Tag Archives: Cinema

MOVIE REVIEW: Footloose [2011]

Footloose-2011

Yesterday, I was invited along to an advance screening of the 2011 remake of classic 80s film, Footloose.

Straight off, incidentally, I’m totally calling dibs on the phrase ‘Footloose Rebooted’ – genuinely surprised that nobody else in Hollywood has come up with that one!!! If you see me mention Footloose Rebooted, then you’ll know that I mean the remake :)

I have had a long and chequered history with this film/musical version in the past. Whilst I recognise the 80s original as a classic, I have to say that I’ve never really found inclination to watch it more than twice…and we won’t even go into the stage show… suffice as to say, regular readers of my blog will know that musical theatre is my main passion in life, and Footloose The Musical has always been pretty tatty.

One thing that DOES always translate, however, is the fantastic soundtrack, and I have to say, I was thrilled that Footloose Rebooted decided to stick with it, reinvent it, and add its own modern twist to it – it was a fantastic connection to the original.

You may notice that I say ‘modern twist’ – that is because the new movie has totally dragged the setting up to the present day – something that I feel actually works REALLY well!

Footloose Rebooted is definitely the best incarnation of this story that I’ve seen, despite my initial horror when I heard that it was to be remade, and, whilst the 80s movie does have all the classic moments, especially compared to the Reboot, as an overall experience, I actually preferred the 2011 film.

The story plods along nicely, there’s some FAB casting, including Andie McDowell, oh, and did I mention that the chap playing Ren (Kenny Wormald) is fit as f..?! :P

SO glad that they didn’t cast Zac Efron in the end, and even more pleased that Kenny Ortega hasn’t laid a finger on this movie… whilst both are great, this project really isn’t for either of them!

I took Max along with me to the screening, as he hadn’t even seen the original, and I was really pleased to find that he really enjoyed it as a standalone movie – seeing the initial version is not a prerequisite, and whilst fans of the 80s version will appreciate the nods back to the original, and the minor plot deviations, this doesn’t jar for the new generation.

Suffice to say, I’ve been humming Footloose and dancing around for over 24 hours now :P

Footloose is released in cinemas across the UK on Friday 14th October, 2011 and is rated as 12A.

Tomorrow, When The War Began [2010]

I’ve just spent a rather cool 100 minutes watching the recent Aussie adventure film Tomorrow, When The War Began:

Based on the (insanely popular) Tomorrow series of books, by John Marsden, I must admit that the main reason that I discovered/heard about this film was as it stars Caitlin Stasey – who used to play Rachel Kinski in Neighbours (and I am something of an obsessive of all things Ramsey Street heh). Having seen a few trailers online, I was also quite taken by the soundtrack too, as well as the idea of an Australian style ‘disaster’ movie.

One thing that I would encourage, is for people not to be put off the film by the fairly middling-to-negative reviews that it’s had online (and boy, has it had plenty of those – most sites give this around 6/10). Sure, at times, the plot can get a little outlandish, and the script can be a little clumsy in places, but at the same time, there are moments of real high tension (I found myself hiding behind a pillow on a number of occasions!), and loads of fab explosions, jets, huge trucks and other awesome bangy-smashy stuff hehe!! If you can get through the trailer, then you can definitely get through the film – which moves at a rather fast pace.

Finally, if the thought of Rachel from Neighbours, some scary shout at the screen bits, and bangy-smashy explosions doesn’t convince you to give this film a whirl, perhaps the fact that it also stars the rather hawt Lincoln Lewis may help the decision making process… – mega nom!!

Thought that might pique your attention folks…! :P

Be very interested to hear what anybody else who has seen this film makes of it – for Australian cinema, I thought this was actually really really decent! It’s been out in Australia since September 2010, but has only recently been released in UK cinemas (April 2011), so I’m sure a few of you will have already seen this…

For anyone who is really interested in this series, the sequel, based on The Dead of Night has been green-lit and goes into production in September, and there’s also loose talk of the third film being made, plus a TV series based on the books.

Trailer: Sucker Punch [2011]

Sucker Punch is billed as an ‘action/fantasy/musical’ and is soon to hit the screens of cinemas up and down the country.

