Movie Mania

Lies & Illusions (2009)

2009-12-01T15:20:00.009Z

Those faithful to my blog will probably have realised that I have become quite a fan of Christian Slater, and I found this, his latest movie to be up to his usual impressive standard.

The movie tells the story of a best-selling writer, Wes Wilson (Christian Slater), who after receiving praise for his book revealing how honesty is the most important thing in a relationship, realises that he doesn’t know the love of his life at all! He makes this discovery following the disappearance of his fiancée Samantha (Sarah Ann Schultz). After she has been missing for a whole year, she is presumed dead, and Wes gains access to all of her possessions, including the contents of her safe deposit box. He also finds out from her lawyer that everything he knew about her life was a lie.

Wes and his new girlfriend Nicole (Christa Campbell) decide to find out the truth, but they’re not the only ones. Samantha’s ruthless ex employers are also after what she has been hiding inside the safe deposit box, and will stop at nothing to get it…

This is quite a tense movie, and full of twists and turns throughout the plot. It is also action packed, and quite reminiscent of Christian Slater’s recent TV drama “My Own Worst Enemy”. There are so many lies to uncover, that you can never be quite sure who to trust (except of course for Wes, the central character). Great movie, but you really need to keep up with the twists along the way!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

2009-10-23T13:38:00.007+01:00

This movie has a very curious tale indeed! Based on the short story by F Scott Fitzgerald, it centres around the implausible life story of a man who is born old and ages backwards. The tale is set against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, and told from the viewpoint of a dying woman, Daisy (Cate Blanchett), who is relaying the story to her grown up daughter Caroline. She does this with the help of Benjamin Button’s diaries, chronicling his extraordinary life.

Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) was born in New Orleans in 1918. From birth he had all the symptoms of old age, for example poor elasticity in the skin, diminished hearing and eyesight etc. His mother died in childbirth, and his distraught father abandoned his son on the steps of a retirement home. The baby was taken in by Queenie (who ran the home) believing he did not have long to live. However, he survived and to everyone’s surprise became more youthful as the years passed.

In 1930, when Benjamin was 12 (although still looked like a very old man) he met 9 year old Daisy, who was to become the true love of his life. However, as the saying goes, the course of true love never runs smoothly, and this was especially true in their case. With one aging forwards, and the other backwards, they only had a brief time in the middle of their lives to be together as lovers.

I found this movie to be extraordinary and very touching, although the plot did seem to slow down in the middle of the film. I also found it visually impressive, with superb acting and direction. This film makes the viewer think too, about the meaning of age, and how relevant this really is in our lives. For Benjamin and Daisy, a few years of happiness together was worth the separation they had to endure before and afterwards. The moral of this story appeared to be to make the most of now, rather than worrying about the future.

All in all, a highly enjoyable and thought provoking movie, a tale for the curious!

Tribute to Patrick Swayze (August 18th 1952 – September 14th 2009)

2009-09-22T09:46:00.011+01:00

This month the world is mourning one of its biggest and brightest stars. Patrick Swayze shot to fame in the 1980’s, and starred in numerous movies, the most notable of these being “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost”. A heart-throb for a generation, Patrick was named as the “Sexiest Man Alive” by People Magazine in 1991.

Born in Houston Texas in 1952, Patrick was the second child of Patsy and Jesse Swayze. In his youth, he trained as a dancer, and made his first professional appearance in “Disney on Parade” as “Prince Charming”. Following this, Patrick Swayze took on the lead role of “Danny Zuko” in the original Broadway production of “Grease”. In 1975, he married actress Lisa Niemi, and they remained happily married until his death. Patrick Swayze made his movie debut in 1979 in the film Skatetown, U.S.A., and from then onwards his career went from strength to strength (see credits below).

In January 2008, Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, however he refused to give in to the illness. Patrick continued to work right up to the end. His last project was a TV series called The Beast, which first aired in January 2009. The show was ultimately cancelled, reportedly as Patrick was too ill to promote the series.

On 14th September 2009, Patrick Swayze lost his battle against the disease, but he will be fondly remembered and much missed by millions of fans around the world.

Filmography
Christmas in Wonderland (2007) …. Wayne Saunders
Jump! (2007/I) …. Richard Pressburger
The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006) (V) …. Cash
Keeping Mum (2005) …. Lance
Icon (2005) (TV) …. Jason Monk
King Solomon’s Mines (2004) (TV) …. Allan Quatermain
George and the Dragon (2004) …. Garth
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004) …. Dance Class Instructor
Whoopi …. Tony (1 episode, 2004)
11:14 (2003) …. Frank
One Last Dance (2003) …. Travis MacPhearson
Waking Up in Reno (2002) …. Roy Kirkendall
Donnie Darko (2001) …. Jim Cunningham
Green Dragon (2001) …. Gunnery Sergeant Jim Lance
Forever Lulu (2000) …. Ben Clifton
Letters from a Killer (1998) …. Race Darnell
Black Dog (1998) …. Jack Crews
Three Wishes (1995) …. Jack McCloud
To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995) …. Vida Boheme
Tall Tale (1995) …. Pecos Bill
Father Hood (1993) …. Jack Charles
City of Joy (1992) …. Max Lowe
Amazing Stories: Book Three (1992) (V) …. Eric David Peterson (segment “Life on Death Row”)
Point Break (1991) …. Bodhi
Saturday Night Live …. Host (1 episode, 1990)
Ghost (1990) …. Sam Wheat
Next of Kin (1989) …. Truman Gates
Road House (1989) …. James Dalton
Tiger Warsaw (1988) …. Chuck ‘Tiger’ Warsaw
Steel Dawn (1987) …. Nomad
Dirty Dancing (1987) …. Johnny Castle
Amazing Stories …. Eric David Peterson (1 episode, 1986)
North and South, Book II (1986) (mini) TV mini-series …. Orry Main
Youngblood (1986) …. Derek Sutton
North and South (1985) (mini) TV mini-series …. Orry Main
Red Dawn (1984) …. Jed
Grandview, U.S.A. (1984) …. Ernie ‘Slam’ Webster
Pigs vs. Freaks (1984) (TV) …. Doug Zimmer
Renegades (1983) TV series …. Bandit (1983)
Uncommon Valor (1983) …. Kevin Scott
Staying Alive (1983) (uncredited) …. Dancer/extra
The Outsiders (1983) …. Darrel ‘Darry’ Curtis
The Renegades (1982) (TV) …. Bandit
Return of the Rebels (1981) (TV) …. K.C. Barnes
M*A*S*H …. Pvt. Gary Sturgis (1 episode, 1981)
The Comeback Kid (1980) (TV) …. Chuck
Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979) …. Ace Johnson

