Film Geek 101

I atribute my love of film to two people. Dawson Leary and Steven Spielberg. Yeah thats right, Dawson Leary. The one and only. I remember starting watching ‘Dawsons Creek’ back in 1998 on T4 and being captivated by the characters and stoyline. I mostly connected with Dawson himself, mostly for his love of film, and Steven Spielberg. Plus he was going through a tentative relationship with a girl, which I was going through at exactly the same time in my life.

I remember listening to Dawsons thoughts on film and all the Spielberg film posters in his bedroom, so I really got into viewing films. I couldn’t (and can’t) stop watching films. I got a job in a cinema (perfect job, lets leave it at that). Through the years I have put down alot of coin for movies either in DVD or Blu – ray, a few people get my addiction, most do not. Luckily I have a loving wife who understands this addiction becuase thats what it really is, an addiction. The thing is though, this addiction wont kill me (unless my shelves collapse and crush me, haha), Im all up for people having a good time and getting jolly on a weekend, but I can tell you with every fibre of my being, that is not me. Please be aware I’m not judging anyone who does this, go get pissed, have a good time, be safe, tell me your stories, but please respect my decision not to go ape shit crazy. I just dont fancy spending money on something thats gonna be rejected by my body in about 3 hours.

So as I go on this journey, it takes me mext to London Fim and Comic Con to see the stars of past and present. Most people look down on these things as a bunch of smelly geeks, meeting people who were 3rd from the left with no lines in an obscure sci fi film. Dont get me wrong there are people like this at the Con, and I leave them to their fun. The people who I will meet I watched when I was young and didnt think for one second that I would get to meet. For example, Corey Feldman. Corey Feldman guys, yeah he aint done jack in years but who cares when you have Goonies, Gremlins, The ‘burbs and The Lost Boys in your IMDB list. I will definately be getting his autograph.

Next up is Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson from the Back To The Future Trilogy. Again, I never thought that I would get to meet these two. I remember when I was small, watching the end of BTTF 2 with the ‘to be continued’ at the end. I was waiting for that film for so long to come out. Now on July 9 I get to shake hands and have a conversation with two of the main cast, when I was 7 watching those films, not in my dreams did I think I would one day get to see Doc.Brown (“so long Future BOY!”) himself Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson (thinking of getting my autograph signed to Calvin Kleing for a laugh).

These are my thoughts, unedited, spelling mistakes be damned. To anyone who reads this, thanks.

Peace

I have been and always be a major fan of The X Files ever since it was first shown on the BBC back in 1993 and I have always been curious about creator Chris Carters other projects, Millennium being one of them. I managed to pick up a used copy of Season One for £10 at the recent Media and Entertainment show in London in November. Having had a very busy November and December I have only just been able to dit down and watch the first few episodes of this series, here are my observations.

From what I have seen of the series so far I can say that I am hooked and intreged by the set up of the series. Lance Henriksen plays Frank Black a former FBI profiler who has a ‘gift’ for seeing into the mind of serial killers, while trying to protect his family from a stalker that has followed them to Seattle.

The episodes I watched are rudimentary episodes in that they set up the backbone of the series and nothing more, the epiodes certainly have me hooked and I am looking forward to more.

My main goal for 2010 was to give more to myself and when I say this I mean, just to do more, whatever that might be. I wanted to attend more conventions, get my job prospects back in line, and be a lot more positive.

Looking back on the year, it definately had its ups and downs. I started it being in a stable but soul sapping job (call centre), progressing to what I thought was a ‘perfect job’ as an administrator within my uncles security company, which ultimately led to redundancy, and onto a job which is fine at the moment but is not enough hours. This MUST change in the new year as I cannot complete tasks I have set myself for 2011 without the extra financial stability.

I attended three conventions this year, Bristol Independant Comic Expo in April, where I met Charlie Adlard who draws ‘The Walking Dead’, Comic Con in London, ‘Being Human cast’ in July and Collectormania in November, Micheal Biehn, drunk as a skunk, which were all awesome and I got a lot of cool things, I am going to carry on attending these for the foreseeable future, guest and financies withstanding. Next up is The Entertainment and Media Show in March.

I attended two festivals this year, Download and Beautiful Days. Both were awesome and I finally got to see some bands I have been waiting for the best part of 10 years to see (Deftones, AC/DC, Rage Against The Machine and Aerosmith).

