[{"content":"Join our email community and you’ll receive weekly CineMail, which will include the following: A roundup of the film and TV news from that week\nLinks to all our latest reviews and features\nA reminder about the best new releases that week\nThe odd film-related surprise winky face\nEnter your email here to get involved! [activecampaign form=7]\nWe promise to never misuse your data. By subscribing to our mailing list you are accepting the terms of our Privacy Notice. You can unsubscribe from email updates at any time.\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/cinemail/","summary":"\u003ch3 id=\"join-our-email-community-and-youll-receive-weekly-cinemail-which-will-include-the-following\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJoin our email community and you’ll receive weekly CineMail, which will include the following:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA roundup of the film and TV news from that week\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLinks to all our latest reviews and features\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA reminder about the best new releases that week\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe odd film-related surprise \u003cem\u003ewinky face\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"enter-your-email-here-to-get-involved\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnter your email here to get involved!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[activecampaign form=7]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe promise to never misuse your data. By subscribing to our mailing list you are accepting the terms of our \u003ca href=\"/privacy-policy/\"\u003ePrivacy Notice\u003c/a\u003e. You can unsubscribe from email updates at any time.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Subscribe to the CineMail Newsletter!"},{"content":"INTRODUCTION This privacy notice provides you with details of how we collect and process your personal data through your use of the site\nBy providing your data, you warrant that you are over 13 years of age.\nThe CineBlog is the data controller and we are responsible for your personal data (referred to as “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy notice).\nContact Details\nOur details are:\nThe CineBlog\nEmail address: thecineblog@outlook.com\nIt is very important that the information I hold about you is accurate and up to date. Please let me know if at any time your personal information changes, or if you want us to remove your data, by emailing us at **thecineblog@outlook.com. **\nWHAT DATA DO I COLLECT ABOUT YOU, FOR WHAT PURPOSE AND ON WHAT GROUND I PROCESS IT Personal data means any information capable of identifying an individual. It does not include anonymised data.\nWe may process the following categories of personal data about you:\nCommunication Data that includes any communication that you send to us whether that be through the contact form on our website, through email, text, social media messaging, social media posting or any other communication that you send us. We process this data for the purposes of communicating with you, for record keeping and for the establishment, pursuance or defence of legal claims. Our lawful ground for this processing is our legitimate interests which in this case are to reply to communications sent to us, to keep records and to establish, pursue or defend legal claims.\nCustomer Data that includes data relating to any purchases of goods and/or services such as your name, title, billing address, delivery address email address, phone number, contact details, purchase details and your card details. We process this data to supply the goods and/or services you have purchased and to keep records of such transactions. Our lawful ground for this processing is the performance of a contract between you and us and/or taking steps at your request to enter into such a contract.\nUser Data that includes data about how you use our website and any online services together with any data that you post for publication on our website or through other online services. We process this data to operate our website and ensure relevant content is provided to you, to ensure the security of our website, to maintain back- ups of our website and/or databases and to enable publication and administration of our website, other online services and business. Our lawful ground for this processing is our legitimate interests which in this case are to enable us to properly administer our website and our business.\nTechnical Data that includes data about your use of our website and online services such as your IP address, your login data, details about your browser, length of visit to pages on our website, page views and navigation paths, details about the number of times you use our website, time zone settings and other technology on the devices you use to access our website. The source of this data is from our analytics tracking system. We process this data to analyse your use of our website and other online services, to administer and protect our business and website, to deliver relevant website content and advertisements to you and to understand the effectiveness of our advertising. Our lawful ground for this processing is our legitimate interests which in this case are to enable us to properly administer our website and our business and to grow our business and to decide our marketing strategy.\n** **Marketing Data that includes data about your preferences in receiving marketing from us and our third parties and your communication preferences. We process this data to enable you to partake in our promotions such as competitions, prize draws and free give-aways, to deliver relevant website and marketing content and advertisements to you and measure or understand the effectiveness of this advertising. Our lawful ground for this processing is our legitimate interests which in this case are to study how customers use our products/services, to develop them, to grow our business and to decide our marketing strategy – or to get in touch with you about a product you’ve previously ordered that you may want to repurchase or inform you about discounts or new specifications available on that product, based on your legitimate interest as a previous customer of that product. We also operate our email marketing strategy based on the grounds of consent in that our marketing emails like weekly newsletters will only be sent to you if you have provided GDPR compliant consent beforehand.\nWe may use Customer Data, User Data, Technical Data and Marketing Data to deliver relevant website content and advertisements to you (including Facebook adverts or other display advertisements) and to measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve you. Our lawful ground for this processing is legitimate interests which is to grow our business and also deliver information about our products to you that you have previously shown an interest in purchasing. We may also use such data to send other marketing communications to you. Our lawful ground for this processing is either consent or legitimate interests (namely to grow our business).\nSensitive Data\nWe do not collect any Sensitive Data about you.\nHOW WE COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL DATA We may collect data about you by you providing the data directly to us (for example by filling in forms on our site or by sending us emails). We may automatically collect certain data from you as you use our website by using cookies and similar technologies. Please see our cookie policy for more details about this.\nWe may receive data from third parties such as analytics providers such as Google based outside the EU, advertising networks such as Facebook based outside the EU, such as search information providers such as Google based outside the EU, providers of technical, payment and delivery services, such as data brokers or aggregators.\n**MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS ** Our lawful ground of processing your personal data to send you marketing communications is your consent.\nUnder the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, we may send you marketing communications from us if you agreed to receive marketing communications and if you have not opted out of receiving such communications since. Under these regulations, if you are a limited company, we may send you marketing emails without your consent. However you can still opt out of receiving marketing emails from us at any time.\nBefore we share your personal data with any third party for their own marketing purposes we will get your express consent.\nYou can ask us or third parties to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by following the opt-out links on any marketing message sent to you OR by emailing us at thecineblog@outlook.com any time.\nDISCLOSURES OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA We may have to share your personal data with the parties set out below:\nService providers who provide IT and system administration services (including technical support, call answering and marketing services) to us as a company.\nProfessional advisers including lawyers, bankers, auditors and insurers\nGovernment bodies that require us to report processing activities.\nThird parties from which we purchase products in order to deliver to you as a customer\nWe require all third parties to whom we transfer your data to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We only allow such third parties to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.\nINTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS Some of our third parties service providers are based outside the European Economic Area (EEA) so their processing of your personal data will involve a transfer of data outside the EEA. If we use US-based providers that are part of EU-US Privacy Shield, we may transfer data to them, as they have equivalent safeguards in place.\nDATA SECURITY We have procedures in place to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach if we are legally required to.\nDATA RETENTION We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.\nWhen deciding what the correct time is to keep the data for we look at its amount, nature and sensitivity, potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, the processing purposes, and if these can be achieved by other means and legal requirements.\nYOUR LEGAL RIGHTS Under data protection laws you have rights in relation to your personal data that include the right to request access, correction, erasure, restriction, transfer, to object to processing, to portability of data and, where the lawful ground of processing is consent, to withdraw consent.\nYou can see more about these rights at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/\nIf you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please email us at thecineblog@outlook.com with the details of what you would like us to do with your data.\nWe try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you.\nIf you are not happy with any aspect of how we collect and use your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would be grateful if you would contact us first if you do have a complaint so that we can try to resolve it for you.\nTHIRD-PARTY LINKS This website may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy notice of every website you visit.\nCOOKIES You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this website may become inaccessible or not function properly. For more information about the cookies we use, please see our cookie policy.\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/privacy-policy/","summary":"\u003ch3 id=\"introduction\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eINTRODUCTION\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis privacy notice provides you with details of how we collect and process your personal data through your use of the site\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy providing your data, you warrant that you are over 13 years of age.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe CineBlog is the data controller and we are responsible for your personal data (referred to as “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy notice).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContact Details\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur details are:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe CineBlog\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmail address: \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"mailto:thecineblog@outlook.com\"\u003ethecineblog@outlook.com\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Privacy Policy"},{"content":"Hi! I’m Sophie Butcher. I’m a freelance film writer, the creator of The CineBlog, and am based in the North East of England.\nI have been overthinking about movies and writing those thoughts down ever since university, where I graduated with a first class degree in Media Studies.\nI’m currently under the mentorship of Ben Travis, Online Staff Writer at EMPIRE magazine, and my work can be found on Flip Screen, and The Film Magazine as well as right here on The CineBlog.\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/about/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHi! I’m Sophie Butcher. I’m a freelance film writer, the creator of The CineBlog, and am based in the North East of England.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have been overthinking about movies and writing those thoughts down ever since university, where I graduated with a first class degree in Media Studies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m currently under the mentorship of Ben Travis, Online Staff Writer at EMPIRE magazine, and my work can be found on Flip Screen, and The Film Magazine as well as right here on The CineBlog.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Me"},{"content":"Email: sophfbutcher@gmail.com\nTwitter: @sophiefbutcher\nInstagram: @thecineblog_\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/contact/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEmail: \u003ca href=\"mailto:sophfbutcher@gmail.com\"\u003esophfbutcher@gmail.com\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwitter: @sophiefbutcher\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstagram: @thecineblog_\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Contact"},{"content":"This site uses cookies – small text files that are placed on your machine to help the site provide a better user experience. In general, cookies are used to retain user preferences, store information for things like shopping carts, and provide anonymised tracking data to third party applications like Google Analytics. As a rule, cookies will make your browsing experience better. However, you may prefer to disable cookies on this site and on others. The most effective way to do this is to disable cookies in your browser. We suggest consulting the Help section of your browser or taking a look at the About Cookies website which offers guidance for all modern browsers\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/cookie-policy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis site uses cookies – small text files that are placed on your machine to help the site provide a better user experience. In general, cookies are used to retain user preferences, store information for things like shopping carts, and provide anonymised tracking data to third party applications like Google Analytics. As a rule, cookies will make your browsing experience better. However, you may prefer to disable cookies on this site and on others. The most effective way to do this is to disable cookies in your browser. We suggest consulting the Help section of your browser or taking a look at the About Cookies website which offers guidance for all modern browsers\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cookie Policy"},{"content":"Content warning: This article contains discussions on eating disorders.\nBody of Water, the first time feature and directorial debut of Lucy Brydon, is a quiet, sombre gem in this year’s Glasgow Film Festival lineup. The film focuses around Stephanie (Sian Brooke), her struggles with anorexia after leaving an inpatient eating disorder clinic, and how she attempts to balance her relationships with her mother Susan (Amanda Burton) and teen daughter Pearl (Fabienne Piolini-Castle). A tough watch at times, Body of Water is a frank and unflinching depiction of what it is to struggle with an eating disorder, and how it impacts the lives of those closest to you as well as your own.\nDirector Brydon hails from Edinburgh, and so premiering the film in Scotland was an extra special experience for her. “It was really lovely, I mean it’s such a welcoming festival”, she says, speaking to Flip Screen via phone just a few days after the screenings. “It feels like a nice start for the film, so I can’t really ask for more.”\nClick here to read the feature in full.\n67 3019 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/food-femininity-and-first-time-filmmaking-an-interview-with-lucy-brydon-director-of-body-of-water/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContent warning: This article contains discussions on eating disorders.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBody of Water\u003c/em\u003e, the first time feature and directorial debut of Lucy Brydon, is a quiet, sombre gem in this year’s Glasgow Film Festival lineup. The film focuses around Stephanie (Sian Brooke), her struggles with anorexia after leaving an inpatient eating disorder clinic, and how she attempts to balance her relationships with her mother Susan (Amanda Burton) and teen daughter Pearl (Fabienne Piolini-Castle). A tough watch at times, \u003cem\u003eBody of Water\u003c/em\u003e is a frank and unflinching depiction of what it is to struggle with an eating disorder, and how it impacts the lives of those closest to you as well as your own.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Food, Femininity and First Time Filmmaking: An Interview with Lucy Brydon, Director of ‘Body of Water’"},{"content":"When it comes to high school movies about teenage girls, you might feel like you’ve seen it all before. Bickering between cliques, the race towards their first significant sexual experience, getting dolled up for a wild night of finding themselves – it’s all present and correct in Our Ladies, but this film delivers schoolgirl sins in such a gloriously funny, brash and unashamedly thirsty way that it succeeds in standing out from the crowd.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n62 3910 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/our-ladies-2020-gff-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhen it comes to high school movies about teenage girls, you might feel like you’ve seen it all before. Bickering between cliques, the race towards their first significant sexual experience, getting dolled up for a wild night of finding themselves – it’s all present and correct in \u003cem\u003eOur Ladies\u003c/em\u003e, but this film delivers schoolgirl sins in such a gloriously funny, brash and unashamedly thirsty way that it succeeds in standing out from the crowd.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Our Ladies (2020) GFF Review"},{"content":"Gemma (Imogen Poots) is a teacher. Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) is a gardener. They’re a couple – a happy one. And, as happy couples do, they’ve started looking for their first home.\nIt’s this search that brings them to Prospect Properties, where they meet creepy and persuasive estate agent Martin (Jonathan Aris). He convinces Tom and Gemma to visit one of Prospect’s show homes in the ‘Yonder’ development. They follow him to number 9 – a perfectly nice house on a perfectly nice street, each building uniformly painted a sickly shade of mint green. When Martin leaves and the couple struggle to find their way out, Vivarium descends into a surreal suburban nightmare that will make any millennial watching glad that they’ll probably never get on the property ladder.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n63 4302 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/gff-review-vivarium-puts-the-mundane-brutality-of-lifes-milestones-under-the-most-surreal-microscope/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGemma (Imogen Poots) is a teacher. Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) is a gardener. They’re a couple – a happy one. And, as happy couples do, they’ve started looking for their first home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s this search that brings them to Prospect Properties, where they meet creepy and persuasive estate agent Martin (Jonathan Aris). He convinces Tom and Gemma to visit one of Prospect’s show homes in the ‘Yonder’ development. They follow him to number 9 – a perfectly nice house on a perfectly nice street, each building uniformly painted a sickly shade of mint green. When Martin leaves and the couple struggle to find their way out, \u003cem\u003eVivarium\u003c/em\u003e descends into a surreal suburban nightmare that will make any millennial watching glad that they’ll probably never get on the property ladder.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"GFF REVIEW: ‘Vivarium’ Puts The Mundane Brutality of Life’s Milestones Under The Most Surreal Microscope"},{"content":"As Sarah (Eva Green) puts her daughter Stella (Zélie Boulant) to bed, they go through the motions of their routine. ‘First degree of separation’, the mother says before kissing Stella on the cheek. “Second degree of separation”, the daughter chimes back before Sarah goes in for another peck. If you look up the word ‘proximal’ in the dictionary you’ll see it defined as ‘situated close to’ or ‘nearest the point of attachment’ – but as it turns out, Alice Winocour’s Proxima is all about letting go. Click here to read the review in full.\n50 3150 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/festivals/gff-review-proxima-is-a-moving-meditation-on-motherhood-and-ambition/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs Sarah (Eva Green) puts her daughter Stella (Zélie Boulant) to bed, they go through the motions of their routine. ‘First degree of separation’, the mother says before kissing Stella on the cheek. “Second degree of separation”, the daughter chimes back before Sarah goes in for another peck. If you look up the word ‘proximal’ in the dictionary you’ll see it defined as ‘situated close to’ or ‘nearest the point of attachment’ – but as it turns out, Alice Winocour’s \u003cem\u003eProxima\u003c/em\u003e is all about letting go. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"GFF REVIEW: ‘Proxima’ Is A Moving Meditation on Motherhood and Ambition"},{"content":"Too often on screen, plus size women are side characters in a thin protagonist’s story. They end up disregarded, two dimensional, and are often doused in diet culture messaging.\nThankfully – though at a glacial pace – that is starting to change. With the filmmakers and showrunners behind the camera becoming slowly but increasingly more diverse, so too are the stories they tell. As a result, the industry is finally starting to provide us with authentic, beautiful, complex, fat female characters to treasure. Here’s just five of the most memorable:\nClick here to read the column in full.\n52 4392 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/fatness-in-film-2-five-plus-size-heroines-from-the-last-decade/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToo often on screen, plus size women are side characters in a thin protagonist’s story. They end up disregarded, two dimensional, and are often doused in diet culture messaging.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThankfully – though at a glacial pace – that is starting to change. With the filmmakers and showrunners behind the camera becoming slowly but increasingly more diverse, so too are the stories they tell. As a result, the industry is finally starting to provide us with authentic, beautiful, complex, fat female characters to treasure. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fatness in Film #2: Five Plus Size Heroines From The Last Decade"},{"content":"Right at the beginning of Plus One, Jack Quaid’s Ben hits the nail on the head when it comes to the often nightmarish process of growing older and hitting life’s milestones – “I feel like once everybody saw thirty on the horizon, they were like, ‘hey guys, you know what? I would like to get engaged’”. Click to read the review in full.\n55 4430 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/review-plus-one-elevates-its-predictable-plot-with-a-sharp-sincere-script/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRight at the beginning of \u003cem\u003ePlus One\u003c/em\u003e, Jack Quaid’s Ben hits the nail on the head when it comes to the often nightmarish process of growing older and hitting life’s milestones – “I feel like once everybody saw thirty on the horizon, they were like, ‘hey guys, you know what? I \u003cem\u003ewould\u003c/em\u003e like to get engaged’”. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClick to read the review in full.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=jemma_process_simple_like\u0026amp;post_id=1577\u0026amp;nonce=525f6d61b8\u0026amp;is_comment=0\u0026amp;disabled=true\"\u003e55\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e 4430 Views\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"REVIEW: ‘Plus One’ Elevates Its Predictable Plot With A Sharp \u0026 Sincere Script"},{"content":"Just like the tune that Black Canary (aka. Dinah Lance, played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell) sings in the opening act of Birds of Prey, the Gotham we’ve known in the DCEU up until now has been a man’s world. Thankfully, Margot Robbie decided to change that.\nBirds of Prey: *And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn *– to give it its full title – picks up sometime after the events of David Ayers’ much maligned Suicide Squad, and it’s here we meet Harley recovering from her break-up with ‘Mr J’.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n45 4072 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/birds-of-prey-2020-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust like the tune that Black Canary (aka. Dinah Lance, played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell) sings in the opening act of \u003cem\u003eBirds of Prey\u003c/em\u003e, the Gotham we’ve known in the DCEU up until now has been a man’s world. Thankfully, Margot Robbie decided to change that.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBirds of Prey\u003c/em\u003e: *And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn *– to give it its full title – picks up sometime after the events of David Ayers’ much maligned \u003cem\u003eSuicide Squad\u003c/em\u003e, and it’s here we meet Harley recovering from her break-up with ‘Mr J’.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Birds of Prey (2020) Review"},{"content":"Horse Girl opens with a conversation between Sarah (Alison Brie) and her crafts store colleague Joan (Molly Shannon) about ‘DNA N U’, a service that tells you where in the world you come from. Sarah is intrigued; she doesn’t know much about her family. The camera moves to an overhead shot of a sea of plain, pale blue fabric being sliced, straight down the middle, by Sarah’s scissors. This simple act is a statement of intent from the film – a visual metaphor for how Sarah’s seemingly meek life, mousey exterior, and sense of reality is to be split apart.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n51 4516 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/horse-girl-is-a-surreal-and-sensitive-depiction-of-losing-your-grip-on-reality/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHorse Girl\u003c/em\u003e opens with a conversation between Sarah (Alison Brie) and her crafts store colleague Joan (Molly Shannon) about ‘DNA N U’, a service that tells you where in the world you come from. Sarah is intrigued; she doesn’t know much about her family. The camera moves to an overhead shot of a sea of plain, pale blue fabric being sliced, straight down the middle, by Sarah’s scissors. This simple act is a statement of intent from the film – a visual metaphor for how Sarah’s seemingly meek life, mousey exterior, and sense of reality is to be split apart.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"‘Horse Girl’ is a Surreal and Sensitive Depiction of Losing Your Grip On Reality"},{"content":"It’s almost a century since the Oscars began. Despite its best efforts to diversify, including inviting swathes of new members to join the Academy, the biggest awards ceremony in the cinematic calendar still can’t seem to get it right. One of the most notable changes for the 2020 awards is the renaming of the category previously known as ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ to ‘Best International Feature Film’.\nSo – why the change?\nClick here to read the feature in full.\n53 4943 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/from-foreign-language-to-international-feature-why-a-change-in-name-isnt-enough/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s almost a century since the Oscars began. Despite its best efforts to diversify, including inviting swathes of new members to join the Academy, the biggest awards ceremony in the cinematic calendar still can’t seem to get it right. One of the most notable changes for the 2020 awards is the renaming of the category previously known as ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ to ‘Best International Feature Film’.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo – why the change?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"From ‘Foreign Language’ To ‘International Feature’: Why A Change In Name Isn’t Enough"},{"content":"Say My Name begins as you might expect. Two strangers are getting hot and heavy in a hotel room, when the woman asks the man to do as the title suggests. Unfortunately, he hasn’t a clue what her name is, despite his best efforts to remember it with a mnemonic. The thing is, as the film goes on and we get to know this illustrious female character a little better, it seems even she can’t quite decide what to call herself either.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n51 4374 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/review-say-my-name-is-a-charming-but-forgettable-exploration-of-identity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSay My Name\u003c/em\u003e begins as you might expect. Two strangers are getting hot and heavy in a hotel room, when the woman asks the man to do as the title suggests. Unfortunately, he hasn’t a clue what her name is, despite his best efforts to remember it with a mnemonic. The thing is, as the film goes on and we get to know this illustrious female character a little better, it seems even she can’t quite decide what to call herself either.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"REVIEW: ‘Say My Name’ is a Charming But Forgettable Exploration of Identity"},{"content":"A film that feels sadly left out of the awards conversation is Jordan Peele’s second feature **Us, a landmark in the film calendar back in March. It had all the visionary stamps of excellence we’d come to expect from the director after his debut, Get Out, became a cultural phenomenon – and, most importantly, it matches (and in some cases exceeds) the achievements of Joker when it comes to the very things that the Clown Prince’s origin story was nominated for. ****Click here to read the feature in full.\n56 4898 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/joker-vs-us-their-significance-similarities-and-why-is-one-missing-from-the-oscar-nominations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA film that feels sadly left out of the awards conversation is Jordan Peele’s second feature **Us, a landmark in the film calendar back in March. It had all the visionary stamps of excellence we’d come to expect from the director after his debut, \u003cem\u003eGet Out\u003c/em\u003e, became a cultural phenomenon – and, most importantly, it matches (and in some cases exceeds) the achievements of \u003cem\u003eJoker\u003c/em\u003e when it comes to the very things that the Clown Prince’s origin story was nominated for. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"‘Joker’ Vs ‘Us’: Their Significance, Similarities – And Why Is One Missing From The Oscar Nominations?"},{"content":"Welcome to Fatness In Film, a new monthly column analysing examples of fat representation and body diversity on screen.\nPositive depictions of fat bodies are hard to find, but Shrill is a recent example of plus size storytelling done right. Adapted from activist and writer Lindy West’s memoir Shrill: Notes From A Loud Woman, the half hour comedy series stars Aidy Bryant as Annie. She’s a budding journalist stuck in a bad relationship, a workplace that doesn’t take her seriously, and putting up with a daily tide of negativity and microaggressions because of her body.\nClick here to read the column in full.\n58 3698 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/flip-screen-fatness-in-film-1-three-things-that-shrill-gets-right-about-living-as-a-fat-woman/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWelcome to \u003cstrong\u003eFatness In Film\u003c/strong\u003e, a new monthly column analysing examples of fat representation and body diversity on screen.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePositive depictions of fat bodies are hard to find, but \u003cem\u003eShrill\u003c/em\u003e is a recent example of plus size storytelling done right. Adapted from activist and writer Lindy West’s memoir \u003cem\u003eShrill: Notes From A Loud Woma\u003c/em\u003en, the half hour comedy series stars Aidy Bryant as Annie. She’s a budding journalist stuck in a bad relationship, a workplace that doesn’t take her seriously, and putting up with a daily tide of negativity and microaggressions because of her body.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fatness In Film #1: Three Things That ‘Shrill’ Gets Right About Living As A Fat Woman"},{"content":"Several times during Bombshell, Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) is accused of being a feminist. She rebukes the suggestion every time; “I’m not a feminist, I’m a lawyer”.\n#MeToo and Time’s Up were some of the defining stories of the last decade. Bombshell looks at the takedown that preceded those movements – Fox News journalist Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) filing a lawsuit against network boss Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) to expose the sexual harassment and discrimination that she had experienced from him during her time at the channel.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n43 4315 Viewsbombshell\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/the-film-magazine-bombshell-2020-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSeveral times during \u003cem\u003eBombshell\u003c/em\u003e, Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) is accused of being a feminist. She rebukes the suggestion every time; “I’m not a feminist, I’m a lawyer”.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#MeToo and Time’s Up were some of the defining stories of the last decade. \u003cem\u003eBombshell\u003c/em\u003e looks at the takedown that preceded those movements – Fox News journalist Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) filing a lawsuit against network boss Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) to expose the sexual harassment and discrimination that she had experienced from him during her time at the channel.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bombshell (2020) Review | Sophie Butcher"},{"content":"For Karen Gillan’s directorial debut The Party’s Just Beginning, she leaves behind the fantastical worlds of Doctor Who and Guardians of the Galaxy, and heads back to her Scottish roots. She stars as Liusaidh, a twenty-something that works on the cheese counter at a supermarket by day, and goes out to drink and shag her feelings away by night. Her best friend recently killed themselves – not a spoiler, it’s revealed before the title card rolls – and Liusaidh has been spiralling ever since. ****Click here to read the review in full.\n46 2836 Viewskaren gillan lee pace the partys just beginning\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/flip-screen-review-the-partys-just-beginning-2019-is-mostly-bleak-with-mere-glimpses-of-greatness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor Karen Gillan’s directorial debut \u003cem\u003eThe Party’s Just Beginning\u003c/em\u003e, she leaves behind the fantastical worlds of \u003cem\u003eDoctor Who\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGuardians of the Galaxy\u003c/em\u003e, and heads back to her Scottish roots. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe stars as Liusaidh, a twenty-something that works on the cheese counter at a supermarket by day, and goes out to drink and shag her feelings away by night. Her best friend recently killed themselves – not a spoiler, it’s revealed before the title card rolls – and Liusaidh has been spiralling ever since. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"‘The Party’s Just Beginning’ is Mostly Bleak, With Glimpses of Greatness"},{"content":"The sorority slasher is back. We’re still in the Greek system, but with a decidedly feminist spin for this latest adaptation of *Black Christmas *directed by Sophie Takal and starring Imogen Poots.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n56 4375 Viewsblack christmas\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/the-film-magazine-black-christmas-2019-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe sorority slasher is back. We’re still in the Greek system, but with a decidedly feminist spin for this latest adaptation of *Black Christmas *directed by Sophie Takal and starring Imogen Poots.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClick here to read the review in full.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=jemma_process_simple_like\u0026amp;post_id=1446\u0026amp;nonce=4d011224a7\u0026amp;is_comment=0\u0026amp;disabled=true\"\u003e56\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e 4375 Views\u003ca href=\"/tag/black-christmas/\"\u003eblack christmas\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Black Christmas (2019) Review"},{"content":"In 2019, the Townsend Agency has gone global. There are Angels and Bosleys all over the world, using their female allure to do the work that law enforcement can’t. A new gang of girls is introduced: Kristen Stewart is Sabina, a rich kid joker who went off the rails before being recruited; Ella Balinska is Jane, a tall and focused fighting machine who previously worked for Mi6; and their new client is Elena, played by Aladdin’s Naomi Scott, a programmer being hunted down because of her work on Calisto, a new sustainable form of energy that can be weaponised in the wrong hands.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n65 4196 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/the-film-magazine-charlies-angels-2019-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn 2019, the Townsend Agency has gone global. There are Angels and Bosleys all over the world, using their female allure to do the work that law enforcement can’t. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA new gang of girls is introduced: Kristen Stewart is Sabina, a rich kid joker who went off the rails before being recruited; Ella Balinska is Jane, a tall and focused fighting machine who previously worked for Mi6; and their new client is Elena, played by \u003cem\u003eAladdin\u003c/em\u003e’s Naomi Scott, a programmer being hunted down because of her work on Calisto, a new sustainable form of energy that can be weaponised in the wrong hands.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Charlie’s Angels (2019) Review"},{"content":"Adapted from Suzanne Collins’ wildly successful trilogy of books, The Hunger Games movies have become modern day staples in the arena of young-adult stories set in a dystopian future. High concept, with quality filmmaking talent and an iconic protagonist at the core, the saga of Katniss Everdeen and her journey to leading the revolution of Panem spanned four films, released annually between 2012 and 2015. Click to read the feature in full.\n57 4239 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/the-film-magazine-the-hunger-games-movies-ranked/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAdapted from Suzanne Collins’ wildly successful trilogy of books, \u003cem\u003eThe Hunger Games\u003c/em\u003e movies have become modern day staples in the arena of young-adult stories set in a dystopian future. High concept, with quality filmmaking talent and an iconic protagonist at the core, the saga of Katniss Everdeen and her journey to leading the revolution of Panem spanned four films, released annually between 2012 and 2015. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClick to read the feature in full.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Hunger Games Movies Ranked"},{"content":"For the first chunk of Last Christmas, self-proclaimed hot mess Kate (Emilia Clarke) is constantly dragging a big, battered suitcase along behind her. Flitting from the bed of a one night stand to a friend’s spare room and eventually, reluctantly, her family home, she literally carries her baggage around each day. The case ricochets over the London cobbles, following her heeled boots; a hardly subtle metaphor for the unpacked trauma that is weighing her down.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n47 3630 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/the-film-magazine-last-christmas-2019-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor the first chunk of \u003cem\u003eLast Christmas\u003c/em\u003e, self-proclaimed hot mess Kate (Emilia Clarke) is constantly dragging a big, battered suitcase along behind her. Flitting from the bed of a one night stand to a friend’s spare room and eventually, reluctantly, her family home, she literally carries her baggage around each day. The case ricochets over the London cobbles, following her heeled boots; a hardly subtle metaphor for the unpacked trauma that is weighing her down.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Last Christmas (2019) Review"},{"content":"Around halfway through Zombieland: Double Tap, Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus says “I don’t want to toot my own horn”. It’s in reference to his ‘rules’ for surviving Zombieland – a quirk that helped the first film feel so unique, but that is about to be replayed to death so violently in this belated sequel that clearly horn-tooting was exactly what the filmmakers intended.\nClick here to read the review in full.\n55 4106 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/the-film-magazine-zombieland-double-tap-2019-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAround halfway through \u003cem\u003eZombieland: Double Tap\u003c/em\u003e, Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus says “I don’t want to toot my own horn”. It’s in reference to his ‘rules’ for surviving Zombieland – a quirk that helped the first film feel so unique, but that is about to be replayed to death so violently in this belated sequel that clearly horn-tooting was exactly what the filmmakers intended.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClick here to read the review in full.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) Review"},{"content":"The CineBlog is an inclusive community for lovers of film and TV. This is a place to revel in your love of cinema, to share your opinion, talk about the stuff you love to watch, and get the lowdown on what’s worth the money for cinema tickets.\nThe CineBlog was born from the brain of a blogger who felt her love for the big (and small) screen deserved a place of its own to thrive.\nWe want this to be a truly diverse and inclusive film destination, with writing and input from people and filmmakers from all walks of life.\nThe CineBlog is a place for the readers to get involved – share your opinions on the stuff we review in the comments, tag us when you next visit the cinema, and be part of our community onFacebook, Twitter or Instagram.\nIf you’re obsessed with getting your latest film and TV fix, you’re in the right place.\nMeet the Editor Sophie Butcher is a graduate of Media Studies and a professional writer and marketer who has had an instilled love of film her whole life.\nThis passion for cinema grew stronger through university as she studied the theory and ideas behind some of the masters of film, and started writing film reviews for her own blog.\nFast forward to the present day and Sophie works as a Marketing Manager, putting every moment of her spare time in bringing the very best content to film and TV lovers, as well as writing for her own personal blog.\nFollow Sophie on Twitter: @sophiefbutcher\nContributors Kim Higson is a graduate of Film Studies who has had a passion for film her whole life. She has grown up seeking the strange and obscure side of the art form and has a particular love for horror, independent and world cinema. Kim now spends most of her free time on the hunt for something new to see, whether a brand new release or a forgotten gem, and reading up on all the latest in film news. Today, Kim has partnered her love of film and writing to bring you the very best in film and TV.Kevin is a 27 year old nerd jack of all trades. He is an avid lover of film, TV, anime, comics, trading card games, and video games. When he isn’t busy telling people on the internet they are wrong, he can be found attending Fighting Game and Trading Card Game Tournaments, podcasting, as well as cosplaying at conventions all over the USA. Kevin enjoys all kinds of film, but has a fondness for action, superhero, and horror.\nWANT TO SEE YOUR FACE HERE? We’re looking for writers! If you want to join The CineBlog as a volunteer contributor, write about the film and TV you love and get it published, get in touch. We’re only new, only small, but want to do more to champion diverse voices in cinema and are looking for fresh new content. Contact us to find out more!\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/about-2/","summary":"\u003ch1 id=\"the-cineblog-is-an-inclusive-community-for-lovers-of-film-and-tv\"\u003eThe CineBlog is an inclusive community for lovers of film and TV.\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a place to revel in your love of cinema, to share your opinion, talk about the stuff you love to watch, and get the lowdown on what’s worth the money for cinema tickets.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe CineBlog was born from the brain of a blogger who felt her love for the big (and small) screen deserved a place of its own to thrive.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About"},{"content":"Major Roy McBride is good at compartmentalising. Becoming orphaned (or so he thinks) at a young age, his wife leaving him, almost plummeting to his death from the International Space Station – these are all just things that get stowed away in little boxes in his brain, not to be looked at and most definitely not allowed to interfere with his mission.\nAfter the Earth experiences immense power surges originating from the depths of the solar system, Roy (Brad Pitt) is sent on a mission to Mars. His superiors believe that his father, previously missing presumed dead, could in fact be alive – and responsible for the surges that pose a huge threat to life on our planet and beyond.\nThe biggest question that enters the mind whilst watching Ad Astra may well be – is James Gray okay? The themes of daddy issues and a man unable to express his feelings may be well-trodden ground, but the vast scale of Gray’s version is what turns this film into more of an experience than entertainment. There’s swathes of black on screen as the silent, starry galaxy acts as a backdrop to Roy’s journey, and despite the slow burn pace and minimal dialogue, your heart will pound at the constant threat of falling victim to the void.\nRelentless floating, falling and zero gravity leaves you feeling untethered, moving farther and farther away from home, nowhere safe to plant your feet – and in space, as often in life, there is no safety net waiting to catch you. It’s a metaphor, clearly, for how lost Roy is and has always been, but it doesn’t matter how ‘on the nose’ the approach; the sense of place, loneliness and emptiness sucks you in all the same.\nImage Source\nSpace movies come with strong, cinematic visuals baked right in – sweeping views of planets from afar, plump white space suits seemingly swimming through the darkness, the symmetry and claustrophobia of the inside of a rocket – but Gray and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema take cosmic beauty to a whole new level in Ad Astra. Brad Pitt’s bold blue eyes often fill the screen, and gold reflective visors are used to remarkable effect against the white of their suits and the black of space. On Mars, everything is set underground and bathed in a red and orange glow; in the rocket itself, the lighting moves between cool blues and warm ambers as if to mirror McBride’s mood. Gray has been given the budget to truly bring his vision to life, and every sumptuous shot is worth soaking in.\nRoy is a highly repressed and restrained man who has spent his life putting on the performance of a normal guy, whilst always, as he says, keeping his eyes on the exit. We instantly get the sense of him as an outsider, and how hard he finds it to relate to the people he interacts with in even the smallest ways. This is Brad Pitt slashed down to the bones, his stardom and glamour and swagger melted away to reveal a highly capable but incredibly troubled character underneath. Pitt manages to break through his inexplicably increasing handsomeness to wordlessly express Roy’s pain, and much of our understanding of his emotions in any given moment are explained to us via his voiceover. At some points, though, the script falls foul of too much telling and too little showing; as he checks in for his intermittent psych evaluations, Roy starts to become more self-aware than you would realistically expect. On occasion, the writing seems to spell out a feeling or internal revelation that the audience should have been trusted to gauge from his actions rather than his words. Ad Astra is really a one-man movie, and as such the supporting cast – whilst outstanding – don’t get much to do. Donald Sutherland steps in for a few scenes as Roy’s father’s old friend and Ruth Negga is enthralling as always as the leader of the Mars military base, but they act as devices to move the plot along more than anything significant. Image Source\nMost frustrating is Liv Tyler – playing Roy’s long suffering wife Eve (her name is only mentioned once), she spends most of her screen time as a blurry presence in the background of a shot, getting only one line of dialogue in the final cut (though the trailer gave her much more). This movie isn’t about her, and that’s fine, but it’s a big leap to try and care about her relationship with Roy as the film goes on when her depiction is more like an afterthought than a fully formed character.\nTommy Lee Jones is most impactful as Roy’s father, H. Clifford McBride. The work that the first two thirds of the movie does to enable us to see him through Roy’s eyes gives him an almost mythic status; a living legend that Roy can barely walk down a corridor without being compared to. But as Ad Astra enters its final act and Roy’s hunt for fatherly salvation comes to a climax, the wheels come loose. That could be intentional – never meet your heroes – but it means that Major McBride’s leap into the unknown doesn’t quite stick its landing. This may be the story of one man embarking on one epic journey to find his father, and himself, but the empathy that this film evokes – even for a character as stoic and self-loathing as Roy McBride – means that the viewer can’t help but be transported along with him. *Ad Astra *will leave you breathless at times, a little bored at others, but ultimately blinking in the sunlight as you exit the theatre and come back down to Earth. Those little boxes in Roy’s brain have been irrevocably broken open, and you might just feel as though you’ve tentatively peeked into some of your own, too. 58 4571 Viewsad astra donald sutherland james gray ruth negga tommy lee jones\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/ad-astra-review-an-incredible-if-imperfect-cinematic-experience/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMajor Roy McBride is good at compartmentalising. Becoming orphaned (or so he thinks) at a young age, his wife leaving him, almost plummeting to his death from the International Space Station – these are all just things that get stowed away in little boxes in his brain, not to be looked at and most definitely not allowed to interfere with his mission.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the Earth experiences immense power surges originating from the depths of the solar system, Roy (\u003ca href=\"/tag/brad-pitt/\"\u003eBrad Pitt\u003c/a\u003e) is sent on a mission to Mars. His superiors believe that his father, previously missing presumed dead, could in fact be alive – and responsible for the surges that pose a huge threat to life on our planet and beyond.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Ad Astra' Review: An Incredible, If Imperfect, Cinematic Experience"},{"content":"(This piece contains spoilers for Netflix’s Sense8 – you have been warned!)\nNetflix has come under fire recently for its tendency to giving a platform to progressive, inclusive and boundary-pushing shows, before cancelling them after just two seasons. Sense8 is one of them.\nCreated by the Wachowskis, this ambitious, world-spanning show is the story of eight sensates – people across the globe who all took their first breath at the exact same time on the 8th of August 1988. They were living their life as normal humans until they were ‘birthed’ by a mysterious woman called Angellica (Daryl Hannah), and became inextricably connected forever.\nUtilising the global scale of this story, this group of eight is one of the most diverse ensembles ever collected on screen.\nImage Source\nThere’s two Americans – Will (Brian J Smith), a cop with a saviour complex, and **Nomi **(Jamie Clayton), a trans girl and hacking genius. Then we have Riley (Tuppence Middleton), an Icelandic DJ with blue streaks in her hair; Kala (Tina Desai), an Indian scientist about to be married; Sun (Bae Doona), a Korean businesswoman-come-martial arts prodigy; Lito (Miguel Angel Silvestre), a gay Mexican actor; Capheus (Aml Ameen/Toby Onwumere), a Kenyan bus driver and Jean Claude Van-Damme stan; and finally, my favourite – Wolfgang (Max Riemelt), a strong and silent type wreaking havoc amongst the gangsters of Berlin.\nThe Wachowskis (both of them in the first season, just Lana in the second) balance the eight perfectly, exposing us to fragments of their lives and stories each episode whilst showing how the intense connections between them grow.\nPretty soon, you’ll love every single one of these characters. The way the show’s concept allows each of them (and us, the viewer) to get inside their heads, feel what they feel, do what they do; it doesn’t take long to feel as though you might be the ninth in the ‘cluster’.\nAs such, every moment you spend with each of them feels like a joy. But where this show will really get you good is when they all come together as one. Sharing each other’s skills and senses, they are united by fear, by passion, by a fight that one of them needs to win – and it will send shivers down your spine every time.\nIn chronological order throughout the two seasons, here’s Sense8’s top five most mind-blowing moments:\n1. The Concert Rated 18, Sense8 doesn’t shy away from much – swearing, violence, sex, and even a baby’s head breaking out of its mother and making its way into the world.\nIn the latter half of the first season, Riley makes her way from London back to Iceland. She misses her dad, who happens to be an extraordinary pianist.\nShe attends one of his concerts. Sat in the crowd, she’s mesmerised by the music – and because she feels it, the rest of the cluster do too. Each of them take her place for a moment, and as they do, we see flashbacks of them being born. Their mothers’ screams interplay with the notes from the ivories; tears drop silently down their smiling faces.\nA crescendo builds, and Riley faints. Only then does it let you catch your breath.\nImage Source\n2. The Birthday The season two opener, which was broadcast as a two hour Christmas special, is long enough to be a feature film but one of the most engaging and exhilarating pieces of television I’ve ever seen.\nIn it, the cluster celebrates their birthdays, and it’s one of the first times we get to see them all together, sharing in the emotion of pure ecstasy. They all blow out the candles in Lito’s bedroom; they party euphorically with Wolfgang in a Berlin nightclub, doused in neon; they dance all in a circle with Capheus in Kenya. The music, the visuals, the joy on their faces – it’s enough to have you on your feet too.\nThe night goes on, the celebrations intensify and all eight are present in a beautifully cinematic sex scene unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Hands moving, bodies of all colours intertwined – in that moment, they’re not straight or gay, male or female, trans or cis, they are all one.\n3. The Restaurant Fight Aside from the sexy moments, some of the most satisfying scenes in Sense8 are those of action – after all, we’re watching the directors of The Matrix at work.\nLuckily, it just so happens that within this cluster of sensates, we’ve got a highly trained cop (Will), a fearless brawler that is used to both giving and taking a beating (Wolfgang), and a martial arts fighter so powerful that when approached by four henchman, her only words are ‘is that all?’ (Sun).\nWhenever one of the eight gets into a tricky situation, they have the strength of the others to help them. If someone like Nomi or Riley is embodied by Wolfgang or Sun, their actual power flows through their limbs. As you sense danger approaching, you’ll practically whoop when one of the tough guys shows up. This idea is used across all of the sensates’ skills (Lito’s acting, Nomi’s hacking, Capheus’s driving) but is especially impactful in the action.\nImage Source\nIn the eighth episode of the second season, Wolfgang walks into a restaurant for dinner with Lila, a fellow sensate from a different cluster who is trying to get him killed. All eight of our ensemble are on alert, visiting Wolfgang to try and help him get out alive, and all standing behind him as he confronts her. The interesting thing is, Lila’s cluster are doing the exact same thing. There’s only two people at the table, but we see sixteen, all connected by the same interaction.\nAfter plenty of pontificating, Kala kicks things off. Saying “Bring it, bitch” in one of the most satisfying line deliveries of the entire show, she smashes a bottle to set the table alight. Shit hits the fan, and a shootout ensues. What makes this fight stand out is how, instead of the sensates taking turns to embody Wolfgang, they are all present simultaneously – they’re stood with him, mimicking his movements as he dodges shots and punches. As they move in unison, imitating the iconic ‘bullet time’, we see the most obvious influences of The Matrix yet.\n4. The Gala One of the best and rarest things about the storytelling in Sense8 is how much room it is given to breathe.\nSeason two, episode eleven is perhaps the best example of this. Originally the finale of this season (the very last episode was released as a one-off special a year later, after much uproar over the show being cancelled on a cliffhanger), we finally see Sun attempt to seek revenge against her brother, Joon-Qi.\nThe episode begins with an uninterrupted 24 minutes dedicated to this set piece, starting at first with police trying to arrest Joon-Qi and him shooting Sun’s detective love interest, before he gets away. Sun follows him, then proceeds to hunt him down on foot and via motorbike, all whilst wearing a tiny black bra, white cowboy boots and silver sequinned hotpants.\nShe is relentless – “Are you serious?? My sister’s the fucking Terminator?!” – and the sensates are sprinting behind her every step of the way. She uses Wolfgang’s power to battle her way out of the event and bring her brother’s vehicle to a halt, Kala’s brain to set the car park alight and Capheus’s driving skills to pursue him through the streets of Seoul.\nEventually, standing over him with a weapon big enough to skewer him alive, she lets him go. Sun has the strength of a warrior but, as a friend says to her earlier in the series, “a heart as soft as a baby bird”. With her deceased mother’s request for her to protect her brother ringing in her ears, this time, she listens to it.\nImage Source\n5. The End Sense8 ends as audaciously as it began.\nThe bad guys have been beaten. They got to go back to their lives. Nomi and Amanita get married in Paris, and everyone is there – all the sensates, their partners, and their families. The ceremony is a worthily indulgent celebration, with beautiful speeches and dancing and joy, all from within the Eiffel Tower. We get to hang out with the gang one last time.\nBut after the party, it’s the after party, and we adjourn to everyone’s bedrooms. It’s only fitting that a show with freedom, inclusivity and deep connection at its heart would end with a love scene of epic proportions.\nAt first, we’re with each couple – or throuple, in the case of Lito, Hernando and Dani, and Kala, her husband Rajan and Wolfgang. The magnificent score of strings is building as the passion between them increases, and the pivotal moment is when Kala watches as Rajan and Wolfgang kiss. Brought together by their love for Kala, it’s the unity of this unlikely pairing that moves the scene to the next level, as we see every single body intertwined.\nThere’s flashbacks of each character’s love story interspersed with glimpses of the sensates as one, and most poignant is that the last look back is at trans character Nomi, meeting her future wife for the first time.\nCue Rajan, coming up for air. “My god,” he says. “I didn’t think such things were possible”. And the very final shot? A rainbow coloured dildo. A symbol of Pride, of passion, of love and lovemaking in all its possible forms – this is perhaps the boldest closing image in television.\nImage Source\nThe message of Sense8 is obvious, but that doesn’t make it any less impactful. Seeing these eight people brought together to tell their stories, all entirely different cultures, races, identities, genders and sexualities – it shows us the power and the beauty that is possible when we are united instead of disparate. When we are accepting instead of judgmental. When we share what we know instead of keeping it for ourselves. When we focus on what connects us rather than what controls us.\nPlease, if you haven’t already – go watch this. Then tell your friends to watch it too. Prove to Netflix that this is the kind of storytelling we want to see.\nSense8 isn’t perfect; far from it. But it’s the most heartfelt, euphoric, gut-punching show I’ve watched in a long time, and I’m so grateful it exists. Thank you to the cast, the crew, and the Wachowskis for sharing it with us, and for showing us what’s possible.\n76 3661 Viewsbrian j smith jamie clayton max riemelt sense8 wachowskis\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/action/sense8-top-5-most-mind-blowing-moments/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(This piece contains spoilers for Netflix’s Sense8 – you have been warned!)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e has come under fire recently for its tendency to giving a platform to progressive, inclusive and boundary-pushing shows, before cancelling them after just two seasons. \u003cem\u003eSense8\u003c/em\u003e is one of them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreated by the Wachowskis, this ambitious, world-spanning show is the story of eight sensates – people across the globe who all took their first breath at the exact same time on the 8th of August 1988. They were living their life as normal humans until they were ‘birthed’ by a mysterious woman called Angellica (Daryl Hannah), and became inextricably connected forever.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sense8's Top Five Most Mind-Blowing Moments"},{"content":"Image Source\nThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\n(This piece contains spoilers for Netflix’s Sense8 – you have been warned!)\nNetflix has come under fire recently for its tendency to giving a platform to progressive, inclusive and boundary-pushing shows, before cancelling them after just two seasons. Sense8 is one of them.\nCreated by the Wachowskis, this ambitious, world-spanning show is the story of eight sensates – people across the globe who all took their first breath at the exact same time on the 8th of August 1988. They were living their life as normal humans until they were ‘birthed’ by a mysterious woman called Angellica (Daryl Hannah), and became inextricably connected forever.\nUtilising the global scale of this story, this group of eight is one of the most diverse ensembles ever collected on screen.\nImage Source\nThere’s two Americans – Will (Brian J Smith), a cop with a saviour complex, and **Nomi **(Jamie Clayton), a trans girl and hacking genius. Then we have Riley (Tuppence Middleton), an Icelandic DJ with blue streaks in her hair; Kala (Tina Desai), an Indian scientist about to be married; Sun (Bae Doona), a Korean businesswoman-come-martial arts prodigy; Lito (Miguel Angel Silvestre), a gay Mexican actor; Capheus (Aml Ameen/Toby Onwumere), a Kenyan bus driver and Jean Claude Van-Damme stan; and finally, my favourite – Wolfgang (Max Riemelt), a strong and silent type wreaking havoc amongst the gangsters of Berlin.\nThe Wachowskis (both of them in the first season, just Lana in the second) balance the eight perfectly, exposing us to fragments of their lives and stories each episode whilst showing how the intense connections between them grow.\nPretty soon, you’ll love every single one of these characters. The way the show’s concept allows each of them (and us, the viewer) to get inside their heads, feel what they feel, do what they do; it doesn’t take long to feel as though you might be the ninth in the ‘cluster’.\nAs such, every moment you spend with each of them feels like a joy. But where this show will really get you good is when they all come together as one. Sharing each other’s skills and senses, they are united by fear, by passion, by a fight that one of them needs to win – and it will send shivers down your spine every time.\nIn chronological order throughout the two seasons, here’s Sense8’s top five most mind-blowing moments:\n1. The Concert Rated 18, Sense8 doesn’t shy away from much – swearing, violence, sex, and even a baby’s head breaking out of its mother and making its way into the world.\nIn the latter half of the first season, Riley makes her way from London back to Iceland. She misses her dad, who happens to be an extraordinary pianist.\nShe attends one of his concerts. Sat in the crowd, she’s mesmerised by the music – and because she feels it, the rest of the cluster do too. Each of them take her place for a moment, and as they do, we see flashbacks of them being born. Their mothers’ screams interplay with the notes from the ivories; tears drop silently down their smiling faces.\nA crescendo builds, and Riley faints. Only then does it let you catch your breath.\nImage Source\n2. The Birthday The season two opener, which was broadcast as a two hour Christmas special, is long enough to be a feature film but one of the most engaging and exhilarating pieces of television I’ve ever seen.\nIn it, the cluster celebrates their birthdays, and it’s one of the first times we get to see them all together, sharing in the emotion of pure ecstasy. They all blow out the candles in Lito’s bedroom; they party euphorically with Wolfgang in a Berlin nightclub, doused in neon; they dance all in a circle with Capheus in Kenya. The music, the visuals, the joy on their faces – it’s enough to have you on your feet too.\nThe night goes on, the celebrations intensify and all eight are present in a beautifully cinematic sex scene unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Hands moving, bodies of all colours intertwined – in that moment, they’re not straight or gay, male or female, trans or cis, they are all one.\n3. The Restaurant Fight Aside from the sexy moments, some of the most satisfying scenes in Sense8 are those of action – after all, we’re watching the directors of The Matrix at work.\nLuckily, it just so happens that within this cluster of sensates, we’ve got a highly trained cop (Will), a fearless brawler that is used to both giving and taking a beating (Wolfgang), and a martial arts fighter so powerful that when approached by four henchman, her only words are ‘is that all?’ (Sun).\nWhenever one of the eight gets into a tricky situation, they have the strength of the others to help them. If someone like Nomi or Riley is embodied by Wolfgang or Sun, their actual power flows through their limbs. As you sense danger approaching, you’ll practically whoop when one of the tough guys shows up. This idea is used across all of the sensates’ skills (Lito’s acting, Nomi’s hacking, Capheus’s driving) but is especially impactful in the action.\nImage Source\nIn the eighth episode of the second season, Wolfgang walks into a restaurant for dinner with Lila, a fellow sensate from a different cluster who is trying to get him killed. All eight of our ensemble are on alert, visiting Wolfgang to try and help him get out alive, and all standing behind him as he confronts her. The interesting thing is, Lila’s cluster are doing the exact same thing. There’s only two people at the table, but we see sixteen, all connected by the same interaction.\nAfter plenty of pontificating, Kala kicks things off. Saying “Bring it, bitch” in one of the most satisfying line deliveries of the entire show, she smashes a bottle to set the table alight. Shit hits the fan, and a shootout ensues. What makes this fight stand out is how, instead of the sensates taking turns to embody Wolfgang, they are all present simultaneously – they’re stood with him, mimicking his movements as he dodges shots and punches. As they move in unison, imitating the iconic ‘bullet time’, we see the most obvious influences of The Matrix yet.\n4. The Gala One of the best and rarest things about the storytelling in Sense8 is how much room it is given to breathe.\nSeason two, episode eleven is perhaps the best example of this. Originally the finale of this season (the very last episode was released as a one-off special a year later, after much uproar over the show being cancelled on a cliffhanger), we finally see Sun attempt to seek revenge against her brother, Joon-Qi.\nThe episode begins with an uninterrupted 24 minutes dedicated to this set piece, starting at first with police trying to arrest Joon-Qi and him shooting Sun’s detective love interest, before he gets away. Sun follows him, then proceeds to hunt him down on foot and via motorbike, all whilst wearing a tiny black bra, white cowboy boots and silver sequinned hotpants.\nShe is relentless – “Are you serious?? My sister’s the fucking Terminator?!” – and the sensates are sprinting behind her every step of the way. She uses Wolfgang’s power to battle her way out of the event and bring her brother’s vehicle to a halt, Kala’s brain to set the car park alight and Capheus’s driving skills to pursue him through the streets of Seoul.\nEventually, standing over him with a weapon big enough to skewer him alive, she lets him go. Sun has the strength of a warrior but, as a friend says to her earlier in the series, “a heart as soft as a baby bird”. With her deceased mother’s request for her to protect her brother ringing in her ears, this time, she listens to it.\nImage Source\n5. The End Sense8 ends as audaciously as it began.\nThe bad guys have been beaten. They got to go back to their lives. Nomi and Amanita get married in Paris, and everyone is there – all the sensates, their partners, and their families. The ceremony is a worthily indulgent celebration, with beautiful speeches and dancing and joy, all from within the Eiffel Tower. We get to hang out with the gang one last time.\nBut after the party, it’s the after party, and we adjourn to everyone’s bedrooms. It’s only fitting that a show with freedom, inclusivity and deep connection at its heart would end with a love scene of epic proportions.\nAt first, we’re with each couple – or throuple, in the case of Lito, Hernando and Dani, and Kala, her husband Rajan and Wolfgang. The magnificent score of strings is building as the passion between them increases, and the pivotal moment is when Kala watches as Rajan and Wolfgang kiss. Brought together by their love for Kala, it’s the unity of this unlikely pairing that moves the scene to the next level, as we see every single body intertwined.\nThere’s flashbacks of each character’s love story interspersed with glimpses of the sensates as one, and most poignant is that the last look back is at trans character Nomi, meeting her future wife for the first time.\nCue Rajan, coming up for air. “My god,” he says. “I didn’t think such things were possible”. And the very final shot? A rainbow coloured dildo. A symbol of Pride, of passion, of love and lovemaking in all its possible forms – this is perhaps the boldest closing image in television.\nImage Source\nThe message of Sense8 is obvious, but that doesn’t make it any less impactful. Seeing these eight people brought together to tell their stories, all entirely different cultures, races, identities, genders and sexualities – it shows us the power and the beauty that is possible when we are united instead of disparate. When we are accepting instead of judgmental. When we share what we know instead of keeping it for ourselves. When we focus on what connects us rather than what controls us.\nPlease, if you haven’t already – go watch this. Then tell your friends to watch it too. Prove to Netflix that this is the kind of storytelling we want to see.\nSense8 isn’t perfect; far from it. But it’s the most heartfelt, euphoric, gut-punching show I’ve watched in a long time, and I’m so grateful it exists. Thank you to the cast, the crew, and the Wachowskis for sharing it with us, and for showing us what’s possible.\n2 150 Viewsbrian j smith jamie clayton max riemelt sense8 wachowskis\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/newsletter/sense8-top-5-most-mind-blowing-moments/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eImage Source\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(This piece contains spoilers for Netflix’s Sense8 – you have been warned!)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e has come under fire recently for its tendency to giving a platform to progressive, inclusive and boundary-pushing shows, before cancelling them after just two seasons. \u003cem\u003eSense8\u003c/em\u003e is one of them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreated by the Wachowskis, this ambitious, world-spanning show is the story of eight sensates – people across the globe who all took their first breath at the exact same time on the 8th of August 1988. They were living their life as normal humans until they were ‘birthed’ by a mysterious woman called Angellica (Daryl Hannah), and became inextricably connected forever.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sense8's Top Five Most Mind-Blowing Moments"},{"content":"If there’s one thing that ‘Orange Is the New Black’ has taught us, it’s that not everybody gets a happy ending.\nThroughout the six previous seasons of this iconic, sometimes ground-breaking, sometimes controversial show, we’ve seen characters come and go, get an early release, get sentenced to more time (whether justified or not), and some didn’t even make it out of Lichfield alive.\n****Click here to read the review in full.\n68 3169 Viewsnetflix orange is the new black taylor schilling\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/flip-screen-review-orange-is-the-new-black-season-7-manages-to-end-with-the-message-it-started-with/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf there’s one thing that ‘Orange Is the New Black’ has taught us, it’s that not everybody gets a happy ending.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout the six previous seasons of this iconic, sometimes ground-breaking, sometimes controversial show, we’ve seen characters come and go, get an early release, get sentenced to more time (whether justified or not), and some didn’t even make it out of Lichfield alive.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e****Click here to read the review in full.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Orange Is The New Black S7 “Ends with the message it started with”"},{"content":"Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) is a young film student living in London in the early 1980s. She wears oversized shirts, carries an Olympus camera round her neck at parties, and sits at a typewriter each day, attempting to bring her film project to life. As she gets more involved in a tense and somewhat troubling relationship with the much older Anthony (Tom Burke), she struggles to balance her creative dreams with the ups and downs of loving him. Click here to read the review in full.\n46 3041 Views\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/the-film-magazine-the-souvenir-2019-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJulie (Honor Swinton Byrne) is a young film student living in London in the early 1980s. She wears oversized shirts, carries an Olympus camera round her neck at parties, and sits at a typewriter each day, attempting to bring her film project to life. As she gets more involved in a tense and somewhat troubling relationship with the much older Anthony (Tom Burke), she struggles to balance her creative dreams with the ups and downs of loving him. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Souvenir (2019) Review"},{"content":"(Warning: the below contains mild-ish spoilers for Amazon Prime series ‘The Boys’.)\nAmazon’s new series The Boys imagines an America where superheroes walk among humans, and capitalism has turned them into money-making machines with a much bigger reach than even Kevin Feige’s MCU has in our universe. After his girlfriend Robin (Jess Salgueiro) is obliterated by one of the ‘supes’ in a shockingly graphic scene that instantly sets the tone for the series, Hughie (Jack Quaid) wants justice, and he wants revenge. He teams up with mysterious maverick Billy Butcher (a laughably accented Karl Urban) and his crew to get it, and they begin to attempt to expose all that is wrong with these commercialised caped crusaders.\nThe Boys isn’t what you expect it to be. We rarely get to see the supes’ powers in action, and it’s more about the relationship between them and the public, their fans, each other, and Vought, the corporate hand that feeds them. This is a world where superheroes are the new movie stars, politicians and cult leaders combined. They have film franchises, brand deals and public speaking gigs, all whilst appearing on the news every time they catch a criminal or save an innocent – most instances of which were likely set up by their marketing team.\nBy focusing more on how the sausage gets made than seeing it fight the bad guys, The Boys is a complex but wildly entertaining look at how even in a world of superheroes, women always come off worse – and how the most seemingly heroic people can actually be the most awful, when you look at them up close.\nImage Source\nSexual power – and more importantly, the abuse of that power – is on everyone’s mind at the moment, and The Boys doesn’t shy away from that. In the very first episode we see new Vought recruit Starlight (Erin Moriarty) become the victim of indecent exposure before being manipulated into committing sexual acts by The Deep (Chace Crawford) – someone no more powerful than she is, but who just managed to convince her that he was. The acts aren’t shown on screen (thankfully), just the conversation that led to them. The scene is written in a way that shows what happens as clearly wrong, but embraces all the shades of gray that are so often misunderstood in this kind of story. Crawford plays The Deep excellently as the specific kind of arsehole whose ego is way outsized compared to his talent; a genuine idiot who likes to tell himself he’s the hero but ruins everything he touches. Watching him be emasculated by the other supes as well as the company that manages him is a kind of satisfying punishment, but it’s in the seventh episode that the tables turn on Deep, and what goes around really does come back around. Still painful to watch, it feels like a unique experience to see a woman taking advantage of a man’s vulnerabilities – especially when that man is a superhero. Elsewhere, Translucent (Alex Hassell), aka. the invisible man of the group, has a penchant for using his powers to lurk in the womens’ bathroom – naked, of course, so as to become completely invisible effectively. It’s highly disturbing, but almost played for laughs. And Homelander (Antony Starr), the Captain America-alike (if Cap was a psycho, that is), seems to take joy in wielding his physical power over fellow supe and ex-girlfriend Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) in public. Even nice-guy-gone-rogue Hughie, who acts as the audience’s eyes in this fucked up system of superheroes, takes advantage of Starlight as they become closer, getting intimate with her despite knowing she would never consent to it if she knew the truth about his original intentions to charm information out of her about Vought.\nImage Source\nWhen we do get to see female characters take sexual control, it doesn’t end well. One character literally pulverizes a man’s head as she climaxes from oral pleasure, and big boss at Vought, Madelyn Stillwell (played by Elisabeth Shue), uses Homelander’s Oedipal complex to maintain a hold over him – though we can never quite tell whether she does so out of genuine attraction or fear. It’s not just sexual power that the women struggle to claim in this suped-up world; time and time again, agency over their own narrative is usurped from them by the script. At best, there’s only four key female characters to begin with – Starlight, Queen Maeve, Stillwell, and The Female, despite her getting pretty much no dialogue – compared to at least seven male ones, and we rarely see any of them take action that they aren’t forced into by those around them. The first victim in this is Robin, Hughie’s girlfriend who is blown to pieces when Quicksilver-esque A-Train runs through her at superspeed. An example of the ‘fridging’ trope we see time and time again on screen (aka. where a female character dies or is victimised so as to fuel a man’s emotions and character development), Hughie was just a nerdy, beta male, superhero fan before Robin’s death, and ends up as something else entirely after it. Her obliteration is the whole reason for the show to exist, and for Hughie’s emancipation from his stale, beige life. It would have made no difference whatsoever story-wise for the genders to be swapped here, but I guess the title ‘The Boys \u0026amp; One Girl’ is a lot less catchy.\nImage Source\nThe Female (Karen Fukuhara), one of the most brutally powerful supes in this story – and the most drastically underused – is kept prisoner by men, freed by the titular boys and, despite having more than enough strength to overpower them and go free, ends up as nothing more than a damsel in distress. It’s immensely frustrating to see a woman be captured and saved by men that she could literally rip limb from limb, and in a show so open in its depiction of male power, it would have been nice for them to give us at least one instance where the roles are reversed. Starlight gets the closest to driving the story forward, going against what’s expected of her on multiple occasions, and is given the rounded character development she deserves. And, it’s clear that Madelyn Stillwell is pulling a hell of a lot of strings, though it’s also obvious how easily it could all be taken away from her if Homelander is let off his leash.\nThe Boys is a grown-up, graphic and gratuitous eight hours of television that will have you wincing, wondering what the hell has happened to Karl Urban’s voice, and ultimately, keep you watching. It’s not afraid to show you the ugly side of success and sexism up close, and does so knowingly – but at the end of the day, it’s still showing it. Choosing to tell a story on screen about an issue like sexual abuse in the workplace will always be a tightrope walk between exposing it, and perpetuating it by virtue of that exposition. How to walk that walk remains a mystery, but I think The Boys just about makes it to the other side.\nThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\n63 3151 Viewsamazon prime amazon prime video anthony starr chace crawford colin quaid erin moriarty karl urban the boys\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/action/wiw-4-the-boys-will-be-boys/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(Warning: the below contains mild-ish spoilers for Amazon Prime series ‘The Boys’.)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmazon’s new series \u003cem\u003eThe Boys\u003c/em\u003e imagines an America where superheroes walk among humans, and capitalism has turned them into money-making machines with a much bigger reach than even Kevin Feige’s \u003ca href=\"/tag/mcu/\"\u003eMCU\u003c/a\u003e has in our universe. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter his girlfriend Robin (Jess Salgueiro) is obliterated by one of the ‘supes’ in a shockingly graphic scene that instantly sets the tone for the series, Hughie (Jack Quaid) wants justice, and he wants revenge. He teams up with mysterious maverick Billy Butcher (a laughably accented \u003ca href=\"/tag/karl-urban/\"\u003eKarl Urban\u003c/a\u003e) and his crew to get it, and they begin to attempt to expose all that is wrong with these commercialised caped crusaders.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Superheroes and Sexual Power In Amazon's 'The Boys'"},{"content":"Image Source\nThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\n(Warning: the below contains mild-ish spoilers for Amazon Prime series ‘The Boys’.)\nAmazon’s new series The Boys imagines an America where superheroes walk among humans, and capitalism has turned them into money-making machines with a much bigger reach than even Kevin Feige’s MCU has in our universe. After his girlfriend Robin (Jess Salgueiro) is obliterated by one of the ‘supes’ in a shockingly graphic scene that instantly sets the tone for the series, Hughie (Jack Quaid) wants justice, and he wants revenge. He teams up with mysterious maverick Billy Butcher (a laughably accented Karl Urban) and his crew to get it, and they begin to attempt to expose all that is wrong with these commercialised caped crusaders.\nThe Boys isn’t what you expect it to be. We rarely get to see the supes’ powers in action, and it’s more about the relationship between them and the public, their fans, each other, and Vought, the corporate hand that feeds them. This is a world where superheroes are the new movie stars, politicians and cult leaders combined. They have film franchises, brand deals and public speaking gigs, all whilst appearing on the news every time they catch a criminal or save an innocent – most instances of which were likely set up by their marketing team.\nBy focusing more on how the sausage gets made than seeing it fight the bad guys, The Boys is a complex but wildly entertaining look at how even in a world of superheroes, women always come off worse – and how the most seemingly heroic people can actually be the most awful, when you look at them up close.\nImage Source\nSexual power – and more importantly, the abuse of that power – is on everyone’s mind at the moment, and The Boys doesn’t shy away from that. In the very first episode we see new Vought recruit Starlight (Erin Moriarty) become the victim of indecent exposure before being manipulated into committing sexual acts by The Deep (Chace Crawford) – someone no more powerful than she is, but who just managed to convince her that he was. The acts aren’t shown on screen (thankfully), just the conversation that led to them. The scene is written in a way that shows what happens as clearly wrong, but embraces all the shades of gray that are so often misunderstood in this kind of story. Crawford plays The Deep excellently as the specific kind of arsehole whose ego is way outsized compared to his talent; a genuine idiot who likes to tell himself he’s the hero but ruins everything he touches. Watching him be emasculated by the other supes as well as the company that manages him is a kind of satisfying punishment, but it’s in the seventh episode that the tables turn on Deep, and what goes around really does come back around. Still painful to watch, it feels like a unique experience to see a woman taking advantage of a man’s vulnerabilities – especially when that man is a superhero. Elsewhere, Translucent (Alex Hassell), aka. the invisible man of the group, has a penchant for using his powers to lurk in the womens’ bathroom – naked, of course, so as to become completely invisible effectively. It’s highly disturbing, but almost played for laughs. And Homelander (Antony Starr), the Captain America-alike (if Cap was a psycho, that is), seems to take joy in wielding his physical power over fellow supe and ex-girlfriend Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) in public. Even nice-guy-gone-rogue Hughie, who acts as the audience’s eyes in this fucked up system of superheroes, takes advantage of Starlight as they become closer, getting intimate with her despite knowing she would never consent to it if she knew the truth about his original intentions to charm information out of her about Vought.\nImage Source\nWhen we do get to see female characters take sexual control, it doesn’t end well. One character literally pulverizes a man’s head as she climaxes from oral pleasure, and big boss at Vought, Madelyn Stillwell (played by Elisabeth Shue), uses Homelander’s Oedipal complex to maintain a hold over him – though we can never quite tell whether she does so out of genuine attraction or fear. It’s not just sexual power that the women struggle to claim in this suped-up world; time and time again, agency over their own narrative is usurped from them by the script. At best, there’s only four key female characters to begin with – Starlight, Queen Maeve, Stillwell, and The Female, despite her getting pretty much no dialogue – compared to at least seven male ones, and we rarely see any of them take action that they aren’t forced into by those around them. The first victim in this is Robin, Hughie’s girlfriend who is blown to pieces when Quicksilver-esque A-Train runs through her at superspeed. An example of the ‘fridging’ trope we see time and time again on screen (aka. where a female character dies or is victimised so as to fuel a man’s emotions and character development), Hughie was just a nerdy, beta male, superhero fan before Robin’s death, and ends up as something else entirely after it. Her obliteration is the whole reason for the show to exist, and for Hughie’s emancipation from his stale, beige life. It would have made no difference whatsoever story-wise for the genders to be swapped here, but I guess the title ‘The Boys \u0026amp; One Girl’ is a lot less catchy.\nImage Source\nThe Female (Karen Fukuhara), one of the most brutally powerful supes in this story – and the most drastically underused – is kept prisoner by men, freed by the titular boys and, despite having more than enough strength to overpower them and go free, ends up as nothing more than a damsel in distress. It’s immensely frustrating to see a woman be captured and saved by men that she could literally rip limb from limb, and in a show so open in its depiction of male power, it would have been nice for them to give us at least one instance where the roles are reversed. Starlight gets the closest to driving the story forward, going against what’s expected of her on multiple occasions, and is given the rounded character development she deserves. And, it’s clear that Madelyn Stillwell is pulling a hell of a lot of strings, though it’s also obvious how easily it could all be taken away from her if Homelander is let off his leash.