Last night I went and saw a preview screening of the movie Death At A Funeral, a remake of the 2007 movie of the same name.
The Story centres around Aaron (played by Chris Rock) and his family who come together after the father of the family passes away. The family is the usual kind of thing, the brother who has done well, the crazy uncle and so on. Everyone is trying to be civil with each other (even though they really don't like each other) but the day kicks off to a shoddy start with the undertakers making an awful mistake...and then things get a whole lot worse when a mysterious dwarf that nobody seems to know has some devastating news...
The movie is great fun, funnier that I thought it would be and it has a great cast with stars like Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Danny Glover, James Marsden, and Peter Dinklage (who reprises his role from the original). The humour is quite in your face, and I enjoyed every minute....oh and seeing what happens to Danny Glover's character in the end is priceless!
It's difficult to say which version is better, it really does depend on what you want...they are both funny movies but if you want subtle humour then go see the original, but if you like in your face humour then you should really enjoy this movie.
Death At A Funeral (2010) is rated 15 and released 4th June
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Sunday, 16 May 2010
A Nightmare On Elm Street: The Dream Child
A Nightmare On Elm Street is one of the most iconic horror movies of all time,and it spawned 6 sequels and a pretty awful crossover movie (and did you now he kinda cameos in Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday?).
Some of the effects for the deaths are pretty good, for example when Dan becomes one with his motorbike and there are some interesting ideas on nightmares like someone turning into a comic book character and when they are cut they bleed coloured ink, but this does not make for a good movie.
Sadly this movie is quite slow, there are not too many deaths in this movie (not necessarily a bad thing) and the quips from Freddy make him more of a clown than a horror icon.
The only reason you should watch this movie is if you are a die hard Freddy fan and want to watch everything, if you want to see how to make a lame horror movie or if you want to see the fall of a horror icon.
A Nightmare On Elm Street: The Dream Child is rated 18 (although I have absolutely no idea why, it should be a 15 to be honest...) and is available on DVD.
Some of the effects for the deaths are pretty good, for example when Dan becomes one with his motorbike and there are some interesting ideas on nightmares like someone turning into a comic book character and when they are cut they bleed coloured ink, but this does not make for a good movie.
Sadly this movie is quite slow, there are not too many deaths in this movie (not necessarily a bad thing) and the quips from Freddy make him more of a clown than a horror icon.
The only reason you should watch this movie is if you are a die hard Freddy fan and want to watch everything, if you want to see how to make a lame horror movie or if you want to see the fall of a horror icon.
A Nightmare On Elm Street: The Dream Child is rated 18 (although I have absolutely no idea why, it should be a 15 to be honest...) and is available on DVD.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
The 10 Most "Huh?" Endings in Movies
Today, Maxim put up the following article about odd movie endings:
The 10 Most "Huh?" Endings in Movies
You know the feeling: You've been sitting through a good two hours of a movie only to have it slam to a halt with an ending that either completely messes with everything you just saw, leaves things frustratingly hanging in the air, or just goes completely batshit in the final minutes. It's time to celebrate some of our favorite "Whowiththewhatnow?" endings from movies. Oh, do we even have to say "SERIOUS SPOILERS AHEAD"? Well, there are.
10. Planet of the Apes (2001)
Yes, the infamous Ape-raham Lincoln ending. Mark Wahlberg thinks he's escaped from the simian planet, only to arrive on "Earth" - but an Earth where a monkey wrote the Gettysburg address! Tim Burton knew he couldn't just…wait for it…ape the original's "Goddamn you all to hell!" twist ending, so he decided to throw in a brand new one of his very own. Too bad it was solely a visual gag that didn't make a lick of sense.
10. Planet of the Apes (2001)
Yes, the infamous Ape-raham Lincoln ending. Mark Wahlberg thinks he's escaped from the simian planet, only to arrive on "Earth" - but an Earth where a monkey wrote the Gettysburg address! Tim Burton knew he couldn't just…wait for it…ape the original's "Goddamn you all to hell!" twist ending, so he decided to throw in a brand new one of his very own. Too bad it was solely a visual gag that didn't make a lick of sense.
9. A Serious Man (2009)
OK, this one is actually a little unfair. Sure, we're calling out the "everyone stands around, looking at a tornado" ending as one big, giant "huh?", but that implies that anything that came before that moment made any sense at all. A Serious Man is Coen Brother in-joke at its most insular, so the fact that it has an elliptical non-ending should have come as no surprise.
OK, this one is actually a little unfair. Sure, we're calling out the "everyone stands around, looking at a tornado" ending as one big, giant "huh?", but that implies that anything that came before that moment made any sense at all. A Serious Man is Coen Brother in-joke at its most insular, so the fact that it has an elliptical non-ending should have come as no surprise.
