tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42329131909091667762024-03-14T05:58:51.674+00:00Alex's Essential Movie BlogNot that essential but it would be cool if you gave it a read!Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-4707745013380412082022-05-12T11:16:00.001+01:002022-05-12T11:16:08.237+01:00The Film Angle Podcast <p> Wow, it has been a long time since I have written anything on this blog...</p><p>If you still come here or have merely stumbled across it, well you can no longer read my film reviews for the latest movies but you can now LISTEN to them!</p><p>That's right I have a podcast now that I co-host with my friend and film fan Kris Steed. Think of it as the new and improved Alex's Essential Movie Blog.</p><p>You can listen below, but we're also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and more!</p>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/thefilmangle/embed" width="400px"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for reading/listening! </div>Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-65209571944418351012019-12-30T20:21:00.003+00:002019-12-30T20:21:40.218+00:00Top Ten Films 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here are my top ten films of 2019.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">10. High Life</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jxhN5QS41OM/XgJO7aoxj9I/AAAAAAAANvs/vJWNqTbeQgonzt0jLmToiJxFg8lcV6B-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/high%2Blife.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jxhN5QS41OM/XgJO7aoxj9I/AAAAAAAANvs/vJWNqTbeQgonzt0jLmToiJxFg8lcV6B-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/high%2Blife.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's really difficult to put how I feel about this film into words. It's not a film you enjoy as much as one that you just take in. It's existential dread as atmosphere, relationships as a lifeline and a curse. It's horrible and hopeful. It's human. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">9. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum </span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mhK0b2yDw38/XgJO7kGHiTI/AAAAAAAANv0/ksPKbYeQ7LEt6QRBQAZbE6Jf538v8McogCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/john%2Bwick%2B3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mhK0b2yDw38/XgJO7kGHiTI/AAAAAAAANv0/ksPKbYeQ7LEt6QRBQAZbE6Jf538v8McogCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/john%2Bwick%2B3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This has the best action of all the John Wick films, maybe even some of the best action in all of cinema. The simplicity of the storytelling helps elevate everything surrounding the film as the world around Wick gets larger and the stakes higher. It’s very creative in the way it keeps the action interesting and not repetitive. The John Wick films ooze coolness, I love that they exist and I hope this series never hits a low point.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">8. Avengers: Endgame</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00GRjx-MLrg/XgJO6q-eCgI/AAAAAAAANwI/xokzUCO1mcEid9v4vtAwdyDUUWtNnUSGQCEwYBhgL/s1600/avengers%2Bendgame.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1600" height="210" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00GRjx-MLrg/XgJO6q-eCgI/AAAAAAAANwI/xokzUCO1mcEid9v4vtAwdyDUUWtNnUSGQCEwYBhgL/s400/avengers%2Bendgame.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
This film truly is the culmination of 22 films, its the end of an era and Marvel knows it, closing this chapter of the MCU with a victory lap of fan service of epic proportions. If you're not a fan, you're probably going to hate it. If you are a fan, then like me, you're going to be grinning so much it will probably hurt. I was 14 when <i>Iron Man</i> came out, I'm now 25, I've spent a big chunk of my life watching these films, being obsessed, being hyped. It's a very satisfying conclusion to just over ten years worth of storytelling, it has the right to pat its self on the back, though maybe at times a little too much!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">7. The Last Black Man in San Francisco</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqPxvign_y4/XgJO8-ChP5I/AAAAAAAANwc/fniB1hKafPs14Q0e4TkECZ1yo3ooi_ZQQCEwYBhgL/s1600/the%2Blast%2Bblack%2Bman%2Bin%2Bsan%2Bfrancisco.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqPxvign_y4/XgJO8-ChP5I/AAAAAAAANwc/fniB1hKafPs14Q0e4TkECZ1yo3ooi_ZQQCEwYBhgL/s400/the%2Blast%2Bblack%2Bman%2Bin%2Bsan%2Bfrancisco.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The thing that I loved most about this film was its unique story of a man and a house, which acts as the stepping stone for the portrayal of change, gentrification, generational clash, but above all, the love for the city in its title. The colours pop off the screen, the characters are extremely interesting to watch and the score might just be the best of the year with an emotional punch at every needle drop. It is a film that wholly immerses and is a completely original cinematic experience.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">6. Paddelton </span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Aka6FWBNnI/XgJO8RWVNNI/AAAAAAAANwc/AMgRyAU4_vg4i0Xye2KVM-OgAamaYxadQCEwYBhgL/s1600/paddelton.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Aka6FWBNnI/XgJO8RWVNNI/AAAAAAAANwc/AMgRyAU4_vg4i0Xye2KVM-OgAamaYxadQCEwYBhgL/s400/paddelton.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I was triggered by this film. This film brought up old memories and emotions that I have not felt in a long time. I was an emotional wreck by the end of this film, what a ride it took me on. The story is simple but beautifully portrayed with two stunning performances from Mark Duplass and Ray Romano. It’s powerful, touching, manipulative and it all works together to create a very human story of friendship and heartbreak. It’s just one of those films that shows that you can do so much with so little. I can’t wait to watch it again... at some point.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5. Bait</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vq0Up7rh1CE/XgJO6geKZDI/AAAAAAAANwU/kZ1kwWLSzTUO5Yq8SPnu1ZpPU-_A5ybJACEwYBhgL/s1600/bait.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vq0Up7rh1CE/XgJO6geKZDI/AAAAAAAANwU/kZ1kwWLSzTUO5Yq8SPnu1ZpPU-_A5ybJACEwYBhgL/s400/bait.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The themes of <i>Bait</i> are worn in the fabric of the film stock it was made on. It's a beautiful film, depicting the cornish coast in a way that is rarely seen on film. Having lived in Cornwall for a large portion of my life, the constant struggles between the locals and the tourists is one that rings true, but also one that will resonate with audiences unaware of county's issues because the issues run deeper than Cornwall; The fight between old and new, tradition and innovation, industry and community. I loved this film, it's refreshing and original and I was constant struggles hypnotised by its style and swept up in its world.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4. Booksmart</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lj3cSQDjcfY/XgJO6u3KEdI/AAAAAAAANwM/EtCPkb2fPO4BsGPmoS3upsVWrpUDDE_NgCEwYBhgL/s1600/booksmart.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lj3cSQDjcfY/XgJO6u3KEdI/AAAAAAAANwM/EtCPkb2fPO4BsGPmoS3upsVWrpUDDE_NgCEwYBhgL/s400/booksmart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It’s rare that a comedy film comes out that’s as consistently funny as <i>Booksmart</i>. Straight away you recognise the influence, its colourful cast of characters with their many comedic quirks harkens back to the likes of <i>Fast Time at Ridgemont High</i> and <i>Clueless</i>. Like them, <i>Booksmart</i> will transcend generations as the emotional gravitas it has will hit home with all. The characters feel human, their relationships feel real and the story of their night before graduation will make you laugh and cry all at the same time. Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial debut is an absolute surprise of a masterpiece, not merely another high school comedy, but one full to the brim of humanity, growth and love.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. The Irishman</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sq10ExhEHR4/XgJO8myfYeI/AAAAAAAANwc/hs8znnsfwRkWYerLe6phAu6YxaYwaiMvACEwYBhgL/s1600/the%2Birishman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sq10ExhEHR4/XgJO8myfYeI/AAAAAAAANwc/hs8znnsfwRkWYerLe6phAu6YxaYwaiMvACEwYBhgL/s400/the%2Birishman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hindsight is the key to everything. Martin Scorsese’s latest feel like a look to the past with all the lessons learnt from the future. Yes, it may not be as fun as <i>Goodfellas</i> was but it’s a more mature and sombre take on the world of Gangsters. It’s long but it’s a look at life through the eyes of the reluctantly conflicted Robert De Niro, giving one of his best performances alongside Joe Pesci and Al Pacino, who all deserve awards for their incredible performances. I can’t stop thinking about this film, that feeling of growing old and thinking back on past decisions, good or bad, it’s just a painful but fulfilling experience to watch on film. I don’t think Scorsese will ever phone in a film, the man is a master of cinema and whilst the way we watch films is changing, his attention to detail and the craft of storytelling is not. Another masterpiece.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. Midsommar</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zR3DvneKLQ/XgJO8OKJ3aI/AAAAAAAANwY/fek0cllGBj08DvrxjaJT8J31HEuHGuDFQCEwYBhgL/s1600/midsommar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="825" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zR3DvneKLQ/XgJO8OKJ3aI/AAAAAAAANwY/fek0cllGBj08DvrxjaJT8J31HEuHGuDFQCEwYBhgL/s400/midsommar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The fact that this came from someone’s mind, made it to the page and then made it to the big screen baffles me. This film is messed up and completely disturbing and I loved it. I thought I was on the fence with Ari Aster but this has solidified him as the next big thing, I won’t be missing any of his films in the cinema from now on. So much attention to detail is put into every frame, every camera movement evokes an emotion, hypnotises or creates even more unease than the last. I feel like the film only scratched the surface of the cult but you just know if you wanted to look deeper, you wouldn’t be disappointed, this is not a film that was made with a half-arsed attempt at lore. Each character created intrigue, you loved them, you hated them, you wanted to see some of the dead and you wanted to see some of them thrive. I am in awe of this film.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. Marriage Story</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j0HbReqmJ3w/XgJO7mxEmcI/AAAAAAAANwQ/BCRzp3ghSSshNWmpkGWvKhj-IBLSlcldgCEwYBhgL/s1600/marriage%2Bstory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j0HbReqmJ3w/XgJO7mxEmcI/AAAAAAAANwQ/BCRzp3ghSSshNWmpkGWvKhj-IBLSlcldgCEwYBhgL/s400/marriage%2Bstory.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Heartbreakingly beautiful. Seriously, I’ve never seen love portrayed in such a bittersweet way. The story is so well put together, every edit feels monumental, every shift in perspective is subtly powerful, each quirk and flaw laid out bare by both lead actor’s stunning performances. I couldn’t look away, I loved every minute of it, almost like I was torturing myself, but this is an absolute masterpiece, Noah Baumbach’s best film to date. I do think it leans more into Adam Driver’s character more than Scarlett Johannsen’s despite laying out the groundwork for a 50/50 split in perspective. It doesn’t bother me though; your allegiances change throughout before realising that no one is perfect, and each character is just trying their best in their own flawed ways. It was terrifyingly relatable. We all need to take a step back at times and get through our own stubborn human nature to realise that we can hurt people without even realising it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Keep an eye out and I will post my favourite films of the decade soon!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thanks for reading!</div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-43805752933247416192019-12-20T17:41:00.000+00:002019-12-20T17:42:18.199+00:00Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDljNTQ5ODItZmQwMy00M2ExLTljOTQtZTVjNGE2NTg0NGIxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODkzNTgxMDg@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDljNTQ5ODItZmQwMy00M2ExLTljOTQtZTVjNGE2NTg0NGIxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODkzNTgxMDg@._V1_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
I love <i>Star Wars</i> and despite feeling disappointed by this film, I still wanted to find something to love. Unfortunately, there was not much. I have really enjoyed seeing these new characters over the last four years but here they felt distant, remnants of their former selves even. It’s partly the fault of the film's pace, it doesn’t take a breath, ever. It’s all go from the start of the film, even the opening crawl contains a plot point that I would much rather have seen unfold in real-time.<br />
<br />
You never get a moment to let the characters breathe, to feel their pain and their struggle as they fight their way to what the film tries to make an emotional climax. I feel here like Disney got scared, scared of the loud minority of toxic fans that hated <i>The Last Jedi</i> with a passion and, instead of ignoring them, they pandered to them. Here JJ Abrams tries to please everyone and inevitably will probably annoy more people because of that. You can’t please them all and trying to forgive certain plot points of previous films without ever thinking about how it actually relates to the story left a sour taste in my mouth.<br />
<br />
Here we get action for action’s sake and never any build-up to those moments that could have been epic elsewhere. I remember getting goosebumps throughout <i>The Force Awakens</i> as it led up to a climactic and powerful battle on Star Killer Base, same with <i>The Last Jedi</i> as we only see relationships develop in unique ways, making the pivoting of Kylo Ren's morality in that film even more emotional in its conclusion. Here we get lightsaber fights aplenty but they don’t have the emotional weight that we’ve seen before and they’re even mainly shot in close-ups making it difficult to follow the action.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://spectrumculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/star-wars-rise-skywalker-kylo-rey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://spectrumculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/star-wars-rise-skywalker-kylo-rey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The film feels rushed, I’m sure a lot of effort went into it but it lacks the love and affection that the previous films in the trilogy oozed. Even the special effects don’t feel so special, Leia’s part in the film feels disjointed and you can tell she’s not there. It only works to undermine her incredible performance in The Last Jedi as here she serves little to no purpose other than saying lines that feel better placed in a fortune cookie. I feel like it would have been better just to leave her out entirely than to shoehorn old footage of her into the film. They make the effort this time to turn Maz Kanata into a puppet and she feels like she’d be more at home in a theme park than a movie.<br />
<br />
The dynamic between Kylo and Rey still remains the high point of this trilogy and there’s some fun to be had with them here. However, nothing feels as nuanced or as human as the interactions we saw in the last film. The whole film is just plain lazy at times; with its awkward dialogue, a multitude of MacGuffins and five or six death fake-outs that render any of the peril you are supposed to feel useless.<br />
<br />
I would have happily waited longer to see a more carefully created and original closure to the Star Wars saga but instead, we get a rushed sprint to the end: a lazy attempt to link everything together and the characters we’ve seen grow throughout two films reduced to stereotypes of their former selves. Love or hate <i>The Last Jedi</i> it opened doors for an exciting new universe for Star Wars but instead, the studio got scared and backed away into a conclusion that takes no risks and ultimately feels bland and lifeless. I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>2.5/5</b></span><br />
<br />
Thanks for reading!</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-70882136257871368972019-07-06T18:15:00.000+01:002019-07-06T18:15:46.128+01:00Spider-Man: Far From Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O3N0Ys9d3Lc/XSDWMJYiXbI/AAAAAAAANlY/BFNdgvWZEDwAVxVgoTOejCj8yI_uVwoZwCLcBGAs/s1600/spider-man-far-from-home-poster-fury-mysterio-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O3N0Ys9d3Lc/XSDWMJYiXbI/AAAAAAAANlY/BFNdgvWZEDwAVxVgoTOejCj8yI_uVwoZwCLcBGAs/s400/spider-man-far-from-home-poster-fury-mysterio-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I had been cautiously optimistic in the run-up to S<i>pider-Man: Far From Home</i>. I had a similar reaction to the run-up to <i>Homecoming</i>’s release as well, where I didn’t like the trailers and thought there was too much Iron Man in my Spider-Man but then ultimately the film turned out pretty great. Same feeling with the trailers this time around but unfortunately the film pales in comparison to its processor. Read on to find out why.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">CAUTION: <i>AVENGERS: ENDGAME</i> SPOILERS AHEAD!</span></b><br />
<br />
After the events of Endgame and the death of Tony Stark, Peter is feeling the pressure from both the public and his family to become the next Iron Man. He’s still feeling the loss of his mentor and doesn’t really want to have to think about it too much, and with his School class about to go on a trip to Europe, he wants to take a break from Superhero-ing and just be a normal teenager for a few weeks. This doesn’t go to plan as Quentin Beck aka Mysterio, a superhero from another multiverse has teamed up with Nick Fury and Maria Hill to stop the threat of the Elementals destroying the world and they just happen to turn up on Peter’s first leg of his European trip.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nHoIQKz9pRE/XSDWRNdBgQI/AAAAAAAANlk/V-BXBMw00mgxHKVYMG04PoIFPsUpDeZQwCLcBGAs/s1600/spider-man-_far_from_home-publicity_still_3-h_2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1296" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nHoIQKz9pRE/XSDWRNdBgQI/AAAAAAAANlk/V-BXBMw00mgxHKVYMG04PoIFPsUpDeZQwCLcBGAs/s320/spider-man-_far_from_home-publicity_still_3-h_2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My biggest problem with this film is that it’s far from (sorry) just being a Spider-Man film. It’s also an epilogue to <i>Endgame</i>, picking up some of the plot holes created by the Snap (now called Blip) and jokingly tries to sweep them under the rug. Any double bill with Endgame might render the emotional core of that film obsolete… It’s also a sequel to Iron Man, with the big question of who’s going to fill his shoes and despite trying to make Spider-Man his own character they keep making him do Iron Man like things, even turning his villain into one semi created by Iron Man…yet again. And then it’s a Spider-Man sequel, the supporting characters get a few more jokes, Ned probably has less to do and then there’s Michelle, seemingly the MCU’s Mary Jane; she gets fleshed out a bit more here thankfully but be warned, she still doesn’t act like her comic book origins and maybe if they didn't refer to her as MJ we wouldn't have to keep the comparison going.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rw4g_zhYVfQ/XSDWRGXVQ6I/AAAAAAAANlc/PZGa6wSMaqkq906rxhop7Pc_UJfcpipkgCEwYBhgL/s1600/spider-man-far-from-home-mysterio-header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="738" height="160" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rw4g_zhYVfQ/XSDWRGXVQ6I/AAAAAAAANlc/PZGa6wSMaqkq906rxhop7Pc_UJfcpipkgCEwYBhgL/s320/spider-man-far-from-home-mysterio-header.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Taking Spidey out of New York does a lot to establish this as something new within the many films made with him. I admire the originality, I enjoyed the fresh backdrop, but I’d be lying if I said that it still felt like Spider-Man film. You just can’t take the boy out of the concrete jungle… Still, kudos to them for attempting it, it’s still fun and the story overall is quite light and breezy and works within the high school genre it's going for. Everybody looks like they’re enjoying themselves, especially Jake Gyllenhaal who gets to ham it up as Peter’s new mentor, Mysterio. I love Gyllenhaal, he’s great in most things and he brings the spirit of Mysterio to the character despite not being the most accurate to the comics. His powerset also brings about some really stunning and trippy visuals scenes which also allow for some of the best Spider-Man action scenes.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-VwLdwT_1E/XSDWRHQicTI/AAAAAAAANlg/IlF2gcs0FrEVPvN871_WyCyyNcRdMm9rwCEwYBhgL/s1600/spider-man-far-from-home-ending-explained.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="825" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-VwLdwT_1E/XSDWRHQicTI/AAAAAAAANlg/IlF2gcs0FrEVPvN871_WyCyyNcRdMm9rwCEwYBhgL/s320/spider-man-far-from-home-ending-explained.jpg" width="320" /></a>When Peter dons the suit and heads into action, that is where this film soars. When he’s out of it that is where film misses a beat. The emotional core of this film just doesn’t land, which is odd because it doesn’t take much for me to be emotionally invested in Peter Parker, but here I just wasn’t fussed. Even the post-credit scenes on this one, as big as they are, don’t really work with what was trying to be said within the main arc of this film. Everything feels a little too far from (sorry again) the core of the character, and I could forgive it last time because the film was really well done, but here I was less charmed by it. It just never settles into its own, as I mentioned earlier, it’s just trying to do too much when it should just be a Spider-Man film. There’s an element of myself having to grow up and realise that this film wasn’t made for me, and future instalments are not going to be either. Even the audience I watched this with on opening day had a lot lower average age than other Marvel film audiences I’ve seen recently. And if they’re enjoying it then that’s great, the more Spider-Man fans the better. However, there is no doubt that my nostalgia of what Spider-Man is and means to me lowered my enjoyment of this film. Sometimes I can separate my comic book fan brain but this time evidently not.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
