GUEST POST: The Miseducation of Cameron Post

So today I have a guest post coming to you from my friend and work colleague Giordana Russo, who was lucky enough to see The Miseducation of Cameron Post at an early screening and write about for the blog.

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 hope you enjoy her review!

The Miseducation of Cameron Post will be out in UK cinemas August 31^st, 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:

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).

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Overall, The Miseducation of Cameron Post 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.

Rating: 3.5/5

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 Nameless Planet. 

Thanks for reading!

GUEST POST: Top Ten Musicals

This latest guest post comes from my friend and work colleague, Kris Steed. Kris has an infectious passion for film and is aspiring to turn that passion into a writing career. He will be setting up his own blog soon, so if you like what you read then I will put a link to it in a later post. In this post, he counts down his top ten favourite movie musicals - just in time for the UK release of La La Land. So read on and enjoy.

The days of the MGM musicals are sadly long behind us. With the increasing realism of cinema becoming more and more apparent, many moviegoers refuse to suspend reality whenever an actor suddenly breaks into song. Will there ever be a film to change that view? Or will the musical genre continue to divide audiences for years to come?

Well fortunately it seems that director Damien Chazelle's new film La La Land appears to be the perfect antidote to steer us into the new year, arriving in cinemas in the UK on the 13^th January.

So to get us in the toe-tapping mood, here are my top 10 picks of the best musicals to grace the silver screen...

10. Guys and Dolls

Uneven, problematic and cartoonish. Those are the easiest criticisms for Guys and Dolls. But who gives a damn? The musical sequences are gorgeous and lively, depicting an old fashioned world where men were men and women were strung along for the ride. With catchy tunes and eye popping dance numbers, this movie has MGM classic written all over it and will continue to be loved for years to come.

9. Meet Me in St. Louis

Starring Judy Garland, this slice of 1900's USA is a delightful Sunday afternoon affair that boasts classic songs such as "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Based on the memoirs of a real life family, Meet Me in St Louis depicts the ups and downs of living in America during the turn of the century. And with Garland at the peak of her career, there are endless amounts of musical treats to be enjoyed in this technicolour gem.

8. Moulin Rouge!

Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, The Great Gatsby) has never been a creature of subtlety and Moulin Rouge is no exception. An explosive visual feast which may be exhausting and overwhelming for some; but for all you hopeless romantics out there, prepare to fall completely in love with this Bohemian landmark in cinema. With theatrical twists on famous well-known pop songs, bold colours and broad intimidating characters, a night at the Moulin Rouge! will provide you with the exhilarating excess you've been missing from your lives.

7. The Sound of Music

Being forced to watch this as a young boy with your sister was extremely painful. However, it didn't take me too long to realise how much of a masterpiece The Sound of Music really is. This musical adaptation of the Von Trapp family oozes with ambition in both its musicality and cinematography. From the sweeping shots of the Austrian mountains, to the technicolour intimacy of the Gazebo, this movie entertains from start to finish. As one of the greatest pick-me-ups you could ever slide into your DVD player, The Sound of Music will refuse to ever leave the minds of those lucky enough to visit it.

6. My Fair Lady

Although this musical has some bad memories for me (more specifically me singing "Get Me to The Church" at a music recital with a cockney accent even Dick Van Dyke would cringe at) I still cannot deny the excellence of this film. A stunning big budget production which garnered a total of 8 Oscars, My Fair Lady is essential viewing for any musical theatre nut. Boasting an excellent cast featuring the legendary Audrey Hepburn, every frame of this film is slick, graceful and rich in Edwardian culture. That's without mentioning the intelligent song writing that does more than entertain, but also succeeds in enriching each character we see on screen. A classic 1960's masterpiece which I'd urge anyone to see, just don't ever try to mimic one of its song at a music recital.

5. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The darkly comic gorefest that is Sweeney Todd is renowned for being one of Tim Burton's high points as a Director. With excellent pacing, set design and character study, we delve deep into the underground world of one of Victorian London's greatest legends. I remember being surprised by the intricacy of Johnny Depp's performance and how his dark eyes were lifeless portals, devoid of any happiness or joy. All that remained was the intent to exact revenge against the corrupt Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) who exiled him to Australia and stole the love of his life. With intense musical sequences and spine-tingling twists and turns, Sweeney Todd is a convincing revenge story that will appeal to more than just the average musical lover.

4. West Side Story

What would appear to be the standard run of the mill musical, West Side Story is instead an explosive and raw reimagining of the Romeo and Juliet story, where two star crossed lovers from opposing communities fall in love in the dangerous backdrop of New York City. Full of passion, high energy and terrific musical numbers, West Side Story is unique in both the scope of its production and the grueling dances that the actors are forced to perform on location. But on another level there is plenty of creative subtlety to be enjoyed. The bold colour scheme of scolding reds drench each scene, foreshadowing the tragedy that these two young lovers will inevitably face. If you're not big into musicals then this will certainly challenge you in terms of its theatrical pacing. But if you're up for the ride then West Side Story will leave you in sheer awe.

3. Cabaret

Everyone has heard of it, but not everyone has seen it. Should you be concerned? My answer is YES. Cabaret is a chilling, bawdy and sometimes disturbing look at a 1930's Berlin cabaret club during a time where Nazism began to take its hold on the nation. This is by no means an ordinary musical, Cabaret is a much darker beast where director Bob Fosse knows his source material and focuses on it with pin-point precision. But don't get me wrong, there is still a heap of fun to be had with glamourous and bombastic musical numbers with larger-than-life characters. The 70's wasn't the greatest decade for the film-musical genre, but this one is enough to make up for it.

2. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg  

     

The most underrated classic on this list is the uncompromising French Musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. A story of two lovers who are forced to separate due to war. Surely this is one of the most romantic films ever made. Watching this, I was reminded that what I was experiencing was more of an opera than a musical. Every line in the movie is sung, evoking a parallel reality in which everyone communicates their thoughts and feelings through song. It's a truly magical experience. And this is all without mentioning the beautiful cinematography which transports you into a world of florescent colour and undying love. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg has truly stood the test of time and continues to excite new generations of not just musical lovers, but cinema lovers also.

1. Singin' in the Rain

Usually it's extremely difficult to find a film which defines a genre, but Singin' in the Rain not only wins that title, but carries it to almost unreachable heights. Set in the stylish setting of 1920's LA, Singin' in the Rain is the story of how a famous actor and a production company make a reluctant transition to sound. The story works really well and is a solid foundation for the film, but what really elevates this film into its legendary status is its abundance of charm. This film is steered into victory by its charismatic trio (Kelly, Reynolds and O'Connor) who spend the 103 minute runtime tap dancing their way into your hearts. Singin' in the Rain is a perfect example of how musicals and cinema can co-exist in perfect harmony to transport us to a place where the world dissolves away and dreams become reality.

So there you go, the top ten musicals according to Kris Steed. I definitely need to catch up on some of these! Feel free to leave some feedback down in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

GUEST POST: Top 5 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies You Need to See Now

I love a good Sci-Fi film, If you're stuck as to which one to watch next then have no fear as guest blogger, Cassie, is here to help with her list of the top 5 underrated Sci-Fi ready to stream now. I hope you enjoy this great post.

Cassie is a blogger and writer who focuses mainly on technology and entertainment. She is a huge Sci-Fi and film fan and hopes that these recommendations will bring some deeper thought and excitement into your life. You can find more of her writing on Secure Thoughts or Culture Coverage. She's also on Twitter: @Cassie_Culture.

Whether we know it or not, science fiction has been the primary influence of most genre films and modern filmmaking. They make up most of our blockbusters, and we are now more than ever able to make our grand dreams reality through the use of computer effects and expert filmmaking.

Some sci-fi films slip through the cracks or are poorly marketed. This does not diminish their quality. Fortunately, however, you can now easily access most movies through streaming websites of one sort or another. There are so many films to get lost in that it’s nearly impossible to know what to watch from a glance.