8. The Number 23 (2007)
For the whole movie, Jim Carrey is obsessed with a book about the Number 23 that seems to have odd parallels to his life. The occult is thrown is as a giant, demonic red herring, and then the movie hits you with its idea of a wrap up: Carrey wrote the book! Only he doesn't remember doing it! Yeah, that's right, this whole movie basically hinges on the equivalent of a Post-It you put on the fridge when you were wasted.
For the whole movie, Jim Carrey is obsessed with a book about the Number 23 that seems to have odd parallels to his life. The occult is thrown is as a giant, demonic red herring, and then the movie hits you with its idea of a wrap up: Carrey wrote the book! Only he doesn't remember doing it! Yeah, that's right, this whole movie basically hinges on the equivalent of a Post-It you put on the fridge when you were wasted.
7. No Country For Old Men (2007)
Oh, Coens, you've done it again. After a thoroughly tense and well-structured crime thriller, they decide to wrap up things up with implied off-screen deaths and Tommy Lee Jones explaining his dreams. And then it ends. Now, we understand the desire for an unconventional ending, but this is like suddenly unplugging the TV in the final minute of Murder, She Wrote.
Oh, Coens, you've done it again. After a thoroughly tense and well-structured crime thriller, they decide to wrap up things up with implied off-screen deaths and Tommy Lee Jones explaining his dreams. And then it ends. Now, we understand the desire for an unconventional ending, but this is like suddenly unplugging the TV in the final minute of Murder, She Wrote.
6. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
One of the most notorious WTF's ever. We see everything from the POV of Heather, running through the creepy abandoned house in the woods with the camera. She enters a room, and sees…what we think is her companion Mike, standing in the corner awaiting the witch's deathblow (like the children in the folktale version of the witch's story) but before what we're seeing actually registers the camera hits the ground and…that's it. The end. Laters!
5. The Forgotten (2004)
Aliens abducted Julianne Moore's kid. Fucking aliens.
Aliens abducted Julianne Moore's kid. Fucking aliens.
4. The Mist (2007)
After somehow managing to escape from the supermarket that's surrounded by unearthly horrors and (unknowingly) mere seconds from rescue, Thomas Jane decides that he'd rather kill his son, his wife, the other survivors, and himself rather than be subjected to death by Lovecraft. BLAMMO! A WTF and a gut-shot all in one.
After somehow managing to escape from the supermarket that's surrounded by unearthly horrors and (unknowingly) mere seconds from rescue, Thomas Jane decides that he'd rather kill his son, his wife, the other survivors, and himself rather than be subjected to death by Lovecraft. BLAMMO! A WTF and a gut-shot all in one.
3. Vanilla Sky (2001)
So we find out that everything - the undead girlfriend and the masks and everything - is some kind of corporate-controlled dream that's been running through Tom Cruise's head while he's been CRYOGENICALLY FROZEN? Give us a break.
So we find out that everything - the undead girlfriend and the masks and everything - is some kind of corporate-controlled dream that's been running through Tom Cruise's head while he's been CRYOGENICALLY FROZEN? Give us a break.
2. Anything By M. Night Shyamalan
Seriously, take your pick: "Bruce Willis was dead the whole time!" "Samuel L. Jackson is a super villain!" "The aliens' only weakness is water even though they seem intent on coming to a planet that is 90% made up of the stuff" "The village is on a modern-day nature reserve!" "The Lady in the Water is complete shit!" "Trees are killing people!" This guy is, literally, Rod Serling for Dummies.
Seriously, take your pick: "Bruce Willis was dead the whole time!" "Samuel L. Jackson is a super villain!" "The aliens' only weakness is water even though they seem intent on coming to a planet that is 90% made up of the stuff" "The village is on a modern-day nature reserve!" "The Lady in the Water is complete shit!" "Trees are killing people!" This guy is, literally, Rod Serling for Dummies.
1. Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Not only one of the biggest mind-blowing endings, but one that will haunt your dreams for all eternity. The killer? "Angela"? SHE'S A DUDE! And not just a dude, but a dude so thoroughly checked into Crazytown that, upon discovery, just stands there, mouth open, making the most ungodly guttural noise we've ever heard with his peen hanging out. Seriously, watch this clip once and never sleep right again.
Not only one of the biggest mind-blowing endings, but one that will haunt your dreams for all eternity. The killer? "Angela"? SHE'S A DUDE! And not just a dude, but a dude so thoroughly checked into Crazytown that, upon discovery, just stands there, mouth open, making the most ungodly guttural noise we've ever heard with his peen hanging out. Seriously, watch this clip once and never sleep right again.
So, what are your thoughts on list? Me personally I would have listed all M Night Shyamalan's movie at #1 for this list as they just seem to get odder and odder!
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
Splinter
I like a good horror movie, and I was recently recommended Splinter.