The Ring (2002)

2009-09-12T18:35:00.008+01:00

Based on the Japanese novel and film by Koji Suzuki the American remake of “The Ring” is creepy and atmospheric right from the start. It centres on an unmarked videotape which appears to curse anyone that watches it…

The story begins with two teenage girls, Katie and Becca, who are spending an evening together at Katie’s home. Their conversation turns to what appears to be an urban myth, that of the videotape. The story goes that when anyone watches this, the phone will ring, and an eerie voice will simply say “seven days”. In exactly seven day’s time, the viewer will be dead. Katie then reveals that she has actually watched this tape a week ago! After a series of teasers, Katie meets her fate, as do the others she watched it with. They all died in bizarre circumstances, and all at exactly the same time.

Katie’s aunt, Rachel (Naomi Watts), a newspaper reporter, is asked by Katie’s mother to investigate, and begins by watching the tape herself. In the course of her investigation, she also reluctantly involves her ex, Noah (Martin Henderson) and accidentally their young son Aiden (David Dorfman). From here on, Rachel’s seven days are counted down, as she races to find a way to save herself and those she cares about…

After the first few scenes (with Katie and Becca) the main part of the story takes a while to get going. However, it then starts gathering pace. The imagery from the tape itself is very disturbing, plus the countdown of Rachel’s seven days gives the movie a sense of urgency. Unlike many horror films, The Ring does not rely on gratuitous violence to scare the viewer. Instead, it concentrates on escalating the tension within the story, as Rachel and Noah race against time to discover the origins of the tape, along with how and why it kills.

If you like a good horror film, this is a must see. This one gave me chills!

Premonition (2007)

2009-09-06T11:37:00.008+01:00

Linda Hanson (Sandra Bullock) is a typical housewife and mother. That is until the worst week of her life…

Thursday: While her husband Jim (Julian McMahon) is away on business, Linda drops the children off at school as normal. Later on, she talks to her friend Annie on the phone, then realises she has a message on the answerphone from Jim. He’s talking about something he said to their daughters the other night, which Linda has no memory of. His message is interrupted by him telling her he has a call waiting which he needs to answer.

Following this, Linda receives a visit from the police. The officer informs her that her husband had been killed in a car crash the previous day (Wednesday). She then has to tell her two daughters of the event. At the end of this nightmare of a day, she falls asleep. When she wakes up, she realises that it is now…

Monday: Jim is alive and well! He had not left for his business trip, and events that Linda remembered from the previous day appeared not to have taken place. She begins to believe that his death must have been a bad dream all along, until she wakes up the next day to find that it is…

Saturday: Linda awakes to find an empty glass and a bottle of wine on the bedside table. The bedroom mirror is covered, and there is an empty pill bottle in the sink. The bottle is marked as Lithium, and the doctor’s name on the label is Dr Roth. The pills were prescribed to her, but she had never heard of this doctor! When she goes downstairs, she discovers that today is Jim’s funeral! Is he really dead? In addition to this shock, Linda discovers that her eldest daughter’s face is suddenly covered with cuts, although no one will explain why.

By this point, understandably, Linda doesn’t know what to believe. It appears that she is living through the days of this week in a completely random order. Is she really experiencing premonitions, and if so, could this help her prevent her husband’s death?

This is an amazingly well conceived film, although very complicated. It is probably worth seeing more than once to get the full effect, and you need to concentrate and keep a mental note of which day you are currently watching. You will also then need to put this together with the previous and future days shown in the movie to make sense of the week! This is also brilliantly acted by all concerned. Sandra Bullock’s performance in particular was exceptional. This is a great movie, but remember to keep your brain switched on, as this really requires you to pay attention!

The Name of the Rose (1986)

2009-09-03T16:58:00.003+01:00

The name of the Rose is an intriguing historical drama. Set in Italy in 1327, the story concerns mysterious deaths which were taking place in a remote abbey. After the first of these, two visitors arrived, William of Baskerville (Sean Connery), and his novice Adso of Melk (a very young Christian Slater). Quickly realising that this first death was a murder (and not suicide as described) the very intellectual William of Baskerville decides to investigate. William discovers that the murders are connected to an ancient Greek work of literature, and strives to find the book, which has been hidden away, its very existence shrouded in secrecy.

Sean Connery as William of Baskerville and Christian Slater as Adso of Melk

However, before he can conclude his investigation, an infamous and sinister inquisitor, Bernardo Gui (F. Murray Abraham) arrives. He works hard to discredit William, and instead blames the murders on so called heretics and non-existent Satanists.

F Murray Abraham as Bernardo Gui

After a fairly slow start, this film warms up into a compelling murder mystery. The acting from the leading actors is superb (which is what I have learned to expect from both Sean Connery and Christian Slater), and the supporting cast are just as impressive. The setting is perfect, and very realistic. As a viewer, I could almost feel how cold and uncomfortable this 14th century abbey would have been for its residents.

As a murder mystery lover myself, I found this absorbing to watch. This movie had a dark and ominous feel to it throughout, and I would recommend it to fans of both whodunits and period dramas alike.

