This week is looking a bit hectic with one premiere to attend and two preview screenings. First up on Monday I am going to interview the stars and director of Sunshine On Leith, Dexter Fletcher's new film. Then on Tuesday it's James McAvoy starring dirty cop black comedy Filth and finally on Wednesday, I'm going to a free student screening of How I Live Now from director Kevin MacDonald and starring Saoirse Ronan.
The cast in attendance at the Sunshine on Leith premiere will include Jane Horrocks, Freya Mavor,
Kevin Guthrie, George Mackay,
Antonia Thomas and apparently special guests The Proclaimers will also be there along with director Dexter Fletcher. Booooo no Peter Mullan though. I'll be standing in the press pen interviewing the attendees for Tastic Film so hopefully you will be able to see the videos up on the Tastic Film YouTube channel soon after.
If this film is even half as good as Fletcher's directorial debut Wild Bill, I'll be very pleased!
Here is the trailer for Sunshine on Leith:
Then on Tuesday it's off to see the adaptation of Irvine Welsh's horrible novel Filth starring James McAvoy as a despicable copper with a tapeworm and highly dubious morals. I hated the book (from the same author as Trainspotting) but the trailer makes this look like it might actually be a bit of guilty, sick and twisted fun!
Then finally it's a young adult adaptation from awesome director Kevin MacDonald that sounds much darker than your average Twilight, Mortal Instruments or any other number of fantasy adaptations for teens. Stick with the trailer past the first 40 seconds of sunshine and laughing. When war breaks out in our recognisable reality this looks like it should get far more exciting than a bunch of CG supernatural creatures flying about the place!
Any of these take your fancy?
Saturday, 21 September 2013
Batfleck, Beorn, Dexter and Walter White
In my
writing for Yahoo Movies and TV, I've been tackling a range of issues this
week from defending the casting of Ban Affleck as Batman (probably not very
convincingly) to the coolest new character to watch out for in The Desolation
of Smaug and finally bidding a very fond but sad farewll to TV's greatest
anti-heroes: Dexter Morgan and Walter White.
I’m a bit behind on Dexter because the final episode of season 8 and the finale of the whole show is airing on Sunday and I’m just approaching the end of series 7. I’m a bit concerned for the direction it’s taking, suspecting that the writers may have left this one out in the Miami sun for a bit too long.
Breaking Bad on the other hand is going out on a monumental high, especially after the left episode left my jaw continually on the floor and sent me hurtling up and down an emotional roller coaster of sympathy and hatred.
In defence of Batfleck
I’m a bit behind on Dexter because the final episode of season 8 and the finale of the whole show is airing on Sunday and I’m just approaching the end of series 7. I’m a bit concerned for the direction it’s taking, suspecting that the writers may have left this one out in the Miami sun for a bit too long.
Breaking Bad on the other hand is going out on a monumental high, especially after the left episode left my jaw continually on the floor and sent me hurtling up and down an emotional roller coaster of sympathy and hatred.
In defence of Batfleck
As an avid Affleck fan since the start of
his career, here’s why haters should hold their tongues before they see
Batfleck in action.
Forget Smaug the Dragon, Bard the Bowman
and Bilbo and the dwarves, the most exciting character in Peter Jackson’s 'The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' sequel will be Beorn, the half man, half bear
recluse.
Within two weeks, ‘Breaking Bad’ and
‘Dexter’ fans will be mourning the loss of two of TV’s greatest ever
anti-heroes. Here's why fans loved the infamous Dexter Morgan and Walter White.
If all that isn’t enough, I’ve also been
weighing in on a bunch of other topics for Yahoo Lifestyle and Yahoo News from
proposed British rail networks to the benefits of quitting smoking.
Reports are suggesting that the High Speed
2 rail system could have a bold and brilliant impact on the UK economy. I’m all for planning
ahead and trying to get people off the roads but HS2 and all the reports
surrounding it, reek of false optimism to me.
In quitting smoking and starting running at
around the same time, I used jogging as a distraction from wanting a cigarette
in the evenings. It worked and soon I found myself craving a jog, rather than a
fag after work.
That’s it from me for the week! What you
have been writing and watching?