Splinter is about a young couple who retreat to the wilderness for a romantic camping weekend, but after damaging their tent everything starts to go wrong when they are car-jacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend on the run from the police.
As the foursome travel the back roads they find themselves in more trouble than any of them could have imagined -- there's a blood-crazed, parasitic creature in the woods, and the two couples are it's next targets.
They shelter at an abandoned gas station, they must use their wits and every weapon at their disposal to defend themselves from not only the creature but themselves.
I really enjoyed this movie, it was a good watch and well worth checking out. I liked the idea of a parasite that infects you and causes spikes/splinters to grow out of the victims bodies (or body parts if removed). After seeing a lot of lame horrors of late, this for me is the way horror should be...simple, but effective. It felt like I was watching some of the simpler horrors from the 80s (and that is nothing but a good thing, some great horrors were made in that time!) and I feel anyone who is going to make a new horror should watch this to see how it should be done.
Here is the trailer for this movie:
Splinter is rated 18 and available on DVD
"This concludes out broadcast day..."
NOTE - I got a tweet from Toby Wilkins, the director of this movie, thanking me for watching and reviewing the movie, it went as follows:
TobyWilkins: Thanks for watching and reviewing, glad you enjoyed it. // RT @yamerias: Fat Bloke Watching: Splinter http://dlvr.it/x3Nc
Nice to have him drop me a message like that!
Splinter is about a young couple who retreat to the wilderness for a romantic camping weekend, but after damaging their tent everything starts to go wrong when they are car-jacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend on the run from the police.
As the foursome travel the back roads they find themselves in more trouble than any of them could have imagined -- there's a blood-crazed, parasitic creature in the woods, and the two couples are it's next targets.
They shelter at an abandoned gas station, they must use their wits and every weapon at their disposal to defend themselves from not only the creature but themselves.
I really enjoyed this movie, it was a good watch and well worth checking out. I liked the idea of a parasite that infects you and causes spikes/splinters to grow out of the victims bodies (or body parts if removed). After seeing a lot of lame horrors of late, this for me is the way horror should be...simple, but effective. It felt like I was watching some of the simpler horrors from the 80s (and that is nothing but a good thing, some great horrors were made in that time!) and I feel anyone who is going to make a new horror should watch this to see how it should be done.
Here is the trailer for this movie:
Splinter is rated 18 and available on DVD
"This concludes out broadcast day..."
NOTE - I got a tweet from Toby Wilkins, the director of this movie, thanking me for watching and reviewing the movie, it went as follows:
TobyWilkins: Thanks for watching and reviewing, glad you enjoyed it. // RT @yamerias: Fat Bloke Watching: Splinter http://dlvr.it/x3Nc
Nice to have him drop me a message like that!
Sunday, 9 May 2010
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
Think of some of the people who you think are amazing...is Ian Dury one of them? I think he was one of the greats and his passing in 2000 was a huge loss to the entertainment industry.
So it was great expections I had from Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, a biopic based on Ian Dury..and I'm glad to say this movie delivered.
The movie is kind of themed like a concert, with Dury (played by Andy Serkis) telling the story of his life. At the age of 7 he contracted polio, and it shows some of ths struggles he had growing up and his against all odds rise to superstardom, being one of the founding fathers of the British punk movement.
It also shows the struggles his family had with a volitile person like Dury as a father and husband.
The movie is great, although it could get confusing where is goes back and forth a lot, but the best thing is that they refused to sugar coat what kind of person Dury was. Serkis plays the lead role incredibly well and almost looks like him too! Add to that a great soundtrack and this move is a winner.
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is rated 15 and is available on DVD and BRD on 17th May.
So it was great expections I had from Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, a biopic based on Ian Dury..and I'm glad to say this movie delivered.
The movie is kind of themed like a concert, with Dury (played by Andy Serkis) telling the story of his life. At the age of 7 he contracted polio, and it shows some of ths struggles he had growing up and his against all odds rise to superstardom, being one of the founding fathers of the British punk movement.
It also shows the struggles his family had with a volitile person like Dury as a father and husband.
The movie is great, although it could get confusing where is goes back and forth a lot, but the best thing is that they refused to sugar coat what kind of person Dury was. Serkis plays the lead role incredibly well and almost looks like him too! Add to that a great soundtrack and this move is a winner.
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is rated 15 and is available on DVD and BRD on 17th May.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Pierrepoint
This afternoon, I watched Pierrepoint (also known as The Last Hangman) on DVD.
This movie is the story of Albert Pierrepoint, who was the last hangman in the UK. During the span of his 22 year career, he executed some 608 people, including the so-called "Beasts of Belsen" for which he had the country's gratitude....he also had to hang his friend because he killed a woman, which changed him.forever.
By the time he had done his last hanging (Ruth Ellis) the public felt differently toward Pierrepont, calling him a murderer, and he felt very differently about the job and resigned in 1956.