Onto the movies that I have watched in 2010, as most critics will tell you, 2010 has not been a strong year for movies. I can kind of agree. So I have finally come to a conclusion on my favorite and most disappointing films of 2010. Here they are:

BEST FILM – INCEPTION

HONORABLE MENTION – KICK ASS

I loved Inception, theres not two ways to say. It was a mind blowing complex cluster fuck of a movie and I loved every minute. What impresses me the most is the fact that a summer blockbuster as complex as this can actually top the box office and ingrain in the brains of the regualr cinema goer as well as the die hards such as myself.

I give an honorable mention to Kick Ass, purely for two reasons. 1) It was made outside of the studio system and then sold back to a studio that turned it down in the first place and 2)setting an action scene to The Banana Splits theme tune was majestic and had me laughing my ass off at the screen.

WORST FILM – TRON LEGACY

Having recently watched this at my local multiplex and hearing peoples opinions on the film I can agree with most critics, this film was a huge disapointment. Its been hyped at Comic Con for the last 3 years, which is unprecidented andwhen the fin product was delivered all we had was…this? I knew I was in for a surprise when it begins the film with a disclaimer saying only certain parts of the film are 3D! That wasnt in the adverts! Horrible dire – loge (‘Youre so big!…Your hair!’ spoken by ‘The Dude’ Jeff Bridges), disorientating 3D and a boring story. I looked at my watch 3 times during this film, not good.

The Switch

In the empowered world of the ‘teenies’, men seem to be an after thought when it comes to the development of the human race, with women ‘doing it for themself’, thanks Aretha Franklin! So this story finds us in the world of Kassie and Wallie, long term friends but going no further. After Kassies wants to get pregnant but cant find it in her ‘schedule’ to find time to fit one in, she finds the ideal candidate in Roland (Patrick Wilson, all while LA teeth, knife edge cheekbones) but cant see whats really in fron of her. After a drunken switch at her ‘insemination party’ 7 years pass without much thought, thats when the fun begins…

I found the film to be nothing remotely new other than the set up, the laughs were in all the right places (step forward comedy character Juliette Lewis) and you rooted for Wallie in all the right places. To comment on Jennifer Anistons performance is to say it was very, well…Jennifer Anistony. She is the female equivalent of hugh Grant, you know what you get from the outset.

I would recommend the film for a stress release on a Friday night after a busy work week, but just wait until you see the DVD/Blu – Ray in the bargain bin at your local supermarket.

Dinner For Schmucks

Dinner ForSchmucks is directed by Jay Roach, more well known for the previous two Meet The Parents films. He decided to do this film instead of the upcoming ‘Meet The Little Fockers’. This seems to be a really mad career choice as he brings nothing new to the table here in terms of his stamp on things. He should have done ‘Little Fockers’.

The film involves Paul Rudds upper east side yuppie wanting to progress further in the blue chip company he works for. To do this he must bring an idiot to a management dinner where he can be made fun of. He decides to bring along Steve Carells dead mouse exhibitor and hilarity ensues… or so you would think. Both main leads are very much running on their normal schtick. I prefer Steve Carrells type of comedy and preferred his character more, I would recommend this film as a it is silly and mindless fun which is what 99% of films shoould be. The other 1%?..documentaries. Enjoy!

Firsty I would like to preface this piece by saying that I love going to the movies, I try to go as often as possible and if not watch as many as I can at home. Ever since the wide availability of digital screens in my local city I have looked forward to new 3D films coming out. From 2001 – 2009 I worked in the cinema industry and slowly saw the wide distribution of digital projectors. I remember watching my first movie in digital projection (it was ‘The Lives Of Other’ if you want to know) and thought it was awesome.

The next step of course was digital 3D films, my first of these was Disney’s Bolt. I didnt feel that the film warranted the 3D ‘add on’ but liked the bits in 3D were OK none the less. The next film was ‘Journey To The Centre Of The Earth 3D’ which although a rubbish film, had awesome 3D sequeunces.

So on to films now being made in 2D, made for the 2D environement, and being ‘upgraded’ to 3D for a better experience. REALLY??!! This is a clear cash grab from the studios, it really REALLY annoys me and I for one will not be going to see 3D movies I know were made with the 2D market in mind. My first victim is Shyamalans ‘The Last Airbender’ which is now going to be shown in 3D. WHY? I ask, just so hard working people have to fork out more money for a product that wasn’t made for the way it is shown.

New York,New York

After Taxi Driver Scorsese could do no wrong, he had the world at his feet and what did he decide to make? A musical, yes a musical, and a musical with fake sets. The film absolutely tanked at the box office and I believe Scorsese has never returned to the musical genre.