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Breaking Bad: The final countdown
Shell shocked is how I feel right now. I just watched Season 5 Episode 14 of Breaking Bad from between my fingers that were clasped for most of the episode over my eyes and clutching my head. If you aren't up to date with the show then I strongly suggest you stop reading this right now as here will be spoilers! We are now 2 episodes away from the finale and the latest episode titled Ozymandias is sure to go down in history as one of the best bits of TV ever written.
Taking its title from a sonnet (thanks Wikipedia) whose central theme is the 'inevitable decline of all leaders', this episode was an emotional roller coaster of the most terrifying kind. Starting with the blistering cliff hanger of the previous episode where all the central players ended up facing off against one another with far too many guns thrown into the mix, it wasn't long before a much beloved character was dead in the dust.
Walter White has descended over five series from family man and high school chemistry teacher to meth dealer, murderer, drug lord and utter, utter bastard. Creator Vince Gilligan has stated that he wanted to write a show where the protagonist gradually became the antagonist. Over the five series, Walt has become more and more morally questionable and despite staying true to his family man values (at least where his own immediate family is concerned) he has become a truly repugnant figure by the end of the fourth season (if not before).
The problem with Walt is that he is still in many ways the protagonist and everything he has done, it could be argued has been done for his family. OK so a lot was just to save his own ass too, but he has always had a strong desire to protect and provide for his wife and children. Most viewers will likely have been rooting for him throughout even as evil has frequently overcome him.
However Walt has become increasingly arrogant, ruthless, scheming and just damn hard to like. The turning point for me was when I realised he had poisoned the child at the end of series 4. Until then I had been rooting for him to come out on top against the sinister and terrifying Gus. As soon as Gus was defeated and there was no antagonist to Walt's 'protagonist', I realised just what I'd been rooting for and quickly shifted sides. Or wait was it earlier? Was it when Walt forced Jesse to murder Gale in order to save their skins? I'm not sure.
Series 5 for me has just been about hoping that Jesse gets as far away from Walt as possible and seeing that Walt is brought to justice. I have started to hate Walter White. I have started to root for Hank. I have started to feel much more sympathy for Jesse who I so often thought of in the past as stupid and a total liability.
But still, thanks to the incredible performance of Bryan Cranston there are these odd moments where I (and I'm sure most of us) find myself empathising with Walt again. In this last episode he failed to save Hank, dropped Jesse right in the shit and stole his own child from her mother. But when he pleads for Hank's life, breaks down in tears and appears to save Skyler I see that little sliver of good in him again. It is, as I said earlier, an emotional roller coaster. Never did I think the show could get much darker but seeing poor Flynn/Junior watching as his parents fought with a knife was seriously distressing TV. And then there is the fate of Jesse to think about.
With only two episodes to go, Breaking Bad is destined to get darker and to go down in history as one of the greatest dramas ever put on screen (cinema or TV). There is hope in how Walt left Holly at a fire house but I'm still not sure if he was saving Skyler through his final phone call or simply distancing her from what else he is about to do. As for Jesse I guess as long as he is alive there is still some hope. I'm still gutted Hank is gone and as much as Walt tried to help, he deserves to be punished for his part in this.
My question for Breaking Bad fans is when did you stop rooting for Walt or are you still hoping he's going to come out on top? Also if you fancy leaving a prediction, how do you think Breaking Bad is going to end?
One more thing... how f**king cool is this?
Taking its title from a sonnet (thanks Wikipedia) whose central theme is the 'inevitable decline of all leaders', this episode was an emotional roller coaster of the most terrifying kind. Starting with the blistering cliff hanger of the previous episode where all the central players ended up facing off against one another with far too many guns thrown into the mix, it wasn't long before a much beloved character was dead in the dust.
Walter White has descended over five series from family man and high school chemistry teacher to meth dealer, murderer, drug lord and utter, utter bastard. Creator Vince Gilligan has stated that he wanted to write a show where the protagonist gradually became the antagonist. Over the five series, Walt has become more and more morally questionable and despite staying true to his family man values (at least where his own immediate family is concerned) he has become a truly repugnant figure by the end of the fourth season (if not before).
The problem with Walt is that he is still in many ways the protagonist and everything he has done, it could be argued has been done for his family. OK so a lot was just to save his own ass too, but he has always had a strong desire to protect and provide for his wife and children. Most viewers will likely have been rooting for him throughout even as evil has frequently overcome him.