The movie is very sad, and Timoth Spall portrays Pierrepoint creepily well.
Pierrepoint is rated 15, and available on DVD
This movie is the story of Albert Pierrepoint, who was the last hangman in the UK. During the span of his 22 year career, he executed some 608 people, including the so-called "Beasts of Belsen" for which he had the country's gratitude....he also had to hang his friend because he killed a woman, which changed him.forever.
By the time he had done his last hanging (Ruth Ellis) the public felt differently toward Pierrepont, calling him a murderer, and he felt very differently about the job and resigned in 1956.
The movie is very sad, and Timoth Spall portrays Pierrepoint creepily well.
Pierrepoint is rated 15, and available on DVD
Friday, 7 May 2010
How To Train Your Dragon
I've always had a passion for animated movies, and I've liked the animated features that Dreamworks have done (although they have never beaten anything by Pixar so far) so I thought I'd give this movie a go.
The story is about a boy called Hiccup, who wants to be a dragon killer. The village he lives in is attacked by dragons constantly, the village men are huge Viking warriors who battle them and Hiccup is...well...not.
Hiccup finds a dragon (which he calls Toothless) he had caught with a contraption he invented..but instead of killing it as he wanted to, he released it. He then trains to kill dragons, where he learns all about dragons, and hears about Night Furies, which happens to be the breed Toothless is. Hiccup and Toothless become friends, and he learns more about them that grasses that make them docile and fish they cannot eat, and Hiccup also makes the dragon a new tail fin so he can fly again.
In the end, after a huge battle, Viking and dragon learn to coexist in harmony.
The movie isn't too bad and had a feelgood factor to it was well as a message of tolerance and understanding.
This movie is also available in 3D, although I'm not sure it would be worth seeing in 3D.
How To Train Your Dragon is rated U and in cinemas now.
The story is about a boy called Hiccup, who wants to be a dragon killer. The village he lives in is attacked by dragons constantly, the village men are huge Viking warriors who battle them and Hiccup is...well...not.
Hiccup finds a dragon (which he calls Toothless) he had caught with a contraption he invented..but instead of killing it as he wanted to, he released it. He then trains to kill dragons, where he learns all about dragons, and hears about Night Furies, which happens to be the breed Toothless is. Hiccup and Toothless become friends, and he learns more about them that grasses that make them docile and fish they cannot eat, and Hiccup also makes the dragon a new tail fin so he can fly again.
In the end, after a huge battle, Viking and dragon learn to coexist in harmony.
The movie isn't too bad and had a feelgood factor to it was well as a message of tolerance and understanding.
This movie is also available in 3D, although I'm not sure it would be worth seeing in 3D.
How To Train Your Dragon is rated U and in cinemas now.
Thursday, 6 May 2010
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
As I will be watching the reboot of the A Nightmare On Elm Street franchise sometime in the next week I thought I'd watch the original movie from 1984. The version I watched was from the US New Line Platinum Series "The Nightmare On Elm Street Collection".
The movie is about a group of high school kids who keep having the same dream. They dream of a badly burned man wearing a brown fedora hat, a dirty striped jumper and notably a glove with blades on the fingers...and every time they dream about this man if they die in the dream they die for real. The man in their dreams is Freddy Krueger, the son of 1,00 maniacs who was burnt alive by a group of parents after he escaped charges of child molestation on a technicality.
The are brilliant kills in this movie by Freddy, when he attacks Tina was a seriously jaw dropping moment when I saw it the first time as was Glen when he become the blood fountain...which had to be for me at the time one of the goriest scenes in a movie I had ever seen (I also would never forget the comment shortly afterwards "You don't need a stretcher up there, you need a mop"!) and it got me hooked on the horror genre.
This is a great movie, which for me still stands the test of time. Wes Craven created a masterpiece and Freddy Krueger was certainly the man of New Line Cinema founder Robert Shaye's dreams and New Line is often known as "The House The Freddy Build" due to the massive success of the franchise. It was also the movie that introduced the World to Johnny Depp (He also was to cameo in one of the many sequels too!). Robert Englund plays one of the scariest characters in a movie as far as I'm concerned (I'm talking about this movie, not the sequels which almost all just made him into more of a clown than a monster)
When it comes to old school horror movies, this is a truly iconic movie and does make you think...after all how do you defend yourself from your dreams...or your nightmares?
A Nightmare On Elm Street is rated 18 and available on DVD now...or if you want to import it you can get it on region-free BRD from the US or Canada.
The movie is about a group of high school kids who keep having the same dream. They dream of a badly burned man wearing a brown fedora hat, a dirty striped jumper and notably a glove with blades on the fingers...and every time they dream about this man if they die in the dream they die for real. The man in their dreams is Freddy Krueger, the son of 1,00 maniacs who was burnt alive by a group of parents after he escaped charges of child molestation on a technicality.