\nThe Boys is a grown-up, graphic and gratuitous eight hours of television that will have you wincing, wondering what the hell has happened to Karl Urban’s voice, and ultimately, keep you watching. It’s not afraid to show you the ugly side of success and sexism up close, and does so knowingly – but at the end of the day, it’s still showing it. Choosing to tell a story on screen about an issue like sexual abuse in the workplace will always be a tightrope walk between exposing it, and perpetuating it by virtue of that exposition. How to walk that walk remains a mystery, but I think The Boys just about makes it to the other side.\nThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\n3 113 Viewsamazon prime amazon prime video anthony starr chace crawford colin quaid erin moriarty karl urban the boys\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/newsletter/wiw-4-the-boys-will-be-boys/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eImage Source\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(Warning: the below contains mild-ish spoilers for Amazon Prime series ‘The Boys’.)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmazon’s new series \u003cem\u003eThe Boys\u003c/em\u003e imagines an America where superheroes walk among humans, and capitalism has turned them into money-making machines with a much bigger reach than even Kevin Feige’s \u003ca href=\"/tag/mcu/\"\u003eMCU\u003c/a\u003e has in our universe. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Superheroes and Sexual Power In Amazon's 'The Boys'"},{"content":"Say what you like about Tom Cruise – he knows how to make a damn good action movie.\nThe man is 57 years old and last year starred in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth in the iconic secret agent series – and they just keep getting bigger and better. It seems Cruise has found a strong creative partner in director Christopher McQuarrie; either that or McQuarrie is carrying out some sort of elaborate plan to send him to his death, which, judging by the stunts Cruise pulls off in this film, would not surprise me.\nIn the 2 hours and 20 minutes runtime of Fallout, we see Cruise actually jump out of a plane at 25,000 feet and act his way through what is stitched together to look like one continuous take of the descent, actually ride a motorbike through Paris in a wild multi-car chase, and actually fly a helicopter through a landscape of cliffs – not to mention a classic running sequence across London rooftops.\nYou’ll spend so much time taking sharp intakes of breath and fearing for the star’s safety that it almost – but not quite – distracts you from the incredible cinematography on display. An aircraft hanger with a pink sunset sky, aerial shots of Ethan Hunt atop the Tate Modern, and a memorable (but too short! give us more!) fistfight in an all-white bathroom are just some of the standout moments, but Fallout is full of reasons to remind you that in the right hands, action movies can be the most beautiful.\nImage Source\nThe ensemble the MI franchise has established is a big part of what makes them so compelling. Ving Rhames as the effortlessly cool Luther, Simon Pegg injecting comedic charm, and Rebecca Ferguson is back for the second time as Ilsa Faust: a British agent almost as deadly as Hunt, she feels good as a match for Cruise.\nAnd lest we forget, Fallout also gives us Henry Cavill as Agent Walker, with That Moustache, and That Arm Reload.\nWhat really puts a smile on your face whilst watching this movie is how much it leans in to the core elements of Mission: Impossible. The opening feels old school, with the ‘your mission, should you choose to accept it’ and self-destructing message present and correct, and the classic theme tune blasting out during the opening credits during a montage of action shots. It would feel like a throwback if the images flashing before our eyes weren’t so indicative of just how many boundaries this film is pushing when it comes to stunts.\nIt’s extremely light on plot, though heavy with enjoyable twists and excellent rubber mask usage, as we’ve come to expect – and who really gives a shit when Tom Cruise is literally hanging off a chopper, or scaling the side of a mountain?\nMuch of Mission: Impossible – Fallout (aside from the extraordinary stunts) are largely forgettable, but the sense of exhaustion you’re left with will hang around for a while. As the credits roll, you’ll feel like you were right there with Cruise himself, plummeting through the air or hanging on to a cliff face by your fingertips – just as he and McQuarrie intended.\n13 523 Viewschristopher mcquarrie henry cavill mission impossible mission impossible fallout rebecca ferguson simon pegg tom cruise ving rhames\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/action/wiw-3-youll-be-exhausted-just-watching-mission-impossible-fallout/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSay what you like about \u003ca href=\"/tag/tom-cruise/\"\u003eTom Cruise\u003c/a\u003e – he knows how to make a damn good action movie.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe man is 57 years old and last year starred in \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/mission-impossible-fallout\"\u003eMission: Impossible – Fallout\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e, the sixth in the iconic secret agent series – and they just keep getting bigger and better. It seems Cruise has found a strong creative partner in director \u003ca href=\"/tag/christopher-mcquarrie/\"\u003eChristopher McQuarrie\u003c/a\u003e; either that or McQuarrie is carrying out some sort of elaborate plan to send him to his death, which, judging by the stunts Cruise pulls off in this film, would not surprise me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"You'll Be Exhausted Just Watching Mission: Impossible - Fallout"},{"content":"Say what you like about Tom Cruise – he knows how to make a damn good action movie.\nThe man is 57 years old and last year starred in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth in the iconic secret agent series – and they just keep getting bigger and better. It seems Cruise has found a strong creative partner in director Christopher McQuarrie; either that or McQuarrie is carrying out some sort of elaborate plan to send him to his death, which, judging by the stunts Cruise pulls off in this film, would not surprise me.\nIn the 2 hours and 20 minutes runtime of Fallout, we see Cruise actually jump out of a plane at 25,000 feet and act his way through what is stitched together to look like one continuous take of the descent, actually ride a motorbike through Paris in a wild multi-car chase, and actually fly a helicopter through a landscape of cliffs – not to mention a classic running sequence across London rooftops.\nYou’ll spend so much time taking sharp intakes of breath and fearing for the star’s safety that it almost – but not quite – distracts you from the incredible cinematography on display. An aircraft hanger with a pink sunset sky, aerial shots of Ethan Hunt atop the Tate Modern, and a memorable (but too short! give us more!) fistfight in an all-white bathroom are just some of the standout moments, but Fallout is full of reasons to remind you that in the right hands, action movies can be the most beautiful.\nImage Source\nThe ensemble the MI franchise has established is a big part of what makes them so compelling. Ving Rhames as the effortlessly cool Luther, Simon Pegg injecting comedic charm, and Rebecca Ferguson is back for the second time as Ilsa Faust: a British agent almost as deadly as Hunt, she feels good as a match for Cruise.\nAnd lest we forget, Fallout also gives us Henry Cavill as Agent Walker, with That Moustache, and That Arm Reload.\nWhat really puts a smile on your face whilst watching this movie is how much it leans in to the core elements of Mission: Impossible. The opening feels old school, with the ‘your mission, should you choose to accept it’ and self-destructing message present and correct, and the classic theme tune blasting out during the opening credits during a montage of action shots. It would feel like a throwback if the images flashing before our eyes weren’t so indicative of just how many boundaries this film is pushing when it comes to stunts.\nIt’s extremely light on plot, though heavy with enjoyable twists and excellent rubber mask usage, as we’ve come to expect – and who really gives a shit when Tom Cruise is literally hanging off a chopper, or scaling the side of a mountain?\nMuch of Mission: Impossible – Fallout (aside from the extraordinary stunts) are largely forgettable, but the sense of exhaustion you’re left with will hang around for a while. As the credits roll, you’ll feel like you were right there with Cruise himself, plummeting through the air or hanging on to a cliff face by your fingertips – just as he and McQuarrie intended.\n62 5093 Viewschristopher mcquarrie henry cavill mission impossible mission impossible fallout rebecca ferguson simon pegg tom cruise ving rhames\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/film/wiw-3-youll-be-exhausted-just-watching-mission-impossible-fallout/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSay what you like about \u003ca href=\"/tag/tom-cruise/\"\u003eTom Cruise\u003c/a\u003e – he knows how to make a damn good action movie.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe man is 57 years old and last year starred in \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/mission-impossible-fallout\"\u003eMission: Impossible – Fallout\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e, the sixth in the iconic secret agent series – and they just keep getting bigger and better. It seems Cruise has found a strong creative partner in director \u003ca href=\"/tag/christopher-mcquarrie/\"\u003eChristopher McQuarrie\u003c/a\u003e; either that or McQuarrie is carrying out some sort of elaborate plan to send him to his death, which, judging by the stunts Cruise pulls off in this film, would not surprise me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"You'll Be Exhausted Just Watching Mission: Impossible - Fallout"},{"content":"Image Source\nThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\nSay what you like about Tom Cruise – he knows how to make a damn good action movie.\nThe man is 57 years old and last year starred in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth in the iconic secret agent series – and they just keep getting bigger and better. It seems Cruise has found a strong creative partner in director Christopher McQuarrie; either that or McQuarrie is carrying out some sort of elaborate plan to send him to his death, which, judging by the stunts Cruise pulls off in this film, would not surprise me.\nIn the 2 hours and 20 minutes runtime of Fallout, we see Cruise actually jump out of a plane at 25,000 feet and act his way through what is stitched together to look like one continuous take of the descent, actually ride a motorbike through Paris in a wild multi-car chase, and actually fly a helicopter through a landscape of cliffs – not to mention a classic running sequence across London rooftops.\nYou’ll spend so much time taking sharp intakes of breath and fearing for the star’s safety that it almost – but not quite – distracts you from the incredible cinematography on display. An aircraft hanger with a pink sunset sky, aerial shots of Ethan Hunt atop the Tate Modern, and a memorable (but too short! give us more!) fistfight in an all-white bathroom are just some of the standout moments, but Fallout is full of reasons to remind you that in the right hands, action movies can be the most beautiful.\nImage Source\nThe ensemble the MI franchise has established is a big part of what makes them so compelling. Ving Rhames as the effortlessly cool Luther, Simon Pegg injecting comedic charm, and Rebecca Ferguson is back for the second time as Ilsa Faust: a British agent almost as deadly as Hunt, she feels good as a match for Cruise.\nAnd lest we forget, Fallout also gives us Henry Cavill as Agent Walker, with That Moustache, and That Arm Reload.\nWhat really puts a smile on your face whilst watching this movie is how much it leans in to the core elements of Mission: Impossible. The opening feels old school, with the ‘your mission, should you choose to accept it’ and self-destructing message present and correct, and the classic theme tune blasting out during the opening credits during a montage of action shots. It would feel like a throwback if the images flashing before our eyes weren’t so indicative of just how many boundaries this film is pushing when it comes to stunts.\nIt’s extremely light on plot, though heavy with enjoyable twists and excellent rubber mask usage, as we’ve come to expect – and who really gives a shit when Tom Cruise is literally hanging off a chopper, or scaling the side of a mountain?\nMuch of Mission: Impossible – Fallout (aside from the extraordinary stunts) are largely forgettable, but the sense of exhaustion you’re left with will hang around for a while. As the credits roll, you’ll feel like you were right there with Cruise himself, plummeting through the air or hanging on to a cliff face by your fingertips – just as he and McQuarrie intended.\n4 116 Viewschristopher mcquarrie henry cavill mission impossible mission impossible fallout rebecca ferguson simon pegg tom cruise ving rhames\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/newsletter/wiw-3-youll-be-exhausted-just-watching-mission-impossible-fallout/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eImage Source\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSay what you like about \u003ca href=\"/tag/tom-cruise/\"\u003eTom Cruise\u003c/a\u003e – he knows how to make a damn good action movie.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe man is 57 years old and last year starred in \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/mission-impossible-fallout\"\u003eMission: Impossible – Fallout\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e, the sixth in the iconic secret agent series – and they just keep getting bigger and better. It seems Cruise has found a strong creative partner in director \u003ca href=\"/tag/christopher-mcquarrie/\"\u003eChristopher McQuarrie\u003c/a\u003e; either that or McQuarrie is carrying out some sort of elaborate plan to send him to his death, which, judging by the stunts Cruise pulls off in this film, would not surprise me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"You'll Be Exhausted Just Watching Mission: Impossible - Fallout"},{"content":"Warning: contains mild spoilers for Euphoria, but only for Kat’s storyline. Promise.\nThe premise for Euphoria feels like any other teen show: an ensemble of characters from varying cliques (popular girls, jocks and weirdos included) all attempt to navigate adolescence, participating in parties and prom nights whilst still trying to make their grades.\nBut there’s a depth to this show that sets it apart from the rest. Created by Sam Levinson (Assassination Nation) and starring Zendaya (most recently seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home), Euphoria is a depiction of what it’s like to be a teenager right now – at least, that’s what it feels like to me, at the grand old (irrelevant) age of 26. This is a snapshot of a generation for whom the boundaries of gender and sexuality are more flexible and yet volatile than ever; who have the weight of a world that’s almost completely fucked on their shoulders; who make it clear that there’s no point in telling them not to take nudes, because literally everybody already is.\nRue, played by Zendaya, is a drug addict just out of rehab, and she is riddled with anxiety. Jules (Hunter Schafer) is the new girl in town; she’s trans, but nobody cares, and they never misgender her. Nate (Jacob Elordi) and McKay (Algee Smith) are the jocks, their entire lives haunted by the toxic masculinity that’s been passed down to them through the generations. Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddie (Alexa Demie) are the hot girls; they see themselves mostly as objects for sexual violence, and so do the guys they date. Every second of* Euphoria* makes you want to press pause, so as to soak it all in for just another second. Levinson directed the majority of the episodes and his vision for this story is told in long sweeping shots, zooming in from what feels like miles away to an intense close-up on each characters’ face. There are weird and wonderful dream sequences, and the use of kaleidoscopic neon lights and the* Inception*-like tilting of a hallway has the viewer feeling just as high as the kids. Zendaya is outstanding; this is a breakout performance from her, not that she needed one. And each character is so richly painted they could well carry their own series. But my favourite, without a doubt, is Kat Hernandez.\nImage Source\nPlayed by Barbie Ferreira, a plus size model/actress/body positivity advocate, you would be forgiven for letting loose an eye roll when we first meet Kat on screen. At first, she seems like the embodiment of The Fat Friend trope, through and through. In case you’re not aware:\nthe fat friend noun\nA character who is deemed ‘fat’ by the writers and those around her, though in actuality may only be a dress size or two bigger than the thin protagonist. Someone who has no trace of their own inner life, storyline, thoughts or feelings; they exist only to willingly serve the thin protagonist, and is used by said thin protagonist to make them feel more attractive by comparison. A ‘wing-woman’, if you will. Has never kissed anyone, had a boyfriend (or girlfriend, though we never know her well if enough to find out if that’s the case), had sex with another person, or possessed any kind of sexual power/desire/feelings at all. If honoured to receive enough screen time, normally undergoes some kind of makeover and/or loses weight to then become hot. But as her storyline progressed, Kat has ended up becoming one of my favourite plus-size characters on screen, ever. Here’s why.\nImage Source\nFor a start, her friends never mention it; not once. They never imply she should lose weight, never put her down for her size. They’re just her friends. Plus, the love interests of the thin friends (Cassie, Maddie, Jules) never cross over in terms of using Kat to get to them. The only exception here is that Kat sleeps with Daniel after he almost hooks up with Cassie – but if anything, this is showing the different ways in which Kat and Cassie are approaching their sexual encounters.\nShe starts the show a virgin – a big red flag for The Fat Friend stereotype at first – but that doesn’t last long. Accused of being a prude at McKay’s party in the first episode, Rue’s omniscient voiceover tells us “No, Kat wasn’t a prude, but she was a virgin” before confirming that she was “on a mission to enter junior year as a woman of questionable morals”. It’s rare we get to see fat characters that actually express desire as Kat does, never mind see them act on it.\nAs Kat becomes more sexually experienced, she seems fascinated by the anti-climax of it all, laughing to herself as the coolest boy in town finishes inside her at the back of the carnival. She begins using her sexuality to her advantage, becoming a camgirl to wield power over middle-aged men desperate to pay her for degrading them. It’s at this point Kat gets her makeover, but as she struts through the mall in her mesh top, choker and body harness, it’s more like she’s stepping into her true self and embracing her body than changing it to fit in with what’s expected of her. In the season finale, as she prepares for the school dance, she asks her mother if the red studded PVC number she’s chosen makes her look stupid. Her mum looks her up and down, and smiles – with no judgement, she says “No, not in the least”. In any other show, she would likely have grimaced, and suggested something more ‘flattering’. Image Source\nKat may put on a front of confidence, but she’s not completely bulletproof. However, rather than expressing self-loathing towards her body, as we so often see fat characters do, her insecurities seep out in the way she expects boys to treat her. She assumes they could only want her for sex; that they would never want anything serious with her. She avoids any emotional intimacy as a way of protecting herself. Mid-chat with the attractive emo guy who serves her at the clothing store, she says they can hook up if he wants – it’s clear he just wanted a conversation first.\nWhen Ethan (the cute beta-male that sits next to her in class) tells her he likes her, she says there’s no way they can be boyfriend and girlfriend. They finally hook up at a Halloween party, and Euphoria continues to turn the tables on how we expect this kind of scene to go. “I’m a virgin,” Ethan blurts out. Kat jumps to the conclusion that he’s just using her to lose it, and shuts him down – but he puts her pleasure first anyway. Then, Ethan is the one to excuse himself to the bathroom, needing a minute to compose himself. Too often, we see this the other way around. We see the girl having to take a deep breath, and prepare themselves for what’s about to happen. But this time, Kat has all the power, and it’s fucking brilliant to see.\nThe most pleasantly surprising thing? Of all the characters, Kat gets the happiest ending. She’s not the thinnest, not the most likeable, and not the most popular, but she’s the one that respects herself enough to make a good choice. In a show that is ultimately a fairly bleak outlook at the problems we’re passing on to our kids, a plus size character that we last see with a huge smile on her face is enough to put one on mine too. Image Source 73 2430 Viewsalexa demie barbie ferreira euphoria HBO hunter schafer jacob elordi sam levinson zendaya\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/drama/euphoria-and-how-kat-breaks-the-mould-of-the-fat-friend/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWarning: contains mild spoilers for Euphoria, but only for Kat’s storyline. Promise.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe premise for \u003cem\u003eEuphoria\u003c/em\u003e feels like any other teen show: an ensemble of characters from varying cliques (popular girls, jocks and weirdos included) all attempt to navigate adolescence, participating in parties and prom nights whilst still trying to make their grades.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut there’s a depth to this show that sets it apart from the rest. Created by Sam Levinson (\u003cem\u003eAssassination Nation\u003c/em\u003e) and starring Zendaya (most recently seen in \u003cem\u003eSpider-Man: Far From Home\u003c/em\u003e), \u003cem\u003eEuphoria\u003c/em\u003e is a depiction of what it’s like to be a teenager right now – at least, that’s what it feels like to me, at the grand old (irrelevant) age of 26. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Euphoria', and how Kat breaks the mould of the fat friend"},{"content":"Image Source\nThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\nWarning: contains mild spoilers for Euphoria, but only for Kat’s storyline. Promise.\nThe premise for Euphoria feels like any other teen show: an ensemble of characters from varying cliques (popular girls, jocks and weirdos included) all attempt to navigate adolescence, participating in parties and prom nights whilst still trying to make their grades.\nBut there’s a depth to this show that sets it apart from the rest. Created by Sam Levinson (Assassination Nation) and starring Zendaya (most recently seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home), Euphoria is a depiction of what it’s like to be a teenager right now – at least, that’s what it feels like to me, at the grand old (irrelevant) age of 26. This is a snapshot of a generation for whom the boundaries of gender and sexuality are more flexible and yet volatile than ever; who have the weight of a world that’s almost completely fucked on their shoulders; who make it clear that there’s no point in telling them not to take nudes, because literally everybody already is.\nRue, played by Zendaya, is a drug addict just out of rehab, and she is riddled with anxiety. Jules (Hunter Schafer) is the new girl in town; she’s trans, but nobody cares, and they never misgender her. Nate (Jacob Elordi) and McKay (Algee Smith) are the jocks, their entire lives haunted by the toxic masculinity that’s been passed down to them through the generations. Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddie (Alexa Demie) are the hot girls; they see themselves mostly as objects for sexual violence, and so do the guys they date. Every second of* Euphoria* makes you want to press pause, so as to soak it all in for just another second. Levinson directed the majority of the episodes and his vision for this story is told in long sweeping shots, zooming in from what feels like miles away to an intense close-up on each characters’ face. There are weird and wonderful dream sequences, and the use of kaleidoscopic neon lights and the* Inception*-like tilting of a hallway has the viewer feeling just as high as the kids. Zendaya is outstanding; this is a breakout performance from her, not that she needed one. And each character is so richly painted they could well carry their own series. But my favourite, without a doubt, is Kat Hernandez.\nImage Source\nPlayed by Barbie Ferreira, a plus size model/actress/body positivity advocate, you would be forgiven for letting loose an eye roll when we first meet Kat on screen. At first, she seems like the embodiment of The Fat Friend trope, through and through. In case you’re not aware:\nthe fat friend noun\nA character who is deemed ‘fat’ by the writers and those around her, though in actuality may only be a dress size or two bigger than the thin protagonist. Someone who has no trace of their own inner life, storyline, thoughts or feelings; they exist only to willingly serve the thin protagonist, and is used by said thin protagonist to make them feel more attractive by comparison. A ‘wing-woman’, if you will. Has never kissed anyone, had a boyfriend (or girlfriend, though we never know her well if enough to find out if that’s the case), had sex with another person, or possessed any kind of sexual power/desire/feelings at all. If honoured to receive enough screen time, normally undergoes some kind of makeover and/or loses weight to then become hot. But as her storyline progressed, Kat has ended up becoming one of my favourite plus-size characters on screen, ever. Here’s why.\nImage Source\nFor a start, her friends never mention it; not once. They never imply she should lose weight, never put her down for her size. They’re just her friends. Plus, the love interests of the thin friends (Cassie, Maddie, Jules) never cross over in terms of using Kat to get to them. The only exception here is that Kat sleeps with Daniel after he almost hooks up with Cassie – but if anything, this is showing the different ways in which Kat and Cassie are approaching their sexual encounters.\nShe starts the show a virgin – a big red flag for The Fat Friend stereotype at first – but that doesn’t last long. Accused of being a prude at McKay’s party in the first episode, Rue’s omniscient voiceover tells us “No, Kat wasn’t a prude, but she was a virgin” before confirming that she was “on a mission to enter junior year as a woman of questionable morals”. It’s rare we get to see fat characters that actually express desire as Kat does, never mind see them act on it.\nAs Kat becomes more sexually experienced, she seems fascinated by the anti-climax of it all, laughing to herself as the coolest boy in town finishes inside her at the back of the carnival. She begins using her sexuality to her advantage, becoming a camgirl to wield power over middle-aged men desperate to pay her for degrading them. It’s at this point Kat gets her makeover, but as she struts through the mall in her mesh top, choker and body harness, it’s more like she’s stepping into her true self and embracing her body than changing it to fit in with what’s expected of her. In the season finale, as she prepares for the school dance, she asks her mother if the red studded PVC number she’s chosen makes her look stupid. Her mum looks her up and down, and smiles – with no judgement, she says “No, not in the least”. In any other show, she would likely have grimaced, and suggested something more ‘flattering’. Image Source\nKat may put on a front of confidence, but she’s not completely bulletproof. However, rather than expressing self-loathing towards her body, as we so often see fat characters do, her insecurities seep out in the way she expects boys to treat her. She assumes they could only want her for sex; that they would never want anything serious with her. She avoids any emotional intimacy as a way of protecting herself. Mid-chat with the attractive emo guy who serves her at the clothing store, she says they can hook up if he wants – it’s clear he just wanted a conversation first.\nWhen Ethan (the cute beta-male that sits next to her in class) tells her he likes her, she says there’s no way they can be boyfriend and girlfriend. They finally hook up at a Halloween party, and Euphoria continues to turn the tables on how we expect this kind of scene to go. “I’m a virgin,” Ethan blurts out. Kat jumps to the conclusion that he’s just using her to lose it, and shuts him down – but he puts her pleasure first anyway. Then, Ethan is the one to excuse himself to the bathroom, needing a minute to compose himself. Too often, we see this the other way around. We see the girl having to take a deep breath, and prepare themselves for what’s about to happen. But this time, Kat has all the power, and it’s fucking brilliant to see.\nThe most pleasantly surprising thing? Of all the characters, Kat gets the happiest ending. She’s not the thinnest, not the most likeable, and not the most popular, but she’s the one that respects herself enough to make a good choice. In a show that is ultimately a fairly bleak outlook at the problems we’re passing on to our kids, a plus size character that we last see with a huge smile on her face is enough to put one on mine too. Image Source 3 116 Viewsalexa demie barbie ferreira euphoria HBO hunter schafer jacob elordi sam levinson zendaya\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/newsletter/euphoria-and-how-kat-breaks-the-mould-of-the-fat-friend/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eImage Source\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWarning: contains mild spoilers for Euphoria, but only for Kat’s storyline. Promise.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe premise for \u003cem\u003eEuphoria\u003c/em\u003e feels like any other teen show: an ensemble of characters from varying cliques (popular girls, jocks and weirdos included) all attempt to navigate adolescence, participating in parties and prom nights whilst still trying to make their grades.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Euphoria', and how Kat breaks the mould of the fat friend"},{"content":"I used to fucking love New Girl.\nI loved it’s manic-pixie-dream-ness, even though I knew I should know better. I loved it’s offbeat humour. I loved Nick Miller.\nActually, I stand by that one. What a guy.\nBut on a rewatch, I’ve realised just how much of a sausage-fest this supposedly female-led comedy is. Whilst it’s created by a woman (Elizabeth Meriwether), starring a woman (Zooey Deschanel) and even has ‘Girl’ in the title, it couldn’t be further from what we want when it comes to a sitcom that ticks feminist boxes.\nFor a start, the protagonist may be female but the whole premise is about her moving in with three dudes, and the chemistry and calamities that causes. Yes, sure, Jess does give the guys a new perspective on things at times, but a lot of the laughs actually come from Jess doing something her way, and finding out that it’s the wrong way – that she should have listened to the men all along. In the whole of season one’s twenty four instalments, there’s only three episodes I could count that (barely) passed the frickin’ Bechdel Test.\nSchmidt is the fool of the piece, the formerly fat try-hard who shortens words unnecessarily and flashes his abs at any chance he can get. He’s an odd concoction; a bachelor bro that treats women like pieces of shit so he can sleep with them, and yet he has hyperbolised behaviour when it comes to cooking, cleaning and beauty products that is stereotypically associated with the feminine (and that earns him a roasting on many occasion).\nHe’s served up to us as the likeable douche – as Jess says, he’s fine as long as you ignore everything he does on purpose, and focus on the stuff he does by accident. And when this show came out, I fell for his act hook, line and sinker.\nPlus, Schmidt is just one of New Girls avenues into fat-shaming. Much like Fat Monica in Friends, flashbacks to Schmidt’s youth show actor Max Greenfield in a vastly exaggerated fatsuit; he becomes a loser with a theme song about Tootsie Rolls, and a liability at dating and sex.\nImage Source\nAs the secret is spilled that Schmidt and Cece are sleeping together, Schmidt tells the guys how he’s essentially paid his dues by having sex with increasingly hotter women to work his way up to bagging the model. This is accompanied by a memory of a time where we see a fat girl making out with fat Schmidt as Nick and Winston look on in horror. I guess I should be grateful to this show for informing me that for any man I (or any other fat women) sleep with, I am considered a mere milestone to be passed begrudgingly so as to ascend to the levels of supermodel-hot girlfriends.\nThe best part? In the episode ‘The 23rd’, we see Cece posing as the ‘after’ in a before-and-after photoshoot for some diet pill, whilst a fat version of her with an equally boss fringe gets to play the ‘before’. The show is literally telling us how diet culture is bullshit one scene before perpetuating it in another.\nI know this was back in 2011, before weight stigma had made global conversation in the miniscule way it has now, but is it so wrong to have expected them to try just a little bit harder?\nImage Source\nI’m only 20 episodes into my rewatch of New Girl, just nearing the end of season one. From vague memory, I suspect that things improve. Schmidt marries Cece. Nick talks about his feelings more. Everyone grows up a little. And there’s still a tonne that I love about this show, even amongst the many eye-rolls I’ve endured whilst rewatching it so far. The gag-rate is second to none, the creativity in most of the jokes is to be applauded and the characters do end up as extremely three dimensional, lived-in people. Plus, it gave us Nick Miller and That Kiss in the hallway and no amount of fatphobia and toxic masculinity can take that moment away from me, damnit!\nIt’s just always a shame to revisit an old favourite, watch it through a feminist lens, and find that it lets you down. You can’t help but unpick it, descend into all the ways it disappoints you. Here’s hoping that as film and television continue to evolve and diversify, it happens less and less.\nAs a balm to all that is wrong in the world, here is a clip of Said Kiss. You’re welcome.\nThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\n58 2477 Viewshannah simone jake johnson lamorne morris new girl zooey deschanel\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/comedy/new-girl-is-way-more-toxic-than-i-remember/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI used to fucking love \u003cem\u003eNew Girl\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI loved it’s manic-pixie-dream-ness, even though I knew I should know better. I loved it’s offbeat humour. I loved Nick Miller.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eActually, I stand by that one. \u003cem\u003eWhat a guy\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut on a rewatch, I’ve realised just how much of a sausage-fest this supposedly female-led comedy is. Whilst it’s created by a woman (Elizabeth Meriwether), starring a woman (\u003ca href=\"/tag/zooey-deschanel/\"\u003eZooey Deschanel\u003c/a\u003e) and even has ‘Girl’ in the title, it couldn’t be further from what we want when it comes to a sitcom that ticks feminist boxes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'New Girl' is way more toxic than I remember"},{"content":"Image Source\nThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\nI used to fucking love New Girl.\nI loved it’s manic-pixie-dream-ness, even though I knew I should know better. I loved it’s offbeat humour. I loved Nick Miller.\nActually, I stand by that one. What a guy.\nBut on a rewatch, I’ve realised just how much of a sausage-fest this supposedly female-led comedy is. Whilst it’s created by a woman (Elizabeth Meriwether), starring a woman (Zooey Deschanel) and even has ‘Girl’ in the title, it couldn’t be further from what we want when it comes to a sitcom that ticks feminist boxes.\nFor a start, the protagonist may be female but the whole premise is about her moving in with three dudes, and the chemistry and calamities that causes. Yes, sure, Jess does give the guys a new perspective on things at times, but a lot of the laughs actually come from Jess doing something her way, and finding out that it’s the wrong way – that she should have listened to the men all along. In the whole of season one’s twenty four instalments, there’s only three episodes I could count that (barely) passed the frickin’ Bechdel Test.\nSchmidt is the fool of the piece, the formerly fat try-hard who shortens words unnecessarily and flashes his abs at any chance he can get. He’s an odd concoction; a bachelor bro that treats women like pieces of shit so he can sleep with them, and yet he has hyperbolised behaviour when it comes to cooking, cleaning and beauty products that is stereotypically associated with the feminine (and that earns him a roasting on many occasion).\nHe’s served up to us as the likeable douche – as Jess says, he’s fine as long as you ignore everything he does on purpose, and focus on the stuff he does by accident. And when this show came out, I fell for his act hook, line and sinker.\nPlus, Schmidt is just one of New Girls avenues into fat-shaming. Much like Fat Monica in Friends, flashbacks to Schmidt’s youth show actor Max Greenfield in a vastly exaggerated fatsuit; he becomes a loser with a theme song about Tootsie Rolls, and a liability at dating and sex.\nImage Source\nAs the secret is spilled that Schmidt and Cece are sleeping together, Schmidt tells the guys how he’s essentially paid his dues by having sex with increasingly hotter women to work his way up to bagging the model. This is accompanied by a memory of a time where we see a fat girl making out with fat Schmidt as Nick and Winston look on in horror. I guess I should be grateful to this show for informing me that for any man I (or any other fat women) sleep with, I am considered a mere milestone to be passed begrudgingly so as to ascend to the levels of supermodel-hot girlfriends.\nThe best part? In the episode ‘The 23rd’, we see Cece posing as the ‘after’ in a before-and-after photoshoot for some diet pill, whilst a fat version of her with an equally boss fringe gets to play the ‘before’. The show is literally telling us how diet culture is bullshit one scene before perpetuating it in another.\nI know this was back in 2011, before weight stigma had made global conversation in the miniscule way it has now, but is it so wrong to have expected them to try just a little bit harder?\nImage Source\nI’m only 20 episodes into my rewatch of New Girl, just nearing the end of season one. From vague memory, I suspect that things improve. Schmidt marries Cece. Nick talks about his feelings more. Everyone grows up a little. And there’s still a tonne that I love about this show, even amongst the many eye-rolls I’ve endured whilst rewatching it so far. The gag-rate is second to none, the creativity in most of the jokes is to be applauded and the characters do end up as extremely three dimensional, lived-in people. Plus, it gave us Nick Miller and That Kiss in the hallway and no amount of fatphobia and toxic masculinity can take that moment away from me, damnit!\nIt’s just always a shame to revisit an old favourite, watch it through a feminist lens, and find that it lets you down. You can’t help but unpick it, descend into all the ways it disappoints you. Here’s hoping that as film and television continue to evolve and diversify, it happens less and less.\nAs a balm to all that is wrong in the world, here is a clip of Said Kiss. You’re welcome.\nThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\n3 109 Viewshannah simone jake johnson lamorne morris new girl zooey deschanel\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/newsletter/new-girl-is-way-more-toxic-than-i-remember/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eImage Source\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis post was originally shared via my weekly newsletter, ‘What I’m Watching’. Click here to subscribe, and have the content come to you!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI used to fucking love \u003cem\u003eNew Girl\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI loved it’s manic-pixie-dream-ness, even though I knew I should know better. I loved it’s offbeat humour. I loved Nick Miller.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eActually, I stand by that one. \u003cem\u003eWhat a guy\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut on a rewatch, I’ve realised just how much of a sausage-fest this supposedly female-led comedy is. Whilst it’s created by a woman (Elizabeth Meriwether), starring a woman (\u003ca href=\"/tag/zooey-deschanel/\"\u003eZooey Deschanel\u003c/a\u003e) and even has ‘Girl’ in the title, it couldn’t be further from what we want when it comes to a sitcom that ticks feminist boxes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'New Girl' is way more toxic than I remember"},{"content":"A night out has, to me, always felt like putting on a show. Like a theatre performer, you add layers of lotions, colours and kohl before stepping out into the night, ready to be your most fantastic self until the morning.\nThe first time we see Victoria (Laia Costa), the titular character of Sebastian Schipper’s 2015 one-take wonder, she isn’t quite so adorned on the outside, but is wearing enough bravado to fool us.\nWe’re dropped in to the film via a Berlin nightclub, electric beat pumping incessantly, blurry shapes dancing whilst doused in neon blue. Victoria is moving joyfully to the music, with her hair down and a wide grin on her face. To us, she is like any other reveller – but as the smile drops and she struggles to communicate with the bartender, we realise she’s a stranger in this city, and that she’s alone.\nBut not for long.\nAs she leaves the club, she’s joined by four rowdy boys being denied entry. It’s 4am, and Victoria is ready to head home – but the boys have different ideas. The leader, Sonne (played by Frederick Lau), sparks up conversation and convinces Victoria to join them for a drink. ‘We can show you the real Berlin’, they promise. At first glance, you might question her decision to go with them. Is it wise to go off with four men you’ve never met before, in a city you hardly know? But from their first interaction, the boys instantly feel like brothers to her; fun and friendly and charming. Sonne clearly has a twinkle in his eye for the Spanish stranger, and as they leave the club they descend into the kind of hectic improvised chatter that only comes from intoxicated merriment and a desire to impress.\nWith Victoria being Spanish and the boys German, there’s a language barrier that affects the group dynamic from the start. They both have the common ground of English, but Sonne, Boxer and the rest often move into German so as to converse without Victoria being aware – to let slip some honesty, exposing themselves to the audience, but not Victoria herself. The technical achievement of shooting an entire movie in one take is immense, and though there are inevitable lulls in action and the cohesion of the dialogue, the spectacular use of music and cinematography more than make up for it. A cynic might say the music is used as patchwork to cover up any mistakes, but maybe this is no bad thing. It allows the viewer to see the authenticity in the characters’ interactions without trying to follow the melee of what they’re actually saying.\nOn one occasion, the dialogue fades out and atmospheric acoustics enter our ears, providing a wistful soundtrack as Victoria rides on the back of Sonne’s bike and the others run joyfully after her. It’s a portrayal of a real-life movie moment, the kind of snapshot that stays with you in your memory of a pivotal or meaningful evening. As they climb up to the roof and look out at the Berlin skyline, it feels like when you’re sat staring out of a bus or train window, lost in the music of your headphones, imagining the tune as the soundtrack to your life.\nWhen we’re out in a bar or a club, cloaked by darkness or drowned out by the sound of chatter and music, it can feel like an opportunity to take on a whole new identity. Whether you’re there for a night of escapism from the mundanity of everyday life, to have a good time with your friends or in search of affection, the performative act of drinking and dancing so as to catch someone’s eye across the room makes every beat that pounds through your feet thrum with potential.\nIf we do meet someone, we figure out the best and most interesting stories we can tell to reel them in. Sometimes the stories are true, and sometimes we just wish they are. Boxer is a volatile character. We learn fairly early on that he’s been in prison, but we never find out specifically why. The story he chooses to tell Victoria is that ‘I’m not a bad guy, I just did a bad thing’. Of course, no villain ever actually believes that they’re the bad guy – that’s what makes them so dangerous. From the start, Boxer is energetic, aggressive and yet charming. You’re wary of him to an extent, but there’s a sincerity in his desire to make clear to Victoria that he’s not a bad person, not really. She believes him, and we do too.\nThere’s a strong sense of camaraderie between Sonne, Boxer, Blinker and Fuss that tells us these boys go back a long way; there’s a history. The extent of that history and the lengths they will go to for each other are revealed very slowly to Victoria throughout the night – by their choosing at first, and more quickly as things escalate out of their control later.\nThere are several scenes where the masks slip most and we get the truest glances at who these characters are. The most notable is when Sonne walks Victoria back to the cafe at which she has to start work in a matter of hours – in the midst of the long night, it can be easy to forget that she has to get back to her ‘normal life’ soon, the one she lives when the sun comes up. They go to say goodbye, but neither wants the night to end. If they can stretch out their time in the darkness a little bit longer, they don’t have to face the morning just yet. Victoria offers to make Sonne a drink, and so he stays. He spots the piano in the cafe, and makes the latest in a long line of intentionally transparent claims in an effort to impress Victoria – ‘I’m a professional piano player, you know this?’. Lau and Costa’s chemistry and intimacy in this moment is intoxicating. After his lame attempt at a tune, Victoria takes the banter to a new level, saying ‘I think I’m falling in love with you right now’. Sonne is taken aback, genuine shock on his face.’Really? Same.’ It’s all part of the flirtatious dance between them, but there’s an integrity lurking underneath – on the right night, with the right person, someone you met mere hours ago can feel like someone you were destined to find.\nVictoria takes a seat at the instrument, and begins to play. It’s nothing like we or Sonne expect – she’s a musical master, playing a beautifully vibrant symphony. She loses herself completely in the music, fingers and body moving in poetic expression. His bravado drops as he watches and listens, a smile flitting across his face. Both of their walls come down and their relationship moves from casual charm to true connection. Often, during a night of drinking and debauchery, there’s a moment where the mood turns. Someone’s had more than they can handle, a sharp word is spoken, merry mouths start spouting truths and tensions run high. Victoria’s long night takes a detour she never expected when, after saying goodbye to Sonne and brushing her teeth, ready for the working day ahead, he returns with Boxer and Blinker in a panic. Boxer owes a debt from his days in prison that requires four people, and Victoria agrees to help him pay it – little does she know, the debt can only be paid by pulling off a bank robbery.\nWas it the connection she found with Sonne that drove Victoria to agree to help them, or a more primal search for an adrenaline rush that can so often put our lizard brain in the driver’s seat once we’ve had a few? Whatever carried her to that underground car park in Berlin, it’s surely fear that made her stay. As the gang move into the next act of the evening, they literally perform a rehearsal of their crime so as to appease the man for whom they’re committing it, all taking a hit of drugs to boost their confidence and aggression. Victoria watches on as Sonne, Boxer and Blinker play out the kind of cliche armed robbery we only see in movies far more conceited than this one. The versions of themselves they chose to step into when they headed out that night have taken on a brand new identity, and a brand new face – one disguised with a black balaclava.\nLater, after they’ve done the deed, and perhaps at the highest high of a night full of peaks and troughs, Victoria and the boys realise that they might just have gotten away with it, and excitedly celebrate their victory. We’re taken back to the nightclub where we found Victoria, but she is not alone this time. She has found friendship, romance, a sense of belonging. You can’t help but smile as the four of them move euphorically across the emptying dancefloor, Boxer and Blinker losing all inhibitions, and Sonne and Victoria finding their release in erratic, passionate kisses. It turns out, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being one of many, a single being in a sea of bodies brought together by strobe lights and a pounding beat. Sadly, it doesn’t last very long. As they emerge from the club, blinking in the grey morning light of the Berlin dawn, their ecstasy soon turns to terror when they see the police around their abandoned car, and the script shifts to an intense shootout, each character trying desperately to escape with their life.\nOnce Victoria and Sonne are the last two standing, we see her pull on a new mask; a facet of her character that we haven’t seen before. The two break in to a young couple’s home so as to evade the police, and Sonne is at breaking point. As the apartment block goes into police lockdown, Victoria steps in and takes control. She decides to use the couple’s baby as the ultimate disguise to get out of the building, but retains enough of her non-criminal self to reassure the mother that her child would be safe. At this point, she is no longer a side character being used only as audience’s way in to the boys’ story: she exerts her power, and becomes the protagonist for real.\nThe end of the night is always almost uncomfortable enough to warrant never leaving the house, don’t you think? You’re standing outside in the cold or the rain, the warmth and comfort of the alcohol is wearing off, and for all the fun you’ve had, you’re dying to just get home to your bed. For Victoria, the end of this particular night is probably the most sobering of her life. The relentless 140-minute-long take ends with her covered in blood before she walks off into the daylight, bag of money in hand. The bravado, the facade, the charm; they all fall away from her, much as we wipe and wash and strip away the layers we plastered on for the night once we get back to our own bathroom mirror. But rather than coming back to herself, she’s a brand new woman entirely.\nThe party is over, and Victoria ends it alone – just as she started it.\nImage Sources:\nCurzon Letterboxd Austin Chronicle Film Fan Travel Hollywood Reporter The-Peak 66 4961 Viewslaia costa sebastian schipper victoria Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/essays/victoria-and-the-performance-of-the-party/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA night out has, to me, always felt like putting on a show. Like a theatre performer, you add layers of lotions, colours and kohl before stepping out into the night, ready to be your most fantastic self until the morning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first time we see Victoria (Laia Costa), the titular character of Sebastian Schipper’s 2015 one-take wonder, she isn’t quite so adorned on the outside, but is wearing enough bravado to fool us.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"‘Victoria’, And The Performance Of The Party | Essays on The CineBlog"},{"content":"Once in a while, a film comes along that reminds you why you love movies so much. And sometimes, it’s from where you least expect it – no franchise, no wealth of IP to draw from, no 22 films worth of worldbuilding. Sometimes, it’s the little guys that surprise you. Booksmart is one of them.\nBooksmart takes place over only around 24 hours. It follows BFFs Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) on their last day of high school. They’ve spent their entire time at school dedicated to getting excellent grades so they can get into the colleges of their dreams, looking down their noses at the popular party kids along the way. But, when they find out those who have been engaging in exciting extra-curriculars have also passed with flying colours, Molly in particular is furious. They decide that the night before graduation is the one on which they show to their classmates that they can be both smart and fun – the last night for them to grab the opportunity of saying they both partied and studied their way through high school. Strap in for one epic night of booze and bad behaviour as they try to make their way to the hottest party in town.\nThis is the directorial debut of Olivia Wilde, and she is not shy about setting the scene and the tone – from the outset there’s snappy editing, a bombastic hiphop soundtrack and razor sharp one liners (thanks to Katie Silberman’s truly excellent script) that signify this movie is going to be a pacy, ridiculously enjoyable rollercoaster ride. The feminism at the core of the movie is part of what makes it so refreshing. Of the two leads, Dever’s character is gay (but not burdened with a traumatic closeting or coming out we see so often elsewhere), their safe word when they need the other’s full support is Malala, they have an elongated ritual of emphatically complimenting (rather than competing with) each other, and the idea of being both smart and fun is extended effortlessly to the rest of the characters at the school. Stereotypes are continually sidestepped as the jocks and the pretty girls alike show Molly and Amy that, to their surprise, they do care about school – it’s just not all they care about.\nAn actor-turned-director can often incur groans and raised eyebrows, but similarly to Greta Gerwig with Lady Bird, Olivia Wilde has shown that there’s a certain integrity and clear rapport with her cast that female actors can bring to storytelling when finally given the chance to be behind the camera. Not only is her warmth as a director clear in the general sense of kindness and joy in the film, but her stylistic choices and cinematic eye are spot on. Amy and Molly’s faces are framed beautifully throughout, and the light flares and amber hues add a kind of nostalgia, whilst also making the film feel thoroughly modern in its visual style. Feldstein and Dever’s chemistry is outstanding, and they show remarkable skill in comic timing, line delivery and dramatic moments. One long shot where their friendship wears thin is devastatingly truthful; an argument that any former (or current) teenage girl can likely remember from their own history. There’s also a depth to the supporting cast which is what makes Booksmart feel like such an authentic reflection of a high school class – Billie Lourd is downright hilarious as the mystical, brilliant Gigi, Noah Galvin is laugh-out-loud as catty George, and Skyler Gisondo has just the right amount of bravado as rich kid loner Jared. There’s also scene stealing moments from Wilde’s partner Jason Sudeikis as the high school teacher, and Michael Patrick O’Brian as a somewhat strange pizza guy.\nWhilst there’s barely time to catch your breath, there is some weaker segments – particularly as the night begins, and before they get to the main event of Nick’s party. There’s also a drug-induced dream sequence that you might have expected but hoped to avoid, which feels a little forced at first, but works hard to get you on board. With only mere moments that lag, Booksmart is a high school teen movie for the ages. From five minutes in, you’ll be thinking about how often you’re going to come back to this one, in times where you need a pick-me-up or to restore a little faith in the power of friendship. A perfectly formed package of emotion, entertainment and balls-to-the-wall euphoria, *Booksmart *is a timely yet timeless instant classic. It’s what going to the movies was made for.\nImage Sources:\nPolygon New Yorker Wear Your Voice 66 4097 Viewsbeanie feldstein billile lourde booksmart booksmart review kaitlyn dever olivia wilde Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/booksmart-review-an-instant-classic/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOnce in a while, a film comes along that reminds you why you love movies so much. And sometimes, it’s from where you least expect it – no franchise, no wealth of IP to draw from, no 22 films worth of worldbuilding. Sometimes, it’s the little guys that surprise you. \u003cem\u003eBooksmart\u003c/em\u003e is one of them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBooksmart\u003c/em\u003e takes place over only around 24 hours. It follows BFFs Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) on their last day of high school. They’ve spent their entire time at school dedicated to getting excellent grades so they can get into the colleges of their dreams, looking down their noses at the popular party kids along the way. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Booksmart' Review: An Instant Classic | 4*"},{"content":"April 2019 – this is it. The movie we’ve all been waiting for. The culmination of 11 years of cinematic world-building, origin stories and rainbow coloured MacGuffins, Avengers: Endgame sees Marvel deliver an epic three hour conclusion to the Infinity Saga. If you haven’t seen Endgame yet, look away now; spoilers incoming.\nMaybe a third of the way in, we find Valkyrie and the rest of Thor’s people in New Asgard, their new settlement on Earth. Bruce Banner and Rocket have gone in search of Thor to recruit him for the Time Heist, but Valkyrie warns that they don’t see him often; only when he comes to get ‘supplies’, as the camera pans to barrels of beer. When we finally see the Thor of five years after the snap, he’s almost unrecognisable. His beard has grown long and wild, and his hair too, hanging in dreadlocks. He stumbles drunk and shirtless around a creaky wooden house, feigning bravado at the sight of his friends from work – and then the camera pans down to show his full torso, basked in the sunlight from the window. In place of Hemsworth’s usual ridiculously ripped abs and biceps are soft, squishy arms, an undefined chest and a significant, though not enormous, curved belly. Cue a sold out cinema audience of hundreds of people bursting into laughter – and me, wishing my slightly too-small seat would swallow me whole. By making Thor naked from the waist up in our reintroduction to him, it’s as if the Russos were going for maximum exposure of his body, and maximum impact in terms of the implied hilarity that comes with his new figure.\nTo an extent, we can understand the change in Thor’s size and character. After all, he’s been through a lot – both his parents are dead, he lost Asgard and a lot of his people, he watched Thanos squeeze the life out of his brother Loki, and he made a mistake that allowed Thanos to snap those fingers and vanish half the universe when he didn’t go for the head. The way his face drops and the tension in the room rises when Bruce dares to mention The Big Purple Guy is enough to show that he is struggling with some kind of PTSD, and his bigger body (and descent into what is presented as alcoholism) is a very intentionally chosen way for them to visually signify this. With this choice,* Endgame* is recycling a much overused trope that ties fatness and trauma together, implying that the latter is what causes the former. This isn’t just something we see on screen – it’s a rhetoric around weight that is constantly used in everyday life. Heading into the quantum realm in ‘Avengers: Endgame’\nThere are many reasons as to why someone might be fat. They might indeed have suffered from a trauma that they have used food as a coping mechanism for (which, by the way, is not the problem that diet culture tells us it is) and their weight reflects that; but, they might also have a health condition that impacts their weight, have struggled with weight cycling thanks to a lifetime of diets, genetics that affect their body size, a socioeconomic status that impacts their overall health and the way they eat…the list goes on. Or hey – they might just be fat. And that’s okay. Body diversity is real, and sometimes people are fat just because that’s what they are, just like some people are tall or short or white, or have a big nose, or can dance. The point is, Thor’s journey from ripped, to traumatised, to fat, perpetuates the cycle that a body like mine only exists as a result and a symbol of pain and negativity, and that to maintain a plus size shape is to continue to wallow in that pain. It makes fatness appear as a symptom of unresolved issues – with food or otherwise. Too often, fat bodies are considered a ‘before’; the rags that you stop at on your way to thin riches, or the ‘after’. We see thinness as the light at the end of the tunnel, the ultimate sign of discipline, of finally having your shit together. Fatness, however, tends to be interpreted as lack of willpower, being out of control, and ‘letting yourself go’. When it comes to trauma and the narrative that diet culture applies to weight, we assume that to be of a higher weight is to be in the midst of a hard time, and that to lose weight is to recover from it – but this is reductive, harmful and simply not true. ** “to have a son who is not a King would be okay, but to have a son who is not a King but is also fat is pushing the boundaries of motherly love one step too far” **\nWhen Thor goes back in time to 2013 Asgard with Rocket in order to steal the Reality stone, we see a cathartic and emotional reunion between him and his mother on the day she is destined to die. This comes right at Thor’s most vulnerable point in the film. He has a mission – to charm Jane so as to give Rocket the opportunity to extract the Aether – but being back in his world and seeing the loved ones of his past that he has lost in the present, as well as the pain he was already carrying with him, completely knocks him for six. He aborts the mission, abandons Rocket, and goes in search of his mother, Frigga. They have a touching conversation and, unsurprisingly, Frigga recognises this is the not the Thor of her time. She gives him some great advice, the most valuable being ‘Everyone fails at who they’re supposed to be, Thor. The measure of a person, of a hero, is how well they succeed at being who they are.’ This frees Thor from the expectations he’s always had for himself as the King of Asgard, and gives him the confidence to pick himself up and keep fighting, but what if this applied to more than just his birthright? What if who he is supposed to be, is fat? The last thing Frigga says to her son is ‘eat a salad’. That tells me that to have a son who is not a King would be okay, but to have a son who is not a King but is also fat is pushing the boundaries of motherly love one step too far. It’s the cheapest of cheap fat jokes, and completely undercuts the emotion in the scene we just watched.\nAnd guess what, fat people eat salad too. Shock.\nThe digs, the jokes, the stereotypes; they’re all enough to make fat Marvel fans feel like they’re the punchline of this most epic cinematic event. But the real insult? It’s the fatsuit itself.\n“**The insults hurled at him don’t have the impact that they would if they landed on a truly fat actor, because every single person in the audience knows that his body is not real.” **\nFatsuits have a history on film and TV that is one of the most hurtful ways weight stigma presents itself in our culture. There’s Fat Monica on Friends, who not only gains some chins when we see her in flashbacks but also a whole new set of character traits, plus the inability to get up off a beanbag, and the mantle of being a 30 year old virgin – because who’d want to fuck a fattie? Other examples include plus size Gwyneth Paltrow in Shallow Hal, a movie with an inherently fatphobic storyline, and Fat Bastard in Austin Powers, the literal embodiment of fatness as evil, gross and disgusting. The very use of a fatsuit is complex and dehumanising. Instead of hiring an actor of that actual body size to play the part, we watch people who often embody the Western beauty ideal literally zipping themselves into a marginalised and stigmatised identity that so many people have to live through every day, but that the actor can take off once they’ve finished their scene. Watching the incredibly muscular and athletic Hemsworth become fat by being buried under layers of prosthetics and CGI, instead of actually having that flesh on his bones, means that there’s no stakes. The insults hurled at him don’t have the impact that they would if they landed on a truly fat actor, because every single person in the audience knows that his body is not real. Not only is Endgame making fun of fat people, but it’s not even including them in the joke. They get all the payoff from the supposed hilarity of a fat superhero, but none of the jeopardy of what it really feels like to receive those remarks as an actual fat person – one that doesn’t get to take off a suit.\nThe body we all know that Chris Hemsworth has under those prosthetics (‘Thor: Ragnarok’)\nFat Thor is, admittedly, not 100% negative. Whilst the majority of his depiction reinforces fat stereotypes and goes for cheap laughs at fat peoples’ expense, the fact that his body doesn’t change back to his old one at any point is something positive to hold on to. When he goes back in time through the quantum realm, he’s still fat. When he holds out his hand in 2013 Asgard and Mjolnir flies into it, he’s still fat – and euphoric at the fact that he is still worthy. And in the final battle, when lightning builds in his eyes, his hair is tied back and his beard forms into a braid, his belly stays exactly the same size. We get to see the God of Thunder in action, swinging both his hammer and Stormbreaker, working with Cap and Iron Man to bring Thanos down, and we get to see him do it in a fat body. Despite all the negativity from the rest of the film, there’s certainly vindication in that.\nThere’s been much discourse on this subject since the release of Avengers: Endgame, with many showing support for Thor’s character arc in this movie. A lot of men in particular have vocalised that they feel seen by this film, that Thor’s pain and gain mirrors their own, and that it means a lot to them as fans. ** “the fact his body is played for laughs means that the ultimate message is one we’ve been hearing for decades. It’s that fat is bad.” **\nWhilst that is valid, it doesn’t make Endgame a win for fat representation. And whilst Thor’s arc ends positively overall, it doesn’t mean his part in this film isn’t fatphobic and massively stigmatising. It all boils down to one thing. Fat Thor may come from an intention to tell a story about trauma, and maybe it does – but the use of a fatsuit, the insults and micro-aggressions in the script and the fact his body is played for laughs means that the ultimate message is one we’ve been hearing for decades. It’s that fat is bad. That being fat is bad. And that being happy and fat is nothing but a fantasy.\nApril 2019 arrived, and I got to see the film that I have probably been the most excited for in my whole life. I watched Cap get his happy ending, and Tony Stark finally find peace, and Thanos be defeated. I got everything I ever wanted from Avengers: Endgame, and more. It’s just disappointing that the lasting memory I have of this film is shame washing over me, as a character with a body like mine was made into a punchline. Again. I’d hoped for better from you, Marvel. Maybe in the next phase, we’ll see a fat superhero who never doubts their worthiness, no matter what their body looks like.\nImage Sources:\ncomingsoon.net The Express comicbook.com 8 287 ViewsSophie Butcher Writer, media graduate and marketing manager with a love for escapism through quality film and TV - and then writing about it. Blogging, always.\nAll posts\nRelated posts A Quiet Place | Film Review | 4* La La Land | Film Review | 3* The Neon Demon | Film Review | 4* Posts navigation **\nPrevious Article‘Shazam!’ Review: The DCEU At It’s Most Heartwarming | 4*\n**\nNext Article‘Booksmart’ Review: An Instant Classic | 4*\nHi, I\u0026rsquo;m Sophie! I\u0026rsquo;m the creator, editor and writer of The CineBlog. Big fan of neon, great movie kisses and anything with Keanu Reeves. Follow Me On Twitter\nSearch The Site **\nRecent Posts ‘Ad Astra’ Review: An Incredible, If Imperfect, Cinematic Experience | 4* Sense8’s Top 5 Most Mind-Blowing Moments ‘The Boys’ Will Be Boys You’ll be exhausted just watching ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ ‘Euphoria’, and how Kat breaks the mould of the fat friend ×facebookinstagramtwitteremail Copyright The CineBlog 2019\n********** This site uses cookies: Find out more.Okay, thanks\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/action/how-fat-thor-in-avengers-endgame-made-me-feel-like-a-piece-of-shit/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApril 2019 – this is it. The movie we’ve all been waiting for. The culmination of 11 years of cinematic world-building, origin stories and rainbow coloured MacGuffins, \u003cem\u003eAvengers: Endgame\u003c/em\u003e sees Marvel deliver an epic three hour conclusion to the Infinity Saga. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you haven’t seen \u003cem\u003eEndgame\u003c/em\u003e yet, look away now; \u003cem\u003espoilers incoming\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe a third of the way in, we find Valkyrie and the rest of Thor’s people in New Asgard, their new settlement on Earth. Bruce Banner and Rocket have gone in search of Thor to recruit him for the Time Heist, but Valkyrie warns that they don’t see him often; only when he comes to get ‘supplies’, as the camera pans to barrels of beer. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"How Fat Thor in 'Avengers: Endgame' Made Me Feel Like A Piece of Shit"},{"content":"What makes a family? Is it blood? A birth certificate? Or is it who you choose to call your brothers, your sisters, and your parents that matters?\nThis is a question made all the more poignant for a kid in the foster care system like Billy Batson (Asher Angel). Separated from his mother as a toddler, Billy has made it his mission to find her. We meet him as a mildly delinquent teenager, tricking cops so as to get hold of the address of the next Ms Batson on his list; but after another failed attempt, he ends up in a group care home in Philadelphia, thrown amongst an endearing but overwhelming mix of brand new siblings (though he doesn’t see them that way, at first).\nAfter one trippy subway ride and an encounter with a somewhat creepy, slightly dramatic wizard (Djimon Hounsou), Billy is given the powers of Shazam – and the ability to turn into the fully grown superhero version of himself (Zachary Levi) whenever he utters the name. Cue Mark Strong (as an archetype he’d surely hoped to move past by now) as Dr Sa, a man whom the wizard deemed not worthy of the Shazam mantle 40 years earlier, and who has spent his life tracking him down so as to claim the powers as his own.\nA much brighter, funnier and heartwarming affair than any instalment in DCEU so far, Shazam! has comedy at its core, and the use of superpowers adds a whole new element to the young-person-in-grown-up-body dynamic that we’ve seen so many times before. It might take a while to get there, but once Zachary Levi is introduced as the muscle-bound, lightning-shooting Shazam, the central relationship between him and sidekick/foster brother Freddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), really steps up a gear, as well as his connection with the rest of his new brothers and sisters.\nThis origin story may not be adding anything dramatically new to the superhero arc plot-wise, but its warmth and integrity are what set Shazam! apart from the canon of caped crusaders – there’s a chemistry between Billy, Freddy and the rest of their diverse and eclectic family that gets you invested in these characters and this story, and the script uses that to full effect in a third act that will have you smiling from ear to ear.\nIt’s the thoroughly charming performances from Glazer and Levi that really sell the interactions at the heart of the movie, with an honourable mention for Faithe Herman as the insanely adorable Darla. Angel feels a little overshadowed once his adult alter-ego kicks in, and the biggest disconnect character-wise is the difference in Billy’s personality between the two actors – it might be that his superpowers help him come a little more out of his shell, but it’s as though he becomes a different person entirely, rather than just the best version. Angel never quite delivers the wit and humour we see in the grown Shazam, but Levi doesn’t quite embody the sadness and vulnerability of the lonely boy who just wants to find his mother.\nMark Strong is, sadly, wasted here. Convincing as he is in the antagonist role, it’s supervillain 101 – so it’s a good job you don’t really care about him that much. And, as refreshing as it is to see an ensemble cast in the foster family that come in all different colours, shapes and abilities, the representation here could have been taken a few steps further: the hero is still, after all, a straight white guy; the only non-thin cast member gets the least to say and has his body altered later in the film; and, though Jack Dylan Grazer is one of the best bits of this movie, having an actor with a disability that mirrored Freddie’s playing him would have added an extra layer of authenticity.\nHyperspeed, super strength and electrical manipulation abilities are undoubtedly super cool, but Shazam! shows that for both those on screen and us watching it, they’re not what’s really important in this film. As Captain Sparklefingers himself puts it, what’s the point in having powers, if you have nobody to share them with? It turns out, a new found family are the perfect people to do just that.\nImage Sources:\nYoutube Collider Observer 66 4680 Viewsasher angel DCEU djimon hounsou jack dylan grazer mark strong shazam shazam review zachary levi Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/shazam-review-the-dceu-at-its-most-heartwarming-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhat makes a family? Is it blood? A birth certificate? Or is it who you \u003cem\u003echoose\u003c/em\u003e to call your brothers, your sisters, and your parents that matters?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a question made all the more poignant for a kid in the foster care system like Billy Batson (\u003ca href=\"/tag/asher-angel/\"\u003eAsher Angel\u003c/a\u003e). Separated from his mother as a toddler, Billy has made it his mission to find her. We meet him as a mildly delinquent teenager, tricking cops so as to get hold of the address of the next Ms Batson on his list; but after another failed attempt, he ends up in a group care home in Philadelphia, thrown amongst an endearing but overwhelming mix of brand new siblings (though he doesn’t see them that way, at first).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Shazam!' Review: The DCEU At Its Most Heartwarming | 4*"},{"content":"“What does one do around here?”\n“Wait for the summer to end.”\nWatching the hazy blue skies, sun-sheened skin and absorbing romance of Luca Guadagnino’s much-loved ‘Call Me By Your Name’, you wouldn’t be blamed for hoping that autumn never comes.\nClick here to read the piece in full.\n35 2489 Viewsarmie hammer call me by your name timothee chalamet\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/flip-screen-five-stages-of-young-love-in-call-me-by-your-name/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e“What does one do around here?”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Wait for the summer to end.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWatching the hazy blue skies, sun-sheened skin and absorbing romance of Luca Guadagnino’s much-loved ‘Call Me By Your Name’, you wouldn’t be blamed for hoping that autumn never comes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClick here to read the piece in full.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=jemma_process_simple_like\u0026amp;post_id=1440\u0026amp;nonce=f3b6766d44\u0026amp;is_comment=0\u0026amp;disabled=true\"\u003e35\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e 2489 Views\u003ca href=\"/tag/armie-hammer/\"\u003earmie hammer\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"/tag/call-me-by-your-name/\"\u003ecall me by your name\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"/tag/timothee-chalamet/\"\u003etimothee chalamet\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Five Stages of Young Love in 'Call Me By Your Name'"},{"content":"Did you know that Nick Fury lost his eye in an incident with a cute ginger cat (or what appears to be a cat) named Goose? Or that he can’t eat toast if it’s cut diagonally? Before watching Captain Marvel, probably not.\nThe problem is, this ain’t his film – it’s Carol Danver’s. But unfortunately, her character isn’t given half as much time to develop and shine as the (mostly) male supporting cast around her. Frustrating that, isn’t it? For a movie that is such a benchmark in terms of female comic book representation, it sure is.\nThis is another Marvel origin story, but it was supposed to be different. Their first solo female protagonist, their first female (co)writer and director; and, with talent like Brie Larson on board, expectations were sky high. Captain Marvel is known for being one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe, and after the hint of her introduction at the shockingly morbid end of Avengers: Infinity War, there was peak excitement about what she could bring to these films.\n*Captain Marvel *plunges us straight in to Carol’s (or Vers, as she’s known at this point) everyday life. We’re given a basic introduction to her – she’s scrappy, smart, and sharp-witted – before heading into a set piece that is nowhere near as impressive as we’ve seen from the MCU in the past. Even after that, the entire first act makes it really hard to grasp who our hero is. Sarcastic quips are great, and Larson delivers them brilliantly, but they’re just not enough.\nAs the film progresses, Carol’s character development barely improves. Her relationship with her friend Maria (Lashana Lynch) and her daughter is touching, truly, but we never get to the nitty-gritty of who Carol Danvers really is. In the scene previously referenced where we get to find out Nick Fury’s toast preferences, a fantastically specific character beat that tells us something we didn’t know about someone we’ve seen on screen so many times before, all Carol gets to do is fire her fists at the wall. Don’t get me wrong, it’s super cool that she’s so powerful – but how does she like to eat toast on a morning? Is she even a toast kind of girl, or does she prefer cereal? We’ll never know. We didn’t exactly need her breakfast order, but some insight into the details of her personality and life experience would have gone a long way in helping her character to feel properly fleshed out.\nCarol isn’t the only woman underserved by what was supposed to be a huge moment for female representation; Annette Bening plays an incredibly key figure in Carol’s story, but is barely on screen as that actual character, instead mostly showing up as something entirely different. Even Ben Mendelsohn’s apparent antagonist Talos gets more attention, with a character arc and backstory delivered on a far deeper level than the protagonist’s.\nNone of the blame here lies with Brie Larson. A truly astonishing actress, filmmaker, creative and activist, her performance on screen is matched only by her incredibly thoughtful, inspiring and inclusive actions off screen. She is an asset to the MCU in every way, but is simply not given enough to do. Carol is badass, let’s not play around, and the satisfaction in seeing a woman being the strongest one in the room cannot be underestimated, but our sense of who she is feels meagre in comparison to what we got from, for example, Black Panther’s minimal appearance in Captain America: Civil War.\nHave we simply been too spoilt by the consistent quality that we know Marvel can produce? Is it too hard to introduce new heroes now, when we’ve built such deep relationships with all the existing ones? *Captain Marvel *was never going to match the spectacle of Infinity War, but compared to the grittiness of Winter Soldier, the comedy chops of *Ant-Man *or the directorial vision on display in Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok, this latest instalment feels like the most ‘safe’ Marvel movie yet.\nCaptain Marvel is not a bad film; far from it. It’s just a perfectly alright one. There’s a tonne of messages and choices woven into this movie that I am overjoyed young girls are getting to see in the cinema – Carol isn’t sexualised or objectified at any point, there’s no obligatory love interest (not a man, anyway – though many queer fans have really connected with this film), and the series of flashbacks where we see her continue to get back up, no matter how many times she’s knocked down, is probably the most powerful image it leaves you with. But, for MCU lovers who have patiently waited this long for a solo, female fronted movie, it may ultimately end in disappointment.\nCharacter building aside, Captain Marvel is breaking boundaries. It recently sailed past the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, showing how evident the film’s resonance is with global audiences. It’s just a shame it was going for ‘Higher, Further, Faster’ rather than ‘Deeper, Better, More Interesting’.\nCarol Danvers – I’m pretty sure I like you, but I’m not totally sure, only because I don’t know you well enough yet. I can’t wait for Avengers: Endgame, where I really hope we can get much better acquainted.\nImage Sources:\nMCU Cosmic Screengeek Appocalypse 52 4567 Viewsavengers endgame avengers infinity war brie larson captain marvel MCU Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/essays/who-is-captain-marvel-i-still-have-no-idea/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDid you know that Nick Fury lost his eye in an incident with a cute ginger cat (or what appears to be a cat) named Goose? Or that he can’t eat toast if it’s cut diagonally? Before watching \u003cem\u003eCaptain Marvel\u003c/em\u003e, probably not.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe problem is, this ain’t his film – it’s Carol Danver’s. But unfortunately, her character isn’t given half as much time to develop and shine as the (mostly) male supporting cast around her. Frustrating that, isn’t it? For a movie that is such a benchmark in terms of female comic book representation, it sure is.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Who Is Captain Marvel? I Still Have No Idea"},{"content":"Feelings, or rather the lack of them, are at the heart of Cory Finley’s Thoroughbreds. Set in a luxurious but lifeless suburb, this clinically cool, blackly comic thriller chronicles a friendship between upper-class teens Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) and sociopathic Amanda (Olivia Cooke), a character that admits she experiences no feelings whatsoever. That doesn’t make her a bad person, she claims – she just needs to try a little harder to be a good one.\nThis precisely written and directed debut is a dissection of the twisted relationship between the two girls, and their mission to murder Lily’s vile stepfather (played by Paul Sparks). Despite only a 90ish minute runtime and a tiny cast, Thoroughbreds packs a lot of punches; the setting may be lavish, but there’s minimal self-indulgence. Exploring the characters’ personalities and motivations is Finley’s primary goal – he’s not so much interested in what terrible things Lily and Amanda do, but why they do them. This is reinforced in his repeated decision not to depict brutality on screen, instead making it all the more menacing by leaving any violence almost completely to the viewers’ imagination.\nCooke is chilling as the straight-faced sociopath, but her performance gives Amanda a naïve edge that means you can’t help but warm to her. At one point, she teaches Lily her ‘technique’ for fake crying, but later in the film can’t spot real tears; she even attempts an awkward hug to seal their strange friendship. Amanda’s actions are mostly indefensible, but not committed with bad intentions. Taylor-Joy is perhaps outshone overall, but convincing as the restrained good girl with something far more savage underneath.\nAnd, there’s a poignancy to Thoroughbreds in that it gives us the late Anton Yelchin’s last role. His greasy drug dealer Tim is a wrong’un, no doubt, but Yelchin’s sincerity in his portrayal as someone from far less privilege than the two girls makes him a surprisingly relatable source of humanity that’s hard to find elsewhere.\nFinley is a playwright, and it shows in his direction; the dialogue-heavy scenes are the most involving, and there’s a very clipped, rehearsed feel to the film that emphasises its cold and callous tone. There’s not much depth to this first feature, but it still works – it feels more like a deliberate and effective reflection of the people and place it depicts, rather than an oversight in terms of storytelling.\nThoroughbreds is a bleak insight into a wealthy, white teenage world where truly good people seem hard to find, but it isn’t entirely heartless. Push past the thoroughly nasty exterior, and you might find that a central duo who seem devoid of feelings entirely end up leaving the viewer far more in touch with theirs.\n52 3955 Viewsanton yelchin anya taylor joy cory finley olivia cooke paul sparks thoroughbreds\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/thoroughbreds-review-clinically-cool-blackly-comic-thriller/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFeelings, or rather the lack of them, are at the heart of \u003ca href=\"/tag/cory-finley\"\u003eCory Finley\u003c/a\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eThoroughbreds\u003c/em\u003e. Set in a luxurious but lifeless suburb, this clinically cool, blackly comic thriller chronicles a friendship between upper-class teens Lily (\u003ca href=\"/tag/anya-taylor-joy\"\u003eAnya Taylor-Joy\u003c/a\u003e) and sociopathic Amanda (\u003ca href=\"/tag/olivia-cooke\"\u003eOlivia Cooke\u003c/a\u003e), a character that admits she experiences no feelings whatsoever. That doesn’t make her a bad person, she claims – she just needs to try a little harder to be a good one.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Thoroughbreds' Review: A Clinically Cool, Blackly Comic Thriller | 4*"},{"content":"What is the Matrix? Control.’\nWe find Morpheus explaining this to Neo in the Construct; a blank, white space used by him and the Resistance to simulate any situation they require when training to take down the Agents.\nHe’s referring to the farming of human beings to provide power for a dominant race of robots – which we hope is a while off yet – but to look at the society we’ve built for ourselves, you can’t help but wonder if we’re lost in the green and black ether right now.\nClick here to read the piece in full.\n44 3797 Viewskeanu reeves the matrix\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/published/flip-screen-the-matrix-20-years-on-were-still-tumbling-down-the-rabbit-hole/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat is the Matrix? Control.’\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe find Morpheus explaining this to Neo in the Construct; a blank, white space used by him and the Resistance to simulate any situation they require when training to take down the Agents.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’s referring to the farming of human beings to provide power for a dominant race of robots – which we hope is a while off yet – but to look at the society we’ve built for ourselves, you can’t help but wonder if we’re lost in the green and black ether right now.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'The Matrix': 20 Years On, And We're Still Tumbling Down The Rabbit Hole"},{"content":"Natasha Lyonne is staring at herself in the bathroom mirror; tap running, someone banging on the door. Harry Nilsson’s lyrics (‘gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the morning comes’) reverberate through her ears for the 10th time.\nWith her signature curly ginger hair and dressed like some kind of fucking epic modern glam rock star, she paces through the party and hears her best friend Maxine say ‘Sweet birthday baby!’ – for the 10th time.\nNetflix’s new series Russian Doll sounds like a riff on Groundhog Day on paper, and in a lot of ways it is. But Groundhog Day didn’t feature this much eyeliner, ridiculously cool pointed boots and strange pronunciations of the word cockroach.\nBeing created by Lyonne herself, along with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler, it’s a very different vision to the Bill Murray-starring original story of someone dying and reliving the same day all over again.\nFans of Orange Is The New Black will recognise Natasha Lyonne, and though her character here of Nadia has undoubtedly got her shit far more together than prisoner Nichols, they have a fair amount in common – namely their quick wit, passion for drugs and a hardened exterior that gives way to a much kinder, softer centre. Lyonne is being peak herself here from the get go, so much that at first, before the real character stuff kicks in, it almost feels like too much.\nThe first three episodes in general do the series as a whole a disservice. They set up the premise well, and quickly, and deliver the whole dying/rebooting in a very comedic and effective way, but it feels hard at first to grasp the reason why everyone has been raving so much about this show.\nEpisode 4 onwards, however, is a whole different ball game. As soon as Nadia meets Alan – a pivotal character whose relevance will be revealed no further – everything steps up a gear, feels more cohesive and like it has direction, and the two become an unlikely duo that really give *Russian Doll *its heart, and compelling charm.\nOnce the two meet and start to try and figure out what’s going on; that’s when the magic happens. In getting to know each other, we get to know them too, and they’re incredibly likeable people.\nFar too rarely do we get to see characters as well rounded and crafted as Lyonne’s Nadia on our screens. She’s cool, obviously, with killer fashion sense and withering one liners – but she’s also sensitive, generous and loves her cat. She’s found it hard to commit in relationships, but has a beautiful maternal one with the therapist that raised her. She has trauma around her birth mother, which is a major driver for the show in terms of plot – but hasn’t let it stop her putting her vast intelligence into becoming an incredibly capable computer programmer. She’s good and bad, wrong and right, and it’s inspiring to see. Who’d have guessed that when you give women creative control, they produce remarkable female characters?\nThe charm continues to dial up as you get through the short and snappy episodes, but when it comes to figuring out why Nadia keeps reliving the same day over again, it’s best not to look too closely. She has a number of realisations along the way, with her past coming back to haunt her (literally) and a growing tension as things seems to deteriorate around her with each rebirth, but none of the threads are really explained and rationalised. It lands on a core concept that is pulled off with such heart and soul in the final episode you’ll be muttering about having something in your eye, but even when the credits finish you’ll feel none the wiser about what just happened.