However Walt has become increasingly arrogant, ruthless, scheming and just damn hard to like. The turning point for me was when I realised he had poisoned the child at the end of series 4. Until then I had been rooting for him to come out on top against the sinister and terrifying Gus. As soon as Gus was defeated and there was no antagonist to Walt's 'protagonist', I realised just what I'd been rooting for and quickly shifted sides. Or wait was it earlier? Was it when Walt forced Jesse to murder Gale in order to save their skins? I'm not sure.
Series 5 for me has just been about hoping that Jesse gets as far away from Walt as possible and seeing that Walt is brought to justice. I have started to hate Walter White. I have started to root for Hank. I have started to feel much more sympathy for Jesse who I so often thought of in the past as stupid and a total liability.
But still, thanks to the incredible performance of Bryan Cranston there are these odd moments where I (and I'm sure most of us) find myself empathising with Walt again. In this last episode he failed to save Hank, dropped Jesse right in the shit and stole his own child from her mother. But when he pleads for Hank's life, breaks down in tears and appears to save Skyler I see that little sliver of good in him again. It is, as I said earlier, an emotional roller coaster. Never did I think the show could get much darker but seeing poor Flynn/Junior watching as his parents fought with a knife was seriously distressing TV. And then there is the fate of Jesse to think about.
With only two episodes to go, Breaking Bad is destined to get darker and to go down in history as one of the greatest dramas ever put on screen (cinema or TV). There is hope in how Walt left Holly at a fire house but I'm still not sure if he was saving Skyler through his final phone call or simply distancing her from what else he is about to do. As for Jesse I guess as long as he is alive there is still some hope. I'm still gutted Hank is gone and as much as Walt tried to help, he deserves to be punished for his part in this.
My question for Breaking Bad fans is when did you stop rooting for Walt or are you still hoping he's going to come out on top? Also if you fancy leaving a prediction, how do you think Breaking Bad is going to end?
One more thing... how f**king cool is this?
Wednesday, 11 September 2013
More Fast and Furious 7 and 8 News
There is loads going on in the world of the Fast and Furious franchise at the moment with casting announcements continuing aplenty, rumours abounding, details of possible story details for the eighth film in the series and even set photos and videos leaking online. Production has officially started on Fast and Furious 7 with James Wan taking over the steering wheel from Justin Lin and cars and stars already snapped at the Pikes Peak Colorado location.
There seem to be doubts over how big a role Kurt Russell will have in the next two films and doubts over whether Bollywood star Deepika Padukone will find a way to make her schedule fit with Fast and Furious 7. I'm reporting on every detail for Yahoo Movies so please feel free to keep checking my Yahoo profile for more updates on the Fast and Furious franchise.You can also check out more Fast and Furious stories at the dedicated Yahoo Movies Fast and Furious page.
Here are the most recent stories I have covered in the past fortnight. Please click the headlines to read the full stories:
There seem to be doubts over how big a role Kurt Russell will have in the next two films and doubts over whether Bollywood star Deepika Padukone will find a way to make her schedule fit with Fast and Furious 7. I'm reporting on every detail for Yahoo Movies so please feel free to keep checking my Yahoo profile for more updates on the Fast and Furious franchise.You can also check out more Fast and Furious stories at the dedicated Yahoo Movies Fast and Furious page.
Here are the most recent stories I have covered in the past fortnight. Please click the headlines to read the full stories:
Location pictures and videos from Fast and Furious 7
Photos and videos are leaking from the set with
eager snappers catching glimpses of the action as well as the stars
themselves releasing short videos from the locations.
Could Kurt Russell only cameo in Fast and Furious 7?
Diesel has stated that “Kurt Russell was the
perfect person to introduce in '7' to play out the eighth storyline”. An
unofficial Twitter account @FF7Movie is now indicating that “Kurt
Russel was almost about to join #Fast7." Could it just be a cameo?
Casting gear changes for Fast and Furious 7
Casting changes on 'Fast and Furious 7' continue
with reports that Bollywood star Deepike Padukone may be out and 'Game
of Thrones' star Nathalie Emmanuel is in, adding to an already packed
line up.
Vin Diesel confirms Kurt Russell for Fast and Furious 7 and 8
After many rumours of action icon Kurt Russell
being a new addition to the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise, Vin Diesel has
just put his foot down and accelerated proceedings by declaring the
rumours true; Russell will join Fast and Furious 7 and 8!