The are brilliant kills in this movie by Freddy, when he attacks Tina was a seriously jaw dropping moment when I saw it the first time as was Glen when he become the blood fountain...which had to be for me at the time one of the goriest scenes in a movie I had ever seen (I also would never forget the comment shortly afterwards "You don't need a stretcher up there, you need a mop"!) and it got me hooked on the horror genre.
This is a great movie, which for me still stands the test of time. Wes Craven created a masterpiece and Freddy Krueger was certainly the man of New Line Cinema founder Robert Shaye's dreams and New Line is often known as "The House The Freddy Build" due to the massive success of the franchise. It was also the movie that introduced the World to Johnny Depp (He also was to cameo in one of the many sequels too!). Robert Englund plays one of the scariest characters in a movie as far as I'm concerned (I'm talking about this movie, not the sequels which almost all just made him into more of a clown than a monster)
When it comes to old school horror movies, this is a truly iconic movie and does make you think...after all how do you defend yourself from your dreams...or your nightmares?
A Nightmare On Elm Street is rated 18 and available on DVD now...or if you want to import it you can get it on region-free BRD from the US or Canada.
Monday, 3 May 2010
The Man Who Sued God
Yesterday I watched the movie "The Man Who Sued God" on DVD.
The movie is about a man called Steve Meyers (played by the very funny Billy Connolly) who decides to sue God after a bolt of lightening hit and destroys his fishing boat and the insurance company decline payments declaring the incident an "Act of God".
The film is quite funny, and also quite sad too. It makes you wonder about the act of God clauses, and also about religion too.
All in all it's a fun movie and quite enjoyable.
The Man Who Sued God is rated 15 and is available on DVD now.
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
The movie is about a man called Steve Meyers (played by the very funny Billy Connolly) who decides to sue God after a bolt of lightening hit and destroys his fishing boat and the insurance company decline payments declaring the incident an "Act of God".
The film is quite funny, and also quite sad too. It makes you wonder about the act of God clauses, and also about religion too.
All in all it's a fun movie and quite enjoyable.
The Man Who Sued God is rated 15 and is available on DVD now.
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Worst movie ever?
I have actually found a movie I could not watch the whole way through, and considering some of the truly awful movies I have watched this really must be quite a bad movie.
Right, so now you have looked at the awesomeness that is the trailer, would you really want to see this movie? Against my better judgement and reviews almost everywhere saying this is one of the worst movies on the planet.
Bad call.
The dialog is cornier than a field of maize, the special effects look like they were done by a4 year old using crayons, and the film is outright dreadful.
If you have a passion for truly awful movies, you will be in your element with Birdemic, otherwise avoid it as if your life depends on it.
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
The movie in question is Birdemic which made in 2008. It is about a small town who get attacked by eagles and vultures, and 2 people who fight back...will they survive the Birdemic?
Here's the trailer for this....er...classic:
Right, so now you have looked at the awesomeness that is the trailer, would you really want to see this movie? Against my better judgement and reviews almost everywhere saying this is one of the worst movies on the planet.
Bad call.
The dialog is cornier than a field of maize, the special effects look like they were done by a4 year old using crayons, and the film is outright dreadful.
If you have a passion for truly awful movies, you will be in your element with Birdemic, otherwise avoid it as if your life depends on it.
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
Friday, 30 April 2010
CotT2 - Kraken's Revenge?
On Tuesday, Deadline gave the following news on the announcement of a sequel to the remake of Clash of the Titans:
Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures are moving ahead with a sequel to Clash of the Titans, which the studio would like as early as spring, 2012. But they will make the journey without Louis Leterrier, who will not return for an encore as director. Sam Worthington will return, as well as most every other character that survived. Greg Berlanti will write the story and the studio is already canvassing the agencies for a writer and director who can whip the movie into shape to shoot before Worthington makes Avatar 2. Leterrier will remain peripherally involved as executive producer. It isn't unheard of for the original director of a big hit film to drop off the sequel--Doug Liman on The Bourne Identity comes to mind--and insiders swear that the Leterrier move was harmonious and are saying he wasn't of a mind to rush into another installment of Greek mythological mayhem. The original has grossed around $390 million, on a $120 million budget with no real gross outlay. By the time it's done, Clash will be one of the year's biggest hits.
Are they serious? I mean, April Fool's has been and gone right? The remake was awful, the critics panned it yet many people have gone to see it and it has made a mountain of cash for Warner Bros! If they are doing this this then I seriously hope they are not going to make this in 3D (which they more than likely are) as the remake was absolutely awful in 3D.
Well, I think I know one movie I will not be paying to see in 2012...