Here are some movies that you'll want to check out on a rainy day when you want to see some unfamiliar worlds and ideas:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

If you haven’t heard of this movie, then your expectations of Jim Carrey will not be met. In probably his best role, he plays a man who had his mind erased after a relationship turned out poorly and discovers that the woman had the relationship erased from her mind first. The script is from Charlie Kaufman, whose work is some of the best in the film industry in general and who won an Academy Award for this film. This movie simply doesn't get the attention it deserves.

This is a profoundly intellectual movie, and as a film about the corners of the mind, it is about the standard science fiction fare you would expect. Expect to spend some time thinking about the movie long after you've finished watching it. You probably won't look at relationships and memories the same.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

This is not a new film (the one I'm talking about came out in 1951), but it's readily available on streaming websites, still relevant today and yet still contains the charms of a film that came out over 60 years ago. It is likely you’ve heard the plot (or some variation of it) before, in which an alien lands and tells humanity they must be peaceful or be destroyed by other alien races. It speaks to humanity on a grand scale and takes a high-minded approach to the world’s problems.

While the effects and visuals might be hard to bear for some (the movie shows its age at points), one of the main draws of science fiction are the ideas contained within the work. The ideas are the reason this movie has stood the test of time.

Ex Machina

Ex Machina is one of my favorite films of last year, and it just simply gets the release and hype it deserved. It follows a programmer who wins a contest to spend a weekend at the private estate of his company's brilliant CEO. It turns out the true purpose of the weekend is to test the consciousness of a robot the CEO has been working on. A movie small in scope and large in concept, it tackles the divide between machine and man as well as some of the current debates regarding artificial intelligence today.

An extremely philosophical film, people will either love or hate the third act of the movie based on their expectations. That doesn't stop Oscar Isaac from standing out as tech CEO and genius Nathan Bateman. Alicia Vikander also is amazing as Ava, bringing an almost otherworldly presence to the character. Watching it now will be the best part of your day.

Under the Skin

Under the Skin is a film that will mess with your head and a movie some people won't like. You need to see it for yourself, as you simply can’t call it a standard science fiction film. Scarlett Johansson plays an extraterrestrial “woman” who lures men into fatal situations, and it's hard to decide whether the movie feels real or not.

Johansson is amazing in this role, and you can't help but feel intentionally uncomfortable with her character. You aren't certain of her intentions. You don't know what she wants. There are dozens of theories as to how her character and the film, in general, represent women in our culture (I'll leave it to you to create your own theory). The film tries to trick you. It tries to horrify you and then dares you to understand it. You absolutely need to watch this film.

Serenity

If you've intended to watch Joss Whedon’s masterpiece Firefly, you should probably skip this one for now and go watch the series. If you've already seen it, then you absolutely need to find this movie on your favorite streaming service and watch it. 

In many ways, it picks up right after the series left off, but it still manages to contain a story for people who are watching with you who might not be too interested in the series. The fact that Whedon gets a feature film budget to work with means we get some stunning action sequences within this already excellent universe.

There we have it, enough films for a great day’s worth of streaming. While you might prioritize some over others, know that you’ll most likely appreciate these films more than the numbers give them credit for.

Are there any other science fiction films that you think deserve a watch or are underrated? Have there been any films you watched recently that you think are awesome and want to share with your fellow readers? If so, please leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading!

GUEST POST: The Odds for the Film Underdogs

Something a bit different today as Alex's Essential Movie Blog has its first ever guest post! The post is written by Katrina Hinrichsen and looks at underdog films and what the character odds might be if you were to actually bet on them.

Katrina Hinrichsen is a Literature and Art History graduate with experience of writing on a wide range of subjects including the Arts, Travel and Marketing. She likes weird and wonderful films like Pan’s Labyrinth and Fight Club. You can connect with her on Twitter@katcuriosity!

Read on and enjoy!