New star of Fast and Furious 7 Kurt Russell’s best moments of vehicular mayhem
With the announcement that Kurt Russell is
joining ‘Fast and Furious 7’, the franchise just got even hotter. A look
back at some of the best films in his career shows Russell has
significant experience in hair raising stunts and explosive action.
Pikes Peak set for dizzying action scenes in Fast and Furious 7?
With shooting on ‘Fast and Furious 7’ confirmed
to be occurring all across the globe, one bit of news suggests the
seventh instalment in the franchise is sticking a little closer to home
for at least one of its huge action set pieces.
Friday, 6 September 2013
Deconstructing Romeo + Juliet @Static Mass Emporium
As part of Static Mass Emporium's continuing Deconstructing Cinema series, editor Patrick asked me to contribute another article on a film of my choice. After tackling some pretty grim films in this series in the past including racism dramas American History X and This is England, I chose something slightly lighter and definitely far more romantic for my latest article. This time I have tackled the moment in Baz Lurhmann's version of William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet where the star crossed lovers first lay eyes on each other through the fish tank.
It is such a brilliant scene that I could easily have banged on about it for way longer but one must stick to word limits mustn't one! Besides I don't want to completely spoil the beauty and romance of the scene by completely over-analysing it. Although I think I may have slightly. But still I hope it might make you take another look at the scene and possibly even pay extra special attention to the way it is crafted from the editing to the soundtrack to the lavish props, costume and set design. Not to mention the sweet performances of Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.
Anyway the blurb for it goes: "Take a drug fuelled trip into the decadent party of The Capulets in part 88 of Deconstructing Cinema with a scene from Baz Luhrmann’s bonkers but beautiful adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet."
And here is the opening: "Love at first sight. If you believe in it, then Romeo And Juliet is filled with wonder, possibility and deep tragedy. If you fail to see how catching the eyes of someone across the room can lead to a piercing dagger right through your heart, then neither Shakespeare nor director Baz Lurhmann are going to make you feel otherwise." Please go read the rest of the article at Static Mass Emporium if you fancy it!
If you don't fancy the romance, why not try one of my other articles for Static Mass:
It is such a brilliant scene that I could easily have banged on about it for way longer but one must stick to word limits mustn't one! Besides I don't want to completely spoil the beauty and romance of the scene by completely over-analysing it. Although I think I may have slightly. But still I hope it might make you take another look at the scene and possibly even pay extra special attention to the way it is crafted from the editing to the soundtrack to the lavish props, costume and set design. Not to mention the sweet performances of Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.
Anyway the blurb for it goes: "Take a drug fuelled trip into the decadent party of The Capulets in part 88 of Deconstructing Cinema with a scene from Baz Luhrmann’s bonkers but beautiful adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet."
And here is the opening: "Love at first sight. If you believe in it, then Romeo And Juliet is filled with wonder, possibility and deep tragedy. If you fail to see how catching the eyes of someone across the room can lead to a piercing dagger right through your heart, then neither Shakespeare nor director Baz Lurhmann are going to make you feel otherwise." Please go read the rest of the article at Static Mass Emporium if you fancy it!
If you don't fancy the romance, why not try one of my other articles for Static Mass:
Short Story Published at Starburst Magazine: Living for the Weekend
A while back I had my first piece of fiction published by Starburst Magazine, a nasty little story called Woman on the Wind and now I have just had my second short story published, a slightly less nasty Living for the Weekend.
This is the story of a guy who learns to time travel just through some gift he has and being able to use the power of his mind to wish those dull and boring hours away. He is a bit of a selfish asshole; hooked on drugs, bored with life and permanently wishing it was the weekend.
I wrote it all in one sitting in a couple of hours and I think the pace of the story reflects my desire to get it written quickly. I wanted it to start at a bit of a breathless pace to reflect the youth and energy of the character but then I wanted it to quicken even more to show just how fast time flies if you are wishing everyday away. I hope this comes across and that also if you start to read it, you will find you have to finish it! It only takes a few minutes to read so what are you waiting for? Go read Living for the Weekend!
I saw it as a cross between the British film Human Traffic which is all about people getting off their faces on ecstasy and coke at the weekends and The Time Traveller's Wife which is a romantic and tragic book that I absolutely loved every second of reading. My wife then read Living for the Weekend and said it reminded her of Click, the Adam Sandler film. Either way I'm happy. It might not be original but I'm happy with the way it came out. It could be better I'm sure but I'm just very pleased to have it published. I hope one day somebody will read it and demand to turn it into a short film. I'd love to see that!
