Chris' Movie Corner

Follow The Money season 1 review

2016-04-22T06:28:00.001+01:00

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama, Political Thriller.
Starring: Thomas Bo Larsen, Natalie Madueno, Esben Smed Jensen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Thomas Hwan, Lucas Hansen, Kasper Leisner.
Year Of Release: 2016
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Episodes: 10
Director: Per Fly
Language: Danish, Swedish, English (English subtitles)
Synopsis: "A series about the company Energreen. Where we are following a policeman working on a case, where he is trying to figure out, what is going on inside Energreen" IMDB

“Follow The Money” is a Danish Crime/Thriller set in the cut throat world of big finance, more specifically in renewable energies. The show follows Mads (Thomas Bo Larsen) and his fraud squad who are of the belief that something is seriously wrong with the energy firm Energreen. His fears are confirmed when lawyer Claudia (Natalie Madueno) uncovers all is not seems on the surface.

Another Norsk export that hits the ground running, whatever they seem to touch over there currently just turns to gold. While this is of a very different vein to our previously reviewed “Trapped” this one comes from a different calibre of director, this time around the show was developed and directed by different people the show was developed by Jeppe Gjervig Gram, Jannik Tai Mosholt,with direction by Per Fly. Fly has recently signed on to direct “Backstabbing for Beginners” starring Theo James and Ben Kingsley of which he wrote and is directing. Fly does extremely well to create tension in a subject that from the outside would struggle to interest the everyday man, it’s a very high-class area of a high-class sector. I knew little to nothing and still don’t about the finance sector, but that didn’t stop the tension from feeling real and being able to bring me to my seats edge on many occasions.

Another stellar cast in a Nordic television show should come as no surprise to anybody who has watched a since episode in any of the shows. The acting across the border is wonderful again, with stand out performances from Thomas Bo Larsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas, two very contrasting characters that play so well off each other in this cut throat world. Along with supporting characters the casting is spot on as usual, resulting in performances to rival the "big TV" you see over here in the UK or over in the US.

The plot twists and turns in attempts to throw the viewer that seem to come a little more often than is necessary do their job well to keep you drawn in to what is going on with Evergreen. The main issue that show seemed to have was the pacing was far too slow, it can be seen what they were trying to do with a slow burn to bring you into the world, but it kind of served as a wedge that ends up to an extent alienating the viewer. The constant use of hooks to keep you coming back each episode aren't as necessary as the show-runners would like, to the point at which some of the hooks are noticeable before an episode ends. This does little to take away from the enjoyment of the show it just felt unnecessary as if they were worried the story as a whole wouldn't entice viewers but it does.

Overall, the show is a good thrill ride in the world of big finance, chalked full of great acting performances and wonderfully shot cinematography which is expected with shows of this nature. If you have even a miniscule interest in the subject at question or the current flock of television shows coming out of the Nordic countries then this is definitely one for you, alternatively if you're new to this area of TV this is a great stepping stone to other shows like "Trapped" check out our review or "The Bridge". Another enjoyable show to sink your teeth into that will keep you highly entertained throughout the 10 episode run, I will certainly be keeping my eye on Nordic Noir & Beyond releases in the coming weeks, months and years to come.

6/10

Trapped releases April 25th on DVD & Blu-Ray through Arrow Films and Nordic Noir & Beyond, get hold of your copies now!

Trapped review

2016-04-05T15:59:00.000+01:00

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Drama.
Starring: Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson.
Year Of Release: 2016 (UK)
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Episodes: 10
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Language: Icelandic, Danish, English (English subtitles)
Synopsis: "In a remote town in Iceland, Police desperately try to solve a crime as a powerful storm descends upon the town." IMDB

“Trapped” is a Nordic, Icelandic to be more specific is a mystery/crime/thriller, set in the small Icelandic town of Seyðisfjörður. The idyllic town is thrown into a sense of fear when a mutilated corpse is discovered, local Police Chief Andri Olafsson played by the incredible badass that is Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. Whose investigation is thrown into jeopardy when a huge storm blows in cutting off the small fishing town from the rest of the world with the unknown assailant still at large?

The show was developed and created by Baltasar Kormákur Samper widely known for his work on “Contraband”, “2 Guns” and “Everest”. Baltasar also directed all 10 episodes with Sigurjón Kjartansson writing the season and serving as an executive producer. Baltasar really showcases his talent as a truly brilliant director especially with the usage of the beautiful cinematography from Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson. Some of the shows Baltasar uses are just phenomenal from a film-making stand point but also breathtakingly beautiful to behold even on the small screen. The combination of Björgúlfsson and Kormákur has quickly became one of the most beautiful dynamics in television in recent years, their talents amplify each other in such incredible ways that seeing their names nominated for Academy Awards in coming years wouldn’t surprise me at all, even less if it was for the same project.

The use of more low-key action sequences is a breath of fresh air in pure contrast to American/British shows in which they rely heavily of muddy action scenes to sell their shows. Trapped uses brilliant storytelling, well written dialogue and well-acted scenes in order to bring you to the edge of your seat in every episode, while each episode ends on a cliff-hanger this does little more than to serve as an extra push for that “one more episode” feel we all long for in this binge-watch culture we are accustom to. We are given enough time with characters to see them properly develop and their relationships hit highs and lows within the lowly Icelandic town. The decision to tone down the action in aid of progressing characters will be a welcomed one to fans of the mystery genre, which will transport you from your couch to battling the emotions in the Icelandic weather. The shows approach to having a realistic feel is a change of pace from the near superhero world some police shows live in today, by this I mean constant “danger” of being killed while never actually even being hurt, always coming out unscathed. While watching “trapped” you feel like this sort of thing could be happening in your home town and you wouldn’t be the wiser.

Where to begin when it comes to the acting, the acting in this show is pretty much second to none that I have ever seen. While they are speaking a language we are not familiar with, they don’t struggle at all to translate everything they want the audience to feel. Stand out performances from majority of the cast with the major one being Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, just WOW there really is no other words for his performance his bear like demeanour and peculiar policing tactics you’re in for a treat. If you’re worried about going into a show in which the language spoken isn’t your native tongue, I can say with my hand on my heart, this truly isn’t a thing to worry about. Reading subtitles becomes second nature in no time due to pure enthralment in the performances.

The show does everything it can to match the brilliance of recent Nordic shows that have taken the world by storm “The Bridge”, “Lilyhammer” and “The Killing” not only does it match what these shows brought to the small screen. In its own way it outshines these shows with the use of claustrophobia and severe weather to make you feel like you are part of this close-knit community during their turbulent time. After a big opener the show falls into a nicely paced complex thriller to rival the Hollywood films in the genre the likes of “Prisoners” or “Gone Girl” and rivals their end product too.

Overall, I found the show to be thoroughly enjoyable start to finish it is a triumph in small screen cinema that surpasses its equivalents and even rivals the films Hollywood churn out each year. While I had some reservations going into the show, they were all squashed before the credits rolled after the initial episode. The show is a well-drawn out mystery thriller that will have you hooked and wanting more, along with well written and directed gripping episodes the cast excel in drawing you into their world and not letting you escape until the season ends, resulting in one of the most enjoyable but heart racing shows in recent years. Tension, excitement, fear and enjoyment at every bend “Trapped” or to give it its original Icelandic title “Ófærð“ will have you longing for more and delving into the Nordic made shows of a similar vein in no time!

8/10

Trapped releases April 11th on DVD & Blu-Ray through Arrow Films and Nordic Noir & Beyond, get hold of your copies now!

San Andreas review

2015-09-02T22:17:00.000+01:00

Genre: Action, Adventure, Disaster.
Starring: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Carla Gugino, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Art Parkinson, Ioan Grufford, Paul Giamatti, Archie Panjabi.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK) PG13 (US)
Runtime: 114 Minutes
Director: Brad Peyton

Synopsis: "In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter." IMDB

It feels like wherever you turn today in the movie world The Rock is showing his face, which is not a bad thing he is a very enjoyable actor I find. I have been enjoying his work since I first seen him in "The Mummy Returns" when I was 11/12 already loving him from his time in WWF.

Disaster films usually tend to all follow the same tropes, San Andreas is no different in that aspect they follow the tropes, "damsel" in distress, children in danger, over the top destruction and comedic retorts in deathly situations. Even though it buys into all the usual tropes, it doesn't take away from the film, director Brad Peyton chose to focus on characters as well as the destruction, without trying to make the film something it isn't. It stays very true to its destructive route which is the real reason we all watch these type of films and it does not disappoint in nearly destroying the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

Some of the visuals really are beautifully destructive!

The films relies a LOT of CGI as you would expect, for the most part there is a some beautiful visuals, I found some of the effects to by abysmal like something you would expect if watching a film from 2/3 decades ago. Plus the use of poor green screens is eminent in many scenes, they stand out in their awfulness in scenes in which Johnson and Gugino's characters are sailing through the city. There are some incredible visuals though, none that I will be specific about as to not ruin them for viewers who are yet to see them.

The ensemble cast of Johnson, Gugino, Daddario, Guffard and Giamatti amongst others were a nice combination, let's be honest though it's an action film getting "The Rock" to star in it is like avoiding Christopher Mintz-Plasse like the plague, it just makes sense! The entire of the cast were great in their roles, my only complaints come from getting people to put on accents that they just don't sound right at all Guffard has a wonderful accent his attempt at American was poor, the same I found with Parkinson and Johnstone-Burt, what is the point in getting an Irish kid and an Aussie to play accents not natural to them. It is something that I have always been annoyed by, especially when the accents break constantly throughout film. My other "complaint" isn't really a complaint, it is the fact that whenever I see Giamatti I think he suits NO role yet still delivers with every role, my brain just doesn't understand it! ha. All that being said, I will watch ANYTHING that has Daddario in, not only is she a brilliantly talented and incredibly beautiful, I may actually be in love! I'll have to stop here on Miss Daddario before this turns into a love letter aimed at her.

Those eyes!!!

The film was very well paced, it doesn't get itself caught up in trying to tell us the story of the world while this is all going on it. It is straight to the point of being a sect of America, plus the action really gets under way within the first twenty minutes when the Hoover Dam comes crashing down. From then on the film has a nice pace and focus on both characters and the real reason we're all watching to see stuff crumble!

Overall, the film was a thoroughly enjoyable popcorn flick, the film is stunning to look at for the most part and the characters are enjoyable in their own way. However the story is very predictable as you would expect from many films within this genre, but that doesn't make the film any less enjoyable let's be honest is it really possible to not enjoy The Rock being The Rock? He's a total bad ass in pretty much everything he does, this is no exception. While the film will not be out winning awards, it will give you a solid two hours (nearly) of enjoyment without really having to concentrate on the story. This is my first ever .5 rating, it wasn't a 6 but it wasn't a 7, but I don't really know why the film just wasn't either so I had to switch up ratings a little.

