Mirrormask (2005)

Hey everyone i know it has been a while so here is a blog on a film my friend showed me recently. :) I hope you like it.

MIRRORMASK

This is about a 15 year old girl that wants to leave her parents circus and be in what she calls the real world. When her mum becomes sick she ends up in a fantasy world where she has to save there world to save her own. To do this she must find the Mirror mask with the help of a friend she makes called Valentine.

This film is directed by Jim Henson and his wife but it isn't the typical puppets you are used to seeing in The Muppets, Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. This film is pretty much all CGI and it seems to work really well although there are some places where it is a little rubbish but then again I have found that with most mainly CGI films they have times where it is quiet up to scratch. 

The main character Helena (Stephanie Leonidas) is annoying but then again it is pretty much like the rest of the Jim Henson stuff I mean i don't know anyone yet that doesn't find Sarah (Labyrinth) and Jen ( Dark Crystal) annoying at some point during the movie if not all the time. But you still find away to but that behind you and start to sympathize  with the character on the journey through self discovery.  Although Leonidas seems to plat an annoying 15 year old very well. There are a few famous people in this movie that i am sure you wonderful people would have heard of for example Rob Brydon, Steven Fry, Lenny Henry and Robert Llewellyn. 

All in all I really enjoyed this movie and recommend it to anyone that like weird and wonderful fairytales. Or is you just like Jim Henson and want to see this new style he and his company have done. 

So watch this space i will be back soon with more films for you :)  

Top 5 chick flicks

5. Dirty Dancing 1987

So I thought I would start with an obvious one just to get the ball rolling. This is a classic chick flick and loved by millions all over the world. Directed by Emile Ardolino this film has a great soundtrack, memorable quotes and a heart warming love story. With Patrick Swayze at his peak (RIP) and his on screen partner Jennifer Grey ( Ferris Bueller's Day Off) They bring the story to life, of a teenage girl finding love with her dance instructor on a family vacation. This film is perfect to watch with friends on a girls night in or even on your own if you just need a bit of cheering up.  

4. Stepmom 1998

Stepmom is a film about a women that is trying to get on with her step kids but it doesn't help her when the kids mother hates her and finds everything she does is wrong. With the queen of chick flicks Julia Roberts ( Pretty women, Erin Brockovich, Notting Hill and My best friends wedding)  playing the step mom and Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise, Rocky Horror, Enchanted and The Witches of Eastwick) playing the Mother. This film is sad in places so that is a warning if you are the kind of person that cries at films. But there are fun bits in it to, so sit back and enjoy the journey that the film will take you on with highs and lows.


3. 13 going on 30 2004




This is the perfect film to watch on a girls night in. It is funny, happy and has awesome music that you will be singing along to and possibly dance along to ( which me and one of my friends has been known to do every time we watch this) So a girl named Jenna plays a game on her 13th Birthday and the next day ends up a 30 year old women. Jennifer Garner ( Juno, Ghosts of girlfriends past and Pear Harbour) plays the role of Jenna  and the on screen love a man named Matty that was her best friend in school is played by none other that the very handsome and cute Mark Ruffalo ( The Avengers, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and Zodiac). This one is definitely one to watch.

2.   The Breakfast Club 1985




This is one of my all time favourite movies and the perfect chilling movie. I will admit is starts of a little slow but it is funny and very well written. It s Directed and Written by John Hughes that also brought us sixteen candles, curly sue, weird science and pretty in pink. The story is about a group of kids in detention they are known as the criminal, brain, princess, jock and a basket case. They pour there hearts out to each other and find that they have more in common than they first thought. The characters are played by Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez and Anthony Michael Hall. I don't just recommend this film to girls many of my guy friends and watched and loved it as well so girls show your boyfriends and male friends and see if they like it too.

1. Labyrinth 1986



All I should have to say about this movie is its frigging David Bowie!! But I guess I better say a little bit more about it. This is a fantasy film Directed by Jim Henson that brought us the Muppets. So as you can guess there are a lot of puppets involved but they are a lot more dark than his usual kermit and miss piggy. It is classed as a musical and the songs will be stuck in your head and are very enjoyable. The story is a girl named Sarah wishes her brother to be taken away and so the Goblin King takes her little brother Toby away. Realising she has made a terrible mistake she then has 13 hours in which to get through the Labyrinth and save her brother before he is turned into a goblin for ever. There are so many lovable and memorable character that you will love forever after watching this. So give it a go! Warning though there are many crotch shots within this movie as David Bowie wears very tight trousers.   

