Film Review: Last Chance Harvey

Harvey played by Dustin Hoffman is a song writer who goes to London and meets Kate (Emma Thompson) where they develop a gentle and socially entertaining relationship. Good dating film.

An opportunity to see good acting from Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, in a London setting.

By Londonbill

Film Review: Drag Me to Hell

A horror film in which Christine Brown, a young female loan officer, working in a Los Angeles bank who is hoping to be promoted, played by Alison Lohman, gets hell for refusing to extend a desperate old woman’s home loan.

Take your date as its not completely over the top.

By Londonbill

Film Review: Terminator Salvation

A new Terminator film…
Set in 2018, John Connor (played by Christian Bale) leads us humans against the machines from the future.  Arny is not in it except a short clip from 1984. Connor makes his way deep into Skynet and uncovers a plan to wipe out all of us humans.

Some have said it would have been better if Terminator really was terminated, once and for all. But if you like that type of thing Terminators can go on and on – they don’t age.

By Londonbill

Film Review: My Bloody Valentine 3D

My Bloody Vallentine 3D is a remake of the 1981 My Bloody Vellentine, but with added 3D. When a tunnel collapses in, 11 years ago, six miners are trapped.  Only one, Harry Warden (Richard John Walters), survives, but he is left in a coma.  It turns out that he killed the other five, to preserve the air for him.  Exactly a year later, on Valentines day, he wakes from his coma and massacres 22 people.  10 years on, Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles), the Miner who caused the accident and has inherited the Mine, returns to sell the Mine and Harry Warden returns to kill again, or does he?

more about “MediaPark-www.filmtrailer.com“, posted with vodpod

Well to me the plot was flawed from the start.  Harry Warden killed the miners who he was trapped with, to preserve the air for himself, not because he was a crazed killer.  Okay it’s not a particularly nice thing to do and does make him a horrible person, but it wasn’t motiveless – his motive was survival.  So why would he wake up a year later and go on a killing rampage?  As the film was a remake, I guess you can’t blame the new film makers for plot holes – that’s down to the original film (although they could have chose a better film to remake).  So I’ll skirt over the plot holes for now (there were quite a few) and get on with how enjoyable (or not) the film is and whether or not it’s worth seeing…

I saw it mostly out of curiosity about the 3D and for those of you that are curious, it’s worth investigating.  In fact it’s the 3D that makes the film.  I think it would be a pretty crap film without it. I did enjoy watching the film and it did make me jump, but that was the 3D, not the film being scary.  I was actually nervous about seeing it, because I thought, being 3D, it might have terrified me.  I needn’t have worried.

It’s not the best film I’ve seen and the 3D is a bit of a gimmick, but overall it’s entertaining and worth seeing, if you’re curious.  By “entertaining,” I mean “not boring.”  My idea of a bad film is a boring one and despite the plot holes and lack of scariness,  I wasn’t bored.

Tracey – OwnAFilmCompany.com

Film Review: Changeling

Changling is based on the true story of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie), who’s son, Walter (Gattlin Griffith) went missing in 1928.  Eventually police returned a boy to her, claiming he was her son, but she was adamant they had returned the wrong boy.  Her fight to get her real son back results in her being branded delusional and committed to the psychiatric ward at Los Angeles County Hospital.

It is a good and interesting film, but it is very long and does drag a bit, particularly at the beginning.  It also leaves unanswered questions and, I’ve found out since, has some inaccuracies.

In my opinion, this is one of many films that have been ruined by the trailer giving too much away.  The trailer makes it clear that the wrong boy is returned, so the part of the film between Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) first claiming he is not her son and it becoming clear he definitely is not, is too long and boring because there is no suspense, as you already know he’s the wrong boy.  However, the film does pick up, once it is confirmed (by the dentist and teacher, not police) that he is not her son.

The film shows the corruption in the Los Angeles Police department, in 1928, and is made all the more shocking by the fact that it is based on a true story – the corruption part of the film, it seems, is completely accurate.  In fact most of the film seems to be true to the real story, except a few details about the impostor and what really happened to Walter Collins (Gattlin Griffith), but I won’t go into that, because it will ruin the film.  If you already seen the film, and want to know what I mean, click here.  The film also depicts Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) as a single mother, who’s husband left her, because he did not want the responsibility of a child.  In fact, her husband, also named Walter Collins, was in prison for burglary.

In conclusion is is a good film, with Angelina Jolie giving a great performance, and is definitely worth seeing, but be prepared for a slow beginning.  It inspired me to look up the actual events, so it must have done something right…

Tracey – OwnAFilmCompany.com

Review: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, starring Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst and Megan Fox, in cinemas from 3rd October, is loosely based on the autobiographical book by Toby Young. I use the term “loosely” because it is not a carbon copy of the book and, last night, the film-makers made it clear that it was never meant to be.

Screen on the Green, Islington played host to a Preview Screening, followed by Q & A, with Toby Young, Peter Straughan (writer of the screenplay), Robert B. Weide (Director), and Stephen Woolley (Producer).

The book is “Toby Young’s hilarious account of the five years he spent steadily working his way down the New York food chain, from glossy magazine editor to crash-test dummy for interactive sex toys. But it’s not just a collection of self-deprecating anecdotes. It’s also a seditious attack on the culture of celebrity from inside the belly of the beast. Not since Bonfire of the Vanities has the New York A-list been so mercilessly lampooned – and it all really happened!”

Now before I talk about the film, I should confess that I haven’t read the book. I have seen the one-man play, with Jack Davenport, at the Soho Theatre, but that was a few years ago, so I couldn’t remember all the details. That meant I was watching the film with a rough idea of the story line, but no in-depth knowledge. That said, it soon became apparent to me that names had been changed and the script updated, to mention current celebrities and films, but I didn’t realise the full extent of the differences. As I said at the beginning, the film is loosely based on the book. Obviously, the main character is the same (although he is called Sidney, not Toby, in the film), but some characters have been added or changed, and some events from the book have been missed out. Some names had to be changed for legal reasons.

Robert B. Weide and Stephen Woolley were keen to make it clear that they have not tried to make a copy of the book, and that a copy of the book wouldn’t work on screen. A film will never be an exact copy of a book. Well not unless it is about 6 hours long anyway. Details and events will always be missed out, and even if you did put everything in, and make a really long film, it still wouldn’t be exactly the same. Books and films, by nature, are different. Some films are closer to the books than others and this is one of those that isn’t very close to the book. I think Robert B. Weide and Stephen Woolley are right when they say that a copy of the book wouldn’t work. If the script wasn’t updated to current events, the film would seem really dated. If you are going to update the names and references than it’s already removed from the book, so it is probably better to step further away than be undecided in the middle. Anyway, I’m not going to harp on about the book, especially as I haven’t read it, but people who have read the book should be aware that if they go to the cinema, expecting to see a “true to the book” film, they may be disappointed.

Simon Pegg plays English journalist, Sidney Young, who’s struggling to make it in London, until he is offered his dream job, in New York. He accepts the job and soon realises that dreams are better than reality. The film follows his hilarious mishaps as he tries to progress his career and impress actress Sophie Maes (Megan Fox) and colleague Alison Olsen (Kirsten Dunst).

If I didn’t know that the film was based on real events, I’d say “it’s very funny, although a little unrealistic,” but as most the things actually happened, I’ll have to stick to just saying “it’s very funny”. It is very funny. It’s a romantic comedy, with the emphasis on comedy, and a must for all Simon Pegg fans. The only downside is that Simon Pegg makes his character too lovable, or may that’s just me.

Sidney Young is supposed to be incredibly arrogant at first and mellow as the mishaps add up (well that’s what happens in the play and, I believe, the book anyway), but I kinda liked him all along. He’s one of those characters that keeps screwing up, but is harmless really.

One of the first questions, asked by the audience, in the Q&A afterwards, was directed at Toby Young and asked if he really was “that arrogant,” so perhaps it was just me that didn’t find him very arrogant in the film. Toby himself was very funny and didn’t come across as at all arrogant, but apparently, he really was “that arrogant.”

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is on general release next week and I recommend seeing it.

Last night’s event was organised by The Script Factory.

Tracey – OwnAFilmCompany.com

Review: The Dark Knight (2008)

Where should I start? I mean, I’m pretty freaking speechless. And I can’t really believe that The Dark Knight has been released and I’ve seen it. I’ve been waiting for this movie for like almost 2 years.

I’m a huge Batman fan myself, since a little kid. Seen all the movies, seen all the cartoons. Read a few comics too. I really loved Tim Burton’s vision on the Dark Knight, but pretty much hated Schumacher’s on Batman and Robin. Batman Forever is somewhere in the middle I guess.