\nBut maybe that’s okay. Maybe we don’t need everything to be tied up so neatly to appreciate a story as brilliant and engaging as ‘Russian Doll’.\nSimilarly to the impeccable comedy The Good Place, this show seems to examine what we owe to each other, in life and after it. Maybe Lyonne, Headland and Poehler felt that all they owed to us, the viewer, was a bloody good show, and to leave us wanting more – and on that front, they certainly delivered.\nImage Sources:\nPolygon Wired 45 3291 Viewsamy poehler leslye headland natasha lyonne netflix russian doll the good place Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/netflixs-russian-doll-confusing-but-so-so-compelling-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/natasha-lyonne\"\u003eNatasha Lyonne\u003c/a\u003e is staring at herself in the bathroom mirror; tap running, someone banging on the door. Harry Nilsson’s lyrics (‘gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the morning comes’) reverberate through her ears for the 10th time.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith her signature curly ginger hair and dressed like some kind of fucking epic modern glam rock star, she paces through the party and hears her best friend Maxine say ‘Sweet birthday baby!’ – for the 10th time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Netflix's 'Russian Doll' Is Confusing, But So, So Compelling"},{"content":"This post contains spoilers for Netflix‘s new series ‘YOU’. You have been warned!\nJoe (Penn Badgley) is a seemingly straight-edged ‘nice guy’ who manages a bookstore in New York city. His interest is piqued when a girl called Guinevere, or ‘Beck’ in real life (Elizabeth Lail), enters his shop, and they have an almost entirely traditional meet-cute involving exchanging literary interests and making fun of another customer for his love of Dan Brown. But this is all a little different to the Notting Hill-type storyline you might be expecting.\nJoe is instantly obsessed with Beck, and takes to the internet to find out more about her. In an ominous ode to the dangers of sharing too much on your public social media profiles, he finds out what he thinks is the entire story of her life, proceeds to stalk her and then weedles his way into striking up a relationship with her – doing some unsavoury things in the process, all to show that he’s ‘not a maybe, he’s the one’.\nRight off the bat, this show is soapy nonsense. It’s in the same vein as star Penn Badgley’s previous role in Gossip Girl, but YOU is far more self-aware, layered and intelligent, without compromising on being wildly entertaining.\n“Time and time again, YOU sets up these movie cliche moments and then pulls the rug from under you”\nMeeting in a bookshop, her writing him poetry, talking movies, landing on top of each other after an incident in the subway; you’d be forgiven for thinking these are the perfect ingredients for a run of the mill rom-com you’ve seen a thousand times before – but that’s not quite what YOU is going for.\nTime and time again, YOU sets up these movie cliche moments and then pulls the rug from under you – after Joe saves Beck’s life and she lands on top of him, he gets puke on his face rather than the kiss you expect; and when Joe finally manages to get an invite to Beck’s bed, it ends with him climaxing in a mere eight seconds, rather than a steamy night of passion.\nIt’s a strange feeling to be so involved in this twisted love story – fearing for Beck and feeling incredulous at Joe’s actions – and then laughing out loud at these completely unexpected moments.\nThe series is based on a book of the same name by author Caroline Kepnes, and it’s the female perspective on a male character that makes this story so interesting.\nToo often, we see stories where, when looked at rationally, the actions of a ‘man in love’ can so easily also be viewed as possessive and controlling. Female character stereotypes like the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, who are vastly unexplored, are used as a tool for the male characters to grow and develop around.\nLess often, however, we get to hear the man’s inner monologue as this as happening. They may rarely be quite as damaged or psychotic as Joe, but it wouldn’t be hard to imagine a version of his thoughts running through the head of many other romantic heroes.\nAs soon as he sets eyes on Beck, he stakes a claim to her. He assumes she wants to be noticed because of her loud jangly jewellery choice, that she purposefully chooses to reach a book down from a high shelf to reveal to him that she’s not wearing a bra, and that she has the cash to pay for her purchase, but instead hands over a credit card because she ‘wants him to know her name’. Beck is going about her business; we have no idea what her intention is, but Joe assumes he does.\nYou have to wonder, how often does this happen in real life? How many times do women think they’ve had a friendly encounter with a man, when he thinks it’s something more? How many sexual assaults, rapes, deaths even, started with a man thinking he automatically had claim over a woman’s life and her body? It’s a morbid thought, but one that seems more and more likely in a post-#MeToo world, where more women are sharing their stories than ever.\nJoe thinks he has Beck all figured out within minutes of meeting her and stalking her social media profiles. He projects his feelings, the story he’s made up in his head, onto her. He stalks her, watches her through her vast (and, for some reason, curtainless) windows.\nConsistently, Joe looks somewhere other than Beck herself to find out more about her; he searches online, reads her messages to other people – even gets into a scrape by taking her current booty call hostage and asking him what her motivations are. But when he has the chance to get to know Beck himself on their first date, you see him zone out. She’s talking away at him, but her words fade to background noise as Joe continues to takes away her voice and replace it with her own.\nA pleasant revelation is when we get to episode four, right after their disappointing first attempt at sex, and we find we’re in Beck’s head instead of Joe’s. We get a glimpse into what she really thinks of him, her friends, and her relationship with her father. We see the world through her eyes. It doesn’t last too long, but is a great interjection midway through the series to remind us that Beck is an actual person, with her own thoughts and feelings, and not just a caricature in Joe’s mind.\n“He compares Beck to mere words on a page, instead of respecting her for the living, breathing, imperfect but capable human that she is.”\nJoe sees Beck as something to save, to rescue, to protect – or at least his version of those things. She’s struggling, generally. She hasn’t got much money, is living beyond her means, has a sort-of boyfriend that treats her like shit and is having major trouble finding the time and courage to write, the thing she says that she truly wants to do.\nBeck has painted a picture of herself through her online presence, as so many of us do, but Joe can see that the reality doesn’t match up, as it so often doesn’t, and he thinks he’s the one that can make all that stuff go away.\nHe conveys this in a slightly on-the-nose fashion when showing his young friend Paco around the basement in his bookstore. Down there is a soundproof, temperature controlled, sunlight free chamber for the oldest and rarest books at the store.\nJoe says to Paco, ‘the most valuable things in life are usually the most helpless. That’s why people like us need to protect them’. In the moment he’s talking about books, but in the context of this world we can see that this is how he sees the women he loves; as a helpless ‘damsel in distress’ for him to protect. He compares Beck to mere words on a page, instead of respecting her for the living, breathing, imperfect but capable human that she is. He takes her agency, and forces her voice and story to be trapped in the binds of a book forever, rather than being free to roam and act as they please. In this moment, Joe is showing how he sees women as objects to possess and ‘protect’, instead of equal beings with their own free will.\nJoe is a wrong’un, there’s no doubt about it. The script here barely waits 60 seconds to let you know that, revealing instantly from his inner monologue that this is a man with issues, to be wary of. He’s the villain of the piece – but he’s also the protagonist, and so in some ways, the hero.\nAnd we see more to him than just the twisted cyber-stalker side. We see him be genuinely kind. He helps a young boy who lives in his building, Paco, over and over, giving him free books, food and companionship when things at home are not so peachy. He does readings to children in the store. He gives Beck some good advice, occasionally. He hurts people, but they’re clearly bad people. Similar to the Dexter effect, Joe is clearly unhinged, but does just enough good to mean that you’re somehow rooting for him anyway.\nIt just goes to show that the rom-com narrative is so embedded in our psyche that even when the hero is downright dangerous, there’s a teeny tiny part of us that wants him to get the girl. That’s waiting for the first kiss, that gets a thrill at seeing their chemistry. Part of it comes down to Badgley and Lail’s charm, which oozes off screen from both of them – but there’s definitely another part that comes from this kind of deluded, possessive behaviour being made to look normal in other, less self-aware stories on screen. After all, as Joe thinks when hiding in Beck’s bathroom as she turns the shower on, inches away from him – ‘I’ve seen enough rom-coms to know that guys like me are always getting into jams like this’.\nThere comes a point near the third act of the series where you think Joe might be coming around, that he really might not be all bad. After having therapy, Beck decides she needs space, asks him to let her go, and he does. It’s a strange and surprising example of him giving her true autonomy. It seems that whether Beck actually wants him is key to Joe doing the things he does; he wants it to be reciprocated, not to force himself on her.\nSo he lets go, and she moves on, and he does too. He strikes up a positive, maybe even healthy relationship with someone new. And Beck flourishes without him, though perhaps also because of him. You get a glimpse of what they could be without each other.\nBut this is soapy nonsense, remember – and so they find their way back. Beck is finally the one dictating the story here when she takes a walk in Joe’s neighbourhood and bumps into him accidentally on purpose. She texts him that night; she invites him to meet her. She wants it – only this time we’re sure it’s coming from her and not him.\n“Isn’t it embedded in our brains, the dream of ‘the one’ to sweep us off our feet and rescue us from, as Beck says, ‘the unfairness of everything’, when if only things weren’t so unfair, we wouldn’t need saving?”\nJust when you think they might be destined for a slightly warped but happy ending after all, the can gets opened and the worms spill everywhere. Beck discovers the truth about what Joe has been doing since they met, and things spiral, fast.\nThe finale is where we get to know Beck the most intimately yet. Imprisoned whilst Joe decides what to do next, she sits at the typewriter he gave her (in some twisted attempt to encourage her to work) and taps out a beautiful monologue.\n‘How the hell did you end up here?’, she asks herself. She talks about fairy tales, and that ‘if Prince Charming was real, if he could save you…you needed to be saved from the unfairness of everything’. And doesn’t that just sound like the kind of bullshit that romcoms and ‘the movies’ have been feeding us all our lives?\nBeck types that the fairy tales were in her, ‘deep like poison’, and isn’t too this the narrative that women and girls have had drilled into our brains; that we don’t get to flourish, to thrive, to create messes and clear them up by ourselves? Isn’t it so prevalent in our bloodstreams that we too are the ones craving a white knight to save us, when there isn’t one coming? Isn’t it embedded in our brains, the dream of ‘the one’ to sweep us off our feet and rescue us from, as Beck says, ‘the unfairness of everything’, when if only things weren’t so unfair, we wouldn’t need saving?\n‘Didn’t you ask for it?’, Beck types, three times over. ‘Didn’t you ask for it?’. Haven’t we all been accused of ‘asking for it’? Isn’t that thrown in our faces whenever we break rank, that we asked for it? And doesn’t the horror of the things we’ve been through drive us to thinking, maybe we did?\nNobody asks for this. Nobody asks for oppression, and misogyny, and Beck certainly didn’t ask for, as she puts it, ‘a sociopath on a white horse to clean house’. Joe thinks that she did, that her mess of a life was itself the question – but no amount of mess requires a woman’s life to be stalked, moulded, controlled and ripped apart, even if some of the outcome is good.\nYOU is, at first sight, a thoroughly entertaining, surprising and bingeable delight. Peel back a layer or two, and it’s a fascinating metafest of male entitlement and the desire for control over women. This show struck a chord, spoke to me, churned my stomach. And, most jaw-droppingly of all – it ended on one hell of a cliffhanger. Season 2, anyone?\nImage References:\nSunday Express Vox Indiewire Narcity Collider TV Guide 54 4430 Viewscaroline kepnes elizabeth lail penn badgley you you netflix Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/essays/you-netflix-male-entitlement-rom-com-expectations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis post contains spoilers for \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e‘s new series ‘YOU’. You have been warned!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoe (\u003ca href=\"/tag/penn-badgley/\"\u003ePenn Badgley\u003c/a\u003e) is a seemingly straight-edged ‘nice guy’ who manages a bookstore in New York city. His interest is piqued when a girl called Guinevere, or ‘Beck’ in real life (\u003ca href=\"/tag/elizabeth-lail/\"\u003eElizabeth Lail\u003c/a\u003e), enters his shop, and they have an almost entirely traditional meet-cute involving exchanging literary interests and making fun of another customer for his love of Dan Brown. But this is all a little different to the \u003cem\u003eNotting Hill\u003c/em\u003e-type storyline you might be expecting.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Netflix's 'YOU', Male Entitlement \u0026 Our Rom-Com Expectations"},{"content":"Let’s set the scene.\nIt’s 2 years after the events of **Captain America: Civil War. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is still under house arrest for breaking the Sokovia Accords by helping Cap and Bucky in that mega airport fight, but is about to be released.\nThanks to Scott using their technology to get involved in Civil War, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) are also in trouble with the authorities, but are on the run. That hasn’t stopped them developing the Pym particle though, with them trying to figure out how to get back Janet van Dyne, Hank’s wife and Hope’s mother, from the quantum realm.\nWhen their research reaches a bump and they need Scott’s help, them extract him from his house arrest – and the usual Marvel chaos ensues.\nWell, not quite the usual – **Ant-Man and The Wasp is the first MCU movie to feature a female hero in the title. And it only took 20 movies, people!\nSpeaking of the Wasp, she’s one of the better parts of this film, but undeniably let down by it. Evangeline Lilly is fantastic; it’s her that delivers most of the action (far more than Ant-Man) and does so impeccably. We’re clearly being told how she’s smarter than him, a better fighter than him, but Hope is given little character development of her own that doesn’t revolve around the men in the movie in some way. Who is she without her Dad? How does she act when neither Hank or Scott are in the room? We’re still not sure, and its disappointing.\nThere’s lots more playing with size interwoven through Ant-Man and the Wasp than there was in the first film, and it’s done to great effect, if not without some plot holes. The Pyms seem to have figured out how to shrink moving vehicles when there’s passengers in it, making for some very fun car chases, and they move their huge high-tech lab around by zapping it down into a small suitcase with wheels, complete with extendable handle.\nIn terms of villains, it was always going to be hard for this film to follow **Avengers: Infinity War, and we’ve gone from one of the best Marvel villains in Thanos to pretty much the worst. There’s Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen, who gives as good a performance as she can but whose character really falls flat. She has a great superpower and interesting backstory, but the exposition scene where we find out about it is lazy and draining to watch, and she’s never really given the chance to get stuck in.\nWalton Goggins also features as, well, we don’t really know who – some black market arms dealer who wants the Pym lab to sell on and generally just pops up to put a spanner in the works for the protagonists’ plans, but doesn’t add anything of value.\nIt’s the introduction of these two antagonists that is vital to the film not being over in 15 minutes. The plot is weirdly simple in that, basically, the villains want what the heroes have and it’s their attempts at stealing it that get in the way of Hank, Hope and Scott trying to get Janet back. This feels forced, and like the writers were out of ideas.\nThe one thing you expect from an Ant-Man movie more than any other Marvel instalment is comedy, and that’s definitely here in spades. Not all of it lands as effectively as the first film and there’s certainly some recycling of what worked last time, but there’s enough one liners, genuinely hilarious moments and dialogue from Michael Pena to keep things entertaining. Paul Rudd will never not be a delight, and he is here, but he certainly could have been let off the leash even more. Especially coming after the pure comedy of **Thor: Ragnarok, this film had the potential to really turn up the laughs.\nAnother thing that doesn’t have quite the impact it did in the first Ant-Man is the depiction of the quantum realm; when Scott shrinks into it at the end of the last movie, it elevated the film completely. The silence, the kaleidoscopic patterns, the way the levels got increasingly trippy the further Scott sank; it was enough to make the viewer uncomfortable, and gave a true sense of fear around the consequences of the Pym technology.\nIn this film, the realm appears much differently – it feels a lot more tangible, like a real world with a floor and walls and gravity instead of a floating subatomic abyss, far too easy to navigate. Plus, it’s not really a spoiler to say we find Janet down there, and revealing Michelle Pfeiffer‘s phenomenal cheekbones adorned with a full face of makeup, smoky eye and all, after 30 years in the quantum realm certainly took this reviewer out of the movie completely.\nAfter a slow start to the film, you might be glancing at your watch, but Ant-Man and the Wasp really grows on you as the runtime goes along, and, contrary to most Marvel movies, the third act is the strongest. It’s where we properly see the two titular heroes working together as partners, as a team. Despite her being in the name of the movie, you might have expected to go into this seeing Hope as a secondary character, especially in fight scenes, but it’s really not the case. The biggest achievement of this movie in the Marvel canon is showing that from now on, these two come as a pair.\nIt’s hard to say if this film is better than the first in this character’s series. It’s nowhere near as lean, and understandably less surprising, but has more satisfying moments. Oh, and you’ll most definitely want to stay for the post-credit stings,** both of them**. They’ll get you thinking…\nHardly groundbreaking, but still entertaining, we’re giving Ant-Man and the Wasp 3 stars. It’s about damn time we saw a woman take the lead in an MCU movie, even if she did have to share it.\nAnt-Man and the Wasp is available for pre-order now.\nImage Sources:\nIMDB Wired The Australian Vox 49 4281 Viewsant man ant-man and the wasp avengers infinity war captain america evangeline lilly film blog film reviews hannah john kamen marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU michael douglas michael pena michelle pfeiffer movie blog movie reviews paul rudd thor ragnarok walton goggins Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/ant-man-and-the-wasp-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLet’s set the scene.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s 2 years after the events of **\u003ca href=\"/tag/captain-america-civil-war/\"\u003eCaptain America: Civil War\u003c/a\u003e. Scott Lang (\u003ca href=\"/tag/paul-rudd/\"\u003ePaul Rudd\u003c/a\u003e) is still under house arrest for breaking the Sokovia Accords by helping Cap and Bucky in that mega airport fight, but is about to be released.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks to Scott using their technology to get involved in Civil War, Hope van Dyne (\u003ca href=\"/tag/evangeline-lilly/\"\u003eEvangeline Lilly\u003c/a\u003e) and Hank Pym (\u003ca href=\"/tag/michael-douglas/\"\u003eMichael Douglas\u003c/a\u003e) are also in trouble with the authorities, but are on the run. That hasn’t stopped them developing the Pym particle though, with them trying to figure out how to get back Janet van Dyne, Hank’s wife and Hope’s mother, from the quantum realm.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ant-Man and the Wasp Review: \"Hardly groundbreaking, still entertaining\""},{"content":"The latest film in The ConjuringUniverse, The Nun has been hyped up as the darkest chapter so far.\nBased around the cameo of Valak, the demon nun from **The Conjuring 2, it is a spin-off prequel that aims to be an origin story of sorts of one of the most terrifying monsters of modern horror.\nUnfortunately, Corin Hardy’s breakout feature is a lacklustre horror bore.\nFollowing the apparent suicide of a nun in a remote abbey in rural Romania, Father Burke (Demian Bichir) is enlisted by the Vatican to investigate what happened.\nAssisted by nun-in-training Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga of **American Horror Storyand **The Final Girls) and local man Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet), Father Burke travels to the abbey and strange happenings begin to occur.\nUnfortunately, that is about as far as any storyline seems to go. As soon as they arrive at the location, the story progression seems to fall to the wayside and is replaced by the “horror within”.\nThis is one of the biggest flaws of The Nun overall. There isn’t much backstory to any of the characters, meaning the stakes are very low when it comes to rooting for any kind of positive resolution. We gain a bit of insight into the history of Father Burke and Sister Irene, but nothing with any depth, and some parts act solely as explanation for some of the minor plot points later in the film.\nWhen it comes to delivering on scares, The Nun probably has the right idea at the beginning of the film, but from there, it shows no variety in getting the viewer on the edge of their seats. All we get is jumpy stuff and creepy things appearing/disappearing, but this soon loses impact with repetition.\nThankfully, the film saves some of its best (though still not original or unpredictable) scares for the final act, which does give some kind of payoff, but it’s just not enough to pull back the rest of the film.\nThe performances from the actors are quite strange to say the least; there’s elements of melodrama, but the over-acting and old fashioned parlance makes it laughable in places.\nIt’s meant to be set in the 1950s, but plays out more like the Victorian era. Jonas Bloquet’s performance as Frenchie is probably the best of the three heroes, but his character’s ill-placed and horribly written attempts at comic relief one-liners in the final act really undermine any sense of dread that could have been built.\nThe Nun had a lot of potential to be a genuinely scary addition to what is a decent and incredibly successful horror franchise, and so it’s a real shame it wasn’t executed more effectively. Hardy, as a director, clearly had an old-school gothic vision for this film, and it’s these visuals and the location choices that really save The Nun from being a completely dud, but the rest of it lacks any real imagination and it suffers as a result.\nAn easy watch and entertaining at times, The Nun showed a lot of promise but doesn’t deliver anything new to an increasingly harder to scare audience. It gets 2 stars from us.\nYou may still be able to catch The Nun in cinemas now.\nImage Sources:\nJoblo Pursue News Bloody Disgusting 4 322 Viewsamerican horror story cineblog corin hardy demian bichir film blog jonas bloquet movie blog taissa farmiga the cineblog the conjuring the conjuring 2 the final girls the nun the nun film the nun film review the nun movie the nun review Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/the-nun-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe latest film in \u003cem\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-conjuring/\"\u003eThe Conjuring\u003c/a\u003eUniverse\u003c/em\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/the-nun/\"\u003eThe Nun\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e has been hyped up as the darkest chapter so far.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased around the cameo of Valak, the demon nun from **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-conjuring-2/\"\u003eThe Conjuring 2\u003c/a\u003e, it is a spin-off prequel that aims to be an origin story of sorts of one of the most terrifying monsters of modern horror.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, \u003ca href=\"/tag/corin-hardy/\"\u003eCorin Hardy\u003c/a\u003e’s breakout feature is a lacklustre horror bore.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the apparent suicide of a nun in a remote abbey in rural Romania, Father Burke (\u003ca href=\"/tag/demian-bichir/\"\u003eDemian Bichir\u003c/a\u003e) is enlisted by the Vatican to investigate what happened.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Nun Review: 'a lacklustre horror bore'"},{"content":"Looking back at previous depictions of fat women on screen, you’d be hard pushed to find anything truly positive.\nInstead, we are the fat but non-threatening friend; the whale someone pulls when drunk that we’re supposed to laugh at later; the villain whose fatness only adds to your perception of them being disgusting in every way; or maybe the fool, someone chubby but jolly so they’re less painful to look at.\n**Dietland is doing this differently. Based on the novel by Sarai Walker, it’s a book that sends whispers of greatness through fat acceptance circles – and so the fact an adaptation of it has landed on Amazon Prime is undoubtedly radical.\nIt features a fat female protagonist called Plum. Plum (Joy Nash) is a writer; or, she’s trying to be. She ghost-writes for the editor (Julianna Margulies) of a teen girls’ magazine in New York, pretending to be the voice of a polished, prejudiced, thin woman communicating with her audience; a woman that fulfils all the stereotypes you might imagine of a magazine editor in New York.\nEventually, Plum comes across Leeta (Erin Darke), an eccentric goth girl who gives her a book named Dietland and a recommendation to visit its author. From there, Plum goes through a transformation to turn from a depressed loser who is full of self-loathing, still clinging to the thin ideal and about to undertake bariatric surgery, to something else entirely.\nFor me, a fat woman, watching Dietland was like having my flabby, overhanging belly sliced open and the contents spilled out on to the screen. It was a revelation.\nPlum is a fully rounded person – with regards to character as well as physicality. She is talented, sure, but doesn’t push herself. She has friends, sure – and even people that fancy her – but she doesn’t realise it. She is funny and fiery whilst also repressed and awkward, but the only thing she can truly focus her energy on is her desire to lose weight.\nShe buys the red dress of her dreams, 6 sizes too small, and holds it up against herself. She dreams of the days she will fit into it, and only then will people know her by ‘Alicia’, her real name.\nShe is, completely, a representation of anyone that is a victim of the patriarchal diet culture that we live in.\nThese scenes are like a playbook of my very own past. This is no coincidence, but finally a representation of the lived experience of fat women on screen where their voice is being centred.\nA scene where Plum confronts her recent body liberation with best friend Steven is particularly poignant. He can’t understand why she hates herself so much, as many of our thin friends can’t, and tries to comfort her, as many of our thin friends do, but it’s simply impossible for them to understand the experience of living in a bigger body.\n“I’m a stain!”, Plum shouts.\nAnd that is how it can feel sometimes. Like your size and shape is the big, greasy, chocolate covered, deep fried elephant in every room.\n(Steven will later challenge Plum’s changed and more self-accepting attitudes by giving his ‘worries about her health’ as the reason – our thin friends, enemies and random Twitter acquaintances do this too. We must call bullshit.)\nIt is in Plum’s liberation that Dietland delivers its true revelations.\nI have spent the past year and a half submerging myself in the world of body positivity, fat acceptance and the fight against diet culture, and so went into Dietland thinking it had nothing to teach me.\nI was wrong.\nIt’s not Plum’s realisation that her body and face are in fact worthy of adornment that hit home for me.\nIt wasn’t her coming off her anti-depressants and getting her libido back, or having the bravery to go on dates, that really had an impact.\nIt wasn’t the man who fetishized her for her fatness, or even the later scene in which he rapes her that really surprised me.\nThe moment that got me, and that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since, was when Plum sits inside an art installation that comprises of a room where the biggest trending porn videos in the world are all projected onto the walls at once. There are images of women being strangled, whipped, violently penetrated and more.\n“But these women are all beautiful”, Plum says, turning to her friend.\nThe reply? “How do you think that’s working out for them?”\nPlum had spent her life punishing herself in the pursuit of becoming – as they put it in the show – ‘bangable’. But when she’s shown what that really can mean – aka. a whole new set of problems – she is made to think twice about why we’re all so desperate to achieve it.\nYes, this message is painted in broad strokes, but it’s impactful all the same – and one that’s never been so carefully teased out on our screens in this way.\nDietland, as a piece of television, is far from a masterpiece. Its animated depictions of Plum’s inner narrative is a nice touch and Joy Nash is great in the leading role, but it’s what Dietland is saying that’s much more important than how it’s saying it.\nThere’s lots of unnecessary characters, some parts that feel more like cliché than the anarchic chaos it was going for, and a whole lot of stuff that is just plain weird – but I don’t care, because as a fat woman, this show made me feel more seen and validated than just about anything else I can remember watching on mainstream television.\nSo thank you, Dietland, for finally telling a fat woman’s story. May it be the first of many.\nImage Sources:\nIMDB Tell Tale TV AMC EW Her Campus What’s On Netflix 64 3121 Viewsamazon prime cineblogger dietland dietland amazon prime dietland review dietland series erin darke film blog film reviews joy nash julianna margulies movie blog movie reviews sarai walker the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/essays/for-fat-women-the-existence-of-dietland-is-groundbreaking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLooking back at previous depictions of fat women on screen, you’d be hard pushed to find anything truly positive.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstead, we are the fat but non-threatening friend; the whale someone pulls when drunk that we’re supposed to laugh at later; the villain whose fatness only adds to your perception of them being disgusting in every way; or maybe the fool, someone chubby but jolly so they’re less painful to look at.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For Fat Women, The Existence of Amazon's 'Dietland' is Groundbreaking"},{"content":"It’s the year 2028 and there’s a riot going down in LA thanks to big business shutting off public water supply. We meet Sharman (Sterling K. Brown) in the middle of a bank heist with his brother. With time ticking away, they make off with what they can, but him and his brother end up injured in the process.\nAnd so, they head to Hotel Artemis; a members-only hotel with select rooms (named after cities), where criminals go for the very best healthcare and medical help when they’ve injured during a job – and need some discretion.\nThey’re stitched up and put back together by Nurse, aka. Jodie Foster, who is aged up and classy as ever. She has help from an orderly named Everest, played by Dave Bautista, who is on as menacing yet dry-witted form as ever, as we’ve seen from the Guardians of the Galaxy films.\nThe whole film takes place over one night – ‘just another Wednesday’ – but a particularly busy one, with patients already checked in but a good few more to come. As the riots outside create more chaos, the havoc bleeds into the Artemis. Will anyone get out alive?\nIn a time of franchises and sequels and prequel-sequels and spin offs, it feels refreshing to see a near-future sci-fi world so cleanly delivered to us, wrapped up nice and neatly in a 2 hour runtime. Hotel Artemis is contained, claustrophobic within the dingy hotel walls, with barely any excess or self-indulgence.\nIt is Drew Pearce‘s first feature film as director, after he has worked on writing for Iron Man 3 amongst others – and this is certainly a strong debut. It could easily have been a fairly run of the mill action film but it feels very much directed and stylish. Pearce manages to draw depth from the characters despite them all having to share the screentime, and there’s some stunning visuals using the neon lights of the Artemis sign, with the burning city as backdrop.\nSterling K Brown is brilliant. He deserves more roles like this; to be the leading man. He has a mantra that repeats throughout the film – ‘we work with what we have, not what we hoped for’ – which is just one of the movie’s many memorable lines. Brown is strong, understated and conveys a strong sense of history in his moments with Nice, played by Sofia Boutella.\nSpeaking of Sofia – she’s playing to type here to an extent (aka. the beautiful but deadly assassin), but given much more to do in the role than we’ve ever seen before, and that’s great, because she can handle it. As entertaining as it is to see her be a badass killer, high kicking in the most seductive of red dresses (though with her hair tied up and flat boots on, thankfully) it’s also satisfying to see her having a connection with another patient, and the strength she has when draw into action – ‘don’t cross my fucking line”.\nFrom the supporting cast, we see Charlie Day and Jenny Slate break from comedic type, Zachary Quinto is at once completely different and yet exactly the same as we’ve seen him before, and Jeff Goldblum is, well, Jeff Goldblum.\nJodie Foster is, quite rightly, the star of the show. She fully embodies the Nurse character – anxious but stubborn, warm and yet assertive, shuffling along the corridors like a little old lady but calling the shots like a military leader. We’re exposed to more of her backstory than perhaps we need to be, but it’s a joy to see Foster back in front of the camera, giving the kind of performance only she can.\nThe world Hotel Artemis sits in feels very convincing in that it’s what ours could look like really soon – there’s gadgets, definitely, but feasible ones. Sofia Boutella uses an ‘oculink’ to connect directly with clients and let them see what she sees, there’s use of holograms, scalpels made of lasers rather than metal, and organ transplants using a 3D printer.\nIt’s really interesting to have heroes in this movie, and people you’re rooting for, when literally everyone on screen is a stone cold criminal; it creates a level playing field where you know that technically, all the characters are bad guys. What they do throughout the film determines whether they’re the good kind of bad guys.\nThe final fight scenes are great, and work well as the climax of the movie. There’s not much violence besides them throughout, which you might expect more of giving the hotel clientele – but of course, that would be against the rules. The ending could have been bigger and better overall (and not fallen foul to some cliche tropes), but it’s super satisfying all the same.\nHotel Artemis is a thoroughly entertaining ride set in a thoroughly fascinating underworld – an almost perfect sci-fi package that will happily feed your cravings for some slick action and and even slicker screenplay. 4 stars!\nYou can **pre-order Hotel Artemis on DVD and Blu-Ray now.\nImage Sources:\nIMDB Variety The Telegraph Independent 50 4305 Viewscharlie day cinema blog cinema reviews dave bautista drew pearce film blog film magazine film reviews guardians of the galaxy hotel artemis hotel artemis film review hotel artemis review jeff goldblum jenny slate jodie foster movie blog movie magazine movie reviews sofia boutella sterling k brown the cineblog the cineblogger zachary quinto Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/hotel-artemis-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s the year 2028 and there’s a riot going down in LA thanks to big business shutting off public water supply. We meet Sharman (\u003ca href=\"/tag/sterling-k-brown/\"\u003eSterling K. Brown\u003c/a\u003e) in the middle of a bank heist with his brother. With time ticking away, they make off with what they can, but him and his brother end up injured in the process.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so, they head to \u003cem\u003eHotel Artemis\u003c/em\u003e; a members-only hotel with select rooms (named after cities), where criminals go for the very best healthcare and medical help when they’ve injured during a job – and need some discretion.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hotel Artemis Review | 'a thoroughly entertaining ride'"},{"content":"From acclaimed British director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers and High Rise), and executive produced by none other than cinema veteran Martin Scorsese, **Free Fire is an action-comedy flick with a stellar cast and a simple, real-time concept.\nSet in 1970s Boston, two gangs meet at an abandoned warehouse for a weapons deal. As tensions rise and personalities clash, things get out of hand between the two gangs, weapons are fired, and a shoot-out inevitably occurs, forcing them all to take cover in different areas of the warehouse.\nWith an ensemble cast to be envious of, including Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley and Noah Taylor, there really is no denying the name Wheatley has made for himself in the film industry.\nHowever, it is arguable that Free Fire does not live up to his previous work. While the cast do a great job with what they are given, delivering quick fire wit and one-liners during almost every minute of the film, it is the style that really lacks here and leaves us feeling mildly underwhelmed.\nBecause the film takes place in real-time and in one place, we’re going to need some flair with style and visuals to hold our attention to what is a very straightforward plot. With camera work focussing solely on the characters’ wobbly movements around the warehouse, in sometimes jarring circular motions, there doesn’t seem to be any sort of stamp of ownership from Wheatley.\nIn comparison to a film such as Tarantino’s classic **Reservoir Dogs, there just isn’t that quality of camera work and dialogue present to make it a memorable watch.\nAlso, an almost complete lack of suspense means the audience doesn’t really care who ends up dead or alive; it’s more like we’re just watching everything unfold.\nWhereas the humour is mostly there, the writing still feels a little lacklustre for what could potentially be a brilliant ensemble character piece. In the downtime between bullets, all the characters, no matter whose side they are on, exchange quippy insults between themselves, before then proceeding to continue with their violent ways. Where this does work in the first half of the film, it begins to get a little tired as things start to heat up and finally move along.\nThe best character and performance, of the film is Vernon (Sharlto Copley), a South African “gangster” who is described as “misdiagnosed as a child genius”, and who is out of sorts when it comes to gun violence. Had it not been for his character, the film wouldn’t have been as entertaining. He provides some of the more organic humour and plot progression, and Copley’s portrayal of this character couldn’t have been performed by anyone else.\nFree Fire provides audiences with a mildly entertaining hour and a half, some mostly intelligent writing and consistent humour throughout. It’s not a highly memorable movie, but also not a bad one. Wheatley has given us a finished and polished product, however nothing innovative or exciting enough to make audiences want more from the characters or story.\nWe give Free Fire 3 stars for providing a bit of fun and original entertainment. Undoubtedly saved by a brilliant cast and some well-written humour, it doesn’t leave us feeling like we have seen anything bold and new, but rather just another average crime caper.\nFree Fire is out now on DVD \u0026amp; Blu-Ray.\nImage References:\nHenry Erdman Volgafilm Little White Lies Joblo 8 304 Viewsarmie hammah ben wheatley brie larson cillian murphy cineblog cineblogger cinema blog film blog film magazine film reviews free fire free fire review high rise kill list martin scorcese movie blog movie magazine movie reviews noah taylor quentino tarantino Reservoir Dogs sam riley sharlto copley sightseers sophie butcher the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/free-fire-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom acclaimed British director \u003ca href=\"/tag/ben-wheatley/\"\u003eBen Wheatley\u003c/a\u003e (\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/kill-list/\"\u003eKill List\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/sightseers/\"\u003eSightseers\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/high-rise/\"\u003eHigh Rise\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/em\u003e, and executive produced by none other than cinema veteran \u003ca href=\"/tag/martin-scorcese/\"\u003eMartin Scorsese\u003c/a\u003e, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/free-fire/\"\u003eFree Fire\u003c/a\u003e is an action-comedy flick with a stellar cast and a simple, real-time concept.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet in 1970s Boston, two gangs meet at an abandoned warehouse for a weapons deal. As tensions rise and personalities clash, things get out of hand between the two gangs, weapons are fired, and a shoot-out inevitably occurs, forcing them all to take cover in different areas of the warehouse.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Free Fire' Review | 'A mildly entertaining hour and a half'"},{"content":"A lot of hype has surrounded the release of Hereditary, the hotly anticipated debut feature from independent filmmaker Ari Aster.\nCausing a storm at Sundance Film Festival in January of this year, it has been a long wait for the regular movie goer to sink their teeth into this slice of modern horror cinema. From A24, the same studio that brought us the underrated The Witch among many other great modern horrors recently, Hereditary was in good hands, and crafted by Aster’s even better ones.\nHereditary begins with the aftermath of the death of one family’s matriarch, Ellen, who is survived by her daughter, Annie (Toni Colette), grandchildren Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro), and their father Steve (Gabriel Byrne).\nAnnie is unsure how to cope with the death of her mother with whom she shared a rocky relationship and who seemed to always prefer her granddaughter Charlie over her. The family plunges into a strange wave of grief, with Charlie seemingly suffering the most and also sensing a presence around her. Ellen’s secrets begin to unravel while the family attempt to cope with her loss.\nAs with all the classic horrors from decades past, Hereditary is very much a family drama disguised as a horror film. Made in the same vain as films such as **The Exorcist, **The Shining, **Don’t Look Now and Rosemary’s Baby, it is a slow burner which tests its audience before releasing the terror that awaits in the final act.\nIt builds its story arc through the different relationships between the characters, especially each of the family members, and invokes a large dose of emotional hits throughout before it begins to make your skin crawl.\nThe only inkling of things heading down a darker road in these early stages is shown through the creations of Annie, who creates miniature sculptures for a living. She recreates horrific events of her past in her studio, and the audience are forced to linger over these childlike figurines in awful situations quite regularly. Small details and clues are scattered like breadcrumbs over most of the film, and when you finally reach the reveal, everything comes together perfectly.\nMost horror films of late rely solely on jump scares, and the anticipation is worse than the scare itself – but that’s not what Hereditary is going for. Few films these days can keep an audience feeling unsettled from the get go, but Hereditary truly achieves this. Even the clicking of Milly Shapiro’s tongue, littering the sound of the movie is enough to keep the audience feeling incredibly uncomfortable.\nWhilst there are the odd shocks and unexpected turns through the first two thirds of the film, most of the horror is saved up to the end and relentlessly churns out the scares from then on. Very much in the style of many Asian horror films, it has an almost cathartic payoff, albeit making for extremely uncomfortable and disturbing viewing.\nToni Collette, whilst not known for her horror acting chops outside of The Sixth Sense, is perfectly cast as grieving mother Annie. Having focussed mostly on independent dramas of late, she has mastered her skills in conveying different emotions, and Aster places her front and centre, allowing her to completely let loose. She ranges from complete composure to frenetic and wild, sometimes even instantly and it is mesmerising to watch.\nMilly Shapiro is also one to look out for as curious daughter Charlie. Despite being a newcomer, there has been a lot of attention on her role in the film and she doesn’t disappoint. Her unique looks play well into the underlying story of the film and make her one of the best parts about it.\nAlex Wolff is more questionable. He is great as the moody teenage son, drifting into drugs and alcohol as he comes of age, but as soon as he needs to show any weakness or vulnerability it becomes almost laughable. At times this can distract from some of the most intense parts of the film and somewhat lessens the impacts of big shocks to come.\nUltimately, Hereditary is most certainly going to be considered a modern horror masterpiece. It is a disturbing film which manages to burn certain images in your mind. It sucks you in and spits you out into a pit of unrelenting despair.\nHereditary is challenging but rewarding, weird but entertaining, and, most importantly, incredibly eerie. Despite some small negatives, it is a must-see for any true horror fan. We give it four stars.\nHereditary is still currently showing in cinemas. Watch the trailer below, if you dare…\nImage Sources:\nInverse Simonc Bloody Disgusting 5 289 Viewsalex wolff ari aster cineblog cineblogger cinema blog don\u0026rsquo;t look now film blog film magazine film reviews gabriel byrne hereditary hereditary review milly shapiro movie blog movie magazine movie reviews rosemarys baby the cineblog the exorcist the shining the witch toni colette Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/hereditary-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA lot of hype has surrounded the release of \u003cem\u003eHereditary\u003c/em\u003e, the hotly anticipated debut feature from independent filmmaker \u003ca href=\"/tag/ari-aster/\"\u003eAri Aster\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCausing a storm at Sundance Film Festival in January of this year, it has been a long wait for the regular movie goer to sink their teeth into this slice of modern horror cinema. From A24, the same studio that brought us the underrated \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-witch/\"\u003eThe Witch\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e among many other great modern horrors recently, \u003cem\u003eHereditary\u003c/em\u003e was in good hands, and crafted by Aster’s even better ones.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hereditary | Film Review | 'A modern horror masterpiece'"},{"content":"It has been revealed this week that world-renowned and legendary film director, Mr Steven Spielberg is the first film director to have grossed over $10billion across his career, easily beating the likes of James Cameron, Peter Jackson and Michael Bay by nearly $4billion.\nIn honour of this tremendous feat, we take a look back at the filmmaker’s career and the films which have placed him at the top spot.\nA GROUNDBREAKER Some will be surprised to know that the blockbuster that many of us have come to love and/or hate was in fact invented, unwittingly, by Spielberg.\nThe 1970s aquatic thriller, **Jaws, was the first movie in history to gross over $100 million at the box office, which may not seem that much in the current movie market, but adjusted for inflation, the film’s earnings total almost $2billion.\nIt was the highest grossing movie ever made until **Star Wars came along and is widely perceived to be the first ever blockbuster. It is a film that has also withstood the test of time, and is still thrilling audiences today due to its timelessness and wide appeal. It has become an absolute classic of cinema and is probably when people realised that Spielberg meant serious business.\nProbably the biggest blockbuster franchise to come from Spielberg is the adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel, **Jurassic Park. This film was a huge success and continues to be so, with the fifth instalment released in June 2018. Fans can’t get enough of the intense action and thrilling dinosaur scenes, and the ground-breaking technology used in bringing the dinosaurs to life.\nA FAMILY FAVOURITE Much of Spielberg’s success and many of his film credits can be attributed to family-friendly favourites. A true master of creating on-screen magic and adventure, his films are the cultural backdrop to the childhoods of many.\nFirstly we have Indiana Jones, a fantastic adventure film franchise (until the 4th one at least, but let’s not talk about that one) which introduced the world to one of cinema’s most iconic characters.\n**Raiders of the Lost Ark is widely considered up there as one of the best films ever made thanks to its complete originality, fantastical set pieces and fun action that it offers. With Harrison Ford also being one of the most bankable stars of the time, it was a sure success – and teaming up with George Lucas added a touch of magic to make it the start of one of the most beloved series of movies ever made.\nOne of Spielberg’s most culturally renowned and iconic films has to be E.T., a film about a little boy who befriends an extra-terrestrial whilst helping him find his way back to his home planet. A staple in almost everyone’s childhood and a constant reference point for pop culture even today, over 30 years after its release, it is full of fun and magical moments that never fail to fill everyone’s bellies with that warm and fuzzy feeling.\nThe imagery of E.T. lives on in our daily lives more than we may know, with Spielberg’s own production company, Amblin Entertainment, using the famous bicycle-in-front-of-the-moon silhouette as its company logo. However, it is in fact named after his first commercially released film, *Amblin’, *a short independent film. It was presented to Universal in 1968 by Spielberg and in turn won him many more directorial roles with the studio, making him the youngest director ever signed to a long-term deal.\nAmblin Entertainment is now a subsidiary of Universal and has continued to helm many of Spielberg’s own movies together with other family favourites such as *The Little Rascals, *the Men in Black trilogy, and the more recent Jurassic Park sequels.\nAmongst these huge pieces of cinematic history, Spielberg also brought us childhood favourites including Hook, The Adventures of Tintin, and The BFG.\nHARD-HITTING DRAMA Where many of Spielberg’s most memorable films have been the big, family friendly blockbusters, Spielberg does not shy away from taking on more complex projects. Some of his most critically acclaimed works are the films more suitable for a more mature audience, often focusing on a certain point in history – these include Schindler’s List, Lincoln, and most recently, **The Post.\nThe first of this type of film for Spielberg was the much-debated **The Color Purple. Where many applauded it for its stark portrayal of race in America, others said it stereotyped black people and were not agreeable to the idea of a white man telling a black person’s story. Perhaps a mistake that was buried in the ignorance of the time, with it being released in 1985, many still praised it and its dark storyline. It clearly showed that Spielberg wasn’t just a big budget movie-maker, he was someone that could tell complex and hard-hitting stories that had a deeper purpose than just fun escapism. The Color Purple still managed huge success at the awards and Spielberg gained his first Academy Award for Best Director.\n13 years later, Spielberg managed to combine his big budget clout with a harrowing war storyline to bring his magnum opus to screen, the incomparable **Saving Private Ryan. It’s iconic opening scene of the troops landing on Omaha Beach is one of the most revered in cinema history, being an intense, harrowing and unrelenting half-hour introduction into the world of combat that doesn’t shy away from the violence and emotions involved.\nThis epic would come to influence many other war-themed big hitters such as Band of Brothers, **Inglorious Basterds and **Dunkirk, and also earned him his third and most recent Academy Award for Best Director (the second being for Schindler’s List).\nMASTER OF ALL GENRES Never one to be boxed in, Spielberg has managed to branch out across a variety of genres throughout his career. As well as being able to cover thrillers, family films, adventure, war epics, gritty dramas and crime capers, he also delved into the world of science-fiction, and unsurprisingly helmed some of the most lauded films of the genre in doing so.\nHonourable picks from his sci-fi repertoire include films such as **Minority Report, **Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and **War of the Worlds. However, one of his best sci-fi films, and probably one of his most underrated, is **A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, which tells the story of an android “child” who has been programmed to feel love. A film originally started by the legendary Stanley Kubrick, but was passed to Spielberg and completed following Kubrick’s death in 1999, it combined Kubrick’s unique vision and Spielberg’s usual warm sentimentality to create a film like no other. Many criticised this amalgamation of styles, but many believe it to be an underrated masterpiece that was misunderstood at the time of its release.\nSpielberg’s most recent project, Ready Player One, is the film which has taken him over the $10 billion mark in terms of his film’s earnings. Though maybe overshadowed by a year of ridiculously successful blockbusters including Black PantherandAvengers: Infinity War, Ready Player One was still praised by many as a film that has perfected the art of nostalgia. Here, Spielberg has combined all of his past experience in to one film to create something new for the technological age we live in today (it takes place mostly in a virtual world), drawing upon his family friendly adventures, top of the line special effects and his masterful skill with sci-fi.\nKING OF HOLLYWOOD Looking at his back catalogue, it is no surprise that Steven Spielberg has been the first director to reach the $10 billion mark. He has managed to cement his work into cinema history and popular culture like no other filmmaker, but is also able to delve into different areas, making him one of the more versatile directors around.\nNow at the ripe age of 72, you’d be forgiven for thinking Spielberg would be starting to slow down – but he’s showing no signs of it just yet. He has numerous projects in the pipeline, one of those being the fifth instalment of Indiana Jones. So, it looks like we have lots more to enjoy yet from one of the best, most prolific directors of all time.\nWhat’s your favourite Spielberg movie? Let us know in the comments!\nImage References:\nVanity Fair Hollywood Reporter Movies 4 Kids Factinate Youtube Wired Coub 7 314 Viewsai ai artificial intelligence amblin avengers infinity war black panther cineblogger close encounters of the third kind dunkirk et film blog george lucas harrison ford hook indiana jones inglourious basterds james cameron jaws jurassic park lincoln michael bay minority report movie blog peter jackson raiders of the lost ark ready player one saving private ryan schindlers list stanley kubrick star wars steven spielberg the adventures of tintin the bfg the cineblog the color purple the post war of the worlds Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/steven-spielberg-a-legacy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt has been revealed this week that world-renowned and legendary film director, Mr \u003ca href=\"/tag/steven-spielberg/\"\u003eSteven Spielberg\u003c/a\u003e is the first film director to have grossed over $10billion across his career, easily beating the likes of \u003ca href=\"/tag/james-cameron/\"\u003eJames Cameron\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/peter-jackson/\"\u003ePeter Jackson\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/michael-bay/\"\u003eMichael Bay\u003c/a\u003e by nearly $4billion.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn honour of this tremendous feat, we take a look back at the filmmaker’s career and the films which have placed him at the top spot.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"a-groundbreaker\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA GROUNDBREAKER\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome will be surprised to know that the blockbuster that many of us have come to love and/or hate was in fact invented, unwittingly, by Spielberg.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Steven Spielberg: A Legacy | First Director To Gross $10 Billion"},{"content":"GLOW, or Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, was the underdog of 2017, having been nominated for various awards at the Golden Globes and SAG awards yet not taking home any prizes. With little other mass exposure on the internet, **GLOW is somewhat of a hidden Netflix gem, and it does not disappoint.\nWe first meet Ruth Wilder (an almost unrecognisable Alison Brie), a struggling actress in 1980s Los Angeles. After failing to gain any success at any of her auditions and in a desperate attempt to earn some form of income, she is given a mysterious opportunity by a casting agent.\nTurning up the following day to what appears to be an abandoned warehouse, she soon discovers that she is at a group audition for a ladies wrestling show with B-movie film director Sam Sylvia (Mark Maron). Desperate to show off her acting skills and creativity, Ruth soon finds herself out of her depth with no knowledge of the wrestling world yet desperate to impress.\nThe season then follows Ruth and the rest of her wrestling colleagues as they learn about the world of wrestling, whilst struggling with their personal lives. Also based on the real-life ladies wrestling movement of the 1980s, it is a true throwback to the pop culture and music of the time, making this show a feast for the eyes and ears.\nThe first episode is a brilliant opener of what is actually a fairly short season; there are only 10 episodes which each only last just over half an hour. With the first episode lasting slightly longer, the writers have allowed themselves to set up almost each individual storyline which is then set to continue through the rest of the season. Where it may seem like a lot of information being crammed into one episode, it essentially works very well as all the cards are on the table yet omitting just enough to keep the audience hooked.\nFor a comedy series it is successful in exploring the themes of the show in a short amount of time. Most comedy series we are used to are anything up to 24 episodes in length at just 25 minutes long, but GLOW doesn’t let itself delve too deeply into various side stories that would inevitably detract from the main storyline. It has it’s gimmick, it has a host of good time relevant references, and a brilliant ensemble cast.\nMost shows don’t contain such a large ensemble cast that all play an integral part to the show. Yes, some characters are explored more than others, but when it comes to each character’s persona and the wrestling scenes, everyone has equal time to shine. The characters who are given more screen time however, are all people we want to root for no matter their flaws. There is no outright protagonist or antagonist. The development of each character through the season brings them all together rather than pitting the women against each other.\nEven during the wrestling matches they eventually perform, they are cheering each other on whilst they play on the tired “girl fight” gimmick. Most shows usually start with some form of equilibrium which is thrown off and only then restored in the closing moments. GLOW, however, starts off with an imbalance which is slowly restored as the show goes on – this is portrayed through the slow uniting of the women.\nContaining a cast almost entirely of women, we really get a full representation of the different types of women there are, with no negativity towards any of those who seem to fall out of the so-called norm. This is likely thanks to the show being created and produced by Jenji Kohan (**Orange is the New Black), who has a clear knack for representing complex female characters. It is the show’s inclusivity which makes it fun to watch and extremely relatable. Each character is so unique yet ironically, for the purpose of their wrestling persona, they play into the stereotypes of their look or ethnicity, making for an extremely intelligent comedy. Using the stereotypes as a joke to essentially break that same stereotype back down is a brilliant subtlety of the show that cannot be rivalled by anything else\nGLOW certainly qualifies as binge-worthy, it is a truly addictive and feel-good watch throughout. It has genuinely hilarious moments, heart-warming and emotional storylines, and it is difficult to switch off from. You can’t help but want to find out how they get through all the obstacles in their way and how each character is going to develop. It is complete escapism television at its best.\nWe give GLOW 4 stars for being a brilliant show, but unfortunately it left us disappointed there wasn’t more. With rich dialogue and wit however, it is an impeccable show that will leave you excited for the second season.\nGLOW Season 1 is streaming on Netflix now, with Season 2 landing later this month.\nReferences:\nPissed Off Geek Entertainment Weekly Hollywood Reporter 8 295 Viewsalison brie cinebloggers film blog glow glow netflix glow review glow season 1 gorgeous ladies of wrestling jenji kohan marc maron movie blog netflix orange is the new black the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/glow-season-1-netflix-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGLOW\u003c/em\u003e, or Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, was the underdog of 2017, having been nominated for various awards at the Golden Globes and SAG awards yet not taking home any prizes. With little other mass exposure on the internet, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/glow/\"\u003eGLOW\u003c/a\u003e is somewhat of a hidden \u003ca href=\"/category/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e gem, and it does not disappoint.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe first meet Ruth Wilder (an almost unrecognisable \u003ca href=\"/tag/alison-brie/\"\u003eAlison Brie\u003c/a\u003e), a struggling actress in 1980s Los Angeles. After failing to gain any success at any of her auditions and in a desperate attempt to earn some form of income, she is given a mysterious opportunity by a casting agent.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'GLOW' Season 1 | Netflix Review | 'Rich dialogue and wit'"},{"content":"Dario Argento’s cult horror classic **Suspiriahas garnered a lot of attention recently following announcements that a remake is set to be released later this year. Widely considered as one of the best horror films ever made, we have decided to take a trip back in time to experience the original in all its glory.\nJessica Harper stars as Suzy, an American student who travels to Germany to join a prestigious dance school. Upon her arrival, strange events and brutal murders begin to occur, with the school mysteriously linked to them all. With the school being run by an enigmatic but absent matriarch, questions continue to arise, causing Suzy to delve deeper into the school’s secrets.\nImmediately, Suspiria throws its audience into an uncomfortable position with an incredibly jarring score and atmospheric camera work. This intensity is something that doesn’t ever seem to really die down as it keeps the audience on edge throughout. Particularly within the first fifteen minutes, the tone of the film is set, providing suspense, violence and mystery from the get go. It is clear from then on that this film isn’t going to be an easy ride, imprinting a sense of unease in its viewers that force them to look out for all the tiny details which may help them to answer any questions.\nThe most striking thing about Suspiria is its visuals. It contains bold colours, symmetry and brilliant camerawork. Bright reds, deep blues and stark greens are contrasted with the gothic setting and surrounding wilderness. It emanates this enticing imagery to seduce its audience whilst simultaneously making them feel uneasy with the narrative. It is an amalgamation of cinematic history – the technicolour of the 1960s, the Italian gothic cinematic movement and the Hammer horror era. It is also heavily influenced by the giallo movement (of which Argento is a figurehead), but has so many other influences across various genres, it is hard to pigeon-hole. A nightmarish fairy-tale is perhaps what comes to mind?\nAnd nightmarish it is, with its close-up shots of extreme violence displayed in such vivid colour. This certainly fulfils the horror elements of the film, and to a brilliantly gory standard. What’s good si that the violence isn’t relentless, but scattered here and there, and unapologetic when it appears.\nAs each character is introduced throughout the film, the sense of unrest continues to build as they each provide this sort of questionable role. The mystery of the opening sequence results in the audience embarking on a witch hunt, attempting to suss out every individual.\nWe do not get to know many of the students of the dance school (in fact some are introduced and never seem to make an appearance later in the film), but it is the teachers who we pay attention to the most, and there is an intriguing relationship between the two generations of characters to explore. It plays out almost like a Catholic boarding school, where the teachers are like nuns, envious yet strict towards the young and more progressive students.\nOverall, the film is made up mostly of women, the men who do appear have minor roles and don’t contribute much at all to the narrative. It is exceptionally pleasing to see a film from this time having a strong female cast, and the men each have some form of weakness or otherness about them to bring the women out on top – one is blind, one mute, and the other mocked for his effeminacy. And so, despite a male director, it does play out as a feminist film. One thing Argento manages to pull off, which many male directors don’t, is almost completely removing the male gaze; any form of intimacy in this film is extremely subtle and will resonate more with female viewers than male.\nIt is easy to see how Suspiria has become the beloved cult classic that it is today, it is an experimental masterpiece which plays games with its viewer. It is sensorial and poetic, whilst at the same time haunting and violent. The only thing which hasn’t translated well to the present day is some frequent and dodgy dubbing mishaps which can be distracting at the best of times. However, noting the comments at the beginning of the film about the struggles with the restoration of the film, all is forgiven. It is certainly not something which should deter any avid film goer.\nThe restored version of Suspiria is available to buy on DVD and Blu-Ray now.\nSee Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton in the trailer for the Suspiria remake below. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, it will be in cinemas in November 2018.\nReferences:\nPinterest Geek Tyrant Bloody Disgusting 8 295 Viewscineblogger dakota johnson dario argento film blog horror film jessica harper luca guadagnino movie blog original suspiria suspiria suspiria review the cineblog Tilda Swinton Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/a-look-back-at-the-original-suspiria-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDario Argento’s cult horror classic **\u003ca href=\"/tag/suspiria/\"\u003eSuspiria\u003c/a\u003ehas garnered a lot of attention recently following announcements that a remake is set to be released later this year. Widely considered as one of the best horror films ever made, we have decided to take a trip back in time to experience the original in all its glory.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJessica Harper stars as Suzy, an American student who travels to Germany to join a prestigious dance school. Upon her arrival, strange events and brutal murders begin to occur, with the school mysteriously linked to them all. With the school being run by an enigmatic but absent matriarch, questions continue to arise, causing Suzy to delve deeper into the school’s secrets.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Look Back At The Original 'Suspiria' | Review"},{"content":"Deadpool (2016)\nYou can barely move these days without running into a new superhero film – but after dominating the big and small screen for over a decade, has the genre reached a stalemate? Or is it the most exciting time for this kind of movie yet?\nWhen it comes to comic book adaptations, Disney-owned Marvel Studios is currently the front-runner in terms of financial and critical success, but many feel that each of their films are too similar in formula and aren’t able to offer audiences anything new.\nWill it be possible for the heroes we know and love to continue down the same road, or is a complete shake up necessary in order to keep the genre fresh and exciting?\nSome adaptations are already taking this route, and this week’s release of **Deadpool 2 proves that you don’t need to appeal to the entire family to be successful. Crude humour, violence and darker themes may be vital in keeping current viewers interested, and perhaps even gaining new ones.\nThe state of the superhero union If you take a look back at the last decade, namely with the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (but also to the first round of Spider-Man and X-Men films), superhero movies have been fairly family friendly. They are fun, action-packed, uncomplicated and polished. They don’t break boundaries in terms of their themes and they don’t tend to transgress away from their predictable formulas (save for that gobsmacking**Infinity War finale. Too soon?).\nThey are essentially crowd pleasers and, quite clearly, money makers. Whilst there may be a large amount of these films being pumped into existence, the audiences are still breaking down doors to see them.\nAvengers: Infinity War (2018)\nThe Marvel Cinematic Universe is undeniably the market leader and dominates the box office every time a new instalment is released. Some of the criticisms the universe faces are what make other people love it so much – bringing together multiple characters, how all the stories are connected, the set up of long term pay off. Marvel Studios have done something never before seen in cinema history with the way they’ve weaved together these movies, and the money is rolling in to reflect that; **Avengers: Infinity War is currently grossing 1.7 billion worldwide, and 4 of the top 10 highest grossing films ever are from the MCU.\nThe DC Extended Universe is also a fairly big money player of the genre, despite continually falling short in their attempts to replicate the success of the MCU. There is certainly a large fan base for these films, but many have been critically panned.\nGoing back a few years, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is one of the most acclaimed depictions of a hero on screen. Nolan managed to take an already iconic character and fictional world, and elevate Mr Wayne to new levels. Where we were all used to the gothic vision provided by Tim Burton, Nolan gave us verisimilitude and intertwined real-world threats into his stories. He took it down a dark route, but cleverly managed to keep it at a family friendly rating to ensure as wide an audience as possible. Nolan showed that superhero movies can be true to their source material, whilst at the same time being revered pieces of art – and importantly, not just seen as a kid’s movie.\nA more adult direction Often left out of the superhero movie conversation, **Bladeis perhaps the first notable example of an R-rated comic book feature. Starring Wesley Snipes, Blade was a stylish escapade full of fierce action, and it’s vampire themed, blood-soaked content marked it as most definitely for adults, despite some disappointing sequels.\n**Watchmen, from 2009, is another memorable caped crusade aimed exclusively at grown ups. Directed by Zack Snyder pre-DCEU days, it’s dark tone, long runtime and example of an auteur in action combined to create an incredibly ambitious project that divided audiences.\nWatchmen (2009)\nIn more recent years, there are still few mature superhero movies – but the ones that do exist have made a hell of an impact.\nThere are the more independent projects, such as Edgar Wright’s **Scott Pilgrim vs the World, which wasn’t exactly unsuitable for children, but was intelligent, witty and definitely a film for the hipster generation. It had Wright’s signature quick cuts and closeups, along with an incredible soundtrack.\nThe extremely violent and incredibly funny **Kick-Ass was a surprise hit, launching the career of Chloe Moretz and returning some credibility to Nicolas Cage, whilst providing some brilliantly choreographed fight scenes – and seeing a ten year old brutally murder whole gangs of men doesn’t exactly scream ‘family friendly’.\nThe R-rated revolution? Fast-forward to 2016 and we have the release of **Deadpool, a passion project for actor Ryan Reynolds, looking to redeem himself after his previous portrayal of the same character in one of the many Wolverine spin-off films.\nDeadpool was a refreshingly self-aware, crudely funny, violent, graphic and wildly entertaining film, and was a gigantic hit – so much so that it’s sequel is being released this week and it has the potential to spark off its own franchise with Wade Wilson as part of the X-Force. Deadpool tapped into a market that the superhero genre hadn’t yet reached back then – comedy, true comedy. It was a complete breath of fresh air, and being the butt of its own joke made it hard to criticise.\nLogan (2017)\nMost recently, a cinematic juggernaut was unleashed in the form of X-Men spin-off **Logan. The first superhero film to receive an Oscar nomination for its screenplay, it is an absolute masterpiece of the genre. Unfortunately it took Hugh Jackman almost 20 years to get the film his character Wolverine deserved, but it was worth the wait. It fast-forwarded to an aged dystopian world where our favourite characters were not their usual selves; the stakes were high and the threat was off the charts. The violence in this film reflected an extreme but far more realistic view of what mutant powers would actually look like, but also explored more cynical themes, where an unhappy ending was almost unavoidable. James Mangold’s vision for Wolverine’s send off was sad, startling, and the kind of superhero film we’ve wanted all along.\nWhy these films work It is easy to see why these kinds of films have been so successful; they’re not afraid to be darker, grittier, more mature or even just more stylised to stand out amongst the white noise of the genre.\nAllowing an auteur to become involved, such as Edgar Wright, Tim Burton or Christopher Nolan, lets their personal stamp be put on the film and their credibility to come along with it. Directors such as these are not afraid to go down a road less travelled to bring a singular vision to life, or to treat their audiences with a much higher level of intelligence.\nPerhaps it is not just aiming these films at adults, but also creating something entirely new, something visually appealing, intelligent, complex and unique, that breeds the magic.\nThor: Ragnarok (2017)\nEven some of the more recent films from the MCU have cottoned on to this – **Thor: Ragnarok, directed by Taika Waititi, was by far the best film from the Thor storyline and part of what makes it so is how ingrained Waititi is within the film, even voicing one of its most loved characters. It is nostalgic, decadent, but woven with B-movie atmosphere and off-beat humour you just wouldn’t expect from a mainstream superhero movie. It took Thor away from being a serious and stiff character and let him off his leash and have some fun, giving the audience an all-round great film that could work as a standalone outside of the superhero genre.\nIt’s possible that this was Marvel’s plan all along? They’ve undoubtedly put in the work to build this universe from the ground up – laying some solid foundations with more formulaic blockbusters that they knew would work might have paved the way and given them the freedom to start experimenting with something more unexpected. Black Panther has shown the MCU becoming more diverse, and we could see this continue as the studio continues to develop.\nAs for the superhero genre in general, it’s clear that it ain’t going anywhere, at least not any time soon. It could be said that the world of comic book adaptations is at the healthiest point in its history – let’s hope that, as films like Deadpool and Logan continue to prove the demand and acclaim that’s out there for bolder, braver adventures, Hollywood keeps giving them to us.\n***Deadpool 2 ***is in cinemas now!\nReferences:\nEngadget Forbes Screen Rant comicbook.com Variety 7 316 Viewsavengers infinity war blade chloe moretz christopher nolan cine blog cineblog deadpool deadpool 2 disney edgar wright film blog hugh jackman infinity war james mangold kick ass logan marvel marvel cinematic universe marvel studios MCU movie blog nicolas cage ryan reynolds scott pilgrim vs the world spider-man spiderman taika waititi the cineblog the dark knight thor ragnarok tim burton wade wilson watchmen wesley snipers wolverine x force x-men zack snyder\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/is-the-future-of-superhero-movies-r-rated/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDeadpool (2016)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can barely move these days without running into a new superhero film – but after dominating the big and small screen for over a decade, has the genre reached a stalemate? Or is it the most exciting time for this kind of movie yet?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen it comes to comic book adaptations, Disney-owned \u003ca href=\"/tag/marvel\"\u003eMarvel\u003c/a\u003e Studios is currently the front-runner in terms of financial and critical success, but many feel that each of their films are too similar in formula and aren’t able to offer audiences anything new.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Is The Future of Superhero Movies R-Rated?"},{"content":"The release of Avengers: Infinity War has raised a lot of questions.\nCan a film successfully balance this many characters and still function as one cohesive movie?\nCan Thanos really be a villain worth the attention of all the Avengers combined?\nCan the film tackle Marvel’s issues with the third act and the lack of stakes?\nAnd, most importantly – can it live up to the hype?\nTurns out that the answer to all of the above is the same; yes, yes it can.\n**Avengers: Infinity War is what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building up to since **Iron Man‘s release in 2008.\nThanos, a giant purple space dude from Titan, has been pulling the strings of the MCU as we know it pretty much from the start. He was behind Loki’s attack on New York in **Avengers Assemble, Ronan going after the orb in **Guardians of the Galaxy, and has been sending other alien beings to do his dirty work and collect all 6 Infinity Stones, so as to possess ultimate power.\nHis goal is to wipe out half the universe to restore balance and as a solution to the galaxy’s finite resources being spread too thin amongst such a huge population from. Looking at how this relates to our issues here on Earth IRL, you can almost see where he’s coming from – but the Avengers can’t let the fate of the universe and trillions of deaths be in the hands of one guy, and so unite to stop him from getting the mystical MacGuffins.\nSo…where to start?\nIt’s a question that directors the Russo brothers seem to have pondered too, as Infinity War skips the usual fun-filled action sequence we tend to see at the beginning of these kinds of films to ease the audience in, and instead dives straight into one of the many dramatic and intense scenes of the movie – so much so, it feels like it’s starting in the middle, and that there’s something on the cutting room floor that proceeded it. The events of the start of the film are somewhat expected from how previous films were left, but it still makes for a jarring introduction.\nThe Russo’s have said that this film would belong to Thanos, and that’s evident right from the get go. You’re immediately made aware of his power and strength as an opponent for our heroes, as well as the abilities of his minions (though these are undoubtedly the most forgettable and underwhelming aspect of the film).\n“Thanos is Marvel’s best villain, without a shadow of a doubt.” Played brilliantly as a motion capture performance from Josh Brolin, Thanos is hulking and intimidating as well as intelligent and relatable. For perhaps the first time in a Marvel movie, you feel real fear at the thought of him approaching, and every time he goes to punch an opponent or use that handy Infinity gauntlet, you’re terrified of the consequences.\nThanos is Marvel’s best villain, without a shadow of a doubt. He has backstory, he has trauma that acts as motivation for his evil plan – he has true conviction in his beliefs and you can almost understand why. He’s given enough screentime for us to actually understand his motives and his personal journey, and that’s all hammered home really well in the ending. It’s hard to tell where Brolin ends and the CGI begins, but you can see the human underneath that giant purple chin, and it gives everything in the film more stakes and more clout when the antagonist is so effective.\nThere’s some interesting parallels in the film between how Thanos is forced to make sacrifices over and over again for what he believes him, and that in order to stop him, the Avengers may have to do the same. Captain America says early on that ‘we don’t trade lives’, and that’s something that keeps cropping up and forcing the team to make some really hard decisions.\nWith the sheer number of characters at play, Infinity War feels almost like **Captain America: Civil War dialled up to eleven. The film was clearly placed in the Russo’s hands because they’ve shown an ability to balance so many people and narrative threads, and they’ve done another stellar job.\nWhat helps is that there’s barely a sliver of time taken for exposition, or to recap our heroes in any way. In fact, there’s so much assumed knowledge from the audience that anyone mad enough to see this film without having invested some serious hours into watching the MCU will leave extremely confused. The script does the bare minimum in terms of bridging the gaps between the most recent films and the present moment, with characters catching each other up or introducing themselves – but does this in fleeting moments around the action.\n“random groups of our heroes are thrown together, with the chemistry between every single one of them outstanding” In something more like a series of vignettes than one linear narrative, random groups of our heroes are thrown together, with the chemistry between every single one of them outstanding, and Thanos flits in between, managing to have a scene with all of them.\nEvery character gets their moment, with a beat of comedy or poignancy, but some are definitely more used than others. Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) seem to have the most to do, the latter you’d expect with her being Thanos’ adopted daughter, and Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) feel distinctly out of the action. This is surprising, given the success of Black Panther and how Cap was so lauded in the trailer, emerging from the shadows with beard and all, but with this many threads going on, some people had to take a step back.\nAs for the trailers, this might be one you wish you hadn’t watched. There’s some money shots missing from the final cut, and the way the trailers were constructed means you know a moment that’s coming in pretty much every scene, and though there are some huge surprises along the way, it’s almost like you’re watching something you’ve already seen.\nThe pace of the storytelling is impressive, if not so fast you can barely keep up – but with only 2 and a half hours and a whole lot of Infinity Stones to get through, you can understand why. It pauses when it needs to, for levity or emotional markers, but doesn’t waste a second in pulling all the threads together, and the fact that you completely understand where the stones are as well as why each individual character needs to be where they are so neatly is a massive achievement for a story so sprawling. Whilst what we’re left with is remarkably efficient, you can’t help but feel that there’s a 4 hour movie lurking in a past edit, which might have given you the time you needed to feel a little more absorbed in what’s happening with each group of characters.\nWhatever Infinity War might be lacking in structure, it most certainly makes up for in heart. The sense of history between these characters now is astonishing if you’ve been in the MCU for the long haul. You feel like you’re watching season 19 of your favourite TV show, each movie like an extremely elaborate episode, and you’re so invested in these people that they become like old friends.\nEverything the previous 18 films has set up in terms of relationships, romances and conflicts is paid off, sometimes to devastatingly heartbreaking effect. Because of the work that Marvel Studios have done over the past 10 years in building this world, every moment of Infinity War feels like pay-off, like a reward, like something you’ve always wanted to see happen – and that makes for an extremely intense and entertaining ride.\nThe wit and humour here is incredible, and perfectly pitched – every one liner or funny moment fits in exactly with each respective character as we already know them to be, and as we would expect them to react. Watching this film in a cinema surrounded by people resulted in communal laughs-out-loud throughout, the hilarity effortlessly relieving tension and making interactions all the more poignant. Thor making lasting damage to Peter Quill’s ego; Bruce Banner trying desperately to get the Hulk to come out and failing (‘you’re making me look bad in front of the wizards’); Groot introducing himself in his usual manner to which Cap replies ‘I am Steve Rogers’; literally any time Okoye opens her mouth – there’s no shortage of comedy.\n“The last 30 minutes of this movie, if you’re as invested in the characters as Marvel hopes you are, will pretty much leave you speechless.” The action itself is good, though not as good as we’ve seen it from the Russo brothers – because the nature of the story is so much more cosmic and fantastical, it doesn’t quite have the more grounded feel of fight sequences that were so effective in Winter Soldier and Civil War, and whilst it’s as cool as you’d expect to see so many of our heroes fighting together that had previously never met, the action isn’t what makes this movie special.\nWhat does make Infinity War stand a million miles separate from the rest of the MCU is the bravery of the ending. As a fellow CineBlog writer said in our group chat this week, ‘I DIDN’T KNOW DISNEY HAD THE BALLS’. This film isn’t afraid of casualties from the get go, but we all knew that was coming. The gut-punch that is the ending, though? NONE of us will have expected that. The last 30 minutes of this movie, if you’re as invested in the characters as Marvel hopes you are, will pretty much leave you speechless. The entire runtime is an emotional rollercoaster, but the ending of this film is extremely brave, and bold, and we dare you not to well up.\nBear in mind, however – Avengers 4 (as yet untitled) is due next year, and there’s a post-credits sting to that end that you HAVE to stay and wait for. To be honest, you will most likely be hoping that the credit sting is in fact the next movie in its entirety just to give you some kind of closure. The sting is VITAL for you to not walk away from this movie disliking it and its creators for the emotional ringer they’ve put you through, and will have you bursting with fury at having to wait so long for the next instalment – but then again, that’s probably what Marvel were hoping for.\nThe sheer visceral response that Infinity War will pull from Marvel fans is enough to put it near the top of anyone’s list of favourite superhero movies. The depth, the history, the humour…the tension you feel at the thought of – is this person’s time up? Is this where we finally lose them? There is jeopardy sewn into every second of this film, and it will have you both leaning forward out of your seat in disbelief and shrinking back into it in fear. The credits roll and you’re left speechless at what you’ve just seen, and then unable to talk about anything else afterwards – and what more can cinema hope for than that?\nIt would have been so easy for this film to fail: too many characters, not enough action, the plot not making sense. But Infinity War has not fallen into any of these traps. It’s shown movies like Justice League what it really takes to build a universe that audiences invest in – it takes time, and commitment, and forward planning, and, most importantly, good movies.\nAvengers: Infinity War is not perfect. It probably isn’t even the best Marvel movie. But it is truly a cinematic experience like no other. What Marvel Studios have achieved in creating this world is unparalleled, and the quality just seems to keep, inexplicably, increasing. This movie may have been what everything was leading up to, but it’s nowhere near over yet. We can’t wait to see what happens next.\nAvengers: Infinity War is showing in cinemas now.\nWhat did you think of the movie? We want to hear your opinions! Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @thecineblog.\nReferences:\nMCU Wiki Vox The Verge She Knows Wired Pursue News 61 4476 Viewsavengers avengers assemble avengers infinity war avengers infinity war review black widow bradley cooper captain america captain america civil war captain marvel chadwick boseman chris evans chris hemsworth chris pratt cobie smulders danai gurira dave bautista don cheadle elizabeth olsen guardians of the galaxy infinity war iron man joe and anthony russo josh brolin karen gillan letitia wright mark ruffalo marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU paul bettany robert downey jr russo brothers samuel l jackson scarlett johansson sebastian stan spider-man spiderman the hulk thor tom holland vin diesel zoe saldana Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/avengers-infinity-war-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe release of \u003cem\u003eAvengers: Infinity War\u003c/em\u003e has raised a lot of questions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCan a film successfully balance this many characters and still function as one cohesive movie?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCan Thanos really be a villain worth the attention of all the Avengers combined?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCan the film tackle Marvel’s issues with the third act and the lack of stakes?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd, most importantly – \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ecan it live up to the hype?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTurns out that the answer to all of the above is the same; \u003cstrong\u003eyes, yes it can\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Avengers: Infinity War' Spoiler Free Review"},{"content":"It is hard to believe, but we’re almost there.\nIt has been a decade since the first **Iron Man feature film landed in theaters, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has changed the world. It has changed the way movies are made, and the way franchises are developed.\nThis week, everything the MCU has been building towards comes to a head in **Avengers: Infinity War.\nBut with 18 movies now in the Marvel back catalogue, you may not have had time to rewatch and recap all of them ahead of this momentous cinematic occasion.\nFear not! We’ve done the work for you. Read on for a handy summary of where each of our main characters are at as we approach *Avengers: Infinity War. *And if you need a reminder about those pesky Infinity Stones, have a read of this.\nPlease keep in mind this info is about the movies in the MCU only, not the comics.\nOh, and obviously, SPOILERS AHEAD…\nThanos The man behind it all. The puppetmaster pulling the strings in his plans for universal domination. But who is “The Mad Titan”?\nThanos is a ruthless warlord, referred to as the most powerful being in the galaxy. Foster father to Gamora and Nebula from **Guardians of the Galaxy, his ultimate goal is the Infinity Stones.\nThey are Six stones of immense cosmic power that, when brought together, will grant the user the power of a God, able to (according to Gamora) eliminate half the population of the known universe with a mere snap of his fingers.\nThanos’ intentions seem to be altruistic (to himself anyway). He seeks to “balance the universe” (don’t they all?), saving it from itself and its inevitable implosion. However, that would mean the uncountable deaths of innocent lives across the known universe – something the Avengers don’t take lightly.\nJosh Brolin is the man taking on that big chin, and he’ll soon be playing his second Marvel character as Cable in **Deadpool 2.\nWe’ve seen him in numerous forms throughout the MCU but often in post-credit stings. Let’s hope the Russo brothers can bring the villain to life in a way to sustain a whole movie and provide a credible opponent for this huge combination of heroes.\nIron Man Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) created his first suit of armor to escape imprisonment from terrorists, who he was kidnapped by while selling weapons to the military from his company, Stark Industries.\nAfter escape, Tony got rid of his company’s weapons division entirely to focus on humanitarian efforts, and attracted controversy as well as admiration as Earth’s first openly visible superhero.\nDefeating many different enemies gunning for his wealth and his life, Tony led the Avengers in protecting the Earth from Loki’s invasion in Avengers Assemble.\nIn the second Avengers movie, Tony and his science pal Bruce Banner (aka the Hulk) developed Ultron to help safeguard the world. This didn’t go as planned; Ultron went rogue and, before the Avengers could defeat him, was able to destroy the entire country of Sokovia.\nFeeling immense guilt from his actions in **Captain America: Civil War, Tony supported the government in their creation of “The Sokovia Accords” which would bring government regulation to all superhero activities. This brought him into direct conflict with Captain America who, after seeing what an unchecked government is capable of, vehemently opposed the accords.\nCivil War ended with a devastating fight between him and Cap, with Tony learning the truth about how Bucky Barnes was brainwashed into murdering his parents as the Winter Soldier.\nAfter their conflict Cap left his shield with Tony and went into hiding. Tony then decided to help mentor a young hero he had brought along to help in the battle against Cap named Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man.\nTony has known for a long time that something bigger than all of them would come knocking on Earth’s doorstep looking for a fight, and now Thanos has appeared, bringing all his worst fears to life.\nWe saw his vision of the Avengers laying dead after Wanda worked her magic on him in Age of Ultron – could Infinity War see that vision brought to reality?\nCaptain America (and Bucky Barnes) Born a scrawny kid in Brooklyn, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) submitted himself to a secret government experiment in World War II designed to create a new breed of super soldier, determined to serve his country. He became known as Captain America.\nThe experiment worked, but its creator was killed in the process, leaving Cap the only one of his kind.\nCap fought all across World War II, eventually bringing him into conflict with the Red Skull and his newly formed organization, HYDRA. Cap sacrificed himself, dive bombing a plane carrying HYDRA weapons powered by the Tesseract that would have laid waste to America into the open sea.\nBut Steve survived the crash, stuck frozen in arctic ice, and was revived 90 years later to become a man out of time.\nAfter helping defeat Loki in Avengers Assemble, Steve joined SHIELD to continue his battle against evil. However, in **Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he discovered that HYDRA had wormed its way into all levels of government, influencing the world behind the scenes as a grand puppetmaster. They had even taken Cap’s best friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and brainwashed him into becoming the ultimate assassin, The Winter Soldier.\nSkip along to Civil War and Steve is working with his ally Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie) to locate his old friend. HYDRA left him unable to trust the structure of a government, and so he goes against what we might have expected in refusing the sign the Sokovia Accords, leading to major conflict with Tony.\nWhen Bucky comes back into the fray as a suspected bomber, Steve goes against Tony and a lot of his friends to find him and clear his name. Eventually they discover the true manipulator that’s been pulling the strings and he is brought to justice, but not before Tony’s trust in Steve is shattered at the revelation that Bucky killed his parents as the Winter Soldier.\nSteve continues to defend his childhood friend and, by the end of Civil War, walks away alone – but leaves Tony a message to let him know he’s there if he needs him.\nHe takes Bucky to Wakanda with T’Challa (Black Panther), in the hope that their advanced scientists can free Bucky from the decades of mind control he’s previously suffered.\nComing into Infinity War, we’ve no idea where Steve is. But he’s back – obviously. And this time, with a beard!\nThor (and Loki) Thor Odinson is the God of Thunder and current King of Asgard.\nThe Asgardians are from a different realm, seen by early humans as Gods. After he caused a war between Asgard and Jotunheim, his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) banished Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to Earth to teach a lesson in humility and responsibility, stripping him of his powers. There he meets and falls in love with scientist Jane (Natalie Portman).\nHe proved his worthiness by saving Earth from the schemes of his adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) twice over, and went on to stop Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, from using the Aether (the red Infinity Stone, or the Reality stone) in the sequel Thor: The Dark World.\nAfter defeating Ultron in the second Avengers movie, Thor left to investigate his visions of the Infinity Stones, which he saw after being manipulated by the Scarlet Witch. Travelling the stars without finding anything, he returned to Asgard once he learned Loki was alive, and assuming the guise of his father, Odin, to rule Asgard.\nRevealing Loki’s deception, Thor found his father with the help of Doctor Strange, but he was too late and Odin passed away shortly after. Odin’s death, however, had unforeseen consequences, namely Thor’s forgotten sister Hela (Cate Blanchett) being brought out of exile to conquer Asgard and the rest of the known realms.\nAmidst the hilarity of **Thor: Ragnarok, Thor finds the Hulk (‘a friend from work!’) on the alien world of Sakaar, and they and Loki become a team to take Hela down, with Thor losing an eye, evacuating his people and destroying Asgard in the process.\nNow a King with no home, short hair and an eye patch, he decides to bring the Asgardians to Earth, but is quickly interrupted by an approaching ship – presumably that of Thanos..\nThe Hulk In the Edward Norton-led **The Incredible Hulk, Bruce’s origin was established, and he fought and defeated Abomination, destroying most of Harlem in the process, and the Leader (one of Hulk’s classic arch enemies from the comics) was teased but never paid off.\nThe Hulk is unique in the Marvel pantheon because, due to some legal shenanigans, the Other Guy cannot actually star in his own movie, and can only appear when teaming up with other characters.\nWe see the first Mark Ruffalo version of the Hulk being brought out of hiding in India to help the Avengers defeat Loki, and Bruce Banner later helped Tony develop Ultron, which turned against them and tried to destroy the Earth.\nAlso in Avengers: Age of Ultron, we got a glimpse of the connection and romance between Bruce and Natasha, aka. Black Widow. Once the team defeated Ultron, instead of returning to Natasha, the Hulk nabbed a spaceship and exiled himself, unable to comprehend how a relationship with her could work.\nHe stayed as the Hulk for years, and somehow ended up on the planet Sakaar, meeting Thor in a battle in Ragnarok, then going on to fight against Hela. We leave him at the end of Ragnarok aboard the ship with Thor, Loki and the refugees of Asgard.\nBlack Panther Introduced in Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) took on the title of King of Wakanda and the mantle of Black Panther after his father was killed in a bombing at the UN.\nT’Challa joined Tony’s side in his fight against Captain America purely to hunt down Bucky Barnes, the man he believed responsible for the death of his father.\nAfter discovering who really killed his father at the climax of Civil War, he offered Bucky and Cap asylum in Wakanda where he would try and help Bucky rid himself of the years of brainwashing from Hydra.\nStraight after this we got the first Black Panther solo movie (read our full review here). This saw T’Challa come to terms with his reign, go after Ulysses Klaue, a weapons dealer who had eluded Wakanda for years, and confront his cousin Erik Killmonger (Michael B Jordan) as he was challenged for the Wakandan throne.\nThe end of Black Panther showed T’Challa opening the secret nation of Wakanda to the world, sharing its technology and resources for the good of mankind. A generous move, clearly – but it could also have left the country exposed as a target to a certain giant purple guy.\nBlack Widow Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is SHIELD’s greatest spy and was originally assigned to infiltrate Stark Industries in *Iron Man 2 *when it was believed Tony was dying.\nAfter gaining Tony’s trust she aided the Avengers in preventing Loki’s invasion of Earth, and went on to be reassigned to aid Captain America in his various missions across the globe. When her and Cap discovered HYDRA’s manipulation of the world’s governments in The Winter Soldier, she exposed their treachery to the world by releasing all of the government’s secret information. This also meant all of her dubious spy activities were revealed to the world too, so she went off the grid.\nShe later returned as part of the team in Age of Ultron and we saw her blooming relationship with Bruce, as well as some glimpses of her upbringing in Russia. We also got to see the history and depth of friendship between her and Hawkeye.\nIn Civil War she was Team Tony, signing the Sokovia Accords and aiding Iron Man in his mission to arrest Captain America, but later betrayed Tony to help Cap and Bucky get away.\nLast we know of Natasha, she’s on the run again – but we can see a newly blonde version of her fighting alongside T’Challa, Steve, Bucky and the gang in Wakanda in the trailer for Infinity War.\nHawkeye One of SHIELD’s best agents and Natasha Romanoff’s best friend, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) was originally assigned to guard the Tesseract, but fell victim to Loki’s mind control when he stole the Tesseract and launched the attack on New York. A beating from Black Widow relinquished the brainwashing, and he fought alongside the Avengers as part of the team.\nWe saw him again in Age of Ultron, and got to know him better too. He took the team away to his rural home to act as a safe house in the middle of the movie, where they (and we) met his wife and children.\nIn the climactic fight in Sokovia against Ultron, Hawkeye’s life was saved by superspeedy Quicksilver – and he was called out of retirement in Civil War to join Team Cap.\nHawkeye has been suspiciously absent from every Infinity War trailer, leading many fans to fear his time may be up. But recently the directors of Infinity War, the Russo brothers, went on record saying that Hawkeye will be in the film, and that his role might relate to something bigger than we think.\nSpider-Man One of the newest additions to the MCU, Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker first appeared in Civil War after being recruited by Tony Stark to aid in the capture of Captain America.\nAfter giving him a new and improved Spider suit, Tony brought Peter back to New York to continue his life and mentor him in his new hero duties. In his solo movie Spider-Man: Homecoming, he goes on to defeat Michael Keaton as the Vulture (who is also his girlfriend’s father), causing Tony to offer him a spot as one of the Avengers. Peter humbly turns down the request, realising he needs more time before he’s ready for that.\nWe left Peter going about his normal life in New York, and see him swing into action in the Infinity War trailer in a spidey suit that looks a lot like a Stark creation.\nIt seems that, ready or not, Peter is going to have to step up in a big way when Thanos arrives on Earth.\nStar Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy Peter Quill, aka. Star Lord (Chris Pratt), was abducted from Earth as a child. In the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, he finds the Orb which turns out to be the housing for the purple Infinity Stone, or the Power Stone.\nEscaping imprisonment, Star Lord ends up teaming up with Thanos’ adopted daughter, Gamora (Zoe Saldana); Drax (Dave Bautista), who seeks revenge for his murdered family; and Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel), two bounty hunters that crossed paths with Star Lord during one of their missions – all to stop Ronan from harnessing the power of the stone.\nIn a final showdown against Ronan, the Guardians were able to work together to absorb the energy of the Power Stone thanks to Star Lord, something a mortal isn’t supposed to be able to do.\nIn Vol.2, the Guardians protected a power battery from an interdimensional beast for the Sovereign, bur Rocket stole some of the batteries which caused the Sovereign to chase after them. At the last moment, the Guardians were saved by a mysterious figure, later revealed to be Peter’s father Ego (Kurt Russell).\nEgo is a “Celestial”, a living planet, essentially a god, thus explaining Peter’s ability to withstand the tremendous amount of energy from the Power stone and the vacuum of space in the first Guardians movie. Ego’s intentions seem noble in reconnecting with his son, until it is revealed by Ego’s assistant Mantis that he has fathered children across the galaxy, looking for one that shares his powers so that he may control them to take over the universe and kill all other life in the process.\nTogether the Guardians were able to defeat Ego, but Peter lost his foster father Yondu (Michael Rooker) in the battle. Afterwards, Gamora admits her feelings for Star Lord, and now having saved the galaxy twice, they head off into space ready for their next adventure.\nIn the Infinity War trailer the Guardians come into contact with Thor, presumably after he has been ejected from the Sakaarian ship – ‘who the hell are you guys?!’ – and we also glimpse a hilarious moment of Peter trying to explain a plan to Tony. Genius.\nEveryone else Okay, okay. We’re nearly done.\nA quick summary of the rest of the characters included…\nWanda, or Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) is Sokovian, and was twins with Pietro, or Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). They built up a hatred for Tony after almost being blown up by a Stark grenade as children, which lead them to volunteer for experiments to become extraordinary – her with telekinesis and ability to warp minds, and him to possess super speed.\nThey originally teamed up with Ultron in the second Avengers movie, but quickly switched to the light side. Pietro was killed in action, and we later see Wanda become wary of her own powers – as well as begin to kindle a relationship with Vision. Wanda was Team Cap in Civil War but was freed from prison by him at the end, and we’re not too sure where she’s been since then.\nSpeaking of Vision – we’ll gloss over the nerdier details, but he was created in Age of Ultron when the Mind Stone was combined with Tony’s former virtual assistant Jarvis. Played by Paul Bettany, he’s an extremely powerful being that’s able to change his own density, and even picked up Thor’s hammer. He’s one of the few still part of Tony’s team at the end of *Civil War, *but his future ain’t looking good considering he’s got an Infinity Stone in his forehead.\nTony’s other ally is former army man James Rhodes, or Rhodey, played by Don Cheadle. In Iron Man 2, he obtained a suit like Iron Man’s and became his fighting partner, War Machine. Rhodey was struck by Vision during the airport fight of Civil War and ended up crippled, but is working with Tony to get better.\nOne of the smallest yet mightiest heroes in the MCU is Ant-Man, or Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). Selected by Hank Pym due to his skills as a burglar, he is able to vastly alter his size (small and large!). His solo movie was a comedic delight, and Scott was recruited to Team Cap in Civil War by Falcon.\nIf you’ve made it this far, take a bow – and consider yourself all caught up and prepared for Avengers: Infinity War. It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for.\nAvengers: Infinity War starts showing in cinemas with midnight screenings tonight, and our review will be live this Saturday. Get your tickets now – you don’t want to be the last one to see the biggest cinematic event in history!\nWe know you’ve probably rewatched this a million times (no? Just us?), but here’s your final piece of preparation – the trailer. Enjoy!\nWords by Kevin Carignan, with contribution from Sophie Butcher.\nReferences:\nFlickering Myth ANTY Radio Screen Geek Vanity Fair Fanfest Hollywood Reporter Den of Geek Gamespot Miscellaneous Hi Pure Fandom Wallpapers HD Now The Verge Business Insider 7 302 Viewsaaron taylor johnson ant man anthony hopkins anthony mackie avengers assemble avengers infinity war black panther black widow bradley cooper captain america captain america civil war captain america the winter soldier cate blanchett chadwick boseman chris evans chris hemsworth chris pratt dave bautista deadpool 2 don cheadle edward norton elizabeth olsen gamora groot guardians of the galaxy hawkeye i am groot infinity stones iron man iron man 2 jeremy renner joe and anthony russo josh brolin kurt russell loki mark ruffalo marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU michael b jordan michael rooker natalie portman paul bettany paul rudd peter parker peter quill quicksilver robert downey jr rocket raccoon russo brothers scarlet witch scarlett johansson scott lang sebastian stan spider man homecoming spider-man spiderman spiderman homecoming starlord thanos the hulk the incredible hulk the winter soldier thor thor ragnarok thor the dark world tom hiddleston tom holland vin diesel war machine zoe saldana Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-mcu-before-avengers-infinity-war/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt is hard to believe, but we’re almost there.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been a decade since the first **\u003ca href=\"/tag/iron-man/\"\u003eIron Man\u003c/a\u003e feature film landed in theaters, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has changed the world. It has changed the way movies are made, and the way franchises are developed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis week, everything the \u003ca href=\"/tag/mcu/\"\u003eMCU\u003c/a\u003e has been building towards comes to a head in **\u003ca href=\"/tag/avengers-infinity-war/\"\u003eAvengers: Infinity War\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut with 18 movies now in the \u003ca href=\"/tag/marvel/\"\u003eMarvel\u003c/a\u003e back catalogue, you may not have had time to rewatch and recap all of them ahead of this momentous cinematic occasion.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What You Need To Know About The MCU Before Infinity War"},{"content":"Time is ticking on until **Avengers: Infinity War is upon us.\nThere’s not long now until we see all our favourite Marvel heroes come together to stop giant purple space dude Thanos from finding those multicoloured MacGuffins known as the Infinity Stones.\nSo what exactly are these cosmic baubles that Thanos is tearing across the universe trying to find?\nCreated after the birth of the universe, each stone grants power of a certain element of reality itself – Space, Reality, Power, Time, Mind and the Soul.\nEach stone has changed possession between various beings since the dawn of time. Let’s have a look at what each stone does and who currently has it.\nSpace Stone (Blue) Housed within the Tesseract, the Space stone allows its user the ability to transport themselves to anywhere they desire.\nThe Tesseract has been seen in a few films so far, including **Captain America: The First Avenger back when Red Skull was trying to make weapons with it, and also as the tool that allowed Loki to wreak havoc in **Avengers Assemble. It was taken by Loki again just before Asgard’s destruction in **Thor: Ragnarok.\nIn the Avengers: Infinity War trailer, Loki can be seen surrendering the Tesseract to Thanos, as he crushes it with his bare hands to reveal the Space stone within – making it clear Loki will not be in the possession of the stone for very long.\nLet’s hope Loki doesn’t end up smashed to smithereens as well…\nMind Stone (Yellow) The Mind stone allows the user to control the minds of anyone it comes into contact with.\nFirst seen housed in Loki’s sceptre in the Avengers Assemble, it was used to brainwash many into joining his cause, including Hawkeye.\nEventually the sceptre was taken by Hydra and, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, was destroyed by Ultron and used to bring Vision to life.\nIt currently resides in Vision’s forehead. If Thanos gets his hand on the stone, it isn’t going to be good for ol’ Vizzy…\n**Reality Stone (Red) ** The Reality stone, or the Aether, allows the user to control and bend reality to their will.\nIt is a red liquid that possesses its host and grants them these abilities, as evidenced by Malekith in **Thor: The Dark World (don’t worry if you forgot that one, we all did).\nAfter Thor defeated Malekith, it was deemed too dangerous to keep two Infinity Stones too close together and was given to the Collector (as seen in **Guardians of the Galaxy, played by Benicio del Toro) for safe keeping.\n** **\n**Power Stone (Purple) ** The Power stone grants its user an immense amount of energy that has the power to destroy an entire planet.\nThis stone was first seen inside the Orb, being stolen by Starlord in Guardians of the Galaxy. It became clear that baddie Ronan the Accuser was doing Thanos’s bidding by trying to get his hands on it, but later claimed it’s power for himself to destroy Xandar, the homeworld of the Nova Corps (aka. the space police).\nThe Guardians stopped him by taking on the stone’s power themselves, the first indication we had of Starlord/Peter Quill’s extraordinary parentage.\nAfter Ronan was defeated, the stone was given to the head of the Nova Corps to look after. We have a feeling it’s one of the first Thanos will pick up.\n**Time Stone (Green) ** The Time stone lets the user walk freely between the past, present, and future, effectively allowing them to manipulate time itself.\nStephen Strange used the stone within the Eye of Agamotto to defeat Dormammu in **Doctor Strange and afterwards was brought back to Kamar-Taj (where Strange was trained in the msytic arts) to be held until Strange finished his training.\nWhich apparently he did, because he can be seen wearing it when he meets briefly with Thor in Thor: Ragnarok – and, it’s round his neck in the Infinity War trailer too.\nBut later scenes from the trailer show Doctor Strange in a bit of a pickle, potentially being tortured for information. Could that be the moment the stone is taken from him?\n** **\n**Soul Stone (Orange) ** This is the big mystery.\nIt is unknown where the Soul Stone is and what its powers are.\nWhat little we do know is that according to Wong (Doctor Strange’s ally), the Soul stone may be the most dangerous of all.\nBased on the other stones powers, it is safe to assume that the Soul stone affects the natural order of life and death, but to what extent we’re unsure.\nMany have guessed the Soul stone is located somewhere in Wakanda, and therefore expected it to show up in this year’s **Black Panther – but no sign as of yet.\nWith part of the Black Panther tradition being the movement between the realms of the living and dead, it stands to reason that T’Challa’s homeland could be where the missing MacGuffin is found.\n** *****\nSo there you go – reason aplenty why we do NOT want big baddie Thanos getting his hands on all six stones.\nThe good news is, we don’t have too long to wait to find out if he succeeds…\nReferences:\nComic Book Movie Screen Rant Nerd Infinite Elite Daily Save the Cat Screen Rant 2 79 Viewsavengers avengers age of ultron avengers assemble avengers infinity war benicio del toro black panther captain america the first avenger doctor strange guardians of the galaxy infinity stones infinity stones marvel loki marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU thor ragnarok thor the dark world Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/action/what-and-where-are-the-infinity-stones/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTime is ticking on until **\u003ca href=\"/tag/avengers-infinity-war/\"\u003eAvengers: Infinity War\u003c/a\u003e is upon us.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s not long now until we see all our favourite Marvel heroes come together to stop giant purple space dude Thanos from finding those multicoloured MacGuffins known as the Infinity Stones.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSo what exactly are these cosmic baubles that Thanos is tearing across the universe trying to find?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreated after the birth of the universe, each stone grants power of a certain element of reality itself – Space, Reality, Power, Time, Mind and the Soul.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What (and Where) Are The Infinity Stones?"},{"content":"Time is ticking on until **Avengers: Infinity War is upon us.\nThere’s not long now until we see all our favourite Marvel heroes come together to stop giant purple space dude Thanos from finding those multicoloured MacGuffins known as the Infinity Stones.\nSo what exactly are these cosmic baubles that Thanos is tearing across the universe trying to find?\nCreated after the birth of the universe, each stone grants power of a certain element of reality itself – Space, Reality, Power, Time, Mind and the Soul.\nEach stone has changed possession between various beings since the dawn of time. Let’s have a look at what each stone does and who currently has it.\nSpace Stone (Blue) Housed within the Tesseract, the Space stone allows its user the ability to transport themselves to anywhere they desire.\nThe Tesseract has been seen in a few films so far, including **Captain America: The First Avenger back when Red Skull was trying to make weapons with it, and also as the tool that allowed Loki to wreak havoc in **Avengers Assemble. It was taken by Loki again just before Asgard’s destruction in **Thor: Ragnarok.\nIn the Avengers: Infinity War trailer, Loki can be seen surrendering the Tesseract to Thanos, as he crushes it with his bare hands to reveal the Space stone within – making it clear Loki will not be in the possession of the stone for very long.\nLet’s hope Loki doesn’t end up smashed to smithereens as well…\nMind Stone (Yellow) The Mind stone allows the user to control the minds of anyone it comes into contact with.\nFirst seen housed in Loki’s sceptre in the Avengers Assemble, it was used to brainwash many into joining his cause, including Hawkeye.\nEventually the sceptre was taken by Hydra and, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, was destroyed by Ultron and used to bring Vision to life.\nIt currently resides in Vision’s forehead. If Thanos gets his hand on the stone, it isn’t going to be good for ol’ Vizzy…\n**Reality Stone (Red) ** The Reality stone, or the Aether, allows the user to control and bend reality to their will.\nIt is a red liquid that possesses its host and grants them these abilities, as evidenced by Malekith in **Thor: The Dark World (don’t worry if you forgot that one, we all did).\nAfter Thor defeated Malekith, it was deemed too dangerous to keep two Infinity Stones too close together and was given to the Collector (as seen in **Guardians of the Galaxy, played by Benicio del Toro) for safe keeping.\n** **\n**Power Stone (Purple) ** The Power stone grants its user an immense amount of energy that has the power to destroy an entire planet.\nThis stone was first seen inside the Orb, being stolen by Starlord in Guardians of the Galaxy. It became clear that baddie Ronan the Accuser was doing Thanos’s bidding by trying to get his hands on it, but later claimed it’s power for himself to destroy Xandar, the homeworld of the Nova Corps (aka. the space police).\nThe Guardians stopped him by taking on the stone’s power themselves, the first indication we had of Starlord/Peter Quill’s extraordinary parentage.\nAfter Ronan was defeated, the stone was given to the head of the Nova Corps to look after. We have a feeling it’s one of the first Thanos will pick up.\n**Time Stone (Green) ** The Time stone lets the user walk freely between the past, present, and future, effectively allowing them to manipulate time itself.\nStephen Strange used the stone within the Eye of Agamotto to defeat Dormammu in **Doctor Strange and afterwards was brought back to Kamar-Taj (where Strange was trained in the msytic arts) to be held until Strange finished his training.\nWhich apparently he did, because he can be seen wearing it when he meets briefly with Thor in Thor: Ragnarok – and, it’s round his neck in the Infinity War trailer too.\nBut later scenes from the trailer show Doctor Strange in a bit of a pickle, potentially being tortured for information. Could that be the moment the stone is taken from him?\n** **\n**Soul Stone (Orange) ** This is the big mystery.\nIt is unknown where the Soul Stone is and what its powers are.\nWhat little we do know is that according to Wong (Doctor Strange’s ally), the Soul stone may be the most dangerous of all.\nBased on the other stones powers, it is safe to assume that the Soul stone affects the natural order of life and death, but to what extent we’re unsure.\nMany have guessed the Soul stone is located somewhere in Wakanda, and therefore expected it to show up in this year’s **Black Panther – but no sign as of yet.\nWith part of the Black Panther tradition being the movement between the realms of the living and dead, it stands to reason that T’Challa’s homeland could be where the missing MacGuffin is found.\n** *****\nSo there you go – reason aplenty why we do NOT want big baddie Thanos getting his hands on all six stones.\nThe good news is, we don’t have too long to wait to find out if he succeeds…\nReferences:\nComic Book Movie Screen Rant Nerd Infinite Elite Daily Save the Cat Screen Rant 10 384 Viewsavengers avengers age of ultron avengers assemble avengers infinity war benicio del toro black panther captain america the first avenger doctor strange guardians of the galaxy infinity stones infinity stones marvel loki marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU thor ragnarok thor the dark world Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/what-and-where-are-the-infinity-stones/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTime is ticking on until **\u003ca href=\"/tag/avengers-infinity-war/\"\u003eAvengers: Infinity War\u003c/a\u003e is upon us.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s not long now until we see all our favourite Marvel heroes come together to stop giant purple space dude Thanos from finding those multicoloured MacGuffins known as the Infinity Stones.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSo what exactly are these cosmic baubles that Thanos is tearing across the universe trying to find?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreated after the birth of the universe, each stone grants power of a certain element of reality itself – Space, Reality, Power, Time, Mind and the Soul.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What (and Where) Are The Infinity Stones?"},{"content":"It’s Day 89 of we’re-not-sure-what, and the Abbott family are out shopping for supplies.\nBarefoot, they creep across a shop floor. We don’t know how it happened, we don’t know why it happened; all we know is that they can’t make a sound. As we soon learn, there’s something deadly out there waiting to hunt them down if they do.\nThe family have adjusted to living without noise. They play Monopoly with pom poms, eat dinner off leaves instead of plates, have tracks painted on the floor so as to avoid creaky boards, and create tracks out of sand to mask the sound of their footsteps.\nBut, with a deaf daughter and another baby due imminently, the peace won’t last forever.\n**A Quiet Place is co-written, directed by and starring John Krasinski; or as you may know him, Jim from The US Office. This is only his third feature film, and may seem quite a departure from the comedy stuff you’ve seen from him before. But, despite not thinking of himself as a horror fan, he pulls off this silent-but-deadly horror absolutely masterfully, giving us high hopes for whatever he does next from behind the camera.\nIt also stars his real life wife Emily Blunt as his fictional one here, as well as Millicent Simmonds as hearing-impaired daughter Regan (Millicent herself is also deaf IRL) and Noah Jupe as young son Marcus.\nYou’d think that a film with barely any dialogue might be dull, hard to engage with, and make it challenging to connect with the characters – but you’d be wrong. It’s the silence here that makes this high-level concept work so well.\nIt’s extremely rare for a film to draw you in and put you on edge as instantly as A Quiet Place does. From the first moments you’re hyper aware of how potentially noisy everything can be – Krasinski uses foreshadowing incredibly well to grab hold of you and he doesn’t let go for the whole 90 minutes.\nThe lack of noise and seeing the characters creep around so carefully creates tension straight away, and this only gets more intense as the jeopardy increases.\nWatching this movie, you’re so aware of the cinematic experience – every rummage in a bag of popcorn or crunch of a crisp makes you realise you’re in a room full of strangers, all enjoying the communal act of being scared and surprised by this film simultaneously.\nBecause A Quiet Place is so, well, quiet, the visual motifs it uses are key for communicating with the audience, and they work so well – there’s lightbulbs strung around their big country house that look beautiful as well as signalling danger, and your fists clench just that little bit tighter every time you see someone put their fingers to their lips.\nYou could say there’s a little too much obvious visual exposition, too. Down in the basement we see newspaper cuttings and ‘hunt by sound?’ 3 nearby?’ handily written on whiteboards, but the runtime is so short and snappy that you forgive them for getting the message across concisely. There’s not much time wasted on world-building, or explaining what the creatures are and where they came from – but it doesn’t need it.\nThe thing that sets A Quiet Place apart from other movies of its kind is how it really makes you care about these characters. The film starts with a devastating event that sets up all kinds of emotional undertones for the family, and is full of compelling character beats that get you totally invested in them as a unit – Emily Blunt talking to her son about being there when she’s old and grey; Krasinski and Simmonds struggling to connect as father and daughter, with him trying to build her a hearing aid; a rare few seconds of freedom between father and son.\nAt one point, Blunt and Krasinski share a tender moment as a couple where they listen to music via earphones and do a slow dance. Their real life marriage surely helps with the chemistry, but it’s such a subtle and romantic moment that reminds you that you’re watching a real family trying to deal with this horror, and the quietness makes it all the more meaningful.\nIncluding a deaf character in Millicent Simmond’s Regan is a strong move both in terms of plot (it helps explain how they were able to stay so quiet for so long, as they already knew how to silently communicate) and poignancy. The delivery of sign language between the family, the timing the actors manage to convey using only their hands – it gives the signed words just as much gravitas as if they were spoken out loud.\nThere is some sound, though. There’s small bits of dialogue – just enough for some of the lines to verge into cliche – and a shrieking, startling score is used to amp up the scary moments, of which there are plenty.\nA Quiet Place isn’t holding back on horror. It’s got you wound so tightly that the jump scares have more impact than they would otherwise, and seeing the characters clasp their hands over their mouths in the most terrifying of moments only makes it all the more tense.\nThe scares really come to a climax around halfway through, when those waters break and the shit hits the fan. It’s one of the best horror sequences you’ll see in a while, the timing expertly pulled off to maximum effect. From there it becomes somewhat predictable as it turns into a monster-hunts-people movie, but still delivers a satisfying though not totally mind-blowing ending.\nMemorable for it’s concept and character rather than structure or tropes, A Quiet Place is an original, masterfully directed film that makes for an incredibly tense and cinematic experience – so catch it there if you can. A strong 4 stars.\nA Quiet Place is still showing in cinemas at time of publishing, and we reckon that’s the best place to see it.\nReferences:\nImp Awards The Verge Bloody Disgusting Collider 58 4581 ViewsA Quiet Place A Quiet Place Review cineblog Emily Blunt film blog film reviews John Krasinski movie blog movie reviews Noah Jupe the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/a-quiet-place-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s Day 89 of we’re-not-sure-what, and the Abbott family are out shopping for supplies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarefoot, they creep across a shop floor. We don’t know how it happened, we don’t know why it happened; all we know is that they can’t make a sound. As we soon learn, there’s something deadly out there waiting to hunt them down if they do.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe family have adjusted to living without noise. They play Monopoly with pom poms, eat dinner off leaves instead of plates, have tracks painted on the floor so as to avoid creaky boards, and create tracks out of sand to mask the sound of their footsteps.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Quiet Place Film Review | 'An incredibly tense and cinematic experience'"},{"content":"Making a good impression working at a bank after moving 400 miles across the US, Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy) is a smart but somewhat unapproachable woman trying to move on after suffering at the hands of a stalker.\nStruggling to fit in this new city, she reaches out to a support group for victims of stalking, talks to a therapist, and fills in some paperwork. After admitting she’s had suicidal thoughts to the therapist, she mistakenly signs up to be voluntarily committed to a mental health facility.\nAfter having her phone taken from her and being ushered along by various doctors and nurses, Sawyer tries to fight her corner and explain the error, but her signs of (understandable) distress come off exactly how a mentally ill patient would act, and she ends up sedated and forced to stay.\nTrapped in the facility with no way of leaving, she thinks her stalker is in there with her – but we don’t know if she’s telling the truth, or is really in need of the treatment the doctors are forcing upon her.\nWhat follows is an extremely unsettling and claustrophobic experience as Sawyer desperately tries to get through the experience, find someone to trust, and get out.\n**Unsane is a return to directing for Steven Soderbergh after previously announcing his retirement – and it’s a fairly intriguing one, given that he chose to shoot the entire film using just an iPhone. It’s not a completely new experiment – Sean Baker‘s 2015 film **Tangerine did the same – but arguably the most mainstream movie to go for this approach yet.\nThere’s been mixed opinion as to whether the lo-fi effect of the iPhone camera helps to make the film feel more realistic and grounded, sucking the audience in, or whether that’s the very thing that takes you out of the story.\nFor us, despite the image quality quite obviously being lower, Unsane still feels very ‘directed’. It would have been easy to approach a movie shot on iPhone from a more found-footage, selfie-taking perspective, but you can see the aesthetic vision of the director stamped all over this film.\nThe visuals are very distinct and not over-edited to compensate for what the phone camera is lacking – the artificial lighting of the facility gives it a yellowish tone, the natural shadows are left to great effect, and there’s a sort of fish-eye effect on the lens that makes you feel like you’re sneaking a look at what’s going on through a peephole.\nSoderbergh often keeps the phone camera at one height and pans it round as the characters take action, and there’s a lot of use of symmetry from overhead lights. A shot near the end where Sawyer is running through dark and dingy hallways is mighty effective, and one of the most straight-up horror moments of the piece.\nIf you’re going into this expecting something **Shutter Island inspired, you’re half right. The film starts off this way, making the audience think twice about whether to believe in Sawyer’s plight – there’s a lot of “that’s what crazy people do, and I’m not crazy” followed by eyebrow raises from the staff – but shows its cards earlier than you might expect.\nFrom there it shifts into a different dynamic and becomes more of a two-hander horror than the psychological thriller it started as. It does lose a little of the tension that it had worked so hard to build when this happens, but there’s still plenty of shocks, surprises and sharp-intake-of-breath moments to keep you gripped. The third act descends into something not quite as tight, but still mostly effective.\nClaire Foy is remarkable. With a very small supporting cast, she completely carries this film – the people opposite her never really get to her level, perhaps with the exception of Juno Temple as fellow patient Violet.\nHer portrayal of Sawyer as a character is brilliantly unlikeable. She’s clearly extremely intelligent but very cold, and yet Foy plays her with just enough vulnerability for the audience to empathise.\nUnsane is a very interesting choice for Foy post-The Crown, and she’s also set to star as Lisbeth Salander in another upcoming adaptation of the Millennium novels, The Girl Who Kicked The Spider’s Web. She seems to be looking for something with a bit more edge than the period pieces we’ve previously seen her in, which could make for an exciting future.\nAside from the thriller and horror elements, it’s unavoidable that Unsane is trying to say something around the treatment of mental health in the USA. What’s most unsettling about this film is that as an audience member, you can see her falling into the trap of being admitted, and whilst you can’t quite believe that this would happen, you can also see how it did, and that there’s no way for her to get out. As Sawyer is shepherded from doctor to therapist to nurse, with more of herself stripped away as she goes, it makes you more and more uncomfortable at the thought of it happening to you.\nIt also raises the issue of mental health facilities like this that are ran with the intent of making a profit – patients admitted and held until their insurance pays out, absent-minded doctors, drugs administered with no real checks or regard for the effect on the patient. Drugs used to treat mental illness are undoubtedly given a bad rap despite being vital lifelines for many, but Unsane is clearly out to show these kinds of hospitals as the enemy.\nThe stalker element is important, and grows more so throughout. The plot explores how women can be held up as something to be obtained, to fantasise over, but without ever really knowing them; and though the script is centred on Sawyer feeling as though she’s being watched, and that she’s locked in a prime place to be taken advantage of, there’s refreshingly little male gaze in action. There’s also a flashback to Sawyer being told about all the stuff she has to change about her life to try to escape her stalker which makes you realise how disturbing and traumatic a crime it can be – delete all your social media, always enter your house via the back entrance, make sure you’re never included in anyone else’s pictures.\nEverything feels fairly true to life except for some very dodgy bits of dialogue, some odd plot choices (that you understand eventually), and a villain that is so overplayed at times, he becomes laughable rather than menacing – though that may well be the point.\nUnsane is the kind of film that will have you conjuring up conspiracy theories that the creators probably didn’t even realise they hinted at. A mightily effective movie with a distinctly unsettling atmosphere and fantastic lead performance, it’s only slightly let down by the third act. Four stars from us.\nYou might still be able to catch Unsane in the cinemas, but be quick! And watch out for the superstar cameo. You’ll know it when you see it!\nReferences:\nStunmore\nThe Verge\nStar Tribune\nHorror News Network\nThe following two tabs change content below.\nBio Latest Posts Sophie Butcher Writer, media graduate and marketing manager with a love for escapism through quality film and TV - and then writing about it. Blogging, always. Latest posts by Sophie Butcher (see all) [Avengers: Infinity War | Film Review | 5*](/reviews/avengers-infinity-war-film-review/) - April 29, 2018 [A Quiet Place | Film Review | 4*](/reviews/a-quiet-place-film-review-4/) - April 18, 2018 [Unsane | Film Review | 4*](/reviews/unsane-film-review/) - April 15, 2018 Follow: You may also enjoy: War For The Planet Of The Apes | … Free Fire | Film Review | 3* Will Smith Stars In Netflix’s Bright … Jurassic World | Film Review | 4* Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/unsane-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMaking a good impression working at a bank after moving 400 miles across the US, Sawyer Valentini (\u003ca href=\"/tag/claire-foy/\"\u003eClaire Foy\u003c/a\u003e) is a smart but somewhat unapproachable woman trying to move on after suffering at the hands of a stalker.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStruggling to fit in this new city, she reaches out to a support group for victims of stalking, talks to a therapist, and fills in some paperwork. After admitting she’s had suicidal thoughts to the therapist, she mistakenly signs up to be voluntarily committed to a mental health facility.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Unsane Film Review | 'A mightily effective movie'"},{"content":"It’s not very often that Wes Anderson fans are treated to a new film from the acclaimed auteur, with it being 4 years since the release of one of his best works, **The Grand Budapest Hotel.\n**Isle of Dogs is Anderson’s latest, and is also a return to the unique animated style which was a big part of the success of previous animal tale **Fantastic Mr Fox.\nSet in the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki in the not too distant future, all dogs have been banished by Mayor Kobayashi to a small island (nicknamed ‘Trash Island’) following an outbreak of snout fever and dog flu that has become a threat to human health and safety. A 12-year-old boy, Atari, travels to the island in a bid to track down his beloved pet, Spots, and is aided by some fellow canines.\nThe story is a simple one, but in true Wes Anderson style, it is filled with many side pieces, flashbacks and anecdotes which make it a far more interesting and complex plot to follow.\nAlthough technically suitable for a younger audience thanks to its rating, canine characters and stop motion style , its appeal for children is fairly questionable given the advanced dialogue, unique look and rarely subtitled Japanese speech that requires a fair bit of interpretation from the audience.\nIsle of Dogs is unmistakably a Wes Anderson piece, with signature elements like perfect symmetry, close ups, and the breaking of the fourth wall popping up amongst many others.\nOne of the best things about Isle of Dogs is the outstanding visual artistry at work. The stop-motion animation is completely unique, and the detail is impeccable. The backdrops have a more cartoonish look but it works so well with the hyper-detailed close-ups of the characters, and gives an incredible unique depth to the overall look of the scene. It’s hard to tell what’s a real, practical stop motion model, what could be drawn or painted, and what (if any) is CGI, but it all comes together to create a distinctly brilliant aesthetic.\nAnderson is renowned for roping in a star-studded cast, and Isle of Dogs has one of the biggest line-ups yet. Firstly, there’s the regulars, including Bill Murray, Ed Norton,Tilda Swinton, Bob Balaban, Jeff Goldblum and Harvey Keitel – but there are new additions too, such as Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Greta Gerwig and, in honour of the film being set in Japan, Yoko Ono. The fact that some of these huge names only have a handful of lines proves Anderson’s innate ability in creating a unique and exciting cinematic experience, and the respect he has garnered from his film industry counterparts to attract this kind of talent, even if only for a cameo appearance.\nBeautiful as it may be, Isle of Dogs hasn’t escaped scrutiny. There’s been a lot of media attention following the release of the film, especially around perceived white-washing and cultural appropriation – and it’s easy to see why.\nThe representation of Japan is fairly derivative in that it doesn’t really offer any kind of new vision of this incredible culture, just the same stereotypical (and Western) view we’ve seen appropriated so many times before. Whilst it doesn’t seem to be Anderson’s intention to undermine Japanese culture – the film acts more like a love letter to it – there’s no real need story-wise for it to be set there, and it therefore comes across almost artificial in that it’s only there for stylistic reasons. Plus, some repeated and questionable Hiroshima imagery also feels a little insensitive.\nThe biggest issue, though, is Greta Gerwig’s character, Tracy Walker. Greta does a fine job of voicing her, but she’s the only white/Western person in the movie, and ends up acting as a ‘white saviour’ to expose corruption in the city and fight for the dog’s rights.\nIt may have been that Anderson needed an English-speaking character to drive the narrative along and provide translation for those talking in Japanese – but this could easily have been managed without feeding into this stereotype, and Anderson should have known better. This kind of insensitivity (along with the underwhelming third act) takes what would have been a near-perfect film down a notch or two.\nWhat’s interesting about* Isle of Dogs* is how it stands separate to the rest of Anderson’s work. The director usually focuses his storylines on personal dramas within individuals or small communities, basing the narratives around quirks and anecdotes in everyday lives and avoids being too thematically heavy.\nIsle of Dogs is certainly his most political film yet – aside from the obvious political element to the storyline (the Mayor being the one that banishes the dogs), it provides a great antithesis in the Trumpian age the world is currently faced with. It is very much about inclusion and against scapegoating and segregation, and conveys a powerful message against the fear that is pumped into political campaigns these days. It certainly makes for very compelling viewing for an animated film.\nVisually impressive, intelligently witty and concise, Isle of Dogs is a cinematic feast for any Anderson fan, whether veteran or novice. It gets four stars from us.\nIsle of Dogs is still in cinemas at the time of publishing.\nReferences:\nFilmy Keeda Medium High Snobiety 6 318 Viewsbill murray Bob Balaban Bryan Cranston cineblog cineblogger Ed Norton Fantastic Mr Fox film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews greta gerwig harvey keitel Isle of Dogs Isle of Dogs film Isle of Dogs review jeff goldblum movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie reviews scarlett johansson the cineblog The Grand Budapest Hotel Tilda Swinton wes anderson Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/isle-of-dogs-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s not very often that \u003ca href=\"/tag/wes-anderson/\"\u003eWes Anderson\u003c/a\u003e fans are treated to a new film from the acclaimed auteur, with it being 4 years since the release of one of his best works, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-grand-budapest-hotel/\"\u003eThe Grand Budapest Hotel\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/isle-of-dogs/\"\u003eIsle of Dogs\u003c/a\u003e is Anderson’s latest, and is also a return to the unique animated style which was a big part of the success of previous animal tale **\u003ca href=\"/tag/fantastic-mr-fox/\"\u003eFantastic Mr Fox\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet in the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki in the not too distant future, all dogs have been banished by Mayor Kobayashi to a small island (nicknamed ‘Trash Island’) following an outbreak of snout fever and dog flu that has become a threat to human health and safety. A 12-year-old boy, Atari, travels to the island in a bid to track down his beloved pet, Spots, and is aided by some fellow canines.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Isle of Dogs' Film Review | 'Oustanding visual artistry at work'"},{"content":"Everyone goes to the movies for different reasons. Some go for pure escapism, some to challenge their minds, and some to experience new things vicariously through the screen. One thing that can often be lost in the movie-going experience is something very important that we take for granted far too often – fun! **Ready Player One is one of the most fun experiences you can hope to have in a movie theater, and there’s a lot to be said for that in these trying times.\nReady Player One is an absolute feast for the eyes. Director Steven Spielberg is a living legend, and rightfully so. One of his greatest strengths is providing awe inspiring visuals; whether it be a giant T-Rex in **Jurassic Park, a shark capsizing a small fishing vessel in **Jaws, or a little boy and his alien taking flight in **E.T., Spielberg is a master visual storyteller, and Ready Player One is no different. This is the perfect film to invest in seeing in IMAX – go see this on the biggest, most high definition screen you can, because it is worth every penny. The neon visuals and bombastic action sequences pop off the screen, and are drenched in pure nostalgia – something that Ready Player One celebrates at every opportunity.\nSet in the near future, the world has been taken over by the ‘Oasis’, a massive virtual reality video game in which players don a virtual reality visor and suit, and enter a world where literally anything is possible. Created by reclusive genius James Halliday (Mark Rylance), the Oasis is at the center of everything on Earth, a planet which has seen better days. People devote their entire real lives to their virtual ones, for better and for worse.\nOur hero, Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), lives in the ‘stacks’ of Columbus, Ohio. Overpopulation has gotten to such a point that homes are literally built on top of each other like an MC Escher trailer park. The story begins with the passing of Halliday, who, at the time of his death, let everyone in the world know that he hid 3 keys somewhere in the vastness of the Oasis. The first player to find these keys will receive an ‘Easter Egg’, and gain control of the Oasis as well as half a trillion dollars.\nOne of the biggest competitors for the quest is Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), CEO of Innovative Online Industries – the Microsoft to Halliday’s Apple. Sorrento has amassed an army to find Halliday’s keys, but for years, nobody has come even close. Until Wade, that is. Together, him and his friends go on a mission crossing between the ‘real world’ and the ‘virtual world’ to find the keys and stop IOI from winning – because, as you might expect, the corporation’s intentions for the Oasis are far from good.\nThe cast is absolutely delightful. Wade, his group of friends, and every other character that helps him along the way are endearing in one way or another. Ben Mendelsohn particularly stands out as Sorrento, deftly switching from Saturday morning cartoon villain to a legitimate, menacing antagonist, harking back to his role as Director Krennic from **Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Mark Rylance is also strong as genius Halliday – it’s easy to feel sympathy for his character, a reclusive loner who is obsessed with pop culture and struggles to connect with other people – and whose creation had gone far beyond his intentions, morphing into something he had never expected.\nIn terms of story, the film works well – though there’s a few points that ask a bit much of the audience, and a drastic tonal shift halfway through that feels jarring, though it seems to pass as quickly as it appears.\nThe final fight sequence is a visual splendor that will have you jumping and cheering in your seat – and the rest of the cinema too. This is definitely one of those movies best seen with a crowd.\nIt’s easy to see why nerds and geeks of all types fell in love with the book, and are subsequently falling in love with the film. In this world, not only is an obsession with movies, TV, games or comics not a bad thing, it’s a weapon. Something used to better yourself and live out your dreams. Something that is rewarded, not scorned.\nReady Player One is a love letter to pop culture and fandom, and has some thoughtful things to say on the nature of reality, games, and why people love to play them. A solid 4 stars!\nReady Player One is showing in cinemas now, and we highly recommend that you see it there!\nReferences:\nMetro Den of Geek The Thin Air 8 304 Viewsben mendelsohn cineblog cinema blog et film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews jaws jurassic park mark rylance movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie reviews ready player one ready player one film ready player one movie ready player one review rogue one a star wars story steven spielberg the cineblog tye sheridan\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/ready-player-one-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEveryone goes to the movies for different reasons. Some go for pure escapism, some to challenge their minds, and some to experience new things vicariously through the screen. One thing that can often be lost in the movie-going experience is something very important that we take for granted far too often – fun! **\u003ca href=\"/tag/ready-player-one/\"\u003eReady Player One\u003c/a\u003e is one of the most fun experiences you can hope to have in a movie theater, and there’s a lot to be said for that in these trying times.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ready Player One | Film Review | 4*"},{"content":"Netflix has been knocking it out of the park lately. Between success with the Marvel Universe, smash hit anime series like* Devilman Crybaby*, and numerous live action series too, Netflix has become a production juggernaut and is making a name for itself as a studio to be reckoned with.\n**Altered Carbon, based on a novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan, seeks to be the next in their rapid fire chain of hits.\nTaking inspiration from **Blade Runner, **Ghost in the Shell, and Deus Ex, Altered Carbon takes place in a far off Cyberpunk future where the discovery of alien materials has granted humanity the ability to, ostensibly, live forever.\nA person’s mind – their memories, personality, and essentially their soul – can be downloaded onto a piece of hardware called a “stack”, placed in the back of a person’s neck. When that person dies, their stack can be placed in a different body, called a “sleeve”, and never truly die. However, if a person’s stack is destroyed, they face “RD” (Real Death). This is a fascinating setup with oodles of story potential, and Altered Carbon takes full advantage.\nThe world of Altered Carbon is so rich and full of detail that to delve completely into it would take all day, but suffice to say it’s teeming with life. This feels like a world that has been lived in, and more importantly, lived in TOO long; because, as the story unfolds, we find out that immortality has many unforeseen consequences.\nThe story follows Takeshi Kovacs, an orphan boy recruited by the military who (without spoiling anything) ends up joining a team of resistance fighters called ‘Envoys’. The ‘Envoys’ plan to take over the oppressive government and the immortals in charge of it, because sleeves are not cheap. The rich and powerful can clone themselves and face virtually no physical ramifications of never dying. This means that the poor (which is 99% of everyone else) are forever ruled by a class of individuals (known as ‘Meths’) who are basically gods – they even live in the clouds.\nTakeshi has been ‘on ice’ (meaning not having a sleeve, essentially being in a coma) until he is brought back in a new body (played by Joel Kinnaman) to solve the murder of the richest man in the world, Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy). This basic (and very film noir) premise quickly spirals into many branching paths that all feed into the main story, but tell us about other parts of the world and the people that Takeshi encounters on his mission. These include a hard nosed detective named Kristin Ortega (Martha Higareda), a former soldier named Vernon Elliot (Ato Essandoh), and an AI construct named Poe (Chris Conner) modeled after the poet of the same name.\nAltered Carbon takes no time in addressing the fact that Takeshi (an Asian man) is now trapped in a white man’s body, but it does so in a way that makes sense in the world without feeling pandering. This is a world where people end up in all different kinds of bodies, many times not even close to what they were born in. The show feels very diverse by design, and the cast does as well, sporting strong and likable characters of all different colors, creeds, and genders. Everybody does an incredible job in their roles, including Kinnaman, who, after **Suicide Squad, you may not be expecting much from, but he plays the role of the hard edged film noir detective almost perfectly.\nEvery episode has equal parts world building and bombastic action scenes, with set pieces ranging from a virtual torture chamber and a shootout in a hotel lobby, to an absolutely outstanding final action sequence. And visually, the show looks gorgeous – Netflix clearly went all out on its budget to provide the kind of effects to really sell a futuristic sci fi world, and all the outlandish tech and insanity that accompanies it.\nWhile the show does manage to avoid the typical ‘Netflix Crawl’ that usually kicks in halfway through a season, where you feel as though they’re dragging it out to seemingly fill a specific episode count, there are a few points here that do seem a little sluggish and drawn out for too long.\nAltered Carbon is a wonderful cyberpunk/sci fi/film noir adventure that is a treat for the eyes and the mind, delivering amazing visuals, thought provoking ideas, and strong characters. It’s unconfirmed as of yet at time of publishing whether we’ll get a season 2, but with two more books as source material ready for adaptation, there’s plenty left to explore. 4 stars.\nAltered Carbon is streaming on Netflix now.\nReferences:\nGamespot Engadget Medium 12 312 Viewsaltered carbon altered carbon netflix altered carbon review altered carbon season 1 blade runner cineblog film blog film reviews ghost in the shell james purefoy joel kinnaman movie blog movie reviews netflix netflix blog netflix reviews suicide squad the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/altered-carbon-season-1-netflix-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/category/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e has been knocking it out of the park lately. Between success with the Marvel Universe, smash hit anime series like* Devilman Crybaby*, and numerous live action series too, Netflix has become a production juggernaut and is making a name for itself as a studio to be reckoned with.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/altered-carbon/\"\u003eAltered Carbon\u003c/a\u003e, based on a novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan, seeks to be the next in their rapid fire chain of hits.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Altered Carbon Season 1 | Netflix Review"},{"content":"The first **Pacific Rim movie is a very unique film, born of the very specific niches that director Guillermo Del Toro has been a fan of since he was very young.\nEqual parts Gundam, Godzilla, and Power Rangers, it was a one-of-a-kind cocktail that didn’t generally prove to be a roaring success at the box office. Our friends in China, however, ate it up, and it was due to its tremendous overseas success that a sequel even happened.\nBut Guillermo isn’t the one behind the wheel this time around. That distinction goes to Stephen S. DeKnight of “Spartacus” fame.\nYou’d be forgiven for going into this film doubting it would live up to the first; the original was so specifically attuned to Del Toro’s sensibilities, that expecting something similar from somebody else doesn’t quite feel like a fair fight. **Pacific Rim: Uprising does its best to steer the ship without Del Toro’s influence, and does a satisfactory job delivering what Pacific Rim does best – big robots, big monsters, and big punches.\nThe film centers around John Boyega’s Jake Pentecost (also a producer of the movie) – son of Idris Elba’s Stacker Pentecost from the original, of apocalypse cancelling fame. Joining him are a group of new Jaeger pilot cadets, including the Jaeger building wunderkind Amara Naman, the Tony Stark of Jaegers, played by Cailee Spaeny.\nThe beginning of the movie bombards you with new characters and information. Most of this ends up left by the wayside by the middle of the runtime – and it really feels like two scripts were forced together, one with way more context, and one far more streamlined. The result is a plot that holds up just enough to keep the film moving along. Granted, there is one plot twist halfway through that is generally surprising, and adds some much needed oomph to the bare bones story. Luckily, the story mainly focuses on Jake and his journey, and Boyega oozes enough charm to carry the whole thing on his back with a wry, witty smile.\nBut let’s be honest, if you’re going to see this movie, you aren’t there for the story so much as you’re there for the ridiculous giant robot fights – and boy does Pacific Rim: Uprising deliver on that front. There is much less emphasis on the size of the Jaegers this go around, with the robots seemingly almost weightless while jumping through the air and performing crazy acrobatics, but that’s no bad thing. The fights show off some crazy, over the top, bombastic fun with new Kaiju evolutions and Jaeger tech delivering one crazy weapon, skill, and feat of skyscraper crushing spectacle after the other.\nPacific Rim: Uprising delivers where it needs to the most. The plot is passable with a few nice surprises thrown in, and the action is the right kind of cheesy anime craziness that fans have come to love. If you enjoyed the original Pacific Rim, it’s safe to say you’ll probably enjoy this too. 3 stars.\nPacific Rim: Uprising is in cinemas now.\nReferences:\nVariety Screen Rant 4 296 ViewsCailee Spaeny cineblog cineblogger film blog film reviews guillermo del toro idris elba john boyega movie blog movie reviews Pacific Rim Pacific Rim: Uprising Stephen S DeKnight the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/pacific-rim-uprising-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe first **\u003ca href=\"/tag/pacific-rim/\"\u003ePacific Rim\u003c/a\u003e movie is a very unique film, born of the very specific niches that director \u003ca href=\"/tag/guillermo-del-toro/\"\u003eGuillermo Del Toro\u003c/a\u003e has been a fan of since he was very young.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEqual parts Gundam, Godzilla, and Power Rangers, it was a one-of-a-kind cocktail that didn’t generally prove to be a roaring success at the box office. Our friends in China, however, ate it up, and it was due to its tremendous overseas success that a sequel even happened.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pacific Rim: Uprising | Film Review"},{"content":"Video game-to-film adaptations have existed since the early 90s, following the boom of 8-bit games and those classics from gaming juggernauts, Atari and Nintendo.\nHowever, in almost 30 years, there has not been much real success in turning these legendary games into stories for the screen.\nThis month, Warner Brothers will be releasing the film reboot of the classic PlayStation game, Tomb Raider, starring Alicia Vikander as the titular character, Lara Croft. With a promising trailer and Oscar winner Vikander as its star, could this be the one to break the curse?\nSuper Mario Bros Let’s look back at the very first attempt at taking video games to the big screen, with 1993’s Super Mario Bros. Only loosely based on its source material, directors Ricky Morton and Annabel Jankel disposed of the colourful world we all know to be the Mushroom Kingdom and turned it into a dank, dystopian parallel universe. By changing the aesthetic and memorability of this iconic game, you risk losing the loyalty of the ready-made audience. Despite having big actors such as Bob Hoskins, Dennis Hopper and John Leguiziamo, Super Mario Bros. didn’t even make back half of its production budget, and was a complete critical failure. The curse begins…?\nStreet Fighter The first game-to-film adaptation to really make a decent profit at the box office was 1994’s Street Fighter, starring none other thanJean-Claude Van Damme. Street Fighter almost tripled its budget, but didn’t quite break the $100 million mark. Unfortunately, again, this film was widely panned, and Variety compared its failure to that of Super Mario Bros, saying that “it’s noisy, overblown and effects-laden, and lacks sustained action of engaging characters”. Again, much of the detail from the source material was also altered.\nThe plot of the game and the motives of the characters were both rewritten for the screen, and the film went for a much lighter and more comical feel. This again displeased fans of the game’s franchise and meant that it couldn’t connect with the audience that was ready and waiting.\nCould straying too far from the original material of the game be the problem?\nResident Evil – the most successful yet? The most successful game to-film adaptation – in terms of longevity and takings, anyway – is quite easily the **Resident Evil franchise, having spawned six films over a 14-year period. Though the films haven’t been particularly critically acclaimed and have received mostly negative reviews, the six films have raked in an impressive $1.2 billion.\nWhat is it about this franchise that’s made it so financially lucrative compared to its counterparts?\nIt could be down to the lack of a complex plot to the games, allowing the film makers to take a bit of artistic license without butchering its source material. Much of the games’ appeal is based on the cathartic use of violence, it being a third person shooter involving the complete annihilation of zombie-like humans and other mutated beings – perhaps this translates well into film without too much heavy lifting?\nWith Resident Evil, the audience is there for the scares and the action, not for characters, dialogue and drama. Maybe, in the case of game-to-film adaptations, less is more?\nAngry Birds – one of the most critically acclaimed? Where Resident Evil may be the most successful franchise adapted from video games from a financial perspective, you may be surprised to learn which film was one of the best received by critics – **The Angry Birds Movie. Although it’s still not exactly considered a masterpiece, with only 44% on Rotten Tomatoes overall, that’s one of the highest scores given to any game-to-film adaptation that’s had a global release – and shows how app-based games are making their way onto screen too.\nThe Angry Birds Movie made money, and plenty of it – enough to warrant an upcoming sequel. Positives of this film include the style, quality of animation and level of humour, and with the only thing needing to be mirrored from the original game being the visuals, that’s hardly surprising. And, being geared mostly towards children, it may have helped that there was a less die-hard, more forgiving audience awaiting its release.\nWarcraft – the highest grossing Earning $433 million worldwide, **Warcraft is the highest grossing game-to-film adaptation yet; but with a budget of $160 million and it barely breaking even after other costs, it was considered a financial failure.\nDuncan Jones, the famed director of **Moon and **Source Code, was the man to try and bring the world of Warcraft to life; no stranger to complex and engaging storytelling, Jones took on a whole universe and tried to cram it in to a single movie, but it sadly ended up a convoluted mess.\nDespite a critical bashing, there is clearly an audience engaged in the potential depictions of the Warcraft universe, but a sequel has still not yet been confirmed.\nHitman – A film out of context One of the most disappointing adaptation attempts has been the Hitman movies. The suspenseful nature of the narrative to these games is what makes them such a success; the Hitman character is someone quietly hiding in the shadows, taking out his targets without being noticed.\nThe films, however, are more like big, loud, action-packed productions, and clearly miss the mark – there was all the potential for an exceptional thriller had the film followed the essence of the games, but both attempts, 2007’s **Hitman (starring Timothy Olyphant) and 2015’s **Hitman: Agent 47 (with Rupert Friend) were utterly panned.\n**John Wick writer Derek Kolstad is looking to do a television reboot of Hitman. Perhaps a TV adaptation is key for the extensive plots that are quite often seen in video games, allowing more time to explore back stories, characters and cover more of the original game’s narrative.\nWhere are they going wrong? Storylines and the script seem to be what’s really letting these films down, despite often having so much world to play with.\nIs it the initial medium that’s the problem? Book adaptations, for example, have never had this issue. We’ve seen countless much-loved books successfully move to the silver screen, and whilst it’s clear that books provide a more structured plot to work from, the unique universes often created within games should be inspiration enough to build something that works cinematically.\nFans of video games want to see what they know and love about their favourite games when they’re turned into films – all the good bits of the gameplay without the laborious bits in between. Some adaptations can be guilty of overcomplicating their script and trying to fit too much of the game’s lore into the runtime, ending up with something that might give us a lot of information, but doesn’t really work as a piece of film.\nBut, maybe it’s cutting out that gameplay and the interactivity that comes with it that means games just can’t translate. The joy of the experience of playing a video game is that you’re in control – you’re choosing where to go, what plot points to follow, and you’re improving and learning independently as you progress through the game. Turning this into a movie takes away all of that, makes it much more one sided. Watching a film adaptation of your favourite game can never excite you in the same way, because you’re relinquishing all the control that the original medium gives you.\nThis article from The Conversation thinks that this lack of gameplay leaves audiences less open to the idea of strange plot devices. When you’re playing a game, you’re more immersed in the landscape, and can more easily pick up on those signature aspects of the game that make it something you love – for example, jumping across rooftops in Assassin’s Creed. Though the Assassin’s Creed games became increasingly more complex in narrative as more were released, it didn’t matter – because the gimmick of the rooftop always remained. Of course, with a movie adaptation, you’re simply watching the action, and without the immersive aspect, it can become convoluted and dull.\nEven some professors have tried to establish why film adaptations of video games always fail; this Gamespot article, though written a while ago now, makes a lot of sense when it comes to why game-to-film adaptations just don’t work. In the article, Professor Kirk Kjeldsen explains that films mostly follow a three-act structure in their narrative, but video games work vastly differently, and that successfully forcing a three-act linear narrative out of a lengthy video game narrative is pretty much impossible. In his opinion, “Translating a non-linear narrative into a linear three-act structure is like making a song out of a painting or sculpture”.\nThis was the case with the **Need for Speed adaptation. The game is an open world racing game in which the player makes decisions about where they want to go next, what changes they make to their story and vehicles, and so there is no concrete narrative or character arc. This Chicago Tribune review makes the comparison everyone was expecting – the film (rarely but surely) mimics the fun of the Fast and Furious franchise that it so clearly aspired to be, but simultaneously is based on a strange and illogical plot. Need for Speed was only considered watchable when the actors were behind the wheel – incidentally, the only part which truly relates to the game.\nAnother reason why these kinds of films fail to make an impact could be the lack of true directorial vision. Only a handful have had any standout talent on the director’s chair, namely Duncan Jones for Warcraft and Justin Kurzel for *Assassin’s Creed – *looking into other directors that have taken on this genre, you’d be hard pushed to find one that’s truly acclaimed.\nThe most notorious of them all is Uwe Boll, the man behind video game adaptations such as Postal, Far Cry, In the Name of the King and *House of the Dead. *He has made a phenomenal amount of movies, but he has been described as one of the worst film directors ever. He was even turned down by Blizzard Entertainment, the owners of the Warcraft franchise, upon his request to direct the film adaptation.\nIs Tomb Raider a turning point? With the recent release of the rebooted Tomb Raider movie, it is too early to say whether it’s a game changer or not.\nReviews for the new film, starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, are distinctly average, with it sitting at 50% on the Tomatometer, though the audience score is a little higher at 65%. At time of publishing it’s made around $211 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo), which surpasses it’s $94 million budget, but isn’t exactly setting the world alight. It’s too soon to tell whether a sequel will be green lit for a film that the studio was clearly hoping would be the start of a new franchise.\nYou can check out our review for Tomb Raider here, but in short – whilst it is a half decent watch overall, it’s hindered by changing certain elements of the story compared to the game, as well as a lot of mostly mediocre action. The plot is less messy than past video game adaptations, but is disjointed, and the action that is so well loved from the games doesn’t ever seem to translate well to the screen.\nThe jury is still out on whether Tomb Raider has broken the curse of the video game to film adaptation. Nowhere near as good as fans could have hoped, it’s still mildly better than its predecessors – and we reckon that’s a step in the right direction.\nReferences:\nVariety Gamespot The Guardian Shack News The Conversation Empire Online Chicago Tribune Wikipedia Screen Rant Rotten Tomatoes – Tomb Raider Box Office Mojo – Super Mario Bros Box Office Mojo – Tomb Raider Box Office Mojo – Street Fighter Box Office Mojo – Resident Evil Image References:\nWholesgame Geekphilia Screen Geek Medium Destructoid Variety EGM Now Cultrbox Digital Spy Mashable 6 305 Viewsalicia vikander Assassins Creed bob hoskins cineblog cineblogger dennis hopper Derek Kolstad Duncan Jones film magazine game to film adaptation Hitman Hitman Agent 47 Hitman film Hitman movie Jean Claude Van Damme john leguiziamo John Wick Justin Kurzel movie magazine Need For Speed Resident Evil Rupert Friend Source Code Street Fighter super mario bros The Angry Birds Movie the cineblog Timothy Olyphant tomb raider Uwe Boll video game film video game movie video game to film adaptation Warcraft Warcraft movie Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/the-curse-of-the-video-game-to-film-adaptation/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eVideo game-to-film adaptations have existed since the early 90s, following the boom of 8-bit games and those classics from gaming juggernauts, Atari and Nintendo.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, in almost 30 years, there has not been much real success in turning these legendary games into stories for the screen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis month, Warner Brothers will be releasing the film reboot of the classic PlayStation game, \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/tomb-raider/\"\u003eTomb Raider\u003c/a\u003e,\u003c/em\u003e starring \u003ca href=\"/tag/alicia-vikander/\"\u003eAlicia Vikander\u003c/a\u003e as the titular character, Lara Croft. With a promising trailer and Oscar winner Vikander as its star, could this be the one to break the curse?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Curse of the Video Game-To-Film Adaptation"},{"content":"Hopes have been high for **Tomb Raider, the reboot of a potentially very lucrative franchise, largely thanks to the star power of Academy Award winning leading lady Alicia Vikander – but there’s been plenty of cynicism too, as video game-to-movie adaptations have a far from successful track record.\nTomb Raider is loosely based on the recent reboot in the gaming franchise in which Lara is portrayed as vulnerable and reckless, but also intelligent and strong. Her character arc sees gain her strengths and learn from her weaknesses through the progression of the story, and the film has drawn from that aspect very well. Tomb Raider acts as an origin story for this reimagining of Lara, in that her discovery of her potential is the big pay-off for her character.\nWe follow Lara Croft living in London, refusing to come to terms with her father’s disappearance and suspected death, and therefore unable to sign the papers which will transfer his assets and enormous fortune to her. She is working as a bike courier in the city and struggling for cash due to her stubbornness to deal with her father’s estate.\nUpon discovering a clue to her father’s whereabouts from a mysterious Japanese puzzle box, Lara embarks on a journey to an uninhabited island called Yamatai, which is located in the dangerous waters of the Devil’s Sea. Her father had travelled to this island to uncover the tomb of an ancient queen named Himiko, who was known as the Queen of Death – but never returned.\nThis storyline is fairly close to the 2013 game and one of the stronger aspects of the film. Concise with few unanswered questions, anything that isn’t neatly wrapped up seems to be left in the hopes of a sequel.\nThe big change to the story is the emphasis put on Richard Croft’s history, Lara’s father, which was not so prominent in the original game. Unfortunately, this takes away from Lara’s progression and makes her independence far less convincing. Flashbacks are used throughout to tell us about Richard, but these are ill-judged, portraying their relationship as damaged and even a bit creepy. What Tomb Raider seems to forget is that Lara’s aim throughout her history has always been to finish what her father started, never to trek around the world in the hope that she could be daddy’s little girl again.\nOn the plus side, Vikander has proven herself to be more than worthy of filling the boots of Lara Croft, and is the perfect fit for the iconic character. She is arguably the best thing about this film, managing to pull off appearing in almost every scene. There’s lots of dialogue and emotion for her to cover, especially in the first half, and then plenty of action and stunts to perform throughout the remainder – and Vikander does exceptionally well in portraying Lara as a realistic person, not some superhuman who can defy the laws of gravity and seemingly never get hurt, making those stunts feel all the more impressive. Rather than perpetuating the male gaze you might assume with this character, she makes Lara Croft feel believable, strong, and this depth helps make the suspension of disbelief required to enjoy the film that bit easier.\nOther big names make an appearance; Dominic West is Richard Croft, Daniel Wu is Lu Ren, the son of an old friend of Lara’s own father and her partner on the island of Yamatai, and Kristin Scott-Thomas also makes an appearance as a business associate of Lara’s father.\nWalton Goggins plays the antagonist, Mathias Vogel, a man trapped on Yamatai who’s forced to uncover Himiko’s tomb so as to be able to finally leave. He is sinister enough to let audiences know he is the bad guy, but the motive behind his actions are not explored enough – there’s plenty of room for them to turn up those typical villainous tropes we’d expect in an adventure movie.\nAdventure movie this is, and the influence of the most famous adventure franchise of them all – **Indiana Jones – is very clear, but Tomb Raider does little to make itself unique. There’s enough action and mysticism to make it a fun watch, but nothing new or unpredictable to take it to the next level. Whilst we’re not expecting them to reinvent the wheel, a little more suspense and anticipation would have gone a long way to make it a bit more thrilling, and help the film stand out from the crowd. At no point do we truly believe that Lara is in jeopardy, and that makes the final act fairly underwhelming.\nIn terms of direction, it feels like Roar Uthaug (a relative unknown who has only really made films in Norway) might have bitten off more than he can chew with such a big budget. The CGI is disjointed, taking the audience out of the experience of the set pieces now and then – and the set for the entrance to Himiko’s tomb is so obvious, it’s almost as laughable as that Mount Rushmore set in North by Northwest. But, if the film manages to make some money and we get a sequel, a bigger budget and better special effects will hopefully allow for a more polished final cut.\nTomb Raider gets 3 stars – it’s certainly one of the best video game adaptations we’ve seen, and is a fun and engaging watch with a brilliant performance from Alicia Vikander, but falls short when it comes to grit, originality and effects.\nTomb Raider is showing in cinemas now!\nReferences:\nCollider Screen Geek White Rock Lake Weekly 6 314 Viewsalicia vikander cineblog cineblogger daniel wu dominic west film blog film magazine film reviews indiana jones kristin scott thomas movie blog movie magazine movie reviews roar uthaug the cineblog tomb raider tomb raider 2018 tomb raider film review tomb raider movie review tomb raider review walton goggins Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/tomb-raider-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHopes have been high for **\u003ca href=\"/tag/tomb-raider/\"\u003eTomb Raider\u003c/a\u003e, the reboot of a potentially very lucrative franchise, largely thanks to the star power of Academy Award winning leading lady \u003ca href=\"/tag/alicia-vikander/\"\u003eAlicia Vikander\u003c/a\u003e – but there’s been plenty of cynicism too, as video game-to-movie adaptations have a far from successful track record.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTomb Raider\u003c/em\u003e is loosely based on the recent reboot in the gaming franchise in which Lara is portrayed as vulnerable and reckless, but also intelligent and strong. Her character arc sees gain her strengths and learn from her weaknesses through the progression of the story, and the film has drawn from that aspect very well. \u003cem\u003eTomb Raider\u003c/em\u003e acts as an origin story for this reimagining of Lara, in that her discovery of her potential is the big pay-off for her character.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tomb Raider Film Review | Alicia Vikander"},{"content":"As we rejoin hooligan-turned-superspy Eggsy (Taron Egerton) in **Kingsman: The Golden Circle, he’s enjoying the Kingsman life and getting to grips with meeting the regal family of his new girlfriend Princess Tilde (Hannah Alstrom) – who you may remember from that controversial and clumsy ending of the first film.