Script writer, director, blogger. Lover of film, food and FIFA.
9 Awesome Film Posters
SHAME REVIEW
REVIEW: BEST OF 2011
S0 2011 has proved another interesting year for the film industry. There have been highs, lows, massive disappointments, as well as the utterly bizarre (I’m looking at you Tom Six). It’s proven difficult to select a top 10, as there were some great films that just missed out.
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN 3D
A movie version of the beloved Hergé books and television show has been on the cards for a number of years. Stemming back to the early 80’s where Spielberg hired E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial writer, Melissa Mathison, to pen a script, the maestro has seen the process through thirty years on to direct the $130m spectacle. Now sees a collaborative effort from three fine, young talents that form the basis for the story: Shaun of the Dead writer/director, Edgar Wright, Sherlock and Dr. Who series scriber, Steven Moffat, and Attack the Block visionary, Joe Cornish.
My Week with Marilyn. Striking.
REVIEW: CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE
It’s not unfair to suggest that romantic comedies (or rom-coms, as the cool kids say) are ten-a-penny. It’s a sub-genre that forms the perfect date-night fodder. The problem with the format is that for every successful effort, there are a dozen duds. And why? Well, more-often-than-not the rom-com is a genre so saturated with monetary motives, it constantly loses integrity until the rare gem pops up.
REVIEW: WARRIOR
You might sense déjà vu when you come face-to-face with Gavin O’Conner’s tale of underdog turned prized fighter and it’s hard to look past the idea that Warrior is little more than a hybrid of The Fighter, Million Dollar Baby and the Rocky movies rolled into one. However, scratch beneath the clichéd exterior and you’ll discover something a little special with more depth.
REVIEW: DRIVE
Unless you’ve been living in a vacuum for the past year, you’ll know that Ryan Gosling is fast becoming Hollywood’s hottest talent. With lead roles in Lars and the Real Girl, Blue Valentine and the imminent Crazy, Stupid Love, the Canadian born actor is renowned for his deep and multi-layered portrayals, but the question is this: does his latest offering expose us to the same raw, gut-wrenching emotion?
REVIEW: THE CHANGE-UP
Another comedy rears its head in the post-summer months that has seen the genre squeezed dry with the likes of Horrible Bosses, The Inbetweeners, Bridesmaids and the soon to be released,Crazy Stupid Love; are we in need of anymore? It would appear so, as Jason ‘I’m everywhere at the moment’ Bateman stars alongside Ryan ‘I’ve had a quiet summer’ Reynolds in this Freaky Friday-style mind switch movie.
REVIEW: 30 MINUTES OF LESS
When setting out to make an action-comedy cum heist movie, it’s perhaps pinnacle to the film’s credibility that the director hires a lead that can handle the role and, if need be, carry the film during the slower parts. Essential is our protagonist’s ability to sustain audience’s attention, whilst exuding a likable confidence in keeping with such fast-paced, comedic debauchery.
REVIEW: COWBOYS & ALIENS
Earlier in the year I took a look at this summer’s potential big hitters. The three in question were Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which turned out to be one of the worst films of the year, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, in stark contrast was a massive surprise and, along with Super 8, remains my favourite of the summer months. The third was John Favreau’s genre hybrid, Cowboys & Aliens. Initial responses to the trailers were largely positive and were further backed by an impressive cast that could outdo many of its competitors.
REVIEW: FRIGHT NIGHT 3D
Hollywood horror has more often than not, been a bitter pill to swallow. Rarely does it manage to embrace the terrifying with the credible, thus a rise in success in horror sub genres, like Wes Craven pastiche, Scream, and more recently, the overt spoof franchise of Scary Movie. It was therefore just a matter of time before a light bulb illuminated in the mind of an industry big wig, to green light a remake of Tom Holland’s 80’s cult, comedy horror, Fright Night.
REVIEW: CONAN THE BARBARIAN 3D
There’s no doubt a remake can gain masses of negativity, and that’s even before a camera begins to roll. Undeniably, Hollywood is rife with shoddy, unimaginative remakes in the hope of earning a quick buck. This doesn’t bare well for Marcus Nispel’s reworking of Arnie classic, Conan the Barbarian. Without intending to sound like a broken record, my views on the ‘r-word’ could drive me into a frenzied outburst, but after the recent rioting, I shall compose myself. Digression aside; a struggle presents itself when attempting to revamp an iconic film of the 80’s into something for the desensitised populous of 2011. A film that worked 30 years previous, won’t necessarily be well received today, especially as Conan warrants no justification for a remake, thus unashamedly jumps on the cash-in bandwagon…