There’s no doubt it’s a lot of fun and the characters are a joy to be around. The film itself embraces the breeziness of a high school comedy that’s mixed with the aftermath of the stakes of one of the biggest films of all time. Despite the action scenes feeling on point, the story and emotional weight just doesn’t feel like Spider-Man and I’m not particularly excited to see where they go next with it. The further we move away from <i>Endgame</i> and Tony Stark, hopefully, the more Spider-Man starts to settle into his own films. We’ll see but for now, Spider-Man: Far from Home is far from (this is the end I promise) what I wanted but it’s not a total disaster, I imagine most audiences will get a good kick out of it. I’m rating it a <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>3/5</b></span>.<br />
<br />
Let me know if you think I'm absolutely wrong in the comments below.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-14388008509985717952019-06-02T17:23:00.000+01:002019-06-02T17:23:11.214+01:00Quick Reviews #23<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a while... So here's another round of quick reviews, this time looking at <i>Godzilla: King of the Monsters</i>, <i>Bookmart </i>and <i>Detective Pikachu</i>. <div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Godzilla: King of the Monsters</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYMSr1WP1mQ/XPPyxJ8KWBI/AAAAAAAANiA/HT04-H0yAVsFBiVuUWqex7xGWbEvZeNuwCLcBGAs/s1600/godzilla-king-monsters-rev-1-gkm-fp-201r-high-res-jpeg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYMSr1WP1mQ/XPPyxJ8KWBI/AAAAAAAANiA/HT04-H0yAVsFBiVuUWqex7xGWbEvZeNuwCLcBGAs/s400/godzilla-king-monsters-rev-1-gkm-fp-201r-high-res-jpeg.webp" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t hate
the 2014 </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Godzilla</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, but it’s easy to
recognise that its fault lies within its human characters and the lack of its
main Kaiju for most of the film. However, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">King
of the Monsters </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">has a lot more Godzilla in it but hasn’t really learnt its
lesson from its predecessor as its human characters, apart from maybe Kyle Chandler,
are dull as dishwater. Yes, there are big Kaiju fights but they’re mainly left
for the supersized final act and usually covered smoke, water and darkness making
it somewhat difficult to follow the action. My fondness for Godzilla means there’s
a lot still to love here and I really enjoyed the journey into ridiculousness,
but I can’t help but think that if you’re going to spend this much time with
the humans then you’re going to have to make them a lot more interesting.</span></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>3/5</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Booksmart</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4HunXFZuI3U/XPPy5uvUV9I/AAAAAAAANiI/eQpRqZ0S57EBLOdnI3BwmMdYv9tlJTLnQCLcBGAs/s1600/booksmart%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4HunXFZuI3U/XPPy5uvUV9I/AAAAAAAANiI/eQpRqZ0S57EBLOdnI3BwmMdYv9tlJTLnQCLcBGAs/s400/booksmart%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s rare that a
comedy film comes out that’s as consistently funny as </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Booksmart</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Straight away you recognise the influence, its colourful
cast of characters with their many comedic quirks harkens back to the likes of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Fast Time at Ridgemont High </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">and </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Clueless</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Like them, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Booksmart</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> will transcend generations as
the emotional gravitas it has will hit home with all. The characters feel
human, their relationships feel real and the story of their night before graduation
will make you laugh and cry all at the same time. Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial
debut is an absolute surprise of a masterpiece, not merely another high school
comedy, but one full to the brim of humanity, growth and love. It might just be my favourite film of the year so far.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>5/5</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Detective Pikachu</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-em5mK8nW43A/XPPy5pWugWI/AAAAAAAANiE/imC4jNgPd0QBhIDei8jF13-rahq6z2sYwCLcBGAs/s1600/detective%2Bpikachu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="920" height="253" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-em5mK8nW43A/XPPy5pWugWI/AAAAAAAANiE/imC4jNgPd0QBhIDei8jF13-rahq6z2sYwCLcBGAs/s400/detective%2Bpikachu.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I'm surprised by just how much I enjoyed this one. I haven't cared about Pokemon since I was 10 maybe? So going in I had a very basic knowledge of the whole world, and despite the fact it just drops you straight in, I could very easily follow along. I loved the world, it was so interesting and different and it looked absolutely great, so great in fact that I can't believe this is the first time they've done this. It's such an odd/brave choice for the first live-action film into this world, a noir film without the classic characters and a Pikachu that sounds like Ryan Reynolds, yet it absolutely works. Well pretty much any way, the emotional beats don't fully land and it does away with its noir charm in the final act but overall this film works really, really well. I had such a blast with this film, I can't wait to see what they do next!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
That's it for now. What did you think of these films? Let me know in the comments below.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Thanks for reading!</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-12316378052131050762019-04-27T20:03:00.000+01:002019-04-27T20:03:01.305+01:00Avengers: Endgame<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KrTyAquamHQ/XMSjnVVNn2I/AAAAAAAANfw/Xql8e5n1y04s5Pg1ihNKPjJPtXSEGJvjwCLcBGAs/s1600/endgame%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="342" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KrTyAquamHQ/XMSjnVVNn2I/AAAAAAAANfw/Xql8e5n1y04s5Pg1ihNKPjJPtXSEGJvjwCLcBGAs/s400/endgame%2Bposter.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
11 years in the making, the <i>Endgame </i>is here. After this, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will never be the same. I want to start this review by saying that it is fully SPOILER FREE, no story points, nothing. Which means it is quite vague and a bit short, maybe I'll write something about with spoilers in the future but for now I just wanted to give you my initial thoughts on <i>Avengers: Endgame</i>, despite knowing full well that this epic of a film is going to need a rewatch before any thought is solidified in my mind!<br />
<br />
This film truly is the culmination of 22 films, its the end of an era and Marvel knows it, closing this chapter of the MCU with a victory lap of fan service of epic proportions. If you're not a fan, you're probably going to hate it. If you are a fan, then like me, you're going to be grinning so much it will probably hurt. However, fan service only goes so far, this film is not perfect, in fact, <i>Infinity War</i> was much more complete and satisfying on a story level compared to <i>Endgame</i>, which is more satisfying on a fan level. This film is bursting at the seams with everything it has to handle, walking the line between a sombre film about grief and a hokey superhero movie, occasionally not getting that balance 100% correct. There are some choices made with some of the characters that kind of work, but at the same time, they're quite the choices! Either way, as always it's great to see these colourful characters interact with each other no matter what the circumstances.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QOkjn13v9RE/XMSkbrHLNSI/AAAAAAAANf4/1IEkT1Gil3UC-3u4oT-YMCBalBjubT3TwCLcBGAs/s1600/avengersendgame-trailer.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="800" height="168" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QOkjn13v9RE/XMSkbrHLNSI/AAAAAAAANf4/1IEkT1Gil3UC-3u4oT-YMCBalBjubT3TwCLcBGAs/s320/avengersendgame-trailer.webp" width="320" /></a></div>
What I like most about the Russo Brothers direction is how they are able to get the best performances out of their actors. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans in particular, work so well with the Russo's, really sinking their teeth into the performances and giving some of their best yet within this film. The whole ensemble cast is working hard, the original six truly showing how far they've come since 2012's first <i>Avengers </i>film.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This film gets nuts, like absolutely bonkers and ridiculous at times, like I said, choices are made, some odd, some that will get you punching your hand in the air out of pure geeky joy. I was 14 when Iron Man came out, I'm now 25, I've spent a big chunk of my life watching these films, being obsessed, being hyped. It's a very satisfying conclusion to just over ten years worth of storytelling, it has the right to pat its self on the back, though maybe at times a little too much!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s3Fj0UuV-uQ/XMSkcclZCsI/AAAAAAAANgI/7Hw-_a2sg_MBbxmb0l5tUB_UMoA9_EWEQCEwYBhgL/s1600/avengers-endgame-group-shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s3Fj0UuV-uQ/XMSkcclZCsI/AAAAAAAANgI/7Hw-_a2sg_MBbxmb0l5tUB_UMoA9_EWEQCEwYBhgL/s320/avengers-endgame-group-shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The special effects are great, not one character seems to have been shortchanged, every single one feeling part of the world, no matter how or small the task of bringing them to life was. Other technical achievements include the music, it feels like a long time since the criticism of the MCU's melodies, I think everybody can hum <i>The Avengers </i>theme tune now and it is used to great and emotive effect in <i>Endgame</i>.<br />
<br />
The MCU will carry on, but it won't be the same. It's an odd feeling. I 100% need to watch this film again but for now, this is how I feel. <i>Endgame</i> is far from perfect but it's a very satisfying conclusion and film unlike any before it and most likely after it as well. I'm rating <i>Avengers: Endgame </i>a <b style="font-size: xx-large;">4/5</b>. I'm going to miss being excited for this film.<br />
<br />
Make mine Marvel!<br />
<br />
What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading!</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-50839996981000265472019-03-11T19:56:00.000+00:002019-03-11T19:59:12.673+00:00Captain Marvel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z3y3BxrL5IU/XIWENgvLkaI/AAAAAAAANbw/fJ6TROqY8o4VCYyfvoFvyYIQD18kTWY2QCLcBGAs/s1600/Captain%2BMarvel%2BPoster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1081" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z3y3BxrL5IU/XIWENgvLkaI/AAAAAAAANbw/fJ6TROqY8o4VCYyfvoFvyYIQD18kTWY2QCLcBGAs/s400/Captain%2BMarvel%2BPoster.jpg" width="270" /></a>Here we are, film 21 one of the MCU and there is no denying, it's a little bit embarrassing that this is the first film in the franchise with a sole female lead. I'm happy it's here now but there is no doubt it has been a long time coming.<br />
<br />
<i>Captain Marvel </i>follows an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls, whilst simultaneously fighting with the recurring memories of her - unknown to her - former life as an Air Force pilot on earth.<br />
<br />
The title character is played by Brie Larson and she is joined by Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch and with it being set in the '90s, a digitally de-aged Samuel L Jackson and Clark Gregg reprising their roles as Nick Fury and Phil Coulson.<br />
<br />
You can tell Marvel no longer want to do origin films but with a character like Captain Marvel, it's hard to do without one because her story is a mix of the earth and cosmic based lore, which is unlike anything we've seen before. It's also quite confusing; I didn't actually know that much about Carol Danvers going in so I can't comment on comic accuracy but I can say that it takes a little while to get your head around everything going on. You can tell the film is struggling as well, exposition is clumsy and contrived, the opening is just a little more disorderly than we're used to from a Marvel film.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2p8XXXdXyf4/XIWEUftA9FI/AAAAAAAANb0/IGlFp5nN5swekxybsLLcY8mmRKWKyOrmwCLcBGAs/s1600/carol%2Bdanvers.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2p8XXXdXyf4/XIWEUftA9FI/AAAAAAAANb0/IGlFp5nN5swekxybsLLcY8mmRKWKyOrmwCLcBGAs/s320/carol%2Bdanvers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
When we get to Earth things are a lot smoother, it feels a lot more familiar, reminiscent of phase one of the MCU. However, I think I might be as torn as Marvel must have been on this film. I want something different, and they definitely cater to that but it's confusing and messy, but when it's familiar it feels bland and too much 'been there, done that'. It comes together in the third act, which makes the good parts of this film quite difficult to talk about without spoilers, but I will say that when certain story elements are revealed, it really elevates the film to something quite different and something a bit more poignant.<br />
<br />
Brie Larson is a great addition to the MCU, though I think we've just seen the tip of the iceberg of her potential in her first outing. She clearly has the acting chops, but the writing did sometimes let her down (this is not Marvel's funniest film) and despite her doing a lot of training for the action the editing and camerawork does not showcase just how hard she worked. That being said, she plays the stoic hero very well and her more human moments are touching. It'll be interesting to see how the Russo brothers handle her in <i>Endgame</i>, as they really seem to have a handle on character, story and structure within the confines of a feature film. Not that this film handled it badly, it was just a lot of new and complex balls to juggle. With the information dump out the way, the future can only be less complicated.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MnPsWl7MmSU/XIWEawSh7VI/AAAAAAAANb4/DT9FcT4hlecBNS7ajQR5OnK9zUALi1nkwCLcBGAs/s1600/skrulls.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MnPsWl7MmSU/XIWEawSh7VI/AAAAAAAANb4/DT9FcT4hlecBNS7ajQR5OnK9zUALi1nkwCLcBGAs/s320/skrulls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
One element of this film that was great to see, was the Skrulls faithfully realised on the big screen. The make-up and costuming look awesome and Ben Mendelsohn absolutely kills it as Talos, making for yet another unique and complex antagonist. Marvel really seems to have a handle on that now. They've also got a handle on the de-aging CGI process, with younger Nick Fury looking pretty flawless. Coulson looked a tad smooth at times but I'd be surprised if general audiences would even notice. It's a cool technology that's well used here.<br />
<br />
Overall this is quite a middle of the road Marvel film, it's quite the complex story to tell and it does struggle but it's an okay start for the new Captain. The stuff it does well, which is unfortunately spolier-y, is very good; you've just got to sit through some pretty so-so stuff to get there. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, it was okay. I'm rating <i>Captain Marvel </i>a <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3/5</span></b>. I'm still excited to see where they go next with the character.<br />
<br />
What did you think of the film? Love it or hate it, let me know in the comments below.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading!</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-13822618775455344222019-02-24T13:21:00.000+00:002019-02-24T13:21:15.067+00:00Quick Reviews #22: Oscars 2019 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With the Oscars tonight, I thought I would share my thoughts on the films nominated that I've seen (and haven't already reviewed on here). So read on and enjoy my reviews of <i>Shoplifters</i>, <i>The Favourite</i>, <i>BlackKklansman </i>and <i>If Beale Street Could Talk</i>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Shoplifters</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lbxP2LLaB2g/XHHbQDtBHQI/AAAAAAAANW4/TdT9MvxYDKY6lGRLy-LY8gEKxwqrmvRVACLcBGAs/s1600/Shoplifters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lbxP2LLaB2g/XHHbQDtBHQI/AAAAAAAANW4/TdT9MvxYDKY6lGRLy-LY8gEKxwqrmvRVACLcBGAs/s400/Shoplifters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The film's vagueness takes a moment to get used to but once you're invested you won't want to leave the beautifully layered characters portrayed on screen. This family of misfits are flawed, they make mistakes, they are human and you are completely suckered in by them. It's a slice of life film unlike any I've seen before and although it may not be action-packed, the emotions run high and really stay with you, this is also helped by an amazing final shot that still lingers in my mind.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Favourite</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePSXY5XmsyU/XHHa_dtH6vI/AAAAAAAANW0/UzeWm78lhuwm1IDLj-dxW73-2AIxVa5HACEwYBhgL/s1600/The%2BFavourite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="750" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePSXY5XmsyU/XHHa_dtH6vI/AAAAAAAANW0/UzeWm78lhuwm1IDLj-dxW73-2AIxVa5HACEwYBhgL/s400/The%2BFavourite.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It’s no doubt a Yorgos Lanthimos film with its weird offbeat tone, jarring visuals and witty comedic writing. However, this does feel a little safer than the director’s previous works, still not conventional but definitely less out there. It’s a solid film, the story works, the jokes hit and the performances are amazing but it just lacked that extra something that I was looking for from the director to make it a true masterpiece. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">BlackKklansman</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1cX9Cl7F2c/XHHbL_EBWcI/AAAAAAAANWw/I1fU2tjPj6UqEQqal_y0ZDrDKZ-y1qv8QCEwYBhgL/s1600/blackkklansman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1cX9Cl7F2c/XHHbL_EBWcI/AAAAAAAANWw/I1fU2tjPj6UqEQqal_y0ZDrDKZ-y1qv8QCEwYBhgL/s400/blackkklansman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