\nAfter the world of the Kingsman comes under major fire, him and Merlin (Mark Strong) are forced to head to Kentucky and team up with the whisky-brewing Statesmen, their American equivalents, to bring down psychopathic drug cartel owner Poppy (Julianne Moore).\nEverything you remember from the first film (**Kingsman: The Secret Service) is back – to good and bad effect. Glasses and gadgets? Check. Cartoonish action with a tongue-in-cheek soundtrack? Check. Taron Egerton winking? You bet.\nAll the best stuff that came as such a pleasant surprise the first time around appears again here; a lot of it is what carries the sequel and keeps you interested, but sometimes the retreading of the same motifs means you can’t help but think that maybe they’re running out of ideas already? The villain’s nefarious plot, the bar scene, the training exercises – so much pops up, and whilst it’s sometimes given a fresh spin, a first sequel shouldn’t feel this formulaic.\nMaybe this is a case of second album syndrome? The first film was such an unexpected joy that it was always going to be hard for Kingsman: The Golden Circle to live up to it.\nThe way Matthew Vaughn pushed the envelope in terms of violence and sexual humour was another key thing that made the first Kingsman stand out – again, both for better and for worse. He’s pushing the boundaries again here, with a certain scene at Glastonbury festival the most memorable for moving from tongue-in-cheek to downright uncomfortable (and, some would say, non-consensual).\nWe’re all for a bit of vulgarity, but there’s occasions in this movie where it’s just not necessary – and more importantly, not even funny. There’s a lot of random plot choices that make the script nowhere near as refined or pacy as the first one.\nAnd – spoiler, although not really if you’ve managed to see even a poster for the film – bringing Colin Firth back as Harry Hart will cause a bit of an eye roll. It would have felt much braver to stand by the events of the first film and move on the story without him, giving much more gravitas to the grief of his fellow agents. The sequel uses his storyline to try and tug on heartstrings, but there hasn’t been enough work done to set it up for maximum impact.\nThere is good stuff, including some nice character development for Eggsy, and Taron Egerton is as fun and charming in the role as ever, but he has the potential for so much more.\nThe action is also still so slick, stylised and an injection of energy into the film with a cracking soundtrack, and the use of the lasso from Pedro Pascal‘s Whisky adds another layer of interest, but there’s nothing groundbreaking added to this that wasn’t done just as well (if not better) in the original. The opening action set piece involving some London taxis is a true joy, and the mildly ridiculous final act fight is probably the best of the film – and saves it’s 3rd star that we’ve given it here.\nOne of the most frustrating elements of Kingsman: The Golden Circle is the way it brings in reels of big names for the American cast, but how most of them are given barely anything to do. This is most evident with Channing Tatum – it’s reported they had minimal time with him on set and it shows. He gets one good scene and then is pretty much forgotten about.\nHalle Berry, too, is vastly underused. Her character Ginger Ale is clearly the brains of the operations, the equivalent of Mark Strong’s Merlin, and whilst she gets some good bits of bonding with him, there’s not much more for her to do other than tapping on keyboards and staring at screens. Jeff Bridges is also more of a cameo than anything.\nIt’s Julianne Moore’s villain Poppy that gets the most screen time out of the new US cast. She does fine, is convincingly sweet on the outside whilst being diabolical on the inside, but the end-of-the-world plan she attempts to deliver is remarkably similar to that of Samuel L. Jackson‘s Valentine in the first film. Despite being head of the world’s biggest drug cartel, Moore is also somewhat confined to her tropical, off-the-grid headquarters, decreasing the scale of the film.\nOh, not forgetting – this film is probably the weirdest thing you’ll see involving Elton John this year. Or ever, actually.\nWith all that in mind, might it have been more effective to recruit less big names and do a little more with them?\n**Almost as fun but nowhere near as refreshing as the first, the final act redeems Kingman: The Golden Circle enough for it to receive a 3 star ranking. **\nYou can buy Kingsman: The Golden Circle on DVD and Blu-Ray now.\nReferences:\nFilm School Rejects Business Insider 54 4464 Viewschanning tatum cineblog colin firth film blog film magazine film reviews halle berry hannah alstrom jeff bridges julianne moore kingsman kingsman 2 kingsman the golden circle kingsman the golden circle review kingsman the secret service mark strong matthew vaughn movie blog movie magazine movie reviews pedro pascal samuel l jackson taron egerton the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/kingsman-the-golden-circle-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs we rejoin hooligan-turned-superspy Eggsy (\u003ca href=\"/tag/taron-egerton/\"\u003eTaron Egerton\u003c/a\u003e) in **\u003ca href=\"/tag/kingsman-the-golden-circle/\"\u003eKingsman: The Golden Circle\u003c/a\u003e, he’s enjoying the Kingsman life and getting to grips with meeting the regal family of his new girlfriend Princess Tilde (\u003ca href=\"/tag/hannah-alstrom/\"\u003eHannah Alstrom\u003c/a\u003e) – who you may remember from that controversial and clumsy ending of the first film.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the world of the Kingsman comes under major fire, him and Merlin (\u003ca href=\"/tag/mark-strong/\"\u003eMark Strong\u003c/a\u003e) are forced to head to Kentucky and team up with the whisky-brewing Statesmen, their American equivalents, to bring down psychopathic drug cartel owner Poppy (\u003ca href=\"/tag/julianne-moore/\"\u003eJulianne Moore\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Kingsman: The Golden Circle | Film Review"},{"content":"The Shape of Water is a fantastical love story from acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, **The Devil’s Backbone). It stars Sally Hawkins, Doug Jones, Richard Jenkins and Michael Shannon – and was the big winner at this year’s Academy Awards, taking the little gold statues for 4 Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture.\nElisa Esposito (Hawkins) is a lonely mute cleaner at a secret government research facility. Working alongside her friend Zelda (Octavia Spencer), they stumble upon the facility’s new asset, a mysterious aquatic creature that the scientists and its captor, Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), intend to use in the Space Race between the US and Russia. Elisa begins to visit the creature in secret after discovering it is in fact a humanoid amphibian, capable of communication and empathy. They soon develop a unique bond, and Elisa vows to free the creature from its inevitable and unethical demise.\nFilms like The Shape of Water are few and far between, and del Toro has used his signature vision to bring a fairy tale with new meaning to life; it’s a story of loneliness, seclusion, and friendship, but in the end it all comes down to true love. He brings his much loved creative style to form a delicious feast for eyes, pure whimsy at its very best. With astonishing set pieces, performances that pull on those heartstrings and bursts of magical colour throughout, it truly is a masterpiece in filmmaking – so it came as no surprise to see him take the Oscar for Best Director, despite being up against some very credible competitors.\nSally Hawkins is an absolute dream in this film. For a character that has not one bit of dialogue, she does an amazing job at drawing the audience in, portraying Elisa as the most endearing character you could ever come across. The range of expressions she’s able to depict without saying a word is artistry at work – she’ll make you laugh, cry, and you can’t help but fall in love with her.\nWith regards to the amphibian creature itself, del Toro could have taken the easier route and used CGI to animate it into the film – but instead teamed up again with long term collaborator Doug Jones. Sitting through hours of makeup and prosthetics to become Amphibian Man, Jones oozes stoicism that makes it impossible to take your eyes of him, and conveys all kinds of emotions with only his body language, facial expressions and minimal sounds.\nIt is the similarities between the romantic leads that makes the relationship, as fantastical as it is, so believable and watchable. Though they’re from two different species, the chemistry between Elisa and Amphibian Man is electric. Elisa being mute makes them more equal, and her teaching him sign language breaks down that initial communication barrier. The visual impact of them together is striking, too; Jones as the creature is a towering silhouette over the petite and shy Hawkins.\nThe rest of the cast do a fine job too; Michael Shannon is menacing as ever, a real character actor with distinguished facial features that make him perfect as the villain of the piece. Richard Jenkins is flawless as Elisa’s bumbling but caring best friend Giles, and Octavia Spencer is brilliant as Zelda and brings a stoic presence for the women of the film.\nThere’s also a lot of nostalgia present in The Shape of Water. Set in the 1960s, every comprehensible detail is picture perfect, and rings true to the studio era of filmmaking. Rather than filming on location, del Toro reverted to shooting on a set, helping to bring the magic of the film to life as it allows him free rein for his vision. Even the research facility is symmetrical and gloomy, yet not too clinical, almost adding an element of steampunk to the look. Elisa and Giles’ apartments are dazzlingly crafted, and the scenes that take place there almost feel as if they’re being performed on stage. The whole thing looks mesmerising, and it’s easy to see why it won the Oscar for Production Design.\nAt first glance, The Shape of Water has an undeniably odd concept. It updates the classic fairy tale format by combining it with what is essentially a monster movie to give a rose-tinted view of a very, very unconventional relationship. It also flips gender norms on their head, as the female protagonist acts as the saviour and the male creature is the one that needs saving, despite his god-like abilities. Whatever weirdness you’re expecting, don’t let it prevent you from watching what is a sweep-you-off-your-feet piece of cinema, and an original and dazzling love story.\nWe’re giving The Shape of Water the full 5 stars – Guillermo del Toro has certainly earned his Oscar wins with this dreamy, intense delight, and will likely be one of the best films of the year.\nThe Shape of Water is still showing in some cinemas, so catch it on the big screen while you can.\nReferences:\nVox Gizmodo The Verge 5 313 Viewscineblog doug jones film blog film reviews guillermo del toro michael shannon movie blog movie reviews octavia spencer oscar winners 2018 pans labyrinth richard jenkins sally hawkins the cineblog the devils backbone the shape of water the shape of water review Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/the-shape-of-water-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-shape-of-water/\"\u003eThe Shape of Water\u003c/a\u003e is a fantastical love story from acclaimed director \u003ca href=\"/tag/guillermo-del-toro/\"\u003eGuillermo del Toro\u003c/a\u003e (\u003c/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/pans-labyrinth/\"\u003ePan’s Labyrinth\u003c/a\u003e, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-devils-backbone/\"\u003eThe Devil’s Backbone\u003c/a\u003e). It stars \u003ca href=\"/tag/sally-hawkins/\"\u003eSally Hawkins\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/doug-jones/\"\u003eDoug Jones\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/richard-jenkins/\"\u003eRichard Jenkins\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/michael-shannon/\"\u003eMichael Shannon\u003c/a\u003e – and was the big winner at this year’s Academy Awards, taking the little gold statues for 4 Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElisa Esposito (Hawkins) is a lonely mute cleaner at a secret government research facility. Working alongside her friend Zelda (\u003ca href=\"/tag/octavia-spencer/\"\u003eOctavia Spencer\u003c/a\u003e), they stumble upon the facility’s new asset, a mysterious aquatic creature that the scientists and its captor, Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), intend to use in the Space Race between the US and Russia. Elisa begins to visit the creature in secret after discovering it is in fact a humanoid amphibian, capable of communication and empathy. They soon develop a unique bond, and Elisa vows to free the creature from its inevitable and unethical demise.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Shape of Water | Film Review"},{"content":"The recently released Netflix comedy drama **Everything Sucks was tipped as the new show to fill the **Stranger Things void we’re all currently experiencing until season 3 hits our screens. But does it live up to the Duffer brothers’ cultural phenomenon?\nEverything Sucks is a parodic view of high school in the 1990s, set in the appropriately named town Boring, Oregon. Starring a group of strong child actors, you can see the parallels with* Stranger Things*, but that’s really all that those two shows have in common – better comparisons would be Freaks and Geeks, or My So Called Life, but this comes with much less impact.\nThe show follows three freshman nerds who decide to join the AV Club at school and look to navigate the world of girls. The protagonist Luke (Jahi Winston), immediately falls for sophomore Kate (Peyton Kennedy), a fellow AV Club member, and the series follows his pursuit of her. We realise fairly early on that Kate is in fact gay, and therefore what ensues is a **Chasing Amy style narrative which fails to impress.\nConsidering that there are many references to director Kevin Smith, it is not surprising that creators Ben York Jones and Michael Mohan were inspired by Smith’s film Chasing Amy. Thankfully, the writing has been updated since that time, and whilst Luke isn’t only there to try and “convert” Kate to become straight, there still seems to be an air of blame directed at Kate because Luke can’t have her.\nDuring the first half of the season, Kate’s hidden sexuality also seems to fall to the wayside behind the meagre plot of the AV Club and Drama Clubs joining forces to make a low budget sci-fi movie. Rumours are spread around school about Kate’s sexuality, and Luke’s best friend overhears Kate clearly lying about it, but these dissolve from the plot almost instantly and are never revisited.\nHowever, the second half of the season is far stronger than that of the first, in that it seems to have transitioned into following Kate’s story arc rather than Luke’s. It begins to follow her pursuit of her own love interest, Emaline (Sydney Sweeney), a senior who is part of the Drama Club and the lead in the group’s school film.\nThis part of the narrative is far more organic, genuine and original. It delivers a poignant portrayal of the exploration of sexuality at a young age, emphasising the awkwardness and fear that would be experienced in a high school environment. Had the creators decided to have Kate as the lead character over Luke, this would have been a far more convincing show, as her storyline is the one we are rooting for from the get go. She becomes the driving force behind all the turning points in the plot, and essentially is the main reason behind any positivity surrounding the show’s release.\nThe weakest part of Everything Sucks is its reliance on nostalgia. Unfortunately a tool used in many films and TV shows of late (more of the Stranger Things effect), it is becoming quite a tired one. From the get go, there are pop culture references being thrown into the mix through dialogue, scenery and the soundtrack – to the point that it all seems a bit forced.\nThe soundtrack in particular uses all the most obvious tracks from that period insofar that it moves away from travelling back through time, and just feels like you are listening to a compilation of all the number 1 hits of that year. It isn’t imaginative and begins to take you out of the story instead of immersing you in it.\nOverall, Everything Sucks is a messy but pleasurable watch that needs its audience to stick with it until the very end in order to be truly rewarded with something worthwhile. What started off as a fairly poor and unoriginal show becomes a heart-warming, funny and necessary piece of television. 3 stars.\nSeason 1 of Everything Sucks is available to stream on Netflixnow.\nReferences:\nTV Guide Business Insider 4 300 Viewsben york jones everything sucks everything sucks netflix everything sucks review everything sucks season 1 film blog film reviews jahi winston michael mohan movie blog movie reviews netflix blog netflix reviews peyton kennedy stranger things sydney sweeney the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/everything-sucks-season-1-netflix-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe recently released \u003ca href=\"/category/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e comedy drama **\u003ca href=\"/tag/everything-sucks/\"\u003eEverything Sucks\u003c/a\u003e was tipped as the new show to fill the **\u003ca href=\"/tag/stranger-things/\"\u003eStranger Things\u003c/a\u003e void we’re all currently experiencing until season 3 hits our screens. But does it live up to the Duffer brothers’ cultural phenomenon?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEverything Sucks\u003c/em\u003e is a parodic view of high school in the 1990s, set in the appropriately named town Boring, Oregon. Starring a group of strong child actors, you can see the parallels with* Stranger Things*, but that’s really all that those two shows have in common – better comparisons would be \u003cem\u003eFreaks and Geeks\u003c/em\u003e, or \u003cem\u003eMy So Called Life\u003c/em\u003e, but this comes with much less impact.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Everything Sucks' Season 1 | Netflix Review"},{"content":"Based on his life, **The Big Sick follows Kumail Nanjiani(playing himself) back when he was trying to break into the comedy industry. He meets a girl called Emily (Zoe Kazan) at a gig and falls in love, but his Pakistani family values cause a rift between them. When Emily falls mysteriously ill, Kumail waits by her bedside and grows closer to her parents as they hope for her recovery.\nThis is a romantic comedy, but with none of the sickly sweetness or try-hard attempts at humour that you might expect from that genre. The Big Sick is one of the most beautifully understated depictions of two people falling for each other and facing challenges in their relationship ever shown on screen, full of laugh-out-loud peaks (Kumail’s breakdown at a drive-through springs to mind), and troughs that will have you mumbling about something in your eye.\nThere’s comedy in spades, with a fantastic cast delivering honest humour at every corner of the plot. Nanjiani has a kind of quiet, intelligent but charming air about him, and his chemistry with Zoe Kazan is so tangible you can practically hold it. Their interactions as they become attached to each other are nothing short of a joy on screen; clever, realistic dialogue, and moments of specificity perfectly picked out to show the developments of their relationship.\nPerformances from the supporting cast almost steal the show. Holly Hunter as Emily’s mother Beth particularly stands out, and there’s been calls for her to be nominated in the supporting actress role – but, the genre of the film must have been too big a stretch. She’s formidable as this tiny, stubborn, Southern ball of energy, pacing like a caged animal whilst waiting for her daughter to pull through.\nRay Romano as Emily’s father Terry is the perfect complimenting character to Beth, all softly spoken and self-deprecating. The two of them manage to convey a depth and history which is remarkable given their limited screen time.\nKumail’s sharp witted comedian friends are deftly played by Bo Burnham and Aidy Bryant, and Kurt Braunohler as liability Chris has some of the funniest moments.\nAlongside the touching love story and stand-up shows plays a very sincere family drama. Kumail’s Pakistani family are devoted Muslims, desperate to set him up for an arranged marriage and unaware he plays games on his phone when he’s meant to be praying. His mother Sharmeen (the incredible Zenobia Shroff) wheels in woman after woman – some clearly not suited, others more so – but Kumail struggles to adhere to his family’s expectations. A series of awkward dinner scenes play this out expertly.\nIf you were nitpicking, you might argue that it’s a bit long and slow in places, and that some of the pivotal character moments teeter on cliché – but these tiny issues are nowhere near enough to detract from the utterly delicious screenplay that Nanjiani and his wife (Emily Gordon) have produced, a screenplay that so lacks in self-indulgence, and instead revels in depth and charm.\nThe Big Sick is pretty much perfection in a movie. 5 stars. That’s all you need to know.\nYou can watch The Big Sick on Amazon Instant Video now (at time of publishing), or own it on DVD here. The trailer is below, but you’re much better off going in without having seen it.\nReferences:\nriotheatre.ca The Verge 47 4098 Viewsaidy bryant bo burnham cineblog comedy film emily gordon film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews holly hunter kumail nanjiani. zoe kazan kurt braunohler movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie reviews ray romano the big sick the big sick film the big sick review the cineblog zenobia shroff Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/the-big-sick-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBased on his life, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-big-sick/\"\u003eThe Big Sick\u003c/a\u003e follows \u003ca href=\"/tag/kumail-nanjiani/\"\u003eKumail Nanjiani\u003c/a\u003e(playing himself) back when he was trying to break into the comedy industry. He meets a girl called Emily (\u003ca href=\"/tag/zoe-kazan/\"\u003eZoe Kazan\u003c/a\u003e) at a gig and falls in love, but his Pakistani family values cause a rift between them. When Emily falls mysteriously ill, Kumail waits by her bedside and grows closer to her parents as they hope for her recovery.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a romantic comedy, but with none of the sickly sweetness or try-hard attempts at humour that you might expect from that genre. \u003cem\u003eThe Big Sick\u003c/em\u003e is one of the most beautifully understated depictions of two people falling for each other and facing challenges in their relationship ever shown on screen, full of laugh-out-loud peaks (Kumail’s breakdown at a drive-through springs to mind), and troughs that will have you mumbling about something in your eye.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Big Sick | Film Review"},{"content":"‘In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers’.\nPicking up shortly after the events of his father’s death in **Captain America: Civil War, **Black Panther starts with T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) on a recon mission ahead of the ceremony to crown him as the King of Wakanda, and solidify him as its protector – the Black Panther.\nMeanwhile, ex-soldier Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens (played by Michael B. Jordan, and so named because of his effectiveness at ending lives) helps Andy Serkis’s South African menace Ulysses Klaue to steal an artefact dripping in Vibranium, the strongest material in the world and native to Wakanda, from a London museum.\nAs T’Challa takes up his reign, he struggles to align his duty to protect Wakanda with the pressure to share their riches and intelligence with those in need across the world, whilst defending his country from Killmonger’s attempts to claim it for himself.\nThe cultural significance of Black Panther cannot be overstated. Whilst it’s not the first time we’ve seen a black superhero on screen (previous ones include Wesley Snipes in Blade, and Mike Colter in Netflix’s **Luke Cage), it’s perhaps the one that has had the ability to make most impact, being part of the behemoth box office machine that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.\nAnd make an impact it has, and not just culturally – Black Panther is putting its money where its mouth is. It’s smashing records for Marvel, with the fifth biggest ever opening weekend and second biggest second weekend of all time in terms of US box office sales. It’s thought to be going to move to the third highest third weekend ever (behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avatar), and is heading towards $800 million dollars worldwide. The argument that ‘people don’t want to see these kinds of movies’ should be in the ground for good, and it’s hardly surprising. What else would you expect when you finally make a movie that so effectively represents the huge percentage of the population that Hollywood has neglected for so long?\nPutting aside the question ‘what took Hollywood so long?’ – though that’s most certainly valid – Black Panther is an incredible moment for diversity and representation. With an almost entirely black and dark-skinned cast (the exceptions being Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman as CIA agent Everett Ross) there is a multitude of complex, relatable, strong, empowered black characters on show. At one point, the white guy is actually prevented from speaking – and it feels like about time too.\nThe women in particular are given so much room to shine that this film feels like a feminist moment as well as a racial one. Danai Gurira is Okoye, the general of the all-female guard that protects the King and the greatest warrior in Wakanda – not to mention, she ain’t a fan of unnecessary wigs. Lupita Nyong’o is Nakia, super spy and T’Challa’s former love, whose calling is to go out into the world and fight for those who can’t protect themselves. Angela Bassett is the regal Queen Mother, and Letitia Wright is the absolute stand out as T’Challa’s cheeky, genius little sister Shuri. The head of Wakanda’s technological developments with Vibranium, she would likely give Tony Stark a run for his money if the two brainiacs were ever to meet.\nThere is a shit ton of female power, emotion, camaraderie, honour, strength and intelligence on show. Seeing those ladies fight to the death and protect their King so effortlessly, and without question, is akin to watching the Amazons riding in on horses to battle the Germans in **Wonder Woman – as a woman, you can’t help but feel uplifted.\nThe guys do pretty good too. There’s a stellar cast of some of the finest talent in television and film right now, and that’s aside from Chadwick Boseman’s mightily regal but internal depiction of the Wakandan King that had such an impact in Civil War.\nMichael B. Jordan is all kinds of good, a lethal ball of anger and energy, but so deftly tapping into heartbreak and frustration at the discrimination against his people. Sure, he’s the antagonist of the piece – but it would take someone pretty heartless to not understand where he’s coming from. He’s trying to rectify the racial imbalance and injustice in this world by taking Wakanda for his own – and that’s a noble goal. It’s just his bloodthirsty method that means he must be stopped.\nDaniel Kaluuya and Forest Whitaker are elegant and understated as tribe elders, Sterling K. Brown does a lot of heavy lifting with a small amount of air time, and Winston Duke brings some comic relief as well as some primal punches. It’s a joy to see these actors performing together on this most memorable stage.\nA criticism often faced by movies in the MCU is the repetition in structure and plot. It’s usually justified, and if there’s one thing to pick out about Black Panther that could be improved, it’s the mechanics of the story. Whilst it’s not exactly hard to predict how things are going to go, and the pace feels a little slow at times, the delivery and details of the plot are intricate and interesting enough to make it more unique. Yes, we’ve seen elements of Black Panther before – but the setting of Wakanda and context of what’s at stake elevates it to something new.\nThe thing that differentiates Black Panther from potentially blending in to the Marvel maelstrom is how it thoroughly immerses you in African culture. This is only 31 year old Ryan Coogler’s third feature film, after indie **Fruitvale Station and the acclaimed, award nominated Rocky sequel **Creed, both of which also starred Michael B. Jordan – but there’s no signs of naivety. Coogler’s directorial vision is stamped all over this film, aided by the fact he brought on previous colleagues including director of photography Rachel Morrison, and Creed production designer Hannah Beachler (who does incredible work here).\nCoogler has talked about visiting Africa once he knew he had the Black Panther job, in order to truly get under the skin of the culture informing the film. You can see the influences he picked up everywhere – the differentiating nature of the five tribes of Wakanda, facial ornaments and markings, clothing of all colours of the rainbow and subtle drum music that intermittently makes up the thrumming soundtrack, along with perfectly placed hip-hop. Every inch of Black Panther feels African, as you’d hope it would. It could so easily have been a diluted version, but instead we have a full film that hardly leaves the secretive nation of Wakanda and isn’t any less impressive for it.\nIt’s authentic, then – but also undeniably empowering. We’re so used to seeing African countries as third world, in need of aid. Black Panther flips this on its head. It shows us a nation more developed than any other, lightyears ahead of the Western world and making the decision to withhold its intelligence to protect itself.\nThe film doesn’t shy away from this assumption that African means weakness or helplessness. At several points throughout, the ability of Wakanda to provide anything of value to the world is questioned – but its people (and we as the audience) know the truth. And Black Panther isn’t shying away from the wider issues of race, either. The defining decision of T’Challa’s reign will be whether he uses Wakanda’s wealth to help their brothers and sisters facing discrimination and poverty across the globe. This is a superhero story rooted in the real world – Killmonger talks of victims of slavery jumping from boats, making the gut punching statement that ‘they knew death was better than bondage’, and W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) is reluctant to open the doors to Wakanda because ‘you let the refugees in, you let in all their problems’.\nVisually, the Vibranium that is so vital to the Wakandan story helps to create a neon motif that seeps into almost every scene. The contrast of this and the futuristic technology against the mountains and vast African landscapes feels unexpected but gives the film a distinct look, a mix between new and old, the future and tradition.\nAside from the representation and the big picture questions, Black Panther is, at its essence, a classic hero tale. It’s able to skip the origin story we’ve seen so many times before thanks to T’Challa’s introduction in Civil War, whilst introducing us to the Wakandan people and traditions concisely and effectively.\nAnd, as you’d hope from a Marvel blockbuster – it’s plain good fun too. Great action set pieces (a car chase in Korea with a swooping, one-take-style shot being a particular stand out) quippy one liners and moments of levity, big scale fight scenes;* Black Panther* has it all without ever losing its sense of humour. The final act may not be the strongest we’ve ever seen, but it’s far from the weakest, and Coogler balances epic moments with light-hearted ones perfectly.\nIt’s probably a bit premature to assume that this is the start of a new, more diverse era in Hollywood, but with Jordan Peele’s **Get Out making such big waves and Ava Duvernay’s **A Wrinkle in Time coming out shortly, we’re seeing a plethora of fantastic black talent of late. The success of Black Panther can only help to ensure it continues.\nThere was a lot riding on Black Panther, but Coogler and co. have exceeded expectations and more. A huge cultural moment, a showcase of incredible talent, and just a great Marvel movie, Black Panther gets a nearly-perfect-but-not-quite 4 stars. Wakanda Forever!\nBlack Panther is still showing in cinemas now – but be quick! In the meantime, watch the goosebump-inducing trailer below…\nReferences:\nMovie House The Verge OC Weekly Footwear News NY Times 4 242 Viewsa wrinkle in time andy serkis angela bassett ava duvernay black panther black panther film black panther review blade captain america civil war chadwick boseman cineblog creed danai gurira daniel kaluuya film blog film magazine film reviews forest whitaker fruitvale station get out jordan peele letitia wright luke cage lupita nyongo martin freeman marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU michael b jordan mike colter movie blog movie magazine movie reviews ryan coogler sterling k brown the cineblog wesley snipes winston duke wonder woman Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/action/black-panther-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers’.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePicking up shortly after the events of his father’s death in **\u003ca href=\"/tag/captain-america-civil-war/\"\u003eCaptain America: Civil War\u003c/a\u003e, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/black-panther/\"\u003eBlack Panther\u003c/a\u003e starts with T’Challa (\u003ca href=\"/tag/chadwick-boseman/\"\u003eChadwick Boseman\u003c/a\u003e) on a recon mission ahead of the ceremony to crown him as the King of Wakanda, and solidify him as its protector – the Black Panther.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, ex-soldier Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens (played by \u003ca href=\"/tag/michael-b-jordan/\"\u003eMichael B. Jordan\u003c/a\u003e, and so named because of his effectiveness at ending lives) helps \u003ca href=\"/tag/andy-serkis/\"\u003eAndy Serkis\u003c/a\u003e’s South African menace Ulysses Klaue to steal an artefact dripping in Vibranium, the strongest material in the world and native to Wakanda, from a London museum.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Black Panther Film Review"},{"content":"‘In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers’.\nPicking up shortly after the events of his father’s death in **Captain America: Civil War, **Black Panther starts with T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) on a recon mission ahead of the ceremony to crown him as the King of Wakanda, and solidify him as its protector – the Black Panther.\nMeanwhile, ex-soldier Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens (played by Michael B. Jordan, and so named because of his effectiveness at ending lives) helps Andy Serkis’s South African menace Ulysses Klaue to steal an artefact dripping in Vibranium, the strongest material in the world and native to Wakanda, from a London museum.\nAs T’Challa takes up his reign, he struggles to align his duty to protect Wakanda with the pressure to share their riches and intelligence with those in need across the world, whilst defending his country from Killmonger’s attempts to claim it for himself.\nThe cultural significance of Black Panther cannot be overstated. Whilst it’s not the first time we’ve seen a black superhero on screen (previous ones include Wesley Snipes in Blade, and Mike Colter in Netflix’s **Luke Cage), it’s perhaps the one that has had the ability to make most impact, being part of the behemoth box office machine that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.\nAnd make an impact it has, and not just culturally – Black Panther is putting its money where its mouth is. It’s smashing records for Marvel, with the fifth biggest ever opening weekend and second biggest second weekend of all time in terms of US box office sales. It’s thought to be going to move to the third highest third weekend ever (behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avatar), and is heading towards $800 million dollars worldwide. The argument that ‘people don’t want to see these kinds of movies’ should be in the ground for good, and it’s hardly surprising. What else would you expect when you finally make a movie that so effectively represents the huge percentage of the population that Hollywood has neglected for so long?\nPutting aside the question ‘what took Hollywood so long?’ – though that’s most certainly valid – Black Panther is an incredible moment for diversity and representation. With an almost entirely black and dark-skinned cast (the exceptions being Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman as CIA agent Everett Ross) there is a multitude of complex, relatable, strong, empowered black characters on show. At one point, the white guy is actually prevented from speaking – and it feels like about time too.\nThe women in particular are given so much room to shine that this film feels like a feminist moment as well as a racial one. Danai Gurira is Okoye, the general of the all-female guard that protects the King and the greatest warrior in Wakanda – not to mention, she ain’t a fan of unnecessary wigs. Lupita Nyong’o is Nakia, super spy and T’Challa’s former love, whose calling is to go out into the world and fight for those who can’t protect themselves. Angela Bassett is the regal Queen Mother, and Letitia Wright is the absolute stand out as T’Challa’s cheeky, genius little sister Shuri. The head of Wakanda’s technological developments with Vibranium, she would likely give Tony Stark a run for his money if the two brainiacs were ever to meet.\nThere is a shit ton of female power, emotion, camaraderie, honour, strength and intelligence on show. Seeing those ladies fight to the death and protect their King so effortlessly, and without question, is akin to watching the Amazons riding in on horses to battle the Germans in **Wonder Woman – as a woman, you can’t help but feel uplifted.\nThe guys do pretty good too. There’s a stellar cast of some of the finest talent in television and film right now, and that’s aside from Chadwick Boseman’s mightily regal but internal depiction of the Wakandan King that had such an impact in Civil War.\nMichael B. Jordan is all kinds of good, a lethal ball of anger and energy, but so deftly tapping into heartbreak and frustration at the discrimination against his people. Sure, he’s the antagonist of the piece – but it would take someone pretty heartless to not understand where he’s coming from. He’s trying to rectify the racial imbalance and injustice in this world by taking Wakanda for his own – and that’s a noble goal. It’s just his bloodthirsty method that means he must be stopped.\nDaniel Kaluuya and Forest Whitaker are elegant and understated as tribe elders, Sterling K. Brown does a lot of heavy lifting with a small amount of air time, and Winston Duke brings some comic relief as well as some primal punches. It’s a joy to see these actors performing together on this most memorable stage.\nA criticism often faced by movies in the MCU is the repetition in structure and plot. It’s usually justified, and if there’s one thing to pick out about Black Panther that could be improved, it’s the mechanics of the story. Whilst it’s not exactly hard to predict how things are going to go, and the pace feels a little slow at times, the delivery and details of the plot are intricate and interesting enough to make it more unique. Yes, we’ve seen elements of Black Panther before – but the setting of Wakanda and context of what’s at stake elevates it to something new.\nThe thing that differentiates Black Panther from potentially blending in to the Marvel maelstrom is how it thoroughly immerses you in African culture. This is only 31 year old Ryan Coogler’s third feature film, after indie **Fruitvale Station and the acclaimed, award nominated Rocky sequel **Creed, both of which also starred Michael B. Jordan – but there’s no signs of naivety. Coogler’s directorial vision is stamped all over this film, aided by the fact he brought on previous colleagues including director of photography Rachel Morrison, and Creed production designer Hannah Beachler (who does incredible work here).\nCoogler has talked about visiting Africa once he knew he had the Black Panther job, in order to truly get under the skin of the culture informing the film. You can see the influences he picked up everywhere – the differentiating nature of the five tribes of Wakanda, facial ornaments and markings, clothing of all colours of the rainbow and subtle drum music that intermittently makes up the thrumming soundtrack, along with perfectly placed hip-hop. Every inch of Black Panther feels African, as you’d hope it would. It could so easily have been a diluted version, but instead we have a full film that hardly leaves the secretive nation of Wakanda and isn’t any less impressive for it.\nIt’s authentic, then – but also undeniably empowering. We’re so used to seeing African countries as third world, in need of aid. Black Panther flips this on its head. It shows us a nation more developed than any other, lightyears ahead of the Western world and making the decision to withhold its intelligence to protect itself.\nThe film doesn’t shy away from this assumption that African means weakness or helplessness. At several points throughout, the ability of Wakanda to provide anything of value to the world is questioned – but its people (and we as the audience) know the truth. And Black Panther isn’t shying away from the wider issues of race, either. The defining decision of T’Challa’s reign will be whether he uses Wakanda’s wealth to help their brothers and sisters facing discrimination and poverty across the globe. This is a superhero story rooted in the real world – Killmonger talks of victims of slavery jumping from boats, making the gut punching statement that ‘they knew death was better than bondage’, and W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) is reluctant to open the doors to Wakanda because ‘you let the refugees in, you let in all their problems’.\nVisually, the Vibranium that is so vital to the Wakandan story helps to create a neon motif that seeps into almost every scene. The contrast of this and the futuristic technology against the mountains and vast African landscapes feels unexpected but gives the film a distinct look, a mix between new and old, the future and tradition.\nAside from the representation and the big picture questions, Black Panther is, at its essence, a classic hero tale. It’s able to skip the origin story we’ve seen so many times before thanks to T’Challa’s introduction in Civil War, whilst introducing us to the Wakandan people and traditions concisely and effectively.\nAnd, as you’d hope from a Marvel blockbuster – it’s plain good fun too. Great action set pieces (a car chase in Korea with a swooping, one-take-style shot being a particular stand out) quippy one liners and moments of levity, big scale fight scenes;* Black Panther* has it all without ever losing its sense of humour. The final act may not be the strongest we’ve ever seen, but it’s far from the weakest, and Coogler balances epic moments with light-hearted ones perfectly.\nIt’s probably a bit premature to assume that this is the start of a new, more diverse era in Hollywood, but with Jordan Peele’s **Get Out making such big waves and Ava Duvernay’s **A Wrinkle in Time coming out shortly, we’re seeing a plethora of fantastic black talent of late. The success of Black Panther can only help to ensure it continues.\nThere was a lot riding on Black Panther, but Coogler and co. have exceeded expectations and more. A huge cultural moment, a showcase of incredible talent, and just a great Marvel movie, Black Panther gets a nearly-perfect-but-not-quite 4 stars. Wakanda Forever!\nBlack Panther is still showing in cinemas now – but be quick! In the meantime, watch the goosebump-inducing trailer below…\nReferences:\nMovie House The Verge OC Weekly Footwear News NY Times 40 5249 Viewsa wrinkle in time andy serkis angela bassett ava duvernay black panther black panther film black panther review blade captain america civil war chadwick boseman cineblog creed danai gurira daniel kaluuya film blog film magazine film reviews forest whitaker fruitvale station get out jordan peele letitia wright luke cage lupita nyongo martin freeman marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU michael b jordan mike colter movie blog movie magazine movie reviews ryan coogler sterling k brown the cineblog wesley snipes winston duke wonder woman Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/black-panther-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers’.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePicking up shortly after the events of his father’s death in **\u003ca href=\"/tag/captain-america-civil-war/\"\u003eCaptain America: Civil War\u003c/a\u003e, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/black-panther/\"\u003eBlack Panther\u003c/a\u003e starts with T’Challa (\u003ca href=\"/tag/chadwick-boseman/\"\u003eChadwick Boseman\u003c/a\u003e) on a recon mission ahead of the ceremony to crown him as the King of Wakanda, and solidify him as its protector – the Black Panther.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, ex-soldier Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens (played by \u003ca href=\"/tag/michael-b-jordan/\"\u003eMichael B. Jordan\u003c/a\u003e, and so named because of his effectiveness at ending lives) helps \u003ca href=\"/tag/andy-serkis/\"\u003eAndy Serkis\u003c/a\u003e’s South African menace Ulysses Klaue to steal an artefact dripping in Vibranium, the strongest material in the world and native to Wakanda, from a London museum.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Black Panther Film Review"},{"content":"Live action anime adaptations have a checkered past to say the least. Whilst there are some legitimately good adaptations (The Rurouni Kenshin trilogy being the gold standard), there are far more flops than hits for sure.\nEnter **Fullmetal Alchemist. A Netflix original picture based on the beloved franchise, which is considered by many to be one of the best anime series of all time, Netflix certainly had big shoes to fill.\nDid they succeed? Well, kinda.\nFullmetal Alchemist (FMA) is a victim of its own ambition. Whilst the costumes may be spot on to the characters, and certain scenes are replicated almost perfectly from the anime, it tries so hard to be a copy of the anime that it fails to feel like a fully fleshed out film.\nThe plot loosely follows the events of the beginning of the FMA anime, until it has to turn into something completely different to attempt to give an actual ending to a 2 hour movie. These sorts of half measures are everywhere in Fullmetal Alchemist. This is a hard movie to recommend to fans or newcomers to the series; there are many little nitpicks that will bother long time fans of the series, but on the other hand it feels like the film almost requires you to have prior knowledge of the characters, as so much background information and character motivation is left by the wayside.\nIf you are completely unfamiliar with the series, the plot is a bare bones action story, full of characters that feel like there is so much more to them under the surface that you are being denied seeing. The ending is a pretty generic “good guys versus hordes of easily killable enemies” finale that anyone who has sat through an **Avengers movie will find more boring than interesting.\nTo its credit, the special effects in this film are outstanding. Unlike most Japanese effects, it lacks that “janky” feeling that keeps them from holding up to the Hollywood standard we take for granted – especially in the case of Alphonse, the main character’s armor clad brother. Alphonse looks and moves amazingly, and lots of effort was clearly put into making him look as authentic as possible.\nThe actor playing Edward, Ryosuke Yamada, is a Japanese pop singer with no real acting experience, and it shows that he’s in over his head. Never fully committing to one emotion, whether it be happiness, sadness, or anger, instead he just feels like a blank slate most of the time.\nThe standout performance is easily Ryuta Sato as Maes Hughes. He captures the affable lovableness of the character from the show very well and delivers the majority of the emotion and heart of the piece. Everyone else either performs admirably enough, or barely enough to make an impact.\nFullmetal Alchemist could have been a great movie. Instead we have an average, run of the mill action movie that is brimming with potential, but never pulls it off. FMA tries too much to stick to its source material, without compromising enough to deliver a satisfying 2 hour movie. A sequel is hinted at after the credits, and let’s hope this crew gets another crack at this property. There is just enough going right that, if they realize the problems made here, their second outing could be something worthwhile.\nAs for right now though, Fullmetal Alchemist is a complete half measure, satisfying neither fans of the series or newcomers, despite some great visuals. 2 stars.\nFullmetal Alchemist is streaming on Netflix at time of publishing.\nReferences:\nThe Mary Sue comicbook.com 4 296 Viewsavengers cineblog film blog fullmetal alchemist fullmetal alchemist netflix review netflix Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/fullmetal-alchemist-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLive action anime adaptations have a checkered past to say the least. Whilst there are some legitimately good adaptations (The Rurouni Kenshin trilogy being the gold standard), there are far more flops than hits for sure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnter **\u003ca href=\"/tag/fullmetal-alchemist/\"\u003eFullmetal Alchemist\u003c/a\u003e. A \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e original picture based on the beloved franchise, which is considered by many to be one of the best anime series of all time, Netflix certainly had big shoes to fill.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fullmetal Alchemist | Film Review"},{"content":"That time of year is finally upon us – appearing like a flash after Christmas and plunging everyone into dread for the sickliest holiday of them all, it’s Valentine’s Day.\nWhether you celebrate it or not, avoiding cheesy romance movies at this time of year is almost impossible.\nTo bring something new to what is potentially everyone’s least favourite Saints day, we have put together a list of alternative Valentine’s movies for you to watch that break away from your traditional V-Day tripe.\nWhether it be an anti-Valentine’s watch, something cool and quirky, or simply just a new take on the usual love story, there will be something a little different on this list for you to enjoy on your date night!\nTRUE ROMANCE Firstly, we have Tony Scott’s 1993 classic **True Romance, a love story amidst a crime thriller which is fun, cool and thrilling.\nStarring Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, amongst many others in this brilliant ensemble cast, it follows Clarence (Slater) and Alabama (Arquette), a comic book/Elvis fanatic and a prostitute who fall in love. When Clarence kills Alabama’s pimp, they must make a getaway in order to survive.\nAlso with a killer soundtrack and envious costumes (save that of Gary Oldman’s character), this film is a love story of cool and epic proportions, belittling any other thriller romance.\nFATAL ATTRACTION What better way is there to ensure the fidelity of your partner than by watching the 80s erotic thriller, **Fatal Attraction?\nIt stars Michael Douglas as Dan, a man who spends the night with Alex (played brilliantly by Glenn Close) and is then unable to keep her away.\nWhilst feeling a little dated now with regards to its depictions of professional women and more, it’s still a thoroughly thrilling and entertaining watch.\nHaving also coined the term “bunny boiler”, Fatal Attraction is a major cultural point of reference when it comes to unfaithful partners.\nCRY BABY Essentially Grease’s cooler cousin, **Cry Baby is the musical cult classic from the King of camp, John Waters.\nSet in the 1950s and following two star-crossed lovers, it has a very similar storyline as its more mainstream predecessor – however with John Waters at the helm, it is edgy, camp and simply better.\nStarring Johnny Depp as the eponymous “Cry Baby” Wade Walker, as well as Ricki Lake, it will no doubt rekindle anyone’s lost love for the 90s heartthrob. Don’t expect your usual musical numbers with this one though – what we get is authentic rock and roll that brings a little sexiness to this love story.\nBEFORE SUNRISE If it’s something more romantic and profound you are looking for, then look no further than Richard Linklater’s **Before Sunrise, arguably one of the best films of his career.\nIn it, we meet Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy), an American man and a French woman, who meet on a train journey across Europe, and spend the night in Vienna wandering the city and getting to know each other.\nIt is the simplest of all love stories, with a realistic depiction of how love blossoms – but also including philosophical conversations about love as a concept, it is a romantic story that makes you look in on yourself.\nIf the one movie isn’t enough, Linklater thankfully turned Jesse and Céline’s story into a trilogy, the sequels being **Before Sunset and **Before Midnight.\nBOYS DON’T CRY **Boys Don’t Cryis a biographical film depicting the life of transgender male Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) as he moves to a new town to find himself, finds a girlfriend but is then subject to a brutal crime from two men.\nWhilst it deals with incredibly heavy themes involving violence and hate crime, the film focuses a lot on Brandon’s relationship with his girlfriend Lana (Chloe Sevigny) and portrays what is widely considered as one of the first positive and believable depictions of transgender masculinity.\nSwank and Sevigny both received Oscar and Golden Globe nods for their performance in this film, which only touches the surface of the calibre of their work – though the film has since faced understandable criticism from the trans community that it doesn’t use a transgender actor. Not an easy watch, but a necessary one.\nMOONRISE KINGDOM Next up we have a film from the king of quirk, Mr Wes Anderson. With his usual casts involving the greats of the acting world, Moonrise Kingdom is a sweet love story between twelve-year olds Sam and Suzy, who decide to run away from home and make a life together.\nThis is a unique coming of age story told with Anderson’s usual style and wit, and weaves in drama, adventure and comedy throughout. As always with Anderson’s films, he uses bold colouration for his costumes and sets, making it incredibly pleasing for the eye.\nBEAUTIFUL THING **Beautiful Thing is a British film set in South East London that follows Jamie, a teenage boy who is infatuated with his classmate and neighbour Ste.\nWhen the boys start to spend more time together, their true feelings come to light, and they begin to explore their sexuality together.\nSurrounded by various negative forces, such as alcoholism, abuse, anti-social behaviour and the like, it is a hard-hitting drama that packs an emotional punch, but also depicts a truly touching love story.\nWith an exceptional ending that will either have you jumping for joy, or shedding a tear, it is a little known British classic that tells a lesser told story.\nSECRETARY Forget **Fifty Shades of Grey, if you want a film depicting sexual dominance in a believable way, **Secretary is for you.\nStarring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee, a socially awkward woman recently discharged from hospital following an incident of self-harm, it shows her clinch a job as a secretary for an attorney (coincidentally) named Mr Grey, played by James Spader.\nThey soon embark on a BDSM journey together, with Mr Grey completely taken aback by Lee’s compliance to his requests. A modern classic, this film is definitely for those willing to explore – and a far better use of your time than it’s more recent counterpart.\nSHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT\nThe original film by Spike Lee has recently been rebooted as a TV series on Netflix (which is the trailer we’ve used above), so what better way to supplement new viewing with its highly acclaimed predecessor?\n**She’s Gotta Have It was Lee’s first feature film and it garnered him wide respect and acclaim off the bat, and he also co-starred in it.\nIt follows Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns in the original film) as she dates three different men and the complications that further arise.\nDarling narrates the film and it has since become a powerful film for women – both in terms of liberation from being treated as male possessions into sexual beings instead, as well as highlighting the struggles of African-Americans whilst portraying a complex, diverse character.\nA landmark in cinema, but also a brilliant comedy, She’s Gotta Have It cannot be missed.\nBLUE VALENTINE As you might guess from its title**, Blue Valentine (directed by Derek Cianfrance) is anti-Valentine’s at its most realistic and melancholy.\nThe film follows Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cynthia (Michelle Williams) between two stages in their relationship, the beginning and the bitter end.\nIt portrays the romanticised beginnings of a relationship that we so often see in cinema, but it also shows us the depletion of any bond between two people who throw themselves into the deep end at such a young age.\nWith exceptional performances from Gosling and Williams, and a heart-breaking script to boot, it is a must-watch – though perhaps not the most uplifting date night movie for you and your significant other!\nSo, there you have it. Why not curl up on the couch after all this Valentine’s Day and treat yourself to something a little different, instead of that done-to-death rom-com that will inevitably be on TV. Discover something new and interesting to enlighten your mind or your senses this year.\n**Other honourable mentions in this list that didn’t quite make the top 10 include: **\nNatural Born Killers The One I Love **Ae Fond Kiss **Lars and the Real Girl **Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind **Away We Go (Featured image from Refinery29)\n3 255 Viewsae fond kiss alternative date night films alternative valentines movie recommendations alternative valentines movies away we go beautiful thing before midnight before sunrise before sunset blue valentine boys dont cry chloe sevigny christian slater cry baby derek cianfrance eternal sunshine of the spotless mind ethan hawke fatal attraction fifty shades of grey gary oldman glenn close hilary swank james spader john waters johnny depp julie delpy lars and the real girl maggie gyllenhaal michael douglas michelle williams moonrise kingdom natural born killers patricia arquette richard linklater ricki lake ryan gosling secretary shes gotta have it spike lee the one i love tony scott tracy camilla johns true romance valentines movie recommendations wes anderson\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/alternative-valentines-movies/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThat time of year is finally upon us – appearing like a flash after Christmas and plunging everyone into dread for the sickliest holiday of them all, it’s Valentine’s Day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you celebrate it or not, avoiding cheesy romance movies at this time of year is almost impossible.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo bring something new to what is potentially everyone’s least favourite Saints day, we have put together a list of alternative Valentine’s movies for you to watch that break away from your traditional V-Day tripe.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"10 Alternative Valentine's Movies"},{"content":"After a bank robbery goes wrong and his mentally handicapped brother Nick (Benny Safdie) is caught and imprisoned, Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson) has a hellish night doing everything he can to get him free.\nDriven by an obsessive need to set Nick free, Connie uses everything from charm, to violence, to sheer luck, pushing on through the night to evade capture and find a way to make enough money for his brother’s bail.\nDirected by (and starring one of) the Safdie brothers, **Good Timeis a frenetic, grimy rollercoaster of a movie exploring the lengths a desperate man will go to in order to protect his brother.\nThis is the latest in Robert Pattinson’s highly interesting career since his Twilight days. As with his ex co-star Kristen Stewart, Pattinson seems to be actively choosing roles you wouldn’t have expected, following a passion for creative indie movies rather than more box office blockbusters.\nHis performance in this is outstanding; right out of the gates he’s fighting against the tortured, strong-and-silent type you might imagine him to embody. Connie is all gangly and greasy and verging on manic at times, able to get by on pure charm and improvisation to wangle himself out of all kinds of situations, and you can sense the drive he has to look after his brother – even if it’s misguided. His American accent is on the nose, too.\nCo-director Benny Safdie also does an extraordinary job in not a lot of screen time to make Nick a tender, sympathetic character. Sequences featuring him mark both the beginning and end of the film, and are what add the heartbeat to the story.\nWith the directors also being siblings, it seems like Good Time is somewhat of an ode to brotherhood. Josh and Benny Safdie grew up in New York, and have been capturing life on film since they were youngsters. Their style tends to lean towards low budget realism, blending directorial vision with street actors.\nThe use of close up camera shots locked in around the actors’ faces creates a feeling of tense claustrophobia, and your stress level rises as Connie’s does. Everything is doused in a neon glow, giving an 80s vibe that gels perfectly with the synthy thrums of the soundtrack – it’s almost non-stop beats keep up the pace as well as the adrenaline levels.\nThere are some weaker moments; a kind of creepy element to the storyline that sees Connie using a teenage girl in order to hide his identity, the use of racial stereotypes to help him evade the police and the flashback of a fellow criminal that goes on that bit too long.\nThe final act also leads an inevitable climax that feels very under played – it loses a lot of impact and could have been much more gripping if the Safdies had took a different approach in how they shot it.\nGood Time gets 4 stars – this film is 100 minutes of prickling, pulsating crime action, with engrossing performances and enticing aesthetics. A thrill ride that does exactly what it says on the tin, though how ‘good’ a time the characters are having is certainly up for debate.\nTreat yourself to the trailer below. Good Time is streaming on Netflix at time of publishing, or you can own it on DVD here.\nReferences:\nNew Yorker Letterboxd 56 5249 Viewsbenny safdie cineblog film blog film reviews good time good time film good time film review good time movie good time review kristen stewart movie blog movie reviews robert pattinson safdie brothers the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/good-time-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter a bank robbery goes wrong and his mentally handicapped brother Nick (\u003ca href=\"/tag/benny-safdie/\"\u003eBenny Safdie\u003c/a\u003e) is caught and imprisoned, Connie Nikas (\u003ca href=\"/tag/robert-pattinson/\"\u003eRobert Pattinson\u003c/a\u003e) has a hellish night doing everything he can to get him free.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDriven by an obsessive need to set Nick free, Connie uses everything from charm, to violence, to sheer luck, pushing on through the night to evade capture and find a way to make enough money for his brother’s bail.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Good Time' Film Review"},{"content":"The **Cloverfield films are no stranger to odd marketing campaigns.\nThe first film’s trailer didn’t even have a title attached to it, leading to all kinds of speculation – some even believed it was to be a live action version of Voltron.\nAdd to that viral marketing campaigns, and the fact that the sequel **10 Cloverfield Lane wasn’t even revealed to be connected to the original until way down the line of production, and it is clear these films love experimenting with how movies are advertised.\nWe knew for a while that the next film in the “Cloververse”, **The Cloverfield Paradox (formerly titled The God Particle) was on track to be released sometime this year, but as to where and when, it was uncertain.\nLo and behold, on the eve of Super Bowl LII it was revealed in a quick, 30 second commercial that not only was the film releasing on Netflix, it was releasing THAT NIGHT, right after the game. But all of that aside, how is the film itself?\nCloverfield could be considered a somewhat underappreciated modern film franchise. With two great movies already under its belt, we don’t seem to hear about it as often as say, Marvel or DC – but that may be just how the creators like it. Each film is understated in its own unique way, while still bringing the pomp and circumstance you would expect from a giant monster movie or a taut, psychological thriller.\nThe Cloverfield Paradox is equal parts Aliens, Event Horizon, and Gravity, taking inspiration from many different types of sci fi staples and using them to great effect. There’s Ridley Scott tinged isolated tension, Cronenberg-esque body horror, and James Cameron space spectacle. It takes the best bits of other movies with similar settings and circumstances and uses them to great effect.\nTo summarise the plot, the crew of the Cloverfield is Earth’s last ditch effort to solve an impending energy crisis and stop humanity from tearing itself apart. Like any good experiment in space, things go horribly wrong, and the crew finds themselves struggling to get back home and fulfill their mission before the Earth descends into complete chaos.\nIt has an extremely credible cast, including Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Black Mirror), David Oyelowo (Selma) and Daniel Bruhl (Captain America: Civil War), and they do an admirable job playing their respective archetypes (the leader, the funny one, the ‘Ridley”) but don’t extend too far from their established character roles. The effects are impressive, and the mystery of what has happened aboard the space station is more than enough to keep you invested for the 102 minute runtime.\nBut, there are points where you can feel the constraints of Netflix bearing down on The Cloverfield Paradox. With a shorter than typical theatrical runtime, certain elements are truncated out of necessity. If some tension is needed amongst the crew, it just happens. If two characters need to be at odds with each other, it just happens. While these limits are understandable, it does take you out of the otherwise engrossing narrative, if only for a brief moment.\nThere is also an interesting subplot going on alongside the main story, but it doesn’t impede on the main plot too much. A welcome break from the tension of the events on the space station, it provides added information about the situation on Earth. While this is directly connected to the previous films, you don’t have to be a Cloverfield expert to understand the basic premise. But, consider this a recommendation to watch the previous two movies – not only will it help to enhance your experience watching this newest instalment, but they are great in their own right (and honestly? Far better than this one!). Some questions about this world are answered, and others purposefully left unfulfilled – no doubt in preparation for the next in the series, **Overlord, set to hit cinemas in October. But, this is the Cloverfield franchise, so don’t take anything for granted.\n3 stars for The Cloverfield Paradox – it’s a great little sci-fi picture that will be lots of fun for fans of the franchise, and enjoyable enough for anyone just looking for a casual watch, but doesn’t stand up to the quality of the previous two.\nThe Cloverfield Paradox is now streaming on Netflix at time of publishing. Have a watch of the trailer below.\nReferences:\nSens Critique LA Times LA Times 3 293 Viewsblack mirror captain america civil war cineblog cloverfield overlord cloverfield. 10 cloverfield lane daniel bruhl david oyelowo film blog film magazine film reviews gugu mbatha raw movie blog movie magazine movie reviews netflix superbowl the cineblog the cloverfield paradox the cloverfield paradox review Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/the-cloverfield-paradox-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe **\u003ca href=\"/tag/cloverfield/\"\u003eCloverfield\u003c/a\u003e films are no stranger to odd marketing campaigns.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first film’s trailer didn’t even have a title attached to it, leading to all kinds of speculation – some even believed it was to be a live action version of \u003cem\u003eVoltron\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdd to that viral marketing campaigns, and the fact that the sequel **\u003ca href=\"/tag/10-cloverfield-lane/\"\u003e10 Cloverfield Lane\u003c/a\u003e wasn’t even revealed to be connected to the original until way down the line of production, and it is clear these films love experimenting with how movies are advertised.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Cloverfield Paradox | Film Review"},{"content":"Earlier today we saw the long awaited teaser trailer for Sony Picture’s new **Venommovie, starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock.\nThis entire production has had an air of mystery and skepticism surrounding it from the get go – from whether or not it will be connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, if Tom Holland (or Spider-Man in any capacity) will be included, to even what the titular character will look like.\nYesterday we saw the official poster reveal and from what little info we have, it is clear that the filmmakers are leaning more towards the classic 90’s incarnation of the character. While we don’t see Venom fully ‘suited up’ in the trailer (which makes sense, as filming only completed less than three weeks ago), the teaser takes the time to establish the tone of the film.\nIt looks like the overall tone will be on the darker side, which is completely appropriate for the character, and Eddie seems to be an amalgamation of the two most recognizable hosts of the symbiote, Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson. Eddie was clearly ex-military, has cancer, has experienced loss both personally and romantically, and seems to be at the absolute lowest point a person can be. Which is EXACTLY where Eddie needs to be when the symbiote takes over.\nAlso starring Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed and Jenny Slate, this standalone Venom movie has definitely attracted a high calibre cast, so there must be something compelling for us to look forward to. We’ll find out in October!\nReferences:\nGeek Tyrant 4 280 Viewscineblog cineblogger film blog film news film reviews jenny slate marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU michelle williams movie blog movie news movie reviews riz ahmed sony pictures the cineblog tom hardy venom venom film venom movie venom teaser trailer venom trailer Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/tom-hardy-stars-venom-teaser-trailer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEarlier today we saw the long awaited teaser trailer for Sony Picture’s new **\u003ca href=\"/tag/venom/\"\u003eVenom\u003c/a\u003emovie, starring \u003ca href=\"/tag/tom-hardy/\"\u003eTom Hardy\u003c/a\u003e as Eddie Brock.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis entire production has had an air of mystery and skepticism surrounding it from the get go – from whether or not it will be connected to the \u003ca href=\"/tag/marvel-cinematic-universe/\"\u003eMarvel Cinematic Universe\u003c/a\u003e, if \u003ca href=\"/tag/tom-holland/\"\u003eTom Holland\u003c/a\u003e (or Spider-Man in any capacity) will be included, to even what the titular character will look like.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYesterday we saw the official poster reveal and from what little info we have, it is clear that the filmmakers are leaning more towards the classic 90’s incarnation of the character. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tom Hardy Stars In Venom Teaser Trailer"},{"content":"Written and directed by Anna Biller, **The Love Witch is a technicolor trip back to the cinema of the 1960s.\nIt stars Samantha Robinson as Elaine, a love witch with a troubled past who moves to a new town to work on her art and continue her pursuit for true love. She uses her powers and potions to put men under her spell, but continues to run into problems when their love for her consumes them. All the while, the police close in on her as they uncover her suspected crimes.\nThis film is quite the experience. Firstly, it looks incredible visually – with bright colours styled thematically in each setting, and a filming style so authentically vintage, right down to the shot composition, image quality and angelic lighting, the detail is mind boggling. Biller perfectly recreates movies of old, but does so in a thoroughly modern, parodic way – it’s nostalgia is the very thing that makes it feel so fresh.\nSamantha Robinson is iconic in the starring role. Not only does she look the part – all big brown eyes, pixie like features and long dark wig turning her into the most beautiful witchy creature – but she pulls off all the exaggerated, cartoonish emotions required of the character perfectly, from naive to seductive to slightly manic.\nThe Love Witch has had a great reception from feminist circles in particular, with it being written and directed by a woman and showing witches taking back the power from the men in their life, but to us the feminist messages in there felt hard to find.\nIn this interview with Vice, Biller says that “Elaine represents two things. One is the fear of female sexuality and female power. The other is the strength that women feel when they own their sexuality and allure.” She talks about how men and women react to the film differently – men tending to talk about the visuals, and disregarding the moments that are perhaps most emotionally potent for female viewers.\nThere’s somewhat of a dichotomy in what this film is trying to say. On the one hand, it’s clear to see the feminist statements – mockery of men who have an unrealistic ideal of women, Elaine talking about taking back power from men after hints of an abusive past (though these questions are never answered), random explanatory monologues about the patriarchy and witchy rituals including a used tampon.\nBut on the other hand, Elaine seems to be perpetuating old fashioned patriarchal notions (though she’s called out on it by her friend Trish), there’s a distinctly creepy male power figure, and the film feels like it’s made very much from the perspective of the male gaze.\nIt plays a lot with the male projected ideal of a woman who will do anything they want sexually, who represents excitement and an alternative to married life – and explores how Elaine reacts negatively when the men become so obsessed with her, a narrative that has so often been shown with the genders reversed. Elaine seems to both embody the patriarchal expectations of her, yet reject them at the same time.\nWhilst The Love Witch does well in regards to sparking feminist debates, it’s just a shame that the method of storytelling does so in such a frustrating fashion. You’re watching her seduce these men and weirdly waiting for the other shoe to drop – she can’t just be the femme fatale? Surely it’s trying to say something more than that? The reveal you’re hoping for never comes, and just as a climax begins to build, the film comes to an abrupt end.\nMaybe this is what Anna Biller was going for, and obviously anything created by a woman shouldn’t have to be an explicit feminist manifesto; but this film’s reputation and label as a horror felt misleading, and left a sense of confusion rather than empowerment. The only moments of horror come seconds before the credits roll, and the rest feels more like a supernatural love story with the odd thriller element thrown in.\nThere’s moments of genius throughout The Love Witch, but they’re interspersed between sections that are just plain weird, and, unfortunately, kinda dull. Surrealism is pushed to the limit and it becomes so odd in places that you end up just wishing for it to be over.\nThe Love Witch gets 3 stars – you can’t help but appreciate the visual mastery and nostalgic authenticity, and it would get the full 5 for the subtle feminist nods and true originality, but overall the storytelling feels just too frustrating and uneven.\nDespite a perhaps average star rating, The Love Witch is definitely worth a watch – if only to hear more perspectives on it. Have a look at the trailer below, and click here to buy it on DVD.\nReferences:\nVice Youtube Film Comment Oscilloscope 60 4947 Viewsanna biller cineblog cineblogger cinema blog film blog film magazine film reviews movie blog movie magazine movie reviews samantha robinson the cineblog the love witch the love witch review Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/love-witch-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWritten and directed by \u003ca href=\"/tag/anna-biller/\"\u003eAnna Biller\u003c/a\u003e, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-love-witch/\"\u003eThe Love Witch\u003c/a\u003e is a technicolor trip back to the cinema of the 1960s.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt stars \u003ca href=\"/tag/samantha-robinson/\"\u003eSamantha Robinson\u003c/a\u003e as Elaine, a love witch with a troubled past who moves to a new town to work on her art and continue her pursuit for true love. She uses her powers and potions to put men under her spell, but continues to run into problems when their love for her consumes them. All the while, the police close in on her as they uncover her suspected crimes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Love Witch | Film Review"},{"content":"After he loses his job and almost his marriage, Bradley Thomas (played a bald, tattooed and unnervingly serious Vince Vaughn) turns to drug running to provide a better life for his family.\n18 months later, his wife Lauren (**Dexter‘s Jennifer Carpenter) is heavily pregnant, and he gets caught up in a pick up that goes south. In an effort to shorten his sentence, he betrays those he was working with, but is still sent to prison.\nOnce inside, those he wronged get in touch, and require him to carry out some violent acts to save his wife and unborn child.\n**Brawl in Cell Block 99 gained itself a bit of a reputation for the savage and brutal violence it depicts, and it’s a reputation well earned. The climax doesn’t quite end in the full on brawl you might expect from the title, and is more of a very slow and steady crescendo – but the deliberate nature in which Bradley fights his way through the prison makes it all the horrifying, and will have you wincing as you watch.\nVaughn is impressive in this new persona as a hardened action hero peppered with wry, dry humour. His towering presence at 6 foot 5 makes for a very effective ex-boxer who can take his fellow inmates down with such ease, and the character of Bradley comes across as a kind of awkward robotic figure, only showing emotion when it comes to matters of his family. It’s interesting to see Vaughn branch out into a different kind of role, and we’re intrigued to see if he does more of this kind of film in the future.\nJennifer Carpenter is strong too, but is frankly given barely anything to do. She gets her moment of vindication after being a damsel in distress for much of the film, but it would have been good to see an actress of her calibre have more to get stuck into.\nThere’s a bleached, high contrast aesthetic to the film which works well with the nature of the story, and director S. Craig Zahler succeeds in making the viewer feel just as uncomfortable as Bradley once he enters prison and is subject to the most dire conditions. The soulful soundtrack works too to provide something more upbeat.\nWhilst there’s a lot to like here, it’s just a shame that it all happens in the last 30ish minutes. What we have up until then is an extremely slow build up and necessary exposition of plot, but the slow burn comes at the price of actually gripping and engaging the viewer. It’s only once Bradley is convicted and in prison that the film steps up a gear, and holds your interest.\n3 stars from us for Brawl in Cell Block 99 – it does extremely well at creating a mood and conveying the brutality of violence, but it’s only the final act that saves it from being thoroughly average.\nHave a watch of the trailer below, or **click here to own Brawl in Cell Block 99 on DVD.\nReferences:\nFox Force Five News Collider 58 4172 Viewsbrawl in cell block 99 cineblog cineblogger cinema blog dexter film blog film magazine film reviews jennifer carpenter movie blog movie magazine movie reviews s craig zahler the cineblog vince vaughn Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/brawl-cell-block-99-film-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter he loses his job and almost his marriage, Bradley Thomas (played a bald, tattooed and unnervingly serious \u003ca href=\"/tag/vince-vaughn/\"\u003eVince Vaughn\u003c/a\u003e) turns to drug running to provide a better life for his family.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18 months later, his wife Lauren (**\u003ca href=\"/tag/dexter/\"\u003eDexter\u003c/a\u003e‘s \u003ca href=\"/tag/jennifer-carpenter/\"\u003eJennifer Carpenter\u003c/a\u003e) is heavily pregnant, and he gets caught up in a pick up that goes south. In an effort to shorten his sentence, he betrays those he was working with, but is still sent to prison.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Brawl In Cell Block 99 | Film Review"},{"content":"**Mother!is an incredibly divisive and controversial piece from renowned director Darren Aronofsky, whose previous films include Black Swan, The Wrestler, andRequiem for a Dream.\nAronofsky’s recent works seem to be taking a particularly biblical turn, a far cry from his previous and more acclaimed work – and Mother! is a prime example, which really divided opinion of audiences and critics alike.\nTo attempt to summarise the plot, a husband and wife (played by Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence, but referred to only as Him and Mother) are disrupted by a mysterious couple (Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer) who visit their tranquil home. As the new couple continue to make themselves increasingly comfortable, they start to take over, eventually leading to a horrific event which pushes Mother over the edge.\nSuspension of disbelief has never been required more for a film than it is for Mother! – as it progresses, it becomes increasingly abstract, and realism is out the window. The film is more one huge metaphor than a step-by-step narrative, though the exact thing that Aronofsky is trying to say is still up for debate between audiences. Some think it’s about the male ego and gender roles, some think it’s more of a biblical statement – and religion is hard to escape here, in the imagery used and character of Him.\nThe message of Mother! is obvious when you see it, there’s no doubt about that, but the issue is in the way it’s portrayed. Some have called it pretentious, and quite rightly so – it seems that Aronofsky was trying to force his magnum opus into existence, instead of creating it organically through his usually genius filmmaking. By cramming the entirety of the dark side of humanity into an absurd 25 minute finale, which is blindingly exhausting and ridiculous, it belittles the powerful message behind it. Aronofsky has shown deftness and subtlety in his filmmaking before, but there’s a distinct lack of it in the final act – continuing the pace and atmosphere of the first two acts would have made for a far better result.\nThe marketing for Mother! may have also let it down; it was widely advertised as a horror film, but in truth, it’s almost impossible to categorise, as it doesn’t use any clear genre tropes. And, the inclusion of Jennifer Lawrence as the star could have fooled audiences into thinking is would be a much more mainstream affair.\nLawrence is actually one of the best things about the film – she pulls off the tranquillity of her character effortlessly and conveys the subsequent breakdown in her mental state without a flaw. Unfortunately, the sheer confusion on her face mirror that of the viewer, and her performance is overshadowed by the ludicrous happenings going on around her.\nIt’s hard to call this film a disaster, because it’s simply not true. It’s not badly made – more a piece of art which will be interpreted completely differently by everyone who sees it. Aronofsky has set out to bring a specific kind of vision to life, and in doing so, has likely created enough dialogue and debate around his film to please any modern auteur.\nAnd, so, it’s 2 stars from us for Mother! – this is a ‘love it or hate it’, unique film with a creative concept and powerful message, but the bewildering execution of its finale and lack of correlation with the director’s body of work makes it hard to rank it any higher.\nWatch the trailer below, though it’s doubtful it will actually prepare you for the film in any way. You can also buy it on DVD now.\nReferences:\nLong Room Daily Dot 4 291 Viewsblack swan cineblog cineblogger cinema blog darren aronofsky ed harris film magazine film review javier bardem jennifer lawrence michelle pfeiffer mother mother film mother movie mother review movie magazine movie review requiem for a dream the cineblog the cineblogger the wrestler Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/mother-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/mother/\"\u003eMother!\u003c/a\u003eis an incredibly divisive and controversial piece from renowned director \u003ca href=\"/tag/darren-aronofsky/\"\u003eDarren Aronofsky\u003c/a\u003e, whose previous films include \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/black-swan/\"\u003eBlack Swan\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/the-wrestler/\"\u003eThe Wrestler\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cem\u003eand\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/requiem-for-a-dream/\"\u003eRequiem for a Dream\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAronofsky’s recent works seem to be taking a particularly biblical turn, a far cry from his previous and more acclaimed work – and \u003cem\u003eMother!\u003c/em\u003e is a prime example, which really divided opinion of audiences and critics alike.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo attempt to summarise the plot, a husband and wife (played by \u003ca href=\"/tag/javier-bardem/\"\u003eJavier Bardem\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/jennifer-lawrence/\"\u003eJennifer Lawrence\u003c/a\u003e, but referred to only as Him and Mother) are disrupted by a mysterious couple (\u003ca href=\"/tag/ed-harris/\"\u003eEd Harris\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/michelle-pfeiffer/\"\u003eMichelle Pfeiffer\u003c/a\u003e) who visit their tranquil home. As the new couple continue to make themselves increasingly comfortable, they start to take over, eventually leading to a horrific event which pushes Mother over the edge.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mother! Film Review"},{"content":"Name: Geena Davis\nDOB: 21 January 1956\nNationality: American\nActing Appearances: 46\nAcademy Awards: 1\nLegendary actress Geena Davis celebrated her 62nd birthday earlier this month, and to celebrate we are looking back at her colourful career and how she carved her way into Hollywood royalty. Avoiding getting too involved in the big budget Hollywood production line, Davis is a cult favourite who has currently turned her acting chops to television, starring in the reboot of **The Exorcist as a grown-up Regan MacNeil.\nHaving started her career as a model, Davis soon turned to acting and made it big quick. Using her position, Davis has become an activist in gender representation in media and sports. Her most recent venture was launching an annual film festival in Arkansas which celebrates diversity in film, focusing on minorities and women in the cast and the crew. Also a member of MENSA, Geena Davis is a true role model for women in the entertainment industry.\nFIRST FILM APPEARANCE: TOOTSIE (1982)\nDavis’ acting debut was in the critically acclaimed **Tootsie when she was just 26 years old. Appearing alongside the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray and Jessica Lange, Davis was among some of the best in the industry of the time. Whilst only a supporting character in the film, Davis was casted by director Sydney Pollack himself whilst she was progressing her career as a model. No doubt opening the door for Davis to a bright future in the film industry, *Tootsie *was an incredible opportunity and paved her way into the quirkier side of cinema.\nOSCAR WINNER: THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST (1988)\nDavis’ first nomination at the Academy Awards was also her first win and, being only 6 years after her first appearance on the big screen, her career was cemented early on. She took the Best Supporting Actress award for **The Accidental Tourist, but it wouldn’t be long until she was playing the leading lady. With her character Muriel, described as being the reason behind the film’s (and the original novel’s) success, Davis was able to play the eccentric and goofy character. This played well into her look – a beautiful model and actress no doubt, but big wide eyes and a slight overbite takes her out of that conventional beauty bracket, widening her scope for interesting characterization.\nCULTURAL ICON: THELMA \u0026amp; LOUISE (1991)\n**Thelma \u0026amp; Louise is the film that will come to mind for just about everyone when they think of Geena Davis, and it was a film of epic proportions for women, director Ridley Scott, and Geena Davis in her career. Gaining a further Oscar nom, this time for Best Actress, Davis’s performance in this cultural classic was second to none.\nPlaying the eponymous character Thelma, Davis perfected the transition from naive and innocent housewife to feminist anti-hero with complete finesse. The combination of Davis and Susan Sarandon was unlike any other ‘buddy movie’ seen on screen at that time, and the depiction of these women as complex characters rather than polished and glamorous makes it a powerful female statement.\nThelma \u0026amp; Louise is an unforgettable, iconic movie, and remains Davis’s biggest performance to date.\nGUILTY PLEASURE: A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992)\nPerhaps less a guilty pleasure and more a forgotten gem, **A League of Their Own was completely of its time in that some of the most critically acclaimed films of the 90s were major cheese-fests that don’t stand up to par against those of other decades. However, Davis’ performance in this baseball classic gained her a further nomination, this time at the Golden Globes.\nThis film is a true feel-good movie and another in Davis’s career that focuses on women, and she stars as the first recruit of an all-female all-American baseball league during World War II.\nHaving undergone intensive training on set to get her baseball skills up to speed, Davis discovered a previously unfound athletic ability. Later that decade, she would go on to compete in the US Olympic trials for archery.\nThere’s no doubt that Geena Davis’s acting career is merely the tip of the iceberg of her inspirational life as a feminist and activist. She became known for her roles in quirky cult films, but is remembered for her ability to put women in the spotlight. She is a true role model for anyone, especially young women and aspiring actresses.\nHer other notable performances include *The Fly, Beetlejuice, *and The Long Kiss Goodnight.