Sleepwalkers (1992)

2009-08-29T14:47:00.005+01:00

Although slated by many, I found Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers to be quite entertaining. The film begins with a definition of “Sleepwalkers”. They are described as follows:

"Sleep'walk'er n. Nomadic shapeshifting creatures with human and feline origins. Vulnerable to the deadly scratch of the cat, the sleepwalker feeds upon the lifeforce of virginal human females. Probable source of the vampire legend." - Chillicoathe Encyclopedia of Arcane Knowledge, 1st edition, 1884”.

The story revolves around Sleepwalkers Charles Brady (Brian Krause) and his mother Mary (Alice Krige). They have recently moved from California to Indiana. They need to relocate often as they tend to be found out for what they really are. Mother and son are extremely close, much, much more than they should be! Charles is a very charismatic character, and soon attracts the attention of classmate Tanya Robertson (Mädchen Amick). The Sleepwalkers have a plan. Charles needs to seduce Tanya, and feed off her, in order to then feed his mother, who is in her words “famished”.

However, their plan begins to unravel very early on, as one of Charles’ schoolteachers has checked his background, and their cover is blown. They are also plagued with an army of cats (who seem to sense what they are), and they keep coming, despite the many deadly traps surrounding the house. When Tanya manages to fight back against Charles, their very existence is threatened, and the pair become desperate to survive with horrific consequences…

This movie can be quite gruesome in places, and although not Stephen King’s best work, still has the ability to shock. It boasts an impressive cast list, with the two lead actors going on to more high profile work following this film. Brian Krause later became well known as “Leo” in the series "Charmed”, whilst Alice Krige has probably become best known for her performance as the “Borg Queen” in “Star Trek: First Contact” and “Star Trek: Voyager" ”.

Whilst not exactly a “must see movie”, this is certainly an engaging hour and a half for any discerning horror movie fan, and worth a watch.

White Noise (2005)

2009-08-24T17:36:00.004+01:00

White Noise is quite a creepy film, and takes a new twist on the traditional ghost story. The basis for this is EVP (electronic voice phenomenon), which is a commonly held belief that the living can make contact with the dead via static (or white noise) on electronic audio and visual devices. More simply put, by recording static on a radio or VCR for example, it is possible to play back your recording and hear the voices of the dead or see their faces on a television screen. I have personally heard many stories detailing this phenomenon, and a quick search on the internet will undoubtedly reveal many more.

In this particular story, Jonathon Rivers (Michael Keaton) lost his wife Anna (Chandra West) in a freak accident. While dealing with his grief, he is approached by Raymond Price (Ian McNeice) who tells Jonathon that he has been receiving messages from Anna from the other side. Jonathon is sceptical at first, but when he starts receiving calls from Anna’s mobile phone (which he has kept at home – turned off), he decides to find out more.

After hearing Anna’s voice on Raymond’s equipment, Jonathon begins to develop an obsession with EVP. He buys as many recording devices as he can accommodate, and begins staying up all night, desperate to hear more from Anna. He succeeds in recording both voices and images, from others as well as Anna, and realises that this could be his chance to help others as Raymond helped him. However, there are also evil spirits coming through…

Whilst not an accurate portrayal of EVP (as it appeared to be embellished for dramatic effect), I found this movie very intriguing to watch, and it certainly had the capacity to make me jump several times! My only real gripe with this film was that the climax was so dark, that I struggled to see what was going on! Unfortunately, this left me with the feeling that I’d somehow missed the point. However, saying that, I did enjoy (and get) the first 3/4 of the film! This is definitely one for those who love to watch films about things that go bump in the night!

Falling Down (1993)

2009-08-17T17:17:00.004+01:00

This film has an interesting concept. It highlights the story of one frustrated man, Bill Foster (Michael Douglas) who is having the worst day of his life. When the story begins, he has already lost his job, and is stuck in a traffic jam, baking in intolerable heat. He leaves his car in the road and decides to walk. In his desperation to see his daughter on her birthday, he encounters one obstacle after another, and as his anger grows, he wages war with the world.

What makes this movie so poignant is that many of the issues he comes across are easily recognisable to the viewer. For example, when he gets hungry, he walks into a burger chain and decides on an appetising example from a picture on the wall. When it arrives, the burger itself bears little resemblance to the one in the picture. This, the viewers can easily relate to, as we all know that they never look as good as advertised! However, what sets Bill aside from the general public is that he demonstrates his frustration over incidents like this with a loaded gun! In doing this, he becomes the anti-hero of the piece.

Bill’s story is contrasted by the second storyline, that of Detective Martin Prendergast (Robert Duvall). It’s his last day as a policeman before retiring, and it proves to be one to remember. He is also in the same traffic jam as Bill, and sees him walk away. Later on at work, he keeps coming across incidents being reported involving a man wearing a white shirt and tie. He deduces (correctly) that this must be the same man, although no one believes him. While he is supposed to be desk bound, he sets out to find and stop Bill, as everyone else is too busy to listen to him.

Overall, this movie is very intense, and exceeding well acted. It keeps you (the viewer) on the edge of your seat as you have to know if Bill makes it home. On the other side of the story, you also find yourself urging Detective Prendergast’s colleagues to listen to him, and take him seriously! Definitely worth a watch!

Bed of Roses (1996)

2009-08-13T14:37:00.003+01:00

While not a genre I would naturally seek out to watch, I stumbled across this, and found it to be a very sweet movie. It is in many ways quite a standard romance between Lewis (a florist) and Lisa (a high powered executive). The story goes something like this…

Lisa Walker (Mary Stuart Masterson) is a woman totally devoted to her career. She has never experienced a normal family life, having been abandoned as a baby, and raised by her drunken adopted father. When he dies, she is somewhat upset, particularly when she returns from work to find her only companion (her goldfish) dead as well! She breaks down in front of her window, but doesn’t realise that someone is watching…

This is Lewis Farrell (Christian Slater) a shy florist, who had lived alone since his wife and child had died. He spends his evenings walking the streets and looking into windows, wondering how other people lived. He is immediately struck by Lisa, and decides to send her flowers (anonymously) to cheer her up.

However, Lisa is determined to find out who sent her the flowers, and Lewis reluctantly tells her. To Lisa, Lewis seems too good to be true, and although she starts to fall in love with him, the course of true love never quite runs smoothly, as her past starts to get in the way…

I found this movie to be generally quite cute and easy to watch, although the storyline itself seemed quite weak. What I was impressed by were the performances of the leading actors, as they made this love story very believable. The characters were well defined, from the shy Lewis who falls head over heels for Lisa, and almost scares her away, bombarding her with roses, to the totally career oriented Lisa, who is unable to find the time for love.

In short, if you like a good romantic film, this one’s for you, but don’t expect it to be a particularly dramatic or thought provoking film. Easy viewing all round.

A Tribute to John Hughes (February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009)

2009-08-09T17:34:00.003+01:00

John Hughes

This month (August 2009) the world lost one of the great movie directors, writers and producers, John Hughes. He was responsible for bringing some of the most successful movies of the 1980’s and 1990’s to the big screen, including The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Home Alone. Molly Ringwald and Jon Cryer in "Pretty in Pink"

John Hughes was born in Lansing Michigan in 1950, and graduated from Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook Illinois in 1968. He would later use the school’s surrounding area as locations for his movies. Whilst at high school, he met Nancy Ludwig, whom he married in 1970. They remained married until his death, and had two sons together.

After dropping out of university in Arizona, John Hughes began his career as an advertising copywriter. However, he soon discovered he had a talent for comedy writing, and started selling jokes to well established comedians, such as Joan Rivers. Then, inspired by his childhood trips with his family, he wrote a story entitled “Vacation ‘58”. This story later became the basis for the movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation”. While still with the magazine, John Hughes was first credited as a screenplay writer for “Class Reunion”.

Molly Ringwald who starred in John Hughes's "Sixteen Candles", "Pretty in Pink" and "The Breakfast Club"

In 1984, John Hughes won praise for his directorial debut with the movie “Sixteen Candles”. This was the first of several movies realistically portraying high school life from the student’s point of view. These teen movies also launched the careers of many young actors and actresses who collectively became known as “The Brat Pack”. However, in order to distance himself from these teen comedies, John Hughes branched out and directed “Planes Trains and Automobiles” in 1987, which starred both Steve Martin and John Candy. Following this, his greatest box office success was the movie “Home Alone” which he both wrote and produced. This was the highest grossing film of 1990. The last movie he directed was “Curly Sue” in 1991, after which he retired from the industry.

Poster for "Home Alone"

On August 6th 2009, John Hughes suffered a fatal heart attack, and he leaves behind not only his wife and sons, but also four grandchildren. He was a hugely successful figure in Hollywood, and will be much missed.

Joh Hughes with the cast of "The Breakfast Club"

Filmography

Writer

Delta House (1979) (TV Series)
National Lampoon's Class Reunion (1982)
At Ease (TV Series) (1983) (TV Series)
Mr. Mom (1983)
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
Nate and Hayes (1983) (with David Odell)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Weird Science (1985)
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
She's Having a Baby (1988)
The Great Outdoors (1988)
Uncle Buck (1989)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Home Alone (1990)
Career Opportunities (1991)
Dutch (1991)
Curly Sue (1991)
Beethoven (1992) (as Edmond Dantes)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Dennis the Menace (1993)
Baby's Day Out (1994)
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
101 Dalmatians (1996)
Flubber (1997)
Home Alone 3 (1997)
Reach The Rock (1998)
Just Visiting (2001) (with Jean-Marie Poire & Christian Clavier)
Maid in Manhattan (2002; story) (originally titled The Chambermaid) (as Edmond Dantes)
Drillbit Taylor (2008; story) (as Edmond Dantes)

Director

Sixteen Candles (1984)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Weird Science (1985)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
She's Having a Baby (1988)
Uncle Buck (1989)
Curly Sue (1991)

Producer

The Breakfast Club (1985)
Pretty in Pink (1986; executive producer)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
She's Having a Baby (1988)
The Great Outdoors (1988; executive producer)
Uncle Buck (1989)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Home Alone (1990)
Career Opportunities (1991)
Only the Lonely (1991)
Dutch (1991)
Curly Sue (1991)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Dennis the Menace (1993)
Baby's Day Out (1994)
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
101 Dalmatians (1996)
Flubber (1997)
Home Alone 3 (1997)
Reach the Rock (1998)
New Port South (2001; executive producer)

Unproduced screenplays

The History of Ohio From The Beginning Of Time To The End Of The Universe (with P.J. O'Rourke)
Jaws 3: People 0 – a parody sequel to the popular series.[10]
Bartholomew Vs. Neff – Sylvester Stallone and John Candy are pitted against each other as feuding neighbors.[11]
The Bee – a feature length Disney film.[12]
The Grisbeys – a wealthy family suddenly becomes destitute, forcing them to move to the other side of the tracks during Christmas.[13]

Books

The National Lampoon Sunday Newspaper Parody (1978) (with P.J. O'Rourke)

Life in the Spotlight: A Tribute to Actress Wendy Richard MBE (1943 - 2009)

2009-08-06T16:22:00.005+01:00

Earlier this year, the nation mourned one of Britain’s favourite actresses. Now is the time to remember why she became so loved by the viewing public.

Born Wendy Emmerton on 20th July 1943 in Middlesborough, she was the daughter of publicans Beatrice and Henry. The family moved several times when she was very young, finally settling in London. Her childhood was idyllic until age eleven when she discovered her father’s body after he took his own life. Her mother then sent her to boarding school, after which she attended the Italia Conti Academy stage school in London. Even though she enjoyed her time at stage school, the only thing she disliked were the elocution lessons and she refused to let go of her strong cockney accent. This accent became Wendy’s trademark as an actress. She became Wendy Richard when she took up acting professionally.