One of the only things (if any!) to look forward to from the Trump presidency was the art that would be made in response to it. This is one of those stories that really needs telling right now and it really hits a nerve that I don’t think could have been hit at any other time. The film isn’t subtle about its approach but for the most part it works, it tells a very interesting story, suckers you in and then knocks you out with its ending, which is one of the best of the year for me. Great performances, cool music, a resonant story and a good balance of humour and emotion, this film is very well rounded and it’s a hell of a ride.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">If Beale Street Could Talk</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J7GcdB-f9tg/XHHbISTAyZI/AAAAAAAANW8/uPi5ZsBMwDExjBjf9RNBqWKcAscis7rkQCEwYBhgL/s1600/If%2BBeale%2BStreet%2BCould%2BTAlk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1237" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J7GcdB-f9tg/XHHbISTAyZI/AAAAAAAANW8/uPi5ZsBMwDExjBjf9RNBqWKcAscis7rkQCEwYBhgL/s400/If%2BBeale%2BStreet%2BCould%2BTAlk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The film is just a mix of so many wondrous elements. I’m a romantic at heart and I absolutely loved the flashback sequences, they’re overly sentimental and gorgeously shot, fully capturing the relationship on an emotional level before pulling back the curtain to the tragic present of the story. The supporting cast truly supports the film, the characters feel real and you want to see as much of them as you do the leads, it’s a marvel on both a writing and a performance level. There’s so much great in this film it can barely contain itself, not to mention the score which is absolutely beautiful and has not left my head since the film finished. I think I actually preferred this to <i>Moonlight</i>, so it’s crazy to wonder how this wasn’t nominated for more Oscars.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">4.5/5</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What did you think of these films? Good, bad, okay, let me know in the comments below.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thanks for reading!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-24104882871906597872018-12-31T15:41:00.000+00:002018-12-31T15:41:57.403+00:00Top Ten Films 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Another year and another "Top Ten" list. 2018 was a great year for film, both studio made, independent and everything in-between. It was actually relatively difficult making this top ten list because I had to leave so many great movies off. So to start I just want to list some honourable mentions that you should really check out if you haven't already: <i>Mission: Impossible - Fallout</i>, <i>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</i>, <i>Upgrade</i>, <i>BlackKklansman</i>, <i>The Rider</i>, <i>Mandy</i>, <i>Shirkers </i>and <i>Shoplifters</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Now onto the big ten, the films that were my personal favourites of the year 2018. Read on and enjoy!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">10. Dogman</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqginfOUlVk/XCEXWJ0XhDI/AAAAAAAAMkk/DZre_maPaBwoj1401oo8ORfqiaqawHypwCLcBGAs/s1600/Dogman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="656" height="233" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqginfOUlVk/XCEXWJ0XhDI/AAAAAAAAMkk/DZre_maPaBwoj1401oo8ORfqiaqawHypwCLcBGAs/s400/Dogman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
This story of a dog groomer being reluctantly dragged into the crime world had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The main character, Marcello is one of this years most lovable characters whilst simultaneously being one of the most infuriating. Nearly every choice he makes is a bad one, setting him down a tragic path. It's not all doom and gloom, there's still a lot of humour to be had with the story that will really surprise you with the places it goes. Read my full review <a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/film/dogman-2018/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">9. A Quiet Place</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5FzrId18ijo/XCEXUz5ZvrI/AAAAAAAAMkU/0mrdOiIMi30MLycw11UtYmrMXTiMcva2QCLcBGAs/s1600/A%2BQuiet%2BPlace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5FzrId18ijo/XCEXUz5ZvrI/AAAAAAAAMkU/0mrdOiIMi30MLycw11UtYmrMXTiMcva2QCLcBGAs/s400/A%2BQuiet%2BPlace.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
John Krasinski's latest film is also his best. Every element of this film is so well done, every element of filmmaking working to tell a simple story of family and love. It was also the scariest film of the year, yes <i>Hereditary </i>was creepy but I've never heard a packed cinema crowd be so silent, every slight noise scaring the crap out of everyone in unison. It's a masterclass in how to build tension, my body exhausted after viewing it, every muscle tensed in anticipation of what was going to happen. Read my full review <a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/film/a-quiet-place-2018/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">8. Roma</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KIe9LD6s9Zo/XCEXWz2tQQI/AAAAAAAAMkw/ll-C-z_ASN4B1ZW-Hz7THRjCz8soovcxQCLcBGAs/s1600/Roma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1200" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KIe9LD6s9Zo/XCEXWz2tQQI/AAAAAAAAMkw/ll-C-z_ASN4B1ZW-Hz7THRjCz8soovcxQCLcBGAs/s400/Roma.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Easily the most beautiful film of 2018. Every shot is a masterpiece, every camera movement used to tell the story and reveal more about the characters. It's a slow burn but it crescendos to a climax that feels like an outburst of emotion, even the coldest of people would have a hard time keeping a dry eye. It's a love letter to a person in the directors own life but also to cinema itself. Despite wanting to see it on the big screen, you will not be killing cinema if you see it on the small screen (it is a Netflix release.), I saw it at home and it still made it's way on to this list. Read my full review <a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/film/roma-2018/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">7. Blindspotting</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNaq-EY0MJc/XCEXV30YRdI/AAAAAAAAMkg/mJbh6gCH09g__dTrridnoDiZth-emrFwgCLcBGAs/s1600/Blindspotting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNaq-EY0MJc/XCEXV30YRdI/AAAAAAAAMkg/mJbh6gCH09g__dTrridnoDiZth-emrFwgCLcBGAs/s400/Blindspotting.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
When the world is in political turmoil our art reacts but rarely does it react so thoughtfully and as well as it does in <i>Blindspotting</i>, a timely story that delivers a powerful message whilst traversing the the dark and gloomy with joy and humour. It will take you through the whole scale of emotions and leave you completely satisfied on the way out. It's creative, unique and totally original. It's one of the most poignant films of the year and a must see if you haven't gotten around to it yet! Read my full review <a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/film/blindspotting/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">6. First Man</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zjt4Q6OUOqo/XCEXWbqExaI/AAAAAAAAMko/YlcohhPg818Y39pB3BAYaACG3vXkK490QCLcBGAs/s1600/First%2BMan%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="223" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zjt4Q6OUOqo/XCEXWbqExaI/AAAAAAAAMko/YlcohhPg818Y39pB3BAYaACG3vXkK490QCLcBGAs/s400/First%2BMan%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A somewhat overlooked gem of 2018 despite its wide release. To be fair Damien Chazelle taking on a biopic was a strange turn for the director who's last film was <i>La La Land </i>but he managed to take this epic tale and wittle it down to a singular emotional beat; grief. Not stopping at the story, the film is also incredibly shot, with its own look, taking it back in time. The space scenes were incredibly done, grounding the action within the spacecrafts, grounding the story and creating spectacle by surprising the audience rather than just going for the obvious; it's an incredible film. Read my full review <a href="https://alexmovieblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/quick-reviews-21.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5. Sorry to Bother You</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uHiNHAO5IQw/XCEXXCp9OvI/AAAAAAAAMk0/Jz0AQzFRv_IdyD7r6L0iZ8sn7vSwJCfewCLcBGAs/s1600/Sorry%2Bto%2BBother%2BYou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uHiNHAO5IQw/XCEXXCp9OvI/AAAAAAAAMk0/Jz0AQzFRv_IdyD7r6L0iZ8sn7vSwJCfewCLcBGAs/s400/Sorry%2Bto%2BBother%2BYou.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Boots Riley appeared as one of the freshest voices in cinema this year, debuting his feature film that was totally original, creative, unique and yes, absolutely bonkers. <i>Sorry to Bother You </i>holds a mirror to our own society and reflects an askew but familiar version of it back to us. It's rebellious and anarchistic and revels in the joy of its own creativity. No doubt it will split it's audience down the middle with its crazy twists but it's rewarding if you stay on board and I for one definitely had a hell of a time with it. Read my full review <span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/film/sorry-to-bother-you/" target="_blank">here.</a></u></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4. Black Panther</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9lkDD7dxCr8/XCEXVJdFhMI/AAAAAAAAMkc/aMokbiHyK6UTQRBMKHEkaMgiR7gZ6JM4gCLcBGAs/s1600/Black%2BPanther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9lkDD7dxCr8/XCEXVJdFhMI/AAAAAAAAMkc/aMokbiHyK6UTQRBMKHEkaMgiR7gZ6JM4gCLcBGAs/s400/Black%2BPanther.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2018 was the year I started (and finished) working in a cinema and the first big film of my new job was <i>Black Panther</i>. It was amazing to see how much joy this film brought to a lot of people but it was also amazing, as a fan, to see Wakanda brought to life on the big screen. It was a breath of fresh air in the superhero genre and sign of the future, to know that Marvel was learning from past mistakes and were pursuing a more diverse and unique future for their franchise. No film made a bigger stamp on the cultural landscape this year, and it helps that every element works so well together, creating an amazing story of power, race and family. Read my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/black-panther.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. Suspiria</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huKFcQOw6zg/XCEXXmmsKZI/AAAAAAAAMk4/wcRZohgMJagXMwB-6ByhZ4taKJR7tasiQCLcBGAs/s1600/Suspiria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1100" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huKFcQOw6zg/XCEXXmmsKZI/AAAAAAAAMk4/wcRZohgMJagXMwB-6ByhZ4taKJR7tasiQCLcBGAs/s400/Suspiria.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I would never moan at the word "remake" if all remakes were treated with this much love, care and affection. Director Luca Guadagnino is speedily becoming one of my favourite filmmakers around, his eye for detail and love for the craft can be seen in every frame of this film. It's a love letter to the original film whilst also being it's own unique thing. This is how remakes should be done and there is no doubt that this film will be being studied in the years to come. Tantalising, breathtaking, creepy and beautiful, this film will lure you in and not let go. On a side note, Tilda Swinton deserves all the awards possible for her role(s) in this film, she won't, but she should. Read my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/widows-suspiria.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. First Reformed</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7NDPCzGhSsg/XCEXW4LW-1I/AAAAAAAAMks/V8GYqJDnPiUbnoglPBFlpLDMqRmqeLW9QCLcBGAs/s1600/First%2BReformed.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7NDPCzGhSsg/XCEXW4LW-1I/AAAAAAAAMks/V8GYqJDnPiUbnoglPBFlpLDMqRmqeLW9QCLcBGAs/s400/First%2BReformed.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This film came very close to being first... From the moment it started I was transfixed to the screen. The academy ratio draws you in and the crisp and clear imagery allows you to get up close and personal with the subject, studying their every move. The subject in question is Ethan Hawke, a lesser actor would not be able to pull off a performance quite so intimate and personal, the struggle between faith and environment so perfectly portrayed in every frame of the film. It's an incredible film that creates discussion, takes you on journey and then leaves you hanging on an ending that will definitely not please everyone but it left me thinking deeply about this film since the first time I saw it. It could have been the best film of the year but that fanboy in me got the better of me... Read my full review <a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/film/first-reformed/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. Avengers: Infinity War </span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-96MHmmfzUxE/XCEXUxvn6iI/AAAAAAAAMkY/A6jp_QPmkZE7y0ib9i3_eDrhyiqt9yeHgCLcBGAs/s1600/Avengers%2BInfinity%2BWar.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1300" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-96MHmmfzUxE/XCEXUxvn6iI/AAAAAAAAMkY/A6jp_QPmkZE7y0ib9i3_eDrhyiqt9yeHgCLcBGAs/s400/Avengers%2BInfinity%2BWar.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The geek fanboy in me has seeped it's way into this top ten list and yes, <i>Avengers: Infinity War </i>is my number one film of the year. Many of you may close this page when finding this out but no other film brought me so much joy in the cinema. I could't believe what I was seeing, it was like a comic book come to life and it wasn't a mess. It baffles me how well this film is structured, edited and actually makes sense when there is so much going on with so many different weird and wonderful characters. This could have so easily fallen on its face but not only is it good, it's a downright masterpiece, delivering some of the most jaw dropping moments of the franchise yet, with real stakes and emotion. It's my favourite film of the MCU and yes, even with a lot of contemplation and multiple viewings, it definitely is my favourite film of 2018. You can read my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.com/2018/04/avengers-infinity-war.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Not a bad list even if I do say so myself. If you want to know my ranking of every new release in 2018 then you can check out my list on Letterboxd <a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/list/2018-ranked/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What were your favourite films of 2018? Let me know in the comments below!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Happy New Year and thanks for reading! </div>
</div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-67381931725650144152018-12-18T11:56:00.000+00:002018-12-18T12:06:05.841+00:00Spider-Man VS Aquaman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Another day, another superhero movie, well actually two this time. It's Marvel VS DC, Spider-Man VS Aquaman. Who is going to win? Or are they both just good films? Read on and find out!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2XfTHzRIjUI/XBjbMSwLlKI/AAAAAAAAMgM/t23Q7NNK-Hg_vVmZajH9TWbf0UilCr9QQCLcBGAs/s1600/spider-verse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="970" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2XfTHzRIjUI/XBjbMSwLlKI/AAAAAAAAMgM/t23Q7NNK-Hg_vVmZajH9TWbf0UilCr9QQCLcBGAs/s400/spider-verse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Apart from Miles Morales, the comic books have never made me
fall in love with another Spider-Man that wasn’t the original - Peter Parker.
Although ‘love’ may still be too strong of a word for <i>Into the Spider-Verse</i>, I actually did want to spend more time with
the crazy cast of characters the film put on the big screen. It was a
Spider-Man fan’s dream: a film that gives a fresh take on the superhero whilst
keeping true to what makes Spider-Man, Spider-Man and opening the character up
to the whole world - anybody can be Spider-Man. It’s crazy to see an animated
superhero film treated with such love and creative flair, balancing different
and unique animated techniques with crazy characters, stylised action and a
great story. Through all the weird multiverse stuff that goes on, the film
still manages to adapt Miles’s origin relatively faithfully and continues to
bring the story back to him and his place in the world as a new Spider-Man. I
think it would have been cool to see even more Spider-People - even if just for
brief cameos or jokes like the post credits scene (make sure you stay, it’s
hilarious!). However, the film still works and is a lot of fun with just
handful. It’s so strange to see this work, especially after reading similar
comics come out over the past couple years where it hasn’t. We got Spider-Ham
on the big screen and it actually worked and hell, this film might even get an
Oscar. Between this, the PS4 game, <i>Homecoming
</i>and the latest run of comics, Spider-Man really is making a resurgence
after a bumpy few years! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">4/5</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Aquaman</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rZQmM927Wbs/XBjbd4vRWwI/AAAAAAAAMgU/JiPwaekmosIuaYzzY86TALVKAT72Q3M0wCLcBGAs/s1600/aquaman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rZQmM927Wbs/XBjbd4vRWwI/AAAAAAAAMgU/JiPwaekmosIuaYzzY86TALVKAT72Q3M0wCLcBGAs/s400/aquaman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I think I need to apologise to director, James Wan and DC
for being quite negative about this film up until its release. There was
nothing in the marketing that made me think this film was going to any good and
yet I was proven wrong when I finally sat down and watched the actual film. <i>Aquaman </i>is a weird, bombastic, all over
the place, completely out there and absolutely tonnes of fun. Now for the first
twenty minutes or so I thought I had been proven correct: the film was full of
exposition dumps, melodramatic acting and contained every superhero trope in
the book. I can’t pin point the exact moment this changed for me, but I settled
into it and the ride the film took me on was one that never really let up. It’s
like DC thought they might never get a chance to make an <i>Aquaman </i>film again so decided to make seven in one. There’s so much
going on in this film that I’m surprised that it actually flows quite nicely -
balancing all the action, story and world building so that it’s accessible and
mesmerising all at the same time. The film could have very easily been thrown
in with this year's <i>Venom </i>as yet
another awful superhero film, yet somehow keeps itself afloat - despite the
fact that it contains a slow-motion sequence of its leads walking out of the
sea set to a cover of Africa by Pitbull. It’s bizarre that this film works at
all really - every idea seems to have been thrown in and yet the bizarreness is
endearing - I walked out of the cinema with a massive goofy grin. DC seem to be
getting it now - the source material is weird, and we should embrace it, less
Disney Channel show dialogue would have been great but the absolute balls to
the wall craziness this film gets up to and relishes in is a joy to watch. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">4/5</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's good to see the studios finally grasping that if they want comic book movies to stick around then they need to make them completely unique. These two films came out on the same day, both center around superheroes and both are completely different to each other. Most importantly though, they are both good films. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What did you think of either of the films? Agree or disagree with my opinion? Let me know in the comments below!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thanks for reading!</div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-6116792414282830552018-11-19T21:13:00.000+00:002018-11-19T22:34:09.633+00:00Widows & Suspiria<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
A double bill for this post, with a review of both <i>Widows </i>and <i>Suspiria</i>. Enjoy!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Widows</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></o:p></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H6WEtJQNRc8/W_MjdWCl9jI/AAAAAAAAMPk/52mWXkohLUEokY8MWOf5-ti4sGW86g3AQCLcBGAs/s1600/widows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H6WEtJQNRc8/W_MjdWCl9jI/AAAAAAAAMPk/52mWXkohLUEokY8MWOf5-ti4sGW86g3AQCLcBGAs/s400/widows.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Director Steve McQueen has taken an interesting route in his
career, having started making films like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hunger
</i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shame </i>before heading towards
Oscar territory with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">12 Years a Slave </i>and
now into genre filmmaking with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Widows</i>.