\n** References:**\nMakers Pinterest IMDB Yahoo Girl Talk HQ 5 283 Viewsa league of their own beetlejuice bill murray cineblog cinema blog dustin hoffman film blog film blogger film magazine geena davis jessica lange movie blog movie blogger movie magazine ridley scott susan sarandon sydney pollack the accidental tourist the cineblog the exorcist the fly the long kiss goodnight thelma \u0026amp; louise thelma and louise tootsie Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/geena-davis-legacy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eName: Geena Davis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDOB: 21 January 1956\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNationality: American\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eActing Appearances: 46\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademy Awards: 1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLegendary actress \u003ca href=\"/tag/geena-davis/\"\u003eGeena Davis\u003c/a\u003e celebrated her 62nd birthday earlier this month, and to celebrate we are looking back at her colourful career and how she carved her way into Hollywood royalty. Avoiding getting too involved in the big budget Hollywood production line, Davis is a cult favourite who has currently turned her acting chops to television, starring in the reboot of **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-exorcist/\"\u003eThe Exorcist\u003c/a\u003e as a grown-up Regan MacNeil.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Geena Davis: A Legacy"},{"content":"As we speed towards the finale of awards season, the nominations were announced this week for the biggest night on the Hollywood calendar – the Academy Awards.\nAfter a bit of a shambolic few years – namely the uproar over #OscarsSoWhite and the envelope fiasco which cast such a shadow over **Moonlight‘s victory in 2017 – it seems that the Academy have managed to do a somewhat better job in 2018 of making the nominations more diverse and inclusive.\n**The headlines? **\nGuillermo del Toro‘s **The Shape of Water leads the way with 13 nominations, including Best Director, Best Actress for Sally Hawkins, and Best Picture.\n**Lady Bird has also done well, with the big news being Greta Gerwig up for Best Director – only the fifth female to be included in that category.\nNetflix‘s **Mudbound was a bit of a curveball, receiving 5 nominations. One of those is for cinematography – again, a win for women, with Rachel Morrison being the first female ever to be up for the award in the Academy’s history. That it took so long is unbelievable, but a positive step all the same.\n**Get Out has been the hit of the nomination announcements; many wanted it to be recognised but never imagined that it would. It’s received 4 nods – Best Original Screenplay, Actor for Daniel Kaluuya, Director for Jordan Peele, and Best Picture too. Just imagine a black directed, starring and focused comedy-horror taking the biggest gong of all – it is enough to make anyone smile.\nBut Get Out has a lot of competition in the Best Picture category, with a fantastic spread of films up for the award. **Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is being spoken of as the front runner at the moment, but that could all change on the night.\nWith regards to snubs, there’s perhaps not as many obvious ones as we’ve seen in previous years. I, Tonyadidn’t make it for Best Picture (as we probably expected), and neither did Mudbound despite it’s numerous other nods. Call Me By Your Name did pretty well, but Luca Guadagnino was missed off the Director list, and Patty Jenkins‘ **Wonder Woman didn’t get any recognition at all, despite some hopes it might have been the first superhero film to be up for Best Picture.\nHave a look at the full list of Oscar nominations 2018 below. We’ll find out who wins when the ceremony takes place on Sunday March 4th!\nBEST PICTURE Call Me by Your Name **Darkest Hour **Dunkirk Get Out Lady Bird **Phantom Thread **The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri\nBEST DIRECTOR Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk Jordan Peele**,** Get Out Greta Gerwig**,** Lady Bird Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread Guillermo del Toro**,** The Shape of Water\nBEST ACTRESS Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Margot Robbie, I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird Meryl Streep, The Post\nBEST ACTOR Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.\nBEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Mary J. Blige, Mudbound Allison Janney, I, Tonya Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water\nBEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Willem Dafoe, **The Florida Project Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water Christopher Plummer, **All the Money in the World Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri\nBEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY **The Big Sick Get Out Lady Bird The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri\nBEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Call Me by Your Name **The Disaster Artist **Logan **Molly’s Game Mudbound\nBEST ANIMATED FEATURE The Boss Baby The Breadwinner Coco Ferdinand Loving Vincent\nBEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Abacus (Small Enough to Jail) Faces/Places Icarus Last Men in Aleppo Strong Island\nBEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM A Fantastic Woman The Insult Loveless On Body and Soul The Square\nBEST ORIGINAL SCORE Dunkirk Phantom Thread The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri\nBEST ORIGINAL SONG “Mighty River,” Mudbound “Mystery of Love,” Call Me by Your Name “Remember Me,” Coco “Stand Up for Something,” Marshall “This Is Me,” The Greatest Showman\nBEST SOUND EDITING **Baby Driver **Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water **Star Wars: The Last Jedi\nBEST SOUND MIXING Baby Driver Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi\nBEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Beauty and the Beast Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour Dunkirk The Shape of Water\nBEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour Dunkirk Mudbound The Shape of Water\nBEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING Darkest Hour Victoria \u0026amp; Abdul Wonder\nBEST COSTUME DESIGN Beauty and the Beast Darkest Hour Phantom Thread The Shape of Water Victoria \u0026amp; Abdul\nBEST FILM EDITING Baby Driver Dunkirk I, Tonya The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri\nBEST VISUAL EFFECTS Blade Runner 2049 Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 Kong: Skull Island Star Wars: The Last Jedi War for the Planet of the Apes\nBEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT “Eden and Eddie” “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405” “Heroin/e” “Knife Skills” “Traffic Stop”\nBEST SHORT FILM — LIVE ACTION “Dekalb Elementary” “The Eleven O’Clock” “My Nephew Emmett” “The Silent Child” “Watu Wote/All of Us”\nBEST SHORT FILM — ANIMATED “Dear Basketball” “Garden Party” “Lou” “Negative Space” “Revolting Rhymes”\nReferences:\nVanity Fair Den of Geek 65 5110 Viewsacademy awards academy awards 2018 academy awards nominations 2018 all the money in the world allison janney baby driver blade runner 2049 call me by your name christopher nolan christopher plummer daniel day lewis daniel kaluuya darkest hour denzel washington dunkirk frances mcdormand gary oldman get out greta gerwig guillermo del toro i tonya jordan peele lady bird laurie metcalf lesley manville logan luca guadagnino margot robbie mary j blige meryl streep mollys game moonlight mudbound netflix octavia spencer oscar nominations oscar nominations 2018 oscars oscars 2018 patty jenkins paul thomas anderson phantom thread richard jenkins sally hawkins sam rockwell saoirse ronan star wars the last jedi the big sick the disaster artist the florida project the post the shape of water three billboards three billboards outside ebbing missouri timothee chalamet willem dafoe wonder woman Woody Harrelson Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/oscar-nominations-2018/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs we speed towards the finale of awards season, the nominations were announced this week for the biggest night on the Hollywood calendar – the Academy Awards.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a bit of a shambolic few years – namely the uproar over #OscarsSoWhite and the envelope fiasco which cast such a shadow over **\u003ca href=\"/tag/moonlight/\"\u003eMoonlight\u003c/a\u003e‘s victory in 2017 – it seems that the Academy have managed to do a somewhat better job in 2018 of making the nominations more diverse and inclusive.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Oscar Nominations 2018"},{"content":"The British army has been forced on to the French beach of Dunkirk as the Germans close in from all sides. With hundreds of thousands of men waiting in the sand for a boat ride home, they sit like fish in a barrel under Nazi bombers.\n**Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan, follows three stories in this iconic moment of British military history. There’s RAF fighters taking out German planes from the skies (including Tom Hardy); a civilian man, his son and young companion sailing across the channel on their own boat to help with the rescue effort (including Mark Rylance); and a group of soldiers on the beach just doing their best to find a boat and stay alive (including Harry Styles and Fionn Whitehead).\nNolan plays with time in the telling of these Dunkirk stories, following each set of characters one day, week and hour before they all come together at one moment. This can be confusing but ultimately works well, because it helps to disperse the moments of action and tension much more evenly throughout the film than if it had followed a linear chronology.\nThis film was sold to us as epic on a scale we’d never seen before, and whilst it is indeed remarkable in many ways, it sadly left us underwhelmed.\nThe best things about Dunkirk are clear – the score is looming, grating, ominous, intense. It puts you on edge pretty much from the word go until the credits roll, and never lets you get comfortable.\nEven more awesome is the sheer scale and cinematography of the film; vast shots of the sea and sky, the spitfires spinning and looping in a way that’s enough to turn your stomach, the sense of bombs dropping nearby and the fear we see on screen as the Nazis fly overhead once again. It looks as dark and wet and cold and gloomy as you’d expect the actual experience would have been.\nBut other than that…there’s not that much to get stuck into. Yes, we went into watching this imagining it to be more of a cinematic experience than a character study or heavy plot piece just by the nature of the beast, and yes it creates tension and atmosphere impeccably well, but it didn’t leave us quite as mindblown as we’d hoped.\nThe screen size has to be at play here. In a big dark cinema, the screen looming over you as you’re sat right there in the boats, it’s likely to be altogether more immersive. But watching on an average size TV screen, it feels like a lot of that was lost and diffused. And whilst films are primarily made for cinematic viewing (although less and less so these days), chances are a lot of people won’t get to see it there, and if it falls completely flat on home viewings, that’s a problem.\nThe work Nolan has done on immersing the viewer in the experience of war is undeniable, and there is mastery at work here in the aforementioned score, tone, look and feel – but the lack of any great depth of character, some oddly specific plot choices and (by nature) repetitiveness of the threat of overhead assaults means there’s only really one dimension in which to enjoy this film. No matter how good that dimension is, it needs more than that to truly work.\nEveryone does fine with what they have, and the quality of the cast is ridiculously high. Hardy, Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh – even Harry Styles has proven he can deliver a line or two. But the issue is that they’re given barely anything to work with.\nDunkirk gets 3 stars from The CineBlog – don’t hurt us! It’s a cinematic feat, no doubt, but one that therefore only makes the maximum impact in a cinematic environment. Nolan could never be bad, but this isn’t one of his best.\nDunkirk is available on DVD now. Take a look at the trailer below.\nReferences:\nYoutube Austin Chronicle The Verge 45 4224 Viewschristopher nolan cillian murphy cineblog cinema blog cinema reviews dunkirk dunkirk film dunkirk movie dunkirk review film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews fionn whitehead harry styles kenneth branagh mark rylance movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie reviews the cineblog tom hardy Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/dunkirk-film-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe British army has been forced on to the French beach of Dunkirk as the Germans close in from all sides. With hundreds of thousands of men waiting in the sand for a boat ride home, they sit like fish in a barrel under Nazi bombers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/dunkirk/\"\u003eDunkirk\u003c/a\u003e, directed by \u003ca href=\"/tag/christopher-nolan/\"\u003eChristopher Nolan\u003c/a\u003e, follows three stories in this iconic moment of British military history. There’s RAF fighters taking out German planes from the skies (including \u003ca href=\"/tag/tom-hardy/\"\u003eTom Hardy\u003c/a\u003e); a civilian man, his son and young companion sailing across the channel on their own boat to help with the rescue effort (including \u003ca href=\"/tag/mark-rylance/\"\u003eMark Rylance\u003c/a\u003e); and a group of soldiers on the beach just doing their best to find a boat and stay alive (including \u003ca href=\"/tag/harry-styles/\"\u003eHarry Styles\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/fionn-whitehead/\"\u003eFionn Whitehead\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dunkirk Film Review"},{"content":"Months after her daughter was violently murdered, wrathful mother Mildred (Frances McDormand) pays to display a message on three unused billboards just outside of town, questioning the lack of action and arrests from police boss Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson).\nThis sends the town and police department into somewhat of a tailspin, and sets off the fragile temper of deputy Dixon (Sam Rockwell). The pressure mounts on both the cops to take action and Mildred to get rid of the billboards – and from there, the film turns into a darkly comedic yet emotional character study of what you do about an awful situation when nothing can be done.\n**Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (bit of a mouthful – let’s call it Three Billboards for short) is a stellar piece of drama, with incredibly rounded characters at the heart of it who never quite act as you expect them to, and a plot that does the same.\nYour instinct as the viewer is to put the people on screen into neat little boxes, with Mildred as the good guy and Willoughby and Dixon as the villains, but in this film, it’s just not that simple. No one is totally good, but no one is totally bad either, and that’s what makes the story so interesting. The sad truth is that as awful as the murder of Mildred’s daughter was, there’s only so far the law can go to catch the culprit – and so, you end up on everyone’s side, and yet no one’s.\nFrances McDormand gives a powerhouse of a performance. Mildred is a seriously spiky character, all tough and unapproachable with this harsh undercut and blue overalls she seemingly never takes off, and yet flicks the switch to grieving mother in a heartbeat. It’s fantastic to see a female character (and a mother at that) allowed the freedom to just be a bit of a dick to those around her; to be complex and funny but shallow and dislikeable all at the same time.\nWoody Harrelson is also excellent – he plays what could have easily been a cliche role in such a calm and understated way, and don’t be surprised if his wise words narrating over the film are what get you slyly wiping away tears.\nSam Rockwell is also impressive in how he plays such an oddball of a character. A grown man still living at home, a momma’s boy, a racist and somewhat stunted emotionally and mentally – Officer Dixon has a lot of trouble controlling his impulses. His arc is extremely questionable and the biggest issue with this film – his actions in the second half just don’t seem congruent with what we’ve seen so far – but it’s not so much to completely detract from the overall story.\nThere’s strong support from Caleb Landry Jones (slimy, but not too much) and Peter Dinklage (light relief with some hard hitting moments) – and there is a small but genuinely brilliant comedic turn from Australian actress Samara Weaving.\nThe dialogue is razor sharp and the humour even more so – every line is fast, snappy, perfectly pitched and the tone can turn on a dime. Martin McDonagh is truly masterful in the way he creates this community and brings it to life.\nVisually, Three Billboards is impressive too, with the big red boards and bold black text making an impactful motif.\nThere are problems though – as well as the issue with Dixon’s motives as previously mentioned, we can’t help but wonder why Abbie Cornish was cast as Woody Harrelson’s wife? She does a perfectly fine job, but with a 20 year age difference between the two, wasn’t there a more age appropriate actress who would have done just as well?\nThe film has also faced criticism for it’s depiction of racism (and treatment of the racists) which can be uncomfortable, and there’s unnecessary fat jokes aplenty that don’t really sit right either.\nDespite some iffy moments and character choices, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri is a beautifully written, masterfully directed and impeccably performed film that deserves the acclaim it’s received so far. An almost perfect 4 stars from us – it was a high 4, promise!\nThree Billboards is showing in cinemas across the UK at time of publishing. Have a gander at the trailer below:\nReferences:\nIMP Awards Den of Geek Hollywood Chicago 54 4660 Viewsabbie cornish caleb landry jones cineblog cineblogger cinema blog cinema blogger cinema reviews film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews frances mcdormand martin mcdonagh movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie reviews peter dinklage sam rockwell samara weaving the cineblog the cineblogger three billboards three billboards outside ebbing missouri three billboards outside ebbing missouri review three billboards review Woody Harrelson Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMonths after her daughter was violently murdered, wrathful mother Mildred (\u003ca href=\"/tag/frances-mcdormand/\"\u003eFrances McDormand\u003c/a\u003e) pays to display a message on three unused billboards just outside of town, questioning the lack of action and arrests from police boss Chief Willoughby (\u003ca href=\"/tag/woody-harrelson/\"\u003eWoody Harrelson\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis sends the town and police department into somewhat of a tailspin, and sets off the fragile temper of deputy Dixon (\u003ca href=\"/tag/sam-rockwell/\"\u003eSam Rockwell\u003c/a\u003e). The pressure mounts on both the cops to take action and Mildred to get rid of the billboards – and from there, the film turns into a darkly comedic yet emotional character study of what you do about an awful situation when nothing can be done.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Film Review"},{"content":"The Christmas period was interrupted with the return of Charlie Brooker’s dark and dismal dystopian anthology series.\nMastering various storylines about the effects of technology on humanity and vice versa, **Black Mirror has been an audience favourite since its inception 6 years ago.\nHailing from the witty yet cynical mind of Charlie Brooker, each and every episode has a topical concept with political and social themes – and whilst not all the stories are equally strong, even the weakest stand out with their intelligent concepts and writing.\nThis latest season is no different, and with even more stars and a bigger budget, it’s easy to see that Black Mirror is careering into a league of its own. Below is a spoiler free breakdown and review of each episode.\nEpisode 1 – USS Callister We first meet Captain Robert Daly aboard his ship, with a Star Trek-style band of merry crew members. It’s only later that we realise Robert is actually a shy, mildly creepy CTO that is the laughing stock of the office, secretly using his advanced video game technology to create his own universe where he is the star.\nHe meets Nanette Cole, a new recruit at the company and fangirl of his work in coding – but soon loses her attention as his showy yet seedy business partner Walton (Jimmi Smith) and office gossip Shania (Michaela Coel) warn her away from him. Robert seeks virtual revenge on Nanette, and what follows is an incredibly hilarious, surreal, and horrifying ride through an internet universe.\nClearly the standout episode of this season, USS Callister is full of unexpected twists and genius performances from the whole cast, as well as sci-fi nostalgia. It’s an indicator of the budget now involved in the making of the show, combining a look into the future of virtual reality gaming with the technicolor of old sci-fi television shows to create a cartoonish version of hell.\nIt will have you laughing and gasping in equal measure – and in the age of virtual reality, doesn’t seem that far away. But then, isn’t that the uncomfortable nature of this show?\nEpisode 2 – Arkangel Directed by Jodie Foster, this episode features Arkangel, a technology that allows parents to locate their children through GPS, see through their eyes, and even filter anything that they deem inappropriate or could cause them stress – all through a chip in their head.\nAfter she loses her daughter Sara in a playground, Marie (played by Rosemarie DeWitt) decides to take Arkangel up on a free trial. It starts well, providing parental comfort, but it soon becomes obvious that the control it gives Marie over her daughter’s life is damaging and causing obsessive behaviour in the worried mother – so she turns it off, and puts it away.\nFast forward to a 16 year old Sara (Brenna Harding), and after a night where she stays out past curfew, Marie turns to Arkangel once more – as you might imagine, it doesn’t end well.\nThe setting to this episode is curious; it has the dystopian elements that you expect with Black Mirror, and retro American indie all in one. With this advance in technology set against the backdrop of peeling brown wallpaper and grungy 90s fashion, it embeds the idea into the viewer’s mind that this is a future not so distant and instils dread.\nOf all the Black Mirror episodes, Arkangel is one of the most realistic in terms of the effect of the technology on the user. It taps into the concept of overbearing parental controls and takes it to the next level, leading to especially awkward scenarios once the daughter hits her teenage years. It creates an incredibly plausible reality in the way that this system could affect the children socially, and puts the nature vs nurture debate under the microscope.\nEpisode 3 – Crocodile This next episode shows some heavy influence from recent Nordic dramas. Set in a vast landscape of ice and snowy mountains, it lets the audience know we’ve entered unsettling territory.\nYears after a couple dispose of the body of a man they have accidentally killed, one half gets back in touch, unable to keep their secret any longer. Meanwhile, an insurance claims investigator interviews people whilst using a device which allows her to extract their memories.\nWe won’t divulge how the two stories intertwine, but know that this is one of the darkest stories of the season, exploring how far people will go to maintain their innocence, and also how technological advancements can help or hinder criminal investigations. Crocodile explores whether it’s the technology that’s evil or those who use it to great effect.\nAndrea Riseborough is phenomenal as Mia, someone who has worked hard to make something of herself, but who quickly loses control of her emotions and actions. She displays a complete downward spiral very well in such a short run time.\nCrocodile is one of the more grim episodes – however, fantastic cinematography and the use of suspense make up for any faults. Besides, cue one great cameo from a guinea pig and you have one of the most talked about episodes of this season.\nEpisode 4 – Hang the DJ Hang the DJ is season 4’s answer to season 3’s San Junipero, though never quite reaches the same level as the previous Emmy award winner.\nThis episode covers dating in the modern era, with users living inside a system that provides an expiry date on each of their relationships, ranging from just mere hours to their “perfect” match which lasts for the rest of their life.\nWhen Frank (**Peaky Blinders’ Joe Cole) and Amy (Georgina Campbell) meet and are given a short expiration date despite really hitting it off, they soon begin to question the logic of the system.\nFrank and Amy’s relationship is brilliantly romantic, realistic, well-portrayed, and also exceptionally British, and the two leads deliver great performances.\nThe first two thirds of this episode are fantastic; it is a heart-warming love story that the audience want to root for. However, the resolution seems extremely rushed and somewhat out of the blue, with not much explanation provided for quite a convoluted ending. Questions are asked right at the end with no mention of them previously, and then these questions are answered practically straight away. The whole mood of the episode changes within minutes and then it ends – and we can’t help but feel that the writers were so keen on making another San Junipero that the finished product doesn’t quite come together at the end.\nEpisode 5 – Metalhead The penultimate episode to season 4 has to be one of the most divisive episodes in the show’s history, and with a method of storytelling so different to others from the show, it is easy to see why. It covers only a short period of time, with no explanation of the technology or the world in which it takes place, and is shot completely in black and white.\nA group of what seem to be thieves arrive at an abandoned warehouse in order to steal a mysterious object. Upon finding the box they’re looking for, they are met with a dog-like robot which is set to protect the goods of the building.\nMetalhead is the shortest episode of the season, and is essentially a quick succession of horrific events surrounded by suspense and one big question – what was in the box? The lead character Bella (Maxine Peake) carries the whole show almost entirely on her own, right through to its grizzly end.\nMaxine Peake is exceptional as Bella. She pulls off everything from drama to action in this one episode and does brilliantly well to carry the story as a sole character for pretty much the whole running time.\nMetalhead is one of the better episodes of Black Mirror due to its uniqueness and stand out appeal, and sparks the most intrigue out of this latest season. It is scary, thrilling and suspenseful, and packs an emotional punch in its closing scene.\nEpisode 6 – Black Museum Unfortunately, the finale of this season of Black Mirror was also the most disappointing.\nSimilar to the previous episode White Christmas, although not as well executed, Black Museum is a story that links together much of the previous seasons with plenty of easter eggs for megafans to spot.\nNish is the protagonist, a young woman on a road trip across America to see her father. Whilst charging her car she takes a visit to the Black Museum, run by the slight erratic Rolo Haynes and full of objects which were involved in horrific crimes. He tells Nish the stories behind some of the pieces before revealing the main attraction to her, which then leads to the big finale of the episode and the season.\nDisappointingly, each segment of the episode made up of the different stories Haynes is telling is way too long and drawn out. Whilst relevant to the underlying message of the episode, the writers take the long way round – and despite the resolution being incredibly satisfying, cathartic and empowering, the pacing of the build up doesn’t leave the audience in a heightened state of anticipation (as you might hope), but instead mildly relieved that they have finally reached the ending.\nFor an episode with such an important message regarding race, the treatment of criminals in the US and the way humanity utilises technology, the dampening effect from the pace of the show makes for more passive viewing than perhaps was anticipated.\nOverall? As always, the release of new Black Mirror episodes is surrounded by much excitement and hype, and whilst season 4 is probably the weakest season to date, it turns out that the stories in this show are like slices of pizza – even the bad ones are still pretty good.\nBlack Mirror is always innovative, surprising, and doesn’t seem to be showing signs of slowing down any time soon.\nBut the problems with an anthology format are perhaps starting to show; dealing with multiple stories means that inevitably, audiences are going to prefer some episodes over others, find different meanings and interpret a variety of messages in many different ways. And, could it be that Black Mirror is losing the elements of shock and surprise that made its earlier episodes so impactful?\nWe give season 4 of Black Mirror 4 stars for continuing to enthral audiences across the globe and for some truly standout episodes, despite not quite reaching the supremely high standards that the show has previously set out for itself.\nAll episodes of Black Mirror are streaming on Netflix now. Take a look at the trailer, if you haven’t devoured the full series already.\nReferences:\nGamespot Nerdist Vice Vox Nerdist The Independant TV Insider Vanity Fair 5 286 Viewsandrea riseborough arkangel black mirror black mirror arkangel black mirror black museum black mirror crocodile black mirror hang the dj black mirror metalhead black mirror review black mirror season 4 black mirror season 4 episode guide black mirror season 4 review black mirror uss callister brenna harding charlie brooker crocodile georgina campbell hang the dj jimmi smith jodie foster joe cole maxine peake metalhead michaela coel peaky blinders rosemarie dewitt uss callister Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/black-mirror-season-4-netflix-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe Christmas period was interrupted with the return of \u003ca href=\"/tag/charlie-brooker/\"\u003eCharlie Brooker\u003c/a\u003e’s dark and dismal dystopian anthology series.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMastering various storylines about the effects of technology on humanity and vice versa, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/black-mirror/\"\u003eBlack Mirror\u003c/a\u003e has been an audience favourite since its inception 6 years ago.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHailing from the witty yet cynical mind of Charlie Brooker, each and every episode has a topical concept with political and social themes – and whilst not all the stories are equally strong, even the weakest stand out with their intelligent concepts and writing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Black Mirror Season 4 Review"},{"content":"**I, Daniel Blake is the latest film from ‘kitchen-sink’ legend Ken Loach, and it took the country by storm. At the age of 80, Loach has had plenty of experience in depicting the darker side of British life and his socialist views. I, Daniel Blake is particularly relevant due to the political climate of today and the austerity measures sweeping the UK – and being the recipient of the Palme D’or at Cannes in 2016 confirms this film’s resonance across cultures, not just in Britain.\nStarring Dave Johns as the eponymous character, I, Daniel Blake is a stark drama following Blake who is denied employment and support allowance despite being deemed unfit to work by his doctor due to a recent heart attack. After the loss of his wife and his job, Blake set out to redeem any dignity that remains in his life, but is harshly denied this by the unjust welfare system. He is forced to apply for Job Seeker’s Allowance to gain any form of income but is unable to attend any interviews or take any work due to his ill-health. Being labelled as lazy and a time-waster forces Blake down an undignified road to poverty. Befriending Katie, a young single mother new to the city, his last hope is to help provide her and her children with a better life.\nIf you have not seen a Ken Loach film before, you can expect a large dose of realism, and an almost documentative feel. He prides himself on covering real issues in society and the problems they cause, and he doesn’t shy away from telling it how it is, even if it angers others. Loach is a true cinematic activist, and I, Daniel Blake is one of the best examples of this.\nWith some difficult to watch and heart-breaking moments, emotions are high throughout. Painting a picture to those who are either ignorant and/or unaware of the reality of the most vulnerable in our community, but who try their best to do something to better their lives, it hits you right where it hurts. It may cause anger in some (and hopefully shame in others who hold the political power to change it), but this comes down to ignorance and the inability to believe that some have no control over the outcome of their position. It depicts the lengths that people will go to help others, even while they’re facing immense struggles themselves.\nFilm activism is a problematic art and is difficult to master, but Loach pulls it off with finesse. He creates a story from tough subject matter, adds some humour to it and created a large amount of buzz with the way he distributed and exhibited the film. Graffiti popped up in cities around the country with accompanying free screenings, showing this was a film for the people and not one to generate an income.\nWith an understated beauty that manages to hit you hard,* I, Daniel Blake* is an absolute triumph. With the addition of unknown actors, it really pulls you in and it feels completely real. This is not exactly enjoyable viewing – but more like mandatory viewing. It’s a fantastic film that conveys an undeniable message and is a must for anyone who is hopeful and active in bettering society.\nWe give I, Daniel Blake 5 stars. It is kitchen sink drama at its absolute finest and most vulnerable.\nI, Daniel Blake is out now on DVD \u0026amp; Blu-Ray.\nReferences:\nFact Mountain Xpress 4 218 Viewsbritish cinema cineblog dave johns Film film blog film blogger film magazine film review I Daniel Blake i daniel blake review Ken Loach Kitchen sink drama movie blog movie blogger movie magazinee movie reviews palme dor the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/i-daniel-blake-review-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/i-daniel-blake/\"\u003eI, Daniel Blake\u003c/a\u003e is the latest film from ‘kitchen-sink’ legend \u003ca href=\"/tag/ken-loach/\"\u003eKen Loach\u003c/a\u003e, and it took the country by storm. At the age of 80, Loach has had plenty of experience in depicting the darker side of British life and his socialist views. \u003cem\u003eI, Daniel Blake\u003c/em\u003e is particularly relevant due to the political climate of today and the austerity measures sweeping the UK – and being the recipient of the Palme D’or at Cannes in 2016 confirms this film’s resonance across cultures, not just in Britain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I, Daniel Blake | Film Review"},{"content":"At the start of **Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (surely that’s too much punctuation for one film title?), we meet the IMF team during some classic highjinks, but it turns out the team is not in favour with the CIA and ends up getting shut down.\nAs a result, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) goes into such deep cover it feels like he’s coming back out the other end, and continues to evade the CIA or answer for his actions in order to continue tracking down who he believes is the leader of the Syndicate – a rogue nation using agents that are missing-presumed-dead to try and bring down the system.\nHe comes across the mysterious Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) along the way, a seriously kickass agent with some dubious morals, and goes on to reunite with his team to take the Syndicate down.\nThis is a Mission: Impossible film that is pacy, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and clearly aims to just give audiences a bloody good time.\nWhat’s good and refreshing is that it doesn’t go so OTT on plot that you haven’t a clue what’s happening – it keeps it simple enough for the audience to follow along, whilst leaving enough room for twists and turns.\nCruise is as reliable as ever. There isn’t that much about Ethan Hunt himself to remark upon in this – he seems to just be there to run fast, jump high and do ridiculous things, and the way Cruise pulls off his stunts is awesome – but it’s his interaction with the other characters that’s key.\nAs a team, the whole cast works so well together. Simon Pegg provides fantastic levity and humour, as well as a great all round performance, and the chemistry between Jeremy Renner and the other team members is a pleasure to watch too.\nThe action is impeccable, and director Christopher McQuarrie shows his chops in this area – there’s incredibly slick set pieces (one during an opera is a particular joy), and there’s a somewhat understated but effective final conflict that attempts to build tension, but you perhaps don’t ever really feel like anything is in jeopardy.\nFerguson is a spot-on addition to the ensemble, and her action moves in That Yellow Dress create some standout imagery that is the lasting memory of this movie. The audience is continually unsure of her motives, and she’s given plenty to do. You can sense she’s an agent that is just desperate to get out of the game.\nThe villain of the piece, played by Sean Harris, is the weakest link – who actually is he? Why is he doing this? There’s no real depth to the character. He wants to ‘take down the system’ – but what else is new?\nThere’s also laughably bad, cliche dialogue in parts – Alec Baldwin‘s statement ‘Ethan Hunt is the manifestation of destiny, and you, are his mission’ tells you all you need to know about that. Like, really? That line made the cut? What does that even mean?!\nMission: Impossible – Rogue Nation has it’s flaws – but overall, you’re having so much fun that you forgive them for it. 4 stars from us for a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable addition to this iconic action franchise.\nMission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is streaming on Netflix at time of publishing, or you can own it on DVD here.\nReferences:\nMovieweb GQ 49 4165 Viewsalec baldwin christopher mcquarrie cineblog ethan hunt film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews jeremy renner mission impossible mission impossible 5 mission impossible rogue nation movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie reviews netflix rebecca ferguson sean harris simon pegg the cineblog tom cruise Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/mission-impossible-rogue-nation-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAt the start of **\u003ca href=\"/tag/mission-impossible-rogue-nation/\"\u003eMission: Impossible – Rogue Nation\u003c/a\u003e (surely that’s too much punctuation for one film title?), we meet the IMF team during some classic highjinks, but it turns out the team is not in favour with the CIA and ends up getting shut down.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a result, Ethan Hunt (\u003ca href=\"/tag/tom-cruise/\"\u003eTom Cruise\u003c/a\u003e) goes into such deep cover it feels like he’s coming back out the other end, and continues to evade the CIA or answer for his actions in order to continue tracking down who he believes is the leader of the Syndicate – a rogue nation using agents that are missing-presumed-dead to try and bring down the system.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation | Film Review"},{"content":"Last November, Netflix returned with their most recent contribution to the Marvel Universe. This time we follow the story of Frank Castle, aka **The Punisher, in an action-packed and ultra-violent opening season.\nThis isn’t the first time we have seen Jon Bernthal as The Punisher; we first met him in the second season of Netflix’s **Daredevil as the villain turned vigilante who wreaks revenge on those who have wronged him, getting caught up with Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) along the way.\nThe Punisher’s standalone series picks up a good few months after we see him in* Daredevil*, with Frank going by the alias Pete and working long hours on a construction site. Having let himself go, he now looks like a burly hipster with unruly brown locks and a rather impressive beard. In fact, Frank himself makes many references to his new trendy look.\nAfter coming out of hiding to help out a colleague in desperate need, a mysterious hacker and technology whizz bribes Frank into helping him uncover secrets that the CIA and United States Elite Forces are trying to keep buried. What then unfolds is a blast from the past for Frank and (perhaps) one too many near death experiences, leaving the audience wondering how he is actually going to make it through all 13 episodes.\nThe Punisher has been a notoriously hard comic to adapt to screen, with many attempts in the past and all of them being panned. The character of Frank Castle in this recent adaptation is certainly a step up in that he is much more human and carries emotion with him throughout the series, and that emotion is one of the major driving forces behind his murderous sprees. He is more than just a killing machine, and the audience are able to empathise with him.\nJon Bernthal is perfect casting for Castle, as despite very much going for the ‘alpha male’ approach, and taking a leaf out of Christian Bale’s book when it comes to roughing up his voice, it works well for this version of the character.\nKaren Page also makes a return to the show as Frank’s confidante, but the new characters are what makes this one of the better Marvel TV shows. We see the introduction of David Lieberman, aka Micro (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who has his own battles and storyline which are key to the progression of the show as a whole. He is a well-rounded character, skilled and a force to be reckoned with in his field of computer hacking and technology, but he is also vulnerable and a newbie to the vigilante world. He is the perfect antithesis to Frank Castle’s hands on approach, and the combination of the two makes for compelling viewing.\nOne of the unique things about this series, compared to other Marvel outings, is how The Punisher is a symbol of fear – even to the main villains – which adds a different element and approach to the usual superhero model. It helps the audience root for Frank because we know for a fact that he can win, and any moments that he comes close to death it packs more of an emotional punch for the audience. This does help to freshen things up a bit – however where The Punisher excels in some areas, it really lacks in others.\nThe reason that The Punisher has been widely criticised was its approach in discussing gun control and gun laws. The show was released not so long after the Las Vegas shooting, and the show’s stance came across as pro-gun, making it hard to view it as a TV show in its own right without the context of current gun issues. It felt political and also quite disconcerting, despite this stuff only really being a small snippet of one episode. It changed the whole meaning of the show, and that makes it harder to give it a higher star rating.\nDue to conflict between this shows politics and real world events, we’re giving The Punisher 3 stars – the agenda it depicts doesn’t work in its favour, and leaves a somewhat sour aftertaste from what otherwise could have been a great chapter in the MCU.\nThe Punisher is streaming on Netflix now.\nReferences:\nFilm School Rejects Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki W Magazine 5 300 Viewscharlie cox christian bale cineblog daredevil deborah ann woll ebon moss bachrach film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews frank castle jon bernthal karen page marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie reviews netflix netflix blog netflix blogger netflix original netflix review netflix reviews the cineblog the punisher the punisher review the punisher season 1 the punisher season 1 review tv blog tv reviews Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/punisher-season-1-netflix-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLast November, \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e returned with their most recent contribution to the \u003ca href=\"/tag/marvel/\"\u003eMarvel\u003c/a\u003e Universe. This time we follow the story of Frank Castle, aka **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-punisher/\"\u003eThe Punisher\u003c/a\u003e, in an action-packed and ultra-violent opening season.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis isn’t the first time we have seen \u003ca href=\"/tag/jon-bernthal/\"\u003eJon Bernthal\u003c/a\u003e as \u003cem\u003eThe Punisher\u003c/em\u003e; we first met him in the second season of Netflix’s **\u003ca href=\"/tag/daredevil/\"\u003eDaredevil\u003c/a\u003e as the villain turned vigilante who wreaks revenge on those who have wronged him, getting caught up with Matt Murdock (\u003ca href=\"/tag/charlie-cox/\"\u003eCharlie Cox\u003c/a\u003e) and Karen Page (\u003ca href=\"/tag/deborah-ann-woll/\"\u003eDeborah Ann Woll\u003c/a\u003e) along the way.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Punisher Season 1 | Netflix Review"},{"content":"After his father dies in the line of duty, young but gifted tearaway Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is given a medallion by secret agent Harry Hart (Colin Firth) with an apology and the promise of a favour when he needs it.\n20 years later, in a police interview, he calls that favour in – and is drawn into the super secret, super wealthy world of the Kingsmen. He competes to be newest member of the prestigious team, and puts his training to the test against Samuel L. Jackson‘s villainous, lispy, genius billionaire.\n**Kingsman: The Secret Service (directed by Matthew Vaughn) was a surprise hit of 2015, raking in massive box office takings, and it’s easy to see why from watching it now. What could have easily been a poor man’s James Bond or the cliche equivalent to **Johnny English is actually a unique and refreshing take on the superspy genre.\nIt’s slick, colourful, fast paced, very entertaining, genuinely funny and way more adult than you might expect – there’s plenty of violence, bad language and raunchy chat to enjoy.\nKingsman was Taron Egerton’s breakout role, and with the help from massively heavy hitters around him like Colin Firth, Sam Jackson and Michael Caine, he really shines. Egerton is charming, cheeky, and makes for a great action hero – and his success in this film has lead to him going on to projects including the animated **Sing! and starring in Hollywood’s new, gritty Robin Hood movie in the lead role, which will be directed by **Peaky Blinders‘ Otto Bathurst.\nThe juxtapositions of Eggsy as a lad from the streets in this very privileged world is both interesting and comedic, with some good messages in there around silver spoons and what people can achieve if only they’re given the chance.\nFirth is seriously suave here, and it looks like he’s having an absolute ball. Jackson’s villain is slightly maniacal and feels like strange casting, but his delivery still feels fresh and does fine.\nIt’s good to see Sofia Boutella(**The Mummy, **Star Trek: Beyond) as Gazelle, the female assassin putting her prosthetic legs to deadly use – she’s solid, though not given all that much to do.\nAnd, Mark Strong is very witty and understated as Merlin, the trainer of the new Kingsman recruits.\nThe plot is kinda silly and all a bit far fetched – but you’re having so much fun that it really doesn’t matter.\nWhat’s really unique about Kingsman is the frenetic and engaging style of fighting and action that Matthew Vaughn achieves – it looks like one swooping take, almost sped up and slowed down at the same time, and feels very original. Given that the story is based on a comic book, the violence is suitably stylised and very slick – it’s impressive that Vaughn has developed a new way of showing the kind of action we’ve seen so many times before, and a certain church scene might just result in your jaw being considerably dropped at the audacity of it all.\nThe great use of vastly inappropriate music is also a joy, especially the soundtrack of KC \u0026amp; The Sunshine Band in the third act when the whole world’s going to shit.\nKingsman: The Secret Service is a fantastically fun setup of a new secret service world, and we can’t wait to see how it develops in the recently released sequel. 4 stars!\nYou can own Kingsman on DVD here.\nReferences:\nScan Film Takeout 48 4271 Viewscineblog cine blog colin firth film blog film magazine film reviews james bond johnny english kingsman kingsman 1 kingsman review kingsman the secret service mark strong matthew vaughn michael caine movie blog movie magazine movie reviews otto bathurst peaky blinders samuel l jackson sing sofia boutella star trek beyond taron egerton the cineblog the mummy Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/kingsman-secret-service-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter his father dies in the line of duty, young but gifted tearaway Eggsy (\u003ca href=\"/tag/taron-egerton/\"\u003eTaron Egerton\u003c/a\u003e) is given a medallion by secret agent Harry Hart (\u003ca href=\"/tag/colin-firth/\"\u003eColin Firth\u003c/a\u003e) with an apology and the promise of a favour when he needs it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e20 years later, in a police interview, he calls that favour in – and is drawn into the super secret, super wealthy world of the Kingsmen. He competes to be newest member of the prestigious team, and puts his training to the test against \u003ca href=\"/tag/samuel-l-jackson/\"\u003eSamuel L. Jackson\u003c/a\u003e‘s villainous, lispy, genius billionaire.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Kingsman: The Secret Service | Film Review"},{"content":"We returned to the Star Wars galaxy last month with Episode VIII of the saga, **The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson – and it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride.\nAfter **The Force Awakens was received as perfectly acceptable but not exactly groundbreaking, there was a lot of responsibility on Johnson’s shoulders with how to carry on this much beloved series in a way that would (hopefully) give us something new, as well as ticking all the necessary boxes.\nThe Last Jedi seems to have had a split reception; it’s made critics pretty happy but left some fans less than satisfied. Mark Hamill spoke out about his unhappiness at the portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the movie (and then apologised for it), and some lovers of Lucas’s original trilogy felt it didn’t give the answers to questions set up in The Force Awakens (this Vanity Fair article does a great job of exploring the backlash).\nSo, what did we think?\nDisclaimer – I, Sophie Butcher, Editor of this here film blog and the person reviewing The Last Jedi, is coming to this movie as a bit of a Star Wars noob.\nSure, I’ve seen bits of the original trilogy (and the prequels that shall not be named) on TV over the years, and I went to see The Force Awakens when JJ Abrams relaunched the saga, but I ain’t seen Episodes 4-6 all the way through, ever. I know, I know – call myself a film lover? I get it; that’s why this feature came about.\nBut, I thought it important to give context around how the perspective I’m seeing this film from – it might even be interesting for you to read a review from someone with fairly fresh eyes on the series (Maybe? No? Okay. Forgive me.)\nAnd with that out the way – a summary of the plot.\nAs the iconic yellow writing states at the beginning of the movie (enough to make even a Star Wars novice like me smile), we re-enter the galaxy with the First Order still in charge, under Andy Serkis‘s weird and wrinkly Supreme Leader Snoke – and with a name like that, what else would he grow up to be?\nPrincess Leia’s (Carrie Fisher) Rebel Alliance is still working hard, but on the run. After barely escaping an onslaught from General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and suffering great losses, Leia, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Vice Admiral Holdo (a star turn from Laura Dern, no rhyme intended) are forced to make some tough decisions to keep the rebel cause alive.\nKylo Ren (the gloriousAdam Driver) is still licking his lightsaber wounds, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is trying to convince Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to teach her the way of the Jedi (as well as come back to help the rebels win the war), and Finn (John Boyega) wakes up determined to make sure Rey returns to the rebels safely.\nWhilst The Force Awakens has plenty of fun and nostalgia, it hardly lasts in the memory – but sure, it had a lot of work to do to reestablish the universe as well as introduce a new set of characters. The Last Jedi, however, has a whole lot more character development, emotional clout and exploration of the galaxy that takes place in a really concise timeframe.\nThere’s a lot of humour in this film, with some moments of levity that will make you laugh out loud, including an embarrassing phone call for General Hux and a certain gang of ridiculously cute Porgs that can’t fail to make you smile. Whilst some tweets would lead you to believe these jokes are misplaced, I can’t understand why – everyone in the cinema audience I watched this with were laughing, and it would be silly to think there can’t be a genuinely light hearted moment in this vast and fairly ridiculous galaxy.\nThe legends of the piece – Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill – are stunning, Hamill in particular, and give a poignant nod to Fisher’s death, as well as the film being dedicated to her.\nThere’s great set pieces, with the siege between Snoke’s ship and the rebel cruiser building real tension and coming to a dramatic conclusion. The final act sees a face off between Kylo Ren and Luke and goes a long way in terms of story, but you can’t help feeling that the film is almost half an hour too long.\nA big shame in the film is that John Boyega’s Finn just isn’t given enough to do, and is overshadowed by his companion Rose (Kelly Marie Tran). Whilst Tran does a good job, you’re kind of there for Finn, and Boyega brings such joy to the screen that you wish there was more of it. You sense the connection between him and Rey but don’t get to see them together to revel in it.\nSpeaking of Rey – whilst her segment on the island with Luke is really important, it wasn’t the most enthralling. Daisy Ridley does a fine job, but how much do we really know her character? You get the sense that there’s a lot more to come from Rey as she steps into her true power, but the best moments of her story are those where she connects with Kylo Ren – in fact, come to mention it, Ren (or Ben Solo) is the best thing in the entire film.\nAdam Driver is phenomenally good as Kylo, bringing realism and three fully formed dimensions to a character who could so easily seem nothing more than a cartoon. There’s been mention of him being the best Star Wars villain (not my words, don’t hurt me), and it’s not hard to see why. He has depth and intrigue and you really don’t know which side he’s going to end up on – and despite his murderous ways, you’re almost rooting for him. Adam Driver is one of the most exciting actors around right now and a fantastic piece of casting in this franchise.\nRian Johnson brings a strong visual style and sense of cinematography to this episode that elevates it to a new level – there’s a theme of red versus black throughout, used especially effectively in Snoke’s lair (with henchman all in red) and on the mineral planet in the final act, where the sand is bright red when brushed into the air, making it look like the very land itself is bleeding from the epic battle happening across it.\nThere’s also lots of fun creatures included in the movie – the aforementioned Porgs are adorable, there’s crystal Arctic fox-like animals called Vulptex, and the Fathiers are like elegant race horses that get to wreak havoc on a world that enslaved them.\nTension, tears and terrific characters – The Last Jedi is, for us, a welcome addition to the Star Wars saga. It gets 4 stars for making this farfetched world feel a little more modern, and for giving us characters we can’t help but fall for.\nWhat did you make of Star Wars: The Last Jedi? We’d love to hear your thoughts!\nThe Last Jedi is still just about showing in some cinemas now. Watch the trailer below – though it might be best going in blind to make sure for maximum surprises!\nReferences:\nMovie Web BGR The Nerd Stash Esquire Cinema Blend 52 4117 Viewsadam driver carrier fisher daisy ridley domhnall gleeson jj abrams john boyega kelly marie tran laura dern mark hamill oscar isaac rian johnson star wars star wars the force awakens star wars the last jedi the force awakens the last jedi Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/star-wars-last-jedi-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe returned to the \u003ca href=\"/tag/star-wars/\"\u003eStar Wars\u003c/a\u003e galaxy last month with Episode VIII of the saga, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/star-wars-the-last-jedi/\"\u003eThe Last Jedi\u003c/a\u003e, directed by \u003ca href=\"/tag/rian-johnson/\"\u003eRian Johnson\u003c/a\u003e – and it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter **\u003ca href=\"/tag/star-wars-the-force-awakens/\"\u003eThe Force Awakens\u003c/a\u003e was received as perfectly acceptable but not exactly groundbreaking, there was a lot of responsibility on Johnson’s shoulders with how to carry on this much beloved series in a way that would (hopefully) give us something new, as well as ticking all the necessary boxes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Film Review | 4*"},{"content":"So, to recap. Spoilers ahead for the previous films in the series.\n**RISE Of The Planet Of The Apes was the one with James Franco, that blonde one from Harry Potter and Caesar as a little baby ape. Franco’s character Will is conducting experiments in order to find a cure for dementia, Caesar gains superior intelligence as a result and is raised by Will, only to end up locked up, breaking free and starting an ape revolution.\n**DAWN Of The Planet Of The Apes sees Caesar all grown up, humans almost wiped out by simian flu, and living in the woods leading a large group of apes. They run into a remaining group of humans, fellow ape Koba goes a bit evil and the opposing tribes of apes end up having a big fight whilst defending themselves against Gary Oldman‘s clan of survivors.\nAnd now, here we are, watching the **WAR For The Planet Of The Apes. All caught up?\nThe film does give you a handy synopsis of the recent films in this franchise so far as it opens – and we see it pick back up with the apes, still led by Caesar, in hiding from a troop of soldiers sent by Woody Harrelson‘s mildly psychotic Colonel to hunt them down. As the apes are increasingly threatened and fight to be left in peace, we discover there’s more to the virus that wiped out most of mankind than first thought.\nAfter the apes suffer tragic loss, Caesar goes on a journey to hunt down Harrelson’s Colonel, and comes across a young orphan (played by brilliant newcomer Amiah Miller). She joins their clan, reluctantly accepted by Caesar, and what follows is a somewhat mixed bag that packs the emotional punches, even if it doesn’t always deliver in terms of plot and structure.\nFirst things first – the CGI is absolutely breathtaking, astounding, and any other hyperbolic adjective that springs to mind. The realism that the team have managed to create with the ape characters is like nothing else we’ve seen before on screen. Every crease of the eyes, every raindrop on their fur, every arm movement and breathy word is perfectly captured as though it were actual simians delivering the script. It’s astonishingly realistic and can’t be overstated – the technology use here is an incredible achievement, and indicates exciting possibilities for the stories we can tell in the future as the capabilities of CGI continue to advance.\nThe performance capture is also remarkable – Andy Serkis returns as Caesar and does a stellar job, as do the rest of the ape cast. The emotion that the performers and effects are able to convey are far better than those we see from any of the humans involved, and all of the gutwrenching moments come from Caesar and his tribe – there’s everything from uplifting, to heartbreaking, to genuinely funny. This kind of film is an example of how calls for a Performance Capture category at awards season could be justified in the future, if we continue to see characters depicted in this way.\nWoody Harrelson is always a pleasure to watch, but his villain here is a little uneven. He comes across as just an obsessed megalomaniac with a horrifying backstory but no real depth, and the way the Colonel is used to drive the plot is really weak.\nThere’s a scene around halfway through the film where there’s a whole lot of ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ just to heave the story along, but it feels seriously clunky and ends up taking you out of the story rather than helping you understand it. It’s a shame, because the stuff either side of this does work pretty well – the first half especially – though the final act didn’t reach the heights of the previous film.\nWhere it’s predecessor excelled at growing in tension before a fantastic final conflict, War For The Planet Of The Apes just feels like it’s trying to be too many films in one – a war movie, an escape movie, a road trip – but there wasn’t enough of each for it to coalesce.\nThis is a five star film in terms of leaps forward for CGI, but only gets 3 stars overall. The ape characters and interactions hold it together, but it doesn’t quite land as a whole.\nWar For The Planet Of The Apes is out on DVD now.\nReferences:\nMedia Stinger Roger’s Movie Nation Den of Geek 46 4309 Viewsamiah miller andy serkis cineblog cinema blog dawn of the planet of the apes film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews gary oldman james franco movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie reviews rise of the planet of the apes the cineblog war for the planet of the apes war for the planet of the apes review Woody Harrelson Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/film/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-film-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSo, to recap. \u003cem\u003eSpoilers ahead for the previous films in the series.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes/\"\u003eRISE Of The Planet Of The Apes\u003c/a\u003e was the one with \u003ca href=\"/tag/james-franco/\"\u003eJames Franco\u003c/a\u003e, that blonde one from Harry Potter and Caesar as a little baby ape. Franco’s character Will is conducting experiments in order to find a cure for dementia, Caesar gains superior intelligence as a result and is raised by Will, only to end up locked up, breaking free and starting an ape revolution.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"War for the Planet of the Apes | Film Review"},{"content":"**Big Little Lies was a huge surprise HBO hit of 2017, and one of the best TV shows of the last year.\nMarketed as a show about women for women, its dark and gritty storyline was a big surprise for viewers, and it left them hanging on for more.\nBased on the best-seller by Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies follows the lives of three mothers in the small beachside community of Monterey, an idyllic upper-middle class haven of perfection, in the build up to a mysterious murder.\nWith a stellar cast including Reese Witherspoon (who also executive produced the show), Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Alexander Skarsgard, Adam Scott, and Zoe Kravitz, Big Little Lies is a mini-series masterpiece.\nIt uses the flashback model to tell the story of how someone in the community came to be murdered. We don’t know who’s been murdered, or who did it, and the flashbacks feed us little bits of information throughout the show which keep us guessing until the last moments of the final episode.\nThe show acts as more of a character study than something more plot-driven, allowing the audience to act as detective. We’re shown all angles of the build up to the murder, from all characters involved, and also the impact of it on the children in the story.\nReese Witherspoon plays Madeline, a divorcee stay at home mum who wants nothing more than for her daughters to become successful and intelligent women. Nicole Kidman is Celeste, a retired lawyer whose relationship with her husband (Skarsgard) is skewed between his violent tendencies and their passionate sexual relationship. Finally we have Shailene Woodley as Jane, a young single mother who has recently moved to the area with her son for a fresh start. All their children attend the same school, and when an incident of alleged bullying comes to light, tensions between the affluent families begin to rise.\nIt’s rare for anything on screen, be it television or cinema, to come along and truly keep us guessing right until the very end. There are so many angles and motives involved in the characters which could lead them to murder that even if you think you may know who the culprit is, you’re forced to second guess yourself as new information comes to light. Lies and secrets come out in the open, and some remain on the brink, causing tension and anticipation.\nAll members of the cast are excellent, getting fully engrossed in their characters and playing off each other extremely well. Shailene Woodley especially stands out – arguably one of her first adult roles as an actress, she is perfect as Jane, the young mum who is new to the area, doesn’t come from money and has to find her way in this wealthy town. She is damaged and mysterious and Woodley couldn’t have done a better job.\nDespite only comprising of 7 episodes, Big Little Lies is cleverly paced and doesn’t spend too long establishing the characters before jumping into the murderous themes.\nWe give Big Little Lies 5 stars for surprising and enthralling us, and for keeping us engaged in the newly saturated genre of crime dramas.\nBig Little Lies is available to stream on Now TV and Amazon Video at time of publishing, or you can own the series on DVD here. And good news, it’s heading back to HBO for a second season, set to be directed by **American Honey‘s Andrea Arnold – which we’re very excited about!\nReferences:\nCNN Den of Geek Vogue CNN 4 307 Viewsadam scott alexander skarsgard american honey andrea arnold Big Little Lies big little lies season 1 big little lies season 1 review cineblog film blog film review HBO laura dern liane moriarty movie blog movie reviews nicole kidman Now TV reese witherspoon shailene woodley the cineblog tv blog tv blogger tv review tv reviews zoe kravitz Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/tv/big-little-lies-season-1-review-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/big-little-lies/\"\u003eBig Little Lies\u003c/a\u003e was a huge surprise HBO hit of 2017, and one of the best TV shows of the last year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarketed as a show about women for women, its dark and gritty storyline was a big surprise for viewers, and it left them hanging on for more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the best-seller by \u003ca href=\"/tag/liane-moriarty/\"\u003eLiane Moriarty\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBig Little Lies\u003c/em\u003e follows the lives of three mothers in the small beachside community of Monterey, an idyllic upper-middle class haven of perfection, in the build up to a mysterious murder.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Big Little Lies Season 1 | TV Review"},{"content":"The highly anticipated sequel to the beloved **Jurassic Park franchise finally arrived in 2015, 22 years after we first visited Isla Nublar.\nReturning with an updated concept, a stellar cast and enough Easter eggs to make even a Jurassic Park novice nostalgic, **Jurassic World saw monstrous box office returns on its release that were far from surprising.\nAfter a fellow billionaire vows to grant John Hammond’s dying wish of the park to open one day, Jurassic World is born and we finally get to see the park that Hammond envisaged in all its glory. Guests flood in by the thousands to get a look at all the attractions; including a T-Rex, a baby dinosaur petting zoo, a Sea World-esque mosasaur show and tours of the lab where the dinosaurs are created.\nWith a view to keep one step ahead of so-called focus group demands, the park’s corporate team obtain sponsorship for a genetically modified hybrid in order to ensure high numbers and to maintain interest – because apparently, the modern dinosaur theme needs something bigger, cooler and with ‘more teeth’ to keep visitors satisfied.\nJurassic World’s Operations Manager, Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), hires dinosaur researcher Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) to inspect the new attraction’s paddock in order to give it the green light for opening day. Upon discovering that the dinosaur is not quite what it seems, it escapes and all hell breaks loose on the island.\nMeanwhile, Claire’s two nephews (Zach and Gray) are visiting the park for the first time. After escaping the watch of Claire’s personal assistant, they find themselves in the deep end of all the chaos and must fight their way back to safety.\nThis new addition to the franchise certainly fared better than the poorly received **Jurassic Park III. Jurassic World cleverly references corporate sponsors, upping the wow factor, and the need to make things bigger and better, to directly reflect modern blockbuster culture. It manages to take things back to the basics of why we love this prehistoric nightmare, but manages to pull them off in a bigger way with great flair. With many call backs to the original film, and one very special returning character (Henry Wu), it is an homage to its predecessor whilst also bringing the story new life.\nDespite the questionable role of Bryce Dallas Howard’s character (an uptight workaholic who runs throughout the movie in stilettos), the character dynamics are fairly refreshing and there’s classic adventure movie beats to enjoy. Claire does get some good character moments as she starts to realise what’s really important when everything else goes south, and delivers an ending that really hits the spot (as well as giving a Jurassic Park icon it’s moment).\nChris Pratt as Owen Grady is great; he’s the glue of the film, and does well at balancing being a good guy who has a familial bond with the raptors and true care for the dinosaurs, whilst hitting all the action man beats you’d hope for in this kind of movie.\nThere’s a strong supporting cast here too – Jake Johnson is warm, funny, and almost the voice of reason from the park’s control room, and Lauren Lapkus works well with him too.\nVincent D’Onofrio is full on panto villain as military man Hoskins, and Irrfan Khan is really memorable as Masrani, the billionaire investor in the park who wants to make Hammond’s original vision a reality.\nThe young stars, played by Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkin, add a family dynamic to the story – Simpkin in particular does really well at showing the wonderment at the scale of the park and it’s inhabitants on screen, as well as tugging on the heartstrings as their backstory is revealed.\nThere’s lots of fun here to get stuck into – big set pieces, some tense moments as our stars do their best not to get eaten, twists as we learn the full capabilities of the park’s new dino creation and lots of warmth and heart too.\nWe’re giving Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World a solid 4 stars – he’s delivered a thoroughly entertaining ride with all the comedy, suspense and action you’d hope for, if not a little cloying cliché on the side. It’s a well-made blockbuster which might not match the classic status of the original, but sets up the franchise pretty well for the next phase of the story.\nOwn Jurassic World on DVD here, and have a look at the trailer below:\nIf you were as much of a fan of Jurassic World as we are, you’ll be pleased to hear there’s another instalment on the way – **Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will see the return of Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, as well as the legendary Jeff Goldblum coming back to the series. It is directed by J.A. Bayona and will hit cinemas in summer 2018.\nThe Fallen Kingdom full trailer landed recently – take a look below!\nReferences:\nCNBC Deviant Art Conversations About Her Collider 4 291 Viewsbryce dallas howard chris pratt cineblog cinema blog colin trevorrow film blog film blogger film magazine film review henry wu irrfan khan j a bayona jake johnson jeff goldblum jurassic park jurassic park 3 jurassic world jurassic world fallen kingdom jurassic world reviews lauren lapkus movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie reviews nick robinson the cineblog ty simpkin vincent donofrio\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/film/jurassic-world-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe highly anticipated sequel to the beloved **\u003ca href=\"/tag/jurassic-park/\"\u003eJurassic Park\u003c/a\u003e franchise finally arrived in 2015, 22 years after we first visited Isla Nublar.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReturning with an updated concept, a stellar cast and enough Easter eggs to make even a \u003cem\u003eJurassic Park\u003c/em\u003e novice nostalgic, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/jurassic-world/\"\u003eJurassic World\u003c/a\u003e saw monstrous box office returns on its release that were far from surprising.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a fellow billionaire vows to grant John Hammond’s dying wish of the park to open one day, \u003cem\u003eJurassic World\u003c/em\u003e is born and we finally get to see the park that Hammond envisaged in all its glory. Guests flood in by the thousands to get a look at all the attractions; including a T-Rex, a baby dinosaur petting zoo, a Sea World-esque mosasaur show and tours of the lab where the dinosaurs are created.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Jurassic World Film Review"},{"content":"Nothing brings the fam together at Christmas like a good movie – whether it’s a Christmas Eve tradition, a way to get you through the post-turkey stupor or something to snuggle up with on Boxing Day, we all love getting stuck in to great stories at this time of year.\nBut if you’re over the usual Crimbo classics and looking for a movie that doesn’t involve green hairy fingers, Will Ferrell in tights or ghosts of Christmas past (though we love those too, obviously) – here’s some festive(ish) film recommendations to keep you entertained this week!\nIn Bruges **In Bruges is an extremely witty black comedy starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes, and is the brainchild of playwright Mark McDonagh.\nSet in the picturesque city of Bruges (unsurprisingly) at winter time, we follow two Irish hitmen as they hide out after a job gone wrong. Whilst awaiting further instructions they explore the Christmassy city, and get up to no good.\nIt is an incredibly funny film, with so many unforgettable scenes and even shocks you won’t be expecting. One for the adults only, this is a must-watch on your Christmas list.\n**Edward Scissorhands ** Tim Burton’s magnum opus is an absolute modern classic, and where it may not be the most “alternative” film on this list, it is certainly not often considered a Christmas film.\nHowever, there is nothing more heart-warming and beautiful than Winona Ryder spinning in a shower of snow and ice falling from Edward’s beautiful ice sculpture.\nEssentially a story of love and acceptance in a mass-produced world, **Edward Scissorhands is the ultimate bit of festive cheer to cosy up to during the winter months.\n**Brazil ** The weird and wonderful **Brazilis a mind-bending masterpiece from former Monty Pythonmember, Terry Gilliam. Centred around the Christmas period, this is the only thing that really makes it a “Christmas” film, but you can’t get more alternative than this.\nIts themes focus a lot on the materialistic nature of society and the influence of corporations on our everyday life – a different way to look at the profiteering nature of Christmas and what we do to fit in.\nNotorious for being a film that takes viewers a couple of watches to really grasp what the hell is going on, it has cemented itself as a memorable piece of cinema history, especially British cinema history.\nFargo If you truly want to feel the blistering cold seeping through the screen this Christmas, then look no further than the Coen Brothers’ classic dark comedic thriller, **Fargo.\nSet in the vast wintery landscapes of Minnesota, with snow as far as the eye can see, Fargo is the ultimate winter movie.\nWith a genius script and exceptional performances from Frances McDormand, William H Macy and Steve Buscemi, this film is certainly a classic, if not a festive one.\nPerhaps not the “feel-good” movie you’re after at this time of year, but with plenty of laughs and an unforgettable scene involving a woodchipper, it is a film you will want to watch over and over.\n**Batman Returns ** The second entry from Tim Burton in this list is (what we consider to be) the best Batman film from the first cycle of the DC vigilante.\nTaking place over the Christmas period, Batman Returns follows our beloved Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) as he attempts to take down the evil Penguin whilst battling his love/hate relationship with Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman (so brilliantly played by Michelle Pfeiffer).\nThe film replicates the Christmas scenes in New York, with giant Christmas trees, excessive celebrations and a snow dusted skyline. Packed with plenty of action, fun and sexiness, Batman Returns is an excellent alternative to watch this Christmas\n**Krampus ** An alternative Christmas list would be incomplete without an addition from the horror genre.\nWhere Christmas is usually a time for loving and giving, and for feeling at home with all the family, European folklore created a story to add fear into children. It warns them of an evil horned creature called the Krampus that punishes those who are naughty – far more effective than the threat of a lump of coal in your stocking.\nThis is a comedic horror starring Adam Scott and Toni Collette which brings the Krampus into the family home – spoiler, it doesn’t make for a jolly good time.\n**Die Hard ** Okay, okay – let us off with this one.\nWe know it’s the most obvious-but-not-obvious entry on the list, often causing debate about whether it’s actually a Christmas film or not (we’re abstaining from this argument!) – but it does make for a good way to break up the twee and the heartwarming we see everywhere this time of year.\nWhen an office Christmas goes horribly wrong – after being invaded by German terrorist scrooges, the usual – John McClane (Bruce Willis) must put an end to the destruction and save his wife and her colleagues from a brutal death.\n**Die Hard is an action packed classic and is one of the most quotable films in history, especially McClane’s “now I have a machine gun, Ho Ho Ho!”.\nAlso containing one of Alan Rickman’s most memorable performances as the notorious Hans Gruber, Die Hard cannot be missed this Christmas.\n**Planes, Trains and Automobiles ** Although this film is set the night before Thanksgiving rather than anywhere near Christmas, it’s still centred around the idea of getting home in time for the holidays.\n**Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a John Hughesclassic starring the hilarious Steve Martin and John Candy as they make their way across the country, by any means necessary, to make it home to see their families.\nIt is one of the best buddy movies around, with such contrasting personalities between the two characters – an angry and cynical Steve Martin paired with a jolly, eccentric John Candy – and so the hilarity is inevitable.\nSo what’s on your watch list this Christmas? If you have any other alternative festive films you like to watch at this time of year, let us know! Tweet us at @thecineblog.\n* *\nSome other honourable mentions that didn’t quite make the main list:\n**Lethal Weapon\n**Kiss Kiss Bang Bang\nLA Confidential\n**101 Reykjavik\n**Go\nRare Export\n**Trading Places\n**Eyes Wide Shut\nReferences:\nIGN 4 206 Viewsadam scott alan rickman alternative christmas films alternative christmas movies Batman batman returns brazil brendan gleeson bruce willis christmas films christmas movies cineblog coen brothers colin farrell die hard edward scissorhands fargo fargo film fargo movie film blog film blogger film features film magazine film reviews frances mcdormand in bruges john candy john hughes krampus michael keaton michelle pfeiffer monty python movie blog movie blogger movie features movie magazine movie reviews planes trains and automobiles ralph fiennes steve buscemi steve martin terry gilliam the cineblog tim burton toni collette william h macy winona ryder Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/8-alternative-christmas-movies/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNothing brings the fam together at Christmas like a good movie – whether it’s a Christmas Eve tradition, a way to get you through the post-turkey stupor or something to snuggle up with on Boxing Day, we all love getting stuck in to great stories at this time of year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut if you’re over the usual Crimbo classics and looking for a movie that doesn’t involve green hairy fingers, \u003ca href=\"/tag/will-ferrell/\"\u003eWill Ferrell\u003c/a\u003e in tights or ghosts of Christmas past (though we love those too, obviously) – here’s some festive(ish) film recommendations to keep you entertained this week!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"8 Alternative Christmas Movies"},{"content":"**The Sinner, produced by and starringJessica Biel, and based on the novel by Petra Hammesfhar, is the sensational new Netflix Original mini-series that audiences are loving. With news of the opening episode’s shocking murder scene going viral, the success of the show has surpassed the expectations of those behind it.\nStarring Jessica Biel as Cora Tannetti, The Sinner follows her on what seems like any other day with her family. Spending some time at the beach, a group of young couples catch Cora’s eye, and suddenly, without explanation, she kills one of them in a seemingly random fit of rage. In charge of Cora’s case is Detective Ambrose (Bill Pullman), who invests all of his energy into proving there is an explanation for Cora’s gruesome act of murder. Cora’s husband Mason (Christopher Abbott), despite distraught with his wife, also won’t stop until he figures out the reason behind what she’s done.\nThe first episode does a lot of work to draw you in. Opening episodes usually begin slowly, setting up the show and the foundations towards a big climax. Here, the murder and who did it is revealed instantly, and we go on to find out more of her back story – you might expect this to diffuse the tension, but the shock value is what makes this show so worthwhile and different. There may not be over the top violence or graphic gore, but the juxtaposition between the family setting and a sudden act of murder flips the show on its head before it’s out of the gates.\nIt’s clear Cora has some past trauma from the offset, with a sense of unease in her general demeanour, but it is not clear how this is linked to the killing. The show is split roughly in half between the present day, and Cora’s childhood and teenage years.\nWhat unfolds throughout the season is a very cleverly constructed mystery, and it dips in and out of whether Cora is a reliable narrator to her own acts and memories. Similar to Memento, the audience must use the disjointed memories of the protagonist to figure things out.\nThe performances in The Sinner are believable and the one that surprises us the most is that of Bill Pullman’s. He has come back into the spotlight with a look of wisdom and experience, and his role as the aging detective whose own life is falling to pieces really plays into his new-found strengths and look.\nChristopher Abbott, probably best known for his role as Charlie in **Girls, comes into his own. He is nothing but believable and relateable as the everyday man who has suffered inexplicable trauma. He represents the audience by answering the question of “what would you do?”.\nThe themes of Catholicism and religion are what brings depth to the show. From the start, we are led to believe that Cora is the ‘sinner’, but as things unfold, so many other possibilities open up. It contains a lot of instances of God punishing those who act immorally, especially Cora, but this isn’t necessarily the underlying message of the show. It uses the religious element to drive the story but without forcing it down the audience’s throats.\nThe best thing about The Sinner is that it’s able to keep us guessing until the very end – a rare achievement these days. The reliability of Cora Tannetti is constantly under scrutiny, the agendas of other characters are never fully clear either and therefore the mystery remains until the credits rolls. You can tell the writers were allowed to get creative with Hammesfhar’s source material in the way they could portray the unravelling of the plot on screen, and it makes for a beautifully constructed piece of storytelling.\nIt’s unclear whether we will get Season 2 of The Sinner, seeing as the entire novel has been adapted for the series, but the sheer success of the show has got the production team wondering if they could perhaps expand the characters or go on the anthology route. To leave it as a one off would be satisfying enough, but the characters are strong enough that extending the story around them would certainly work too.\nWe give The Sinner the full 5 for proving the mystery genre isn’t dead, and for making audiences think again.*\nThe Sinner Season 1 is available on Netflix now.\nReferences:\nGlobal News Variety Digital Spy Vulture Inquisitr TV Guide 3 346 Viewsbill pullman christopher abbott cineblog film blog film magazine film reviews girls jessica biel memento movie blog movie magazine movie reviews netflix netflix original series netflix originals netflix reviews the cineblog the sinner the sinner review the sinner season 1 the sinner season 1 review tv magazine tv reviews Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/sinner-season-1-netflix-review-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-sinner/\"\u003eThe Sinner\u003c/a\u003e, produced by and starring\u003ca href=\"/tag/jessica-biel/\"\u003eJessica Biel\u003c/a\u003e, and based on the novel by Petra Hammesfhar, is the sensational new \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e Original mini-series that audiences are loving. With news of the opening episode’s shocking murder scene going viral, the success of the show has surpassed the expectations of those behind it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStarring Jessica Biel as Cora Tannetti, \u003cem\u003eThe Sinner\u003c/em\u003e follows her on what seems like any other day with her family. Spending some time at the beach, a group of young couples catch Cora’s eye, and suddenly, without explanation, she kills one of them in a seemingly random fit of rage. In charge of Cora’s case is Detective Ambrose (\u003ca href=\"/tag/bill-pullman/\"\u003eBill Pullman\u003c/a\u003e), who invests all of his energy into proving there is an explanation for Cora’s gruesome act of murder. Cora’s husband Mason (\u003ca href=\"/tag/christopher-abbott/\"\u003eChristopher Abbott\u003c/a\u003e), despite distraught with his wife, also won’t stop until he figures out the reason behind what she’s done.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Sinner | Season 1 | Netflix Review"},{"content":"How’s it hanging movie fans? We can’t get away with saying that, can we….?\nHere’s the latest news from the past week or so in film and TV – with the exception of the biggest thing that left movieland shooketh this week, the **Avengers: Infinity War trailer. We did a whole separate news item on that here, and it’s since become the most watch trailer of all time. Click here to see it again!\nJames Cameron reveals details about Avatar sequels The news broke a fair while ago now that director James Cameronhad big plans for the future of **Avatar – plans that consisted of 4 (yes, 4) sequels spanning over the next few years, with **Avatar 2 due to hit screens in 2020.\nThe film world was, let’s say, dubious about this.\nWhile Cameron’s ability to pull it off can’t be doubted – the first Avatar was one of the highest grossing films of all time after all – the idea of scheduling 4 sequels without knowing the success of the first ones does seem a bit premature.\nAnd so, in an interview with Vanity Fair this week, Cameron confirmed that the sequels aren’t set in stone.\nHe reportedly said “Let’s face it, if Avatar 2 and 3 don’t make enough money, there’s not going to be a 4 and 5,”\n“They’re fully encapsulated stories in and of themselves. It builds across the five films to a greater kind of meta narrative, but they’re fully formed films in their own right, unlike, say, the **Lord of the Ringstrilogy, where you really just had to sort of go, “Oh, shit, all right, well I guess I better come back next year.” Even though that all worked and everybody did.”\nOf course Cameron hopes for all 4 sequels to work, but we’ll have to wait and see. It’s been 8 years now since we last visited Pandora – a gap long enough for excitement for the world to perhaps dissipate – but we look forward to finding out what Jake Sully has been up to since.\nSteven Knight \u0026amp; Tom Hardy to adapt A Christmas Carol for the BBC The Radio Times shared this week that Steven Knight, the writer behind **Peaky Blinders and **Taboo, is set to team up with Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott‘s production team once again to bring Charles Dickens‘ classic A Christmas Carol to the small screen.\nA three-part adaptation will air in Christmas 2019 on BBC 1, and it’s thought more of Dickens’ work could be in the pipeline too.\nJudging by Knight’s past work (and collaborations with Tom Hardy), this will be a fairly dark spin on the tale – so, mark your diaries for two years’ time.\nDisney casts Liu Yifei as their live-action Mulan After the success of **Cinderella and **Beauty And The Beast, Disney plan to continue their remakes of their classics in live action – and **Mulan is one of the next on the list.\nThere has reportedly been a year long search for the right actress to play the lead, with the filmmakers travelling the world and seeing over 1000 actresses to find their Mulan – and now they have her.\nLiu Yifei was born in the Wuhan, Hubei province of China, and has previously starred in TV’s **Once Upon A Time and 2012’s **The Assassins.\nDisney quite rightly wanted to cast a Chinese actress (which is very welcome after numerous recent examples of ‘whitewashing’ in Hollywood), and Liu appears to be the perfect fit.\nNiki Caro is directing, and Mulan aims to be on screens in 2019.\nStranger Things and Mindhunter confirm new seasons This week, in the category of ‘news that surprises literally noone’, Netflix confirmed that everyone’s favourite bit of sci-fi nostalgia, **Stranger Things, will be back for a third season.\nGiven the cultural phenomenon that the series has produced, not to mention the stars it’s made of its young cast, this was very much expected – and whilst we’re ridiculously excited to see where it goes next, we’re hoping for something fresh in the third season. We just posted our review of **Stranger Things 2 earlier this week, which you can read by clicking here.\nAlso, in the category of ‘news that we saw coming a mile off’ – psychological cop drama **Mindhunterhas been renewed too. Given that Netflix pretty much always greenlights a second go for new shows, and the success the series has seen with audiences and critics alike, this was a welcome announcement. You can read our review of Mindhunter‘s first season here.