The Dark Knight is the first Batman movie not to have “Batman” in its title. And that’s not coincidence of course; The Dark Knight is nothing short of a crime saga set in Gotham City. It begins pretty much where Batman Begins left off, with the appearance of The Joker, who at first is considered a minor threat to the mobs and to Batman but that doesn’t last much as Joker’s crimes become more deadly and twisted.

Heath Ledger stole the show. Whenever he was on screen, he was fantastic. Makes you forget how to blink. The new grungy look that they adopted for Joker works out perfectly because it emphasizes on his personality. He doesn’t care for money, power or himself. He just wants chaos. The lack of his background was also genius, making him more mysterious than ever. Ledger lost himself in the character. He is The Joker.

Another villain that appears in this (besides Scarecrow who has a cameo) is Harvey Dent/Two Face. Aaron Eckhart also plays his role impeccably as Harvey Dent, The White Knight of Gotham and finally Two Face. The scarring looks gritty and pretty gross, nothing like the stupid pink paint on Tommy Lee’s face in Batman Forever. That’s why it’s so awesome.

The plot is strong, with a few big surprises. And with an ending that should lead to a third Batman movie. Something even more different than The Dark Knight.

It’s just fantastic, others calling it “The Godfather of superhero movies”. It’s way different than anything else. The Dark Knight is an experience, the most elaborate and pretentious comic book interpretation. Brilliant.

10/10

Toth Andrei – “All My Life I’ve Been Waiting For Someone”

Review: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

I recently saw the movie Sisterhood of Traveling Pants 2 with my best friend. I am a big fan of the Sisterhood series. This was a great sequel. The movie plot was similar to the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The movie focused on the power of true friendship and how each character experienced their first year of college. This movie had a good mix of comedy and drama. Also, this movie had a great cast and great acting. I love America Ferrera and Blake Lively. I would give this movie 5 out 5 stars. I would definitely recommend this movie.

Dance Girl 21

Pineapple Express: A Pleasant Surprise For This Cynic

I have to say that, when a friend suggested we go see “Pineapple Express,” I was a bit concerned I was about to waste $16.00 of my hard-earned money. I am happy to say that this is not what happened. I have not laughed this hard at a movie in years. My partner kept shushing me through his own laughter and the whole theater was obviously enjoying the film. Having never been into stoner movies or movies about drugs in general, and having never seen a film with the main actors, I was very pleasantly surprised as how well acted and written this movie was. Aside from some rather gory, violent scenes, it was a laugh a minute ride. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is into slap-stick as well, even though it is not ALL that type of comedy. Great film for the summer.

Heathcole

All Aboard The Pineapple Express

I have, until recently, refused to see anything that had to do with Judd Apatow or Seth Rogan. My opinion of the two up to this point has been very poor, despite “Knocked Up” getting surprisingly good reviews. Their brand of comedy just did not appeal to me, until I saw “Pineapple Express”.

At first I didn’t know what to expect. The trailer made the film look like an action flick and the title made it sound like a gay porno, but to my surprise the movie is actually a mix of summer action blockbuster and stoner comedy. The story centers on a pot-smoking loser who witnesses the murder of a drug lord. In his escape, he drops a joint of Pineapple Express, a type of weed only his dealer and a few people would know about. When his drug dealer finds out, they both flee in fear of being pursued by a man seeking a monopoly over the city’s drugs. The plot twists through several unlikely, yet utterly hilarious situations, ending in a fight against the evil drug lord’s crew. I’m still not a fan of Seth Rogan, but he does do an ok job. With that in mind, I find his voice to be obnoxious at times and his choices of characters to be a bit repetitive (doesn’t he play a washed-up stoner in every movie?). James Franco, on the other hand, is perfect for the role of the drug dealer. His performance is dead on, portraying a man that is amazingly stupid yet somehow very sweet and likable. The two actors make a very good pair as they battle through dangerous and ridiculous events.

Perhaps the funniest moments come from the total disfunctionality of the two characters who, of course, are constantly stoned. The two men cause themselves most of their own grief, from destroying their cell phones to selling pot to schoolchildren. Despite the heavy drug use, the movie actually has a very anti-drug message. The main character realizes that he would not be in trouble with the mobsters, if he had not smoked pot, prompting him to change his ways.

Overall, “Pineapple Express” is an entertaining comedy that will please both the pro- and anti-drug crowd. It truly raises the bar of what a stoner comedy should be (granted, that bar wasn’t very high to begin with). Although it’s not without its flaws, it is definitely worth checking out at your local cinema.

Macangel