The film was advertised as a heist movie, so be warned that - although the very
basic premise is that four thieves wives finish of heist after their husbands
are killed - this is not a heist movie. There’s a whole lot going on here:
political tensions, class tensions, racial tensions, all set to the backdrop of
Chicago. When the film first finished I was satisfied with the result, I had
enjoyed the ride. Upon further thinking I realised that there was a lot of
stuff in the film that either didn’t make sense, or just didn’t add anything to
the story. This film almost has too much going on, it wants to say too much and
in doing so, certain elements feel like they have been dropped in order to be
topical rather than add anything to the story. We spend large chucks of time
with characters only for them disappear for forty minutes and then reappear
later. I felt like the widows themselves didn’t actually become the
protagonists of the film until halfway through and even now I would argue this
was presented more as an ensemble piece. Performances are fantastic; with the
stand outs being Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Kaluuya and Colin
Farrel. Though I feel like I rarely found out anything about the characters,
Farrel seems to the only one with any sense of history. Debicki is the only
character with an arc because we have no idea what kind of person Davis’s
character was before the events of the film and despite how good Kaluuya is, his
character just ends up being a footnote. McQueen obviously knows what he’s
doing; there are shots and angles in this film that would never have been done
by someone less artistically inclined with this kind of script. Despite the
great cinematography and brilliant performances, this film just doesn’t hit all
the high notes it sets out to reach. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>3.5.5</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Suspiria</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OGu3VTce-xM/W_Mji_nwwsI/AAAAAAAAMPo/RglF4HDG3AUV_OzxF-pV2lbYXj1xhLUJwCLcBGAs/s1600/suspiria.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="620" height="226" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OGu3VTce-xM/W_Mji_nwwsI/AAAAAAAAMPo/RglF4HDG3AUV_OzxF-pV2lbYXj1xhLUJwCLcBGAs/s400/suspiria.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It’s been a few days since I saw this film and I’m still
trying to wrap my head around it, but I’ll try. It’s a remake of the 1977
Italian film of the same name - I liked the original but didn’t love it. I came
to it late and although it looks gorgeous, certain elements felt dated and I
had a hard time investing in any of the characters. The 2018 remake has the
same basic premise but is more <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Suspiria </i>in
vibe and atmosphere than name. It completely sucks you in with its cold yet
beautiful scenery, slow pace and hypnotic score composed by Radiohead’s Thom
Yorke. There’s no mistaking it as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Suspiria</i>;
it might not be brightly coloured but the experimental camera movements that
catch you off guard create that eerie vibe and the creativity that comes with
the visual elements really go against everything you expect. It’s a horror film
that really unsettles you, something feels off in every scene but not in a bad
way. For the long running time I was completely enthralled, totally mesmerised.
I only remember one or two moments when I wanted the film to hurry up a bit -
not bad for the two-and-a-half-hour experience. My favourite addition to this
film was the emphasis on the dance scenes, this time they are staples of the
film. The witchcraft is fully on display as they usually depict two scenes at
once - one mesmerising, one horrific - they are a marvel to watch and are the
best moments in the film. It takes the original and makes it more polished,
gives it more to say and leaves the audience with more to think about. You can
tell everyone involved is working their hardest to make this film worthy of the
original. Director Luca Guadagnino oozes creativity into the narrative whilst
his cast work wonders on the performances. If you thought the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fifty Shades </i>series would ruin Dakota
Johnson then think again, she’s never been better than in this. Tilda Swinton
better get some Academy recognition for playing what could have been most of
the characters in this film and just being utterly incredible. The film is
absolutely nuts at points but is an absolute blast to watch; it will leave you
in a state of confusion as you try and process what you’ve just witnessed but I
think I loved it...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5/5</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">What did you think of the films? Love them hate them, let me know in the comments below.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thanks for reading!</div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-88568132157027337852018-10-18T11:48:00.000+01:002018-10-18T11:51:18.122+01:00Quick Reviews #21<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Earlier this week I had quite the few days of catching up on the new releases in cinema. Sunday I caught <i>A Star is Born</i>, Monday was <i>First Man </i>and Tuesday I was taken on a ride with <i>Mandy</i>. Three very different films and I've reviewed them all for you in another Quick Reviews post. So please read on and enjoy. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">A Star is Born</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy89uRYPe8I/W8he2Fg_sDI/AAAAAAAAMBM/h6_doYHWcU4yVvnuahUwR_1U_zkLfcUEgCLcBGAs/s1600/a%2Bstar%2Bis%2Bborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy89uRYPe8I/W8he2Fg_sDI/AAAAAAAAMBM/h6_doYHWcU4yVvnuahUwR_1U_zkLfcUEgCLcBGAs/s400/a%2Bstar%2Bis%2Bborn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is my first time seeing one of the many versions of <i>A
Star is Born</i> and I can see the appeal. A drunk rocker living like there's no
tomorrow, bringing a new musician into the world. What I didn't consider was
that despite not seeing the original version, I feel like I've seen this
before. I guess that's kind of ironic that the original premise now feels tired
and clichéd. It runs a lot like a typical musical biopic; where the rise is a
lot more enjoyable to watch than the fall. And there is no doubt that the first
half of this film is great; a building crescendo of emotion until that powerful
duet between Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper blows you away. Gaga really does have
an incredible voice and now we know that she can act pretty darn well too. In
fact, this whole film is full of powerful performances. They'd have to be as
well because it's semi-obvious that this was directed by an actor as the camera
rarely leaves a close-up position; it's all face and emotion. I don't blame
first-time director Bradley Cooper for doing this - he's got hell of a cast to
work with - but I would have appreciated a little more creativity at times. I
had fun with this film, the second half feels a little too long and I wasn't as
moved as I think the film wanted me to be. Overall though I liked it, even
though nobody ever says that they’re “gaga” for Ally…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.5/5</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">First Man</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwEF8xcJFEc/W8hfrZCnbTI/AAAAAAAAMBc/VB2rpQRCCd0cZUE15eHpb1bmzPMEqJjaQCLcBGAs/s1600/first%2Bman%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwEF8xcJFEc/W8hfrZCnbTI/AAAAAAAAMBc/VB2rpQRCCd0cZUE15eHpb1bmzPMEqJjaQCLcBGAs/s400/first%2Bman%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I wasn't particularly excited for this film: it felt like a
strange route for Damien Chazelle to go from <i>La La Land</i> to a biopic about Neil
Armstrong. I should never have doubted him though, as he takes a massive part
of history and turns it into an intimate story of grief and achievement. Not
only is this an interesting way to present the story, he also gets a lot more
experimental behind the camera. The camera is shaky, the use of zooms and even
the graininess of the footage gives you the sense you’re watching an old
documentary at times. It's got such a human atmosphere, making something big
feel very small and personal. There's even a sequence in the film, a mission to
dock two ships together in space that shows the lift off from inside the rocket
only. Inside a small pod, nuts and bolts shaking everywhere under the extreme
thrust: it's very claustrophobic and I could barely breathe throughout the whole
sequence. It was quite something. Ryan Gosling plays the stoic Neil Armstrong and
Claire Foy plays his wife Janet; both incredible in their roles and no doubt will be
getting some Oscar attention for it. At times I felt like I needed some more
meat to their relationship, I was not as satisfied with their final scene
together as I would have liked to have been. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of
their scenes; the children running around the house and playing cut with NASA figuring
out how to get to the moon - really hammered the point that they themselves
were just playing, the game just costlier. Don't sleep on this one, Chazelle
really knows what he's doing, a very powerful film.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4.5/5</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mandy</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPPgW5ywDVI/W8hf-5lFzmI/AAAAAAAAMBk/KluR6zCqlvcpL7WrcF6kmscLhZIluSuVACLcBGAs/s1600/mandy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPPgW5ywDVI/W8hf-5lFzmI/AAAAAAAAMBk/KluR6zCqlvcpL7WrcF6kmscLhZIluSuVACLcBGAs/s400/mandy2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Having gone in blind I wasn’t really sure what to expect
from this film, except that it was going to take me on quite the ride. The film
follows Nicholas Cage as Red Miller and his wife Mandy played by Andrea
Riseborough, whose haven is destroyed by a cult led by the sadistic Jeramiah
Sand played by Linus Roache. You may not have heard of this film and - unless
you’re ready for a gore filled psychedelic revenge thriller - you might not
want to either! If that sounds like your thing then you’re in luck, this film
is quite something. It’s a slow burn, completely capturing you with its synth-y
soundtrack and gorgeous visuals. The atmosphere is almost dreamlike: the
slowness is rarely a problem as you are almost put into a trance throughout the
running time. I did think some trimming could have been done to tighten things
up but the first-time experience of seeing this was unlike anything else. As
things heat up in the second half, it almost turns into a different film. Cage
is unleashed and allowed to do what he does best; creating some terrifying and
hilarious moments of badassery. You could freeze frame the film at any moment
and make an awesome metal vinyl from it and stick on the side of van. The revenge story is one that
has been done before but never in this approach. This is cinema at its best; knowing
the experience is one unlike any other you will have again. Striking both visually
and audibly: this is easily the most insane film of the year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
What did you think of any of these films? Let me know in the comments below.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Thanks for reading!</div>
<b></b></div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-23541973031046895612018-10-14T10:47:00.000+01:002018-10-14T10:47:50.277+01:00Venom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lOynhzRRRFE/W8MOTeCJUeI/AAAAAAAAL8c/nrEKJ1Hcebg9lqpdYarlqBiATcwTTOSUgCLcBGAs/s1600/venom%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="570" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lOynhzRRRFE/W8MOTeCJUeI/AAAAAAAAL8c/nrEKJ1Hcebg9lqpdYarlqBiATcwTTOSUgCLcBGAs/s400/venom%2Bposter.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s been a lot of negative reviews for </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Venom</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the new comic book film based off
of the villain of Spider-Man, but is it as bad as everyone is saying? NO,
YOU’RE ALL WRONG IT’S A </span>MASTERPIECE<span style="font-family: inherit;">!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Who am I kidding, it’s bad, like really bad. Read on a find
out why.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venom </i>follows
Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who’s trying to take down the head of
the Life Foundation, Carlton Drake. While investigating one of Drake’s
experiments, Eddie’s body merges with an alien symbiote – Venom - leaving him with
superhuman powers and a twisted alter ego.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The film was produced by Sony who have had a bit of trouble
with making Spider-Man films over the last few years. With Spider-Man now semi
back with Marvel Studios, the company have now gone down the route of making
money from the villains of the superhero instead. Now producers Avi Arad and
Matt Tolmach have had a boner for the character of Venom for a long time,
trying to greenlight a movie since the 90’s and shoe horning him into Sam
Raimi’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spider-Man 3 </i>despite the director’s
doubts. I’m going to assume that the producers are like most people who say they
“like” Venom but they don’t actually know that much about the character -
instead just like how cool he looks. Personally, I don’t think Venom is that
good of a character, I find him quite boring. His origin is pretty cool and is
well done in the Raimi films but overall he’s not that interesting. He’s just a
bit of a zombie Spider-Man and it wasn’t until recent times in the comics with
new hosts that his stories became less repetitive. So, as you can imagine, I’ve
not been that excited for this film. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83gLiEZbDic/W8MOUR9SbeI/AAAAAAAAL8g/IH4A2D2Gu2QVNe8Z3AFhzPvxdVAbWJqBgCEwYBhgL/s1600/venom%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83gLiEZbDic/W8MOUR9SbeI/AAAAAAAAL8g/IH4A2D2Gu2QVNe8Z3AFhzPvxdVAbWJqBgCEwYBhgL/s320/venom%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite my lack of excitement for the character or the film,
my interest was piqued by the cast. Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock/Venom, he’s
joined by Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed and Jenny Slate. That’s a pretty stellar
cast and if you’re into your films you might be suckered into thinking that there
must be something in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venom </i>that
grabbed these high-class actors’ interest. Well let’s just say there must have
been a lot of money on the table for this one… Michelle Williams especially
looks like she’s so bored with the film and her chemistry with Tom Hardy is so
non-existent. It’s uncomfortable to watch. Only Tom Hardy looks like he’s
having any fun with character and you can tell that he definitely puts his all
into the character - it’s enjoyable to watch and despite the lack of comic book
accuracy to the Eddie Brock character. He is actually a solid choice and it would
be good to see in a more thought out film. I don’t blame the cast, they all
have done and will do better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bvgheNnDVMw/W8MORKRzufI/AAAAAAAAL8Y/MP70J6bhM3k9wWMV2HvqIBGki9fs-XS9ACEwYBhgL/s1600/tom%2Bhardy%2Briz%2Bahmed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="1100" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bvgheNnDVMw/W8MORKRzufI/AAAAAAAAL8Y/MP70J6bhM3k9wWMV2HvqIBGki9fs-XS9ACEwYBhgL/s320/tom%2Bhardy%2Briz%2Bahmed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, the film is bad you get that but unfortunately, it’s not
even one of those films that’s so bad it’s good. The whole thing just feels so
uninspired and dull: the story is choppy and the heroes/villains seem to have
little to no motivation for their actions. It takes way too long for Venom to
actually come into play and although the film perks up a little when he does,
the character just feels messy and incomplete. His powers are all over the place
and his changing intentions come out of nowhere. The film feels like it was
made in the early noughties, when studios weren’t as sold on superhero films
and we got dumps like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Daredevil </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catwoman</i>. This film even comes complete
with dodgy CGI and messy visuals that disorientate you during action scenes.
It’s crazy to think that the producers - having wanted this film made since the
90’s - did not give any reason as to why this film should be made other that it
being a cash grab for the suckers who think Venom looks cool and believe
they’re in for a more adult take on the character. It’s dark alright but I’m
talking more in terms of the lighting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLjphgDDre4/W8MOU5LgifI/AAAAAAAAL8k/j8AjhO_p1D42uyIIUeG2fhnI_pYcGbgFQCEwYBhgL/s1600/venom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLjphgDDre4/W8MOU5LgifI/AAAAAAAAL8k/j8AjhO_p1D42uyIIUeG2fhnI_pYcGbgFQCEwYBhgL/s320/venom2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This film frustrates me because it feels like uninspired and
lazy filmmaking personified. No offence to the crew that no doubt worked their
butts off to try and make something out of this but it was tainted from the get
go. I think it deserves this scathing review because it gives superhero films a
bad name. When made with love and effort superhero films can soar - look at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Panther</i> - but when these films are
made with no other thought than greed, well they look like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venom</i>. As a fan of comic books and Spider-Man in particular, I
should be the prime target for this film; but I couldn’t care less. I also
really don’t care for the Spider-Man Villain universe without Spider-Man that
Sony are trying to set up, leave the characters alone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venom </i>is not a
film, it’s a product. A product that looks cool but when you bite into it, it’s
mouldy and makes you ill. So yeah, I’m rating it a <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1.5/5</span></b>. Give it a miss. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So what did you think of the film? Am I right or am I wrong? Let me know in the comments below.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-33859336702114616602018-08-22T18:58:00.001+01:002018-08-22T18:58:50.193+01:00Mission: Impossible: All: Of: Them<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Despite sharing the main character's last name, I had never seen a <i>Mission: Impossible </i>film up until a few weeks ago. When <i>Fallout </i>was released to very positive reviews I knew I had to do a speedy catch up on this franchise. So what follows are my thoughts on each of the films, written after I saw them, with little to know knowledge of what was ahead. So please enjoy my first steps into this series and my musings on each of the films - the good and the bad.</div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mission: Impossible</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bbJCa3Zh7AU/W3sdOWhA25I/AAAAAAAALdU/b6lnFRkJ_nkBG1u-duew_-N87CdZ3lVVwCLcBGAs/s1600/mi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bbJCa3Zh7AU/W3sdOWhA25I/AAAAAAAALdU/b6lnFRkJ_nkBG1u-duew_-N87CdZ3lVVwCLcBGAs/s400/mi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
This first one is a good spy film: walking the line of
serious and goofy surprisingly well for the most part. I enjoyed the action and
the twists but I did, at times, struggle keeping up with who was who in the pretty
sizeable cast. Now the basic structure has been set up I look forward to seeing
what comes next.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.5/5</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mission: Impossible II</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9D_f7jB3Gf8/W3sdR_R3aMI/AAAAAAAALdY/HGnYzw3tQzwhFKNhJCmVgOHQS9hPBZH3ACLcBGAs/s1600/MiII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9D_f7jB3Gf8/W3sdR_R3aMI/AAAAAAAALdY/HGnYzw3tQzwhFKNhJCmVgOHQS9hPBZH3ACLcBGAs/s400/MiII.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This was quite the struggle to get through but it’s all good from here on, right? It was weird, John Woo’s style did not mix well at all: it almost felt too different to the first film whilst also containing double the amount of mask reveals. The action is cool at the end but after you’ve had to slog through the boring plot, forced romance and casual sexism it’s doesn’t really matter, the film could not be saved.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1.5/5</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mission: Impossible III</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SBdbmP5laYA/W3sdVM5-oUI/AAAAAAAALdc/y-s9sbAI1RAnbLKn6Y8E9tlvqlzbC5jAwCLcBGAs/s1600/MiIII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SBdbmP5laYA/W3sdVM5-oUI/AAAAAAAALdc/y-s9sbAI1RAnbLKn6Y8E9tlvqlzbC5jAwCLcBGAs/s400/MiIII.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The opening of this film is more tense than the previous two
films put together. Each of these films feel like a bit of a reboot with a new
cast of characters, new back-stories and relationships that you need to get up to
speed with. It's not all a bad thing though - I had a lot of fun with this film. The action is at its best and the stakes feel high, despite giving away so much
at the start. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is an amazing and intimidating villain,
God I miss him. He and Cruise are delight to watch bounce off of each other.