Her first TV appearances included small roles in “Dads Army”, “Up Pompeii!” and “The Likely Lads”. She also played a regular character in the BBC’s 1960’s soap opera “The Newcomers”, and performed twice with the “Carry On” team in “Carry On Matron” and “Carry On Girls”. In 1962, she featured on the no. 1 single “Come Outside” by Mike Sarne. She also appeared in the Beatles film “Help”, although was very disappointed when her only scene ended up on the cutting room floor.

However, she will be best known for two completely contrasting roles. Firstly as Miss Shirley Brahms in “Are You Being Served” which ran for 12 years, from 1972 to 1984. Wendy Richard’s character was that of a cheeky confident cockney, whilst both feisty and flirtatious, she was also quite naïve in some respects. In this role, Wendy Richard became a household name, and her character was much loved. Wendy also reprised the role in the sequel “Grace and Favour” in 1992 and 1993.

Wendy Richard as Miss Brahms in "Are You Being Served?"

“Are You Being Served” was followed soon afterwards by her portrayal of the downtrodden Pauline Fowler in “Eastenders”. She played this role for almost 22 years, from the very first episode in 1985 until she made the decision to leave the programme. Pauline famously died in Albert Square on Christmas Day 2006.

Wendy Richard as Pauline Fowler in "Eastenders"

As Pauline Fowler in “Eastenders”, Wendy Richard was at the heart of many of the programme’s most dramatic storylines. Notable examples of this being dealing with her husband’s nervous breakdown and later his affair, her daughter’s teenage pregnancy and also her son contracting the HIV virus.

Wendy Richard was a natural actress, and won much acclaim for her work. She was presented with the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2000. Also in 2007 she won the award for Lifetime Achievement at the British Soap Award Ceremony.

Wendy Richard with husband John Burns

Wendy married and divorced three times before finally finding happiness with John Burns, who was twenty years her junior. They lived together for twelve years before marrying on 10th October 2008.

In 1996 Wendy Richard was diagnosed with breast cancer, and although she recovered, it returned in 2002. Even though she managed to beat this a second time, the cancer returned in a more aggressive form in October 2008. Tragically this time she was unable to fight it again, and she died on the morning of 26th February 2009 at the Harley Street Clinic in London.

Wendy will be much missed for her talent and wit, along with her sense of humour, which she retained until the end.

Heathers (1988)

2009-08-01T19:43:00.002+01:00

This film has become a teenage cult classic for good reason. It’s a great film! The story is a very black comedy about the pressures of being popular at high school. The story goes something like this…

The most popular clique at Westerberg High school consists of three girls named Heather (hence the title) and their hanger-on Veronica (Winona Ryder). Despite being popular, the three Heathers are bitchy, mean and nasty, even to Veronica. They are Heather Chandler, the leader (Kim Walker), Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty) and Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk). Veronica realises that her best friends are also her worst enemies.

Things soon change for her when she meets up with another student, Jason Dean, a.k.a. JD (Christian Slater). JD is psychotic to say the least, and conspires with Veronica to kill first Heather Chandler, and then others who JD feels deserve to die. JD appears to have no conscience when it comes to murder, unlike Veronica, who tries to break their relationship off. However, JD is unstoppable…

I must admit, I wasn’t expecting great things from this movie, but found it to be quite addictive – you just have to find out what happens next! The performances from all of the leading actors were stunning, and this draws you into the story. The storyline itself is very quirky and unpredictable, and I found it to be reminiscent of one of Christian Slater’s later movies “Very Bad Things”, which I also loved.

There was only one flaw in this film for me. Without giving too much away, one of the main characters to be murdered, turns up later in the film alive and well for some unexplained reason! I didn’t quite understand how this error could have been missed by everyone involved!

In conclusion though, Heathers is a very enjoyable movie and certainly worth a watch (at least once). I challenge anyone to watch this and be bored!

Torchwood – a TV Retrospective

2009-07-29T18:50:00.000+01:00

This month (July 09) said goodbye to the hugely popular Dr Who spin off series “Torchwood”. However, unlike Dr Who (the longest running sci-fi series ever), Torchwood only ran for three series, despite it’s popularity. In fact, only 31 episodes were ever made.

Set in present day Cardiff, the Torchwood team were responsible for dealing with all extra terrestrial incidents in the city, and there were many! According to the story, Cardiff is positioned on a rift in both space and time, which drew aliens to this city from all over the universe. The team would add the alien technology they came across to their own, as well as the power of the rift, in the battle to seek out alien threats, and prevent global disasters on a weekly basis.

For those who haven’t seen this, the story begins something like this…

In 2006, police officer Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) discovers evidence of alien life, and along with this she encounters the mysterious Torchwood team, and becomes determined to find out more. The leader of this team, Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), a time traveller from the 51st century who originally appeared in Dr Who (hence the link between the series) was so impressed with Gwen, that by the end of episode one, she is offered a place on the team. She is introduced to the other members, Dr Owen Harper (Burn Gorman), Toshiko (Tosh) Sato (Naoko Mori) and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd). From this point on, her life will never be the same.

From series one, the character of Gwen was the viewer’s link to understanding how Torchwood worked, and through her we were introduced to the different alien life forms and technology featured in each episode. The others were so accustomed to many types of extra terrestrial encounters, but they needed to be explained to Gwen. This allowed the viewers to catch up!

By series two, the viewing public had become attached to the five main characters, as they were all so believable. However, this was also the beginning of the end for the series, as two of the five were killed in the line of duty. In fact one of these characters died twice (you need to see this to understand it)!

So then there were three. In between the showing of series two and three, the Torchwood team appeared in Dr Who, which brought the two shows together again, and reminded us (the viewers) of Torchwood’s origins. Then series three of Torchwood was announced with a new concept. This was to be a five episode series with only one story (before it had been a separate story per episode). It was also to be shown every night over a single week (Monday to Friday).

Torchwood series three entitled “Children of Earth”, exploded onto UK TV screens on Monday 6th July 2009. Whilst this was an amazing story (as always), I must admit I was expecting this to be a resurrection of the series, replacing those we had lost, and gearing up for series four. However, this was not to be the case, as one more regular character died, and the remaining two went their separate ways. This was to be the end of an era.