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures are moving ahead with a sequel to Clash of the Titans, which the studio would like as early as spring, 2012. But they will make the journey without Louis Leterrier, who will not return for an encore as director. Sam Worthington will return, as well as most every other character that survived. Greg Berlanti will write the story and the studio is already canvassing the agencies for a writer and director who can whip the movie into shape to shoot before Worthington makes Avatar 2. Leterrier will remain peripherally involved as executive producer. It isn't unheard of for the original director of a big hit film to drop off the sequel--Doug Liman on The Bourne Identity comes to mind--and insiders swear that the Leterrier move was harmonious and are saying he wasn't of a mind to rush into another installment of Greek mythological mayhem. The original has grossed around $390 million, on a $120 million budget with no real gross outlay. By the time it's done, Clash will be one of the year's biggest hits.
Are they serious? I mean, April Fool's has been and gone right? The remake was awful, the critics panned it yet many people have gone to see it and it has made a mountain of cash for Warner Bros! If they are doing this this then I seriously hope they are not going to make this in 3D (which they more than likely are) as the remake was absolutely awful in 3D.
Well, I think I know one movie I will not be paying to see in 2012...
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Iron Man 2
Today, I went to Vue Cinema, Basingstoke and saw an advance screening of Iron Man 2.
Robert Downey Jr returns to the role of billionaire industrialist Tony Stark who is also the armoured superhero Iron Man.
After announcing to the World at the end of the previous movie that he was Iron Man, everyone is aware of his dual identity, and he faces pressure from government, press and public to share his technology with the military, so with the help of Pepper Potts and James 'Rhodey' Rhodes he fights to protect the suit by making new alliances...and confronting new enemies...as well as contending with his own mortality.
The movie has a strong cast with Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L Jackson joining Robert Downey Jr.
Oh, and for the geeks...there is something to see after the credits, I'm not saying what though!
It was a great movie, and the time flew by, never felt like it was two hours!
Iron Man 2 is rated 12A and is in UK cinemas nationwide 30th April.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Hot Tub Time Machine
This evening, I went to Odeon Cinema, Basingstoke and saw a preview screening of Hot Tub Time Machine.
Four friends who have become bored with their lives fall asleep in a hot tub and wake up to find themselves back in the 1980s! The usual time travel japes happen here with the future being altered by what they do in the 80s.
The movie has a great cast with the likes of John Cusack, Crispin Glover and Chevvy Chase who all work extremely well together in this movie.
Oh, and a highlight of the movie is Nick singing Let's Get It Started!
Hot Tub Time Machine is rated 15 and will be in UK cinemas nationwide 7th May.
Now, I need to check some stuff on Lougle...
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
Four friends who have become bored with their lives fall asleep in a hot tub and wake up to find themselves back in the 1980s! The usual time travel japes happen here with the future being altered by what they do in the 80s.
The movie has a great cast with the likes of John Cusack, Crispin Glover and Chevvy Chase who all work extremely well together in this movie.
Oh, and a highlight of the movie is Nick singing Let's Get It Started!
Hot Tub Time Machine is rated 15 and will be in UK cinemas nationwide 7th May.
Now, I need to check some stuff on Lougle...
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
A Nightmare On Elm Street Motion Poster
I love A Nightmare On Elm Street, I saw the first movie when I was 13 and it got me interested in the horror genre, and I must admit this is one of the rare remakes/reboots/re-imaginings I have been looking forward to since I heard they were doing it.
I have just recently seen a motion poster for the movie (which seems to be quite a popular thing!) and thought I'd share a link for you to have a look too...make sure you have the volume up as well!
If you want to download some posters wallpapers and screensavers don't forget to head to the official movie site, http://www.nightmareonelmstreet.com
A Nightmare On Elm Street is released in UK cinemas on 7th May and is rated 18
"This concludes out broadcast day..."
Sunday, 25 April 2010
3D Movies, What Is Going On?
Last year I watched 4 movies in the then "newfangled" Digital 3D. First I saw the animated movies Monsters Vs Aliens and Ice Age 3 which were fun movies and the 3D was not too bad. Next I saw The Final Destination, which was pretty good and had some good "pop out" and make you jump moments in it. Finally I saw Avatar...the movie of all movies it would seem, and it is really good, and was awesome in 3D.
This year there are LOTS of 3D movies being released...but are they not not just jumping on the bandwagon? Several of these movies were not shot in 3D and have been turned into 3D in post-production, which gives you some 3D effect, it it does not have proper perspective or depth as if the movie was actually shot in 3D. Prime examples of movies that were made 3D in post production are Alice In Wonderland and Clash Of The Titans...and both movies I personally do not see what the point was in having any parts in 3D as most of it felt like it was still in 2D anyway.
The other thing about 3D movies is the price...sure, I understand this is a "new technology" that is being used, but does it really have to cost that much at the cinema? Is it because of the glasses? If that's the case perhaps we could get a discount if were bring a pair of glasses with us?
