Category Archives: Celebrity

Feb 28 2011

Oscars results are in!

So being a common or garden Englishman without a subscription to Sky television, I did not get to watch the Academy Awards last night.  However I was pleased to see that a few of my predictions were bang on the nail, namely Christian Bale getting Best Supporting Actor and Colin Firth getting Best Actor.  I think 127 Hours’ James Franco, also the host for the evening, was robbed however as his performance in that film simply amazed me, but at least the academy made up for such a oversite with Natalie Portman getting Best Actress.  Well deserved.  I was hoping that Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky had got the nod rather than the guy who made The King’s Speech, but at least that particular movie got just four awards, for Best Picture and Original Screenplay also, rather than the gushing ridiculousness that was the Baftas.

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Feb 12 2011

Movie musings 2011

This is the time of year when many of my viewing habits are of movies I missed out on seeing the previous year.  You can expect reviews of some of the summer blockbusters and lesser known releases of 2010, amongst new cinema releases.  This is one reason why an end of year top ten usually comprises of movies older than that year.  Something that has been of much deliberation to me lately considering that originally I had placed 21 Grams as my movie of the year, then thought better of it considering its age.  Yet that means classic movies such as The Sound Of Music will never qualify.  But you must have rules or else such an end of year list will have no comparison to other people’s end of year lists.

Anyway I digress.  In the coming months there are many movies I am looking forward to seeing, be it at the cinema or more than likely on Blu-ray.  Of the movies that have got me most excited, Zack Snyder’s ballistic looking Sucker Punch is much-anticipated.  Scantily clad babes with guns & samurai swords in a fantasy action adventure?  Where do I sign?  Also David Fincher’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is one of those movie’s that just can’t fail – especially with Fincher at the helm.  Wes Craven returns with the unexpected but no less appreciated Scream 4, a franchise I recall loving to bits, and hell, aren’t we in need of a clever-ass slasher movie after all the countless remakes we’ve endured?  Consider my seat booked.  It also has to be said, the Harrison Ford / Daniel Craig vehicle Cowboys and Aliens looks heaps of fun, and with Iron Man director John Favreau at the helm, all the ingredients are in place.

Movies I’m less looking forward to but could be worth seeing none the less are Cars 2, which knowing Pixar will be entertaining and look the biz, and this time with a secret agent storyline, may well be more interesting than the fish out of water plot previously.  Having not seen the last Pirates movie, At Worlds End I wont be rushing to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides until I have got myself up to date – but the trailer does look like it will be great entertainment.  Also Kung Fu Panda 2 is fairly assured entertainment even if it’ll be on the back burner compared to a few of the other big hitters.  Oh and the idea of Transformers: Dark of the Moon fills me with dread after the mostly abysmal last movie, but then again the first Transformers in my opinion was superb, so it could go either way.

To conclude though, 2011 looks like being a great year for the movie industry with some great looking stuff coming our way.  Colour me excited!!

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May 30 2010

Dennis Hopper dies!

I was sad to hear the news late last night that actor Dennis Hopper had lost his battle against prostate cancer.  The often outrageous actor, both in his personal life and his on-screen performances was certainly one of those presences on a movie that you never knew what was going to happen next.  He was especially good in movies like David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, Tarantino’s True Romance and to many more mainstream audiences, as the bomber / terrorist in Speed.  “Pop quiz, hot-shot!”

He will be sadly missed.

Dennis Hopper

17/05/1936 – 29/05/2010

R.I.P.

May 9 2010

‘Let Me In’ first pics

I won’t say I am eagerly awaiting this, but the U.S. remake of arguably the finest horror movie of last year, Sweden’s Let The Right One In will star Kick-Ass’ Chloe Moretz as the titular creepy vampire girl who befriends a lonely boy during a cold winter.  The original is one of my favourite vampire movies, and although the casting of Moretz sparks my interest after her brilliant turn in the comic book comedy actioner, and Cloverfield director Matt Reeves is at the helm, I still can’t see this re-capturing the atmosphere of the original.

Apr 26 2010

The Girlfriend Experience

Viewed – 25/04/2010  Blu-ray

Acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh last explored the world of sex with his award-winning ‘Sex, Lies & Videotape’, and here he offers us an ultra real look at the life of a high-class call girl.  Real-life adult star Sasha Grey makes her mainstream debut, and handles the documentary approach very well, even if the material is not really a stretch considering her past career.

Set in Manhattan in the lead up to the presidential election, Soderberg’s movie like ‘Lies is less about sex and more about people & politics, and here we see an attractive woman trying to justify what she does under the mask of sophistication and expensive lingerie, but ultimately can’t escape the stigma that she’s still a hooker.  I found it sad that she seemed so naive and unaware of how others looked on her, and was really just leading a fake life, and unable to relate to the normality of her own relationship with her boyfriend.

I might add too that this is a great looking movie, well presented on Blu-ray and the cinematography and overall intimate style create a believable, fly-on-a-wall atmosphere, complemented by some good choices of music.  Sasha Grey is certainly sexy and surprisingly classy too, so lets hope we see more of her (no pun intended).

A thought-provoking drama then, but if you’re after a dirty movie, apart from a couple of moments of nudity, I’d say look elsewhere.  Otherwise this is worth your time.

Verdict:  3 /5