Let me know what you think if you read it! Here's that link one more time: Living for the Weekend
More short stories from I Love That Film at Starburst Magazine:
Woman on the Wind
This is the story of a guy who learns to time travel just through some gift he has and being able to use the power of his mind to wish those dull and boring hours away. He is a bit of a selfish asshole; hooked on drugs, bored with life and permanently wishing it was the weekend.
I wrote it all in one sitting in a couple of hours and I think the pace of the story reflects my desire to get it written quickly. I wanted it to start at a bit of a breathless pace to reflect the youth and energy of the character but then I wanted it to quicken even more to show just how fast time flies if you are wishing everyday away. I hope this comes across and that also if you start to read it, you will find you have to finish it! It only takes a few minutes to read so what are you waiting for? Go read Living for the Weekend!
I saw it as a cross between the British film Human Traffic which is all about people getting off their faces on ecstasy and coke at the weekends and The Time Traveller's Wife which is a romantic and tragic book that I absolutely loved every second of reading. My wife then read Living for the Weekend and said it reminded her of Click, the Adam Sandler film. Either way I'm happy. It might not be original but I'm happy with the way it came out. It could be better I'm sure but I'm just very pleased to have it published. I hope one day somebody will read it and demand to turn it into a short film. I'd love to see that!
Let me know what you think if you read it! Here's that link one more time: Living for the Weekend
More short stories from I Love That Film at Starburst Magazine:
Woman on the Wind
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
Recent Publications: Gangnam Style and Prison Movies
I've just got copies of two of my articles through today and thought I would share some pictures. First is my article on the phenomenon that is the Gangnam Style music video. This went viral (in case you hadn't heard) and is now the most watched video on YouTube ever. Not bad for a South Korean pop star who isn't really even singing in English.
The issue of Media Magazine that this article is in was called the 'Reading the Media' issue. The brief said to analyse any piece of media we felt could be of interest and I thought Gangnam Style would make an interesting article. You can subscribe to Media Magazine here but unfortunately I don't think you can buy individual copies.
I'm also writing a couple of articles for the next issue which is 'The Gothic Issue'. I'm writing an article on Universal's classic monster movies and their remakes and also hoping to get another written comparing the two big trends in modern horror: torture porn and found footage. Here is a look at the first page of the Gangnam Style article:
The other article I just had published is in the 'Prison Issue' of Splice Cinema Journal. This article and publication is a bit more on the academic side and my article is called Prison and Punishment, Race and Redemption: Comparing Prison Life in The Shawshank Redemption and American History X... phew even the title is a bit of a mouthful. Splice is published by Auteur who are the publishing house that I am currently writing by Blair Witch Project book for. At least with a title that long I think it sums up exactly what the article is about. You can pick up copies of Splice here.
I also just found out that the previous article I had in Splice on Will Ferrell's sports movies got a nice review over at the Media Education Association. The reviewer Steve Murray very kindly wrote:
'Peter Turner’s essay Mockery, Masculinity and Misogyny: The Sports Movies of Will Ferrell offers a rare opportunity to read a considered academic piece about an iconic American comedy actor who is more than likely to engage the interest of the average teenager sitting in our classrooms. The essay looks in detail at representations in Ferrell’s sports films and would be useful both as a teaching resource and as a starting point for a research project for A2 Film Studies coursework; indeed, this essay would provide invaluable help to students choosing to look at Will Ferrell as a star for WJEC’s annotated catalogue and presentation script.'
All in all, it has been a happy day. I love seeing what designers are going to do when they publish my writing and it never disappoints.
The issue of Media Magazine that this article is in was called the 'Reading the Media' issue. The brief said to analyse any piece of media we felt could be of interest and I thought Gangnam Style would make an interesting article. You can subscribe to Media Magazine here but unfortunately I don't think you can buy individual copies.
I'm also writing a couple of articles for the next issue which is 'The Gothic Issue'. I'm writing an article on Universal's classic monster movies and their remakes and also hoping to get another written comparing the two big trends in modern horror: torture porn and found footage. Here is a look at the first page of the Gangnam Style article:
The other article I just had published is in the 'Prison Issue' of Splice Cinema Journal. This article and publication is a bit more on the academic side and my article is called Prison and Punishment, Race and Redemption: Comparing Prison Life in The Shawshank Redemption and American History X... phew even the title is a bit of a mouthful. Splice is published by Auteur who are the publishing house that I am currently writing by Blair Witch Project book for. At least with a title that long I think it sums up exactly what the article is about. You can pick up copies of Splice here.