I guess the problem is that Avatar was way TOO successful and this is why production companies are now rushing to get thier precious 2D movies into post processing to make them 3D so that they make more cash, but by making a movie 3D in post production is not big and clever, in fact most movie goers will see that kind of movie and sadly will be put off seeing most other 3D movies.
I wonder, will the madness end before it is too late? Somehow I seriously doubt it....
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
This year there are LOTS of 3D movies being released...but are they not not just jumping on the bandwagon? Several of these movies were not shot in 3D and have been turned into 3D in post-production, which gives you some 3D effect, it it does not have proper perspective or depth as if the movie was actually shot in 3D. Prime examples of movies that were made 3D in post production are Alice In Wonderland and Clash Of The Titans...and both movies I personally do not see what the point was in having any parts in 3D as most of it felt like it was still in 2D anyway.
The other thing about 3D movies is the price...sure, I understand this is a "new technology" that is being used, but does it really have to cost that much at the cinema? Is it because of the glasses? If that's the case perhaps we could get a discount if were bring a pair of glasses with us?
I guess the problem is that Avatar was way TOO successful and this is why production companies are now rushing to get thier precious 2D movies into post processing to make them 3D so that they make more cash, but by making a movie 3D in post production is not big and clever, in fact most movie goers will see that kind of movie and sadly will be put off seeing most other 3D movies.
I wonder, will the madness end before it is too late? Somehow I seriously doubt it....
"This concludes our broadcast day..."
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Alice In Wonderland - Movie Review
This afternoon I went and saw Alice in Wonderland (3D) at the Vue Cinema Festival Place, Basingstoke.
The story is not the actual story "Alice In Wonderland" as many may think, but is actually more of a sequel of sorts. Alice has grown up and it has been arranged that she marries a lord. As she is proposed to she sees the White Rabbit and chases after him, and falls down a rabbit hole, and tumbles into Wonderland!
Wonderland has seen better days...it is ruled by the Red Queen with an iron fist, and always more than happy to have people executed, and the only person who can help Wonderland is their champion, who will have to kill the Jabberwocky...and the champion of Wonderland is Alice!
There are all the characters you will remember from Alice in Wonderland....Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee, The Mad Hatter, The March Hare, The Cheshire Cat....it was great to see them all, especially The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp does a sterling job...perhaps a little too good!).
Does Alice save Wonderland? Will the Red Queen reign supreme? Watch the movie and see...
The movie is almost 2 hours long, but it felt like it was a lot shorter than that...and although there were some parts that looked good in 3D, I do seriously wonder what the point of it in 3D was, and in some ways I think I would have preferred if it was just a standard screening.
There is a great cast featuring Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter and Anne Hathaway...they played their parts well.
It is a good movie, but I just feel like there was supposed to be more to this film...I really hope they are not planning on a sequel to this "sequel"
Alice in wonderland is rated PG and is in cinemas now.
Sunday, 28 February 2010
One, Two....
In 1984, New Line Cinema released a movie that was going to be the beginning of one of their biggest selling franchises in horror.
The movie was about teenagers having horrible dreams, and if they died in the dreams, they dies for real....of course I am talking about the classic movie A Nightmare On Elm Street. In case you have not seen this movie, here is a trailer:
I have quite a passion for this movie and the following sequels (even though they got cheesier and cheesier as they went along) because A Nightmare On Elm Street was the first horror movie I watched (at the age of 13) and it got me hooked on horror movies.
The psychology of the movie is fascinating, to think that a dream could actually have the power to kill you...the thought of that can make your worst nightmares have even more of an edge to them than before.
This year, there is a remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street is to be in the cinemas, and as much as I really hate sequels, I really want to go and see this...even though there is a high chance of this movie totally destroying this franchise for me, I'm attracted to this like a moth to a candle!
Here is the final trailer for the remake:
The only thing that worries me is that the best bits are shown in the trailer....but I shall give my thoughts on the movie when I see it.
A Nightmare On Elm Street is an 18 and will be released 7th May in the UK.
The movie was about teenagers having horrible dreams, and if they died in the dreams, they dies for real....of course I am talking about the classic movie A Nightmare On Elm Street. In case you have not seen this movie, here is a trailer:
I have quite a passion for this movie and the following sequels (even though they got cheesier and cheesier as they went along) because A Nightmare On Elm Street was the first horror movie I watched (at the age of 13) and it got me hooked on horror movies.
The psychology of the movie is fascinating, to think that a dream could actually have the power to kill you...the thought of that can make your worst nightmares have even more of an edge to them than before.
This year, there is a remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street is to be in the cinemas, and as much as I really hate sequels, I really want to go and see this...even though there is a high chance of this movie totally destroying this franchise for me, I'm attracted to this like a moth to a candle!