It's all good stuff. Although going through these I find it hard to get a grip on
who Ethan Hunt is, his defining character trait seems to just be; he's good at
things. I don't know maybe that's just me.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.5/5</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e2BUi2ab7mM/W3sdXwxcnqI/AAAAAAAALdg/rLvmGWaJSeoK1FFoNKjhXdiVsPuJ9nLrACLcBGAs/s1600/MI%2BGhost%2BProtocol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="780" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e2BUi2ab7mM/W3sdXwxcnqI/AAAAAAAALdg/rLvmGWaJSeoK1FFoNKjhXdiVsPuJ9nLrACLcBGAs/s400/MI%2BGhost%2BProtocol.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Although it lacks Phillip Seymour Hoffman, this film fires
on all cylinders. It has the best characters yet, the more interesting plot
developments and some of the best action set pieces. I loved the way the
tension was amped up in every scene, even with things as small as jumping into
a slow moving train. This is definitely the best of series I've seen so far,
which is quite something from the 4th film in a franchise.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmSX3K15fbQ/W3sdbObN_4I/AAAAAAAALdk/XVlbV7XatRY6RLBDcuot3-xlEPdi2W3qACLcBGAs/s1600/mission-impossible-rogue-nation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="650" height="248" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmSX3K15fbQ/W3sdbObN_4I/AAAAAAAALdk/XVlbV7XatRY6RLBDcuot3-xlEPdi2W3qACLcBGAs/s400/mission-impossible-rogue-nation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
This is the first instalment that actually feels like a
sequel to it's predecessor. However, the women are still unfortunately
replaceable in this franchise, with none making it across from the last. It
follows the same kind of beats as Ghost Protocol but never reaches the same
heights. It's still a solid film but that car/motorbike chase in the middle is
great but the rest is a little more forgettable. Just an observation but is
Ethan Hunt on the run from his own country/people in every film in this series
apart from 2? IMF are not the greatest employers...<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.5/5</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Mission: Impossible - Fallout</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kRDNaCY8q1w/W3sdeIQxAvI/AAAAAAAALdo/HXlTZ7Pz0649ZSFFxIN1-tcTUiUYzfogwCLcBGAs/s1600/MI%2BFallout.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="780" height="223" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kRDNaCY8q1w/W3sdeIQxAvI/AAAAAAAALdo/HXlTZ7Pz0649ZSFFxIN1-tcTUiUYzfogwCLcBGAs/s400/MI%2BFallout.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Fallout </i>was everything I wanted from this
series. Finally on the sixth outing we get some character development for Ethan
Hunt; the story pushes him to his limit, trying hard to break him into someone
or something he doesn’t want to be. It also brought back female characters from
the previous films therefore driving the plot and being
essential to the emotion of some of the scenes. The story - although not breaking
loads of new ground - works really well, delivering on loads of exhilarating action
and actual shocking twists that change the whole feel of certain scenes. For
the first time I actually felt emotionally invested in the stakes for the team
and I never wanted the film to stop. I’d heard good things about this one and
it's one of the reasons I’ve watched the whole series in quick succession. I’m
so glad I did, it’s one of the best action movies in a long time and easily the
best <i>Mission: Impossible</i> film. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>4.5/5</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So there you have it, my thoughts on <i>Mission: Impossible </i>franchise as an absolute newcomer. I feel like these later films have definitely found their place now, creating a recognisable look and style with an emphasis on action and stunts. <i>Fallout </i>feels like a culmination of all six films and would even be a satisfying ending to the franchise, though now that it is so good I just want to see more! I recommend anyone going through these films, they're solid spy action films and have a great payoff when you get towards the final few. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you think of the franchise? Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to comment below and let me know.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-68682586296683475112018-08-01T19:41:00.000+01:002018-08-01T19:47:43.247+01:00GUEST POST: The Miseducation of Cameron Post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">So today I have a guest post coming to you from my friend and work </span>colleague Giordana Russo, who was lucky enough to see The Miseducation of Cameron Post at an early screening and write about for the blog.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Giordana Russo is an aspiring storyteller and screenwriter.
She’s a proud geek with a love for films, video games, graphic novels and
books; as long as it has an intriguing story and interesting characters.
Representation is very important to her, one of her main interests and a strong
theme throughout her creative content.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i>I hope you enjoy her review!</i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VEdngvMGjg0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mVVskGmzTG0/W2A9Fv9WiTI/AAAAAAAALVI/vKXjAKgXK5A8PfKGfNHei1nrIEyhNE7FwCLcBGAs/s1600/The-Miseducation-of-Cameron-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="716" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mVVskGmzTG0/W2A9Fv9WiTI/AAAAAAAALVI/vKXjAKgXK5A8PfKGfNHei1nrIEyhNE7FwCLcBGAs/s400/The-Miseducation-of-Cameron-Poster.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Miseducation of Cameron Post</i> will be out in UK cinemas
August 31<sup>st</sup>, but I had the pleasure to attend a preview screening at
The Watershed in Bristol, which has ultimately lead to this review, so here we
go:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Directed by Desiree Akhavan, the film is set in the early
90s and follows Cameron (Chloe Moretz), a teenager who gets caught kissing
another girl, Coley Taylor (Quinn Shephard), at the prom. The aftermath sees
Cameron being sent to God’s Promise, a conversion therapy centre, by her very
Catholic Aunt (Kerry Butler).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The film is an adaptation of the book written by Emily M.
Danforth, it follows Cameron’s sexuality exploration from her early teenage
years; the film mostly covers the third act of the book focusing on the
conversion therapy, with a few flashbacks here and there to provide context.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first point I want to highlight is how despite the intense
nature of this subject, the film surprisingly manages to create several light
hearted and comedic moments throughout its run. This plays positively for the
portrayal of the characters, even though they’re in conversion therapy, they
are still very much teens and behave as such. I appreciate this element for
different reasons: one is that it doesn’t let the film fall into a cliché, it’s
not uncommon to see LGBT+ films be overwhelmingly tragic, and although this
film has its fair share of drama and tragedy, it’s cleverly balanced by its
more light-hearted side. It also adds layers to the characters; the way Cameron
deals with this situation changes throughout the films and causes several of these
comedic moments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Talking about characters, they are both a strength and
weakness of this film. A range of very interesting characters is presented: Cameron
is our protagonist, a girl in the middle of figuring out her sexuality and
struggling to do so due to her repressive environment, she ultimately goes
along with things even if she doesn’t agree with them. Then there’s Adam Red
Eagle (Forrest Goodluck), a fellow disciple (a term given to God’s Promise students). Adam is a Lakota, a Native American Tribe, and his character gives a
bit of insight into this culture and how they may view people like him. Then
there’s Erin (Emily Skeggs), another very intriguing character, who deals with
sexuality and gender identity but is fully committed to changing, she truly
believes she’s capable of conversion. God’s Promise founders are themselves
interesting, particularly Rick (John Gallagher Jr.), an “ex-gay” who’s now
trying to help people who’re going through the same struggles as he did, as he
was helped by his sister Lydia (Jennifer Ehle).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ItbgOdgnZ-s/W2A-IFhvjuI/AAAAAAAALVU/omc1Vn7jKAorb9Su_lyapbE2qc0TQ3g8wCLcBGAs/s1600/cameron-post-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ItbgOdgnZ-s/W2A-IFhvjuI/AAAAAAAALVU/omc1Vn7jKAorb9Su_lyapbE2qc0TQ3g8wCLcBGAs/s320/cameron-post-3.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">So we have a good list of characters, each with their own
unique background and personalities, and here’s where the weakness of the film
is: unfortunately none of them are explored beyond that initial introduction,
least of them is Jane (Sasha Lane), another disciple with dry humour and what
seems to be a tough background, but while we know why everyone else got sent to
God’s Promise, we never quite grasp why she’s there too, all we can do is guess
but if the other characters didn’t get much development, she got even less. I
call this a weakness, but it can be debatable as it’s not fully the film’s
fault, it is hard enough to adapt a book (or a section of it) in a film that is
only 90 mins long, and The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a particularly rich
book, as we can see from the amount of characters the film alone has.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ypETfVJG52s/W2A-NO5oY8I/AAAAAAAALVY/UW0181Xs4_wUqNvGromV4V3wYIZz_udZACLcBGAs/s1600/MV5BMzM2MWM1OWUtZGI5Ny00Y2ZhLWJkNDItNWJmOGFkZTRhYzZiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTE0NTg5Mjg%2540._V1_SY1000_CR006661000_AL_-1516812959-1516812961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="666" height="296" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ypETfVJG52s/W2A-NO5oY8I/AAAAAAAALVY/UW0181Xs4_wUqNvGromV4V3wYIZz_udZACLcBGAs/s320/MV5BMzM2MWM1OWUtZGI5Ny00Y2ZhLWJkNDItNWJmOGFkZTRhYzZiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTE0NTg5Mjg%2540._V1_SY1000_CR006661000_AL_-1516812959-1516812961.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Briefly, a few other positive points that I want to mention
but won’t dwell on are the cast’s performances, each actor shined in their role,
doing their best to bring to life their characters and their complexities and
the fact that the film didn’t portray the Catholic characters as caricatures.
What I mean is that it’s easy to paint such characters as evil, but in fact these
type of people often do believe that what they’re doing is good, something that
is taken into consideration in this film and so we get to see them as
vulnerable people too, instead of seeing just one side of them. Music is not
often used but is strategically placed in significant moments for emphasis and as
for cinematography, nothing particularly stood out to me, but it serves the
story well with hand held movements used for the same reasons as the music is, together
with cold colours to elevate the bleakness of the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The end is quite abrupt; it’s preceded by a few poignant
events and what could be called the climax of the film. The problem is that
it doesn’t feel much like a climax but more like part of the events that are
building up to it. Therefore, when the end comes, it feels quite
underwhelming and as if more was meant to come after. So far, I’ve tried not to
compare this film to the book, it is an unfair comparison but as both end
similarly, I do have to at least say that the book handles the end much better,
an end that would’ve worked well even in the film.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, <i>The Miseducation of Cameron Post</i> provides a good
point of view of some terrible situations, representation that was long awaited
and very welcome, and does so through a balanced use of drama and light-heartedness
which subverts a few tropes seen in similar content. It is a very solid film
with great performances and witty writing, I personally do recommend this film
to anyone and I also recommend the book which contains an even
larger and richer world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Rating: 3.5/5
</span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 107%;"><i>I hope you enjoyed this guest review from Giordana. If you want to check out more of her work then head over to her YouTube page <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC33wP4VarGc6AGEPncB_zeQ" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Nameless Planet</span></a>. </i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>Thanks for reading!</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-65441338141150906592018-06-21T00:06:00.000+01:002018-06-24T21:36:59.902+01:00Solo: A Star Wars Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f8ygHMP4nSo/WyL_Z8vPdCI/AAAAAAAAJvs/sQ9SOzopfVIiU4n8Laj6mIu7N_Zc9qjZACLcBGAs/s1600/poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f8ygHMP4nSo/WyL_Z8vPdCI/AAAAAAAAJvs/sQ9SOzopfVIiU4n8Laj6mIu7N_Zc9qjZACLcBGAs/s400/poster.jpeg" width="280" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A troubled production, a box office flop (kind of) and mixed reviews…. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo: A Star Wars
Story </i>must be a pretty bad film right? Not at all really. It’s a lot of
fun, a good <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars </i>story and a lot
better than we’ve been led to believe. Read on to find out my thoughts on the film or listen to them on the <i>Cinebois2Cinemen </i>podcast which you can find embedded at the bottom of this review!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo: A Star Wars
Story </i>is directed by Ron Howard after original directors Chris Lord and
Phil Miller were fired off the project- sparking a tonne of reshoots and
allowing Howard to take sole credit for the film. It follows the origins of Han
Solo when he joins a gang of galactic smugglers. Indebted to the gangster
Dryden Vos, the crew devises a daring plan to travel to the mining planet
Kessel to steal a batch of valuable coaxium. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich in
the role of young Han Solo, he doesn’t do a complete Harrison Ford impression
but easily holds the film with his charm and wit. Donald Glover plays young
Lando Calrissian, donning more of a Billy Dee Williams impersonation but
absolutely nailing it and - with his limited amount of screen time - leaves you
wanting more. There a whole host of new characters including Emilia Clarke,
Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Paul Bettany. They’re
all doing great things and - unlike the Star Wars universe’s first anthology
film, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rogue One</i> - the new characters
are all very interesting, layered and have a level of mystery to them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xo7yyYmtTo4/WyL_jSE-x0I/AAAAAAAAJvw/dI8Ud3hi9y8wXiBY8Rkt_0rp5g4UtmvdgCLcBGAs/s1600/cockpit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xo7yyYmtTo4/WyL_jSE-x0I/AAAAAAAAJvw/dI8Ud3hi9y8wXiBY8Rkt_0rp5g4UtmvdgCLcBGAs/s320/cockpit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With this being a prequel film, it has its slightly more
cringey moments; as you learn how Han got his name and his blaster and that
line etc… but you also get to see some cool scenes like how he first met Chewbacca,
now played by Joonas Suotamo, and he very nearly steals the whole film.
Thankfully a lot of these moments are played out near the beginning, allowing
the story to just become its own thing, a fun heist film set in the Star Wars
universe. In fact I would argue that this film could be enjoyed by anybody who
hadn’t seen any of the other Star Wars films. I reckon it would probably get a
lot more critical acclaim if it didn’t have the Han Solo name attached to it.
Did we need it? No. But I enjoyed it quite a lot as a fun sci-fi film. Despite
knowing the outcome for the lead, there are still a lot of stakes for everyone
around him and the film manages to have a lot of surprises up its sleeve. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yY6f--T05Xo/WyL_qBOiDaI/AAAAAAAAJv8/OuMTgqnTizwsli6SZqirU7i8a5vAXZFYgCLcBGAs/s1600/qi%2527ra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="800" height="189" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yY6f--T05Xo/WyL_qBOiDaI/AAAAAAAAJv8/OuMTgqnTizwsli6SZqirU7i8a5vAXZFYgCLcBGAs/s320/qi%2527ra.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tonally wise this feels like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i>, specifically the original trilogy; groups of characters
sneaking around, going undercover and fighting for themselves and the little
guy. As a huge <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars </i>fan this
makes me happy. As a film fan though, there is no doubt that I wanted more from
this anthology series, rather than the one off prequels for characters we’ve
already seen before. We need to expand the universe: there’s more to this world
than Luke Skywalker and friends. I personally would love to see Lucasfilm give
out $20 million to several up and coming diverse directors and see let them
make a film set within the world. Nothing epic, just small stuff like “Hey, here’s
a horror film.”, “a comedy film” or “a romcom” set in the Star Wars universe. I
thought that we might have been getting something like that from Lord and
Miller’s version of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo </i>film. As
much as I enjoyed this version of the film, I would love to know if I would
have enjoyed their version as much. The film definitely has less comedic
moments than you’d expect and is more of an adventure film. However, I still believe
Ron Howard was a great choice to have take over the ship. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AnYfEQsTwuw/WyL_p8cyakI/AAAAAAAAJv4/CjqZmyNFgWkJswAjabhcJiIXHkIa7RD7QCEwYBhgL/s1600/lando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AnYfEQsTwuw/WyL_p8cyakI/AAAAAAAAJv4/CjqZmyNFgWkJswAjabhcJiIXHkIa7RD7QCEwYBhgL/s320/lando.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another great choice in this film was the music. It wasn’t
afraid to use the classic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars </i>fanfare
when needed but composer John Powell added his own original scores as well
which really fit into the world and sounded amazing when loud on the big
screen. He’s be a great choice for future instalments as John Williams has
already said that Episode 9 would be his last film. As much as I loved the sound,
the visuals to accompany it were not always as good as we’ve seen from recent
Star Wars films. Don’t get me wrong, most of it is great but the first half an
hour or so is so weirdly dark that you can barely make out some details on the
characters face, I felt myself squinting a lot. I thought this might have been
a projection problem from my screening but I’ve heard similar complaints from
other people. So if anything, don’t go see it in 3D. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the worry and low expectations, I thoroughly enjoyed
this one. It’s not the masterpiece that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Last Jedi </i>was (screw you haters) but it is a good fun ride none the less.