You’ve watched them from your couches and cinema seats, waited with baited breath to see if they would triumph, and jumped up and fist pumped the air when they soared to glory despite the glaring unlikelihood.

But what, you wonder, are the precise odds for these athletes and sports teams’ eventual outcomes within these inspirational films? 

With the help of betting experts at Bookmakers.tv, I had a look at what the odds would be if you were to actually bet on your film favourites coming up top.

Rocky (1976)

Who isn’t familiar with the infamous rags to riches story of Rocky Balboa, or at the very least its iconic theme tune? Made on just a budget of around $1million and shot in 28 days, this film became the highest grossing film of 1976 and sprung Sylvestor Stallone to stardom.

The film draws inspiration from the careers of at least three boxers. Stallone’s story initiates when challenger Mac Lee Green pulls out of his bout with world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Local working class Italian-American fighter Rocky is then handed the chance to step into the ring for an exhibition match.

Rocky is 100/1 to take out the champion, yet he knocks him down in the first and despite taking incredible punishment, goes the full 15-round distance. Creed wins on a decision, but Rocky proves his worth.

Chariots of Fire (1981)

This film is set in a class-obsessed and religiously divided United Kingdom in the early 1920s. It is based on the true story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: a devout Scottish Christian named Eric Liddell who runs in his worship of God’s glory, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome anti-Semitism.

After being well beaten in the 100 metre final, 8/1 chance Harold Abrahams puts in the performance of his life to win gold in the 200 metres. Meanwhile, Eric Liddell's religious convictions make him miss his preferred 100 metre final on the Sunday and he is given little chance of winning over 400 metres. However, he too beats his American rivals to take gold at odds of 10/1.

Chariots of Fire became a recurring theme in promotions for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and a stage adaptation was even mounted in honour of the recent Olympics too. The film’s director, Hugh Hudson, stated in the Evening Standard that "Issues of faith, of refusal to compromise, standing up for one's beliefs, achieving something for the sake of it, with passion, and not just for fame or financial gain, are even more vital today."

Hoosiers (1986)

Hoosiers is a sports film lightly based on the Milan High School team that won the 1954 state basketball championship. Angelo Pizzo, who wrote the original screenplay, knows about small-town sports, and this helped his film to achieve very positive reviews for its sincerity and resonance with high school students.

Coach Norman Dale's unconventional methods initially attract only derision from the people of Hickory, but he sticks to his ways to somehow lead his small, un-athletic squad all the way to the Indiana State Championship final. In the final they are 14/1 to defeat a taller, fitter South Bend team, but a last second score seals an unlikely victory!

Cool Runnings (1993)

What a classic comedy. This film tells the true story of four Jamaicans, who decide to embark on a bobsledding challenge of a lifetime, by competing in the Winter Olympics despite never even having seen snow before. With the desperate motivation of a former champion runner within their team, these Jamaicans are set out to become true Olympic contenders.

The team begin the games as 250/1 outsiders in the four-man bob and were out to 500/1 after their placing last on the first run, yet they still came within a whisker of beating 4/6 favourites Switzerland to the gold.

Their tale is truly inspiring, demonstrating that when one door closes, alternative routes to success are still possible.

Warrior (2011)

Warrior is a modern American sports drama starring Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy as estranged brothers whose entry into a mixed martial arts tournament forces them to confront each other and their past.

U.S. Marine Tommy (66/1) and Brendan (50/1) are outsiders to scoop the $5m Sparta prize, yet they both overcome the odds to battle their way through to the final, where they are finally reconciled as Brendan (8/11) forces Tommy to submit in a brutal bout.

The film has received a lot of praise for its approach to the themes of forgiveness and family bonds. It also puts a spotlight on MMA as a sport that’s growing in popularity.

All these films are successful examples of the classic underdog formula, where the viewer gets to watch and support their favourite characters as they overcome serious challenges to become sporting champions (or close enough to it)!

What are your favourite inspirational sports films to watch and would you have ever bet on the athletes’ triumph? Share with us in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Katrina Hinrichsen
@katcuriosity