\nHave a great week guys, see you back here soon.\nReferences:\nVanity Fair VG 247 Radio Times Pedestrian The Hollywood Reporter Indiewire Daily Journal 51 3007 Viewsa christmas carol avatar avatar 2 avengers infinity war beauty and the beast charles dickens cinderella cineblog cinema blog disney film blog film blogger film magazine film news james cameron liu yifei lord of the rings mindhunter movie blog movie blogger movie magazine movie news mulan netflix netflix originals niki caro once upon a time peaky blinders ridley scott. bbc steven knight stranger things stranger things 2 taboo the assassins the cineblog tom hardy tv blog tv news Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/movie-news-roundup-7-04122017/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHow’s it hanging movie fans? We can’t get away with saying that, can we….?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere’s the latest news from the past week or so in film and TV – with the exception of the biggest thing that left movieland shooketh this week, the **\u003ca href=\"/tag/avengers-infinity-war/\"\u003eAvengers: Infinity War\u003c/a\u003e trailer. We did a whole \u003ca href=\"/news/avengers-infinity-war/\"\u003eseparate news item on that here\u003c/a\u003e, and it’s since become the most watch trailer of all time. \u003ca href=\"/news/avengers-infinity-war/\"\u003eClick here\u003c/a\u003e to see it again!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Movie News Roundup #7 | December 4th"},{"content":"A Film Writer’s Education is a feature where our editor Sophie gets her act together, and watches all of those classic films that she should have seen by now, but hasn’t. She has neglected the icons for too long, and is going back through some of the biggest and best moments in cinema to get her knowledge up to scratch. To start with, we’re going through Empire’s most recent list of the 100 greatest movies, released in 2017, around 60 of which Sophie hasn’t seen. She’s doing the work so you don’t have to.\nNext up is Martin Scorcese’s Raging Bull. She’ll share her thoughts on the film, whether she thinks it deserves it’s much loved status – and warning! Spoilers galore. Enjoy.\nThere’s what feels like a whole subgenre of film involving Martin Scorcese and Robert DeNiro‘s partnership that I’ve just never felt attracted to.\nBoxing movies, too, have gone over my head. Why so many films about this one sport?!\n**Raging Bull felt like a good place to start to get to grips with what I’ve missed. Released in 1980, it’s directed by Scorcese and stars DeNiro as Jake La Motta, a tempestuous boxer determined to reach the top. He’s managed by his brother Joey (played by Joe Pesci), and falls for a girl called Vickie (Catherine Moriarty) who goes on to be his wife.\nThe film charts the progression of his life through the ups and downs of his boxing career, as well as how his relationships with those around him develop, and is based on the story of the real life boxer.\nThe title ‘Raging Bull’ feels accurate – there’s the sense of La Motta being primal, animalistic that runs throughout the film. He’s constantly like a loaded gun just waiting to blow, a bull ready to charge at any glimpse of red – he’s always on edge, and so are you as the audience. The tension around Jake’s temper is palpable, and whilst his fiery nature might be partly why he’s such a talented boxer, it also ultimately becomes his undoing.\nThere’s interesting filmmaking here; the majority of the film is beautifully shot in black and white, giving an especially old time feel, and the use of light and shadow to emphasise this is really striking and beautiful at times.\nDuring one of Jake’s iconic fights with Sugar Ray Robinson, there’s a glorious sweeping, slo-mo shot that seems to emulate La Motta swinging his head up to face his opponent, and it’s extremely striking. Another standout scene is when Jake is thrown into a cell later in life and we see perhaps his most vulnerable moment of all, held in one shot, a chink of light coming in to the otherwise black square room.\nClassical music is often juxtaposed against the fight scenes, making the violence feel more like poetry, a dance routine, and the opening credits use this to especially memorable effect.\nScorcese also frames his actors masterfully, with wonderful use of close up portrait shots – particularly in the earlier scenes.\nAs much as Raging Bull is clearly a masterpiece directorially, the development of the characters and nature of the protagonist made this a really jarring film for me.\nJake begins his relationship with Vicki in, to modern eyes, a very predatory way. She’s supposed to only be 15 when they meet (though Moriarty is clearly much older), and I just can’t understand the choice to make her so young on screen even if it was that way in real life. It might not have felt so on release, but in light of how the world is opening it’s eyes to sexual crimes in Hollywood and beyond, watching Jake and Vickie get closer sexually was uncomfortable to watch with her age in mind.\nThe vile treatment of women continues throughout the film – Jake is monstrously possessive of Vickie, jealous at any contact she has with another man, and it’s his paranoia (or not) concerning her that is a driver for his character development. The way he slaps her about is really hard to watch, and there’s a persistent misogyny towards female characters from all angles.\nI know we have to tell stories about uncomfortable things sometimes, and that the film is actually based on real life people, but it was challenging for me to comprehend how Raging Bull can be so revered and yet so problematic in it’s depiction of marriage, domestic violence and its female characters.\nJake (and Joey, for that matter) are so unlikable, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, that’s it hard to find someone to latch on to as the viewer, someone to take you along with the story that you can empathise with.\nDeNiro’s outstanding performance is unquestionable (though his aging prosthetics in the latter stages of the film certainly are), and it does leave you unexpectedly pitying him in the end.\n**Would I watch it again? Not by choice, and Raging Bull won’t be making my top 10 movies any time soon. A class act in direction, but a film whose morals leave a lot to be desired. **\nIf you do want to give Raging Bull a chance, it is streaming on Now TV at time of publishing, or you can buy the DVD here.\nReferences:\nCinemas-Online Deadline Burg Kino Gables Cinema 48 5212 Viewsa film writer\u0026rsquo;s education catherine moriarty cineblog cinema blog film blog film blogger film features film magazine film reviews joe pesci martin scorcese movie blog movie features movie magazine movie reviews raging bull robert deniro the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/film/a-film-writers-education-raging-bull/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/a-film-writers-education/\"\u003eA Film Writer’s Education\u003c/a\u003e is a feature where our editor Sophie gets her act together, and watches all of those classic films that she should have seen by now, but hasn’t. She has neglected the icons for too long, and is going back through some of the biggest and best moments in cinema to get her knowledge up to scratch. To start with, we’re going through Empire’s most recent list of the 100 greatest movies, released in 2017, around 60 of which Sophie hasn’t seen. She’s doing the work so you don’t have to.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Film Writer's Education: Raging Bull"},{"content":"When **Stranger Things hit Netflix just over a year ago, even the Duffer brothers that created it could not have predicted the cultural phenomenon it would become.\nInternet memes, the faces of the child stars on the covers of magazines, clothing ranges, Halloween costumes and a huge resurgence in love for Winona Ryder – just some of the ripple effects from this charming piece of 80s sci-fi horror nostalgia.\nNot surprising, then, that it was granted a second season, and the hype amongst audiences around our return to Hawkins made it one of the biggest TV moments of the year.\nBut could Stranger Things 2 deliver?\nWe pick the story back up with the gang – now reunited with Will (Noah Schnapp) – a year after the Demogorgon rampaged the small town. They’re a little older but retain the spark and enthusiasm that made us love them the first time; and though Will managed to escape the Upside Down, he definitely did not do so unscathed.\nMike (Finn Wolfhard) seems lost without Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), whom he grew so close to in the first season; Hopper (David Harbour) forms an unlikely companionship that provides some of the best moments of the show; and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) is still (seemingly) loved up with Steve (Joe Keery).\nThere’s some new characters in the mix – Sadie Sink plays Max, a master of the arcade that joins the group and comes between Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and her animalistic brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) becomes the human antagonist of the piece.\nAnd, Samwise Gangee himself (aka. Sean Astin) enters as a love interest for Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), putting a smile on everyone’s faces with a turn full of light.\nIn a recent Empire feature, the Duffer brothers talked about how they always approached Stranger Things as a two parter, that the second season would be an extension of the first, rounding off the story – and that’s definitely how it comes across.\nWe see a lot of the same motifs from the first season – childish language to describe monsters or sci-fi concepts, the continued ramsacking of the Byers house, references to Dungeon \u0026amp; Dragons – but done in a bigger and better way. Whilst it all still works to suck you into the world as it did the first time round, you are aware of the show hitting the same beats.\nThe story may feel familiar, but the performances have majorly stepped up. Noah Schnapp as Will is remarkable, delivering some really intense and emotional scenes with the gravitas of a much older actor. He evokes fear and vulnerability and even dissociation so clearly, and his connection with his mum and Mike is palpable.\nMillie Bobby Brown as Eleven is terrific yet again, and gives Schnapp a run for his money as to who steals the show. We learn a lot more about her character, which is great context for the story and the world as a whole, though can make for some of the weaker moments in the series. Her and Mike are separated for a fair while, and both Brown and Finn Wolfhard (Mike) show the emotional impact that has on them brilliantly.\nAll of the characters develop incredibly – Steve Harrington’s progression has become an internet and Twitter meme sensation, particularly his relationship with Dustin and how he becomes a caring figure for the kids.\nNancy and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) have a subplot that is necessary but less gripping, but done really well by the two actors.\nThere’s various love triangles going on throughout the generations of the characters which makes for a interesting romantic spin on the plot, but it’s all done in a heartwarming way rather than cloying.\nJust like the first season, there’s true, creepy horror in here too – episode 6 is a masterclass in scares, not to mention violence and themes of possession dotted throughout the story.\nThe verdict? We loved it. There’s ways that Stranger Things 2 is better than the first, but the familiarity and retreading of the plot means it’s 4 stars rather than 5. Whilst the characters most definitely have legs and fans will be delighted, we need to see something new story-wise if we’re to return to Hawkins.\n**Stranger Things 2 is streaming now on Netflix.\nReferences:\nBusiness Insider Nerdist Polygon Business Insider 40 4023 Viewscaleb mclaughlin charlie heaton cineblog dacre montgomery david harbour duffer brothers film blog film reviews finn wolfhard gaten matarazzo joe keery millie bobby brown movie blog movie reviews natalia dyer netflix netflix review noah schnapp sadie sink sean astin stranger things stranger things 2 stranger things 2 review stranger things season 2 stranger things season 2 review the cineblog tv reviews winona ryder Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/netflix/stranger-things-2-netflix-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhen **\u003ca href=\"/tag/stranger-things/\"\u003eStranger Things\u003c/a\u003e hit \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e just over a year ago, even the \u003ca href=\"/tag/duffer-brothers/\"\u003eDuffer brothers\u003c/a\u003e that created it could not have predicted the cultural phenomenon it would become.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInternet memes, the faces of the child stars on the covers of magazines, clothing ranges, Halloween costumes and a huge resurgence in love for Winona Ryder – just some of the ripple effects from this charming piece of 80s sci-fi horror nostalgia.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot surprising, then, that it was granted a second season, and the hype amongst audiences around our return to Hawkins made it one of the biggest TV moments of the year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stranger Things 2 | Netflix Review"},{"content":"When **Stranger Things hit Netflix just over a year ago, even the Duffer brothers that created it could not have predicted the cultural phenomenon it would become.\nInternet memes, the faces of the child stars on the covers of magazines, clothing ranges, Halloween costumes and a huge resurgence in love for Winona Ryder – just some of the ripple effects from this charming piece of 80s sci-fi horror nostalgia.\nNot surprising, then, that it was granted a second season, and the hype amongst audiences around our return to Hawkins made it one of the biggest TV moments of the year.\nBut could Stranger Things 2 deliver?\nWe pick the story back up with the gang – now reunited with Will (Noah Schnapp) – a year after the Demogorgon rampaged the small town. They’re a little older but retain the spark and enthusiasm that made us love them the first time; and though Will managed to escape the Upside Down, he definitely did not do so unscathed.\nMike (Finn Wolfhard) seems lost without Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), whom he grew so close to in the first season; Hopper (David Harbour) forms an unlikely companionship that provides some of the best moments of the show; and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) is still (seemingly) loved up with Steve (Joe Keery).\nThere’s some new characters in the mix – Sadie Sink plays Max, a master of the arcade that joins the group and comes between Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and her animalistic brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) becomes the human antagonist of the piece.\nAnd, Samwise Gangee himself (aka. Sean Astin) enters as a love interest for Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), putting a smile on everyone’s faces with a turn full of light.\nIn a recent Empire feature, the Duffer brothers talked about how they always approached Stranger Things as a two parter, that the second season would be an extension of the first, rounding off the story – and that’s definitely how it comes across.\nWe see a lot of the same motifs from the first season – childish language to describe monsters or sci-fi concepts, the continued ramsacking of the Byers house, references to Dungeon \u0026amp; Dragons – but done in a bigger and better way. Whilst it all still works to suck you into the world as it did the first time round, you are aware of the show hitting the same beats.\nThe story may feel familiar, but the performances have majorly stepped up. Noah Schnapp as Will is remarkable, delivering some really intense and emotional scenes with the gravitas of a much older actor. He evokes fear and vulnerability and even dissociation so clearly, and his connection with his mum and Mike is palpable.\nMillie Bobby Brown as Eleven is terrific yet again, and gives Schnapp a run for his money as to who steals the show. We learn a lot more about her character, which is great context for the story and the world as a whole, though can make for some of the weaker moments in the series. Her and Mike are separated for a fair while, and both Brown and Finn Wolfhard (Mike) show the emotional impact that has on them brilliantly.\nAll of the characters develop incredibly – Steve Harrington’s progression has become an internet and Twitter meme sensation, particularly his relationship with Dustin and how he becomes a caring figure for the kids.\nNancy and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) have a subplot that is necessary but less gripping, but done really well by the two actors.\nThere’s various love triangles going on throughout the generations of the characters which makes for a interesting romantic spin on the plot, but it’s all done in a heartwarming way rather than cloying.\nJust like the first season, there’s true, creepy horror in here too – episode 6 is a masterclass in scares, not to mention violence and themes of possession dotted throughout the story.\nThe verdict? We loved it. There’s ways that Stranger Things 2 is better than the first, but the familiarity and retreading of the plot means it’s 4 stars rather than 5. Whilst the characters most definitely have legs and fans will be delighted, we need to see something new story-wise if we’re to return to Hawkins.\n**Stranger Things 2 is streaming now on Netflix.\nReferences:\nBusiness Insider Nerdist Polygon Business Insider 53 5174 Viewscaleb mclaughlin charlie heaton cineblog dacre montgomery david harbour duffer brothers film blog film reviews finn wolfhard gaten matarazzo joe keery millie bobby brown movie blog movie reviews natalia dyer netflix netflix review noah schnapp sadie sink sean astin stranger things stranger things 2 stranger things 2 review stranger things season 2 stranger things season 2 review the cineblog tv reviews winona ryder Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/stranger-things-2-netflix-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhen **\u003ca href=\"/tag/stranger-things/\"\u003eStranger Things\u003c/a\u003e hit \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e just over a year ago, even the \u003ca href=\"/tag/duffer-brothers/\"\u003eDuffer brothers\u003c/a\u003e that created it could not have predicted the cultural phenomenon it would become.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInternet memes, the faces of the child stars on the covers of magazines, clothing ranges, Halloween costumes and a huge resurgence in love for Winona Ryder – just some of the ripple effects from this charming piece of 80s sci-fi horror nostalgia.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot surprising, then, that it was granted a second season, and the hype amongst audiences around our return to Hawkins made it one of the biggest TV moments of the year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stranger Things 2 | Netflix Review"},{"content":"Deep breaths, everyone…\nHoly fricking moly – the trailer for **Avengers: Infinity War is finally here.\nMarvel have finally dropped a teaser for their biggest (and hopefully best) film yet.\nWe know you don’t really care what we’re writing about, because all you want to do is see the trailer. So, let’s get that out the way:\nAvengers: Infinity War is the 3rd Avengers films (after **Avengers Assemble and **Age of Ultron), and is coming to UK cinemas in April 2018. It’s the culmination of almost a decade’s worth of movies, of post credit stings, of character crossovers, and will feature the biggest number of supes in one film yet.\nWhat brings them all together? Josh Brolin as Thanos, and his special glove (well, it is getting cold out), which he needs to complete with the Infinity Stones that we’ve seen popping up in various films throughout the cinematic universe.\nSo what can we learn from the trailer? Here’s the headlines: Cap’s got a beardy new look, Bucky is free, and there’s almost every Marvel star yet included.\nWe seem to see the heroes in several groups – first, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) coming across Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Then Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) with Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) in Wakanda. And, right at the end, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) meeting the Guardians of the Galaxy (including Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana).\nThere’s also hint of a romantic moment between Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and a more humanized Vision (Paul Bettany), and we seem to see Loki (Tom Hiddleston) handing over the Tesseract to someone.\nNot to mention,Tom Holland‘s arm hairs get a starring moment as Peter Parker spots an alien spaceship above NYC.\nSome of the team are also missing – we don’t really see Paul Rudd or Evangeline Lilly as Antman and The Wasp, but we’re pretty sure they’ll be appearing.\nThere’s a lot going on – so much that you have to wonder how they’re going to manage to juggle all these characters, give them enough screen time to shine AND have an actual engaging, well structured plot. But, after the critical success of **Captain America: Civil War, we have to have faith in the Russo brothers to pull it off.\nIf the sight of all those supers running to camera wasn’t enough to get you excited, Vanity Fair also shared four of their fantastic upcoming covers featuring the whole gang in costume. Take a look below!\nWe’re don’t think we’ll be able to get rid of this grin until 2018. See you all then…\nReferences:\nComic Book.com Vanity Fair 50 3155 Viewsavengers age of ultron avengers assemble avengers infinity war benedict cumberbatch captain america civil war chadwick boseman chris evans chris hemsworth chris pratt cineblog elizabeth olsen evangeline lilly film blog film magazine film news josh brolin mark ruffalo marvel MCU movie blog movie news paul bettany paul rudd robert downey jr russo brothers scarlett johansson sebastian stan the cineblog tom hiddleston tom holland zoe saldana Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/avengers-infinity-war/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDeep breaths, everyone…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoly fricking moly – the trailer for **\u003ca href=\"/tag/avengers-infinity-war/\"\u003eAvengers: Infinity War\u003c/a\u003e is finally here.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/marvel/\"\u003eMarvel\u003c/a\u003e have finally dropped a teaser for their biggest (and hopefully best) film yet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe know you don’t really care what we’re writing about, because all you want to do is see the trailer. So, let’s get that out the way:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAvengers: Infinity War\u003c/em\u003e is the 3rd Avengers films (after **\u003ca href=\"/tag/avengers-assemble/\"\u003eAvengers Assemble\u003c/a\u003e and **\u003ca href=\"/tag/avengers-age-of-ultron/\"\u003eAge of Ultron\u003c/a\u003e), and is coming to UK cinemas in April 2018. It’s the culmination of almost a decade’s worth of movies, of post credit stings, of character crossovers, and will feature the biggest number of supes in one film yet.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Avengers: Infinity War Trailer Is Here!"},{"content":"Hi-de-hi movie lovers! Here’s the biggest news from the world of film and television that broke this week, collated below for your reading pleasure.\nFrom our Jurassic family to yours. @FilmBayona @PrattPrattPratt @BryceDHoward @LeDoctor #FALLENKINGDOM pic.twitter.com/KiR3et9Vx1\n— Colin Trevorrow (@colintrevorrow) November 22, 2017\nFirst teaser of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom After the roaring success of **Jurassic World in 2015, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are returning for another instalment in the dino franchise – **Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.\nAnd we got our very first glimpse into the new film this week when producer and writer Colin Trevorrow shared a clip of Pratt’s Owen Grady making friends with the most adorable baby raptor.\nShowing us just 6 seconds feels kind of mean, but nonetheless gets us excited for another romp through Isla Nublar that is hopefully just as fun as the last.\nThe film will also star Toby Jones, Rafe Spall and the legendary Jeff Goldblum, and is being directed by J. A. Bayona.\nJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will hit cinemas in June 2018.\nJude Law thought to be heading for Captain Marvel Potentially the second big piece of casting news for Jude Law in as many weeks, Variety reported this week that he is in negotiations to star as the male lead opposite Brie Larson in **Captain Marvel, the MCU‘s first female-led film.\nLaw is suspected to be playing Dr Walter Lawson (also known as Mar-Vell), who acts as a mentor to Carol Danvers (real name of Captain Marvel) as she acquires her super powers.\nMarvel announced at this year’s San Diego Comic Con that Captain Marvel would be set in the 1990s, way before the Avengers are formed, and Samuel L Jackson is expected to appear as Nick Fury.\nCaptain Marvel should be with us in 2019, and this is the second big role announcement for Law after it was confirmed he’d be featuring as a young Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts sequel, **The Crimes of Grindelwald.\nDisney Pixar’s John Lasseter taking leave after misconduct allegations The momentum of sexual assault allegations and calling out the misogyny in Hollywood rolls on, and another huge member of the community is now in the spotlight.\nJohn Lasseter is the head of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation, and has had great success and acclaim for films including Toy Story and the new hit Coco.\nHe recently made a statement saying he would be taking leave for at least 6 months from the company after acknowledging he has made ‘missteps’, and anonymous sources have spoken about the ongoing misconduct he has shown towards women at Pixar, and how he is known to exhibit such behaviour.\nHave a read of the full story shared here on The Hollywood Reporter.\nDeath On The Nile being adapted 20th Century Fox have seen positive box office results with this year’s **Murder On The Orient Express, with it set to pass $150 million worldwide, and so are set to adapt a new Poirot classic, which will also star Kenneth Branagh and his alarming moustache.\nThe follow up film will be **Death On The Nile, and the only person confirmed is writer Michael Green, though Branagh is expected to direct again too.\nThat’s all the headlines for now – we’ll be back with more movie news next week.\nReferences:\nEmpire Online Variety Vanity Fair Telemundo The Hollywood Reporter Variety Vox 55 3334 Viewsbrie larson bryce dallas howard captain marvel chris pratt cineblog cinema blog cinema news colin trevorrow death on the nile fantastic beasts fantastic beasts the crimes of grindelwald film blog film news j a bayona jeff goldblum john lasseter jude law jurassic world jurassic world fallen kingdom kenneth branagh marvel MCU michael green movie blog movie news murder on the orient express rafe spall samuel l jackson the cineblog toby jones Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/movie-news-roundup-6-26112017/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHi-de-hi movie lovers! Here’s the biggest news from the world of film and television that broke this week, collated below for your reading pleasure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom our Jurassic family to yours. @FilmBayona @PrattPrattPratt @BryceDHoward @LeDoctor #FALLENKINGDOM pic.twitter.com/KiR3et9Vx1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e— Colin Trevorrow (@colintrevorrow) November 22, 2017\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"first-teaser-of-jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst teaser of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the roaring success of **\u003ca href=\"/tag/jurassic-world/\"\u003eJurassic World\u003c/a\u003e in 2015, \u003ca href=\"/tag/chris-pratt/\"\u003eChris Pratt\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/bryce-dallas-howard/\"\u003eBryce Dallas Howard\u003c/a\u003e are returning for another instalment in the dino franchise – **\u003ca href=\"/tag/jurassic-park-fallen-kingdom/\"\u003eJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Movie News Roundup #6"},{"content":"Name: Jack Nicholson\nDOB: 22 April 1937\nNationality: American\nActing appearances: 75\nOscars: 3\nJack Nicholson turned 80 (!) earlier this year, and to celebrate we will be looking at some of the notable performances throughout his illustrious acting career.\nArguably one of the greatest actors of our time, he has appeared in some of the best and most memorable movies ever made. With his devilishly striking good looks and unmistakable voice, he has become an icon of cinema and pop culture worldwide, gaining 3 Academy Awards and a further 9 nominations amongst others. He continued to set the bar higher and higher as he gained experience in the film industry, and his peak years in film are matched by few others.\nFIRST FILM APPEARANCE: THE CRY BABY KILLER (1958) A baby-faced Nicholson made his first film appearance in The Cry Baby Killer, at the young age of 21. It’s not the first film that springs to mind when you think of Nicholson’s career, and not commonly known to be his debut – many often wrongly think his first appearance to be **The Little Shop of Horrors.\nNicholson plays Jimmy Wallace, a young delinquent who believes he has committed manslaughter when out with some local hoodlums. He proceeds to take many people hostage while the police surround him and attempt to rescue those Jimmy has taken captive.\nVery much a cult film of the era, it was extremely hard to get hold of until 2006 when it was finally released on DVD; however this is still hard to get your hands on outside of the US.\nBEST PERFORMANCE: ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975) Out of many brilliant performances by Nicholson, his portrayal of R P McMurphy in **One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is easily his finest, and landed him his first win at the Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role.\nIn a film filled with so much beauty and pain, Nicholson is the shining light that carries the film, and is the powerful force which drives it along to its incredible finale.\nMcMurphy is a criminal who pleads insanity, and when institutionalised he helps the terrified patients stand up to Nurse Ratched in a bid to save themselves from her horrid ways, and rebel against her. It is a heart-breaking yet funny film which is a firm favourite of many, and is a standout piece in one of the golden eras of cinema.\nOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of those films which stays with you forever, and Nicholson’s involvement is undeniably a big part of its success. He is a perfect fit for his role, and his unique features and persona match the themes of the film so impeccably.\nCULTURAL ICON : THE SHINING (1980) When you think of Jack Nicholson, it’s hard to not immediately picture him as Jack Torrance, the homicidal caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, axing his way through a door whilst Shelley Duvall screams in terror.\nA Stephen King classic expertly adapted by Stanley Kubrick, **The Shining is revered as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. It follows Jack Torrance and his wife and young child as they move into the Overlook Hotel for the winter months as the new caretakers. As Jack discovers the hotel’s darkest secrets, and his son has terrible visions, Jack unravels and becomes hell bent on terrorising his family, whom have no escape.\nThough Nicholson was already an established actor, it was his role as Jack Torrance which propelled him into becoming a pop culture icon. Everyone knows the line “Heeeeere’s Johnny” – a famously improvised line from Nicholson – and who would have thought how famous a quote it would become. The image which comes with it is almost as famous as the line itself, and is one which almost everyone recognises, whether or not they have seen the film.\nIt was Nicholson’s dynamic personality and undeniable facial animation which allowed him to thrive as Jack Torrance. Completely unravelling and letting loose as an actor mirrored the breaking down of the main character’s sanity in the progression of the film, leading up to its creepy ending. He is absolutely terrifying and extremely powerful.\nA MAN OF HOLLYWOOD: BATMAN (1989) By this point in his career, Nicholson was one of the most famous men alive. His career was at its peak and he had already gained numerous awards to his name. It was time for him to have a bit of fun, and get involved in the Hollywood machine, and he landed a starring role in one of the first great superhero movies of our time. The original ****Batman (1989) movie from Tim Burton was a playful, gothic masterpiece, and Nicholson’s role as the Joker made it that extra bit fantastical.\nIt was the first portrayal of the Joker that gained any true acclaim. Again, Nicholson’s unique facial features made him the perfect man for the job. His comedic flair truly came to light and he looked to be completely enjoying himself.\nPartnered up with Tim Burton’s signature style and costume designs, Nicholson’s Joker is one of the most famous villains in the superhero genre. Despite Heath Ledger’s exceptional portrayal of the same character, Nicholson’s own efforts cannot be taken away. With his blood red smile, and bright purple and green clothing, he was a cartoonish delight with the most evil of tendencies.\nGUILTY PLEASURE: WOLF (1994) We all have guilty pleasures, and when admiration for an actor is so strong, you can’t help but love all that they are in. **Wolf (1994) is our guilty pleasure of Nicholson’s career. It’s one of many predictable werewolf tales told in Hollywood – but one starring Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer was always going to be a hit amongst audiences, even if it’s not quite up there in terms of critical acclaim.\nAnd if you don’t like the film, you can’t deny that you must have watched it just to get a glimpse of Pfeiffer’s gorgeous werewolf eyes…\nWhilst this may be a mere snippet of his career, you cannot deny the impact Jack Nicholson has had on the film industry. Do be sure to check out the remainder of his back catalogue (especially those from the 70s and 80s) if you haven’t done so before.\nHis other notable performances include Chinatown, **As Good as It Gets, About Schmidt,A Few Good Men, **Easy Rider, and **Terms of Endearment.\nReferences:\nNY Daily News The Potato IMDB The Verge 13th Floor Playbuzz Critics Round Up 6 207 Viewsa few good men about schmidt as good as it gets Batman batman 1989 chinatown cry baby killer easy rider feature film blog fixate film heath ledger jack nicholson legacy michelle pfeiffer one flew over the cuckoos nest profile stanley kubrick Stephen King terms of endearment the cry baby killer the little shop of horrors the shining tim burton wolf wolf 1994\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/jack-nicholson-a-legacy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eName: Jack Nicholson\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDOB: 22 April 1937\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNationality: American\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eActing appearances: 75\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOscars: 3\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/jack-nicholson/\"\u003eJack Nicholson\u003c/a\u003e turned 80 (!) earlier this year, and to celebrate we will be looking at some of the notable performances throughout his illustrious acting career.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArguably one of the greatest actors of our time, he has appeared in some of the best and most memorable movies ever made. With his devilishly striking good looks and unmistakable voice, he has become an icon of cinema and pop culture worldwide, gaining 3 Academy Awards and a further 9 nominations amongst others. He continued to set the bar higher and higher as he gained experience in the film industry, and his peak years in film are matched by few others.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Jack Nicholson: A Legacy"},{"content":"Easily one of the most controversial films of the past year, **Raw has become an instant classic of modern European cinema.\nWith heavy emphasis on supposed fainting audience members in the marketing campaign, Raw was always going to gain vast exposure, whether people ended up finding it too disturbing or disappointing. The good news? We certainly weren’t disappointed.\nDirected by Julia Ducournau, Raw follows Justine, a teenager raised in a family of vegetarians who is starting her first year at veterinary college, which her sister also attends and her parents in the past. During her first night, she is roped into a brutal hazing ritual involving all-nighters, debauchery and being forced to eat raw meat, and with a desperate need to fit in and follow in her family’s footsteps, she obliges. Upon eating the raw flesh, she soon finds she has developed an uncontrollable craving for it.\nRaw is a coming of age movie like no other. Whilst on the surface it plays like a young woman discovering her taste for cannibalism, deep down it delves into the struggles of finding your own identity when moving into adulthood and away from the parental home. Between each grotesque scene of violence and gore you will find amusing and relatable anecdotes, common in the social growth of many young women. Justine is discovering things many may remember from that age. The violence of the movie plays well into the sexual and emotional awakening of young womanhood, but it also separates her from the rest of her peers, heightening Justine’s sense of loneliness as she struggles to find her way.\nMany comparisons have been made between this film and the likes of body-horror veteran David Cronenberg‘s body of work, and of Stephen King’s *Carrie, * and we believe that a further comparison can be drawn between that of the questionable but notable film **Teeth(2007). The forced sexual awakening upon the discovery of her body’s desires and capabilities sends Justine on a downward spiral, yes, but it also sends fear into those who may encounter her. Whereas Teeth was a bit more obvious in its approach, the ideology is virtually mirrored in Raw. She punishes those who force themselves upon her with visible, physical consequences, giving feminism a cannibalistic push into the ether – maybe providing the feminist film needed in the current climate and turmoil of the entertainment industry.\nWe’ve found that, especially in recent years, the actors in European cinema offer nothing less than complete sincerity – and Raw is no different. The performances are understated and well-executed, and Garance Marillier is fantastic in her role as Justine. She holds a certain youthfulness to her which makes the violence so much harder to watch. Ella Rumpf is equally as impressive as Justine’s older and more streetwise sister Alexia, and the relationship between the two on screen is so blindingly convincing that the last act of the film becomes more far more shocking than if it had been portrayed by anyone else.\nWe give Raw 4 stars for being an almost perfect movie. Almost perfect in that it ticks all the right boxes, but Justine’s transformation does feel ever so slightly rushed. It is not a film for everyone, especially those with a weak disposition – but if you’re a horror and gore fan, this is definite watch.\nRaw is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray.\nReferences:\nUnifrance Newshub 5 215 Viewscarrie cineblog cinema blog cinema magazine david cronenberg film blog film magazine film review film reviews garance marillier julia ducournau movie blog movie magazine movie review movie reviews raw raw cannibalism film raw film raw film review raw movie raw movie review Stephen King teeth the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/raw-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEasily one of the most controversial films of the past year, **\u003ca href=\"/TAG/RAW/\"\u003eRaw\u003c/a\u003e has become an instant classic of modern European cinema.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith heavy emphasis on supposed fainting audience members in the marketing campaign, \u003cem\u003eRaw\u003c/em\u003e was always going to gain vast exposure, whether people ended up finding it too disturbing or disappointing. The good news? We certainly weren’t disappointed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDirected by \u003ca href=\"/tag/julia-docournau/\"\u003eJulia Ducournau\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003e, Raw\u003c/em\u003e follows  Justine, a teenager raised in a family of vegetarians who is starting her first year at veterinary college, which her sister also attends and her parents in the past. During her first night, she is roped into a brutal hazing ritual involving all-nighters, debauchery and being forced to eat raw meat, and with a desperate need to fit in and follow in her family’s footsteps, she obliges. Upon eating the raw flesh, she soon finds she has developed an uncontrollable craving for it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Raw Film Review"},{"content":"**Mindhunter is one of Netflix’s most recent original productions and has been the latest sensation to tap into audiences’ obsessions with serial killers.\nProduced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron, and based on the true crime book *Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit *by John E Douglas and Mark Olshaker, Mindhunter is dark exploration into the minds of real life killers.\nThe series is set in 1977, at a time when criminal psychology was in its infancy – there was no attempt to understand the behaviours of serial killers up until now, with most instead being institutionalised.\nIt follows Special Agents Holden Ford (Jonathon Groff), a former hostage negotiator, and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) of the FBI’s Behavioural Sciences Unit as they embark on a journey to study the minds of convicted serial killers in the hope that they can help solve and prevent future cases. Enlisting the help of Dr Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), their research gains national coverage and interest, allowing them to go on and interview some of America’s most notorious serial killers.\nIf there is one thing that we know David Fincher does well, it’s serial killer stories. Following the success of his film’s **Se7enand **Zodiac, it was only a matter of time before he ventured back into the grizzly genre.\nThe series takes a different route through the genre than one may expect. Taking the focus away from the thriller and horror aspects of crime, it creates a dialogue about the subject, replicating the journey the characters go through themselves. The killers they interview are already convicted, so this isn’t about showing horrific murders on screen. What’s more disturbing is the killer themselves describing what they did, how they did it and why. With famous killers coming into play such as Edmund Kemper, Jerry Brudos and Richard Speck, the personality dynamics which are brought to the forefront are nothing short of completely awe-inspiring, intriguing and unmissable.\nOf particular note is Cameron Britton as the giant Edmund Kemper, or Big Ed. He dominates every scene he appears in, and captures the intelligence that Kemper was known to have as well as the amicable nature he oozes. Also, the pure menace of his killings are so brilliantly executed in his dialogue, he becomes equally terrifying as he is endearing.\nWith a series like this, there is less opportunity for sub-plots, however the writers have managed to weave in the odd crime to solve every few episodes. These coincide with the behaviours and themes they are exploring with each interview. We also get to see the personal relationships each of the agents have, which helps to explain the reasons behind their reactions to their subjects’ stories.\nIt provides the backstory to the world’s obsession with serial killers. Holden Ford’s drive to pursue the research shows that he may have been ahead of his time, and this is a slice of history with added flair to make it incredibly entertaining.\nUnfortunately, the series ends with a bit of an anticlimax. It provides no explanation for the appearance of one character with his own separate story arc. He appears in each episode, but only for a snippet of time; however in the end we are left without explanation. There is no development here, and it leads us on to believe that the two stories will collide and create a climactic finale. This is quite a disappointing and almost devious way to present such a storyline, and we can only hope that this will be the basis for season 2.\nIt is for the reason above that we cannot give Mindhunter the full 5 stars, but what is left is a truly great and original show. It knows what its audience wants and shoves it straight in their face. 4 stars is well deserved, and we cannot wait for the next season.\nWatch Mindhunter Season 1 now on Netflix.\nReferences:\nDen of Geek Newsweek 4 231 Viewsanna torv cameron britton charles manson charlize theron cineblog cinema blog cinema magazine cinema reviews david fincher edmund kemper film blog film magazine film reviews holt mccallany jonathan groff mindhunter movie blog movie reviews netflix netflix review Review se7en Season 1 serial killer the cineblog true crime true story zodiac Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/mindhunter-season-1-netflix-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/mindhunter/\"\u003eMindhunter\u003c/a\u003e is one of \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e’s most recent original productions and has been the latest sensation to tap into audiences’ obsessions with serial killers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by \u003ca href=\"/tag/david-fincher/\"\u003eDavid Fincher\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/charlize-theron/\"\u003eCharlize Theron\u003c/a\u003e, and based on the true crime book *Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit *by John E Douglas and Mark Olshaker, \u003cem\u003eMindhunter\u003c/em\u003e is dark exploration into the minds of real life killers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe series is set in 1977, at a time when criminal psychology was in its infancy – there was no attempt to understand the behaviours of serial killers up until now, with most instead being institutionalised.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mindhunter Season 1 | Netflix Review"},{"content":"Ahoy there movie fans! We’ve been rounding up the biggest movie news of the past week or so for you – take a look below. Or, if you want to see the latest trailers, click here.\nNew Terminator film gets writer Billy Ray on board Well, he did say he’d be back…\nYes, Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to return to the Terminator franchise in a new film, and he’s not the only icon of the series coming back – Linda Hamilton is on board, much to the delight of film fans!\nAfter the panning that Terminator: Genisys received from critics and fans alike, this new Terminator movie will have a young female hero as the focus, and will hopefully hit screens in 2019. The team they’ve put together so far is looking good, with **Deadpool directory Tim Miller at the helm, James Cameron producing, and now screenwriter Billy Ray (who has worked on **Captain Phillips and **The Hunger Games) is set to rewrite the existing first versions of the script produced by a writers room.\nJames Franco could be Marvel’s Multiple Man James Franco is reportedly in talks with Fox to star in a film about the Marvel character Multiple Man.\nReal name Jamie Madrox, Multiple Man is a character from the X-Men universe who can clone himself. To help control his power, he wears a special suit designed by Professor Charles Xavier – but when the suit begins to malfunction, chaos (and cloning, no doubt) ensues.\nFranco isn’t confirmed yet, though we have already seen him in the Marvel universe in a previous iteration of Spiderman – he played Harry Osborn in the first of Sam Raimi‘s trilogy.\nIt’s thought that Allen Heinberg, writer of **Wonder Woman, is also in talks to work on the script.\nFox is well underway with expanding the X-Men universe, with films out in 2018 including **The New Mutants, Deadpool 2 and X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and this could be another to add to the list.\nFantastic Beasts sequel is named Potter fans got excited this week as the sequel to 2016’s **Fantastic Beasts \u0026amp; Where To Find Them was officially named.\nSet to be released on November 16th 2018, **Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will feature Johnny Deppas the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, who we know from the main Harry Potter story and who evaded capture at the end of the fourth film.\nThe announcement sparked a lot of criticism across social media, with many angry at Depp playing the part after he was accused of domestic abuse during his divorce with Amber Heard.\nWhilst the allegations are extremely disturbing and the choice of title even more so in relation to the star’s history, we hope it doesn’t take too much away from the other great people involved in this film. Eddie Redmayne and Katharine Waterson are returning to the sequel, and new faces include Callum Turner, Ezra Miller and Zoe Kravitzas Leta Lestrange. Jude Law is also starring as a young Albus Dumbledore.\nWith several more Fantastic Beasts sequels on the horizon, it looks like the wizarding world is here to stay for a good while.\nStephen Chbosky on board for Disney’s Prince Charming One of Disney’s planned ‘live action’ remakes of their classic tales, **Prince Charming now has Stephen Chbosky on board as a writer – and potentially director.\nPrevious director of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Chbosky was already part of the world of Disney, being one of the writers of this year’s **Beauty And The Beast remake.\nThe Prince Charming film is thought to focus on the character’s brother, and the idea he couldn’t quite live up to the family name. It’s a concept that’s been somewhat portrayed already in television’s **Once Upon A Time.\nSexual assault allegations in Hollywood Since early October, when the story broke of multiple allegations of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein, there have been a string of other names in the industry that have been accused of similar crimes.\nThe momentum is still rolling with this, with new stories breaking almost daily. Some other big names included in this are Louis CK, Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick, and producer/director Brett Ratner.\nImplications of this have included Ridley Scott dropping Kevin Spacey from his upcoming film **All The Money In The World, where he was set to play eccentric billionaire J. Paul Getty. Scott has made the decision to remove Spacey from the film entirely, recasting Christopher Plummer in the role – and plans to reshoot all the scenes needed whilst still intending to hit the release date of December 22nd.\nHere’s an article from the New York Times listing the allegations so far.\nThat’s all for now – see you next week, movie fans.\nReferences:\nEmpire Online – Terminator story The Wrap Variety The Hollywood Reporter The Telegraph Polygon Google Play Empire Online – Prince Charming story NY Times The Hollwood Reporter 47 2807 Viewsall the money in the world allen heinberg amber heard arnold schwarzenegger beauty and the beast billy ray brett ratner captain phillips charles xavier christopher plummer deadpool deadpool 2 disney ed westwick eddie redmayne empire magazine ezra miller fantastic beasts fantastic beasts and where to find them fantastic beasts sequel fantastic beasts the crimes of grindelwald film news gossip girl harvey weinstein hollywood news james cameron james franco johnny depp jude law katharine waterson kevin spacey linda hamilton louis ck marvel movie news multiple man once upon a time prince charming professor charles xavier professor x ridley scott Sam Raimi sexual assaul hollywood spiderman stephen chbosky terminator terminator genisys the hollywood reporter the hunger games the new mutants the perks of being a wallflower the terminator tim miller tv news wonder woman x men dark phoenix x-men zoe kravitz Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/movie-news-roundup-20112017/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAhoy there movie fans! We’ve been rounding up the biggest movie news of the past week or so for you – take a look below. Or, if you want to see the latest trailers, \u003ca href=\"/category/trailers/\"\u003eclick here\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"new-terminator-film-gets-writer-billy-ray-on-board\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew Terminator film gets writer Billy Ray on board\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, he did say he’d be back…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, \u003ca href=\"/tag/arnold-schwarzenegger/\"\u003eArnold Schwarzenegger\u003c/a\u003e is set to return to the \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/terminator/\"\u003eTerminator\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e franchise in a new film, and he’s not the only icon of the series coming back – \u003ca href=\"/tag/linda-hamilton/\"\u003eLinda Hamilton\u003c/a\u003e is on board, much to the delight of film fans!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Movie News Roundup #5 | November 20th"},{"content":"A Film Writer’s Education is a feature where our editor Sophie gets her act together, and watches all of those classic films that you’re supposed to have seen if you call yourself a film lover. She has neglected the icons for too long, and is going back through some of the biggest and best moments in cinema to get her knowledge up to scratch. To start with, we’re going through Empire’s most recent list of the 100 greatest movies, released in 2017, around 60 of which Sophie hasn’t seen. She’s doing the work so you don’t have to.\nShe’ll share her thoughts on the film, whether she thinks it deserves it’s much loved status – and warning! Spoilers galore. Enjoy.\nBefore I get into it – I know, I know. The number of classic films I haven’t yet watched (despite calling myself a film lover) is embarrassing. It’s something that’s plagued me a while; nodding my head as people make references I don’t understand, others getting excited about franchises I know barely anything about…. but not any more, folks!\nI’m going in on educating myself, and the film I’ve chosen to kick things off is Jonathan Demme‘s classic psycho-thriller-horror, **Silence of the Lambs.\nIt stars Anthony Hopkins in his most revered role as cannibal psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter, and Jodie Foster as FBI agent-in-training Clarice Starling, who is tasked with interviewing Lecter in an effort to track down a brutal serial killer nicknamed Buffalo Bill.\nThe film did incredibly well at awards season upon release, becoming only the third film to win the ‘Big Five’ Oscars (best picture, actor, actress, screenplay and director), and notoriously Hopkins won the Academy Award despite having less than 20 minutes of screen time.\nIt spawned sequels and spin offs including the movies *Hannibal *and **Red Dragon, as well as a TV series starring Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen as the cannibal himself.\nNot to mention, the psychopathic Lecter is a cultural icon that cannot be ignored – whether it’s the muzzle and jumpsuit making for an effective Halloween costume, or the idea of something with ‘fava beans and a nice Chianti’ followed by a hiss, you’d have to be living in a cave to be totally unfamiliar with the character and storyline.\nAnd it’s no wonder this disturbed doctor has become such a quoted figure – he well and truly lives up to expectation.\nComing to the film completely fresh and yet with all the context in the world, I expected the Chianti line and lip sucking to feel cliche, parodic even, and definitely not scary – but I was wrong. Hopkins’ manner as this character is thoroughly chilling even now.\nHis tall frame, measured insults, regal tone of voice and clearly incessant need to get inside Clarice’s head is incredibly disturbing and unsettling – you believe him capable of the terror he’s imprisoned for, without question. And yet somehow, as you watch him walking free at the end of the film, you’re completely rooting for him. Is it just me who found Dr Lecter terrifying yet likeable at the same time?\nAs for his sparring partner, Jodie Foster is really magnificent in this. She’s tough, she’s complex; she’s beautiful (for a reason), but ridiculously intelligent too. She almost figures out how to manipulate Lecter and plays him at his own game to get him on side. You never really believe he would hurt her – he respects her too much.\nThe scenes where they’re together really are the best, the most magnetic. The camera goes in close so their faces fill the frame, two sets of blue eyes staring each other down – his menacing, hers trying to belie her fear.\nAnother nice use of the camera is how it sometimes appears to sit on Clarice’s shoulder, wobbly movements as if we’re looking through her eyes. This really takes you into the character’s perspective and makes you feel like you’re there, in the room with her.\nThere’s horror here, but not explicitly. It’s more implied, suggested, but not really shown. One of the moments that stuck with me from the off was right near the start, as Clarice is first walking to meet Lecter. We’re told of an incident he tried to escape, how he bit a nurse’s tongue off and how they just about managed to get her jaw back in place. Clarice sees a picture of it, but the audience never does. You’re left to your own imagination with it, undoubtedly more horrifying than anything they could have shown you.\nPlus, there’s just an inherent horror at the idea of Lecter’s crimes. Starling talks about Buffalo Bill taking the skin of his victims as a trophy, and Lecter says that not all killers take trophies – to which Starling replies ‘No. No, you ate yours’. She states it in such a matter of fact way that you feel a quiver of nausea just at the thought of it.\nAnd how effective the character of Lecter must be for the Buffalo Bill case to feel like a side note, a secondary plot, when the idea of kidnapping women, starving them so their skin loosens and then carving it from them to create your own suit of flesh is horrifying enough to fill its own feature film. The primal way in which Ted Levinedepicts this character is thoroughly disturbing, and the moments in which he reaches out to touch Clarice’s face in the darkness during the climax of the film sends shivers down your spine.\nSilence of the Lambs holds nothing back – it’s shock factor, it’s psychopathy, it’s tension – and it makes for a totally unsettling experience that leaves no doubt as to why it has had such critical acclaim and cultural impact. A five star movie if ever there was one, and one that won’t be slipping out of the best movie lists for a long, long time.\nIf, like me, you are yet to see this masterpiece, watch the trailer below. Silence of the Lambs is streaming on Now TV at time of publishing.\nReferences:\nPosterwire Indiewire.com The Ringer 56 3069 Viewsa film writer\u0026rsquo;s education anthony hopkins hannibal hannibal lecter hugh dancy jodie foster jonathan demme mads mikkelsen red dragon silence of the lambs ted levine\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/a-film-writers-education-silence-of-the-lambs-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/a-film-writers-education/\"\u003eA Film Writer’s Education\u003c/a\u003e is a feature where our editor Sophie gets her act together, and watches all of those classic films that you’re supposed to have seen if you call yourself a film lover. She has neglected the icons for too long, and is going back through some of the biggest and best moments in cinema to get her knowledge up to scratch. To start with, we’re going through Empire’s most recent list of the 100 greatest movies, released in 2017, around 60 of which Sophie hasn’t seen. She’s doing the work so you don’t have to.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Silence Of The Lambs | A Film Writer's Education"},{"content":"Hi-de-hi movie fans!\nFeast your eyes below on the movie news roundup for this week.\nTo see the latest movie trailers, click here.\nAmazon planning a ‘Lord of the Rings’ TV adaptation We know what you’re thinking – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?\nThe Lord of the Rings trilogy is an epic (and extremely successful) piece of movie history, but it seems that Amazon has it’s eye on the hobbitsy tale as an original adaptation.\nAiming to complete with HBO’s *Game of Thrones *as a mega-series that becomes a pop culture sensation, there certainly is plenty of scope within Tolkien’s stories to fill the long form of a TV show. And, it might provide more room for nuances of the novel that would have had to be condensed to work on the big screen.\nIt’s only at the ‘in talks’ stage at the moment, but one thing’s for sure – they’ll have some big, oversized hairy shoes to fill.\nFull Lion King cast announced for 2019 This week saw the internet get excited for the Lion King remake, set to hit cinemas in summer 2019.\nWe got to see the full cast all in one place despite many members already being confirmed or rumoured, with some of the standouts being Donald Glover as Simba, Beyonce as Nala, James Earl Jones returning as Mufasa and Chiwetel Ejiofor voicing baddy Scar.\nAfter Jon Favreau‘s success with The Jungle Book, he’ll be using more state of the art CGI to bring some of Disney‘s most beloved felines to life.\nJulianne Moore to depict Gloria Steinem A biopic film about feminism activist Gloria Steinem has been announced, and Julianne Moore will be playing the leading lady herself.\nThe movie will be called **My Life On The Road, with Julie Taymor directing, and is based on Steinem’s eponymous memoir. It will focus on the transformation from her time spent travelling during her youth, to her being the iconic spokesperson of the feminist movement that she is today.\nIt’s set to start shooting soon.\nA female-led ’24’ spin off is in the works There’s been a fantastic surge in female-led versions of familiar stories over the past few years, with *Ghostbusters *being the most notable, and a new Oceans film in the works too – we even have a confirmed female Doctor Who on the cards.\nBut not all of them have gone down so well – the announcement of an all female Lord of the Flies definitely raised eyebrows thanks to the all male production team trying to tell women’s stories.\nHowever, a new prospect that we reckon could really work is a female-led version of **24 – as the franchise moves on from Jack Bauer (and after an attempted reboot recently), the team is said to be working on a version focusing on a female prosecutor who uncovers a conspiracy, and has to work against that ticking clock to free a potentially innocent prisoner that she helped to jail.\nIt could be the first in a new anthology style of 24 series, with each one taking on a new story that works within the real time concept.\nWe’ll keep you posted…\nThanks for reading movie fans, see you next time!\nReferences:\nDesimartini MTV Complex Mental Floss Empire News Section 51 3083 Views24 amazon amazon prime beyonce chiwetel ejiofor disney doctor who donald glover film blog film blogger film magazine film news film site film writer fixate film game of thrones ghostbusters 2016 james earl jones jon favreau julianne moore julie taymor lion king lord of the flies lord of the rings movie news movie news roundup my life on the road the jungle book the lion king Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/movie-news-roundup/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHi-de-hi movie fans!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFeast your eyes below on the movie news roundup for this week.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo see the latest movie trailers, \u003ca href=\"/category/trailers\"\u003eclick here\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"amazon-planning-a-lord-of-the-rings-tv-adaptation\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAmazon planning a ‘Lord of the Rings’ TV adaptation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe know what you’re thinking – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/lord-of-the-rings/\"\u003eLord of the Rings\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e trilogy is an epic (and extremely successful) piece of movie history, but it seems that \u003ca href=\"/tag/amazon-prime/\"\u003eAmazon\u003c/a\u003e has it’s eye on the hobbitsy tale as an original adaptation.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Movie News Roundup #4 | November 6th 2017 | Fixate Film"},{"content":"**Cabin In The Woods, directed by Drew Goddard and with Joss Whedon on board as producer, is a rip roaring meta-horror of a movie released back in 2012.\nStarring Kristen Connolly and Chris Hemsworth as part of a group of youths heading for what we assume is certain death during a trip to a cabin in the woods (because isn’t that how these things usually go?), this film has all the elements that you’d expect from classic horror, but an unexpected undertone which cleverly turns the genre completely on its head.\nWe follow the gang make a doomed road trip into the depths of the woods, spurred on by a creepy ‘harbinger’, and then see teen frolics ensue before they descend to the cellar and all hell breaks loose.\nIf you’re thinking you’ve been there, done that, bought the blood-stained tee shirt – don’t write Cabin In The Woods off yet. This is an extremely self-aware film that drops hints along the way to help you learn that these characters aren’t quite what you think.\nIn all honesty, the horror isn’t the best we’ve seen – there’s not a lot of tension being held throughout this, and not even many jump scares to get you on edge. If this had been handled a little bit more expertly, the impact could have been a lot bigger and better.\nThere’s some genuine good fun along the way too though, with a particular series of scenes outside a set of elevators showing that Goddard is pulling no punches – he’s having a good time, and wants you too as well.\nPerformance-wise, there’s little to report. Connolly is well placed in the lead role as she is the strongest of the group, but this was maybe a while before we saw Hemsworth really coming into his own as that guy with the hammer.\nOverall it’s a fairly entertaining watch, even just for the concept alone, and makes for an interesting study into the horror genre – but won’t blow anyone’s mind. Three stars from us.\nCabin In The Woods is streaming on Netflix at time of publishing, or you can buy it on DVD here.\nWatch the trailer below – although we’d recommend going in blind to feel the full effect of the surprises in store.\nReferences:\nCollider Kickseat 51 4470 Viewscabin in the woods cabin in the woods review cabin in the woods trailer chris hemsworth cineblog drew goddard film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews joss whedon kristen connolly movie blog movie reviews the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/cabin-woods-film-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/cabin-in-the-woods/\"\u003eCabin In The Woods\u003c/a\u003e, directed by \u003ca href=\"/tag/drew-goddard/\"\u003eDrew Goddard\u003c/a\u003e and with \u003ca href=\"/tag/joss-whedon/\"\u003eJoss Whedon\u003c/a\u003e on board as producer, is a rip roaring meta-horror of a movie released back in 2012.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStarring \u003ca href=\"/tag/kristen-connolly/\"\u003eKristen Connolly\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/chris-hemsworth/\"\u003eChris Hemsworth\u003c/a\u003e as part of a group of youths heading for what we assume is certain death during a trip to a cabin in the woods (because isn’t that how these things usually go?), this film has all the elements that you’d expect from classic horror, but an unexpected undertone which cleverly turns the genre completely on its head.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cabin In The Woods | Film Review"},{"content":"**Blade Runner 2049 is the long awaited, and largely unexpected, sequel to the cult sci-fi classic released in 1982.\nSurrounded by mystery, intrigue (and often concern), this film has surpassed all expectations, and has been branded a masterpiece in its own right.\nDenis Villeneuve is the director behind the film, and has proved his worth in his previous work (Sicario, Arrival) – but has now placed himself up there with the greats with his visionary take on the *Blade Runner*world.\nThis instalment stars Ryan Gosling as K, a Blade Runner and new model of Replicant which are programmed to obey all commands given to them. He is tasked in finding the previously banned and aging models of Replicants, and “retiring” (aka. exterminating) them. Upon discovering that there exists the offspring of two Replicants, he embarks on a journey to locate the child and identify the parents.\nIt is a slow paced story, granted, however this works in the film’s favour in creating this now dystopian world the planet has become since Deckard (Harrison Ford) was a Blade Runner. So much of the beauty of this film emanates from the combination of sound and cinematography.\nWe see vast landscapes and depleted cities, blurred with dust and fog, all enhanced by the deep drones of the score which are screamingly intense and unsettling. The soundtrack replicates the crescendo of the storyline itself, getting louder and louder along with the build up to the finale, and it’s these details that really elevate the film into something special.\nThe cast are really on form here. Gosling brings the hard-boiled façade seen in **Only God Forgives, excellently playing the emotionless and straight-faced Blade Runner. As things begin to unfold, the cracks in his programming begin to show and he does so well in only giving a little at a time in order to maintain a realistic portrayal of a non-human character.\nJared Leto plays the formidable yet alluring Niander Wallace, the man behind the regeneration of the Replicants. Robin Wright is Madam, K’s Chief of Police and even Dave Bautista makes an appearance.\nLast but not least, Harrison Ford delivers a brilliant performance in making his return as the original Blade Runner, Rick Deckard – but we’ll let you see the circumstances of his return for yourselves.\nSo much of the original film is kept to ensure the sanctity of the Blade Runner world, including the chiaroscuro lighting with neon juxtaposition, a technique now used in many Anime comics and movies such as **Ghost in the Shell. But most impressive of all is the call back to the themes of humanity and morality. Blade Runner was such a well-loved film due to its complex take on what it means to be human in a world mostly made of machines – and **Blade Runner 2049 feels like it has all the more impact as we seemingly move closer to that world.\nTie all of the above in with some fantastic scenery, colour co-ordinated set pieces, mind-blowing special effects and ever-anticipated pop culture references, and we have ourselves a modern masterpiece – something completely unexpected in the increasing market of remakes, reboots and sequels. New audiences might feel surprised or missold at the slow pace of the story though, if they were expecting an rollercoaster ride of action.\nBut don’t doubt it – this is by far the best film of the year, and deserves to be seen by all fans of cinema, sci-fi and the original movie. It is inherently beautiful and touching.\n**We give **Blade Runner 2049 the full 5 stars for a completely awe-inspiring sequel, something which we have not seen in a long, long time. **\nBlade Runner 2049 is currently in cinemas. Here’s the trailer:\nReferences:\nBlade Runner Official Site The Independent Digital Trends CBS 4 328 Viewsarrival blade runner blade runner 2049 blade runner 2049 film review blade runner film review cineblog dave bautista denis villeneuve film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews ghost in the shell harrison ford jared leto movie blog movie magazine movie reviews only god forgives robin wright ryan gosling sicario the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/blade-runner-2049-film-review-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/blade-runner-2049/\"\u003eBlade Runner 2049\u003c/a\u003e is the long awaited, and largely unexpected, sequel to the cult sci-fi classic released in 1982.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurrounded by mystery, intrigue (and often concern), this film has surpassed all expectations, and has been branded a masterpiece in its own right.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/denis-villeneuve/\"\u003eDenis Villeneuve\u003c/a\u003e is the director behind the film, and has proved his worth in his previous work (\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/sicario/\"\u003eSicario\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/arrival/\"\u003eArrival\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e) – but has now placed himself up there with the greats with his visionary take on the *\u003ca href=\"/tag/blade-runner/\"\u003eBlade Runner\u003c/a\u003e*world.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Blade Runner 2049 Film Review"},{"content":"It looks like there’s a new indie coming-of-age film to get excited about on the way, in the form of Lady Bird, the directorial debut of actress and writer Greta Gerwig (star of **Frances Ha).\nLady Bird features Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, Brooklyn) in the lead role as a somewhat troublesome youth, who appears to be struggling with her identity as well as a fiery relationship with her mother, played by Laurie Metcalf(The Big Bang Theory).\nAfter Ronan has established herself as an acting force to be reckoned with, we’re excited to see her take the lead here in something a little different than we’re used to.\nLady Bird will be released here in the UK in February.\nReferences:\nteaser-trailer 43 3012 Viewsatonement brooklyn cineblog film news film trailers greta gerwig lady bird lady bird trailer laurie metcalf movie news movie trailers saoirse ronan the big bang theory the cineblog Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/trailers/saoirse-ronan-stars-trailer-greta-gerwigs-lady-bird/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt looks like there’s a new indie coming-of-age film to get excited about on the way, in the form of \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/lady-bird/\"\u003eLady Bird\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e, the directorial debut of actress and writer \u003ca href=\"/tag/greta-gerwig/\"\u003eGreta Gerwig\u003c/a\u003e (star of **\u003ca href=\"/tag/frances-ha/\"\u003eFrances Ha\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/lady-bird/\"\u003eLady Bird\u003c/a\u003e features \u003ca href=\"/tag/saoirse-ronan/\"\u003eSaoirse Ronan\u003c/a\u003e (\u003c/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/atonement/\"\u003eAtonement\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/brooklyn/\"\u003eBrooklyn\u003c/a\u003e) in the lead role as a somewhat troublesome youth, who appears to be struggling with her identity as well as a fiery relationship with her mother, played by \u003ca href=\"/tag/laurie-metcalf/\"\u003eLaurie Metcalf\u003c/a\u003e(\u003c/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-big-bang-theory/\"\u003eThe Big Bang Theory\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Saoirse Ronan Stars In Trailer For Greta Gerwig's 'Lady Bird'"},{"content":"Have a gander at the latest news from the land of film and telly below. If you’d like to see recent trailer releases, click here.\nNetflix cancels House of Cards after sexual assault allegations emerge against Kevin Spacey The latest revelation in a seemingly endless spiral of sexual assault allegations from powerful men across the media, news (and a statement) broke recently regarding the alleged attack by Kevin Spacey on **Star Trek: Discoveryactor Anthony Rapp.\nThis Buzzfeed article reports Rapp’s allegations against Spacey; that he attempted to sexually assault him at a party in 1986, when Rapp was just 14. Spacey has since released a widely criticised statement, saying he doesn’t remember the incident, and, many feel, trying to indecently cover up or justify the incident with reference to his sexuality.\nIt comes after many women, including some highly successful actresses, came forward to reveal similar stories about produced Harvey Weinstein this month.\nIn response to this,Netflixhave confirmed that the upcoming sixth season of their hit political thriller **House of Cards will be the last, cancelling the show – and whilst not specifying if this is directly linked to the allegations, they confirmed they were indeed ‘deeply troubled‘ about it.\nWe support this move by Netflix, and have a sorry suspicion that this won’t be the last big name we see pulled under.\nStar Trek Discovery confirmed for second season Some better news than the above for the space age show – Trekkies will (hopefully) be happy to hear that Star Trek Discovery, streamed on Netflixin the UK and CBS All Access in America, has been confirmed for a second season.\nStarring Jason Isaacs as the Captain, the series has focused on an intergalactic war with the Klingons, and is said to have taken an altogether darker view of the Star Trek world.\nWe’re yet to know what to expect from the second season, but though exec producer Bryan Fuller initially expected it to be an anthology format, following different stories each year, it’s thought we’ll be sticking with the current starfleet for next time.\nRenee Zellweger to play Judy Garland The iconic actress and singer Judy Garland is set to be played in a biopic entitled **Judy (very inventive) by Renee Zellweger, with Rupert Goolddirecting.\nWe will see Judy in London during 1968 to perform a series of sold out concerts – it’s late in her career, and her hearts really not in it.\nThere is likely to be some of her biggest songs included, and work will start on the film in February.\nJames Mangold working on Logan spin off about X-23 James Mangold‘s dark and dramatic vision of Wolverine in this year’s **Logan is one of the standout films of 2017 – and, as you’ll recall, our favourite X-Men movie so far.\nSo, we’re delighted to hear there could be a spin-off in the works, this time focusing on Dafne Keen‘s character X-23, or Laura as she was also known.\nPart of a new breed of X-Men and cloned from Wolverine, she had her own bone claws as well as feet, making her a lethal force to be reckoned with.\nIt’s thought the success of Wonder Woman is lighting the way for female-led action/comic book films, which we’re very happy about – and also confirmed that Hugh Jackman won’t be involved with the spin off at all, even as a producer.\nWe’re not sure if Dafne Keen will be back, as we could see Laura at an older age – but she was such a standout in **Logan, we reckon she’d do a great job. We’ll keep you posted!\nOlivia Colman taking over from Claire Foy in The Crown Though Netflix‘s big budget royal drama **The Crown is set to chart Elizabeth II’s reign throughout the years, it was never the plan for current monarch Claire Foy to continue to age with the character – we’ll see new actresses take over as the screen Queen matures.\nAnd so, with Claire Foy playing HRH for the last time in the upcoming second season of **The Crown, it is confirmed that Olivia Colman is to take her place on the throne for at least the third and fourth run of the show.\nWe’ve so far seen Queen Elizabeth taking the throne and her marriage to Prince Phillip, and the second season will see us through to the early 1960s.\n**The Crown returns to Netflixon December 8th.\nThanks for reading this movie news roundup film fans – we’ll see you next time. References:\nEmpire News Section Hollywood Reporter Youtube Vanity Fair She Knows Buzzfeed The Independant Entertainment Weekly 51 3139 Viewsanthony rapp bryan fuller cineblog claire foy dafne keen film blog film magazine film news film website harvey weinstein house of cards hugh jackman james mangold jason isaacs judy judy garland kevin spacey logan movie news netflix olivia colman renee zellweger rupert goold star trek star trek discovery the cineblog the crown wolverine wonder woman x-men Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/movie-news-roundup-3-31102017/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHave a gander at the latest news from the land of film and telly below. If you’d like to see recent trailer releases, \u003ca href=\"/category/trailers/\"\u003eclick here\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"netflix-cancels-house-of-cards-after-sexual-assault-allegations-emerge-against-kevin-spacey\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNetflix cancels House of Cards after sexual assault allegations emerge against Kevin Spacey\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe latest revelation in a seemingly endless spiral of sexual assault allegations from powerful men across the media, news (and a statement) broke recently regarding the alleged attack by \u003ca href=\"/tag/kevin-spacey/\"\u003eKevin Spacey\u003c/a\u003e on **\u003ca href=\"/tag/star-trek-discovery/\"\u003eStar Trek: Discovery\u003c/a\u003eactor \u003ca href=\"/tag/anthony-rapp/\"\u003eAnthony Rapp\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Movie News Roundup #3 | October 30th | The Cineblog"},{"content":"Netflix dropped the full trailer recently for their upcoming movie original**Bright, starring Will Smith and directed by David Ayers.\nYou know those creatures, like orcs and elves and things, that you normally see in stuff like **Lord of the Rings or **World of Warcraft? In **Bright, these mystical beings are part of modern day life in a world where, after a huge war in decades past, they live side by side with humans.\nJoel Edgerton plays one of the aforementioned orcs – in full makeup too, making for a striking visual effect – who is to become the first of his kind to be a cop. He’s partnered with Will Smith and chaos ensues as they uncover a powerful magical relic.\nNoomi Rapace and Edgar Ramirez also pop up as mystical beings.\nIf you’re unsure what to really expect, join the club. We don’t often see Will Smith in these kind of fantasy roles, although he is teaming up again with David Ayers after playing Deadshot in **Suicide Squad last year. And, about the director – we were so bitterly disappointed by **Suicide Squad that we’re really hoping to see a vast improvement with **Bright.\nThe film will drop on Netflix on December 22nd.\nHere’s the full trailer:\nReferences:\nWe Got This Covered 43 3902 Viewsbright bright movie trailer bright netflix film cineblog edgar ramirez film blog film magazine joel edgerton lord of the rings noomi rapace suicide squad the cineblog will smith world of warcraft Data scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/trailers/will-smith-stars-netflix-bright-movie-trailer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/category/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e dropped the full trailer recently for their upcoming movie original**\u003ca href=\"/tag/bright/\"\u003eBright\u003c/a\u003e, starring \u003ca href=\"/tag/will-smith/\"\u003eWill Smith\u003c/a\u003e and directed by \u003ca href=\"/tag/david-ayers/\"\u003eDavid Ayers\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou know those creatures, like orcs and elves and things, that you normally see in stuff like **\u003ca href=\"/tag/lord-of-the-rings/\"\u003eLord of the Rings\u003c/a\u003e or **\u003ca href=\"/tag/world-of-warcraft/\"\u003eWorld of Warcraft\u003c/a\u003e? In **\u003ca href=\"/tag/bright/\"\u003eBright\u003c/a\u003e, these mystical beings are part of modern day life in a world where, after a huge war in decades past, they live side by side with humans.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Will Smith Stars in Bright Movie Trailer | The Cineblog"},{"content":"The spookiest holiday of the year is fast approaching, and so is the inevitable inundation of predictable slasher movies. Whilst the likes of **Halloween, **Friday the 13th, and **Nightmare on Elm Street are classics in their own right, those kinds of storylines can become monotonous during the horror movie binge at this beloved time of year.\nWe have therefore composed a list of 10 alternative horror movies (plus some further honourable mentions) for those of you who like to get stuck in to your own fright night marathons; it includes forgotten gems, new releases and everything in between.\nWhilst the contents of this list may not be mindblowing for a true horror movie connoisseur, for those horror fans looking for something new, refreshing and genuinely good in this saturated genre, we reckon it’s a good place to start…\nBlack Christmas (1974) The original slasher movie which spawned a painful remake, **Black Christmas is a cult classic with a timeless feel that still unsettles to this day. This film went above and beyond what other films of its time thought was controversial. It is creepy, unnerving, gory and completely original. Starring some familiar faces such as Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder, **Black Christmas follows the residents of a sorority house as they prepare for the holiday period. As they start to receive strange telephone calls from a mystery man, the horror unfolds and one of the sisters goes missing. What unfolds from then is increasingly tense and unforgiving, and certainly stays with you after the credits roll.\nTucker \u0026amp; Dale vs. Evil (2010) Less horror, more comedic genius, **Tucker \u0026amp; Dale vs. Evilis a classic film from the Netflixarchives – one which you may have stumbled upon in the early hours of the morning, surprised to find that it is actually quite good and bloody funny (no pun intended).\nTucker and Dale are two innocent rednecks on their way to go fix up their newly acquired holiday home – a cabin in the woods. On their way, they find a group of college students, also on their way to the same woods for a getaway. Tucker and Dale then continue to find themselves in ludicrous situations which cause the students to believe that they are murderers and have kidnapped one of their own – cue one hilarious scene involving a chainsaw and a beehive.\nThis film really delves into the classic horror movie tropes and gives ridiculous but somehow plausible explanations for these, thus transforming the genre on its head and into comedy gold.\nGerald’s Game (2017) It seems that everyone is jumping on the Stephen King adaptation bandwagon at the moment, but luckily for us there is definitely more good than bad. Most people spent the past couple of months talking about the release of **IT, and as great as that movie is, Netflixrecently came out with something even better.\nGerald’s Game is a trip back to classic horror, omitting the reliance on jump scares and focusing solely on the building of an unsettling atmosphere and forcing the audience to question the reality of the protagonist. It follows a middle aged couple, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) and Jessie (Carla Gugino), who decide to take a trip to save their marriage and spice up their sex life. When in the middle of a questionable role playing game with Jessie handcuffed to the bed, Gerald unexpectedly dies and Jessie is left to her demise, handcuffed and trapped in a room with her husband’s dead body.\nIt is unique and unsettling and contains one of the most disgusting scenes of the year. **Gerald’s Game is a must if you want something a bit different this Halloween.\nGrave Encounters (2011) **Grave Encounters was one of the many found-footage movies of the late 00’s/early ‘10s inspired by the success of **Paranormal Activity back in 2007 – the first truly successful movie of the sub-genre since **Blair Witch Project in the ‘90s.\nWhat starts as a cheesy and low budget ghost hunting show quickly turns into a mind-bending jump fest which remains unpredictable to first time viewers. It plays on the sensationalism of these popular TV shows, the presenters thinking of situations to create scares for the show, paying off locals to say they have seen ghosts and the eccentric medium even admitting he is a fraud.\nSet in an abandoned mental asylum, the presenters and crew are locked in for the night to capture footage for their episode. Strange happenings begin to occur and what follows is an original but terrifying fight to escape the horrors which surround them.\nContaining classic jump scares (perhaps some where the anticipation is worse than the scare itself), it is a definite watch for any horror fan.\nRe-Animator (1985) No horror movie list is complete without the inclusion of an over the top ‘80s movie, so outlandish and cartoon-like, that it goes beyond what you think horror should be. **Re-Animator is an absolute classic from the decade, and though it might be one of the most well-loved horror movies ever, it is still often omitted from standard Halloween watch lists.\nSet on campus of a medical school, Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) is obsessed with finding the key to bringing the dead back to life, and will stop at nothing until he succeeds. With obvious inspiration drawn from **Frankenstein and Night of the Living Dead, it is a gore-fest that is so ridiculous it is unmissable. Don’t mistake it for a “so bad it’s good” movie; it is a great movie, but is of its time, and a classic nevertheless.\nIt is fun to watch, and has a great score, making it one of the most memorable horror movies ever made.\nGinger Snaps (2000) Something else which cannot be left out of a Halloween watch list is a monster movie, and what may now be considered a forgotten gem from the new millennium- which is in fact a classic teenage ‘coming of age’ film.\n**Ginger Snaps is one of the better modern werewolf movies and really taps into the feminist ideology behind the myth that we may not have previously thought about – it throws it right in your face, actually.\nIt follows the macabre obsessed sisters, Ginger and Brigitte, as they come to terms with womanhood and Ginger’s newly acquired bloodlust. Set in the backdrop of a high school at Halloween, it is a must-see teen flick which is gruesome right to the core. Following the standard high school movie tropes, it was and remains a fresh new take on the then saturated genre, and gives a classic monster narrative a new setting.\nCube (1997) Possibly the most divisive movie on this list, **Cube is a low budget, cult classic of independent horror cinema with a truly original concept. The story revolves around a group of strangers who wake up in a cubic room, which they soon discover is surrounded by, and linked to, potentially hundreds of other cubes, each containing puzzles and traps which they must progress through in order to escape. Movies with premises such as these are often as much horror films as they are sociological studies – put different people in a room together, and inevitably sparks will fly.\nSo – why is a movie that we’ve called divisive being included on this list? Well, whilst we love the concept and plot of this film, the acting leaves a lot to be desired. It may contribute to its cult status, but the acting is, honestly, pretty awful (sorry!) – we think it adds to the enjoyment of the movie if you’re in a ‘so bad it’s good’ mood, but if you can look past the lacking performances to the incredible concept and mysterious storyline, then we couldn’t recommend it more.\nThe Witch: A New England Folk Tale (2015) Halloween wouldn’t exist without folklore, and therefore this modern gothic masterpiece about witchcraft and possession in 1600’s America is a must for this list. This isn’t your typical horror movie – it is an extremely slow moving film (packed into a fairly short run time) but is completely worth your while, trust us.\nIt moves in the same vain as classic movies such as **Don’t Look Now – you know something is wrong, but you aren’t quite sure what it is, and whether the protagonist (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) is reliable or not is questioned throughout the film.