Top Cat

Ok

 So I have watched Top Cat movie and the critics where right it is appallingly bad. It has some slightly amusing moments but nothing amazing this film won't be one of those that stick in your head for a long time you will soon forget about it. I must admit I got bored 30 minutes in and thought about not watching it any more but I stuck in there to see if it redeemed itself. But no it didn't! The bit that really confused me was all the technology, it was obviously meant to be set along time in the future with robots and holograms. ( would Top Cat really have lasted that long? something tells me he would have been long gone by then considering in the cartoon if I remember rightly they didn't even have cell phones) I know it is a cartoon and you are meant to expend your belief but this much?

And things that just don't go anywhere like the bad guy ( Strickland ) randomly get out a mirror and is completely obsessed with himself and looks but there is no reason behind it you can only come to the conclusion he is deluded there is no back story behind him not even a one line mention as to why. Also he randomly tells us about a mole on his arse that is shaped like a cow and wants to show it to Officer Dibble I think it is meant to be funny but to be honest it just made me go WTF?. Also one part when they are trying to save TC a bell calls a random horse from no where in the middle of New York City that just disappears and you never see again I mean why? They could of hid in a lorry/car or mail van it would make more sense!

So all in all if you liked Top Cat as a kid don't watch it you will be highly disappointed. Yes the voice acting is good and it is nice to see all the old TC gang but it really does nothing for the image of Top Cat. The best I can say is your kids will probably like it it might keep them entertained for a short while.

So that is it from me but as always it is good to make your own opinions about movies everyone has different ideas about what makes a good movie :)

What this space see you all soon    

Movies based on real people or true events

So I have decided to write about a few films that I have that are based on real events or real people.


Ray (2004)





This is a very touching story about the life and career of the legendary Ray Charles. with Jamie Foxx playing Ray I must admit he did an amazing job. Ray Charles changed Rhythm and Blues and  Jazz mainstream for the first time, thanks to his efforts this music became respectable universally. this movie looks deep into his relationships his drug abuse and of course his music career.


With good music and a very deep script this film is well worth the watch.

Brassed off  (1996)

This is the story of Grimley colliery brass band (Grimthrope colliery brass band) when the mining pits were fighting to stay open. It is funny but also a tear jerker as you go through the struggles of what the miners had to face, and due to the closing of the mines what the band itself had to go through. With in my opinion an award winning performance from Pete Postlethwaite (RIP). This is a film about true Britain up North back then and one of my favourite British movies. 

Fargo (1996)

Ok so from people you feel sorry for to one guy that deserved everything he got. This a a story about a man that tries to black mail his Father in-law by having his own wife kidnapped by two career criminals. But of course everything goes extremely wrong. The events show within this movie happened in Minnesota in 1987. Of course for respect they changed names. It is Directed and Produced by the Coen brother and has won 5 different award 2 of them for Best Screenplay. With great acting from William.H.Macy (Mystery men, Magnolia and Jurassic Park) Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs, Big Lebowski and Monster's INC) and Frances McDormand ( Raising Arizona, Almost Famous and Burn after reading). This film is brilliant and well worth the watch.  

The Boat that Rocked (2009)

So for those of you that don't know this is based on Pirate Radio in the 1960's. For those of you that don't know about pirate radio they were based in the north sea where they played rock n roll 24 hours a day in a time where it wasn't aloud to be played on radio stations in land ( If you ain't old enough to remember the 60's ask your parents about it). With an awesome soundtrack from that era that is good enough to get anyone singing ( and perhaps dancing which I have been known to do) This film is full of amazing Actors and Actresses that people from all era's should recognise. This film is very funny with some of course serious bits that are emotional. This film is great if you are in a mad or sad mood and need cheering up and it is also a film you can enjoy with your parents. So come on people give it a try.   

So there are 4 films based on true stories, of course there are many many more that I could have wrote about for example Cool Runnings, Coach Carter, Pursuit of happyness, Erin Brockovich, Take the lead, 8 mile, Titanic and of course Zulu with still many I haven't mentioned. I may write about them at a later date who knows but for now watch this space and take care. 

Top Cat the movie 2012

Top Cat the movie is out in 3D on your screens this Friday. Unfortunately though it hasn't been given the best ratings in the world scoring only 5.3/10 by IMDB. Movie reviewers such as Scott Davis from Flickering Myths that gave the movie 1 star  ( http://www.flickeringmyth.com ) and Jeff Galasso from londonfilmfanatiq (http://londonfilmfanatiq.com) gave it only 3 stars. Saying that the movie is going to be in the list of worst movies brought out this year.