Here is the final trailer for the remake:
The only thing that worries me is that the best bits are shown in the trailer....but I shall give my thoughts on the movie when I see it.
A Nightmare On Elm Street is an 18 and will be released 7th May in the UK.
Monday, 15 February 2010
Movie review...The Wolfman
On Saturday night I went and saw The Wolfman (15) at Vue Cinema, Festival Place, Basingstoke.
The movie is a remake of the Universal classic horror The Wolf Man (PG) that was released in 1941.
In this movie, Benicio Del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot, is a man who returns to his ancestral home after finding out that his brother had vanished. He is found dead, and it looks like he had been savaged by some beast.
Lawrence goes out to find the monster that killed his brother, and gets bitten by the beast that killed his brother...which makes him become the wolfman.
There's not really much that can be given away, but I'm not going to say too much as there is an interesting twist at the end of this movie which I don't remember in the original (I will have to watch it again later!) which was quite clever and explains more about the brother's death.
Although I enjoyed this movie, I feel there could have been a lot more to this. Sure there was gore, a little humour and even a little bit of romance...but it feels a little bit like they had over-thought some parts of it, and for some reason some parts felt like they had been taken from American Werewolf in London! It's a pity too as they had pulled in some great names like Anthony Hopkins, Art Malik, and Hugo Weaving.
If you want to watch a basic horror" and you have not seen the classic 1941 movie, The Wolfman is worth a watch, but in my humble opinion the superb original and Lon Chaney reign supreme....I give this movie 5/10.
The Wolfman is rated 15 and is in cinemas now.
The movie is a remake of the Universal classic horror The Wolf Man (PG) that was released in 1941.
In this movie, Benicio Del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot, is a man who returns to his ancestral home after finding out that his brother had vanished. He is found dead, and it looks like he had been savaged by some beast.
Lawrence goes out to find the monster that killed his brother, and gets bitten by the beast that killed his brother...which makes him become the wolfman.
There's not really much that can be given away, but I'm not going to say too much as there is an interesting twist at the end of this movie which I don't remember in the original (I will have to watch it again later!) which was quite clever and explains more about the brother's death.
Although I enjoyed this movie, I feel there could have been a lot more to this. Sure there was gore, a little humour and even a little bit of romance...but it feels a little bit like they had over-thought some parts of it, and for some reason some parts felt like they had been taken from American Werewolf in London! It's a pity too as they had pulled in some great names like Anthony Hopkins, Art Malik, and Hugo Weaving.
If you want to watch a basic horror" and you have not seen the classic 1941 movie, The Wolfman is worth a watch, but in my humble opinion the superb original and Lon Chaney reign supreme....I give this movie 5/10.
The Wolfman is rated 15 and is in cinemas now.
Friday, 20 November 2009
Twilight Saga: New Moon
Today I went to see Twilight Saga: New Moon at the Vue Cinema, Festival Place, Basingstoke.
This is the second movie of four in The Twilight Saga, and this time the story continues from where Twilight left off, but this time werewolves have been thrown into the mix.
If you have read the books then you pretty much know what's going to happen, and this movie is a lot closer to the book than the last, but if you haven't I'll try to give you a general gist without giving too much away.
Edward Cullen (a vampire) and Bella Swan (a human) split up and she gets closer to her old friend Jacob Black, who happens to be a werewolf!
Werewolves and vampires do not like each other, but have made an uneasy truce..so all sorts of trouble is starting to brew for Bella as she loves both Edward and Jacob...but Edward will always mean more to her...
Will the star crossed lovers get back together? Will Edward and Jacob end up killing each other?
I really enjoyed this movie a lot more than the previous one, there is more to it, and the cliffhanger ending..roll on the next movie!
Twilight Saga: New Moon is rated 12a and in cinemas now,
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Harry Brown
Last night, I went and saw a preview screening of Harry Brown at the Basingstoke Odeon cinema.
The movie is about a man called Harry Brown (played brilliantly by Michael Caine) a ex-serviceman who lives on a run-down housing estate where a gang has taken over the area, and a subway near his home is where they all hang out.
Harry is a quiet man, doesn't like talking about his past, he has lost his daughter and early into the movie he loses his wife who was very ill in hospital. Things then get worse when his friend Leonard gets killed in the subway.
Harry goes through the gang one by one and it gets pretty violent, in one part of the movie Harry grabs one of the kids tied to a chair and tortures them for answers using a length of rubber hose.
The police are also hot on his tail too, DI Alice Frampton suspects him of killing the gang members off.
It's quite a gritty movie, and there was more violence in this than I had expected, but it's not a bad thing as the violence makes the film feel very real.
I was highly impressed with this movie, it was a lot better than I thought it would be, and certainly a must watch movie. I'll give it 8/10
Harry Brown hits UK cinemas on 11th November and is rated 18.
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