Synopsis

Sucker Punch is an action/fantasy/musical and like nothing you’ve ever seen before by the crew behind Watchmen. Baby-Doll (Emily Browning) has been locked up in a mental asylum but is not going to go without a fight. With her imagination on over-drive, and with the help of some of her fellow inmates, she is out to conquer the world, a world that is fantastical and probably imaginary and includes dragons and knife-wielding bandits and anything she can fantasise into existence. Snyder, the director, has called Sucker Punch Alice in Wonderland with machine guns, and it’s certainly quite a ride!

Admittedly I am a little unsure of what to make of this from the trailer – on one hand it looks quite disturbing and dark (which you’d expect from the team behind Watchmen I guess) but then about half way through it all goes a little bit cuckoo-bananas and goes all fantasy on its bad self! Now, don;t get me wrong, I am a huge musical and fantasy geek, and  so really was looking forward to this film, however at present it just seems a little bit ‘odd’. I’ll no doubt end up going to see this film  on my Unlimited card with Cineworld (especially as the new Transformers movie is one of the trailers in cinemas), but am not sure if I’d actually pay to go see it, and would probably just pick it up on DVD when it slides into the <£5 section if I am honest.

Of course, my opinions are  based purely on the trailer, and I’ve yet to hear any of the musical songs from the film (they’re making a big deal of how integral the music and choreography is to the film, though my understanding is that this is not a musical in its traditional form), therefore it may be so bizarre that it ACTUALLY works, who knows – only time will tell!

Sucker Punch is released in the UK on April 1st 2011.

REVIEW: Justin Bieber – Never Say Never [2011]

I may be about to shatter just about any ounce of credibility that I ever had with most of my peers… however, I’ve just returned from a screening of Never Say Never – the Justin Bieber movie – and I have to say, I think that I’m starting to show early symptoms of the Bieber fever!! :o

I caught the trailer for the movie a few days ago when I went to see Gnomeo and Juliet and what drew me to the movie was the geeky element to it, and not Bieber himself. I work in the live music industry and what really excited me was the 3D scaling of the concert footage and especially the huge crowd shots. That said, I’ll also happily admit to liking three of his songs, namely Baby, Somebody to Love, and Never Say Never (remixed version).

What you get with this movie is something that is very similar in feel to the This Is It, Michael Jackson film (co-incidentally, AEG Live were involved with both) – the latter was also in 3D but obviously without the huge sweeping crowd shots.

Whilst I was already aware of Bieber fever and whatnot, even I was taken aback by all of the mania surrounding this kid, I mean seriously, WOW. Kudos to him and his team, as it’s totally insane! I was even moved to shed a random tear at one point, it was so cute to see all these kids and how Bieber was reacting to them, and how much in turn that meant to them. I also got to learn about his back story which proved rather interesting, and hey, who am I to pour scorn on this if it helps provide inspiration to other kids out there who perhaps are struggling to get signed and break in to the toughest industry in the business!

Fortunately, there’s not too much ‘interview’ in this movie, so if you’re not a great fan of his personality, then you don’t have to deal with that too much, though you MUST go to a screening with screaming teenage girls in it, as it really puts the Dolby to shame hehe!! Another thing I learned from this movie was that this kid really can play instruments too – I am somewhat jealous!

In summation, whilst I appreciate this may not be most people’s cup of tea (including, I thought, mine), I think this is worth a go if you’re stuck for something to go see, or if you have a pleading niece/daughter who is wanting to go see – having seen the footage of the concerts, I’d definitely want to try to get tickets for our suite next time he’s in town, getting stuck in with Bieber fever looks like insane fun! :P

Review: Gnomeo and Juliet [2011]

Despite being a 25-year-old chap, I have absolutely no reservations in saying right off the bat that I was VERY excited about going to see Gnomeo and Juliet! I’d been looking forward to it for months, I am also a massive Elton John fan, gnomes played a nice role in my childhood – my Nana’s garden was full of them(!), and like most people, I am also a big fan of the original play, Romeo and Juliet.

The trailer alone sells this movie perfectly:

This has to be a contender for the most fun little film that there’s been in a VERY long time – I genuinely have never laughed so much in my life!

