Monday, 29 April 2013

Iron Man 3 (2013) - Shane Black

This film was brilliant, filled with twists and turns galore. I enjoyed it a lot more than the other two Iron Man films, and it definitely sets up nicely for the Marvel phase two of the Avengers storyline. Oh my gosh, I am so excited for the rest of them now. Oh lordy!
★ ☆

Saturday, 27 April 2013

SPOILERS The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) - Derek Cianfrance SPOILERS

I really didn't expect that Ryan Gosling's character would die half way through. It was like three short long films, all of which were brilliant. Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling were both amazing. I liked how their characters became not so nice and they became what they said they never would. There were so many comparisons between each character and way too much to write in a short review here. One day, I will do an academic essay on this film, and there's so much I could write about each individual shot. It's possibly my new favourite film. A! May! Zing!
★ ★ ★ ★ 

The ABCs of Death (2012) - Too Many to List

The directors I enjoyed the most were: Adrian Garcia Bogliano (B), Helens Cattet (O), Thomas Cappelen Malling (H), Marcel Sarmiento (D) and Jake West (S).
It's kind of difficult to analyse this collection of short films as a whole. IMDb seems to have the right idea, giving it exactly half. Some segments were good. Others were terrible. A lot of them didn't fit correctly together, and were too arty or dramatic in between very goofy ones, but I suppose that's the kind of thing that the producers wanted. I'd like to see more films of this type, possibly with the same director doing all of the segments, to give the audience many stories, but in the same vein of storytelling. It was very inventive, so I'll give it a:
 ★ ☆ 

Friday, 26 April 2013

Meet Joe Black (1998) - Martin Brest

What a heart warming romance story! I enjoyed young Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins' onscreen chemistry, as well as the similarities between both of their characteristics within the film. Hopkins does sweet old father just as well as he plays cannibalistic serial killer, which is definitely a good talent to have. It went on a bit long, and some of the side plots were irrelevant and boring.
★  ★ ☆ ☆ 

SPOILERS Evil Dead (2013) - Fede Alverez SPOILERS

There isn't very much to say on this film. It's not awful (I jumped a few times), but it no where near has as much love and craftsmanship as the original.
Many of the best parts were kept the same.
I particularly liked the part where the main character had to pull her arm off, and the allusion to the chainsaw hand from Evil Dead II (1987) - Sam Raimi, and there was a couple of comedy moments with the chainsaw actually.
The dog was completely unnecessary, except for to get pity from the audience. It would have been scary, if that had come back and started chanting or terrorising them. A bit of originality too, wouldn't have gone amiss.
I also liked the way the main characters had more reasoning to go out into the woods, and to be at the cabin in the first place.
★ ☆ 

Sunday, 21 April 2013

Olympus Has Fallen (2013) - Antoine Faque

Gerard Butler is a genuinely cool guy. Love a good Brit playing an American hero. Makes me feel good about my country! Yay! Also, this is a really good film, and very relevant with the recent North Korea crisis.
 ★ ☆

Horrible Bosses (2011) - Seth Gordon

It's not a bad film, it made me laugh. A lot. Which is the point in the film, so yeah. It's good.
★ ☆

Monday, 15 April 2013

The Evil Dead (1981) - Sam Raimi

I think I've analysed this before, but I went to see it on the big screen with my mate to celebrate the release of the new one. It still amazes me, and I think, if anything, the cinema quality and the graininess of the image made it even better, particularly for that scene with the blood leaks. No spoilers there, I think.

Sunday, 14 April 2013

Scary Movie 5 (2013) - Malcolm D. Lee

It's nice to go the cinema as a non-film student, just for something to do. Me and my mate from work have been feeling pretty down recently (separate circumstances), so going this film with her was just what we needed to just forget our troubles and watch something cheesy. It's an OK film if you don't take it too seriously, not as good as the first few movies, but OK nonetheless.
★ ☆  ☆

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - Robert Mulligan

We did Harper Lee's novel in high school. Over and over. But it never gets boring. The film is of the same vein and Gregory Peck is just the epitome of classic actor. 
Everything I learnt about life, I learnt from Atticus Finch.

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - William Cottrell, David Hand, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Ben Sharpsteen

I bloody love watching a good video. Not a DVD. A bloody video. On VHS! I haven't seen this movie for at least 13 years.
I noticed a lot of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead (1981) in the forest section. Just expecting a tree to jump out of nowhere and molest poor Snow.
Whilst researching this film for my essay, I found another film, which I recommend all (one) of you to watch: Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (1943) - Robert Clampett, especially those with racist tendencies. Wow.
★ ☆

Sunday, 7 April 2013

Back to the Future Part III (1990) - Robert Zemeckis

So ends possibly the greatest trilogy of films of all time. Ha. Time.
★ ☆

Friday, 5 April 2013

Not Another Teen Movie (2001) - Joel Gallen

It's a piss take, and a good laugh. So, enjoy it for what it is. 
I love how in the background in the football scene, there's a couple of random jocks, with the word "Extra" sewn into the back of their jerseys.
★   ☆

Spring Breakers (2012) - Harmony Korine

The "lad" in me wants to give this a five star rating. The more dominant side of me will analyse it properly, and being honest, there was too much nudity. This wasn't a porno; it was a trifle unnecessary, the sheer volume of breasts: who needs it. It might be because I'm newly single, but one pair is enough for me.
That out of the way, the film itself was OK. There was an interesting storyline, told in an interesting way. Interesting, yes. That doesn't mean to say I enjoyed the way it was told. The chant, "Spring Break forever," will stay with me forever I've heard it that often. When James Franco turned up properly, the storyline became a lot more interesting. He acted and was brilliant, as apposed to the girls themselves, who were very two dimensional, with exception to perhaps Selena Gomez, but she was too needy and too annoying to ever be likeable. I found myself waiting for the end, but this film could set a trend in new filmmaking, and it's style is possibly a little ahead (or behind) its time.
★ ☆ 
PS My favourite Britney Spears song, Everytime, has possibly been ruined forever by this movie. I'm not saying it wasn't used well, but now I know I won't be able to help thinking of Spring Break Forever everytime (pun) I hear this song.

Machete (2010) - Robert Rodriguez

This is the cheesiest movie I have ever watched, but it gets away with it, because it's so bloody brilliant.  Danny Trejo is made to play Machete, and Juni (Daryl Sabara) from all the Spy Kids series - Robert Rodriguez is in it as well. Robert Rodriguez is a brilliant filmmaker and this film proves it.
★ ☆

Thursday, 4 April 2013

SPOILERS The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) - Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise SPOILERS

Obviously, this is an amazing movie, and Quasimodo was one of my favourites as a kid. I still have the teddy in my room:
So yeah, it's a boss film. It's kind of adult-like as well though, with Esmerelda being sought after by the three suitors: Quasi, the Captain and of course the perverted Judge Frollo.
★ ☆

Argo (2012) - Ben Affleck

I may have done this before, but it's still a brilliant film, and still so very, very tense. I also won a couple of quid betting on it winning the Best Picture Oscar.

The Croods (2013) - Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders

I liked the cute animals. It reminded me of what Amy would have liked (she's not dead, we just broke up).
☆