The film stars Robert De Niro (who else at this point in time!!) and Liza Minelli (BG – Before Guest), the theme tune everyomne should know and I’ m afraid for me, thats the best part. I couldn’t get int othe film at any point, I had no connection to the characters, they just stood out as if they were actors acting rather than complete characters on the screen. It didnt help with the artifical sets, although very well art directed they took me out of the film, and this ultimately disengaged me from the film. At 2 hours 30 mins plus the film was way too long for my liking  as well.

Daybreakers

A film set in the world filled with vampires. Vampires are the new ’in thing’ at the moment, what with Twilight on a high, and ‘Vampire Diaries’ pulling in figures on the TV. I loved the marketing for this movie all the way down to the choice of music for the teaser trailer (Running Up That Hill covered by Placebo).

The film did not disappoint. Although dont get me wrong the film is far from perfect, I really enjoyed it from start to finish. I can definately see this film going the way of the Underworld movies and becoming quite a treasure on Dvd/Blu – ray.

The actors in this movie played it straight and not going over the top like some other contemporaries (step forward Jeremy Irons in Eragon), Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe are always good bang for their buck. If you are a fan of quirky sci fi stories I highly reccomend this movie.

Being Human; Season Two – Episode One

I only managed to catch the first episode of Being Human season one on the iplayer and never got around to watching the whole series until I rented it from the local library. I instantly got sucked into this world. Yes , it involves the supernatural with ghosts, vampires and werewolves, but that part of the story is almost like an after thought. The acting and script work in the show are excellent and you begin to feel like your just watching an excellent dramedy with hot 20 somethings.

The new series started with a bang and jsut got better and better, one thing I wanted to see was more werewolf changes and we got two for our patience in this episode. What I liked mostly was that there was a female change included as well. Most films and TV shows never have the female protagonist changing as they are supposed to be the hot piece of ass in the show. Well this show is different and goes all out. Some of the teasers setting up for the series are excellent and I cant wait for next weeks show.

Junebug

I am a massive fan of quirky, character driven indie comedies such as Little Miss Sunshine, so when I saw this going cheap, and hearing alot about Amy Adams Oscar nominated role, I thought I would pick it up. The first thing I noticed that this is alot like LMS in tone, music and look of the film. It didnt really hit me until about halfway through the film though but I found myself disengaging from the film. I didn’t root for any of the characters, maybe Amy Adams a little, but only because of her characters quirky personality compared to the rest of the family. One character that really grated on me was Amy Adams boyfriend played by Ben McKenzie from The OC. He played the angry loser in the family whos life has not quite turned the way it has supposed to. The character had no real ‘arc’ and spent the best part of the film being an asshole. Save for one particular scene where he trys and fails to record a program for Amy Adams on the TV, this is the only scene where he has anything to do.

So in conclusion, I feel that the film was OK, but not as good as the hype on its release suggests. Its not in the league of LMS, but its worth a look if you like quirky comedies.

The Foot Fist Way

So has any one heard of Danny McBride? If you dont know the name, you certainly know the face. He was the demolition expert in Tropic Thunder and is the star of Eastbound & Down. He has good comedy chops, kinda like a younger Will Ferrell (who exec.produces this) McBride plays a tae kwon do teacher at his local dojo that he runs. When he gets the opportunity to meet his hero Chuck ‘The Truck’ he takes the chance to invite him to his dojo, hilarity ensues…

The film is fairly short, which is a good decision on the part of the filmmakers as the film is quite one note (McBride is a basic loser who think he is the big I am), most of the comedy comes from the bit part characters in his life, like his cheating wife and the student who cant quite control his anger (Tiger Uppercut!!!!..”Is she breathing?. Someone check her pulse”). I enjoyed the movie but can see why it didnt get a release in the cinema over here. I recomend this film to any fans of comedy by Will Ferrell etc.

Revolver

After watching Sherlock Holmes in the cinema a couple of days ago I thought I had better watch this film as it has been sitting around on my shelf for an age and a day. All I knew going into the film was that it was a bit of a departure for Guy Ritchie and when it was originally released in 2005, it did not meet with favorable reviews.

The film looks great with some good cinematography and use of colour, but my overall feel for the film is that it is trying to hard, as if it is almost trying to outsmart the audience. The lead character that Jason Statham plays is not very likeable (like most of the characters) and is not someone you can have any connection with. I’m glad Mr. Ritchies next film after this was RockNRolla (which was awesome) as it showed him back at his best.

Sons Of Anarchy (pilot)

I haven’t got Bravo at my apartment so I had to download this from iTunes to see it. Was it worth £1.89? Without a shadow of a doubt, it was. From the moment the episode started I was hooked. Most of the product Mr.Hellboy Ron Perlman dishes out is class, and he is in fine form here, playing the president of the charter. The pilot was just under an hour long and I couldn’t get enough. All the story lines that were started in this pilot I can see going on for sometime ( the show has been recently renewed for a third season, I’m a little late to the party), and somewhere deep inside I’ve always loved the thought of being on a Harley in deepest USA with the wind in my hair and not a care in the world. This show satisfies that urge for the time being.