The voice talents are especially amazing, and you get the impression that Sir Elt and David just went through their rolodex and called up all their pals to call in a favour – there are SO many big names in this film – every few minutes Karl and I were nudging each other to gasp at another voice we recognised (I especially loved Dolly and Hulk!). I’ve reproduced a list of the main vocal talents below for you:

James McAvoy – Gnomeo (voice)

Emily Blunt – Juliet (voice)

Ashley Jensen – Nanette (voice)

Michael Caine – Lord Redbrick (voice)

Matt Lucas – Benny (voice)

Jim Cummings – Featherstone (voice)

Maggie Smith – Lady Bluebury (voice)

Jason Statham – Tybalt (voice)

Ozzy Osbourne – Fawn (voice)

Stephen Merchant – Paris (voice)

Patrick Stewart – Bill Shakespeare (voice)

Julie Walters – Miss Montague (voice)

Hulk Hogan – Terrafirminator V.O. (voice)

Kelly Asbury – Red Good Gnomes (voice)

Richard Wilson – Mr. Capulet (voice)

Dolly Parton – Dolly Gnome (voice)

I was a little worried that it was going to be a little ‘child like’ – however, it transpired that this was actually a really well written movie, and I would go so far as to say that it’s much more suited for adults than for kids (despite the U certificate). By that, I mean that the dialogue is incredibly witty, and I love how closely that the story of Gnomeo and Juliet stays to the Shakespeare original in places, the very subtle but appreciated placement of characters (e.g. the frog as the nurse and the flamingo as the Friar) and I also love that they can self-reference themselves when they decide that they want to break from the Shakespeare original. I really liked that this was set in the UK too!

The undercurrent of Elton John’s exquisite music throughout the film only helps to enhance the film! For anyone interested in the soundtrack, I really recommend that you check out the soundtrack album on Spotify.

Karl and I went to a central London screening of this film, and there were absolutely no children in the audience, much to our surprise. It was really great to hear so many adults laughing so wildly and constantly at an animated film for once! :)

The film has received mixed reviews across the web it would seem, however I really would recommend this film to anyone! It’s sooooo good! To give you a measure of its current box office success, in the UK it topped the weekend box office by earning £2,945,627 on its opening. This is a remarkable achievement, regarding the fact that – for the first time ever at the UK box office – 8 movies had £1-million-plus earnings during the weekend.

Normally I am something of a purist when it comes to untouchable songs, however I am usually game for a bit of rework in these situations, and the Gnomeo treatment for Crocodile Rock was great I thought, and really captivates the fun spirit of the movie!!

Movies I’m looking forward to – 2010

Earlier, I was at my friend Tom’s place and we watched a few trailers on his iPad (I’m still not sold on the need to have one of these :P ) – doing so made me realise that I am REALLY looking forward to quite a few movies:

(though I want them to continue will the full series of books – doubtful, but I am a HUGE Narnia fan – I do wish they’d not change the story – I mean, why is the White Witch in this film?!)

(definitely some schexy smoldering going on there! heh).

Someone needs to volunteer to take me to one/all of these please!! :P

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine

The Illusionist [2010] – Trailer

Very intrigued by upcoming British-French animated film, The Illusionist.

The Illusionist (French: L’Illusionniste) is a 2010 British-French animated film directed by Sylvain Chomet.

The film is based on an unproduced script that the French mime, director and actor Jacques Tati had written in 1956 as a personal letter to his estranged eldest daughter, Helga Marie-Jeanne Schiel in collaboration with long term writing partner Henri Marquet between Mon Oncle and Playtime. The main character is an animated version of Tati animated by Laurent Kircher. The plot revolves around a struggling illusionist who visits an isolated community and meets a young lady who is convinced that he is a real magician. The film is set in Scotland in the late 1950s. According to the director, “It’s not a romance, it’s more the relationship between a dad and a daughter.”

Source.

I love how inherently French the film feels, and I adore the style of animation that has been used, it’s beautiful!

Very much looking forward to making time to go see this when it gets a wider release this summer.

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine

(500) Days of Summer – The Soundtrack

** For my review of the movie, please click here **

As mentioned in my blog post on the film (500) Days Of Summer – I absolutely love the soundtrack from this film and though that it suited the movie perfectly.