I also just found out that the previous article I had in Splice on Will Ferrell's sports movies got a nice review over at the Media Education Association. The reviewer Steve Murray very kindly wrote:
'Peter Turner’s essay Mockery, Masculinity and Misogyny: The Sports Movies of Will Ferrell offers a rare opportunity to read a considered academic piece about an iconic American comedy actor who is more than likely to engage the interest of the average teenager sitting in our classrooms. The essay looks in detail at representations in Ferrell’s sports films and would be useful both as a teaching resource and as a starting point for a research project for A2 Film Studies coursework; indeed, this essay would provide invaluable help to students choosing to look at Will Ferrell as a star for WJEC’s annotated catalogue and presentation script.'
Monday, 2 September 2013
Mark Kermode introduces... ME!
Over the last six months I've been reviewing movies on a local radio station called Marlow FM. Every Friday I either make an mp3 recording or head down to the studio and talk about all the new releases heading into cinemas. If I make a recording, the hosts of the show play it on air but if I go down to the studio, I actually get to converse with Serena and Lilley who host the two hour Friday evening show 'What's on at the Weekend?'
I even got to co-host the whole two hour show once with Serena when Lilley was away and on September the 20th, I'll be co-hosting with Lilley as Serena is away. It is great experience for me and complements the pretty frequent radio appearances I make on Amazing Radio with Ruth Barnes.
Anyway the real reason for writing about this today is that while I was away gallivanting around Thailand, Serena and Lilley got to go to the Larmer Tree Festival and meet very famous and well respected film critic Mark Kermode. Not only that but they did a 20 minute interview with him and got him to record a (I'm not sure what you call it) sting. So now before I come on and talk about what movies are out at the weekend, Mark Kermode's voice can be heard telling listeners that they are listening to 'What's on at the Weekend?' with Serena and Lilley!
OK so I haven't actually met Kermode and he's not actually introducing me personally but still this is pretty cool right? You never know, one day he might listen in to hear the little sting he made and then stick around to hear my mini-reviews and then perhaps he might just take early retirement and tell me to take over all his duties. It's not impossible surely.
Anyway the real reason for writing about this today is that while I was away gallivanting around Thailand, Serena and Lilley got to go to the Larmer Tree Festival and meet very famous and well respected film critic Mark Kermode. Not only that but they did a 20 minute interview with him and got him to record a (I'm not sure what you call it) sting. So now before I come on and talk about what movies are out at the weekend, Mark Kermode's voice can be heard telling listeners that they are listening to 'What's on at the Weekend?' with Serena and Lilley!
OK so I haven't actually met Kermode and he's not actually introducing me personally but still this is pretty cool right? You never know, one day he might listen in to hear the little sting he made and then stick around to hear my mini-reviews and then perhaps he might just take early retirement and tell me to take over all his duties. It's not impossible surely.
I Love That Film Abroad: Thailand 2013
Who wants to see some snaps of Thailand? Before all you movie lovers head for the hills, let me tell you some movie related bits. The Beach, Alex Garland's awesome novel (and my favourite book of all time) is set in Thailand and Danny Boyle's (not very good) film version used the island Ko Phi Phi for some filming. Also The Man with the Golden Gun was shot here too but I didn't visit either of these places as I had already been to them on a previous trip to Thailand back in 2009.
However still on films, Thailand generally seems to care little for copyright laws especially when it comes to Hollywood blockbusters. So on a coach ride from Bangkok to Chumphon, the driver chucks on a dodgy DVD copy of Fast and Furious 6 for all us smelly travellers to watch on a crappy little TV. Then later while on the island of Ko Tao, we're sitting in a restaurant having dinner and they play another dodgy copy of F&F 6 on a big screen. We couldn't get away from it.
Anyway apart from getting some hideous stomach bug, I still love Thailand. It is still incredibly beautiful but increasingly over run by tourists just like me. The amount of litter on the beach is disturbing so please if you ever visit, please please just put your crap in the bin. We flew in to Bangkok, went down to Ko Tao, over to Ko Pha Ngan, down to Railay then to Ko Lanta and then up to Ko Phi Phi and back up to Bangkok. Ko means island by the way so lots of sitting on beaches and island hopping. Here are some pics:
However still on films, Thailand generally seems to care little for copyright laws especially when it comes to Hollywood blockbusters. So on a coach ride from Bangkok to Chumphon, the driver chucks on a dodgy DVD copy of Fast and Furious 6 for all us smelly travellers to watch on a crappy little TV. Then later while on the island of Ko Tao, we're sitting in a restaurant having dinner and they play another dodgy copy of F&F 6 on a big screen. We couldn't get away from it.
Anyway apart from getting some hideous stomach bug, I still love Thailand. It is still incredibly beautiful but increasingly over run by tourists just like me. The amount of litter on the beach is disturbing so please if you ever visit, please please just put your crap in the bin. We flew in to Bangkok, went down to Ko Tao, over to Ko Pha Ngan, down to Railay then to Ko Lanta and then up to Ko Phi Phi and back up to Bangkok. Ko means island by the way so lots of sitting on beaches and island hopping. Here are some pics:
August 2013 Movie Reviews and Round Up
I'm going to come right out and say this. My August has been pretty lousy for movie watching. I was in Thailand for the first couple of weeks but as there were monsoon rains battering my cabin in the woods (rainforest) one evening, I sat in and watched Green Lantern as it was playing and I was sick of watching Al Jazeera. Then I watched five films on the plane ride home (but I'd already seen most of the decent films on offer) and then I've been rushing to catch up with new releases ever since. My biggest regret is that I think at this rate I might have missed Pacific Rim on the big screen. Must try and catch Elysium instead to make up for it.
Anyway here's what I watched this month:
Green Lantern: Not sure why everyone hated this so much. I had incredibly low expectations which must have helped but Ryan Reynolds is likeable, the constant CGI didn't completely alienate me and Peter Sarsgaard is perfect for playing baddies. Then again I've never read the comics so have no idea if this adaptation is a disgrace to the fans.
Admission: First film I watched on the plane home. Paul Rudd and Tina Fey in a strange but mildly entertaining dramedy. Strange tone and mixed messages but quite memorable characters and occasionally amusing script.
Identity Thief: Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman star in a suprisingly sweet road trip comedy that was not the complete car crash I expected. McCarthy struggles with such an unlikeable character and Bateman plays the same old schtick but it had some amusing moments.
The Croods: Family animation that angered me at first but vaguely charmed me by the end. Ryan Reynolds again too.
Broadcast News: Classic satire and irritating love triangle from James L. Brooks. Great performances from Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks and enthralling look behind the scenes of the news room. Also the last film I watched on the plane home from Thailand.
2 Guns: "For an action comedy, 2 Guns delivers plenty of shoot outs and a healthy dose of exploding stuff but the script is weaker when it comes to the comedy. Without the charisma of Washington and Wahlberg, it is easy to assume this might have gone straight to DVD. It's quite fun while it lasts but you certainly don't want to spend any time afterwards pondering the plot. 2 Guns is neither Washington nor Wahlberg's best but it's still worth a shot, just probably not 2"
Lovelace: "fails to fully penetrate the dark heart of the story despite some hard core performances from an excellent cast. It is however an eye opening look at an industry that I suspect is only getting more vicious and more worrying as time goes on."
Headhunters: Finally got round to seeing this bonkers Jo Nesbo adaptation. Not sure if I was feeling overly sensitive for some reason but I found this incredibly violent. Obviously that means I quite enjoyed it. Fast paced thriller with some crazy moments of pitch black humour.
We're The Millers: "may not break boundaries in its border crossing but it is a road trip fueled by excellent comedic performances and a few side splitting scenes; a comedy about a family that is definitely not suitable for the whole family"
You're Next: "The comparisons to Scream and the touting of You're Next as the future of horror are forced and not fair to Scream or this film. While it shows some great potential and has some beautifully scored moments, it will be even more interesting to see what director Adam Wingard has in store for us next"
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa: Mildly amusing throughout but like most British TV characters when they make it to the big screen, a little lost and stretched thin. Steve Coogan is game and the hostage crisis set up provides good laughs but loses its way towards the end.
Dark Tourist: Watched this at FrightFest 2013 but was too tired to stay awake and kept nodding off and then waking with a jump moments later. Not sure I missed much but I did get to interview the star and director before the film.