In Bruges

Another  film I have had sitting on my pile of ‘must watch’ films. I finally got around to watching it last night. I really enjoyed this film, it had some of the most surreal story telling in ages and had a character played by Colin Farrell that I actually cared about and didnt want any harm to come to him. Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes are in top form here, with Mr. Fiennes even exercising some comedy chops that nobody has seen before (or at least rarely). The swearing is sublime, the setting of Bruges is gorgeous, what more do you want from a hitman film?!! Two manky prostitues and a dwarf who gets karate chopped! Glorious!!

One of my Xmas resolutions this year was to try and blog about about my viewing on TV, Cinema screen and Theatre only because I am fed up of my inability to convey if and why I like a film other than a ‘yeah I didn’t/liked it’ and a shrug. I take my inspiration from podcasts I listen to (filmjunk and /film) who all have excellent opinions on films and media, and wanted to put my two pence in in the world of online blogging. I am going to try and update this regularly, work and time permitting, and hopefully people will look forward to my opinion on various things. If nobody reads this then I at least get a chance to put my thoughts down and hopefully improve my writing.

Craig

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Rom – coms have never been my pick especially ones that have Hugh Grant in them, but for my sins and the chance to watch Daybreakers next week I have to put up with it. Theres not really anything much to say about the film ‘Did You Hear About The Morgans?’ other than to say if you’ve seen any of Mr.Grants recent output, you have already, by association, seen this movie. It does what it does and it does it well, lets just hope Daybreakers is worth it.

Watchmen (Blu – Ray): Theatrical Cut

This past March I was back working in my local cinema, that I had previously worked at for 6 years, (it didnt end well but thats a different story that I wont bore anyone with), I did get the opportunity to work the midnight screening of Watchmen though which was a great opportunity and a great experience. The cinema we were showing it in (our largest screen) sold out and so we ended up putting it in another 2 screens to satisfy the baying crowds in the lobby. The reason I say this is I ask why?. Why because the film was hyped up to be an unfilmable comic book and the film would live up to its hype. Well, I am a massive comic book geek (and proud) but can safely say I havent read Watchmen (yet), but I can say that this film did not live up to my expectations. Dont get me wrong the film was great but it was a little,um, arty and longwinded which didn’t sit well with me. The film looked awesome in HD, the sound was clear and crisp (if my 5.1 was only working!!GRRR!!), I wouldn’t recommend it if you dont like comic books or comic book movies because its a little hard to get and understand. If you appreciate excellent visuals over story telling, this is for you.

Gettysburg (1993)

This had been sitting on my shelf for the past couple of years and I made an effort to sit down and give this epic a chance. Even though I am not from the country I love American history films, such as this and Glory (1989). This film was great, had great multiple characters that you could root for, and you can also marvel at the epic battle scenes that take place,10 years before you see CGI enhanced ones like in the LOTR trilogy, you know that everybody who you see fighting is actually real rather from a PC stack, which gives it a bit more character and realism, shaky camera and all. I am looking forward to watching the sequel (and equally epic) Gods and Generals when I can find it for a few bucks on DVD.

Over the last few weeks a wave of disappointment has come over me when visiting the cinema. Disappointment at the lack of originality and lack of fun in the films I watch. Standing on the cliff, ready to give up all hope and rewatch trash like Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen, I come across ‘Zombieland’, and the great (for once) trailers. I thought that this trailer had some originality in it and looked fun.

After a hard days work, this is the ideal film to go see and leave your brain at the door. The moment the film starts you are straight into the world (or land) of Zombieland. With an awesome opening sequence set to an awesome song, the film pulls you right in. With a plot that is paper thin at best, you meet the main characters and the road trip begins. One aspect that has been done before in film, but not as visual as this, is the ‘rules’ given by the main character. The rules physically pop out at you and make reappearances throughtout the film but never feel intrusive or over used.

Not to spoil the film, but if you havent heard about it on other sites, the cameo appearance by an 80s comedy legend is fantastic, you think it wont work, but hell, it works for this film. Throughout this film all Iwanted to do was stand on my seat and jump up and down with excitement, this film simply rules.

It has its problems (a little bit too much obvious CGI and a little on the short side), but these are few and far between. If you’ve had a bad day at work or a fight with a loved one, take a trip to the nearest cinema and purchase a ticket and relax, it wont be money wasted!

My score 4 out of 5.