The great moments outweigh the slightly cringe prequel moments. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars </i>isn’t dead people, it’s very
much alive. This film even teases further connections to the expanded universe
as well as a thread which might link all these spin off films together. Go
watch it this weekend, you won’t be disappointed. I’m rating <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo: A Star Wars Story </i>a <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3.5/5</span></b>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>What did you think of the film? Let me know in the comments below.</o:p><br />
<o:p><br /></o:p>
<o:p>And now for the listening section. Thanks again to Danny and Alfie for having me back on the podcast and allowing me to get all nerdy over <i>Star Wars</i>. </o:p><br />
<o:p><br /></o:p>
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/458251902&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe>
<o:p><br /></o:p>
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks for reading/listening!</div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-12185167354007254242018-06-06T20:50:00.000+01:002018-06-06T20:50:21.568+01:00Deadpool 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9l5LWIFcyVE/WxUtw5j8WiI/AAAAAAAAJpM/9FFRLouWlKkNbFX6XuczoiXUr1FdVOkpACLcBGAs/s1600/deadpool-2-poster-final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9l5LWIFcyVE/WxUtw5j8WiI/AAAAAAAAJpM/9FFRLouWlKkNbFX6XuczoiXUr1FdVOkpACLcBGAs/s400/deadpool-2-poster-final.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Couple of late reviews heading towards you, <i>Deadpool 2 </i>today and <i>Solo: A Star Wars Story </i>coming in a few days (hopefully). Sorry for the delay with these ones, the likelihood is many of you have seen them already but I've been busy, for one I just got engaged! I think that's a good enough excuse... Now please enjoy my review of the <i>Deadpool 2</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I enjoyed the first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadpool
</i>film but I did not love it. It was comedic and I enjoyed the adult take on
the superhero genre. However, as much as it tried to be subversive it fell flat
on the execution, since its own story followed the basic superhero tropes and
rarely diverted from the tired template. I didn’t have high hopes for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadpool 2</i>, the trailers looked
interesting but I just wasn’t completely hooked or invested in seeing another
outing from the character. Maybe that’s why I was surprised by how much I
enjoyed the sequel when I saw it the other evening. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadpool 2 </i>follows
the titular character as he brings together a team of mutant rogues to protect
a young boy with supernatural abilities from the brutal, time travelling
cyborg, Cable. There’s a lot more story in this one than the last and -
although it doesn’t break any tropes - it is definitely a lot more interesting
to watch play out. Deadpool himself points this out within the film and although
that’s not as smart as actually breaking away from those tropes; it is quite
funny to see him literally try and force an arc for his loud mouthed and
annoying character throughout the film. New cast members, Josh Brolin, Zazie
Beetz and Julian Denninso as Cable, Domino and Firefist are also very welcome
additions to the sequel, all killing it in their roles and practically stealing
the show.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQju0zpF8vQ/WxUtqVanjjI/AAAAAAAAJpE/yq_BdRw3WUwUIV2f2QaIRDgVvTfAgJH7QCEwYBhgL/s1600/deadpool-six-pack-first-look.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="970" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQju0zpF8vQ/WxUtqVanjjI/AAAAAAAAJpE/yq_BdRw3WUwUIV2f2QaIRDgVvTfAgJH7QCEwYBhgL/s320/deadpool-six-pack-first-look.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comedy is subjective so it’s difficult to talk about the
comedy in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadpool 2 </i>as if my opinion
of it is the only one that matters. There were many times throughout where the
audience were in hysterics and I was sat their stony-faced and vice versa. I
personally thought the hit rates of jokes were quite high in this film, I found
it a lot funnier than the first. For me, this seemed to be because they scaled
back on the amount of ‘dick’ jokes, making way for some smarter and more
thought out writing. There’s still a lot of misses but there’s always going to
be with the high amount of jokes in the film to begin with. I did find that the
so called ‘subversive’ jokes or meta commentary to be the weakest ones though,
with the jokes that play out as part of the story being stronger overall. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W77DU9vTcwI/WxUtq5MhYiI/AAAAAAAAJpI/zdRjMIrk0OIFwOFPl5d-vFrcsaxBXQ_7ACEwYBhgL/s1600/e29fba251e240c29647d4b0bf3287beeb75b6562f77b4d0f6d60372e18bed73a_4068667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="1096" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W77DU9vTcwI/WxUtq5MhYiI/AAAAAAAAJpI/zdRjMIrk0OIFwOFPl5d-vFrcsaxBXQ_7ACEwYBhgL/s320/e29fba251e240c29647d4b0bf3287beeb75b6562f77b4d0f6d60372e18bed73a_4068667.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When it comes to the comic-book-y-ness of the film, there’s
a lot to love. I particularly love how this franchise just completely
disregards the X-Men universe it’s supposed to be a part of and just has fun in
the sandbox of the world. There’s some great characters in here and some
surprising ones as well that, if you can look past the dodgy CGI for, then you
can have a lot of fun with. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s difficult to really talk about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadpool 2</i>; firstly, because what plays out should be left to be
discovered by the audience but also secondly because I just enjoyed it, nothing
more, nothing less. It hasn’t left a lasting impression on me but I had fun in
the cinema. I enjoyed the action scenes which were done so much better this
time round; possibly due to half of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">John
Wick </i>directors, David Leitch taking the helm. You’re not going to have the
same experience you might have had with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinity
War </i>earlier this year but you are going to get a couple hours of escapism
and some laughs along the way. I like what Ryan Reynolds is doing with
character and I actually left this film looking forward to seeing what he gets
up to next; whether that be a threequel or as a supporting character in another
film. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mI5M-0bA1J0/WxUtpWr18dI/AAAAAAAAJpA/mtecfC7vhYUCsGrWEzaVK-MMdpTmBq7yACEwYBhgL/s1600/Deadpool-2-Domino-Photo-Mutant-Traits-Vitiligo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="600" height="168" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mI5M-0bA1J0/WxUtpWr18dI/AAAAAAAAJpA/mtecfC7vhYUCsGrWEzaVK-MMdpTmBq7yACEwYBhgL/s320/Deadpool-2-Domino-Photo-Mutant-Traits-Vitiligo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This film made its audience in the first instalment and if
you liked that one then you’ll probably like this one (possibly even more like
me). But if you hated it then this is definitely more of the same; slightly
better done but it’s not going to change your mind. Now we’ve got this sequel
out of the way I’d like to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadpool </i>go
in a different direction and actually make a subversive film with a story to
match instead of the smug wink and knowing nod that these two films like to
delve into. I enjoyed you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deadpool 2, </i>I
laughed quite a lot and it made me want to see more,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>but next time deliver on what you’re fighting for; something
different. I’m rating the film a <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3.5/5</span></b>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What did you think of The Merc With a Mouth’s second (kind
of third) outing? Loved it or hated it, let me know in the comments below.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks for reading!</div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-44677103797211687902018-05-13T16:51:00.000+01:002018-05-13T16:56:13.584+01:00Podcasting: Rampage & Infinity War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Very recently I was lucky enough to be asked to join my friends on their podcast <a href="https://soundcloud.com/cinebois2cinemen" target="_blank"><b>Cinebois2Cinemen</b></a>. I've always been a big fan of podcasts and always wondered what it would be like to be on one, so I jumped at the chance to give it a go. I recorded an episode reviewing <i>Rampage </i>with them and an episode when we get down and nerdy with <i>Avengers: Infinity War</i>. I really enjoyed chatting films with these guys, they really have a good thing going with this podcast and I would recommend it to anyone even if I wasn't on it! That being said, I have embedded the two episodes I featured on below and would really appreciate the support if you would give them listen. Warning, we do go into spoilers on <i>Infinity War</i>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/439513713&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe>
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/442308045&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe>
<br />
Recording these podcast really got me motivated to do more when it comes to talking film... maybe even get my own podcast started... who knows. Watch this space!<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading/listening!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_LYSZbYwM9w/Wvhf-ccJrqI/AAAAAAAAJVw/Tdutu1rDmgoXi9206hmNPFx1wXfvEsTSACLcBGAs/s1600/cinebois2cinemen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="574" height="250" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_LYSZbYwM9w/Wvhf-ccJrqI/AAAAAAAAJVw/Tdutu1rDmgoXi9206hmNPFx1wXfvEsTSACLcBGAs/s400/cinebois2cinemen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-25687159919437008552018-04-29T17:10:00.000+01:002018-04-29T17:10:56.291+01:00Avengers: Infinity War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BAbSiIfIj9s/WuXq6XrfgWI/AAAAAAAAI7g/I6NQYMALyeQMHX58OBgWm8BbEX02y0r0ACLcBGAs/s1600/Avengers_Infinity_war_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1081" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BAbSiIfIj9s/WuXq6XrfgWI/AAAAAAAAI7g/I6NQYMALyeQMHX58OBgWm8BbEX02y0r0ACLcBGAs/s400/Avengers_Infinity_war_poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Big Marvel fan boy here and although I may have been
critical of some of the films in the past, this review will no doubt be full of
bias but most importantly: it will be SPOILER FREE. We’re just going to jump
straight into things, if you’re a fan you already know the basic premise, if
you’re not then a bad space guy is coming and it’s going to take all the
superheroes to stop him. It’s 10 years and 18 films in the making… So, what did
I think of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers: Infinity War</i>?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is not a film. It is a comic book come to life on the
big screen. Everything about it, the tone, the structure and the fantastical
mythology made me feel like a child again. It reminded me of the first time I
saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man </i>in the cinemas - the awe
of seeing the Nick Fury even tease <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Avengers</i> - I never expected this would happen ten years later. I was so
blown away by it all, it makes me a tad emotional just thinking about it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And breathe…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s important to recognise that, just because this film
blew my little nerd mind, does not mean that it will for everyone else. It’s
very long and if you’re not invested by the time the Marvel logo rolls then you’re
going to find it exhausting. It breaks so many of the ‘usual’ parameters of
what a film should be, it’s pure entertainment made for the one audience that Marvel
has spent ten years building. This is not like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Avengers </i>where you could jump in fresh and still understand
everything going on, this is a film with 18 prequels, some more essential than
others but all hold something that rewards us fanboys in the endgame. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfGGClCcXBI/WuXrF7-Hy0I/AAAAAAAAI7k/hfirULkJhVse_pfumVK2bwgRuF3stO78ACLcBGAs/s1600/landscape-1522945902-mlu-17652-r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="980" height="160" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfGGClCcXBI/WuXrF7-Hy0I/AAAAAAAAI7k/hfirULkJhVse_pfumVK2bwgRuF3stO78ACLcBGAs/s320/landscape-1522945902-mlu-17652-r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This film is an epic, its story sprawls through the galaxy; the
Marvel universe has never felt so big and comic-book-y. And boy does it feel
like a comic book. Our heroes are split into different groupings across the
galaxy and each group has quite a lot of time at once given to them, to the
point where one group may not be seen again for another thirty minutes. To some
this may be jarring. To me it felt like each segment was an issue of a comic
book, each book bringing the characters closer and closer together until they
are all impacting the story at once. The glue of this particular story; Thanos.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZWAbS-MUUs/WuXrWLgwgGI/AAAAAAAAI70/pgeddZdf8oweknXJY2rLmzGfBbedl1ROwCLcBGAs/s1600/thanos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZWAbS-MUUs/WuXrWLgwgGI/AAAAAAAAI70/pgeddZdf8oweknXJY2rLmzGfBbedl1ROwCLcBGAs/s320/thanos.jpg" width="320" /></a>Marvel have had their problems with villains before but here
they give more time to him than most of our villains. His plan may be typically
evil sounding but you really get the sense that he has to do this, rather than
just wanting to. Thanos takes his mission as a burden but ultimately sees
himself as the good guy. And unlike most fully CG villains, you believe it. This
was helped by the fact that he looks incredible, he’s imposing and you really
feel like he’s a threat to your heroes whenever he appears on screen. He may
not be as charismatic or make us feel as empathetic as others but he truly is
one of Marvels best villains. The stakes feel pretty real in this one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This the first film by Marvel to be fully filmed on IMAX cameras
and it shows. IMAX cameras are super high quality and the end result in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinity War </i>is a really crisp and clear
picture, where the colours pop and the CG work (for the most part) is very
photorealistic. Added with iconic Avengers score from Alan Silvestri, the sense
of scale is truly represented and really makes this film feel like the event it
is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxT7rKZXZOc/WuXrm61S70I/AAAAAAAAI8A/GdWmgtIgW5sTq4nt6rhuKmndvocxjD26gCLcBGAs/s1600/spiderman.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="759" height="177" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxT7rKZXZOc/WuXrm61S70I/AAAAAAAAI8A/GdWmgtIgW5sTq4nt6rhuKmndvocxjD26gCLcBGAs/s320/spiderman.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless this is the first time reading you’re reading this
blog, you know I’m a massive Spider-Man fan; so I’d thought I’d say something
about his presence in the film. Marvel continues to make decisions with
Spider-Man that don’t always sit well with me. He should have been my favourite
character in this film by default but he was not. I enjoyed his part to play
but he is still not ‘my’ Spider-Man and yes that Iron Spider suit is still
ugly. He has his moments, there’s some great action beats with him and few
lines that definitely felt like Peter Parker but the characters I enjoyed most
in this film were probably Thanos, Thor, Rocket, Bruce Banner, Gamora and
Doctor Strange. That being said, every character gets a moment - even if it’s
one action beat or a cool line of dialogue - your favourite character gets something
cool to do. The character interactions are great and the unlikely pairings are
amazing to behold, even if there aren’t as many quiet moments where we can just
see our characters relaxing together like in previous team up films. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c932fNg3H_8/WuXrvHsv3MI/AAAAAAAAI8E/BX1adC_QMBk5fm9heq-V2i7zRTUClsOzQCLcBGAs/s1600/AvengersInfinityWar_SuperBowl_spot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1600" height="132" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c932fNg3H_8/WuXrvHsv3MI/AAAAAAAAI8E/BX1adC_QMBk5fm9heq-V2i7zRTUClsOzQCLcBGAs/s320/AvengersInfinityWar_SuperBowl_spot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can tell I was very blown away by this film, not just
at the characters coming together but for the sheer scale, scope and
awesomeness of the story. I recognise it’s not for everyone but it wasn’t made
for a general audience. It was made for people like me and it is not ashamed to
be that; a big nerdy comic book movie. This felt like the first time a comic
book had been properly visually represented on the big screen and I could not
have been happier with the results. I had high expectations and they were
exceeded. Marvel have made a film I never thought I would see and it made me so
happy, I cannot stop thinking about it. It’s pure enjoyment and I’m rating <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers: Infinity War </i>a <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>5/5</b></span>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Make mine Marvel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me know what you thought of this film in the comments
below.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks for reading!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-56526436759545109362018-04-07T14:00:00.000+01:002018-04-07T14:00:27.079+01:00Double Bill - Pacific Rim: Uprising / Ready Player One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had a day off by myself the other day so I decided to
indulge and watch a double bill of two films I really wanted to see; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pacific Rim: Uprising </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ready Player One</i>. A pretty good pairing
as both are sci-fi action films and both were perceived to fail in the run up
to their release. They are however, pretty good, find out what I thought about
both films below. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pacific Rim: Uprising</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l16PkdASTKk/Wsi9Km5Bz4I/AAAAAAAAIm4/dCQIQfs6w4socpw7ksR1iAgaXygwKqnXACLcBGAs/s1600/pacific%2Brim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l16PkdASTKk/Wsi9Km5Bz4I/AAAAAAAAIm4/dCQIQfs6w4socpw7ksR1iAgaXygwKqnXACLcBGAs/s400/pacific%2Brim.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am a big fan of the first </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Pacific Rim</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> but unfortunately not many people went to see it in the
cinemas; so, when a sequel was announced there was no doubt that it was going
to go through some changes. The changes ripped away the grittiness of the lived-in
world of the original, making way for a brighter and more colourful setting. The
clunky Jaegers have been replaced with newer and more agile versions and the
main characters have been replaced with a younger cast, although more in tune
with the premise’s anime roots. Despite these rather large changes to the aesthetic
of the film, it’s still very enjoyable and although not as good as the first -
still a worth sequel. It doubles down on the stupidity of the original and
really has a lot of fun with it. There are elements that don’t work, dialogue is
not this film’s strongest suit and some of the new characters are unfortunately
treated more like objects or are a bit bland. Don’t worry however, John Boyega
is the charming glue that keeps this film together. Any problems this film has
mostly get forgotten in the great spectacle, something that </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Pacific Rim </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">still does very well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>3.5/5</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ready Player One</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AbkkKbq6l30/Wsi9SX9ekqI/AAAAAAAAIm8/HjGk_dGdCco-ar0TPvwunmconKFQwh_0ACLcBGAs/s1600/ready%2Bplayer%2Bone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AbkkKbq6l30/Wsi9SX9ekqI/AAAAAAAAIm8/HjGk_dGdCco-ar0TPvwunmconKFQwh_0ACLcBGAs/s400/ready%2Bplayer%2Bone.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like many I was worried about Spielberg’s adaption of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Ready Player One</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. The first trailer
looked more style over substance with an overload of references to make pop
culture fans go “I know that!”. Had the master lost his touch? No and I feel
very stupid right now for ever thinking so. The book is not the most loved
novel in the world - I haven’t read it but I have heard that Spielberg has been
able to take the elements that work and master a greater more resonant story
out of it. The world itself is great; not too unbelievable to what could happen
as we see video games and virtual reality taking massive steps everyday towards
something extraordinary. The film is mainly set in the video game world known
as ‘Oasis’; this means the film is pretty much 80% animated and it looks awesome.