Rush: review coming soon at Static Mass Emporium.
The Lone Ranger: "According to Box Office Mojo, The Lone Ranger may have only just managed to scrape back it's over $200 million budget with a particularly poor domestic take. It looks likely that instead of becoming a Pirates size franchise, this might be the Standalone Ranger after all"
Apart from film watching, I've also been writing at Yahoo Movies and Filmoria, continuing to read the second Game of Thrones novel, A Clash of Kings and keeping up to date with Breaking Bad series 5. I've also just started watching Dexter series 7 so I'm only about a series behind on that one!
Best film of the month: Rush
Worst film of the month: Dark Tourist
Most popular phrase of the month judging by my mini-reviews above: Mildly amusing
How was your August? What did you see? What did you like? What did you hate?
Anyway here's what I watched this month:
Green Lantern: Not sure why everyone hated this so much. I had incredibly low expectations which must have helped but Ryan Reynolds is likeable, the constant CGI didn't completely alienate me and Peter Sarsgaard is perfect for playing baddies. Then again I've never read the comics so have no idea if this adaptation is a disgrace to the fans.
Admission: First film I watched on the plane home. Paul Rudd and Tina Fey in a strange but mildly entertaining dramedy. Strange tone and mixed messages but quite memorable characters and occasionally amusing script.
Identity Thief: Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman star in a suprisingly sweet road trip comedy that was not the complete car crash I expected. McCarthy struggles with such an unlikeable character and Bateman plays the same old schtick but it had some amusing moments.
The Croods: Family animation that angered me at first but vaguely charmed me by the end. Ryan Reynolds again too.
Broadcast News: Classic satire and irritating love triangle from James L. Brooks. Great performances from Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks and enthralling look behind the scenes of the news room. Also the last film I watched on the plane home from Thailand.
2 Guns: "For an action comedy, 2 Guns delivers plenty of shoot outs and a healthy dose of exploding stuff but the script is weaker when it comes to the comedy. Without the charisma of Washington and Wahlberg, it is easy to assume this might have gone straight to DVD. It's quite fun while it lasts but you certainly don't want to spend any time afterwards pondering the plot. 2 Guns is neither Washington nor Wahlberg's best but it's still worth a shot, just probably not 2"
Lovelace: "fails to fully penetrate the dark heart of the story despite some hard core performances from an excellent cast. It is however an eye opening look at an industry that I suspect is only getting more vicious and more worrying as time goes on."
Headhunters: Finally got round to seeing this bonkers Jo Nesbo adaptation. Not sure if I was feeling overly sensitive for some reason but I found this incredibly violent. Obviously that means I quite enjoyed it. Fast paced thriller with some crazy moments of pitch black humour.
We're The Millers: "may not break boundaries in its border crossing but it is a road trip fueled by excellent comedic performances and a few side splitting scenes; a comedy about a family that is definitely not suitable for the whole family"
You're Next: "The comparisons to Scream and the touting of You're Next as the future of horror are forced and not fair to Scream or this film. While it shows some great potential and has some beautifully scored moments, it will be even more interesting to see what director Adam Wingard has in store for us next"
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa: Mildly amusing throughout but like most British TV characters when they make it to the big screen, a little lost and stretched thin. Steve Coogan is game and the hostage crisis set up provides good laughs but loses its way towards the end.
Dark Tourist: Watched this at FrightFest 2013 but was too tired to stay awake and kept nodding off and then waking with a jump moments later. Not sure I missed much but I did get to interview the star and director before the film.
Rush: review coming soon at Static Mass Emporium.
The Lone Ranger: "According to Box Office Mojo, The Lone Ranger may have only just managed to scrape back it's over $200 million budget with a particularly poor domestic take. It looks likely that instead of becoming a Pirates size franchise, this might be the Standalone Ranger after all"
Apart from film watching, I've also been writing at Yahoo Movies and Filmoria, continuing to read the second Game of Thrones novel, A Clash of Kings and keeping up to date with Breaking Bad series 5. I've also just started watching Dexter series 7 so I'm only about a series behind on that one!
Best film of the month: Rush
Worst film of the month: Dark Tourist
Most popular phrase of the month judging by my mini-reviews above: Mildly amusing
How was your August? What did you see? What did you like? What did you hate?
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