An Evening With Mark Duplass

So today I have decided to sit down and watch a marathon of films that star Mark Duplass or have been directed by him and his brother. This post will be updated throughout the day as I have seen each film and written a short review.

Baghead

So I started with Baghead which was directed by Mark Duplass and his brother Jay. The story is about four struggling actors who retreat to a cabin to write a screenplay. One of the ideas is about a serial killer who wears a bag on his face. Trouble starts when the script becomes real life and the group find themselves being stalked by Baghead. The style of the Duplass brothers is the most interesting quality of the film, it feels like a found footage film with the amount of shaky camera shots and quick zooms, this adds to the scariness but we never forget who are the filmmakers of this piece. I enjoyed the film and I liked its take on the horror genre,a  genre I am not particularly a fan of. The only problem was that it was too obvious where the storyline was heading which took away some of the scares but not all of them. It was a pretty good film to start my evening but nothing really special, I am giving Baghead a rating of 3/5.



The Puffy Chair

This is more like the Duplass brothers we now know . Though it may not be that apparent at first with Mark Duplass not being as likable a person like some of the characters we have seen him play. The film is about Josh (Duplass) and his girlfriend Emily who go on a road trip to pick up a puffy chair for Josh's dad's birthday. On the way they pick up Josh's brother Rhett and the three of them end up going on a life changing journey about love and relationships. The film looks like a documentary with not a lot of shaky cam and not a lot of change in the captured image as to the one we see on screen. Thankfully the acting is good enough to pull this off and a lot of the time it feels like a home video. If it wasn't for the editing and soundtrack then you could easily   mistake it for one. Even the problems are very real and it can be very powerful, and then you get those sweet moments that really make the film. You end the film feeling like you have been through a similar journey with the characters and you feel good. Something I love about all the films Mark Duplass is associated with, that is why I am giving The Puffy Chair a rating of 4/5.


Your Sister's Sister

Now you may have already seen me rave about this film, it was actually number 4 on my top 10 films of 2012. Watching it again is just as good even though you know what is going to happen. The idea is so simple yet effective, the plot goes like this 'Iris invites her friend Jack to stay at her family's island getaway after the death of his brother. At their remote cabin, Jack's drunken encounter with Hannah, Iris' sister, kicks off a revealing stretch of days.' The themes are similar to a Duplass brothers directed movie but the director Lynn Shelton makes it her own piece at the final product is something that I fell in love with (twice now). Mark Duplass is the 'nice guy' character again and pulls it off... again and this one of the reasons I love seeing him on film. I also believe this to be one of Emily Blunt's best performances as she just feels so real in this, one of the reasons she is one of my favourite actresses. The film is very interesting and will leave a lot to talk about once the credits start rolling. It can be little slow in places but over all this is a really lovely film which I am rating a 4.5/5.


Safety Not Guaranteed

I LOVE THIS FILM. You may have already seen it at number 2 on my top 10 films of 2012, this movie is awesome. Everything about it is perfect and it is the best feel good film out of all the films I have seen today. I doubt I will ever get tired of this film. Mark Duplass's best performance and his character is the one I most want to be friends with out of his work. The imagery, the soundtrack, the incredible story, I love it all. If you don't know already Safety Not Guaranteed's plot goes like this; Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel. kIt really is such a great film and I recommend everyone should watch it, I haven't met someone who doesn't like it yet. I am giving Safety Not Guaranteed a big fat juicy rating of 5/5.

Thank you for joining me on my Mark Duplass movie marathon. Other works of his I have seen at a different time include Jeff Who Lives At Home and Hump Day, both of which are great and I recommend.

What do you think of my reviews, do you agree with them? Are you a massive fan of Mark Duplass or is he overrated? Please comment below.

Thanks for reading!

Review of 2012

Happy new year people! Shall we start the year with my review of the last one? 2012, what a year it was! My top ten films list may just be the hardest I have had to compile! Other lists include my top 5 TV shows of the year and my top 3 albums of the year. So please take a look at my post and I hope you enjoy my review of an outstanding year of film! Starting with my top ten films of 2012:

10. Liberal Arts

Funny, charming and very sweet. One of the films I saw at Sundance London and it sure did leave an impression. Check out my review of this film and the festival here: Sundance London

9. Dredd 3D

The biggest surprise of the year. I saw this film just to pass away time one day whilst waiting for my phone to be repaired. I went in with low expectations but came out very happy! It was super cool and featured some of the best 3D I have seen. Read my full review here: Dredd 3D

8. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

I didn't realise how much I missed Middle Earth until I saw the first part of The Hobbit earlier last month. A very good film but unfortunately the higher frame rate let it down a bit, making it only 8th in my top 10. I wonder if the second part will make into my list for 2013? Read my full review here: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

7. Looper

The most original sci-fi film of the year! Featuring some excellent performances and a very smart storyline that changed the way I felt about each character all the time. An example of brilliant film making. Read my full review here: Looper

6. The Hunger Games

Being a massive fan of the book, I was extremely happy at how faithful the adaption was on the big screen. An excellent approach to a film that could have been a disaster. A standout performance from Jennifer Lawrence and top notch direction from Gary Ross. Although I am worried for the sequels, at least this film was awesome! Read my full review here: The Hunger Games

5. Skyfall

The best Bond film yet! An excellent way to celebrate 007's 50th anniversary! I couldn't have asked for anything more from Skyfall! Read my full review here: Skyfall

4. Your Sister's Sister

The first of two films starring Mark Duplass in my top 10 list. The guy sure knows how to play lovable losers. I am a sucker for new takes on the romance genre and this film is one of them. A great film with some great performances from all 3 leads. If you haven't seen it, check it out!

3. The Dark Knight Rises

Not as good as The Dark Knight, but Christopher Nolans final Batman film was nothing less then spectacular! A great finale to one of the best trilogies we have seen. I feel sorry for whoever has to take on the next Batman film. Read my full review here: The Dark Knight Rises

2. Safety Not Guaranteed

Mark Duplass's second film in my list and second on my list! Another film I saw at Sundance London and what a treat it was! An awesome and heartfelt film that every time I've watched it has never failed to put a smile on my face. A well deserved second place! Read my review of the film and the festival here: Sundance London

1. The Avengers

The ultimate superhero film! Never before have I been so happy and excited in the cinema and the feeling has not declined every time I have seen it! The ultimate geek feast for your eyes! I could not have wished for anything more. The best film of the year and one of my favourites ever! Read my full review here: The Avengers

Some of you may be surprised to see that The Amazing Spider-Man did not make the list considering I am a giant fan of the character. Although I did not think it was a terrible film, I was however disappointed with it. A good film, but not the best of the year. There were loads of films that could have made the top 10 in 2012. It was such a good year for films and lets hope 2013 can continue the trend!

2012 wasn't just a good year for film, it was also a great year for TV. Here are my top 5 TV shows of the year:

5. Doctor Who Series 7

Matt Smith continues his brilliant run as The Doctor. The latest season shows off why, in my opinion, he is the best man yet to play the time lord. Not every episode was amazing but the majority of them were awesome. I look forward to the second half of the season coming later this year.

4. Sherlock Series 2

The first season was good, but the second was on another level! Sherlock proved Benedict Cumberpatch and Martin Freeman were top class actors, and look where it's got them now. We're going to have to wait a little while for the third series as they are only just about to film the episodes this month. I for one can't wait!

3. Game of Thrones Season 2

Game of Thrones is Lord of the Rings but the adult version. This show brings the fantasy genre to a new level. Truly is one of the best shows on TV and it has some adorable looking dragons. Such an epic TV show!

2. The Walking Dead Season 3

After some people disliked the second season (not me), the creators really tried their hardest to make the third season much better. And their hard work really paid off. Season 3 has created some of the best TV moments I have ever seen and has even reduced me to tears in parts. The Walking Dead is something special indeed.

1. Breaking Bad Season 5

I have never been so hooked on a TV show in my life! This show is the reason that posts have been slow for the last few months on the blog! Well that and University life! Breaking Bad is like nothing I have ever seen before, the story lines are great and the characters are awesome! Such a clever and truly incredible TV series and the latest season has been no exception. I can't wait to see the final 8 episodes coming this summer. I highly recommend!

Now on to my favourite music albums of the year:

3. The Killers - Battle Born

Although it wasn't everything I had hoped for from my favourite band, it still had some great tunes!

2. Mystery Jets - Radlands

The Mystery Jets change their tune a bit in their latest album, which has a very American feel to it. Maybe because it was produced over there! Very catchy!

1. The Vaccines - Coming of Age

The Vaccines take first place for a second year in a row! Both the band's albums have been great, I hope they will only get better!

Well that concludes my review of 2012, I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did! 

Did you enjoy 2012? Do you agree with my lists? Are you looking forward to 2013? Feel free to comment and share with me your top films of year!

Thanks for reading! Happy New Year!