If you’ve never come across Torchwood before, I would highly recommend it. The storylines were always compelling and original, the characters well defined, and the actors were superb. In addition, this was brilliantly written and directed, with stunning special effects in every episode.

Torchwood can be found online via the following link:

http://tv-links.cc/search.php?q=torchwood&catid=tv&submit=Search

If you want to find out more about Dr Who, check it out here:

http://www.squidoo.com/doctor-who-2

The People Under The Stairs (1991)

2009-07-28T17:49:00.000+01:00

Wes Craven’s “The People Under The Stairs” is a promising horror movie, yet works on some levels but not others. It’s an interesting concept. A gang of burglars (two men and a small boy) break into a house, believing there to be a huge fortune in stolen gold coins. However, when they arrive, the men are killed and the boy discovers a terrible secret.

Poindexter “Fool” Williams discovers that the two adults in the house have been stealing children, looking for the perfect child. He finds Alice, scared to death of her “parents” who abuse her, and all of the rejected children who were living in the basement. This is with the exception of one named Roach who has escaped from the basement and now roams in between the walls of the house. His tongue has been cut out for using bad language, and he now makes horrible cries, angering his “father”, who tries to shoot him periodically through the walls. Fool also discovers that the “parents” of the children are actually brother and sister, are both totally insane, and trying to kill him!

The main problem with this film is that virtually all of the action is filmed in almost complete darkness, so it can be very hard to see what is going on most of the time! This is understandable to a degree as the locations were mainly in the basement and between the walls where you don’t expect to see much light, although this does make it hard work for the viewer.

The performances of the “parents” though are wonderfully surreal and stylised, and the idea of the movie is very original. However, due to it’s drawbacks, I think this would be a story better read than watched.

My conclusion is to buy the book, and let your own imagination do the work!

The Street - TV Review

2009-07-23T13:57:00.000+01:00

It’s been a welcome return for Jimmy McGovern’s “The Street” this month on UK TV. The BBC drama is now in it’s third series and is just as hard hitting as ever.

For those who haven’t yet seen this, The Street is a collection of one- off short stories about life for the residents on one particular street in the north of England. It has so far won seven awards, including three BAFTAs, and displays the acting talents of some of the best in the business.

So far, the first two episodes have been shown in this series…

The first involves pub landlord Paddy Gargan (Bob Hoskins) and his wife (Frances Barber), who bar the son of local gangster Tom Miller for smoking in the pub. As he has already served out the same punishment for someone else, Paddy feels that this is justified. However, the boy’s father disagrees. He demands that his son be allowed into the pub, and repeatedly threatens Paddy. Finally, he gives Paddy an ultimatum, either he serve his son the following day, or he will give him a severe beating as punishment.

This gives Paddy a dilemma. He can’t go back on his word without losing face, but he can’t bring himself to serve him either. He rallies round the community for support, but everyone is too scared to side against Tom Miller. Should he give in, or take his punishment?

The second episode is the story of Dee (Anna Friel), a young single mother, struggling to provide for her two sons. When her boiler breaks down, she calls in Mark (Daniel Mays) a plumber, who she falls in love with. However, Dee has a secret that she tries to hide from Mark. At the weekends she works as a prostitute in a brothel in a nearby city. The secret comes out when she meets Mark’s parents, as she discovers that Mark’s father is one of her regular clients! He tries to force Dee to break off the relationship, although Mark is determined not to let go. How can she avoid revealing her secret to Mark?

If these two powerful episodes are anything to go by, the rest of the series will be unmissable! You will find youself glued to the edge of your seat for each episode on an hour long white knuckle ride!

You can catch up with The Street on BBC1 on Mondays at 9.00pm or on the BBC iplayer (click the link below):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search/?q=The%20Street

Happy viewing!

Christian Slater – Discovering a True Talent

2009-07-22T15:52:00.000+01:00

I recently wrote a piece on Squidoo about the life and work of Christian Slater which you can access here http://www.squidoo.com/Christian-Slater since seeing his brand new TV series “My Own Worst Enemy”, and being very impressed by his performance.

While researching this piece I realised that although I had always liked what I saw of his work, I had only just scratched the surface. As I was looking to update this lens, I decided to watch some more of his films. I discussed this with my partner, whose opinion of him was that he ALWAYS played the “bad guy” in movies! Therefore, I searched out movies to see whether this was really the case (although he was always very good at this).

I am now working through his past films, and discovering that not only is he NOT always the bad guy, but regardless of the character he plays, he is a much, much better actor than I have previously given him credit for (sorry Christian for not noticing this before!).

Also, I have heard that he has more recently become notable as a stunning stage actor, consistently receiving a standing ovation on the West End stage as Randall P McMurphy in the classic “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” (the role Jack Nicolson played in the film version). This is a performance I wish I could have seen!

These are the performances I have seen and can recommend so far:

Bed of Roses (1996) – Review pending
Very Bad Things (1998) – Review pending
Untamed Heart (1993) – Already reviewed
He Was a Quiet Man (2007) – Already reviewed
My Own Worst Enemy (2008) (TV) – see link below: http://www.squidoo.com/My-Own-Worst-Enemy
Young Guns II (1990) – Not yet reviewed
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves – Not yet reviewed

Christian Slater is fast becoming one of my favourite actors. However, there are still so many more Christian Slater movies out there to see, and I hear he is also due to return to TV shortly in the brand new drama series “The Forgotten”.

Keep an eye on this blog and my Squidoo lens http://www.squidoo.com/Christian-Slater as I shall be updating both as I find more amazing performances and news to tell all the many Christian Slater fans out there!

If you know an actor/ actress whose work really deserves watching, or a movie that really deserves to be seen and reviewed, please let me know.