With it being a video game, the animation does not have to be photo realistic and
allows for a lot of creativity within setting and action. And yes, this is also
where the pop culture characters are thrown about together on screen as players
online avatars. Although reference heavy, it does not take away from the breath-taking
action and true heart of the storyline. It’s unlike anything I have ever seen
before and really captured the spirit of what it is like to be a ‘gamer’. I
also saw it in 3D - one of the first films I’ve seen in this format since </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Gravity</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and I must say it really
heightened the experience; creating great contrast between the live action and
animated scenes. Spielberg has still got it. Go and see this film.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>4.5.5</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;">What did you think of these films? Love them, hate them? Let me know in the comments below.</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for reading!</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-42032725188230896932018-03-27T18:28:00.000+01:002018-03-27T18:28:21.022+01:00A Wrinkle In Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ykSaCC0askI/Wrp5L2DElxI/AAAAAAAAIgU/g_k7Mxmv_V0sEkqVkxvxH76ekq5eQqH8gCLcBGAs/s1600/a-wrinkle-in-time-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1081" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ykSaCC0askI/Wrp5L2DElxI/AAAAAAAAIgU/g_k7Mxmv_V0sEkqVkxvxH76ekq5eQqH8gCLcBGAs/s400/a-wrinkle-in-time-poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m a big Ava DuVernay fan; as well as being a very talented
director, she also comes across as an awesome human being, one that is always
giving back to her fans. So when I heard that Disney had given her the reigns
to one of their big blockbuster projects – making her the first black female
director to helm a $100 million film - I knew I would be there to watch it. I
urge everyone to support this film even if my own opinion on it, like the film,
is a little muddled. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Wrinkle in Time </i>follows
Meg; after the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings
send her, her brother and her friend through space to find him. The film boasts
a cast made up of Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling,
Chris Pine, Zach Galifinakis, Levi Miller and Deric McCabe. Disney have allowed
DuVernay to create something very different here - it comes across as quite a
surrealist, experimental kids film, one that I am very intrigued by how the
intended audience are reacting to. There are splashes of Nolan in this, it even
reminded me of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Annihilation</i>, the mind
bending sci-fi released on Netflix a week prior from Alex Garland. However,
DuVernay has put her own stamp on this, creating something unlike any other
kids film I have seen before. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYATUBlUtyI/Wrp36FETr4I/AAAAAAAAIgQ/YIHnFaLnD2INjyfYohj4a5XDpmzPk9GPgCEwYBhgL/s1600/a-wrinkle-in-time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYATUBlUtyI/Wrp36FETr4I/AAAAAAAAIgQ/YIHnFaLnD2INjyfYohj4a5XDpmzPk9GPgCEwYBhgL/s320/a-wrinkle-in-time.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You are dropped straight into this world and given very
little explanation for anything going on. I am usually fine with films not
having to hold your hand but I really could have used a bit more explanation in
some scenes because at times it felt like someone had spiked my Pick & Mix.
That being said, the film is very open about the fact that it’s more interested
in emotion rather than plot. It’s emotion that pushes things forward: there is a
literal battle of emotion to conclude it and every aspect of the film is made
to reflect this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7zl2m_vaS7Q/Wrp32htkYOI/AAAAAAAAIgA/jNOOTUldj-UEwzdk5cuDqZi7SZfzsQF_gCEwYBhgL/s1600/AWrinkleInTime5a78960a830c2.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7zl2m_vaS7Q/Wrp32htkYOI/AAAAAAAAIgA/jNOOTUldj-UEwzdk5cuDqZi7SZfzsQF_gCEwYBhgL/s320/AWrinkleInTime5a78960a830c2.0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The visuals and the audio work hand in hand with each other,
DuVernay has a very clear vision as to what she wanted this film to look and
feel like. The imagery we see on screen is some of the most interesting I’ve
seen from a big budget film, especially one that very heavily leans on visual
effects. I have seen some critics criticise the use of CGI but I personally had
no problem with it and enjoyed watching the glossy effects play out on screen. Music
wise the score is great and I even loved the use of pop songs being used in
some of the montages, this is something I usually hate in films made for
younger audiences but because this whole film had the vibe of music video it
worked. It was very dreamlike in the way it was edited and everything flowed
into each other very nicely. It was easy to be swept over by this film even if
I did have to fill in the gaps at times.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S-vdAlocIZA/Wrp4UMBpoyI/AAAAAAAAIgI/VeOZGA7T-RskmLwnvAKsIR3oBe76FJlDQCEwYBhgL/s1600/merlin_134683871_0e39cdf2-5eac-4459-aed4-2d01058bd72d-superJumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S-vdAlocIZA/Wrp4UMBpoyI/AAAAAAAAIgI/VeOZGA7T-RskmLwnvAKsIR3oBe76FJlDQCEwYBhgL/s320/merlin_134683871_0e39cdf2-5eac-4459-aed4-2d01058bd72d-superJumbo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall the film didn’t work fully for me, I however am not
the intended audience. I love how out there it was. It was super weird with
some great visuals and a unique sense of style, I just wish I had been able to
make more sense of it. It was clearly a very ambitious effort from Ava DuVernay
and one that should be praised, even if overall the film felt a little too
loose at times. I far from hated it, but I didn’t love it either. I’m rating <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Wrinkle in Time </i>a <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3/5</span></b>. It’s definitely
worth a watch still, just to see a surrealist kids film come to life in front
of you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What did you think of the film? Masterpiece or messy? Let me
know in the comments below.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks for reading! <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-21671383899836562762018-03-06T16:20:00.000+00:002018-03-06T16:20:49.808+00:00Quick Reviews #20: Oscars 2018 Edition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Oscars have been and gone; this year with less drama and more predictability (for better or worse). I've been pretty good at catching the nominees this year - seeing all but one from the best picture list. I haven't reviewed them all though, so here's my Quick Reviews post for you guys to see what I thought of the other nominees - other than <i>Get Out </i>and <i>Dunkirk </i>that I haven't reviewed before. So read on and enjoy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Shape of Water</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ToBAVHMhD8s/Wp66me5d3sI/AAAAAAAAIMk/LnU6XHD5lhoRksvgbyer0n4jc9D8OCpywCLcBGAs/s1600/the%2Bshape%2Bof%2Bwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="640" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ToBAVHMhD8s/Wp66me5d3sI/AAAAAAAAIMk/LnU6XHD5lhoRksvgbyer0n4jc9D8OCpywCLcBGAs/s400/the%2Bshape%2Bof%2Bwater.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">A new film with an old school feel, from the plot to the
pacing. It’s typical Guillermo del Toro, one of the best auteurs working today,
his style is all over it and the story is the right mix of strange and
beautiful to have come from his mind. It didn’t strike me as much as some of
his previous films, however it is still an amazing watch. Its story of
outsiders strikes a chord right now still making it worthy of its Oscar win,
even if - yes - I do think there were better films in the line-up this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Lady Bird</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a_44aQ8R5_o/Wp66jmtc7xI/AAAAAAAAIMc/QPXM6g4mV_Ij3b80TyNK15MjJym70AP_wCLcBGAs/s1600/lady%2Bbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a_44aQ8R5_o/Wp66jmtc7xI/AAAAAAAAIMc/QPXM6g4mV_Ij3b80TyNK15MjJym70AP_wCLcBGAs/s400/lady%2Bbird.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">I went through all the emotions watching this film. Greta Gerwig
has made a gut-punch of a film; a coming of age story that’s all about walking
the dangerous line of being an individual and wanting to fit in. I dare any millennial
not to relate to this film: the feelings and the emotions just rang so scarily
true. This is the kind of film I’ve always wanted to write, I’ve even tried to,
but I don’t think I would ever be able to perfect it the way Gerwig has.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5/5</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Call Me by Your Name</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jybAq8hyUU/Wp66jSS-FvI/AAAAAAAAIMY/sYDE6wqb9c8YntBuXQa_uY66cgXX4b1hACLcBGAs/s1600/call%2Bme%2Bb%2By%2Byour%2Bname.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="620" height="231" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jybAq8hyUU/Wp66jSS-FvI/AAAAAAAAIMY/sYDE6wqb9c8YntBuXQa_uY66cgXX4b1hACLcBGAs/s400/call%2Bme%2Bb%2By%2Byour%2Bname.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">A fairy-tale romantic film set in the Italian countryside
that’s bursting with sex and sensuality. As coming of age films go this one can
be a hard watch at times. As you know the flourishing romance has a time limit
on it; this is all going to end in tears. Knowing this I tried not to get too
attached to the main characters but it was impossible to do so. Their chemistry, despite the age gap, is electric and I was a mess when it all came to an end.
The whole thing has a love song music video vibe to it. I loved it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">5/5</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Phantom Thread</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U9EvxyLksJ4/Wp66mQORSdI/AAAAAAAAIMo/UEwyKjJoRbQIObXY-bo_CljTP90A9MH2ACLcBGAs/s1600/phantom%2Bthread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U9EvxyLksJ4/Wp66mQORSdI/AAAAAAAAIMo/UEwyKjJoRbQIObXY-bo_CljTP90A9MH2ACLcBGAs/s400/phantom%2Bthread.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">It's gorgeous to look at, as it entices you in, captures you
and takes you on a dark and twisted ride through a relationship like no other
seen on film before. A superbly crafted film with excellent performances all
round and a surprising and darkly funny script. I haven’t been able to stop
thinking about this one. It’s a shame it never got as much hype as some of the other
films on this list; it deserved to. It's a good one to end on for Daniel
Day-Lewis, too bad he didn’t get the Oscar for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">4.5/5</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three Billboards
outside Ebbing, Missouri</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9zUSJgMrLX8/Wp66nImnVUI/AAAAAAAAIMs/SEob5iJlEZ0ozPWppwveQ38JpcBCpKj2ACLcBGAs/s1600/three%2Bbillboards%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9zUSJgMrLX8/Wp66nImnVUI/AAAAAAAAIMs/SEob5iJlEZ0ozPWppwveQ38JpcBCpKj2ACLcBGAs/s400/three%2Bbillboards%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve been struggling with what to write about this one. I
really liked it but at the same time I acknowledge the problems it has. They
should never have tried to redeem Dixon, he was a great villain and should have
stayed that way. We’ve had </span>nonredeemable<span style="font-family: inherit;"> characters redeemed in the past but the way this film tried to force this one left a bad taste in my mouth. It
is just a bad choice in what is an overall good film. A film that could be dark
and funny before switching to sweet and sombre within a moment.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">3.5/5</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Post</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-GHU9aFMck/Wp66mDeJf3I/AAAAAAAAIMg/VwfDRKHXmaA_J77y0z2Gtme14_q9u_FfQCLcBGAs/s1600/the%2Bpost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="990" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-GHU9aFMck/Wp66mDeJf3I/AAAAAAAAIMg/VwfDRKHXmaA_J77y0z2Gtme14_q9u_FfQCLcBGAs/s400/the%2Bpost.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">My politics ruined some of my enjoyment of </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Three Billboards</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"> but in this film it
elevated the experience. The film might as well be called 2017, the parallels
are scary and the Spielberg sentimentality really works and is very much needed
right now. It’s very well rounded, has great cinematography, great performances and
a great score. Spielberg isn’t losing his touch any time soon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">4/5</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">What did you think of these films? Did the Oscars get it right this year? Let me know in the comments below</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-70200470102926155022018-02-26T15:43:00.000+00:002018-02-26T15:43:43.803+00:00Black Panther<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgsUN-DId1Y/WpQlPFKWYxI/AAAAAAAAIAI/JOl_9HJqgzUiIIKWSRyB1TNPAHS25Zf7ACLcBGAs/s1600/Black_Panther_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1081" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgsUN-DId1Y/WpQlPFKWYxI/AAAAAAAAIAI/JOl_9HJqgzUiIIKWSRyB1TNPAHS25Zf7ACLcBGAs/s400/Black_Panther_Poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's been a while... I've recently moved house and been without internet for some time (thanks BT for your terrible service!). Anyway, there's been a pretty big release from Marvel...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Black Panther </i>is
the breath of fresh air I needed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although I
still very much enjoy most of the films that are produced by the studio, I have
started to waver a little with some of the basic premise recycling. Now don’t
get me wrong this film has some Marvel ‘similarities’ but ultimately is its own
new fresh thing. Read on to find out my SPOILER FREE thoughts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the most part Marvel has suffered a little when it comes
to diversity, people of colour usually take a backseat to main characters and
there isn’t a really any excuse for it to have taken this long for a black
superhero to have their own standalone film within the universe. Marvel aren’t
the only problem though, Hollywood in general has been slow to this game for a
while and although we have had black superheroes, we’ve never really had
anything like <i>Black Panther </i>before; a
film with a predominantly black cast representing Africa in a way that’s never
been seen in a big mainstream blockbuster and that means something. I’m a white
dude, I’ve seen a lot of them on the big screen, I’ve been represented, it’s
time to get our films as diverse as the world around us. The cast in speaking
is one of the best Marvel has assembled, the main players being: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Angela Basset, Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whitaker Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman. The story follows T’Challa, the newly appointed King
of Wakanda, after the events of <i>Civil War</i>
he struggles with his new mantle as the country decides if/how it will change under
new leadership. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oFrub9XPsmQ/WpQiU56u30I/AAAAAAAAH_s/Kcrw18EH6FQOUjCOgux0ztY0xAoAPUXpgCLcBGAs/s1600/blACK%2BPANTHER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="649" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oFrub9XPsmQ/WpQiU56u30I/AAAAAAAAH_s/Kcrw18EH6FQOUjCOgux0ztY0xAoAPUXpgCLcBGAs/s320/blACK%2BPANTHER.jpg" width="320" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first thing that <i>Black
Panther </i>does excellently is give you a real sense of Wakanda, the secretive
and extremely modern city of Africa, powered by a massive source of vibranium.
Throughout the whole film you get to see a lot of the country and the people
that live there. |The film is never afraid to embrace the weirder side of the
mythology and it made me realise that <i>Thor
</i>really missed an opportunity to establish Asgard in the same way. Wakanda feels lived in, it feels like it has a
history and it’s definitely a place I would like to see more of in the future.
If it wasn’t connected to the MCU, Wakanda could have a whole franchise to
itself, that’s the kind of scope director Ryan Coogler has been able to create
around the character’s first solo outing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5xO4NJUF3z0/WpQighiSV4I/AAAAAAAAH_8/n12RsyhmLU4KYvjbVrnOafGQ1MtWkIG3ACEwYBhgL/s1600/shuri-letita-wright-in-black-panther.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1500" height="160" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5xO4NJUF3z0/WpQighiSV4I/AAAAAAAAH_8/n12RsyhmLU4KYvjbVrnOafGQ1MtWkIG3ACEwYBhgL/s320/shuri-letita-wright-in-black-panther.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the reasons this feels like a fresh film in the MCU
is the fact that superhero business is secondary to the main story; a story of
monarchy, politics and change. The action set pieces are cool but they don’t
stand up to the spectacle we’ve had so far in the franchise, not that this is
bad thing - it feels right within the context. The jokes are not as full on and
if I was to criticise the film for anything it would be that the small amount
of humour mainly lands flat. But this is a more serious affair; bringing in
themes that are very relevant in the world right now. This may not be the first
time Marvel has woven mature themes into its narrative but it does feel like
the first time that they have felt this important.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RzbAtK0J6Xk/WpQi5iEmXLI/AAAAAAAAIAE/iPMZJSptvws4ovIkT1kWIxQN4u6VxV8jwCEwYBhgL/s1600/killmonger-blackpanther-1001904-1280x0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="970" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RzbAtK0J6Xk/WpQi5iEmXLI/AAAAAAAAIAE/iPMZJSptvws4ovIkT1kWIxQN4u6VxV8jwCEwYBhgL/s320/killmonger-blackpanther-1001904-1280x0.jpeg" width="320" /></a>On top of great characters and an interesting and satisfying
story, the film is also one of the best looking and most colourful of Marvel’s
so far. There’s the odd bit of dodgy CGI every now and then but it doesn’t take
away from breath-taking scenery as you swoop into Wakanda for the first time.