6.5/10

MY dream Marvel Phase 4

2015-08-26T04:10:00.000+01:00

After the release of Ant-Man this Summer we will be concluding Phase 2 of the MCU, I decided to look forward to what I would love to see in the future after Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 & 2. After the events of those films we will be entering Phase 4, so here is what I would like to see happen during this "phase". Along with the characters I would like to see in the next phase, also, I will put up my ideal casting (current actors) even though the films will not happen for another 5+ years, I just LOVE fancasting if I am honest. The list will not be in any sort of order, just names as I spin them off from my head. This is NOT a list of what I expect to happen, this is just a list of what I would like to see. Would LOVE to know your "dream Phase 4" either drop a comment or hit us up on Twitter with who you would pick for yours.

Captain Britain

This is the ultimate dream idea for me, Captain Britain is a thoroughly enjoyable character, originally designed as the British equivalent of Captain America. While some have always seen Captain Britain as a bit of a joke, I can assure you, some of us Brits love him. It's super bad ass that we got out own slice of the Marvel pie (he is not the only one), however for me, he is one of the better British characters. My ideal actor to play Brian Braddock, would be Charlie Hunnam, huge fan of his work, can see him being a pretty bad ass Captain Britain.

I'd love to see the "Captain Britain and MI-13" arc by Paul Cornell from 2008 adapted to the big screen. I read it last Summer and it revived my love of Braddock, I'd like to think a lot of British fans of the MCU and the books would like to see this arc included in the future of the franchise.
(There is talk Cap B, being part of X-Men universe so owned by Fox, would love confirmation if anybody knows either way, thanks in advance).

Captain America 4

For me, the best way to progress Captain America in the MCU, would be a widely unpopular choice I imagine and that is to have Steve Rogers killed off in Infinity War Part 1 or 2, having Bucky step up to fill his shoes. After Bucky takes over for Steve, I think he should go solo in Phase 4, most people will know Sebastian Stan signed a multi picture deal rumoured to be 9 films, already featuring in Cap 1, Cap 2 and filming Cap 3 (time of writing). So he has a good amount left on his contract, plus after reading some issues in which he takes over after Steve's death in the comics, I can really see even the more casual comic film fan enjoying Bucky taking over.

I'd like to see the "Madbomb" arc from King Jack Kirby himself adapted for Bucky, I know it is Cap and Falcon however pretty simple to tweak it a bit to have Bucky and Falcon teaming up to save America. While the stories started off brilliant towards the end they fell off a bit, but there is so much to take from that arc I think would be perfect on the big screen.

Guardians Of The Galaxy 3

I recently started reading the Marvel NOW latest version of Guardians Of The Galaxy I have completely fell in love with this team. The sooner this team gets on the big screen the better, and now with Sony open to Marvel using their purchased properties, there is a big possibility that Agent Venom can also join the team. My dream Guardians team up would be, Groot, Rocket Racoon, Gamora, Drax, Star-Lord, Captain Marvel, Agent Venom and Adam Warlock (who would actually be Star-Lords Dad). All returning cast, with Yvonne Strahovski as Captain Marvel, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) as Adam Warlock and Travis Fimmel as Agent Venom.

I will be honest I have read VERY little Guardians, before the film was even announced I wasn't even aware of them. Since the film though I have read some stuff, personal favourite is "Cosmic Avengers" by Bendis, McNiven and Pichelli. It's a very fun arc which I could see James Gunn doing perfectly if he were to make the third instalment, which should NOT be called "vol 3".

Thor 4

Some may dislike this idea, it is a character that conjures up many arguments, I will just say that this newly revised female Thor is outselling the previous Thor by 30%, proof in itself that she is vastly popular. I have read a fair share of the comics myself while very different to what I was used to it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. With the release of Captain Marvel in 2018 and Wonder Woman in 2017 I think we will finally get to see female characters given the screentime they deserve, plus after this years "Mad Max Fury Road" we have been given further proof that females can be equal and even more badass than their male counterparts. Personally I wouldn't choose the route they went in the comics and use the character they used, personally I'd pick Lady Sif to take over and have Jaimie Alexander continue the role.

With this character being so young, I decided to choose a Thor arc I particularity enjoyed I not so long ago read the Surtur Saga and couldn't put it down. I'd be a happy camper if we ever got to see that arc adapted to the big screen even with my complaints of Loki in recent times, I would put that all aside to see this wonderful arc by Walt Simonson which is possibly in my top 10 arcs of all time.

Spider-Man & Daredevil

This is a team up I have been dying to see since I was extremely young, I have loved Spidey since, well I couldn't even pinpoint a time I haven't dreamt about these two joining forces. As for actors I 100% back Charlie as Matt, he was superb in the first season of "Daredevil" and willing to give Tom Holland the benefit of the doubt, personal favourite choice would be Dylan O'Brien though. That being said I am excited to see Holland take on the role.

Let's be honest ANY arc in which Spidey & Daredevil team up to take down Kingpin, this is all I have wanted in the comic world.

Iron Man (barely) 4

I know this one is kind of obvious, but I feel like this is the perfect way forward for the franchise. Ty was introduced in Iron Man 3 as you all will know. I said the second I seen it that he will be Iron Man in the future, now that Simpkins is becoming a huge name Jurassic World & Insidious I can see it even more. Not sure if I see Tony stepping down or dying, I just see it making sense that Ty's character take over the mantel of Iron Man.

As for the story, really hard to say, I do not want a reusing of a previous Iron Man arc from the books (not that I am familiar with any late teen Stark arcs?). I'd rather see a completely original story used in this.

Avengers 4 (2 parts)

A vs X style story, leading into having X-Men back in the MCU for Phase 5.

Avengers consist of Cap, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Skye, Cap Britain, Daredevil, Spidey and new Iron Man.

X-Men consist of Cyclops, Beast, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Mystique, Rogue and Gambit.

That seems like a LOT of characters I know, but this stroy-arc needs a good amount of members as the book cover shows. It's a fun run, if you haven't read it I recommend it. This would be the perfect way of bringing the entire Marvel back under one banner. May be a strange way to start off a world after such a story, but I can see it bringing in a lot of fans into the MCU that aren't already here (if there is many left), it may come across as a similar approach to Captain America Civil War in the way it's clashing the heroes. That being said I can see this being Civil War and that bit more on the big screen, in the book form Civil War is better I just see A vs X making a brilliant film maybe even better than Civil War translation to the big screen.

Shows;

Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D season 8 - yes you read that correctly, in my dream Phase 4 "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D" is still alive I absolutely adore the show and can't really imagine not having it on my television weekly! By this point I'd like to see the show have a bit of shake up, more "powered" people in the team hunting down bad "powered" people.

Punisher - An origin story (prequel), build on his appearance in "Daredevil" to would have to recast Jon unfortunately while I doubt he will be anything but brilliant. I'd like to see Frank becoming Punisher told on the small screen. (Art by BossLogic)

Black Widow - Even a Netflix prequel movie, show us what the whole "Budapest" reference is all about. Obviously right now I would love to bring back Johannson. If not a Widow show I could definitely see a Widow/Hawkeye team up. (Art by SG Posters)

Blade - This is a MUST at some point in the future of the MCU especially after Marvel got the rights back I can't see a reason to why Blade should not be rebooted into the MCU. As it currently stands John Boyega has interest in playing the character so he is obviously the go to guy, he's British and young too BIG pluses for the future of Blade I think.

The Dragon's Loyalty Award

2015-08-19T22:08:00.001+01:00

Going to start by saying HONOURED to be nominated for this by the lovely Alicja who runs "Reel Red Reviews", been doing this for a few years now and this is my first nomination (I believe unless somebody has failed to inform me ha) so this is super cool!

If you wish to demonstrate loyalty to dragons you must:
♤ Display the award on your blog
♤ Announce your win with a post and thank the blogger who nominated you
♤ Nominate 15 deserving bloggers for the award
♤ Let those bloggers know you have nominated them for the award
♤ Write seven things about yourself

Here are my 15 blogs that I think deserve the award and MUCH more, picking just 15 is hard I follow on Twitter so many wonderful movie related pages, if you are not picked it does not mean I don't love your page. That being said if you are on the list, do not feel like you have to post it, just want to show my love! Anyway here we go, here are my 15;

Seven Things;
I'm not sure there is two interesting things about me, never mind seven...
1 - My main passion in the movie world is Horror films, there has been MANY times over the years doing blogging I have considered becoming just a Horror based site. Went against it, I don't regret that at all, that being said I will more than likely be adding a "Horror corner" to the site, to focus on the genre.
2 - I am from Liverpool, England but I despise "The Beatles", people tend to expect the opposite I just can't get into them at all. Plus the assumption around the World (Europe my experiences) people instantly assume you know every detail about the band. It irks me a lot ha.
3 - I am a HUGE Everton fan, you know Football the real one ;) I joke I love American Football too (Saints fan), I am a LONG suffering fan of Everton being we haven't won a damn thing in my entire time supporting them. Starting to think I may be bad luck!
4 - My goal in life is to publish at least on novel before I die, I have started and stopped on more ideas than I would like to admit. One day though I would love to have my name in print, if that doesn't happen I can say with certainty that I will be releasing my work in ebook form. I adore the medium of writing, I find solace in either my fingers clicking away at the keys or putting pen to paper.
5 - I plan to cover a fair portion on my body in tattoos, I have thousands of ideas rolling around of what I want. I can say I will have two sleeves, one will be childhood loves other not sure, one leg "sleeve" or is it called "pants leg" oh I don't know ha, that will be dedicated to Horror. Plus an entire back piece which as it stands I'm considering dedicating to my lovely city.
6 - I don't rate Wes Anderson in the slightest as a director, I sometimes genuinely believe his success is all an elaborate prank that is being played on me. I watched "Grand Budapest Hotel" a while back and I genuinely found it to be one of the worst films I have ever seen and I have seen in excess of 1,000. I found it that bad I didn't do a review because the idea of reliving it just to write a review angered me ha. I can not wait for the day it is unveiled that the "Wes Anderson prank" is over!
7 - I was very self-conscious about writing seven things about myself, but I am not slightly embarrassed to say I actually very much enjoyed waffling on about myself ha. It's a nice break from talking about the world of acting and what not and talk about something "real" if that makes sense. I know it doesn't but in my kooky little brain it kind of does.

A Dozen Summers review

2015-08-06T04:56:00.000+01:00

Genre: Family, Comedy, Drama.
Starring: Kenton Hall, Scarlet Hall, Hero Hall, Colin Baker, Sarah Warren, Ewen MacIntosh.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: PG (UK)
Runtime: 81 Minutes
Director: Kenton Hall

Synopsis: "Maisie and Daisy McCormack are two ordinary 12-year-olds finding their way through life in the 21st century. Oh, and they may have just hijacked a movie." IMDB

A Dozen Summers is like no other film I have seen, in no way is that a bad thing at all, Kenton Hall who wrote, directed and starred in the film (what a busy man!) really captured the essence of teenage life here in Britain. The film didn't shy away from real life issues which was a pleasant surprise in such a family based comedy, the film is as much a children's film as it is an adults film also, there is enough to satisfy everybody even the elders dragged along by their kids to see it.

The film uses all the narratives we see in cinema be it flash forwards, voice overs, alternate takes, you get a full range of these used in aiding the imagination of the sisters. The voice over done by the wonderfully talented Doct I mean Colin Baker is used as a clever plot device to allow the girls to jump ship on the current scene to a more interesting point, which I found a very enjoyable thing to watch. The entire film just has a silly vibe about it, while sticking to real life issues we all witness be it divorce or bullying, the social issues touched on in the film are very real but done in such a way you feel them but you are also able to giggle through them.

The cast was wonderfully picked in my opinion the twin sisters who lead the film were brilliantly funny in their repartee sometimes lost on siblings in films however these two being twins obviously it really helped their little arguments about where to take their film. Director Kenton Hall also featured in the film as the twins dad Henry, who is like every modern day dad spouting his witty little dad jokes. It is always nice to see British talent being showcased and that is exactly what happens in this film for me I found it a nice break to get back to seeing young actors making their name for themselves. Plus it is always a wonderful treat to hear a true legend of the screen like Colin Baker who brings a air of Hollywood to the film, great addition to any cast.

While some will argue there is some issues with the film, I for one would say look past the minor glitches, the small budget and the fact the films story is not on a typical linear track. The film doesn't pander to the audience explaining this and that about why the girls are able to do what they do. It's just "accept it and enjoy" which I thought was a nice touch, from the get go you're thrown in the deep end of the magnificent decision by the director to use all the tropes possible for the sheer enjoyment of the viewer. There is a few moments in which the acting falls off, but that happens even at all levels of film, so hardly enough to take aim at this film in particular.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed "A Dozen Summers" it was a wonderful coming of age comedy drama, reminiscent of a show I watched in my younger years called "Tracy Beaker" it will take you back to your youth and help you remember all the silly things you got up to at that age with your friends. The film is a nice feel-good comedy in the modern time of gritty realism, so if you're feeling like a good time filled with laughs and relatable antics most definitely check this out. While the film is aimed at children I think this will be a bigger hit with the parents than the younger viewers, lots of references to older films and even a hilarious homage/parody to the chess scene from "The Seventh Seal". A truly wonderful feature debut from director Kenton Hall I am looking forward to seeing what else he has in store in the future.

4/5

Ant-Man review

2015-07-29T20:03:00.000+01:00

Genre: Action, Comedy, Superhero, Science Fiction, Adventure.
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Tip "T.I." Harris, Anthony Mackie, Wood Harris, Judy Greer, David Dastmalchian.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK) PG13 (US)
Runtime: 117 Minutes

Director: Peyton Reed
Synopsis: "Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world." IMDB

12 films into the Marvel Cinematic Universe can Marvel keep up their stellar track record?

Lets start off with the cast, when the film was nearing production there was talk of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Paul Rudd being favourites for the lead role of Scott Lang, to me both were laughable ideas for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Boy was I WRONG, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang may be my favourite casting in the entire MCU, he was brilliant be it from dropping the typical Rudd jokes we're used to or actually portraying real emotion when talking about his daughter. Not only was Rudd a brilliant call, I loved the entire cast, Michael Peña was absolutely hilarious, he even rivalled Rudd in his comedic ability, Corey Stoll as Yellowjacket was also another inspired choice I mean everybody in this film was spot on in my opinion. Then we have Douglas and Lilly, who had some a wonderful father and daughter dynamic that just felt so real.

Now we have the visuals even in the modern day of the height of CG it is a bit of a baffling thought to imagine seeing a man running around underground with ants and it to not look stupid. However as ALWAYS ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) delivered some truly stunning visuals. I don't want to pick out specific scenes, because really they all stand out in their brilliance seeing him shift from man size to ant size in the blink of an eye is like something straight from the page of a book. There is also two scenes towards the end of the film I know you guys and girls will love they involve an ant and Thomas The Tank Engine (not that part from the trailer, it's even better). Marvel have done it yet again, delivered some stunning effects as they continue to do.

Image courtesy of www.Marvel.com

Onto the story, while it is not going to win awards for originality, the story was very fun I thought. Even though Edgar Wright left the project, you could still feel some of his comedic styling in the film, I'd like to know if Tomas The Tank Engine was his idea, feels like a very silly British approach to humour. While the point of the film is not primarily meant to be a comedy, however having Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Paul Rudd and Adam McKay write the script you should expect a fair few giggles and this doesn't disappoint in that sense. The film is filled with laughs, action, nods to the MCU and even heart strings pulling scenes.

The film touches on some subjects that really hit home for me, which was a nice change of pace for a superhero film. I mean we all want to relate to superheroes in our own way, I just think this felt more relatable the whole Hank and Hope relationship was wonderfully done by Douglas and Lilly, if these types of performances continue I can see an actor/actress getting an oscar nom for their work on a superhero film. Great times ahead for us "nerds" yay!

Image courtesy of www.Marvel.com

Overall, I absolutely LOVED Ant-Man it's very different from the rest of the MCU but exactly the same in some aspects. I will be straight up, I expected this to be easily the worst in Phase 2, I'd say joint second with Winter Soldier after Age Of Ultron for me and I know I gave Winter Soldier a 10 and this a 9, but I still think they are equally as good as each other if that makes sense? No, it doesn't not even to me, but I stand by it. Plus this gets massive bonus points for a certain reference to a friendly neighbourhood somebody :p. Hard to believe that Marvel have delivered again with a character hardly known outside comic readers, they have kicked ass with both Ant-Man and Guardians, here is to the future of the MCU!

9/10

Accidental Love review

2015-07-18T23:46:00.000+01:00

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Starring: Jessica Biel, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Marsden, Catherine Keener, Tracy Morgan, James Brolin, Paul Reubens, Kirstie Allen, David Ramsey, Kurt Fuller.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Runtime: 100 Minutes
Director: David O. Russell credit as Stephen Greene

Synopsis: "A small town waitress gets a nail accidentally lodged in her head causing unpredictable behavior that leads her to Washington, D.C., where sparks fly when she meets a clueless young senator who takes up her cause - but what happens when love interferes with what you stand for?" IMDB

Let me start this by saying sorry, sorry to whoever I hurt or offended which resulted in me watching this film. I must have done something down the line to be cursed with this! I guess this is an indication of where this review it set to go...

"Accidental Love" is releasing Monday 20th and available to buy from Amazon on DVD

The cast of this film on the surface is a wonderful ensemble that would entice even the most cynical Rom-Com watcher like myself to take interest, however they were all beyond below average. I mean this is Jake Gyllenhaal one of the current best actors who comes across like he is winging every line, all the cast felt like they didn't know the script it was all just guess work. Which is beyond surprising considering I am a huge fan of the majority of them, in this film though there was zero chemistry and zero development of these people you were meant to relate to.

Onto the story a pretty boring one at that, none relatable characters, unbelievable events and a down right lack of Comedy. How this is considered a "comedy" I will never know, I smirked once, maybe twice it was a horribly written script everything said and done felt unnatural, the jokes just didn't land and the entire premise of the story was ridiculous. Which comes at as a shock because the writing team have turned out some good films and television shows in recent years, this just comes across as an attempt to not try at all. There was one scene in which Jake Gyllenhaal's character Howard is trying to escape a telling off by jumping out of a ground floor window, I felt like jumping out the second story window of my house at this point!

The production of films is something I am yet to touch on in such a way in a review, however I can't help but think that the production of this film had a huge hand in making this film the mashed together piece of crap it turned out to be. There is countless stories of the production being shut down for many reasons including the lead actors walking off set on more than one occasion. Even resulting in director David O. Russell abandoning production after two years of set backs, pardon the language but the entire production turned into one big cluster fuck of incidents. Which leads me to believe resulted in the poorly cut together film, jumping from scene to scene without and fluidity to it, as WATW? said "Scenes chop and change making Accidental Love feel like a jigsaw puzzle that was put together in the dark."

Overall, this film was abysmal, horrible, horrific ALL of the negative superlatives you could imagine and that is about 0.01% of how close you are. This film genuinely may be the worst film I have ever seen in my life time and that is saying something after 15 years and over 3,000 films seen. There was zero redeeming factors for this film for me, it is very easy to see why David O. Russell turned suit and ran the other way. Do NOT fall for Mr Russell's name on the poster this is nothing like he has done in recent years. If you don't want to take my word for it check out What About The Twinkie? or RT Write-Ups reviews of the film or any film fan reviewing site, I imagine they will all come to a similar conclusion.

0/10

Accident Love is released through Arrow Films on DVD Monday 20th

The Voices review

2015-07-10T20:04:00.000+01:00

Genre: Black Comedy, Psychological Thriller, Horror, Comedy, Drama.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver, Sam Spruell, Adi Shankar, Ella Smith.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 15 (UK) R (US)
Runtime: 103 Minutes
Director: Marjane Satrapi

Synopsis: "A likable guy pursues his office crush with the help of his evil talking pets, but things turn sinister when she stands him up for a date." IMDB

When I first heard about "The Voices" I was pretty excited, finally a film that Reynolds would get to act and we can see if/what he can really do given a good script. Reynolds has had a bit of a bad run in the cinema in recent year I mean we will all never forget how horrifically bad "Green Lantern" and you would be hard done by to find another person like myself that enjoyed "R.I.P.D". HUGE thanks to Peter Noble PR for the opportunity to review the film.

Arrow Films are bringing the hugely loved "The Voices" to UK shores this coming Monday July 13th, the film is being released on DVD, Blu-Ray and Steelbook, the wonderful steelbook is a Zavvi exclusive. Either of the options will take you to the best place to purchase said copies.

"The Voices is directed by Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian author and filmmaker best known for the Academy Award nominated animated film Persepolis (2007). Ryan Reynolds stars as a troubled, med-addicted factory worker driven to murder by his talking pets, a psychopathic cat called Mr. Whiskers and Bosco, his peace-loving dog. Reynolds also voices both of the animals, while Jacki Weaver, Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick play the women unfortunate enough to cross his path."

Firstly let's start with the cast, the decision to cast Ryan Reynolds in role was an inspired one he is a truly talented actor that not many people get the chance to see actually act. His roles in "Buried" and "Safe House" I can't recommend any higher, same goes for this, playing Jerry Hickfang he disturbingly felt at home. Reynolds played the character so well that there was times the viewer is dragged in deep into illusion of lost connection with reality. Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick play Hickfang's unwilling accomplices, Arterton was a wonderful comedic break from the dark story Kendrick on the other hand I personally struggle to enjoy not sure what it is, this time she has won me over playing the smitten Lisa she was a fun addition to the cast. Then we get to Reynolds voicing Bosco the dog and Mr Whiskers obviously the cat, some of the lines for these characters were so hilariously executed by Reynolds you actually fall in love with them even if Mr Whiskers is a bit on the naughty side. The entire cast were thoroughly enjoyable.

This is the first film I have seen by director Marjane Satrapi and if this if anything to go by I am quiet sure I will be following her career for a long time. She blends perfectly the highs and lows of a Jerry's struggle between reality and imagination, be it from the belly laughs you get from Mr Whiskers and Bosco to the rock bottom lows of Jerry's realisation of the real world. Satrapi succeeds in keeping you entertained from start to end, in regards to the end don't skip the credits you're in for a wonderfully funny treat which I did not expect but loved.

Onto the story, people constantly complain about Hollywood being lazy and constantly remaking the same stuff, this film is certainly NOT the case. Writer Michael R Perry ("The River" TV show & "Paranormal Activity 2") really excels in making something new and fresh his character development and witty written conversations between Jerry and his pets were incredible, not only did he write something extremely funny, he writes a script in which we really get to see Reynolds perform his best role to date in my opinion.

Overall, I found the film to be wonderfully funny was a brilliant mix of dark and light Comedy, Marjane Satrapi does very well at blending the two into one cohesive mix. This film is the perfect film for any fan of the black comedy genre, everything coming together from Reynolds superb performance, to the pacing of the film to hilarious retorts by Mr Whiskers and Bosco you're in for 103 minutes of pure fun. In short I absolutely loved this film, I couldn't recommend it any higher to Reynolds fans or just Comedy/Horror lovers in general. Plus it gives us an insight into what Reynolds can do with a disturbed character with a warped view of reality, *cough* Deadpool *cough*.

8/10

The Voices is released on DVD, Blu-ray and limited edition Zavvi.com Steelbook through Arrow Films on Monday July 13th

Jurassic World review

2015-06-14T02:53:00.000+01:00

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction,
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Robinson, Ty Simpkins, Vincent D'Onofrio, Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy, B D Wong, Jake Johnson, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Tee.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK) PG-13 (US)
Runtime: 124 Minutes
Director: Colin Trevorrow

Synopsis: "Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfill a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark visitor's interest, which backfires horribly." IMDB

So here we are 22 years after Steven Spielberg changed for that generation and every subsequent generation since, the original Jurassic Park is an all time favourite of mine and millions of others I'd imagine. So how did the latest instalment in the franchise by Colin Trevorrow hold up against the rest?

Lets start off with the story, a well paced blockbuster, with some nice turns that while aren't mind-blowing, they will surely keep you on the edge of your seat. I don't want to say too much and give it away, but they also wrote in some wonderful nods to the original which the fans of the first will adore and the younger fans will love when they are told about them. There is times when the subplots do not seem to make that much sense, that could be due to longevity that the project has gone through with numerous rewrites and tweaks, notably the parents getting divorced it didn't add anything to the film and didn't change the view of the young lads. That aside the story was solid and simple but a nice ride.

Another stellar cast for a Jurassic Park film, who would have thought that they could build a cast that was as enjoyable to watch as the original? I surely didn't, there was some brilliant performances some that really stood out for me were Ty Simpkins who at 13 is kick ass in the acting world, Nick Robinson, Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt who is fun in ANYTHING he does, the dude is just a joy to watch plus his and Bryce's on screen chemistry felt real. D'Onofrio serves as the human villain in the film and to be honest he really isn't as good as we are used to seeing him, it feels over the top if you will. Saying these performances stood up does not mean I found the others lacking, just not as great as these specific ones. Not the right place to say but yet again another performance from Nick Robinson that adds credence to my personal opinion that he would make a pretty good Peter Parker, thought it since I first seen him in "Melissa & Joey".

Yet again another film in the series that had some breathtaking cinematography, which was done by the very talented Academy Award nominee John Schwartzman, some of the wide shots are beautiful. Which for the Jurassic World franchise is a big thing, I mean look at the first, it has one of the greatest all time pieces of cinematography, so this one had to have some wonderful shots too, which do not worry it does.

Hard to believe this is only Colin Trevorrow's second feature film, which he did not only direct he also co-writ with his previous writing partner Derek Connolly who he worked with on "Safety Not Guaranteed". Which was an enjoyable film according to the people I have spoken to about it, Colin does what many directors over the past decade have worried they couldn't do, he made a film 22 years after the original and still was able to keep that wonderful charm the first had. This film is by no means better than the first, but was easily the second best in the franchise, after this I can see Colin going VERY far in the movie world.

My only complaint really was the lack of practical effects, I have always been an advocate for practical effects. The use of them in the original especially when the dinosaur hatches from the egg was something that made me fall in love with the art form that is practical effects. I just feel more drawn in when it comes it practical effects, not to say the CGI was poor or anything, the film was still visually stunning, it is just a personal preference of mine to have visual effects if and when possible. If so we would still have masters like Rick Baker working in the business and not retiring. That all being said, the visuals effects were amazing to watch and I'm sure anybody would agree, they also had a wonderful use of scale on the dinosaurs to really give the audience the feeling of how big these "monsters" truly would be if around today.

Overall this film was a thoroughly good watch, heck good it was great. I enjoyed it start to finish, it was not what I expected but it was brilliant none the less. Throughout the film there is a few misses, however the rest of the film really delivers in a big way I found. While it doesn't hit the heights of the first film it was truly a masterpiece in the blockbuster, bringing back the summer family blockbuster I really hope. Fingers crossed this gets Steven Spielberg to jump back into this world and he picks up Chris Pratt for the next Indiana Jones film. This film excelled in all categories and is a brilliant film for all to see, truly a revival of the franchise. "It's like the perfect sequel... 22 years later".

9/10

@CrisMovieCorner 4/5 stars
— Colin (@duckisgod) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner Solid 4/5
— Josh Barton (@bartonj2410) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner A great nostalgic romp. 4 dinosaur teeth out of 5
— Chris Murphy (@murphysbordom) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner 8/10
— Nazeer (@nazeervawda) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner I'm going 7/10. Heck of a ride!
— The Bman. (@actualbman) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner 9/10
— The Daniel Awakens (@Danburden1138) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner solid 7/10
— Danny (@DanB___) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner it's a great big FROOOOAR out of five for me
— Sam (@SssForSam) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner 4 out of 5 stars. "We need more teeth!"
— Jonathan (@FunnyMisterBox) June 13, 2015

Whiplash review

2015-06-08T04:25:00.001+01:00

Genre: Drama, Music.
Starring: Miles Teller, J. K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell, Nate Lang, Chris Mulkey, Jayson Blair, Kavita Patil, Michael Cohen, Kofi Siriboe, Suanne Spoke, April Grace.
Year Of Release: 2015 (UK)
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Runtime: 106 Minutes
Director: Damien Chazelle

Synopsis: "A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential." IMDB

When I seen the trailers for this I wasn't very excited, actually I didn't have any intentions to watch it until it maybe appeared on Netflix or maybe normal television. After being beatdown by my brother for months and my twitter followers constantly recommending it. I gave in last week. Here are my thoughts on it.

Where else to start with this film but the acting, I mean WOW! This was my first time seeing Miles Teller act, and I was blown away by such a performance from somebody I always assumed was going to be another member of the 20s comedy crop, very happy I was wrong. As student Andrew Neiman, Teller was able to showcase a complete range of his ability, be it giddy and flirty with the incredible Nicole (Melissa Benoist) to gut wrenchingly fighting for his place the band. Then we have a performance by everybody's favourite Spider-Man character J Jonah Jameson, J K Simmons who played Jazz instructor Terence Fletcher, I say "played" he really became him, another unfathomable performance, very easy to see why he won the Academy Award plus about 40 others for it. For me Fletcher is one of the scariest movie villains of all time, some of the scenes are so intense by Simmons you find yourself exhaling like you're on the receiving end of his tirades of mental and verbal abuse.

The use of cinematography in this film was superb, it really gives the viewer a look into the gritty world of music schools, really showcases the battle students go through to become the best they can be.

You may be like me and struggle to comprehend how a film about drumming can really be that entertaining, because personally it was my main struggle with the film I have zero investment in the playing of drums (or any instrument for that matter). That being said you will you still hopefully thoroughly enjoy the film like I did, while at times the drumming can seem repetitive you are still drawn in by the majesty of the talent it takes to play that way and to have the ability to play that long without your hands falling off ha. The movie gave me a new appreciation of the dedication music students have to becoming the very best in their given field, if they are a tenth as dedicated as Andrew comes across then they will go far banging those drums maybe, heck what do I know I'm a movie blogger!

This is the first I have finished a film and felt physically drained and emotionally beaten and I have seen 1,500+ films. The film beat me down so much after it I had to sleep off the after effects, it was more than just an emotional thrill ride it was incredibly relatable if you look at it as a boy trying to make his Dad proud and show him what he can do (Fletcher also being used as the Dad in this analogy). After the film ended I spent a good few hours just thinking about how near perfect this film was, I thought it was post film high, so I gave it a few days to let it sink in before writing my review. However, allowing the time to pass, didn't change my view of this film is a modern masterpiece, well not just a modern masterpiece, it is just a masterpiece itself. Easily in my top 5 of this year, will take a lot to knock it anywhere near out of that list.

After just speaking about the emotional beatdown this film laid on me, I knew I had to touch on the pacing. This is one of the most wonderfully paced films I have watched in a long time, people say "emotional rollercoaster" a lot when it comes to these kinds of films. This time it is the most appropriate use of the phrasing I could think of, from the ultimate strain on you not to break like Andrew, to laughs given by director Damien Chazelle, you will be left with just an unbelievable feeling afterwards.

Overall, I was completely blown away by this movie, it was countless times better than I could ever expect. Damien Chazelle has thrown his name into the big leagues with this movie, I am not usually a
lover of the medium of films about musicians, this may have made me do a complete 180 and will be looking back on such films I may have missed, not that ANY could ever compare I do not imagine. From the get go the film is entertaining, filled with all turns and twists on the emotional roller coaster, this film really is with an ending that will have you tenser than you could ever believe a movie would make you feel. The ONLY reason I didn't give this film a 10 was the ending, while amazing was a bit abrupt, I would have liked to have seen a little more from it, I understand the reasoning behind it, I just personally would have liked to see Andrew get the plaudits he truly deserved. I find it a little heartbreaking I didn't get to see this masterpiece on the big screen with like minded individuals, hopefully I will get to one day!

9.5/10

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 9/10 :-)
— Amelia (@AmeliaK1987) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner 4/5
— Kyle (@Gordondon) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 1 million! Out of 5. I'm a drummer and this film made me lose my shit. #caraccidentwtf
— Chris Murphy (@murphysbordom) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie Exciting ending made me feel breathless, slightly disappointed on hype!! Fantastic Acting!! 4.25/5(B+)
— BCD (@SmaugDude) June 7, 2015

@AmeliaK1987 @CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 10/10
— Tommy Brown (@GoingForGoldYT) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 9/10!
— Ken Major (@KenMajor83) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 10/10. Best movie of 2014 despite some of its musical inaccuracies.
— Oliver Jia (オリバー・ジア) (@FOXHOUNDER1014) June 8, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner Superb film - 100 mins of tension!
— Lee Doherty (@IrishBeast78) June 8, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @23halfFilms 4.5/5 great movie!
— Sarah Beth James (@wickedwitchgal) June 8, 2015

The Cutting Room review

2015-05-25T18:11:00.001+01:00

Genre: Found Footage, Horror.
Starring: Parry Glasspool, Lucy-Jane Quinlan, Lydia Orange, TJ Herbert, Jason Rhodes, Mkaya Carrigan, Louisa Adams.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 15 (UK) PG-13 (US)
Runtime: 76 Minutes
Director: Warren Dudley

Synopsis: "College students Raz, Charlie and Jess are about to start work on their end of year Media Studies project... unaware of a malevolent force lurking deep below their sleepy town. A recent wave of apparent Cyberbullying and the disappearance of two local girls lead the group to an abandoned army barracks situated deep in the forests that surround the college. What they find there is a terrifying labyrinth of tunnels from which there seems no escape... and a dark figure hell bent on tormenting them. Hunted, frightened and lost, Raz, Charlie and Jess must now escape the barracks or suffer the unspeakable fate that awaits them." IMDB

Before I start my review, I just want to start off by informing you guys/girls I am doing a new rating scale for Horror. It came to my attention, when rereading some of my reviews, that it looks silly when I rate a film like say Grave Encounters as a 9 along with Guardians Of The Galaxy as a 9, it just doesn't seem to translate, so I will from now on, be rating my Horror films on a 1-5 scale. I just feel it looks better, if you have any feedback let us know in the comments or Twitter sorry for going off topic a bit, back to the review.

I always go in to Horror films very apprehensive, I have been burnt so many times over the years, that being said I am a huge lover of the genre especially the found-footage subgenre. So when director Warren Dudley got in touch with me on Twitter and offered me the chance to review his upcoming film of that genre I jumped on the chance.

Firstly let me start with the story, the film was very well written, writer and director Warren Dudley did a great job at building suspense and making you feel very uneasy. I really enjoyed how there wasn't an attempt at twists and turns every so often to try and disorientate the viewer, also the use of comedy at times to keep the viewer calm really helps when the scares come. There is one scare that really stands out, that I can guarantee will leave you panting for a good few seconds. A nice combination of humour and feat leave you wanting to watch more from the team, I really hope this isn't the last Horror Mr Dudley does. From a nice slowly paced Horror in the third act, the film really kicks up a gear with a twist you will not see coming, an ending that will stick with you for a while, it was on my mind for a good few days.

The acting is so much better than I expected, no offence intended to the leading three of Parry Glasspool, Lucy-Jane Quinlan and Lydia Orange, I have just found in recent years Horror directors go for the cheapest option possible in Horror. However, all three were great in their roles, by no means are their performances say Oscar worthy, that being said, they really do get to showcase their acting talent. Especially for three people in their early 20s (educated guessing sorry), they are better than some of the more experienced people you see in the genre. Not solely down to the actors themselves the writing helped a lot, but the characters are so likeable you find yourself routing for them to survive, they were truly convincing as a group of friends

The use of gore is absolutely disgusting, but in a good way, not overly used, but when used you will scrunch up your face because it nasty but really conveys what was intended. It is great to see a film that isn't heavily reliant on gore, just uses it when they really need too. Speaking of being not reliant on modern tropes of the genre, I was pleasantly surprised at how somebody today made a Horror film without showing nudity, feels like everything in the genre is sold on boobs. This time around the director relied on his ability to write a great script and pacing it well enough to the point that you realise a lot of the modern tropes are unnecessary.

The use of locations in the film were great choices, most of us, if not all of us are familiar with the constraints of project work in school so the entire premise of the film was relatable which I loved. A fair amount of the filming took place in Newhaven Fort in the Southern part of England, the use of the fort was genius, I like many suffer from severe claustrophobia, so the dark, tight and never ending tunnels really got to me. Making the film incredibly uncomfortable, but in a great way which I do not get very often.

Overall, the film was a great watch, plus has the bonus of being British which for me adds the proud factor to the film. In recent months I have seen the likes of "As Above, So Below" and "The Pyramid" which I imagine "The Cutting Room" was made for an absolute fraction of the price, yet manages to completely blow the two out of the water. The Cutting Room is easily one of the best British Horror films in the past 15 years, I'd personally put it up there with "Dog Soldiers", "28 Days Later" and "Eden Lake". I sincerely hope this film isn't slept on due to it being a British indie Horror, I enjoyed it more than I did a lot of the huge budget Hollywood Horrors in recent years, I implore my readers immensely to get their hands on a copy. Truly a low-budget diamond, shining in genre packed with mediocrity. Pre-order yours NOW on Amazon here!

5/5

Avengers Age Of Ultron review (SPOILER FREE)

2015-04-25T11:57:00.001+01:00

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Superhero, Comic Book.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, James Spader, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L Jackson.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK)
Runtime: 141 Minutes
Director: Joss Whedon

Synopsis: "When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans." IMDB

As you guys and girls may know I'm a HUGE comic fanboy not one publisher, I'm a fan of the medium of comics. So every time there is one released you know I am going to be posting about it more than most genres. This time around is no different, I went to the midnight showing of Avengers Age Of Ultron on April 22nd and it is safe to say it was the best cinematic experience of my life. If you are here and would like to read a review that is spoiler including CLICK HERE it has ALL spoilers in it.

The visual effects in the film were phenomenal, there was a minute or so at the beginning that felt a little off, but I think that was just me. After that the battle scenes were amazing, in my opinion second to none in comic films, it was as beautiful to watch as the action in say "Edge Of Tomorrow". There was some scenes that seem so flawlessly made that they could easily pull off being real life events. Stand out effects for me was the Hulkbuster and Ultron, both were amazing to see, especially Ultron the range of emotions shown by a completely robotic humanoid made the character that extra bit disturbing.

As for the characters and cast, which at this point due to longevity have become one in the same really, by that I mean when I think about the characters I envision them as their live action selves and no longer their comic looks. All the returning cast are as good as they have been in previous instalments, except for Jeremy Renner, he was outstanding in his role as Clint he was really given the freedom to actually show emotion and his range as an actor. Was great to see him able to flex his acting chops, which I will be honest I was not sure he had. The biggest additions to the cast are Paul Bettany as Vision who was brilliant in what he done, but didn't have to do much due to being an emotionless android, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver his acting is as expected personally I find him to be a good actor who is really honing his skills in recent years, while his accent falters at times, it is a hard accent to pull off I find. Then we have Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch, another extremely talented actress in my opinion, she was brilliant in this too, especially in the more emotionally driven scenes then we have James Spader as Ultron the most ominous audible villain I have heard in a LONG time, his voice just oozed evil and dominance I can say I finally understand the hype around his ability.

The action starts at an 11 in this film and only gets better, that's not to say that the story or characters miss out. The film has a solid story to it, but even more so, has some wonderful character development, you get to see sides of some characters we have not yet seen in the MCU. Really shapes up some big moments for the future of the franchise, some great moments, some gut wrenching, all together mashed into a brilliant story and progression to characters we all know and love.

The runtime does seem long beforehand, however, there is enough going on at every turn that you kind of forget how long you have been watching and that is a good thing. It's a 141 minute ride that doesn't feel as long as others that run this time.

Overall, I'd go as far as to say this is the best film in the MCU to date in my opinion, which I never thought I'd say due to my dying love for Avengers and Captain America The Winter Soldier. The film was an emotional ride from start to finish, filled with action, ass kicking, hilarious lines and character development second to none in the current MCU crop. If you are not currently into the whole superhero explosion we have had in recent years, I highly recommend starting with this or Captain America The Winter Soldier (REVIEW HERE) they perfectly personify the superhero world but also serve as "everyday" films if you will. Very happy to say Mr Joss Whedon goes out with a bang and certainly not a whimper, I'm already longing for the day he returns to the MCU in the future. I had extremely high expectations going into the film, came out with them shattered and then some, roll on Ant-Man!

10/10

Avengers Age Of Ultron review !!!SPOILER HEAVY!!!

2015-04-25T11:52:00.000+01:00

Synopsis: "When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans." IMDB

***!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***

So I got to experience the latest instalment in the MCU, when earth's mightiest heroes reformed in Avengers Age Of Ultron.Which may anger a few of my American based followers, I apologise for rubbing it in, but you guys NEED to book tickets for this go the second you can. This review will not just be spoiler heavy, it will be a detailed outline of the films plot, read on if you are willing to learn ALL the major plot details, if not, jump to our spoiler free review!

The film starts off in the midst of a battle between the Avengers and HYDRA agent Baron von Strucker played by Thomas Kretschmann, the Avengers are after Loki's sceptre that has been stolen. Resulting in some wonderful battle scenes with incredible visuals, while a brilliant opening in itself, it also serves as a recap if you will of the powers of our beloved heroes. During the fight we get to see the two new adversaries to the Avengers they are twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, they may better be know as Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch. During this big opening fight, the less than loved by many fans Hawkeye gets a pretty nasty injury, which he survives a few scenes later. After the fight scene we get to see the first huge part of character development in the film, we see Black Widow calm Hulk back from his green rage to Bruce Banner using a "lullaby", showing there is something going on between Bruce and Natasha.

After defeating, what is made out to be modernised Nazi's it feels like, the gang returns to Avengers tower as it is now, no longer Stark tower. While there Stark realises the power that the sceptre really holds, he sees it as the answer to artificial intelligence he and Banner have been looking for, for their Ultron project (self aware Iron Man suits that patrol the earth protecting from evil), after this we are blessed with the party scene, sure to give anybody a few giggles especially the Mjolnir scene and the obligatory Stan Lee scene. While everybody is on a high we are introduced to Ultron voiced unbelievably well by James Spader.

This is where the film really kicks into gear, Ultron attacks the Avengers in his destroyed state controlling Tony's "Iron Legion" to try and take out the team to no avail. With the sceptre being stolen the Avengers clash heads, mostly everybody with Stark for creating Ultron and being responsible for sceptre being back in evil hands. Ultron returns to the previous home of the sceptre in Sokovia to rebuild in the HYDRA base before setting out to recruit the Twins for his evil plans. Who both have deep seeded hatred for Stark due his weapons being responsible for their deaths. Working out Ultron has set his sights on vibranium the team heads to Wakanda, the teams goes head to head, after Scarlett Witch does what she does best and twists the minds of the Avengers, sending Hulk into a rampaging frenzy tearing through a city, Stark call in his Hulkbuster suit and he and Hulk go toe to toe in one of the most enjoyable fight scenes in comic film history.

After this huge rampaging battle, the Avengers have to go into hiding and Clint recommends a safehouse he knows of. The gang turn up at the farm house, which seems like a normal farm house, which it is, it's who that is inside that truly makes this farm house special. In the house we meet Clints wife, YES HIS WIFE, it doesn't end there, he has TWO CHILDREN, I'm being honest my mind was blown. It really gives depth to a character that had become very stagnant, before the film I was desperate for him to be killed off, this film changed that. They really gave him a new lease of life as a character. At the farm house, Banner susses out that Ultron will use their friend Dr Helen Cho's synthetic prototype she has been working on (mentioned previously before Tony's party, where Ultron overhears it).

Ultron plans to meld himself into the newly acquired synthetic organism, due to the newly found organism being as much "man" as it is machine, Scarlett Witch gets her first look into what Ultron is planning to do. A plan her and her brother had no clue how severe was to be, he plans to end ALL living life on the planet, this results in the twins switching their allegiance from Ultron to Avengers, or at least that is their plan. The Avengers fight to get back the synthetic body, so Ultron doesn't have the body he needs to take over the world. Once they have the body, Stark decides they should install J.A.R.V.I.S into the body, most disagree, Thor on the other hand does not, using his lightning wielding ability to literally jolt the body into life. Bringing us the incredibly great looking and wonderfully acted Vision. Thor informs the Avengers that the stone in Vision's head is in fact one of the most power gems in the entire universe, one of the six "infinity stones". During these scenes of Vision being born and the Avengers deciding he is a good guy there is a moment when he is wielding Mjolnir like it is a toothpick and it will blow you away how funny it is, how Thor and everybody else reacts.

The Avengers, now joined by Maximoff twins and Vision head out to Sokovia, where Ultron has made a device that is lifting a whole city skywards, which he plans to drop from a huge height to cause a global extinction event on par with what took out the dinosaurs. Here is where the HUGE battles commence, the Avengers fight off Ultrons army of robotic clones, Fury turns up with a S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier to help save the innocent people in the city, along with the carrier he brings his trusted Maria Hill and remaining S.H.I.E.L.D agents. At this time Ultro is inside the Quinjet shooting bullets and everything and everybody nearly killing Cap & Thor in the process, he sets his sights on Hawkeye who has ran back into the city to save a child. Quicksilver sees the immediate danger Clint and the child are in so sprints over to save them, knocking a car into the path of the bullets and saving the pair, unfortunately resulting in his own death, a death I partially expected going in but really shocked me still. After the death of her brother, Wanda, unleashes her true potential destroying numerous robots with just her emotional scream then setting out on causing the death of Ultron, which she does ripping out his "heart".

The Hulk, seeking a break from all the destruction he causes and is involved in sets a Quinjet to autopilot and just leaves, not to be seen again in the film. Tony and Thor find a way to say the city from plummeting to the ground and ending mankind after Ultron pulls the trigger on his master plan. Just when you think the last piece of Ultron is gone, we see the last remnants of him trying to escape, only to be confronted by Vision, who using his insane powers obliterates him after they converse shortly. With Ultron defeated life reverts back to its semi-normal ways for the Avengers, a few months later we arrive at the new Avengers headquarters in New York, now ran by Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Dr Helen Cho and Erik Selvig. Now with the belief in mind that the infinity stone is safe with Vision, Thor decides to return to Asgard, with the addition of Stark and Barton retiring the Avengers lose Thor, Hawkeye, Iron Man and Hulk (whereabouts unknown). Becoming a shell of what they were, not for long though.

Cap and Black Widow enter a hangar in which we see Falcon, Vision and War Machine standing there and then Scarlett Witch appears now donning a more comic appropriate costume. Forming the NEW Avengers, as Cap role calls "Avengers..." cutting out before he can exclaim assemble! Now to the part many are waiting to read I imagine, the mid-credits scene, a safe/safety box opens up to reveal a glove, a glove we us Marvelheads and comic fans alike are familiar with, a large blue hand slides into the glove we hear a voice say "Guess, I'll have to do it myself" panning out to reveal Thanos, credits roll and NO END CREDITS SCENE, so no Spider-Man scene unfortunately, it was a wonderful fake like we all assumed but kind of wished was real.

Wow! That was an awful lot of writing, and I haven't even started "reviewing" the film yet ha. So here I go with my reviewing of the actual film.

The visual effects in the film were phenomenal, there was a minute or so at the beginning that felt a little off, but I think that was just me. After that the battle scenes were amazing, in my opinion second to none in comic films, it was as beautiful to watch as the action in say "Edge Of Tomorrow". There was some scenes that seem so flawlessly made that they could easily pull off being real life events. Stand out effects for me was the Hulkbuster and Ultron, both were amazing to see, especially Ultron the range of emotions shown by a completely robotic humanoid made the character that extra bit disturbing.

As for the characters and cast, which at this point due to longevity have become one in the same really, by that I mean when I think about the characters I envision them as their live action selves and no longer their comic looks. All the returning cast are as good as they have been in previous instalments, except for Jeremy Renner, he was outstanding in his role as Clint he was really given the freedom to actually show emotion and his range as an actor. Was great to see him able to flex his acting chops, which I will be honest I was not sure he had. The biggest additions to the cast are Paul Bettany as Vision who was brilliant in what he done, but didn't have to do much due to being an emotionless android, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver his acting is as expected personally I find him to be a good actor who is really honing his skills in recent years, while his accent falters at times, it is a hard accent to pull off I find. Then we have Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch, another extremely talented actress in my opinion, she was brilliant in this too, especially in the more emotionally driven scenes then we have James Spader as Ultron the most ominous audible villain I have heard in a LONG time, his voice just oozed evil and dominance I can say I finally understand the hype around his ability.

The action starts at an 11 in this film and only gets better, that's not to say that the story or characters miss out. The film has a solid story to it, but even more so, has some wonderful character development, you get to see sides of some characters we have not yet seen in the MCU. Really shapes up some big moments for the future of the franchise, some great moments, some gut wrenching, all together mashed into a brilliant story and progression to characters we all know and love.

The runtime does seem long beforehand, however, there is enough going on at every turn that you kind of forget how long you have been watching and that is a good thing. It's a 141 minute ride that doesn't feel as long as others that run this time.

Overall, I'd go as far as to say this is the best film in the MCU to date in my opinion, which I never thought I'd say due to my dying love for Avengers and Captain America The Winter Soldier. The film was an emotional ride from start to finish, filled with action, ass kicking, hilarious lines and character development second to none in the current MCU crop. If you are not currently into the whole superhero explosion we have had in recent years, I highly recommend starting with this or Captain America The Winter Soldier (REVIEW HERE) they perfectly personify the superhero world but also serve as "everyday" films if you will. Very happy to say Mr Joss Whedon goes out with a bang and certainly not a whimper, I'm already longing for the day he returns to the MCU in the future. I had extremely high expectations going into the film, came out with them shattered and then some, roll on Ant-Man!

10/10

Possible Avengers: Age Of Ultron end credits scene!

2015-04-19T21:23:00.001+01:00

DO NOT CLICK PLAY, unless you are 100% sure you want to see a potential spoiler for the upcoming film. This may well be fake, however high chance it could be real too. If you're a nose Parker like me (yes I made that pun!) click away, if not AVERT YOUR EYES!!!

https://youtu.be/RZ1urzF56aY

MCU rumours Spidey, Doctor Strange, Civil War & Ant-Man

2015-04-19T01:20:00.001+01:00

There has been several rumours that have surfaced over the past week or so relating to the future of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, they can be perceived as VERY spoiler heavy, the details came from the guys over at JobLo. DO NOT continue to read if you do not want to hear about these POSSIBLE spoilers for the upcoming films.

***!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***

Firstly, lets get to the rumour about Ant-Man, details have emerged that there will be two fights between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket. First of all they will be inside a suitcase that is falling to Earth from a helicopter, while inside the suitcase they will be dodging various objects within the suitcase on will be a mobile phone. The second fight which will be the final fight of the film will take place in Scott Lang's daughters bedroom, in the fight the hero and villain will show case their abilities to shrink and grow, also in the fight an ant and Thomas the Tank Engine with be enlarged to giant-sized proportions.

Secondly, we take a look at the details that have surfaced about Captain America: Civil War, the third instalment in the Captain America films within the MCU. According to the report, the film is simply being called "Civil War" in house, meaning the higher ups at Marvel see this as more of an Avenger 2.5 if you will and not necessarily a Captain America film, which is a good thing in my opinion. The film will feature an A star list of heroes, with names likes of War Machine, The Vision, and Ant-Man being reportedly involved with Iron Man's side of the conflict, while on the other hand Black Widow, Hawkeye and Falcon siding with Cap. Scarlet Witch is also said to be appearing in the film, whose side she will be on is currently unknown, along with her appearance, Black Panther is set to appear in the film and will NOT be used to fill Spider-Man's role open from the comics unlike most reports have suggested. Black Panther will appear, serving his own purpose, what that is we do not know as of yet. As for an appearance from your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, his involvement or lack of involvement is being kept very hush hush, so he my well appear, however in my personal opinion, I do not think he will appear. He may be referenced in name, but his first appearance will be his solo film in 2017.

In regards to villains in the film, Baran Zemo will be making an appearance (likely being played by Daniel Bruhl) along with Zemo, Brock Rumlow played by Frank Grillo will be making the step from Brock to his Crossbones persona. Which will include a modified version of his skull mask that is said to more like a mask/helmet hybrid with skull graffiti on it. The rumours also state that Crossbones is responsible for causing the massacre that leads to the Superhero Registration Act which sparks the conflict amongst the Avengers. This is not the only reported factor in causing a rift between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, partial lies with Winter Soldier and Steve's relationship with him, who will also appear in this film.

Within the report we also found out that The Falcon played by Anthony Mackie will be rocking a modified costume, that will have a red and grey colour scheme similar to his look in comics. Hopefully somewhat like the picture above, Ant-Man is set to look exactly the same, but is expected to show his ability to go "giant-man mode" at some point.

Thirdly, the reports gives us some information on the upcoming Doctor Strange film starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role. The report says that Strange's physical look will be directly inspired by his comic appearance, including his red cape (for people unaware with his look picture below).

The suit will obviously take on some modification as to fit into this MCU world we already have established, with a shorter collar and some sort of vest piece. Villains in the film will be Dormammu and Baron Mordo, it is being said that Dormammu will be leading an army of "Mindless Ones" with lots of action taking place in-between dimensions and in the Astral Plane, the visual effects aim to be comparable to Inception.

If even HALF of this comes to be true, I will be incredibly happy, some of the ideas coming out in this report are amazing. Will add a great dimension (pun intended) to the MCU, great time to be a comic book fan

Batman Vs Robin review

2015-04-12T19:26:00.001+01:00

Genre: Adventure, Comic, Action, Animated, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction.
Starring: Stuart Allan, Troy Baker, Kevin Conroy, Trevor Devall, Robin Atkin Dowes, Griffin Gluck, Grey DeLisle-Griffin, Sean Maher, David McCallum, Jason O'Mara, Peter Onorati, Andrea Romano, Jeremy Sisto, "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK) PG-13 (US)
Runtime: 76 Minutes
Director: Jay Oliva

Synopsis: "While Damian Wayne struggles to cope with Batman's no-killing rule, he soon starts to believe that his destiny lies within a secret society known as, The Court of Owls." IMDB

This is only the second animated film I have reviewed, still find it a bit weird reviewing them if I am honest, feels weird to not be talking about the same elements specifically the lack of acting you get to see and the fact it is all animated so the visual effects are on a different level in comparison to say Interstellar looks great and real, while the effects in animation are on par with the animation of the rest of the scenes if that makes sense to anybody but me? Ha.

Batman Vs Robin was directed by Jay Oliva a go to name in the DC animated universe working on the likes of "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2", "Batman: Assault On Arkham" and "Justice League: War". Yet again he delivers a thoroughly enjoyable animated film, cementing himself in the DC chair for a while I'd imagine. Teaming up with long time DC writer J. M. DeMatteis who has been working with DC characters since the early '90s, so what a great team to bring together for latest instalment in the franchise.

I was apprehensive at first when Jason O'Mara took over from Kevin Conroy, I mean Kev IS BATMAN, he has been a part of my life as Batman for as long as I can remember. However, O'Mara makes the role his own in a brilliant way, the rest of the cast performed well in their roles, especially Troy Baker as ever he gives a stellar performance. Plus there was a nice nod to the old with Kevin Conroy returning to voice Thomas Wayne, I personally didn't remember going into the film Conroy was returning, so hearing that familiar voice was a nice touch. There was a bit of a let down though, I was hyped to hear "Weird Al" Yankovic voicing Dollmaker, but he seemed to disappear before we even got to really appreciate his comedic style.

The animation is fluid and wonderful to watch,the actions scenes blended seamlessly into the more dramatic scenes, it was brilliant production. The scene may come across a bit gory to some, so if you're planning on watching with your children or allowing them to watch you want to check it out beforehand. The action is reminiscent of Son Of Batman in my opinion, feels like director Jay Oliva took inspiration from the success of that film and added his own elements to it. All the fight scenes are wonderfully executed especially the climatic scene in which we get to see the Bat-family take on some villains.

There is one MAJOR thing I believe they should have done differently and that is calling the film "Batman: The Court Of Owls", the title is a little bit misleading, the story centres mostly on the Court Of Owls. While having a lot to do with Batman and Robins relationship, it is heavy on the Court storyline, there is a fight scene between Batman and Robin, but the main story comes from the Court trying to run Gotham.

Overall, the film was a brilliant watch it really showcased the vast differing dynamics between Bruce and Damian's belief in what is true justice. In recent instalments the franchise of DC Universe Animated films have been pretty good the likes Son Of Batman (REVIEW HERE) and Superman Unbound stand out. I would say this is definitely up their with them. Another brilliant film in the DC Universe Animated series, DC are winning in the animated film world in my eyes, while Marvel are winning live action. It would take an awful lot for me to ever chance my mind on that.

7/10

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 review

2015-04-11T01:03:00.000+01:00

Genre: Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Comedy.
Starring: Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Adam Scott, Chevy Chase, Collette Wolfe, Gillian Jacobs.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Runtime: 93 Minutes
Director: Steve Pink

Synopsis: "When Lou finds himself in trouble, Nick and Jacob fire up the hot tub time machine in an attempt to get back to the past. But they inadvertently land in the future with Adam Jr. Now they have to alter the future in order to save the past - which is really the present." IMDB

I was very on the fence about Hot Tub Time Machine 2, I mean I partially enjoyed the first one, but that was mostly from the cast if anything. I loved the chemistry between Robinson, Duke, Robinson and Cusack, so when I learnt Cusack was not returning I was bitterly disappointed.On the other hand, Adam Scott was announced to be joining the cast, which kind of made up for it, he was brilliant recently in Parks And Recreation and A.C.O.D.

The first film when it released in 2010 and quickly became a guilty pleasure of many people, I for one wasn't 100% sold on it, I mean I had a few giggles throughout, just not enough for me to warrant some of the love I seen for it. So when a sequel was announced to say I was not very excited would be an understatement, which is a shame because the cast as a collective in either of the films is wonderful and are hilarious given the right material as Comedy actors they have all shone in previous shows/films they have been in.

Craig Robinson did not even seem to care about what he is doing (my view), he just seems completely lost throughout the film occasionally attempting to execute the poor lines given, the same can be said about Clark Duke, they both look bored of the entire think like they only turned up for filming for the pay cheque. For some reason the writer of the film decided to make Rob Corddry attempt to act even more insane than the previous instalment, which I find insulting to the comic and the audience.

The film really has no script to follow, I'm being 100% serious when I say this you could nap for forty minutes and wake up and have not missed a single important scene. You end up sitting there the entire time waiting for the big "oh no" or "shit just got real" scene and it just never comes, they have the whole of time to play with in their story and never touch on it at all, such a wasted opportunity. The comedy was wasted throughout, most of the funnier parts comparatively that is, come in the credits says a lot about the story as a whole really.

Overall, the film fell completely flat on its ass in my opinion, it was 90 minutes of poorly executed slapstick, along with one liners that never really landed. For me a completely unwarranted sequel and not surprised to see it making such poor numbers at the box office ($12.3 million at time of writing 10th April), while the first one delivered a few jokes, worthy of a watch, however this time around not enough is given to sit through the film. If you're truly craving your fix of Craig Robinson or Clark Dude throw on some old The Office DVDs for Rob Corddry watch Children's Hospital, just avoid this film, especially if you are a fan of the first it will soil your enjoyment of the previous instalment. If you have the desire to watch this, I personally recommend waiting for Netflix, Red Box or one of the many streaming sites we have today, that way it will not feel like you have had money stolen from you.

Wish I could go back in time and NOT watch it!!!

2/10

John Wick review

2015-04-10T06:24:00.000+01:00

Genre: Action, Martial Arts, Thriller.
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Dead Winters, Ian Mc Shane, John Leguizamo, Willem Dafoe.
Year Of Release: 2015 (UK)
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Runtime: 101 Minutes
Director: Chad Stahelski & David Leitch (uncredited)

Synopsis: "An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him." IMDB

Another woefully misunderstood film, I've seen many reviews attacking this film, what did you expect from a Keanu Reeves driven Action film? A Robert De Niro acted, Oscar worthy film? Get the heck out of here, you can NOT judge all films based on the same factors, it is the equivalent of comparing say Godfather Part II and A Nightmare On Elm Street, both incredible films in their genre but holding them up against the Academy standards A Nightmare On Elm Street would be instantly brushed aside. Which is something that really irks me, I bet I could drive the Academy driven critics insane to say Birdman was a -100/10 if I were to hold it to the same standards as A Nightmare On Elm Street, because that rating would be perfectly acceptable in comparison, it is just highly unfair to compare films that are so different in their target audience and the aim of the film.

The film was directed by Chad Stahleski and David Leitch who are widely known for their stunt work, or at least they should be known for it, their collective filmography includes the likes of The Matrix, The Crow, S.W.A.T and Van Helsing, so to say they are well versed in the world of stunts and action is an understatement. So the choice to have them direct the widely coveted script by Derek Kolstad makes perfect sense, at its core "John Wick" a revenge film that is brutal and doesn't mess around at all. Hard to believe that this is the directorial debut of both Stahleski and Leitch, their work comes across as truly experienced directors within the given genre. After this film I can see them going very far in the action world, easy to see why they were given a John Wick 2 and are being touted for an upcoming DCCU film.

The film starts out with Wick losing his wife to some sort of illness (details never given to the audience, not needed at all), he inherits a Beagle puppy from his late to help cope with her passing. He quickly falls in love with the pup, spending all his time with her and his '69 Mustang. The Mustang which catches the eye of a young member of the Russian mafia, who tries to persuade him to sell the car. Iosef (Alfie Allen) not accepting of Wicks decision to completely shoot down any sale decides to take the car. Iosef and his "gang" break into the house to rob the car, beat Wick to within an inch of his life and more disturbing of all kill his dog. These events reactive Wick into his previous life he left behind as a mafia hitman, so now Wick is set to destroy any members that get in his way of an organisation of which he was once an employee.

This is the film that came bring Reeves back from some of his recent performances which I highly recommend you stay away from the likes of "Henry's Crime", "47 Ronin" and "Generation Um" come to mind. However, this time around Keanu gave a solid performance as the films titular character, Keanu done everything right to portray which emotions he needed, plus his background in martial arts really blended well with the directors choice to use "gun-fu" which if you are not familiar with, once you watch this you will understand perfectly the phrasing. It was not just Reeves who gave a great performance, other performances shone too from the likes of Michael Nyqvist, Lance Reddick, Paul McShane and the ever enjoyable Adrianne Palicki. It was a genius idea to give Reeves less to say and allow him to use his actions instead of words, what is the old idiom "Actions speak louder than words" it's like that was made for Mr John Wick himself.

The film does not mess around, it gets straight to the point storywise and characterwise, we're straight into the action within the first 15-20 minutes. Which may feel like it will have adverse effects on the pacing of the film, which at the time was a bit of a worry of mine also. Safe to say my reservations were unwarranted, the film ran at a wonderful pace, with Wick moving quickly onto his next henchman to take on in brutally beautiful manors each time. Resulting in a truly wonderful 100 minutes to behold for any Action/Thriller/Martial Arts fan of any age.

Overall, the film was a spectacle in its given genres, edge of the seat Action for 101 minutes be it from Reeves kicking ass or him getting his ass kicked. There is one thing I absolutely LOVED about this film, which was the directors choice to have Wick, once he beat a villain, was to put one/two rounds into their heart/head to make sure they were dead. Seems like something every hitman should do, it just really stood out in this film for me. This film was an incredible watch full of Action and a decent story, which slightly predictable, heck what Action film isn't. I really couldn't recommend this film any higher to fans of the genre or Reeves, if you're a fan of neither, I think this will change your view on either one.

10/10

David Lynch has left Twin Peaks

2015-04-06T17:10:00.002+01:00

After weeks of rumours that the Twin Peaks revival on Showtime was dead before it really began, the unfortunate news broke on Sunday morning from David Lynch himself. The episodes in the proposed revived third season were written jointly by David Lynch and Mark Frost co-creators of the show, if the show was to still continue with Showtime it is likely all the scripts written will be used with Frost serving as director instead of Lynch.
A few places reported that the show had been completely cancelled, Lynch took to his Facebook and Twitter to clear up the confusion with this message;

"Dear Facebook Friends, Showtime did not pull the plug on Twin Peaks. After 1 year and 4 months of negotiations, I left because not enough money was offered to do the script the way I felt it needed to be done. This weekend I started to call actors to let them know I would not be directing. Twin Peaks may still be very much alive at Showtime. I love the world of Twin Peaks and wish things could have worked out differently."

Showtime have recently responded with a message of their own;

"We were saddened to read David Lynch’s statement today since we believed we were working towards solutions with David and his reps on the few remaining deal points. SHOWTIME also loves the world of Twin Peaks and we continue to hold out hope that we can bring it back in all its glory with both of its extraordinary creators, David Lynch and Mark Frost, at its helm."

30 Day Movie Challenge

2015-04-04T03:10:00.000+01:00

So as some of you may have been aware I partook in a "30 Day Movie Challenge" throughout the month of March, and it was extremely enjoyable. Was fun wrecking my brain thinking of the answers if you will, I would like to say a HUGE thank all who retweeted/favourited on Twitter liked on Instagram or liked and commented on Google+ it was a fun ride, I may start doing this things every so often. Gives a good insight into what you love, I have seen a few different movie ones and some television ones too, so keep your eyes pealed more may be coming.

Found this floating around Instagram, will be partaking in starting tomorrow. Should be a fun ride. pic.twitter.com/kon6jejCar
— Chris' Movie Corner (@CrisMovieCorner) March 1, 2015

So I got to day 29 on the challenge and knew I would need a post to convey "Why I Love Cinema", so here it goes.

Cinema has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, growing up I was three years older than my brother so we spent every waking moment of our childhoods together. At that age we used to watch "Tom And Jerry: The Movie" everyday, well that doesn't even come close we used to watch, take the tape out rewind and re-watch this happened multiple times a day. So since I was 3/4 I have been in love with watching films, my first cinema going experience was when I was eight and my Mum and Dad took me and my brother to watch "A Bug's Life", I just remember sitting there being in absolute awe of everything. My tiny little self on my knees in the chair because I couldn't see over the chair in front. Then it began 90 (or so) minutes of just, at the time the only way to describe it is "magical" you are transported into that world for the time being and at the age of eight being transported into a world where bugs are king.

For me cinema/movies in general were an escape from reality, not that I had a bad upbringing quiet the opposite. I just mean when you put on a film be it an hour long or four hours long, you leave this mortal realm and feel yourself in the events going on in the film. No more was this truer than my first ever 4D experience I was in Disneyland Paris and was able to watch "Honey, I Shrunk The Audience!" still to this day one of the greatest cinematic experiences of my life.

I HIGHLY recommend if you get the chance to see a 4D film, you jump on the chance to do it. There is really nothing like it, my experience was over a decade ago and I still long for the day in which I get to experience it again.

Anyway, stepping away from nostalgia real reason I started this article on "Why I Love Cinema". You know that feeling when you sit down to watch a brand new film, the anticipation of what is about to happen? Yeah that is one of my favourite feelings, you know the next couple of hours are about to be a thrill ride of emotions/laughter/fear whatever genre you decided upon. For me film/television is the purest art form it evokes all the emotions it aims to, we all have our bad days, nothing beats kicking back to your favourite film to get past the bad days. For me my go to films are usually Adam Sandler films (not his more modern stuff) which to some may seem unorthodox to some, for me I love his idiotic approach to making people laugh, is that not the ultimate goal of Comedy to make us laugh at any cost.

So I guess my love of cinema boils down to the ability transport you from the boredom of real life to the magic of cinema. When you can see yourself in a certain character and feel what they are going through allowing us to wish we could be that way or even the complete opposite wishing we avoiding certain scenarios completely. Films can lead us to feel all ranges of emotion, from euphoric highs to the deathly lows of reality, allowing us to understand fully what we appreciate most in life. While some people will argue "it is just going to the cinema" or "just watching a film" at times that is true, I'm not saying every film will change your view on life, or take you on a roller-coaster of emotions but their is those films out there that will blow your mind. There is times when watching a film for the pure sake of enjoyment is a perfect reasoning and that is perfectly fine, however there is times when you watch a film and your life can be changed and that is "Why I Love Cinema".

Round up of my 30 Day Challenge;
Day 1 - Favourite Best Picture - The Godfather Part II
Day 2 - Favourite Childhood Movie - Tom & Jerry: The Movie
Day 3 - Favourite Action - Die Hard
Day 4 - Favourite Adventure - The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
Day 5 - Favourite Sci-Fi - Alien
Day 6 - Favourite Score - Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope)
Day 7 - Favourite Thriller - Se7en
Day 8 - Favourite Horror - A Nightmare On Elm Street
Day 9 - Favourite Director - Martin Scorsese
Day 10 - Favourite Actor - Robert De Niro
Day 11 - Favourite Actress - Jennifer Lawrence
Day 12 - Favourite Comedy - Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy
Day 13 - Underrated Movie - Moon
Day 14 - Favourite Drama - Shawshank Redemption
Day 15 - Favourite Soundtrack - Les Miserables Motion Picture Soundtrack
Day 16 - Favourite Animated Movie - Toy Story
Day 17 - Favourite Film Character - Fred "Freddy" Krueger
Day 18 - Favourite Classic Movie - Angels With Dirty Faces
Day 19 - Favourite Book To Film - Goodfellas (Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi)
Day 20 - Favourite Musical - Les Miserables
Day 21 - Favourite Biopic - Notorious
Day 22 - Favourite Visual Effects - Jurassic Park
Day 23 - Favourite Guilty Pleasure - Mars Attacks!
Day 24 - Favourite Romance Film - Forrest Gump
Day 25 - Trailblazer - Halloween
Day 26 - Favourite Performance (Actor) - Robert De Niro in Raging Bull
Day 27 - Favourite Performance (Actress) - Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns
Day 28 - Favourite Film Song - Lose Yourself by Eminem in 8 Mile
Day 29 - This article ha
Day 30 - Favourite Movie - A Nightmare On Elm Street

"Straight Outta Compton" trailers & posters

2015-04-02T01:27:00.002+01:00

August this year we are being treated to a biographical film "Straight Outta Compton" the rise of the greatest Hip Hop group of all tine N.W.A, today we were given a new trailer and some new posters for the upcoming film.

Interstellar review

2015-03-25T13:41:00.000+00:00

Genre: Sci-Fi, Epic, Science Fiction, Adventure.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hatheway, David Gyasi, Wes Bentley, Bill Irwin, Josh Stewart, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Leah Cains, Topher Grace, Matt Damon.
Year Of Release: 2014
Certificate: 12 (UK)
Runtime: 169 Minutes
Director: Christopher Nolan

Synopsis: "A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in an attempt to ensure humanity's survival." IMDB

Christopher Nolan does it again, it is like Nolan was destined from his early days to go down in history as one of the greats, not only is the man creating history making films he is also partially responsible for the revival of the comic world we know and love today. Interstellar isn't Nolan's first Science Fiction film, that was Inception in 2010, however this is his first full fledged Science Fiction in my opinion, no disrespect to Inception.

If you have been a fan of Nolan's previous work, which if you are not, then Interstellar is the one that will make you fall in love with this genius' work. The film is a complex story driven film that will leave you in awe of not just the complexity of the story, but the sheer beauty of what Nolan and his crew have created. I do not want to give too much of the story away, however, I will say that the film is full of twists and turns in typical Nolan fashion, but he doesn't rely on them to keep the film moving forward. The pacing of the film was incredible, while you will know you are being pulled in by twists, you tend to forget that is happening by Nolan's use of action, drama and visuals you can not even begin to imagine.

I have said previously I was not one for soundtracks or scores, however, after watching this film I truly understand why many people are in love with that aspect of films. Hans Zimmer delivers a score that does itself what Nolan does with his script, the music is so beautifully pace that you are drawn in deep by it even though it did kind of remind me of a 70/80's Horror film. It wasn't just Zimmer's score that was a beautiful addition to the film, the use of sound while in space, well the lack there of was incredible. Outside of the spaceship Nolan went with the use of no sound at all, which really was a terrifying choice, any scene outside the ship really makes you feel insignificant as a creature. The Alien tagline "In space no one can hear you scream" will play on your mind every time the camera switches to the exterior. I could continue to talk about the sound, but I can guarantee I would run out of superlatives in no time.

This is my first time experiencing Matthew McConaughey in his new lease on acting, I was personally more used to his acting from Two For The Money, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days and Contact not exactly roles that he shone in. So talk of his revived and seemingly meteoric increase in acting ability was something I was apprehensive about, I am to happy to say my apprehensions were extremely wrong about Mr McConaughey's acting ability, he was completely stellar (yes I did just say that, deal with it) I was pleasantly surprised with how far he has came, the emotions he went through in the film were completely believable and felt relatable. On the other hand I have never been a lover of Anne Hatheway's acting, I have always found her to be boring and this film was no different, she was very monotone and annoying and just not good in my opinion. The rest of the cast a collective were pretty good as well, I mean can you really go wrong with Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow and Matt Damon? I for one can not see how you can. Plus CASE and TARS, two robots you will absolutely love and that I can say with 100% certainty, they were hilarious and great additions to the film.

Now onto what makes Interstellar an instant classic, the visual effects, I say visual effects they are more art than an addition to the film. They are not like the visual effects you will see in your every day film, these are truly a spectacle to behold, they will go down in history as some of the greatest visual effects in any film. There was scenes I will not divulge details as to not take away from their beauty, that you will just sit back in your chair and exhale in just awe and amazement. Some of the scenes were so beautiful I would even go as far as to say they would rival Geoffrey Unsworth's cinematography we seen in "2001: A Space Odyssey" that may seem like a bold statement to make but if you have seen both films I hope you can see where I am coming from.

Overall, the film was a truly a thrill ride, from the ultimate heights of landing on new planets looking for a new home for the human race, to the complete lows of losing the last hope for humanity. While the visual effects are truly out of this world, you do not forget throughout the entire film that is at heart a story about a father and daughter. The film should not only appeal to Science Fiction fans, it should be appealing to all films alike. A mixture of a beautiful story, great acting and unfathomable special effects that leave you craving more science fiction in your life. This film is truly a modern masterpiece and it pains me to say I missed it in the cinema, because this on the big screen would have been one of the best cinematic experiences in anybodies lives.

10/10

Wes Craven to adapt The Disciples for TV

2015-03-21T15:05:00.000+00:00

Before the first issue of The Disciples has even hit the shelves, the comic is being adapted into a Television Show with Wes Craven set to be executive producer on the show according to Hollywood Reporter. The new comic is being released by Black Mask Studios and is the work of Steve Niles known for 30 Days Of Night and Christopher Mitten known for the Wasteland comic. The book with debut this May, here is a synopsis of what to expect;
"Dagmar, Rick, and Jules, intrepid private eyes/bounty hunters, have been hired by a high ranking Senator to retrieve his teenage daughter who’s run off to join a mysterious religious cult. This is no ordinary cult though. In the near future of The Disciples, the ultra-wealthy have become true Masters of the Universe by colonizing moons throughout the solar system. Billionaire industrialist McCauley Richmond is one such colonist: he’s built a new society on Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, where his flock of cultists can have the religious freedom to worship him. But when the team reaches Ganymede in their Starship Venture, they discover something has gone horribly wrong!"
Source: THR

Downton Abbey coming to an end

2015-03-21T13:07:00.002+00:00

After 5 hugely successful series, ITV's Period Drama "Downton Abbey" will come to an end after their sixth series according to TV Line. I personally have no interest in the show, however, it is hugely successful and I can imagine a lot of people will be upset the show is coming to an end, I mean it has won countless awards since its start in 2010.

“At its heart, television is about storytelling, and ‘Downton Abbey’ is certainly storytelling at its finest,” said Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO when a sixth season was first announced (but not confirmed to be the last). “Along with our member stations, PBS can’t wait to share the next season of Downton drama with our audiences.”

Source: ComingSoon