Untamed Heart (1993) - Movie Review

2009-07-21T14:25:00.000+01:00

Although I’ve never been a particular fan of so called “weepies”, I stumbled upon this movie by chance and became engrossed very quickly. The story revolves around the unlikely romance between Caroline (a waitress) and Adam (a busboy), who work in the same diner.

Caroline (Marisa Tomei) whilst being quite confident and outgoing, has always been unlucky in love, although holds out hope of meeting her Mr Right. However, when the story begins, she had never really noticed Adam (Christian Slater), let alone considered dating him.

Adam’s character is the complete opposite to Caroline, and much more complex. He was orphaned at birth, and grew up in a children’s home run by nuns. Also, he had been born with a severe heart defect. He had been told by one of the nuns that he had been given a baboon’s heart, as his own was too weak for him to survive. As he was such a sick child, he was never allowed to play with other children, and had very limited social interaction of any kind. This led to him growing up to become a painfully shy and awkward young man. He rarely spoke, and kept himself very much to himself. However, he did have very strong feelings for Caroline, but couldn’t bring himself to tell her.

One night, on the way home from work, two men attacked and tried to rape Caroline. Adam, who had been following her home (“to keep her safe”), rescued her. Following this event, the couple began to get to know each other, and she started to bring him out of his shell. They fall deeply in love, although they still have more obstacles to overcome. Adam was still very weak due to his heart defect, and needed a transplant, plus the men who attacked Caroline wanted revenge on the man who stopped them…

Overall, this is a very engaging story, and beautifully acted by everyone involved. In particular, the chemistry between Adam and Caroline was electric. Although there were some elements in Adam’s character which could be considered a bit creepy (for example, following her home and breaking into her house to watch her sleep), it was easy to forgive him as he was never a threat. He simply had no idea how to communicate or interact with other people, including Caroline.

Without giving too much away, this is such a tragic tale (I have heard it likened to “Love Story”), and would melt even the hardest hearts. A big box of tissues is highly recommended while watching this movie!

The Butterfly Effect (2004) - Movie Review

2009-07-21T14:22:00.000+01:00

The Butterfly Effect is quite a surreal movie at times, and can be quite confusing. It begs the question “what if you could change events, and undo the mistakes you’ve made in the past?”

Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) has suffered from unexplained blackouts throughout his life, usually during stressful situations. Afterwards, he would have little or no short term memory. When he was a child, the adults around him dismissed this, believing that he was making them up to avoid getting into trouble. At this stage, he began keeping a diary so that he remembered more about what happened to him, in an attempt to find a reason for these blackouts. He grew up with his mother, a single parent, after his father was committed to a psychiatric institution.

When he became an adult, Evan started to read his childhood diaries, and something very strange happened. When reading, he was transported back to the event he was reading about, and was able to relive the traumatic events from his past. Evan soon realised that he could use this ability to change what happened, believing this would make his life (and those around him) better. However, he hadn’t counted on the consequences of changing the past. By improving one thing, he affected and changed something else for the worse. The more determined he became to correct his past mistakes, the more new mistakes he made, which he was determined to put right, but at what cost?

Whilst being a very complicated and at times confusing plot to this film, I found it to be compelling viewing. As a viewer, you really want his next trip to the past to fix all of the problems he has created, and to bring a happy ending to the story. However, there are so many twists in the tale, it is impossible to predict how things will change when he returns to the present. It is never explained how Evan has this ability, only that he seemed to inherit this from his father, which is why he ended up in psychiatric care. At one point, Evan was on the verge of suffering the same fate. This is on the whole a very thought provoking film, although you do need to concentrate in order to keep up with the plot. I would recommend seeing this at least twice to get the full impact, and understand why events change in the way they do due to Evan’s desperation to make things right! Brilliantly written, acted and directed, this movie will keep you guessing right the way from the first scene through to its great ending. Highly recommended.

He Was a Quiet Man (2007) - Movie Review

2009-07-21T13:31:00.000+01:00

Although not a widely known film, this one is a must see as it contains such powerful drama, is intensely thought provoking and keeps you (the viewer) on the edge of your seat throughout.

It is the story of Bob Maconel (Christian Slater) who is a very lonely middle aged man, stuck in an incredibly mundane job. He has no respect from his peers or his boss, and is on the verge of a breakdown. Bob fantasises about shooting his boss, and all the others at work that have mistreated him over the years. However, even though he has the loaded gun in his desk, he can’t quite bring himself to do the deed. He tells himself every day that the timing is not quite right, and puts it off until tomorrow.

What Bob doesn’t know is that the man in the next cubicle, by the name of Ralf Coleman is experiencing the exact same feelings, but has enough confidence to act. One day he stands up and shoots several people dead. One survives, Vanessa Parks (Elisha Cuthbert), although to Coleman’s dismay she is one of the few in the office liked by everyone, including himself. He realises that he has shot her by accident, assuming she was someone else. Bob (still with his gun in his desk), shoots and kills the gunman, and instantly becomes a hero. Suddenly, the press are clambering to get his story, and he is given a promotion at work. His new title is “Vice President of Creative Thinking”. He is also given Vanessa’s big office with a window (which he has always wanted) and company car, as he is told that she wouldn’t be coming back to work.

At the insistence of his boss, Bob goes to visit Vanessa in the hospital, only to discover that she is paralysed from the neck down, with little chance of recovery. At first she is simply angry to be alive, and then comes up with a plan. As she knows Bob to be a compassionate man, and she has no one else, she asks him to help her commit suicide. As far as she is concerned, her life is already over, and she wants Bob to help her finish what Coleman started. Bob reluctantly agrees, and on her release from hospital, they go for a meal together, and decide to spend some time doing things they had never done before. Until that is, she is ready to die…

While this may sound like a tragic and even depressing story, there is so much more to it than this. There are so many twists and turns in this story, and you as a viewer feel so much for the main characters, Bob in particular, as his soul is laid bare. It is also amazingly well acted, with such well defined and complex characters, you begin to yearn for a happy ending. However, each glimmer of hope for this is dashed with the introduction of yet another plot twist.