You can listen to the soundtrack on Spotify if you have it, otherwise I have linked to all of the songs as below – well worth checking out! :)

A Story Of Boy Meets Girl

Us – Regina Spektor

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths

Bad Kids – Black Lips

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want – The Smiths

There Goes The Fear – The Doves

Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap

Quelqu’un M’a Dit – Carla Bruni

Mushaboom – Feist

Hero – Regina Spektor

Bookends – Simon & Garfunkel

Vagabond – Wolfmother

She’s Got You High – Mumm Ra

Here Comes Your Man - Meaghan Smith

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want – She & Him

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine

(500) Days of Summer

I’ve just got around to watching (500) Days of Summer and, I have to say, it was every bit as marvellous as I was expecting it to be.

For an Independent film, this really has done magnificently, and perhaps shows that you don’t need big corporate Hollywood movie bucks when it comes to making a decent film about relationships.

I’ve been a big fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt for quite a while (since his appearance in one of my favourite movies, Latter Days (2003)) and it was marvellous to see him taking the lead on this film. I instantly fell in love with his character and his ‘way’, and so don’t be surprised if you see me nicking some of his outfit combinations from the film, I really digged those too heh.

A marvellous little film, it’s only ninety minutes long, but doesn’t get mired down in any of the usual clichés and you’ll find yourself easily wishing that this was an extra thirty minutes or so longer – it’s really easy to get caught up in.

In addition to the wonderful visuals of this film, there is a phenomenal soundtrack – I don’t think there’s even one song on it that I dislike. So atmospheric and wonderful, it really makes the film perfect for me. Please click here to see my blog post on the soundtrack and to listen to it for yourself.

Definitely a film that I am going to be watching time and time again, as I found it really easy to identify with and it really connected with me.

Now that the ‘serious ‘ stuff is out-of-the-way, here are a few images to help us appreciate the talent that is Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who I *may* have a *small* man-crush on heh!) :P

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine

Protect Me From What I Want

A few months ago, Attitude magazine ran a cover story and interview with the gorgeous Elliot Tittensor (click here for the pics) and they happened to mention that he’d recently been in a gay short called Protect Me From What I Want.

Unfortunately, at the time the story ran and despite all of the hype in the gay community, it was incredibly difficult to get a hold of a copy of it as, as happens with a lot of gay cinema, seemingly nobody had spent the money on licensing it for non-festival viewing. Short of it being featured in a random gay film festival that just happened to be in your home-town at the very moment Attitude ran their story and you wanted to see it, you stood no chance of actually seeing it – bad times!

Fear not though for the good times are now here as, at the end of last month, Peccadillo Pictures released a compilation DVD of shorts, featuring Protect Me From What I Want as one of it’s main features!! :)

I thought Protect Me From What I Want was a fab little film – I really liked Tittensor’s character, Daz, and thought that he really conveyed a lot about the character and the insecurities that we all share in the all-too-brief time that he was on my screen for. I think it was also rather fab of him to take on the role in a short film such as this, so major kudos goes to him!

I reckon that the above counts as enough ‘analysis’ to allow me to get a cheeky ‘phwoooooooar’ in without seeming too low-brow, right? ;)

I was, however, a little disappointed with nearly all of the other shorts on the DVD. They were all really random, and if I am honest, I simply just didn’t ‘get’ some of them. Perhaps someone who is more into arty short films would have a differing opinion, but if you’re a bit of a n00b like me, I’d suggest checking them out on YouTube or similar first (if they’re going to sway your decision on whether or not to purchase this DVD or not).

The exception to this was the amazing Trevor – which won an Oscar way back when it was released for Best Short Film.

The Diana Ross soundtrack just made the film for me! :D

The addition of both of these films made the box set itself well worth the purchase to be honest.

Apart from the constant notion that most ‘gay’ films always seem to put across – that we’re all so fucking miserable, depressed and self-loathing – we’re not!! (but that’s another blog post all in itself) – I found these shorts to be a rather eclectic bunch,  invariably showcasing something for everyone. I would definitely rate both Trevor and Protect Me From What I Want as ‘must see’.

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine