallone really could've done with some acting lessons before he made like five of these films. I will watch the other films at some point (probably in the new year) just so that I can give an all round performance of the films and the story line.
Sylvester Stallone really can't act at all but the film overall is good. I know people that really don't like it because they don't like the topic but if you like boxing then it's ok.
This is the film that made his career and it's very dated. There are moments when you just laugh at how dated it is or how ridiculous it can be. I'm thinking two scenes in particular when I make this point and they are the date between Rocky and the girl (whos's name I have Forgotten) when they are skating round the ice rink and the man is calling out things like seven minutes and then before they've even done a lap of the rink it's three minutes and then time is up. It's things that they didn't realise that people would notice but the time continuity is a big thing that directors need to be aware of, it has to actually give the appearence of being seven minutes, not thirty seconds.
The second point is just shortly after when he practically forces her into his house and then molests her a bit and then she's like- yeah ok whatever. Guys if you were going to make her character difficult and hard to buy then you need to do a better job at it. It's pathetic at how easy she gives up.
Overall I liked the film but Sylvester Stallone really could've done with some acting lessons before he made like five of these films. I will watch the other films at some point (probably in the new year) just so that I can give an all round performance of the films and the story line.