I’ve just sat down to watch 306, a gay short that was sent across by The Ungirly Girl for me to take a look at, and I thought that I’d share the short with you guys too.
The basic premise is that this follows the day in the life of a rather cute student.
It should be noted before you click play that there are a few adult scenes in the short (that is, scenes that may be inappropriate for younger audiences, and NOT just that there are scenes with adults, heh!) – everything is tasteful, and there’s nothing too gratuitous. Not one for granny though
Sat alone in a darkened room, feeling exhausted after a very long slog at work these past few days, this short has totally caught me at the right time to warrant me to watch all of it, and I adore the simple piano scoring.
Rather decent imo, originally made in 2010, it would be interesting to see other shorts that this writer/producer/director, Elliot London, has come up with in the time since, to see how they have evolved.
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..?!
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
Footloose is released in cinemas across the UK on Friday 14th October, 2011 and is rated as 12A.
I am *very* excited to be able to share the news with ya’ll that Captain Planet is currently getting the green light to be made into a live action movie – here’s hoping that it goes all the way, I don’t see why it wouldn’t !!
I am a huge fan of 80s and 90s cartoons, and Captain Planet, from 1990, has to be one of my favourites (I own every episode ever made!), and the theme/credits music still remains one of my absolute favourite theme songs (to the point that it is on my iPod and gets listened to regularly in amongst the ‘normal’ songs heh). I also LOVED that Whoopi Goldberg voiced Gaia!
Cartoon Network has signed a development agreement with action-adventure producer Don Murphy and partner Susan Montford and their company Angry Filmworks to develop a live-action motion picture based on the groundbreaking, environment-saving animated hero, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, it was announced today by Stuart Snyder, president and COO of Turner Broadcasting System Inc.’s Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media division (AYAKM). The agreement gives Murphy and his company the exclusive rights to develop and package the property and advance it towards production.
Murphy and Angry Filmworks are most notably credited for the highly successful action-adventure franchise, Transformers (2007), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). Murphy and Montford together produced the upcoming Hugh Jackman blockbuster Real Steel with Executive Producer Steven Spielberg. The company also is responsible for such action-oriented films as Shoot ‘Em Up (2007), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen(2003), Apt Pupil (1998) and Natural Born Killers (1994). Angry Filmworks formed n 1998.
“The messages of Captain Planet are even more relevant today,” said Snyder. “We feel this team can bring the world’s first eco-hero to life in a powerful motion picture that is not only pertinent but entertaining.”
“We are extremely excited about bringing the good Captain back to life,” said Murphy. “His adventures are known worldwide and he is recognized across generations. We expect to make a spectacular series of films with the amazing team at Cartoon Network.”
“With the earthquakes, tornadoes, melting icebergs and all the other problems threatening the world right now, Earth really needs her greatest defender,” said Montford.
In an effort to inform younger viewers about serious environmental issues, legendary cable entrepreneur Ted Turner partnered with DIC Enterprises in 1990 to create the world’s first animated environmental series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers. The series was about a group of young people who combine their special powers (The Planeteers) to summon Captain Planet, an environmental superhero, to battle the world’s worst eco-villains.
Captain Planet and the Planeteers premiered in fall 1990, airing domestically and internationally in syndication and on cable networks TBS and TNT. Six full seasons of the series were produced in the original run of the series, featuring the voice talents of multiple guest celebrities, including Whoopi Goldberg (Gaia), Meg Ryan (Dr. Blight), Martin Sheen (Sly Sludge), Edward Asner (Hoggish Greedly), James Coburn (Looten Plunder), Dean Stockwell (Duke Nukem) and Sting (Zarm). Winning multiple Environmental Media Awards across its production, Captain Planet and the Planeteers also scored several Daytime Emmy nominations.
First off, I have to say, pals and regular readers will probably know that I am a HUGE fan of the Nolan Batman movies, and, having just seen the actual teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises(folks really need to ignore that crappy spoof trailer that’s on YouTube!), which has just been released by Warner Brothers… I can confirm that I am indeed BEYOND excited for this last movie!!
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…!
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.
Tonight, I was watching CAMP, and I realised once again, just how much I fckn LOVE Sasha Allen!
The thing that I most like about the opening number is that it kinda mirrors the opening sequence of the movie version of HAIR (click here), in which the camera revolves around a strong, striking woman singing her heart out in the middle of an outdoor space, surrounded by people… the fab parallel being that Sasha Allen was recently in the Broadway and West End musical, HAIR – and absolutely OWNED the opening number, Aquarius:
The stagings between the two really is quite striking in my opinion!
There are LOADS of Sasha Allen clips on YouTube if you fancy a hunt around – here’s another one from HAIR, though I should stress that she also does a lot of non-musical performances too (I’m just a HUGE ‘HAIR’ fanatic heh)
If you want to appreciate the STUNNING vocal on Aquarius, I’d suggest checking out this YouTube, straight from the soundtrack:
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.
Last night Mister Karly got me to watch The Hangover, as we’d just seen Bradley Cooper on this week’s Graham Norton, and despite my original reservations about The Hangover not being my sort of movie… I have to concede that I absolutely loved it!
Whilst ‘fat Jesus’ was one of the many quotational highlights, I have to say that I absolutely became paralytically incapacitated during the ‘Doug’s In The Trunk’ scene and we had to pause the movie for a good 5 minutes or so until my chest pains had subsided heh
Funniest thing I’ve seen in a movie in quite some time, enjoy!!
“I hate godzilla, I hate him too, I hate him, he destroys cities” <3!!
Regular readers of my blog can be forgiven for thinking that, at 25, I am starting to have something of a mid-life crisis. First I went off and reviewed the Bieber movie, and now I’m shouting from the rooftops that I really want to see a film that stars Robert Pattinson… even I’m a little concerned heh!
The good thing about the casting of Pattinson, for me, is that I never saw him in any of the Twilight movies, so don’t have this preconceived notion about how he’s going to appear in a film. Sure, I’ve heard everyone else’s views, but this film is clearly a substantial break away from the screaming teen vampire market, and it’ll be nice to be able to judge his performance based on a fresh slate I think. From the look of the trailer, he actually looks to be very capable in this more adult role!
Bit of an unusual storyline (the film is based on the best-selling book by Sara Gruen), which is what really sells this film to me, and it’ll also be fabulous to get to see Reese Witherspoon back on our silver screens – hurrah!
Anyway, have a gander at the trailer and judge it for yourself!
Oh, and just as a side note, the music on the trailer is sublime!!! Best bit of film music that I’ve heard since Daft Punk did their stuff for Tron: Legacy! Nick Cave at his finest imo – have posted the full song below the trailer.
Water for Elephants is scheduled for release at the end of April 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!!
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!