Fans of Christian Slater’s work may expect him to play the sexy male lead in this film as usual, however this is not the case. For this film he was given a complete change of image. He had bad teeth, ugly glasses and receding hair. In fact he shaved (and even plucked out) his own hair to give the impression that he was balding for the role. His performance is probably the best he has ever done, and he totally became Bob Maconel, proving just how talented he really is as an actor. This film has inspired me to watch more of his movies, although it’s hard to believe that this particular performance can be topped.

In short, if you appreciate a good drama, you must see this film. I’ve heard it to be similar in some ways to “Falling Down” (another on my mental list to watch)., and is such an emotional rollercoaster to watch. You’ll probably need a lie down to recover afterwards!

Michael J Fox - A Biography

2009-07-21T13:16:00.000+01:00

Michael J Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox in Edmonton Canada on 9th June 1961, Michael was the son of Phyllis and Sgt William Fox of the Royal Canadian Army Signal Corps. As a child, the family (including a brother and two sisters) moved around a great deal, due to his father's work. They finally settled in Vancover, which is where he began his acting career.

Michael's first professional acting role came in the TV sitcom "Leo and me" when he was just 15 years old. He also appeared in a couple of films, "Midnight Madness" and "Class of 1984", although with limited success. He moved to Los Angeles in search of the Hollywood dream, although he soon found himself virtually penniless, and he even he resorted to selling his furniture piece by piece in order to buy food! Eventually though, he had a lucky break. He won the role of Alex P Keaton in what turned out to be the hit TV sitcom "Family Ties". This part shot him to fame, and during his time on the show, he won three Emmy Awards plus a Golden Globe.

At the same time as filming "Family "Ties", Michael also managed to film "Back to the Future". This was the movie which really made his name as a star. For several months he was filming "Family Ties" during the day, and "Back to the Future" at night, only managing to sleep whilst being driven from one set to the other. Suddenly he was a star, and the movie offers kept flooding in. Most noteable of this era were films such as "Teen Wolf", "The Secret of my Sucess" and "Doc Hollywood".

In 1988 Michael married actress Tracy Pollan, whom he had first met on the set of "Family Ties", and the couple now have four children. Whilst on location filming "Doc Hollywood", Michael first noticed symptoms of what has since been diagnosed as Parkinsons Disease. This was diagnosed in 1991. However, he didn't disclose this to anyone (except close family), and continued working.

Between 1996-2000, Michael starred in the hit TV sitcom "Spin City", and also became an executive producer for the show. He finally had to leave the cast in 2000 when his symptoms became too problematic with his demanding schedule. His departure was highly publicised, although he continued working as a producer for the show.

These days he is semi retired from acting, although he does still take on the odd part. He has also taken up writing sucessfully, with his best selling autobiography "Lucky Man", amongst others. He has also become a strong advocate for reseach into finding a cure for Parkinsons Disease, and promoting the cause for stem cell research.

Michael J Fox has become an inspiration to millions, for having such a positive attitude to life, despite all of the obstacles he has had to overcome, and still has to deal with.

"Frances" (1982) - Movie Review

2009-07-21T13:01:00.000+01:00

Although you may be forgiven for not having heard of this film, let alone watching it, Frances has gained critical acclaim around the world, with several award nominations. This included two Oscar nominations for both Jessica Lange as Best actress and Kim Stanley for Best Supporting Actress. The film was based on the true & turbulent, and disturbing life story of the actress Frances Farmer. Although some of the events depicted in Frances were apocryphal, this is still an amazingly dramatic and powerful movie, leaving the viewer with much to think about regarding human nature.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Frances always had a rebellious side. This showed early on in her life when she won an essay writing competition in high school. Her subject was the death of God. This was incredibly unpopular in small town America in the 1930’s.

Frances was determined to follow her dream and become an actress. However, despite appearing in several movies, she very quickly became disillusioned with fame and the Hollywood scene, where her looks were more sought after than her acting talents. Very soon Frances was classed as uncooperative due to her outspoken nature, and resisted every attempt by the studio to force her to conform, and become the classic movie star. She then turned to stage acting with mixed reviews, in the hopes of becoming seen as a serious actress. By all accounts, the real Frances Farmer was actually a very good actress, and it is a shame that she wasn't taken as seriously as she hoped.

However, her temperamental nature got her into more and more trouble, leading to a number of arrests for abuse and disorderly conduct. This in turn led to her committal to various psychiatric institutions. By today's standards, her behaviour would have been dismissed as "normal" for a celebrity!

The saddest part of this movie is that although abusive at times, Frances was certainly not insane. Her frustrations and the reasons behind it were all too clear. It is quite possible to put yourself in her position and understand her behaviour, even justify it. The psychiatric treatments she was given seemed only to force her to conform to what was then “normal” behaviour, instead of to cure her of some psychosis.

Jessica Lange in particular stood out in Frances, although this was brilliantly acted by everyone involved. Whether or not this tells the whole truth about Frances Farmer’s life, as a piece of dramatic fiction alone this is one of the most poignant films I have ever watched, and even stands up today to question how we view and judge celebrities. This is certainly worth seeing as it works on many levels, and is truly a classic film.

An Introduction to Movie Mania

2009-07-21T12:47:00.000+01:00

Hi to all movie fans out there!

I thought I'd start by explaining what you can expect from this blog, along with my reasons for writing it.

For some time now, I have been writing articles on Squidoo, or "lenses" as they prefer to call them. As I am just starting out with blogging, I began with a blog simply called "curious", and started to write lots of random thoughts, on different topics. However, I thought that I should write one sticking to a particular subject.

Whilst looking through my Squidoo lenses, I realised that many of them (18 in total at the moment) were connected with movies, TV and celebrities. As a fan, I decided that I should concentrate on giving my opinions of various films, TV shows and information about the stars from stage, screen and TV. Hopefully I can introduce fans to films etc that they would not normally have come accross, and provide some useful reviews. Keep a lookout for my updates...