Accompanied by a unique music that excellently blends a traditional score with
African instruments and hip-hop. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can probably tell from the amount of praise of
already heaped on the film - I very much enjoyed it. It’s personally one of my
favourite MCU films and has calmed some of my fears that the studio isn’t
afraid to take so-called “risks”, mix it up and embrace the fun mythology of
the comic book source material. The only way stop superhero fatigue is to tell
great stories that just so happen to have a superhero in the them and <i>Black Panther </i>is an excellent example of
this. Onward and upwards. I’m giving <i>Black
Panther </i>a rating of <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>5/5</b></span>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>What did you think of <i>Black Panther</i>? Where does it rank in the MCU? Let me know in the comments below!</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>Thanks for reading!</o:p></div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-57982820115727922942017-12-31T19:04:00.005+00:002017-12-31T19:04:57.131+00:00Top Ten Films 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's been a great year for cinema, so many good films. It was difficult to pick just ten to feature on this blog (you can check out my whole ranking of the year <a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/list/2017-ranked/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here...</span></a>). Here we are though, my top ten films of 2017. Read on and enjoy.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">10. The Big Sick</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgN30xisfiM/WkJ-dpZM4nI/AAAAAAAAG0Q/dh4y8gG6wmgDZ-5a5T8HjevAvFnsXuBKwCLcBGAs/s1600/the%2Bbig%2Bsick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgN30xisfiM/WkJ-dpZM4nI/AAAAAAAAG0Q/dh4y8gG6wmgDZ-5a5T8HjevAvFnsXuBKwCLcBGAs/s400/the%2Bbig%2Bsick.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Finally a comedy worth paying for and a breath of fresh air in the Rom-Com genre. It's hilariously funny and beautifully sad, all at the same time. It's a beautiful film, based on the real life story of Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V Gordon; both proving themselves as great screenwriters and I hope they create more art together soon! Read my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/the-big-sick.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">9. The Killing of a Sacred Deer</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RA6ACrgNhsY/WkJ-eeLc_zI/AAAAAAAAG0U/EoEngEkusNIPNPehSXjr39jVDSpZ9IBbgCEwYBhgL/s1600/the%2Bkilling%2Bof%2Ba%2Bsacred%2Bdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RA6ACrgNhsY/WkJ-eeLc_zI/AAAAAAAAG0U/EoEngEkusNIPNPehSXjr39jVDSpZ9IBbgCEwYBhgL/s400/the%2Bkilling%2Bof%2Ba%2Bsacred%2Bdeer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's not even the weirdest film on this list and that's saying something from a new Yorgos Lanthimos film. It's a bit of a thriller; keeping you on edge throughout the whole film, constantly second guessing every facial expression of every character. If Barry Keoghan doesn't get a supporting actor nomination this year I'd be shocked. Read my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/the-killing-of-sacred-deer.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">8. War of the Planet of the Apes</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nqKcjFFTRUw/WkJ-fQcd6ZI/AAAAAAAAG0g/xPTuGSkuXa04Md2DLUHuzcVcJrUK2aIOwCEwYBhgL/s1600/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nqKcjFFTRUw/WkJ-fQcd6ZI/AAAAAAAAG0g/xPTuGSkuXa04Md2DLUHuzcVcJrUK2aIOwCEwYBhgL/s400/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This franchise gets overlooked by most but it really does seem to be doing something different in every aspect of blockbuster filmmaking; this third installment in the prequel/reboot trilogy was no different. It fully rounded off the story in a satisfying way, whilst giving us some of the most emotional moments in cinema this year... and it was about talking apes. Read my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/dunkirk-war-for-planet-of-apes.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">7. Star Wars: The Last Jedi</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e2a9b1wkNX8/WkJ-e13YvZI/AAAAAAAAG0Y/WYmHW7uQ_-8XCAtaSg3Sa86t8qPJaFsawCEwYBhgL/s1600/the%2Blast%2Bjedi2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1536" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e2a9b1wkNX8/WkJ-e13YvZI/AAAAAAAAG0Y/WYmHW7uQ_-8XCAtaSg3Sa86t8qPJaFsawCEwYBhgL/s400/the%2Blast%2Bjedi2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It tried to do something new with the franchise and in my eyes it succeeded. The film truly passed the torch tp the new characters whilst also delivering some of the saga's greatest moments yet. The performances are the best they've been and the stakes have never been higher. I can't wait to see where they take <i>Star Wars </i>next. Read my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/star-wars-last-jedi.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">6. The Florida Project</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lFHQMkMfF_w/WkJ-fYdnhfI/AAAAAAAAG0c/zXYPSS6LVGkALl6bea0o7uogqc769hARACEwYBhgL/s1600/the-florida-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lFHQMkMfF_w/WkJ-fYdnhfI/AAAAAAAAG0c/zXYPSS6LVGkALl6bea0o7uogqc769hARACEwYBhgL/s400/the-florida-project.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Caught this one late but it definitely left an impression on me and I haven't been able to shake it from my mind for the last month. It's probably one of the most beautiful looking films of the year, about one of the ugliest topics. It's got some amazing performances and will no doubt win big at this year's academy awards. I didn't write a full review but you can check out more of my thoughts on <i>The Florida Project </i><a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/film/the-florida-project/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5. Mudbound</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6gjGw2tvnI0/WkJ-cez98pI/AAAAAAAAG0A/MMSzKRabh0cbpaM5U4CgVngwmB2svIS2wCEwYBhgL/s1600/mudbound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="223" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6gjGw2tvnI0/WkJ-cez98pI/AAAAAAAAG0A/MMSzKRabh0cbpaM5U4CgVngwmB2svIS2wCEwYBhgL/s400/mudbound.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Mudbound </i>was the surprise of the year for me. It dropped on Netflix and was easily their best original film. I'm still trying to see it on the big screen (no luck in the UK...). It's a beautiful epic tale of war, racism and family; it has some of the most moving relationships depicted this year. Most people have Netflix now - so come on, see this one ASAP! Read my full review <a href="https://letterboxd.com/superalexman/film/mudbound/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4. Super Dark Times</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HK1pGjMOuBY/WkJ-dRJqqBI/AAAAAAAAG0M/lhpNFn1q8UwlJXI3ed-FjcnEw04Y7JZXgCEwYBhgL/s1600/super%2Bdark%2Btimes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HK1pGjMOuBY/WkJ-dRJqqBI/AAAAAAAAG0M/lhpNFn1q8UwlJXI3ed-FjcnEw04Y7JZXgCEwYBhgL/s400/super%2Bdark%2Btimes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I saw this one at a horror film festival in Lisbon and although from the trailer I knew I was probably going to like it, I didn't realise that it was a masterpiece in horror filmmaking. It looks like it could just be a feature version of <i>Stranger Things; </i>but it's not. It's more grounded and emotionally resonant with some of the most shocking turns in a film this year. Read my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/super-dark-times-motelx-lisbon.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. Blade Runner 2049</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pWjCCU1gLAA/WkJ-cd5s72I/AAAAAAAAGz8/VzqdFX6dU1UkleJOP5zyZPz6lBEeUQMQACEwYBhgL/s1600/blade%2Brunner%2B2049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="785" data-original-width="1396" height="223" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pWjCCU1gLAA/WkJ-cd5s72I/AAAAAAAAGz8/VzqdFX6dU1UkleJOP5zyZPz6lBEeUQMQACEwYBhgL/s400/blade%2Brunner%2B2049.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm not a huge fan of the original <i>Blade Runner </i>but after learning the director behind <i>2049 </i>was Denis Villeneuve I knew I had to watch this one in the cinema. I'm so happy I did because this film was a masterpiece in the Sci-Fi genre; it's deep philosophical musings against the backdrop of some of the most beautiful landscapes brought on screen ever - it just blew me away. It's long but it's worth it, this film was easily the best Sci-Fi film of the year. Read my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/blade-runner-2049.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. Raw</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDGISHSTyjw/WkJ-c4Qu28I/AAAAAAAAG0I/BCPwtLq7beYv47ZyZP5p_giJkEi1da13wCEwYBhgL/s1600/raw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDGISHSTyjw/WkJ-c4Qu28I/AAAAAAAAG0I/BCPwtLq7beYv47ZyZP5p_giJkEi1da13wCEwYBhgL/s400/raw.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Definitely the weirdest film I've seen this year but it totally works. This French/Belgian horror/thriller film kept me gripped throughout and I didn't avert my eyes once - no matter how gruesome it got. I was just in awe at the sheer visuals and score going on. I can't praise this film highly enough, you've really got to see it for yourself, it was very close to being my number one film of the year. Check out my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/quick-reviews-19.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. Get Out</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7cKtE9o_onw/WkJ-cfhdUXI/AAAAAAAAG0E/HftYORQoclc-KyT6Y834Ew9nbvtli01IgCEwYBhgL/s1600/get%2Bout%2523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="768" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7cKtE9o_onw/WkJ-cfhdUXI/AAAAAAAAG0E/HftYORQoclc-KyT6Y834Ew9nbvtli01IgCEwYBhgL/s400/get%2Bout%2523.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Jordan Peele's directorial debut is the film that sums up 2017 and it's awesome. It's a horror/thriller/comedy which acts as an extremely relevant social commentary. At one moment it scares you, at the next it has you in fits of laughter. It's probably the easiest film to show other people; I haven't met one person who hasn't enjoyed it. It's such a great watch - my number one film of the year, check out my full review <a href="http://alexmovieblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/quick-reviews-18-2017-so-far.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here.</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There you go guys, my favourite films of the year. Let me know yours in the comments below.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thanks for reading!</div>
</div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232913190909166776.post-61247136146806392222017-12-27T20:52:00.000+00:002017-12-27T20:52:29.704+00:00Top Ten TV Shows 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
It's that time of year again. Not going to lie, I haven't seen as much TV this year as I would have liked to and some shows that had the potential to be on this list haven't all been caught up with yet. So here are the top ten shows I've had time to watch this year. Read on and enjoy.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">10. Silicon Valley </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 4)</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw1GjIYj3lM/WkGF_21tN8I/AAAAAAAAGzo/xA3w_3kOrFE-ue-7QVF409hSMb8ugTvVwCEwYBhgL/s1600/silicon-valley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1200" height="222" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw1GjIYj3lM/WkGF_21tN8I/AAAAAAAAGzo/xA3w_3kOrFE-ue-7QVF409hSMb8ugTvVwCEwYBhgL/s400/silicon-valley.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Silicon Valley </i>goes from strength to strength each season, the comedy is unlike anything else on TV at the moment. It has some brilliant people involved and I love how the storyline and characters evolve each season with new and hilarious scenarios. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">9. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 4)</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZhCRgBIMok/WkGF-bCA6MI/AAAAAAAAGzQ/ck-VmFxFJ9IarzQI1VIpWRm9vTZEaAj6wCEwYBhgL/s1600/agentsofshield.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="812" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZhCRgBIMok/WkGF-bCA6MI/AAAAAAAAGzQ/ck-VmFxFJ9IarzQI1VIpWRm9vTZEaAj6wCEwYBhgL/s400/agentsofshield.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After <i>Iron Fist</i>, <i>The Defenders</i> and <i>Inhumans </i>it might have seemed like Marvel had a bad year with TV but their original series <i>Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. </i>has been the gift that keeps on giving. Each third of the season had it's own great storyline, each better than the last, creating some very powerful moments for the team that loyal viewers have grown to love. I haven't caught up with the latest episodes yet but I am very much looking forward to!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">8. Girls </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 6)</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-uCO4AlfIQ/WkGF-KRFH-I/AAAAAAAAGzM/a3Oqjp-eSfg55Ab3xicOgYj11iI16luFACEwYBhgL/s1600/Girls-season-6-beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="888" height="205" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-uCO4AlfIQ/WkGF-KRFH-I/AAAAAAAAGzM/a3Oqjp-eSfg55Ab3xicOgYj11iI16luFACEwYBhgL/s400/Girls-season-6-beach.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In it's final season<i>, Girls</i>, subverted expectations like it always has. The characters are (slowly) starting to grow up and were all given a great send off, even if some of them were less showy than expected. I have loved this show from the beginning and although it's had its ups and downs, I am sad to see it go. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">7. Jane the Virgin </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 3 & 4)</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-indent: 0px;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yvf-wWX_PfA/WkGF_egwt6I/AAAAAAAAGzg/OVtRrPc6SbsMUax8zedG5gkhS5OuGFhhACEwYBhgL/s1600/janethevirgin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="726" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yvf-wWX_PfA/WkGF_egwt6I/AAAAAAAAGzg/OVtRrPc6SbsMUax8zedG5gkhS5OuGFhhACEwYBhgL/s400/janethevirgin.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-indent: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-indent: 0px;">
This result may have some recency biased as I have only just binge watched the two and bit seasons of this show. My girlfriend introduced me to it and I was unsure as to whether I would enjoy it or not but to be honest, I absolutely love it! I've never seen a show more comfortable with what it is and it is a joy to watch. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-indent: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">6. Game of Thrones </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 7)</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx6cGHah8HE/WkGF-x8YqBI/AAAAAAAAGzY/3T1f6n71KO0g-G55cLbigEkgDhe4wY7sACEwYBhgL/s1600/gameofthrones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx6cGHah8HE/WkGF-x8YqBI/AAAAAAAAGzY/3T1f6n71KO0g-G55cLbigEkgDhe4wY7sACEwYBhgL/s400/gameofthrones.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The end is near for <i>Game of Thrones </i>and you can definitely feel the show speeding towards closure in the penultimate season. There was a lot of great stuff going on this season even if some elements did feel rushed. It's still unclear as to whether we'll see the end in 2018 or 2019 but either way, I'm excited to see how this epic closes. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5. The Expanse </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 2)</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wTRO01DkaHw/WkGF-gFwbSI/AAAAAAAAGzU/3NLJR2ETCQ4SX_5N8rjjv1Zh9qQm00GAwCEwYBhgL/s1600/expanse-2x6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="825" height="223" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wTRO01DkaHw/WkGF-gFwbSI/AAAAAAAAGzU/3NLJR2ETCQ4SX_5N8rjjv1Zh9qQm00GAwCEwYBhgL/s400/expanse-2x6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After a slow start with season one, <i>The Expanse </i>started to find its stride in season two. The characters feel like family now, the stakes are starting to stack up and the story has kicked into gear. It's great to see how faithful the show still is to the source material and if they continue doing so we'll be in for one hell of a season three.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4. Stranger Things </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 2)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWKtiSkE1Bw/WkQE_Cfo2NI/AAAAAAAAG04/sqdLrVxxBkIjZQVNLEiJ9peafJ2KEq4KgCLcBGAs/s1600/stranger%2Bthings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="223" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWKtiSkE1Bw/WkQE_Cfo2NI/AAAAAAAAG04/sqdLrVxxBkIjZQVNLEiJ9peafJ2KEq4KgCLcBGAs/s400/stranger%2Bthings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After a near perfect first season, I was a little worried that <i>Stranger Things 2 </i>might not have been able to recreate the magic. Thankfully I was wrong and this season brought back our favourite characters, developing them further and even bringing about new and hilarious duos. I love these characters and I can't wait to see what they get them to do next.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. Halt and Catch Fire </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 4)</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tP_KiQ-IVp0/WkGF_Sg2QvI/AAAAAAAAGzc/LYvC7p2Es-Mqz3FH_uWp452FGetL3sKQQCEwYBhgL/s1600/haltandcatchfire%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tP_KiQ-IVp0/WkGF_Sg2QvI/AAAAAAAAGzc/LYvC7p2Es-Mqz3FH_uWp452FGetL3sKQQCEwYBhgL/s400/haltandcatchfire%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2017 also saw us say goodbye to what I consider one of the best TV shows this decade, <i>Halt and Catch Fire</i>. Not a lot of people caught this one and once again I urge everyone to seek it out, it has some of the best characters created for television and each one of them was given closure in powerful and emotion ways. You really should have been watching this one.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. The Handmaid's Tale </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 1)</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlEERqnjsMA/WkGGAlE73rI/AAAAAAAAGzs/_0E8gx4U_iYlMaw7_KrWAblvIiiCZW5zQCEwYBhgL/s1600/thehandmaidstales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlEERqnjsMA/WkGGAlE73rI/AAAAAAAAGzs/_0E8gx4U_iYlMaw7_KrWAblvIiiCZW5zQCEwYBhgL/s400/thehandmaidstales.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As the year got very political, so did the media content that was produced. It's probably just a coincidence that <i>The Handmaid's Tale </i>seemed to represent the Trump future we're all worried about, especially since it's based off of a book written in the 80's. This show was not just a brilliant and gripping story but it was also a great jumping point to kick off discussion about society in the present. And Elisabeth Moss is awesome.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. American Gods </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Season 1)</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zX2UbVofgzM/WkGF-IA1pWI/AAAAAAAAGzI/iQxeG8U4x8kYx7ulBxlp1n0dNGpRS2hFQCEwYBhgL/s1600/americangods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="650" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zX2UbVofgzM/WkGF-IA1pWI/AAAAAAAAGzI/iQxeG8U4x8kYx7ulBxlp1n0dNGpRS2hFQCEwYBhgL/s400/americangods.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I was worried when I heard that <i>American Gods </i>was going to be adapted into a TV show, the book is crazy and I was unclear how it would translate to the medium. Well, it translates very well indeed with the series staying very faithful to the book as well as expanding upon even more ideas, giving fans of the book and newcomers both a sense of originality. It's unlike anything I've ever seen on TV before and it takes some very crazy and incredible turns as well as being a visual delight. I'm interested to see whether it can carry on the ultra high quality storytelling in the second season because it has unfortunately lost its show runners, hopefully it will top my list next year as well.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
That's all for TV shows this year, be sure to check back soon for my top ten list of films. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thanks for reading!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Alex Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644037392861005990noreply@blogger.com0