According to the reviews the movie is bad from start to finish with appalling 3D which is likely to give anyone a headache and the animation is classed and uninspired and dull. One even went as far as the say that the original creators the great Hanna Barbera productions Ltd,( The Flinstones )  would turn in there graves at the sight of this movie. Saying the TC is very poorly done and his side kicks should have there own movie as they are the only slightly interesting parts within the flick.

So the story initials a new police man on the block, that is less than pleased with the way Officer Dibble's deals with the TC and his gang with their scams. The film adds new characters (much to many peoples disappointment)  one of which is Trixie the love interest of TC. I mean why? he never needed one before why bring one in now! But anyway I digress, TC/ Giswald/ Lou Strickland/ Choo choo/ Brain and Big Gus are all voiced by Jason Harris in the English version of this movie, of whom you may have heard of from Despicable Me. Which from watching the trailer appears to actually gets TC's voice pretty much right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xaoG2yjP4E

Here is the trailer for you to make up your own opinions.

So for now that it is from me. I will be watching the film so I can of course make up my own opinions about the movie( but from watching the trailer it doesn't look good ) and I will get back to you all about what I made of it.

So watch this space and take care everyone.

Stranger than fiction

As you can tell this is Will Ferrell but not how you usually see him. His is a comedy but is a little more serious than his usual movies ( Blades of glory, Anchorman, Step Brothers ect) For those of you that haven't seen this movie it is about an IRS auditor called Harold Crick ( Will Ferrell) that is very OCD with his day to day routine. Until he starts hearing someone narrating his life of which no one else can hear.

It came out 6 years ago now and is still one of my all time Will Ferrell films, it shows him in a new light which most people hadn't seen before this movie. He is a lot calmer but does not for one second loose his funny side because of it. He is joined by other well known actors and actresses for example Dustin Hoffman ( The story of a murdered, Hook, Toosie, The Graduate and Rainman) , Emma Thompson ( Love actually, The boat that rocked and Nanny McPhee) and Maggie Gyllenhaal ( Donnie Darko, The Dark knight and 40 days and 40 night) all of whom play very convincing roles within the film. It is completely set in Chicago which I like as sometimes when they decide to film all over the place and it is just meant to be in one place, it can be rather obvious at time. It is Directed by Marc Forster who I have mentioned in a previous blog as he is directing WWZ which is to be released next year.

When I was watching it with my other half he made it known to me that if the book that was been written in the film was in fact real it would be a really rubbish book. ( which made me giggle) but it is everything else in the movie that makes this film so good and I strongly advise people that haven't seen it to watch it.    

When Harry met Sally

So I have just been watching When Harry met Sally which before I get into what I know is going to be a rant I do actually like this movie it is funny and a fun film to watch. BUT oh my god it does tend to get annoying, I mean you go through the whole relationship of them not liking each other and then becoming friends and the entire time thinking to yourself will you just kiss or go out already. I mean even when they apparently don't like each other there is sexual tension between them. It take something like 7 years for anything to happen. So you go through the first half of the movie going god you tell each other everything, you ring each other practically every night and you hang out with each other all the time. For god sake just kiss already or something. And then when they do finally kiss because she is all upset they end up having sex so there you have everything all in one go. Which then leads to them not talking because it was too "weird" and becoming two completely miserable people. GET OVER IT you are obviously perfect for each other just get on with it. So then for the rest of the movie is Harry trying to get Sally to talk to him and your just thinking for god sake Sally answer his calls he is been really sweet and well a little cringe worthy by leaving him singing on answering machines.

But I must admit when they do finally get together it is one of my favourite romance scenes in movies. It is a proper tear jerker. It is just annoying that it is so dragged out, and your literally shouting at the screen for them to get on with it. OK rant over, these are the reason why i like the movie, it is very funny for example it has one of the best fake orgasm scenes which is just laugh out loud funny especially the line after it where one of the people in the Cafe (  played by Meg Ryan's mother) says " I'll have what she's  having" just an epic moment which has been recognised by many film critics. It was nominated for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best screenplay.

 Overall the movie is really good and please don't let my opinion on it been too dragged out put you off watching this movie. I think people should definitely give it a go. It is the perfect girly night in movie.