\nSet in New England in the 1630s, when the presence of witchcraft and the occult was a very much real and present danger, **The Witch follows one family in particular as their children start to undergo dramatic changes in their behaviour and well-being.\nIt is a dark and foreboding re-telling of a classic horror storyline, and brings most modern horror movies down on their knees. It treats the audience with intelligence; this is real horror, not just jump scare after jump scare, or predictable character arcs. This is definitely something a bit different and it won’t be for everyone, but a film which will retain its status for years to come.\nEvil Dead (2013) We know what you’re thinking – why put a remake of a horror classic on a list like this? Why not the original?\nWell, for starters, this is an ALTERNATIVE horror movie list – we’re trying to expand our horizons a little. The original **Evil Dead is a classic, and will be forever; nobody is doubting it. Secondly, the 2013 version of the film is undeniably one of the better remakes to be released in the last 10 years, a rarity in an industry that can feel like nothing but do overs sometimes.\nFurthermore, it is a much darker take on the storyline, with much more disturbing imagery and violence than the original could have ever imagined. Throw in different characters (instead of botching an updated ‘Ash’) and you have yourselves a well-deserved remake.\nThis time round, we see a group heading to a remote cabin in the woods to detox their friend from her drug addiction. After discovering the Book of the Dead and unknowingly summoning the evil from within it, the group insist that the strange goings on are as a result of her going cold turkey. With the extremely limited use of CGI effects, the gore is incredibly realistic and quite difficult to watch, making this new version of **Evil Dead a go-to for horror fans who seek that much needed gore fest on Halloween.\nPrevenge (2016) Last but not least, we have the recent British comedy-slasher movie Prevenge, written, directed by and starring Alice Lowe (Sightseers,* Mighty Boosh*).\nMade on a shoestring budget and shot over a meagre two week period thanks to Lowe being heavily pregnant in real life, **Prevenge is a revenge-slasher movie following Ruth who, after the avoidable death of her husband, seeks to avenge him by killing off the ones responsible one by one – all whilst seven months pregnant.\nWith its unmistakable British humour, solid soundtrack, and numerous cameos from plenty of unexpected stars, **Prevenge is definitely on track to becoming a future cult classic. For fans of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and **The Mighty Boosh, the same bizarre humour is present and is definitely for the people who like things a little bit weird.\nThere you have it! Our list of horror movie recommendations if you’re sick of the sight of Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger on Halloween. We hope you take the time to delve into something new and experience some new scares along the way.\nWe’ve also included below some further honourable mentions which didn’t quite make the cut, but deserve a watch nonetheless.\nThe Void (2017)\nChristine (1983)\nHouse of 1000 Corpses (2003)\nDog Soldiers (2002)\nCronos (1993)\nTeeth (2007)\nYou’re Next(2013)\nFrom Beyond (1986)\nThe Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)\nFrozen (2010)\nTrain to Busan (2016)\nYelling at your screen? Can’t believe we’ve missed your fave? Let us know what you’ll be watching this Halloween down in the comments! References:\nKill Screen 4 265 Viewsalice lowe anya taylor joy black christmas blair witch project bruce greenwood carla gugino christine cronos cube darkplace dog soldiers don\u0026rsquo;t look now evil dead evil dead 2013 frankenstein friday the 13th from beyond frozen 2010 gareth marenghi gerald\u0026rsquo;s game ginger snaps grave encounters halloween house of 1000 corpses jeffrey combs margot kidder mighty boosh netflix night of the living dead nightmare on elm street olivia hussey paranormal activity prevenge re-animator sightseers Stephen King stephen king\u0026rsquo;s it teeth the cineblog the poughkeepsie tapes the void the witch train to busan tucker and dale vs evil youre next\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/10-alternative-horror-movies-to-watch-this-halloween/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe spookiest holiday of the year is fast approaching, and so is the inevitable inundation of predictable slasher movies. Whilst the likes of **\u003ca href=\"/tag/halloween/\"\u003eHalloween\u003c/a\u003e, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/friday-the-13th/\"\u003eFriday the 13th\u003c/a\u003e, and **\u003ca href=\"/tag/nightmare-on-elm-street/\"\u003eNightmare on Elm Street\u003c/a\u003e are classics in their own right, those kinds of storylines can become monotonous during the horror movie binge at this beloved time of year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have therefore composed a list of \u003cstrong\u003e10 alternative horror movies\u003c/strong\u003e (plus some further honourable mentions) for those of you who like to get stuck in to your own fright night marathons; it includes forgotten gems, new releases and everything in between.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"10 Alternative Horror Movies To Watch This Halloween"},{"content":"Happy Sunday movie fans! Here’s the best and brightest movie news from the past week.\nTo see all of the latest trailer releases,click here.\nRiz Ahmed working on Netflix’s modern day ‘Hamlet’ Riz Ahmed has been having a bit of a moment of late. Along with recent successes including Nightcrawler, The Night Of and **Jason Bourne, he also became only the second Asian actor in history to win an Emmy.\nThe British-Pakistani actor’s latest project is a modern day Hamlet, transporting the Shakespeare classic to contemporary London, and will look at a family/vengeance drama against the backdrop of political and economic uncertainty.\nNetflix will be funding the film, though it is yet to find a director.\nHilary Swank confirmed for ‘I Am Mother’ Hilary Swank is set to start in **I Am Mother, a sci-fi thriller based on the concept of a new generation of humans being raised by robots. Grant Sputore is directing and the film is in the process of shooting as we speak, though has no confirmed release date.\nHey #Twitterville we just wrapped production so here\u0026rsquo;s a special message #StarWars pic.twitter.com/8QJqN5BGxr\n— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) October 17, 2017\nRon Howard reveals Han Solo movie title Another development in the Star Wars universe this week – we were treated to a wee video where director Ron Howard (with some help from a certain Wookie) confirmed the title for the upcoming Han Solo spin off film.\nSurprise surprise – it’s **‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’. Perhaps not the biggest curveball in movie history but one that was to be expected, keeping consistent with last years Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.\n**Solo will star Alden Ehrenreichas the main man, as well as Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and will hit cinemas on May 25th, 2018.\nNew Justice League poster The wait is almost over, folks. The Justice League film will finally reach our eyeballs next month, and to whet our appetite that little bit more, the folks of DC have released a new poster.\nDecidedly more bright and colourful than we’ve previously seen the DCEU, we’re hoping this implies a little more light-heartedness than previous films in the franchise.\nIt features Gal Gadot and Ben Affleckreprising their roles as **Wonder Womanand Batman, as well as Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash and Ray Fisher as Cyborg.\nMark your calendars – it’s out on November 17th.\nMorgan Freeman to play Colin Powell A new biopic to watch out for is that of Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State – and it’s been confirmed that Morgan Freeman will be depicting him.\nWith history of playing politicians, including Nelson Mandela, Freeman should have plenty to sink his teeth into with the telling of Powell’s story. Previously an army general, he was recruited by George W. Bush’s administration to become the first African-American Secretary of State.\nReginald Hudlin is directing, and working from a script by Ed Whitworth.\nNew character posters from Churchill biopic ‘Darkest Hour’ See Gary Oldman as you’ve never seen him before in these character posters from **Darkest Hour, directed by Joe Wright.\nThey include Kristin Scott Thomas as Churchill’s wife Clementine, Ben Mendelsohnas King George VI, Lily James as Churchill’s secretary Elizabeth Nel, and Stephen Dillane as foreign secretary Lord Halifax.\nThe film will focus on the the early phases of World War II, and is released in UK cinemas on January 12th. We reckon award nods could be on the cards…\nThat’s it folks! We’ll see you next week.\nSources:\nEmpire Online omega-level.net Parade The Verge Empire – Justice League Poster News Time Empire – Darkest Hour Posters 43 4796 Viewsalden ehrenreich aquaman Batman ben affleck ben mendelsohn colin powell cyborg darkest hour donald glover ed whitworth emilia clark ezra miller film blog film magazine film news gal gadot gary oldman grant sputore hamlet hilary swank i am mother jason bourne jason momoa joe wright justice league kristin scott thomas lily james morgan freeman movie news netflix nightcrawler phoebe waller bridge ray fisher reginald hudlin riz ahmed rogue one a star wars story ron howard shakespeare solo a star wars story star wars stephen dillane thandie newton the cineblog the flash the night of wonder woman Woody Harrelson\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/movie-news-weekly-roundup-2-22102017/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHappy Sunday movie fans! Here’s the best and brightest movie news from the past week.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo see all of the latest trailer releases,click here.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"riz-ahmed-working-on-netflixs-modern-day-hamlet\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRiz Ahmed working on Netflix’s modern day ‘Hamlet’\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/riz-ahmed\"\u003eRiz Ahmed\u003c/a\u003e has been having a bit of a moment of late. Along with recent successes including \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/nightcrawler\"\u003eNightcrawler\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/the-night-of\"\u003eThe Night Of\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e and **\u003ca href=\"/tag/jason-bourne\"\u003eJason Bourne\u003c/a\u003e, he also became only the second Asian actor in history to win an Emmy.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Movie News Weekly Roundup #2 | October 22nd 2017"},{"content":"The first teaser has arrived for **I, Tonya, the dark comedy-sports-biopic of American figure skating star Tonya Harding.\nWe get to see Margot Robbie (**Wolf of Wall Street) as the champion skater, poofy fringe and all, and a glimpse of the snarky laughs and violence in store from the film – which Robbie also produced.\nDirected by Craig Gillespie, I, Tonya is based on the life of Tonya Harding, a two-time Olympian and two-time Skate America Champion, famous for being one of the first few women to complete a triple axel jump during a competition. She also won the U.S Figure Skating Championships and came second in the World Championships, but was later banned for reasons sure to be revealed in the film.\nThe film will also star Sebastian Stan (**Captain America: Civil War) and Alison Janney, and was written by Steven Rogers.\nI, Tonya‘s release date is yet to be confirmed.\nHere’s the cheeky teaser…\n40 4596 Viewsalison janney captain america civil war craig gillespie film blog film magazine film trailers i tonya i tonya teaser i tonya trailer margot robbie sebastian stan steven rogers the cineblog tonya harding wolf of wall street\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/trailers/teaser-margot-robbie-tonya/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe first teaser has arrived for **\u003ca href=\"/tag/i-tonya/\"\u003eI, Tonya,\u003c/a\u003e the dark comedy-sports-biopic of American figure skating star Tonya Harding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe get to see \u003ca href=\"/tag/margot-robbie/\"\u003eMargot Robbie\u003c/a\u003e (**\u003ca href=\"/tag/wolf-of-wall-street/\"\u003eWolf of Wall Street\u003c/a\u003e) as the champion skater, poofy fringe and all, and a glimpse of the snarky laughs and violence in store from the film – which Robbie also produced.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDirected by \u003ca href=\"/tag/craig-gillespie/\"\u003eCraig Gillespie\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cem\u003eI, Tonya\u003c/em\u003e is based on the life of Tonya Harding, a two-time Olympian and two-time Skate America Champion, famous for being one of the first few women to complete a triple axel jump during a competition. She also won the U.S Figure Skating Championships and came second in the World Championships, but was later banned for reasons sure to be revealed in the film.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Teaser of Margot Robbie in 'I Tonya' | Film Trailers"},{"content":"Today Netflix released a full length trailer for **The Punisher, a solo series for Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, the ex-military man with a tragic backstory that we met in Netflix’s **Daredevil Season 2.\nThe trailer also confirms the release date of November 17 for the series.\nFrank brought an altogether darker and dramatic feel to the second season of Daredevil, and delivered some emotional punches that really made the show, so we’re excited to delve further into his story in this full series of thirteen episodes.\nAlongside Jon Bernthal as the main man is Deborah Ann Woll(star of **True Blood), reprising her role as Karen Page from Daredevil and **The Defenders.\nFrom the trailer, it looks as though we’ll get to see more of Frank’s military history, as well as meet someone who’s been through a similar experience in losing their family at the hands of their enemies. If the last time we saw The Punisher was anything to go by, we’re set for a lot of violence, and all the feels to match.\nWatch the full trailer below:\n**(Featured image source)\n37 3797 Viewsdaredevil deborah ann woll film blog frank castle jon bernthal netflix netflix original the cineblog the defenders the punisher\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/trailers/new-punisher-trailer-release-date/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e released a full length trailer for **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-punisher/\"\u003eThe Punisher\u003c/a\u003e, a solo series for \u003ca href=\"/tag/jon-bernthal/\"\u003eJon Bernthal\u003c/a\u003e as Frank Castle, the ex-military man with a tragic backstory that we met in Netflix’s **\u003ca href=\"/tag/daredevil/\"\u003eDaredevil\u003c/a\u003e Season 2.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe trailer also confirms the release date of November 17 for the series.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrank brought an altogether darker and dramatic feel to the second season of \u003cem\u003eDaredevil\u003c/em\u003e, and delivered some emotional punches that really made the show, so we’re excited to delve further into his story in this full series of thirteen episodes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New 'The Punisher' Trailer \u0026 Release Date | Film News"},{"content":"**Green Room, directed by Jeremy Saulnier, is the story of a punk band on the road. Broke and looking for a gig to keep them going after someone lets them down, they’re recommended to play a show in a dodgy part of town that becomes more sinister than they could ever have expected. Getting caught up in violence and terror, they have to fight their way out of a neo-Nazi nightmare.\nStarring Patrick Stewart as the far right group’s leader, Anton Yelchin as the band member in charge and Imogen Poots as a girl caught up in this murderous turn of events, Green Room is a punchy little film with as much attitiude as the songs that starring band ‘The Ain’t Rights’ perform on stage.\nIt’s short, around ninety minutes, and this lends itself well to keep the film pacey and maintain a sense of momentum; something so easily lost on these kind of siege/escape films that can often see a decrease in drama once we’re familiar with their trapped situation. Keeping things moving along quickly does well to give a sense of discomfort and tension, which does become heightened as you realise the horror of the situation the band has found themselves in, but seems to dissipate fairly quickly in the closing act as the threat they’re up against seems to mostly vanish.\nThere’s gruesome deaths and injuries galore, which you kind of want – if the movie had backed out of these, the shock value would definitely have decreased – and the way we see the characters develop more primal instincts and taste for warfare leads to an interesting switch in power throughout the story.\nYelchin (who tragically passed away in 2016) is definitely the stand out in terms of performance, perfectly and subtly depicting someone committed to the music, a gentle soul who is convincingly terrified at his situation but, at first at least, still hoping to see the good in people. Imogen Poots plays Amber, a suspicious stranger who comes together with the band to try and fight their way to freedom, and does a good job too. Whilst Patrick Stewart is reliable and a little bit menacing, we reckon he could have had more room to go into full on villain mode.\nWe’re giving ‘Green Room’ three stars – it’s a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable ride in a suitably dingy atmosphere, and everyone involved does well given the structural limits of this type of film, but it’s not one to leave a lasting impact.\nGreen Room is streaming on Netflix now, or you can buy the DVD here.\nWatch Patrick Stewart get his Nazi on in the trailer below…\n(Images from here, here and here)\n65 5140 Viewsanton yelchin film blog film magazine film review green room green room film green room film review green room movie green room movie review imogen poots jeremy saulnier patrick stewart the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/green-room-film-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/green-room/\"\u003eGreen Room\u003c/a\u003e, directed by \u003ca href=\"/tag/jeremy-saulnier/\"\u003eJeremy Saulnier\u003c/a\u003e, is the story of a punk band on the road. Broke and looking for a gig to keep them going after someone lets them down, they’re recommended to play a show in a dodgy part of town that becomes more sinister than they could ever have expected. Getting caught up in violence and terror, they have to fight their way out of a neo-Nazi nightmare.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Green Room' Film Review"},{"content":"After the critical acclaim and success of more edgy superhero and X-Men films **Deadpool and Logan, it seems we’re going to see more of this kind of experimentation within the genre and how it can combine with others (such as horror) as we saw the release of Josh Boone‘s **The New Mutants trailer this week.\nPromising some seriously scary moments, the trailer (scroll down to watch) shows stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy and Charlie Heaton as young mutants in some kind of asylum, being haunted by all manner of things.\nThis new group of mutants will embrace a new tone for the X-Men films which, up until Deadpool, had explored very little in terms of genre and scale.\nBrought to life by director Josh Boone, they take inspiration from the work of Bill Sienkiewicz and Chris Claremont on the Marvel comics to go a much darker route in exploring these characters.\nAnd, good news, if The New Mutants is a success, we could see a trilogy of films in this area.\nLoganwas, to us anyway, such a joy, and kind of the X-Men film we’d wanted all along – and so we’re super excited at the prospect of shaking up the mutant universe and allowing the stories within it to be told so much more creatively.\nThe New Mutants will be in cinemas on Friday April 13th. Spooky…\nHere’s the trailer!\n(Featured Image Source)\n43 3981 Viewsanya taylor joy charlie heaton deadpool film blog film blogger film magazine film news film trailers josh boone logan maisie williams marvel movie blog the cineblog the new mutants x-men\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/trailers/the-new-mutants-trailer-trilogy-news/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter the critical acclaim and success of more edgy superhero and \u003ca href=\"/tag/x-men/\"\u003eX-Men\u003c/a\u003e films **\u003ca href=\"/tag/deadpool\"\u003eDeadpool\u003c/a\u003e and \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/logan/\"\u003eLogan\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e, it seems we’re going to see more of this kind of experimentation within the genre and how it can combine with others (such as horror) as we saw the release of \u003ca href=\"/tag/josh-boone/\"\u003eJosh Boone\u003c/a\u003e‘s **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-new-mutants/\"\u003eThe New Mutants\u003c/a\u003e trailer this week.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePromising some seriously scary moments, the trailer (scroll down to watch) shows stars \u003ca href=\"/tag/maisie-williams/\"\u003eMaisie Williams\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/anya-taylor-joy/\"\u003eAnya Taylor-Joy\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/charlie-heaton/\"\u003eCharlie Heaton\u003c/a\u003e as young mutants in some kind of asylum, being haunted by all manner of things.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The New Mutants Trailer \u0026 Trilogy News"},{"content":"First seen in **Captain America: Civil War, the comic book fandom has been waiting for the **Black Panther solo film for what feels like too long now!\nStarring Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, the ruler of Wakanda after his father’s death in Civil War, the film is directed by Joe Robert Cole and will hit screens on 16 February 2018.\nIt will also star Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Sterling K.Brown, and Martin Freeman and Andy Serkiswho have previously seen featured in the MCU. Michael B. Jordan also features as the antagonist Erik Killmonger.\nWe for one are excited to see a big Marvel film featuring such a stellar cast of POC, and to get to know Wakanda a little better!\nHere’s the trailer:\n**(Featured image source)\n39 4079 Viewsandy serkis black panther black panther trailer captain america civil war chadwick boseman film blog film blogger film magazine film news film trailer forest whitaker lupita nyongo martin freeman marvel marvel comic universe MCU michael b jordan the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/trailers/marvel-release-first-black-panther-trailer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFirst seen in **\u003ca href=\"/tag/captain-america-civil-war/\"\u003eCaptain America: Civil War\u003c/a\u003e, the comic book fandom has been waiting for the **\u003ca href=\"/tag/black-panther/\"\u003eBlack Panther\u003c/a\u003e solo film for what feels like too long now!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStarring \u003ca href=\"/tag/chadwick-boseman/\"\u003eChadwick Boseman\u003c/a\u003e as T’Challa, the ruler of Wakanda after his father’s death in \u003cem\u003eCivil War\u003c/em\u003e, the film is directed by \u003ca href=\"/tag/joe-robert-cole/\"\u003eJoe Robert Cole\u003c/a\u003e and will hit screens on 16 February 2018.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt will also star \u003ca href=\"/tag/lupita-nyongo/\"\u003eLupita Nyong’o\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/danai-gurira/\"\u003eDanai Gurira\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/angela-bassett/\"\u003eAngela Bassett\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/forest-whitaker/\"\u003eForest Whitaker\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/sterling-k-brown/\"\u003eSterling K.Brown\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"/tag/martin-freeman/\"\u003eMartin Freeman\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/andy-serkis/\"\u003eAndy Serkis\u003c/a\u003ewho have previously seen featured in the MCU. \u003ca href=\"/tag/michael-b-jordan/\"\u003eMichael B. Jordan\u003c/a\u003e also features as the antagonist Erik Killmonger.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Marvel Release Black Panther Trailer | Film News"},{"content":"Image Source\nWelcome welcome welcome!\nThis is the first of a new weekly feature here, the Movie News Roundup, bringing you the latest and greatest news and announcements from film and TV in the past week – all ready for you to peruse every Sunday afternoon.\nHere’s the goings on from the film world from the past 7 days:\nThe Harvey Weinstein Scandal Continues To Escalate Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last two weeks, you will be aware of the storm surrounding Harvey Weinstein, one of Hollywood’s most prominent producers, and the decades of sexual assault, harassment and abuse allegations being made against him from numerous women across the industry.\nThe story was first broke in an article from the New York Timesthat Weinstein had been paying off sexual assault accusers for years, and since then countless women, including extremely high profile ones such as Angelina Jolie and Cara Delevingne, have come forward to share their stories of sexual harassment and abuse from Weinstein too.\nDespite apologising for some allegations made towards him, Weinstein still denies others. He has since been removed from the board of the production company he cofounded and expelled from the Motion Picture Academy (that hands out Oscars).\nIt’s clear this story won’t be slowing down any time soon. Symbolic of historic misogyny within Hollywood (which is no doubt the case in many other industries), we hope this will be the start of change when it comes to treatment of women and the accountability of men in power.\n**Image Source\nSylvester Stallone to direct Creed 2 After the critical acclaim and success of **Creed, it’s no surprise a sequel will be hitting screens. Whereas the initial revival of the **Rocky series was pioneered by Ryan Coogler, the directorial mantle is being handed to the man himself, Sylvester Stallone.\nSly is expected to be producing, writing, appearing and directing the film – so whilst he has directorial experience, many are worried the magic of the first film could be lost.\nGood news however in that Michael B. Jordan is returning as Adonis Johnson, and it’s thought the film will see him pitched against the son of Drago, Dolph Lundgren‘s character from the original franchise.\n**Creed 2 will start shooting next year.\n**Image Source\nSettlers of Catan coming to the big screen Based on the recent adaptation of World of Warcraft, it’s still unclear whether our favourite strategy games make good movies – but Gail Katz and Dan Lin disagree. They’re teaming up to bring Settlers of Catan to the big screen, with Blaise Hemingway being the first to attempt a script.\nThe concept of the game is that players represent settlers establishing colonies, and they use resources to build settlements, cities and roads. Not the most thrilling plot for a film at first glance, but we’ll wait and see what they do with it…\nImage Source\n‘Beetlejuice’ sequel has a new writer The potential for a **Beetlejuice sequel has been in the air for a while now, but seems to have become a little more concrete with the appointment of a new scriptwriter, Mike Vukadinovich. He’ll be taking over from Seth Grahame-Smith, who was putting a screenplay together, but for now will still be just producing the film alongside David Katzenberg. Things are moving along for Tim Burton‘s classic, but keep the black and white striped trews in the wardrobe for now.\nImage Source\n‘Gambit’ gets a February 2019 release date X-Men fans may be pleased to know that 20th Century Fox have now assigned a February 2019 release date for **Gambit, which will star Channing Tatum as Remy Lebeau, a smooth talking mutant that we met briefly in **X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in 2009 where he was originally played by Taylor Kitsch. Gore Verbinski is set to direct and Josh Zetumer to write, and we think the planned date means they’re hoping to mimic the success of last year’s **Deadpool.\nImage Source\nConrad Vernon directing animated Addams Family The creepy, kooky bunch we love to click along to are set to return with a new animated spin, and it’s been announced this week it will be in the hands of Conrad Vernon, director of **Sausage Party. It will include all the usual characters, but story details are yet to be known.\n**Image Source\nStephen King’s ‘The Talisman’ to be adapted by Josh Boone There seems to be a speight of Stephen King hitting our screens recently, with *It *going down a storm and Gerald’s Game just being released on Netflix too. The latest news for King fans is that Josh Boone, director of **The Fault in Our Stars and **The New Mutants(which shared it’s first trailer this week) is set to adapt the 1984 bestseller **The Talisman.\nThe story follows a young man travelling to care for his ill mother, who discovers an alternate universe on the way. If recent King adaptations are anything to go by, it should be a winner.\nThat’s it for this week folks! Tune back in next Sunday for the latest movie news.\n46 3002 Viewsaddams family angelina jolie beetlejuice cara delevingne channing tatum conrad vernon creed creed 2 dan lin david katzenberg deadpool dolph lundgren film blog film magazine film news gail katz gambit gerald\u0026rsquo;s game gore verbinski harvey weinstein josh boone josh zetumer michael b jordan michael keaton mike vukadinovich movie news oscars ryan coogler sausage party seth graham smith settlers of catan Stephen King stephen king\u0026rsquo;s it sylvester stallone taylor kitsch the cineblog the fault in our stars the new mutants the talisman tim burton x-men\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/news/movie-news-roundup-1-151017/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage Source\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWelcome welcome welcome!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the first of a new weekly feature here, the \u003cstrong\u003eMovie News Roundup\u003c/strong\u003e, bringing you the latest and greatest news and announcements from film and TV in the past week – all ready for you to peruse every Sunday afternoon.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere’s the goings on from the film world from the past 7 days:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-harvey-weinstein-scandal-continues-to-escalate\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Harvey Weinstein Scandal Continues To Escalate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnless you’ve been living under a rock for the last two weeks, you will be aware of the storm surrounding \u003ca href=\"/tag/harvey-weinstein/\"\u003eHarvey Weinstein\u003c/a\u003e, one of Hollywood’s most prominent producers, and the decades of sexual assault, harassment and abuse allegations being made against him from numerous women across the industry.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Movie News Weekly Roundup #1 | October 15th"},{"content":"**Iron Fist is the latest venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Netflix, following the last member of the upcoming **The Defenders – a team of heroes from New York including Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Unlike its predecessors, Iron Fist has caused quite the controversy, and also been quite underwhelming.\nTo start with, its controversy – the story follows Danny Rand, a billionaire heir from New York who survives a plane crash, gets taken in by monks in the Himalayas who train him in martial arts, and he eventually becomes their saviour, the sacred Iron Fist. Netflix and Marvel were accused of whitewashing, casting a white man to become the saviour of a culture who invented and practice martial arts.\nWith the original comic being borne out of the 1970s American obsession with kung-fu movies, the protagonist being white then is, perhaps not justifiable, but forgivable. However, when news broke that Iron Fist was being developed for Netflix, fans and audiences demanded that Danny Rand be of Asian descent. Despite this, producers decided against it and stuck to the source material. Clearly Marvel were stuck between appeasing their long term fans by following the comic by the book, or by adapting it to fit modern audiences.\nControversy aside, but also widely covered upon its release, Iron Fist is quite plainly the weakest of the Netflix superheroes series – the quality of Daredevil and Jessica Jones in particular are a tough act to follow. As described above, it follows Danny Rand (Finn Jones) as he returns to New York after being presumed dead for 15 years after a plane crash killed his parents and he was rescued by monks. He comes back to reclaim his place in his father’s business empire, to find his old childhood friends and future business partners have taken over following their own father’s death. Danny soon discovers that an old threat to his community of K’un Lun are rampant in New York and he must do what he can to stop them.\nFinn Jones (who you might recognise from **Game of Thrones) plays the eponymous character, and unfortunately his performance falls quite flat. As Danny Rand, he is perfectly amicable and can pull it off, but as soon as he is in Iron Fist mode, he becomes tacky, cheesy and forced. Perhaps if an Asian actor had been used, these scenes would have worked, as Jones just never quite seems to fit the role. With his blonde curly locks and almost hipster-esque demeanour, he comes across too much as an over-privileged white kid who thinks he understands wider culture, than the Iron Fist who is expertly trained in martial arts whom he is meant to be – it is almost painful to watch at times. He does progress throughout the show when it becomes more about the outcome of his battle than his identity, but still never quite works.\nThe progression of the story is quite slow, but about halfway through the season it does take it up a notch and the intensity heightens. The character arcs take a while to come into play, but when they do they make for an effective and entertaining watch. Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) is one of the stronger characters here, and she becomes Danny’s side-kick and confidante. She runs a dojo in New York which helps kids to come off the streets and train them in martial arts and teach them discipline. Rosario Dawson also makes a further appearance as Claire as she, once again, gets swept up into the unfolding events of the show, however far more involved this time round, but playing her key role in keeping all of the other Netflix shows connected.\nOne thing which Iron Fist does well at to set itself apart from its predecessors is the way in which Danny Rand helps his community. Rather than purely to be a vigilante, his alter ego as the Iron Fist is for strictly personal reasons and in keeping with his teachings in K’un Lun. He takes advantage of the extremely powerful corporation his father used to run for the greater good; he defies his fellow board members in order to help people, offering medication for cost price, shutting down factories that are poisoning the air, and all very publicly. He isn’t hiding behind a mask or an alter-ego whenever he helps people, making you really root for him as a character.\nWhilst Iron Fist doesn’t quite match it’s predecessor Netflix Marvel series, it is still good fun and entertaining, despite an incredibly slow start. We reckon he will get a better chance of a good reception after appearing in the upcoming The Defenders, which will allow more room for interesting character clashes between the superheroes – a release we can’t wait to see!\nWe give Iron Fist 3 stars – it’s certainly flawed and disappointing in comparison to others of it’s kind, but still delivers an entertaining watch.\nIron Fist is available to stream on Netflixnow.\n(Images from here, here and here)\n3 298 Viewsdaredevil film blogger Finn Jones game of thrones Iron Fist jessica henwick jessica jones marvel MCU netflix Review rosario dawson Season 1 superhero the cineblog the defenders\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/iron-fist-season-1-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/iron-fist/\"\u003eIron Fist\u003c/a\u003e is the latest venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe by \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e, following the last member of the upcoming **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-defenders/\"\u003eThe Defenders\u003c/a\u003e – a team of heroes from New York including \u003ca href=\"/tag/daredevil/\"\u003eDaredevil\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/tag/jessica-jones/\"\u003eJessica Jones\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/luke-cage/\"\u003eLuke Cage\u003c/a\u003e. Unlike its predecessors, \u003cem\u003eIron Fist\u003c/em\u003e has caused quite the controversy, and also been quite underwhelming.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo start with, its controversy – the story follows Danny Rand, a billionaire heir from New York who survives a plane crash, gets taken in by monks in the Himalayas who train him in martial arts, and he eventually becomes their saviour, the sacred Iron Fist. Netflix and Marvel were accused of whitewashing, casting a white man to become the saviour of a culture who invented and practice martial arts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Iron Fist' Season 1 | Netflix Review"},{"content":"**Legion was one of the first big shows of 2017, expanding theX-Menuniverse in a way that hasn’t been done before. Stylistically one of the better television shows of recent years, how has it matched up to the ever-changing and ever-growing superhero game?\nStarring Dan Stevens as David, a troubled young man who has been diagnosed as schizophrenic, we follow his journey as he soon learns that the strange things that have been happening throughout his life are not due to his mental condition, but because he is a mutant. Whilst an inpatient at a mental health facility, he has an encounter with Syd, a young woman who hates to be touched. After a horrific event at the facility, David finds himself taken in by a mysterious group of people who question him over strange events and findings, until Syd and others rescue him and take him to a secluded compound with various people with mutant abilities. Here David is helped to forget his diagnosis of mental health issues and trained to use his abilities to save the world.\nIn order to make Legion stand out – as the misunderstood superhero plotline isn’t exactly an unpredictable one – the creators have gone to town on the stylistic qualities to create a delicious feast for the eyes. If ever David Lynch was to delve into the superhero genre, we imagine it would be similar to Legion, with an added influence of Wes Anderson just to top it all off. Though the clothing and set design hint towards the series being set in the 60s, it’s not clear what time period our story is set in. The soundtrack also uses songs from across various decades, including the likes of Talking Heads, The Who, Jane’s Addiction and Feist.\nWith a lot of the show revolving around alternate universes, dream sequences and being trapped in another person’s mind, the story can be hard to grasp at times. The first few episodes of the show set the tone for what is to come later by taking a disjointed and confusing approach, forcing the audience to ask questions so as to merge reality, fantasy and the dream world into one. It takes a while for us to really know what world we are currently in, mirroring David’s own perception of the events in the show, and we really get to the good stuff about halfway through the series when the “superhero-ing” actually begins.\nLegion is truly a superhero show for an intelligent and mature audience. It requires patience, intellect and an open mind to really take in what the creators are offering. Some may simply dismiss it for its confusing and disjointed nature, but in the saturated world of the superhero genre, Legion makes for something entirely different. It shows critics and audiences that a story about superheroes doesn’t have to be all spandex and cheesy one liners – it can cover adult themes such as mental illness and drugs, and become something truly thought provoking.\nThe cast is smartly put together too, mostly unknown except for Dan Stevens who has now catapulted into the limelight from his recent appearance in Disney’s **Beauty and the Beast. Others include Aubrey Plaza (probably the best of the entire cast), Jermaine Clement, Rachel Keller, and Jean Smart. We think that with such big budgeted franchises such as X-Men, expanding its world using actors that are less known allows audiences to absorb themselves more, especially with such an involving storyline and structure.\nWe give Legion a well-deserved 4 stars for shedding a new light on such a popular genre – though it could be considered too clever or ‘art-house’ for its own good, the aesthetics alone make this show a real treat.\nLegion is available to buy and stream on Amazon Video.\n(Images from here, here and here)\n3 288 Viewsaubrey plaza beauty and the beast dan stevens david lynch film blogger Fox jean smart jermaine clement Legion legion review legion season 1 legion tv show rachel keller Review Season 1 the cineblog wes anderson x-men\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/legion-season-1-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/legion/\"\u003eLegion\u003c/a\u003e was one of the first big shows of 2017, expanding the\u003ca href=\"/tag/x-men/\"\u003eX-Men\u003c/a\u003euniverse in a way that hasn’t been done before. Stylistically one of the better television shows of recent years, how has it matched up to the ever-changing and ever-growing superhero game?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStarring \u003ca href=\"/tag/dan-stevens/\"\u003eDan Stevens\u003c/a\u003e as David, a troubled young man who has been diagnosed as schizophrenic, we follow his journey as he soon learns that the strange things that have been happening throughout his life are not due to his mental condition, but because he is a mutant. Whilst an inpatient at a mental health facility, he has an encounter with Syd, a young woman who hates to be touched. After a horrific event at the facility, David finds himself taken in by a mysterious group of people who question him over strange events and findings, until Syd and others rescue him and take him to a secluded compound with various people with mutant abilities. Here David is helped to forget his diagnosis of mental health issues and trained to use his abilities to save the world.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Legion' Season 1 | TV Review"},{"content":"After the smash hit success of the first Guardians of the Galaxy feature, Starlord and his merry band of misfits have reunited for volume 2 of this cosmic superhero story – and dare we say it? It was just as good, if not better, than the first!\nWith true directorial vision from James Gunn and a cinematic and storytelling style that makes it stand out a mile from the rest of the Marvelmovies, **Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is an absolute romper of a film, filled with a rainbow of colour, an incredibly detailed myriad of alien worlds and species, and enough action and comedy to leave you wanting more.\nChris Prattreturns in the lead role of Peter Quill, aka Starlord, and completely pulls off the comedic blockbuster hero role that he has been building a reputation for over recent years.\nZoe Saldana is also strong as Gamora, although it feels like we don’t see quite as much of her as we did in the first – the bits we do get start to show a crack in her emotions and real tenderness towards Peter, as well as a great development of her relationship with sister Nebula (Karen Gillan).\nBradley Cooper is the voice of not-a-racoon, not-a-fox Rocket, Dave Bautista is given a much more comic role as beefy but not that bright Drax (which although wearing eventually, he pulls off with straight-faced brilliance), and Vin Diesel contributes as the now Baby Groot. Spoiler – Baby Groot is ridiculously, insanely cute, and might just be the star of the show.\nThere’s also strong support from Kurt Russell, who we meet for the first time in order to discover who Peter’s real father is – and why he’s a little bit special – and Michael Rooker as the baddy-turned-goody Yondu, captain of the Ravagers.\nThe first of these films experienced such success because it was a superhero movie like we’ve never seen before – it was smart, but knew how to make fun of itself. It subverted emotion and action with comedy, and it had an absolutely banging retro soundtrack that set a fun and relaxed tone for the whole film. In this second instalment, all that is turned up to 11 – there’s more comedy, bigger action (although it all feels quite lighthearted), and all the groovy coolness we loved from the first one. Despite this ‘turning up’ of the stuff that makes it great, it’s done to the perfect degree, and just about all the comedy lands really well.\nIt really revels in the action scenes, too – each is approached differently to make it a real feature of the film and not just another fight, and the credit scenes at the beginning of the film in particular are done with a masterful touch.\n**Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 delivers more than just fun though – there’s real heart in there too, some emotional scenes exploring Peter’s relationship with his parents, and just a great sense of camaraderie between the whole group, with everyone working together well considering the sizeable ensemble that the film has to juggle.\nThe cinematic beauty of the film is undeniable – intense colours shown through epic otherwordly landscapes and more alien races that you can shake a stick at all work to build a totally immersive intergalactic world.\nPlot twists are there, although the biggest one feels like it could have been done better and more smoothly, and you do feel forced into shallow sympathy sometimes without the real emotion to back it up – but to be honest, you’re having so much fun that you’re not really looking too deeply into the nuances of the story.\nUnsurprisingly then, it’s the whole 5 stars for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, for the sheer joy it delivers throughout it’s whole 2 hours and 16 minutes. Fans won’t be disappointed.\nGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is in cinemas now, so get yourself there! Here’s the trailer to get you even more excited.\n(Images from here, here, here and here)\n44 4168 Viewsbradley cooper chris pratt dave bautista film blog film magazine film reviews film webzine guardians of the galaxy guardians of the galaxy vol 2 karen gillan kurt russell michael rooker movie blog movie magazine movie reviews the cineblog vin diesel zoe saldana\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/guardians-galaxy-vol-2-film-review-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter the smash hit success of the first \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/guardians-of-the-galaxy/\"\u003eGuardians of the Galaxy\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e feature, Starlord and his merry band of misfits have reunited for volume 2 of this cosmic superhero story – and dare we say it? It was just as good, if not better, than the first!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith true directorial vision from \u003ca href=\"/tag/james-gunn/\"\u003eJames Gunn\u003c/a\u003e and a cinematic and storytelling style that makes it stand out a mile from the rest of the \u003ca href=\"/tag/marvel\"\u003eMarvel\u003c/a\u003emovies, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2/\"\u003eGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2\u003c/a\u003e is an absolute romper of a film, filled with a rainbow of colour, an incredibly detailed myriad of alien worlds and species, and enough action and comedy to leave you wanting more.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Film Review"},{"content":"**Nerve is a film examining the impact of technology on our lives, and comes from the minds behind the original documentary **Catfish – unfortunately, it’s a lacklustre attempt at creating a dark underworld of techy teenagers and what dangers the internet hides.\nIt follows Vee (Emma Roberts), a shy high school senior who decides to get involved with ‘Nerve’, the latest online craze which is essentially an online version of truth or dare where you receive cash rewards if you succeed. Vee is a shy and socially awkward teenager, who would never do anything out of her comfort zone or to upset her mother, and who has lived in the shadow or her outgoing and popular best friend Sydney her whole life. After being embarrassed by Sydney, Vee decides to sign up as a player of Nerve to prove she has guts to do, well, anything. She is soon sucked into performing questionable and illegal acts with fellow player Ian, (Dave Franco) and the only way to get out safely is to win the game.\n**Nerve begins quite well – it has an interesting concept which is relevant to the technological age we live in, and is original in that it provides a scenario very much achievable in the real world. However, the acting and the writing is too poor to forgive. Emma Roberts can’t quite pull off the emotions the film needs, and the teen movie supporting cast definitely let it down too. The writing is cliché and predictable, and for a film that is attempting to be cool and edgy, the dialogue is forced and stunted.\nInevitably, as our lives become further indebted to technology, films and television will explore this new area. Black Mirror, the anthology series created by Charlie Brooker, was one of the first to really do this and immediately set the bar out of orbit, and therefore any new attempts to recreate the darker side of technology have such high expectations surrounding them. Nerve is a very Hollywood attempt at the Black Mirror method, and whilst the concept is interesting, the finished product is just another Hollywood teen flick with an all-too predictable ending.\nThere is some good stuff here; Nerve does provide some genuinely intense moments within the tasks set throughout the game. With a combination of found footage and regular camera styles to portray these tasks, the switching between the two makes it more realistic, in that it looks like something you would watch on your own Facebook wall, and show things which you could only watch through your fingers. Unfortunately, this strength peaks about halfway through the film and continues to falter until the disappointing ending.\nOverall, we give Nerve only 2 stars. We weren’t hoping for a masterpiece here, but perhaps a badly marketed forgotten gem. Despite looking fairly slick and providing a few gut-wrenching moments, the film fails to deliver and leaves us robbed of a finished product.\nNerve is out now to buy on DVD and to stream on Netflix.\n*(Images from here and here) *\n3 288 Viewsblack mirror catfish charlie brooker dave franco emma roberts film blog film blogger film magazine film review Nerve netflix Review the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/nerve-film-review-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/nerve/\"\u003eNerve\u003c/a\u003e is a film examining the impact of technology on our lives, and comes from the minds behind the original documentary **\u003ca href=\"/tag/catfish/\"\u003eCatfish\u003c/a\u003e – unfortunately, it’s a lacklustre attempt at creating a dark underworld of techy teenagers and what dangers the internet hides.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt follows Vee (\u003ca href=\"/tag/emma-roberts/\"\u003eEmma Roberts\u003c/a\u003e), a shy high school senior who decides to get involved with ‘Nerve’, the latest online craze which is essentially an online version of truth or dare where you receive cash rewards if you succeed. Vee is a shy and socially awkward teenager, who would never do anything out of her comfort zone or to upset her mother, and who has lived in the shadow or her outgoing and popular best friend Sydney her whole life. After being embarrassed by Sydney, Vee decides to sign up as a player of Nerve to prove she has guts to do, well, anything. She is soon sucked into performing questionable and illegal acts with fellow player Ian, (\u003ca href=\"/tag/dave-franco/\"\u003eDave Franco\u003c/a\u003e) and the only way to get out safely is to win the game.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Nerve' Film Review"},{"content":"**Captain Fantastic is one of the most original and underrated gems of the last year. Following similar styles as films such as **Little Miss Sunshine, it is a funny look at some of the more overlooked issues in modern life. It is funny, intelligent and heart-warming whilst also being heart-wrenching.\nThe film follows Ben (Viggo Mortensen), a man who has raised his 6 children in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Living a life of extreme physical training together with a particularly high end approach to home schooling, his children have blossomed into highly intelligent people of the wilderness. Upon learning of his ill wife’s suicide, Ben must take the plunge, moving his children out of the forest and into the real world so they can attend her funeral and fulfill their mother’s dying wish.\nWhile Viggo Mortensen portrays Ben excellently, he’s not a particularly likeable character. It is really the children who steal the show, especially the youngest ones. They are all unique in their own way and bring something different to the film, but also form a cohesive bond that pulls everything together. Much of the story focusses on oldest son Bo’s journey – like his siblings, he’s extremely intelligent and has a whole host of incredible skills, but has been deprived of ‘normal’ experience and cultural references, and it’s seeing the children get to grips with this in the real world where this film really works. Brilliant writing is on show here, really capturing the social awkwardness and complete naivety of the children.\nOne thing Captain Fantastic does really well – which can be rare on the movie screen – is provide a new perspective on life. It makes you wish you did more, learned more; it makes you appreciate the beauty of the natural world and brings a new meaning to the sense of family. It is a beautiful portrayal of sociological views that can educate and reaffirm your own values.\nWe give Captain Fantastic 4 stars for providing a unique take on modern life and what it means to really live to the full. With triumphant performances all round and genuine emotions portrayed throughout, this is a must watch and not one to be overlooked.\nCaptain Fantastic is out now on DVD here.\n(Images from here and here)\n5 282 ViewsCaptain Fantastic film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews frank langella Independent Cinema little miss sunshine Review the cineblog viggo mortensen\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/captain-fantastic-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/captain-fantastic/\"\u003eCaptain Fantastic\u003c/a\u003e is one of the most original and underrated gems of the last year. Following similar styles as films such as **\u003ca href=\"/tag/little-miss-sunshine/\"\u003eLittle Miss Sunshine\u003c/a\u003e, it is a funny look at some of the more overlooked issues in modern life. It is funny, intelligent and heart-warming whilst also being heart-wrenching.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe film follows Ben (\u003ca href=\"/tag/viggo-mortensen/\"\u003eViggo Mortensen\u003c/a\u003e), a man who has raised his 6 children in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Living a life of extreme physical training together with a particularly high end approach to home schooling, his children have blossomed into highly intelligent people of the wilderness. Upon learning of his ill wife’s suicide, Ben must take the plunge, moving his children out of the forest and into the real world so they can attend her funeral and fulfill their mother’s dying wish.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Captain Fantastic' Film Review"},{"content":"With the recent release of the trailer for the upcoming movie remake of **Stephen King’s IT, a lot of speculation and questions have arisen among the public as to why yet another ‘remake’ is in the works, especially when the ‘original’ is a classic. Whilst we live in an age where original content is few and far between in blockbuster cinema, people are quick to forget the true breadth of the film industry outside of Hollywood and also, how in mainstream cinema, some remakes/reboots and the like are necessary.\nIT falls within this category, we believe, and whilst many may argue otherwise, there are plenty of reasons as to why we can make this statement.\nBefore we go any further, we must mention that Tim Curry as Pennywise the Dancing Clown is somewhat irreplaceable. He has become one of the most well-known horror icons in film history and has instilled a fear of clowns among many across the generations. We think the reason the new IT movie has become so controversial is down to (what we like to call) the Joker effect. For many, Jack Nicholson was the perfect Joker, no one could touch him, and when Heath Ledger was announced as the next in line to play him, no one thought he could beat Nicholson’s performance. What happened afterwards, not one person could have predicted – Ledger posthumously won an Oscar for his performance as the Joker, and his version of the character has become so iconic, many forgot about how good Nicholson was. They took the character in a completely different direction, so no comparisons or similarities could be drawn, and both versions of the character will stand the test of time.\nAbove: Tim Curry as Pennywise in the original series\nAs we have all seen from the official images and the newly released trailer, the character of Pennywise is being taken in a new direction to that of Curry’s. We have got Bill Skarsgard taking on the challenge, a much younger actor, with equally as unique a look as Tim Curry.\nOriginally the role was to be given to British born Will Poulter, however with the departure of Cary Fukunaga from the project, Poulter’s involvement also dissolved. Andy Muschietti took over the project and brought in Skarsgard, and from the released images, a better person could not have been chosen. They have created a perfectly eerie depiction of Pennywise, with a ghostly element about him. Seeing as he is an evil being that has been around for centuries, we wouldn’t expect his costume to be so bright and colourful as the one in the original TV movie. Curry’s Pennywise was a far more comical take on the character, really gripping on to the idea that he draws children in with his innocent image as a clown, to then transform into the evil creature he is. In the upcoming movie they appear to have really focused on the scary side of this villain, and it has got us very excited.\nThe first IT mini-series is something that brings up childhood nostalgia and terror, but when we do revisit this adaptation, we see just how bad it really is. It has become a cult classic, but largely due to Curry’s performance – if you take him out of the equation, what do you have left? The rest of it is not worthy enough to maintain the quality throughout the rest of the series that he holds during his time on screen. The adaptation itself was sloppy, changing little parts, cutting out some important parts from the book and simply not making it scary enough.\nThis new version of IT is necessary because we deserve a true and decent adaption of this Stephen King favourite, and one of the most horrifying stories of his career.\nFrom what we know, the movie being released later this year will be part 1 of 2 and focus on the children’s story first of all. This is one of few books which deserves the split in adaptation as it does have a natural divide in that it follows the characters as children and later as adults, each with their own story arc to make an action-packed film from both perspectives.\nThis first film will follow The Losers Club as they discover the monster lurking in the sewers of Derry, their run-ins with their mutual bully, Henry Bowers and how they pull through their own struggles with childhood and family. There is so much rich detail that can be taken from the book to include in this part of the story, that even a film focused solely on the children won’t do the book justice, but we can only hope that they make it work as best they can.\nWe have high hopes for the cast, which includes Finn Wolfhard of last year’s smash hit Stranger Things, and from pictures of the Losers Club together, a similar style to *Stranger Things *can already be seen. The Netflixsmash hit brought back that nostalgic look on children and adventure that we haven’t seen in a long time, and IT looks to continue that and pay homage to the original Losers Club which we so dearly wanted to be a part of.\nThere has been a very prolonged online presence of the making of the movie, and when the trailer was finally released, it smashed all kinds of records – including the most views of an online trailer in the first 24 hours (197 million to be exact). It has topped this list, is the first horror movie to appear on the list, has the highest view count for a 2017 movie release, highest view count for an R-rated movie, and is the first movie with a budget under $55 million to appear on the list. Things couldn’t look better for Muschietti…\nWe cannot wait for the new movie to be released, and hope to be scared out of our wits. IT will be released in cinemas on 8 September 2017.\nYou can view the trailer here, if you dare…\n(Images from here, here and here)\n5 205 Viewsadaptation andy muschietti Bill Skarsgard cary fukunaga film blog film bloggers film magazine film reviews finn wolfhard heath ledger IT it film it movie jack nicholson netflix remake Stephen King stephen king\u0026rsquo;s it stranger things the cineblog Tim Curry will poulter\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/why-we-need-the-new-it-movie-feature/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWith the recent release of the trailer for the upcoming movie remake of **\u003ca href=\"/tag/stephen-kings-it/\"\u003eStephen King’s IT\u003c/a\u003e, a lot of speculation and questions have arisen among the public as to why yet another ‘remake’ is in the works, especially when the ‘original’ is a classic. Whilst we live in an age where original content is few and far between in blockbuster cinema, people are quick to forget the true breadth of the film industry outside of Hollywood and also, how in mainstream cinema, some remakes/reboots and the like are necessary.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why We Need The New IT Movie | Feature"},{"content":"As one of the many Wolverine spin-offs from the long-lasting X-Men franchise, **Logan, on paper, was expected to be an average film at best. However, Marvel have managed to flip the Wolverine story on its back and bring us a surprise superhero masterpiece.\nSet in 2029, the mutant population is almost extinct and Logan’s healing powers are beginning to dwindle. He is an alcoholic and works as a chauffeur so he can care for Professor Charles Xavier, who now suffers from a neurodegenerative disease which causes his powers to become unpredictable and dangerous. Logan is approached by a woman asking him to take her daughter to a mysterious place called Eden to keep her safe from a secret corporation who want her mutant DNA. With his responsibilities now compromised, Logan must decide whether to use his powers for good or continue his downward spiral.\nLogan takes a far more mature look at the world of the X-Men and superheroes in general than any previous movie in the franchise, examining what happens when they grow old and can’t control their bodies anymore. It is heart-breaking to see such loved characters as Professor X and Wolverine become weak and vulnerable, with Xavier’s brain disease causing him to have seizures that can be fatal to those around him if he doesn’t take his medication, and Logan’s skin turning to scars as his powers seem to wear off – all of which reminds us that despite their powers, these mutants are not indestructible.\nDuring the film we are introduced to Laura, the young mutant who Logan must now protect from the secret organisation after her DNA. She was bred in captivity and trained to become a soldier, and as a result is very young, but she is extremely powerful and holds powers like those of Logan himself.\nThere is not one bad performance in this film. Everyone holds their own and brings their character to life. Even Stephen Merchant carries off his West Country accent as Caliban, the albino tracking mutant. Dafne Keen, who plays Laura, is a newcomer to film and she is absolutely brilliant, sure to be a rising star of the future. With this being both Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart’s last outing as their respective characters, they both really deliver the emotion in this final instalment of the Wolverine franchise.\nNew director to the franchise James Mangold has ensured that the characters have truly gone out with a bang. Hailed as one of the best superhero movies ever, certainly in the Marvel franchise, Logan is drawing comparisons with **The Dark Knight for its new take on the well-known franchise, creating a darker and grittier world and exploring real world issues in the fictitious universe. X-Men has always covered quite sinister issues that mirror real life, but placing it in this dystopian not so distant future can only reflect on real-world prejudices.\nSpeaking of directing, it’s clear that Mangold’s influence and vision for the film is what really elevates it to masterpiece material. There actually seems to be a beauty present in the cinematography here that we just don’t normally see in CGI-filled superhero movies. The backdrop of the Mexican desert and sunset hues give a hazy and yet harsh, bleak feel, and the omittance of the expected Marvel one-liners at every opportunity often makes the viewer forget that you’re watching a film about mutants entirely, instead turning it into a drama piece about the responsibility of family.\nThe violence in Logan has been ramped up quite a few notches too. Marvel has always been distinctly family-friendly in the execution of its fight scenes, but with the success of **Deadpool, they knew the adult audience was ready and waiting. What Deadpool is to crudeness, Logan is to brutality – and it works.\n**We give Logan a well-deserved 5 stars for changing the superhero game, and for showing that you can combine this seemingly stereotypical genre with real directorial vision to create something even better than the norm. **\nWhilst the film may not be suitable for the younger audience, its a standout piece of work from Marvel, and feels like the X-Men film we’ve wanted all along. It may be the end of an era, but Wolverine certainly goes out on a high.\nLogan is still showing in some cinemas now, but be quick! See the trailer below for a glimpse of the mutant action – it’s a truly beautiful trailer too.\n(Images from here, hereand here)\n2 296 Viewscharles xavier Cinema Comic Book dafne keen deadpool Film film blog film blogger film magazine film review hugh jackman james mangold logan marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU patrick stewart professor x Review stephen merchant superhero the cineblog the dark knight wolverine x-men xmen\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/logan-film-review-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs one of the many \u003ca href=\"/tag/wolverine/\"\u003eWolverine\u003c/a\u003e spin-offs from the long-lasting \u003ca href=\"/tag/x-men/\"\u003eX-Men\u003c/a\u003e franchise, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/logan/\"\u003eLogan\u003c/a\u003e, on paper, was expected to be an average film at best. However, \u003ca href=\"/tag/marvel/\"\u003eMarvel\u003c/a\u003e have managed to flip the Wolverine story on its back and bring us a surprise superhero masterpiece.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet in 2029, the mutant population is almost extinct and Logan’s healing powers are beginning to dwindle. He is an alcoholic and works as a chauffeur so he can care for Professor Charles Xavier, who now suffers from a neurodegenerative disease which causes his powers to become unpredictable and dangerous. Logan is approached by a woman asking him to take her daughter to a mysterious place called Eden to keep her safe from a secret corporation who want her mutant DNA. With his responsibilities now compromised, Logan must decide whether to use his powers for good or continue his downward spiral.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Logan' Film Review"},{"content":"**American Honeyis a beautiful, sun-drenched whirlwhind of a youthful road movie, directed by Andrea Arnolds. It stars newcomer Sasha Lane – who Arnolds spotted in Florida on her spring break – as Star, a Texan girl with responsibility weighing on her shoulders who is lured into the lifestyle of travelling sales by Jake, played by Shia LaBeouf.\nThere’s a tangible chemistry between Lane and LaBeouf from the outset, and we follow them through the roads of America as they try to earn themselves some money. There’s so much going on in this film – it’s a classic road movie tinged with epic romance, as well as something to say about poverty and class and the American dream. Plot twists aren’t what* American Honey* is going for; it’s more a study of a group of people travelling together, how they bond, fight, love and betray, and how one lost girl finds a way to fit in with them.\nWith fleeting views of American backroads seen through the window of a min, there’s a constant energy to this film that grips you. The cinematography here is undeniably beautiful – everything feels sunny and dirty and grimy and smoke filled, we watch the film in small screen rather than widescreen, and there’s a sunset hue to key emotional moments that makes the look of the movie incredibly visually appealing and hard to forget.\nThe character studies in American Honey often surprise you – expectations of male characters are often subverted, and the whole film seems to be driven by erratic and emotional actions of the protagonists, adding to the heady youthful feel. Shia LaBeouf is a great casting choice – he’s charming and clever and tinged with madness, and you’re never quite sure what he’s going to do next. Riley Keough is also strong as the menacing boss Crystal, who doesn’t hesitate to put Star in her place and hit her where it hurts.\nBut the real star? Star herself. Sasha Lane is a total newcomer to the world of cinema but she is completely bewitching in this film. Her beauty and striking look set her apart from the rest and she has this understated way of playing anger and sadness and naivety that makes her feel so, so real.\nThe soundtrack is also a key element of the movie, with many scenes using music to bring the characters together and showase the dynamic of the group – and we love the way Arnold constructs a kind of non-ending to the film, giving the audience the sense that Star has been reborn.\nAmerican Honey is an emotional, beautiful triumph that shows real vision from the director and a promising real life Star in Sasha Lane. We can’t wait to see what comes next from both of them. 4 stars from us!\nBuy ‘American Honey’ on DVD here, and sneak a peek with the trailer below.\n(Images from here and here).\n43 4641 Viewsamerican honey andrea arnold cinema blog Film film magazine film review film reviews indie film indie film blog riley keough sasha lane shia labeouf the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/american-honey-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/american-honey/\"\u003eAmerican Honey\u003c/a\u003eis a beautiful, sun-drenched whirlwhind of a youthful road movie, directed by \u003ca href=\"/tag/andrea-arnolds/\"\u003eAndrea Arnolds\u003c/a\u003e. It stars newcomer \u003ca href=\"/tag/sasha-lane/\"\u003eSasha Lane\u003c/a\u003e – who Arnolds spotted in Florida on her spring break – as Star, a Texan girl with responsibility weighing on her shoulders who is lured into the lifestyle of travelling sales by Jake, played by \u003ca href=\"/tag/shia-labeouf/\"\u003eShia LaBeouf\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s a tangible chemistry between Lane and LaBeouf from the outset, and we follow them through the roads of America as they try to earn themselves some money. There’s so much going on in this film – it’s a classic road movie tinged with epic romance, as well as something to say about poverty and class and the American dream. Plot twists aren’t what* American Honey* is going for; it’s more a study of a group of people travelling together, how they bond, fight, love and betray, and how one lost girl finds a way to fit in with them.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'American Honey' Film Review"},{"content":"There was always going to be some form of controversy surrounding the remake of such a beloved eighties movie, but I don’t think anyone quite expected the backlash that this gender-swapped version of **Ghostbusters received. Unfortunately, for die-hard fans, a female fronted remake was an insult to the original, and whilst this isn’t the best film to ever come out of Hollywood by any means, it definitely does not deserve the criticism it received.\n**Ghostbusters (2016) follows Erin (Kristen Wiig), a science professor on the verge of getting her tenure at her university, who soon discovers that a forgotten book about the paranormal she co-wrote has surfaced on the internet. In a bid to get it removed and avoid the falter of her reputation as a scientist she reunites with her old friend and co-author Abby (Melissa McCarthy) who is obsessed with proving the existence of ghosts. Erin soon gets dragged into a paranormal investigation with Abby and her colleague Jillian (Kate McKinnon) which vindicates Abby’s beliefs and encourages Erin to join forces with her in investigating the supernatural. Strange apparitions sequentially begin appearing across Manhattan and the team must put a stop to it. They recruit Patty (Leslie Jones), who knows the city, to aid them in their quest.\nFortunately, to the film’s benefit, this is not a rehash of the 1980s original. If it had been, it would have been a disaster. Instead they have opted for different characters, a different storyline and have modernised it to give it some new life. The characters themselves are intelligent and quirky women, something not often seen in big Hollywood blockbusters, and this creates an endearing look into the comedy that women can create.\nAll of the women in this are funny in their own right, however, the standout actress for us is Kate McKinnon. She is not your cliché comedy character. She is an engineer with strange ideas, no fear of danger or consequence, and holds great wit and intelligence. She provides the most genuine laughs that aren’t the expected and overdone jokes, and she is something not yet portrayed in the female comedy film thus far. McCarthy and Wiig recreate their famous comedy get ups as seen in **Bridesmaids, however the characters they are playing don’t have a unique a quality as McKinnon’s character to be the stars of the film, which is the aim. Jones’ character unfortunately is too stereotypical and predictable to warrant praise. Jones herself is fine as Patty, but the writing has let her potential as a comedy actress down.\nOne thing which has the ability to appease the Ghostbusters purists are the cameos from the original cast members and references to the first movie. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver all appear in the movie, albeit in small doses, but clearly shows the film has their seal of approval, which many believed it did not.\nOverall, the new Ghostbusters has shaken up the franchise and given it a new lease of life, but is completely unremarkable as a standalone feature. We cannot help but make comparisons to the original film and unfortunately, whilst the creators certainly haven’t made a bad film, it is average at best, and doesn’t ooze the same charm and fun the original did.\nWe give Ghostbusters (2016) 3 stars for providing a fun and entertaining watch, but lacking the oomph one would expect from the reboot of such a beloved franchise.\nGhostbusters is out to buy on DVDand streaming on Now TV. Wet your paranormal whistle with the trailer below.\n(Images from here and here)\n3 304 Views2016 bill murray bridesmaids chris hemsworth cineblog comedy dan aykroyd ernie hudson film blog film blogger film magazine film review Ghostbusters ghostbusters 2016 kate mckinnon kristen wiig leslie jones melissa mccarthy reboot remake sigourney weaver the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/ghostbusters-2016-film-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere was always going to be some form of controversy surrounding the remake of such a beloved eighties movie, but I don’t think anyone quite expected the backlash that this gender-swapped version of **\u003ca href=\"/tag/ghostbusters/\"\u003eGhostbusters\u003c/a\u003e received. Unfortunately, for die-hard fans, a female fronted remake was an insult to the original, and whilst this isn’t the best film to ever come out of Hollywood by any means, it definitely does not deserve the criticism it received.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Ghostbusters' (2016) Film Review"},{"content":"Based upon the best-selling novel by Paula Hawkins, *The Girl on the Train*was one of the most anticipated films of 2016. Being one of the biggest phenomenon’s in recent literature, audiences wouldn’t have to wait too long for the film adaptation. With a story that should translate so well to the screen and a stellar cast, we thought it was going to be fail-safe. Unfortunately, we were left feeling disappointed.\nA big mistake many writers make when adapting such well-known novels into films is relying too heavily on the source material as the essence of everything. This can sometimes lead to dodgy interpretations of the same monologues, knock-offs of the same conversations, and also the opportunity to completely change the setting of the story so as to fit their own model. For us, the story should have remained in the city of London rather than Manhattan, as the new setting adds a sort of glamour to what should be an incredibly bleak tale of alcoholism and abuse. The train journey from the outskirts to the centre of London wouldn’t have been anywhere near as picturesque as the journey along the coastline of New York, but more representative of the story being told with grey tower blocks, dank rivers and moody weather.\nThe story itself follows Rachel, played somewhat sacrificially by Emily Blunt, an alcoholic who commutes to and from New York every single day. On her journey she stops in the same place and gazes upon a seemingly perfect couple. One morning after an alcohol related blackout, Rachel wakes up to discover that Megan, one half of this dream couple, has gone missing, and Rachel must do all she can to find out what happened. With her ex-husband, his new wife and their baby living on the same street as Megan and her husband Scott, Rachel struggles to battle her past and her patchy present in order to vindicate herself after being spotted at the scene of the crime.\nUnfortunately, the writers have wasted such a fantastic opportunity to make a thriller strong enough to live up to the book’s reputation, and have instead created some strange and pretentious knock off which views like a questionable day time movie with the over the top eroticism of the Fifty Shades franchise. The developments in the storyline are rushed and uncompromising. The reveals later on in the film are poorly executed and badly edited into overdone flashbacks of the protagonist.\nWe feel this film was made too quickly and without real thought about the transition of the story from the pages to the screen. With a staggering ready-made audience sitting behind it, this film was always going to be a hit, but it seems it was just another lacklustre attempt to get something out in circulation to appease demand without actually delivering a polished final product.\nLuckily, for the film’s sake, Emily Blunt delivers a stellar performance which certainly deserves recognition (and for which she did receive a BAFTA nomination). Blunt mostly pulls off being blind drunk fairly convincingly, and brings real emotion to this generally unlikeable character – although we reckon she was chosen to add a Hollywood gloss of beauty to Rachel, who is described as distinctly average in the book. Regardless, she’s the best part of this film.\nThe supporting cast are less deserving of praise. Where they aren’t completely terrible, they simply don’t illicit any sort of strong reaction from the audience. The performances are so underwhelming for a cast that boasts the talents of Justin Theroux, Rebecca Ferguson, Allison Janney, Laura Prepon and Lisa Kudrow, though the film doesn’t give them that much room to show their skills.\nWhere the cast wasn’t able to save this film from tanking, the style and music of the film aid it in its descent to the bottom of the barrel. It is pretentious, disjointed, and, for a story so dark, contains too much soft-lighting and erotica than what should have been necessary to get the message across.\nWe give The Girl on the Train a disappointing 2 stars for falling into that almost inevitable trap of ‘but the book was so much better than the film’. If you’re intrigued in this story, we recommend reading the source material instead.\nThe Girl on the Train is available to buy on DVD and Blu-Ray here. Take a look at the trailer below.\n(Images from here, here and here)\n3 286 Viewsallison janney Emily Blunt Film adaptation film blog film blogger film magazine film review justin theroux laura prepon lisa kudrow Mystery Paula Hawkins rebecca ferguson the cineblog The Girl on the Train\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/the-girl-on-the-train-film-review-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBased upon the best-selling novel by Paula Hawkins, *\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-girl-on-the-train/\"\u003eThe Girl on the Train\u003c/a\u003e*was one of the most anticipated films of 2016. Being one of the biggest phenomenon’s in recent literature, audiences wouldn’t have to wait too long for the film adaptation. With a story that should translate so well to the screen and a stellar cast, we thought it was going to be fail-safe. Unfortunately, we were left feeling disappointed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'The Girl on the Train' Film Review"},{"content":"With one of the most talked about film openings of the year so far, **Get Out has proved to be a surprise horror hit. By maintaining a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes for almost the entirety of its release and garnering a lot of attention around its racial themes, it has been one of the most talked about films in recent memory.\nGet Out follows Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his white girlfriend Rose (Alison Williams, and her being white is important) as the couple go to visit Rose’s family for the weekend. With Chris yet to meet the parents, he is anxious to know whether they are aware he is black. Upon meeting the seemingly lovely family, cracks soon begin to show with the introduction of two black servants working for them who are eerily robotic and obedient, leading to a tense increase in Chris’s discomfort. We soon learn that Rose’s mother (played by Catherine Keener) is a keen hypnotist, and it doesn’t take long for her to practice this talent on Chris to disturbing results. What ensues from there is a playful but often horrific exploration into the depths of racism in America.\nThe film is directed by Jordan Peele, one half of comedy duo Key and Peele, so it’s no surprise that we get a darkly comedic slant on this deeply disturbing plot. Get Out deftly combines horror with laughs, which works to create an incredibly clever look into modern racism and its roots in American society – a theme so prevelant in today’s climate – without taking itself too seriously. This is a movie with subtle nods to racism and the prejudice that black people face every day, and has caused controversy, most likely due to the boldness with which it states and explores its racial themes.\nSpeaking of the opening to the film in particular, Peele has said ‘I felt it was important first and foremost to get the entire audience on board with the inherent fears that a black man has’. This works effortlessly – viewers of any race are made to stand in the shoes of a black man who feels out of place, and see the world through his eyes.\nConsidering Get Out is one of the first of Peele’s feature length ventures, it is an admirably polished piece of work. The story is concise and well crafted, the cinematography is beautifully woven in and helps to maintain the unsettling story, and the acting is on point too. Daniel Kaluuya, a British actor most recently seen in Sicario, is fascinating in his approach to the storyline, really creating a sense of unnerve and awkwardness when thrown into various scenarios throughout the film – all whilst playing the character of Chris with understated calmness.\nAnother great performance in the film comes from Catherine Keener, Rose’s psychiatrist mother. She oozes the creepiness needed to make this the horror movie we would expect and draws us into a state of anticipation, wondering what her real intentions are. The audience knows they can’t trust her, and she pulls it off incredibly well.\nCaleb Landry Jones also gives a memorable turn as the Rose’s disturbing and intense brother, and Alison Williams does well as Rose herself, keeping the audience guessing and flicking the switch from loving girlfriend to something else entirely with ease.\nGet Out will always be seen as a film of this time. With so many horrors that resonate with this film going on every day in our political and social climate, Peele couldn’t have released a more relevant and culturally appropriate film which ticks all the horror boxes as well as giving genuine comedic moments. It’s laugh out loud funny, terrifying, incredibly tense and expertly written.\nWe’re giving Get Out a solid 5 stars for providing audiences with the perfect cinematic response to recent events. It’s a film to entertain us as well as convey depth and meaning beyond our own imagination and for some, our own life experience. It’s well-rounded, with brilliant performances, and has earned it’s position as one of the best and biggest films of the year.\nGet Out is still in cinemas now! Watch the trailer here – although be warned, it does give a lot of the game away. Go see the film blind to make the most of it!\n(Images from here, here and here)\n3 267 Viewsalison williams black comedy caleb landry jones catherine keener comedy daniel kaluuya film blog film blogger film magazine film review get out horror jordan peele movie review sicario the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/get-out-film-review-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWith one of the most talked about film openings of the year so far, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/get-out\"\u003eGet Out\u003c/a\u003e has proved to be a surprise horror hit. By maintaining a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes for almost the entirety of its release and garnering a lot of attention around its racial themes, it has been one of the most talked about films in recent memory.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGet Out\u003c/em\u003e follows Chris (\u003ca href=\"/tag/daniel-kaluuya/\"\u003eDaniel Kaluuya\u003c/a\u003e) and his white girlfriend Rose (\u003ca href=\"/tag/alison-williams/\"\u003eAlison Williams\u003c/a\u003e, and her being white is important) as the couple go to visit Rose’s family for the weekend. With Chris yet to meet the parents, he is anxious to know whether they are aware he is black. Upon meeting the seemingly lovely family, cracks soon begin to show with the introduction of two black servants working for them who are eerily robotic and obedient, leading to a tense increase in Chris’s discomfort. We soon learn that Rose’s mother (played by \u003ca href=\"/tag/catherine-keener/\"\u003eCatherine Keener\u003c/a\u003e) is a keen hypnotist, and it doesn’t take long for her to practice this talent on Chris to disturbing results. What ensues from there is a playful but often horrific exploration into the depths of racism in America.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Get Out' Film Review"},{"content":"**The Edge of Seventeen is a brutally honest tale of teenage angst and the laughter that comes along with it. Starring Hailee Steinfeld, never in recent years have we seen such an accurate portrayal of the struggles of teenage life without the glamour of Hollywood to add a rose-tinted hue. Like a crossover between **Sixteen Candles and **Perks of Being a Wallflower, Edge of Seventeen is an incredibly funny take on the all-encompassing high school years, warts and all.\nThe film follows Nadine (Steinfeld), a 17-year-old junior in high school whose best, and possibly only friend, Krista has just started dating her older, good looking brother, Darian. We watch Nadine come to terms with this new ordeal, attempting to form relationships with boys, and the effect she has on her widowed mother.\nSteinfeld is mesmerising as Nadine. It is easy to forget that Steinfeld has previously been nominated for an Academy Award for her role in **True Grit at the mere age of 14, and at such a young age even still, it’s not difficult to see why. Despite this being a coming of age movie aimed at a teenage audience (a genre which doesn’t usually garner much critical acclaim when it comes to acting talent), her ability is undeniable. She is fresh and exciting and really captures what it is like to be a regular teenager, and with great comedic delivery.\nOne thing that audiences may struggle with when it comes to the character of Nadine is her relatability. Some may argue that she is not relatable because she is selfish, aggressive and she believes everything revolves around her. In her world, no one else could possibly have any problems greater than her own. However, we think this is what makes the film so worthwhile. Long has it been since we have seen such a normal person on screen. In fact, we feel she is more relatable because of her flaws. If you look back at yourself when you were 17 you would probably cringe at the things you used to do and say, and of course, small problems seemed astronomical. Nadine’s story is not sugar-coated in any way. The writers have really grasped the exaggeration that teenagers latch on to to make their lives seem so gruelling to the people around them, but also the awkwardness we all go through when we are finding our feet amongst our peers.\nA lot of these movies will go one of two ways: they will either trivialise teenage life and make it so shallow and meaningless, but gloss it over so it presents well; or they go too far down angst street that the film has become a sob-fest, which we admittedly love, but find it hard to relate to because there are few people out there who have so much struggle so young. The Edge of Seventeen balances between the two so perfectly that we can see a little bit of Nadine in all of us. Teenagers can be terrible human beings, but in the best way possible, and that is why these are coming of age films. They portray people learning how to better themselves.\nEach situation in this movie is believable and so are the relationships, especially Nadine’s relationship with her teacher Mr Bruner, played by Woody Harrelson. He has become Nadine’s outlet and is the only one who can deal with her. He is the shining light in her life and opens the doors to her seeing life in a different way, and without her realising it. As much as we know teachers like this are probably few and far between in reality, it creates an endearing dynamic to the film that, for one, depicts school positively, rather than a complete hell-hole.\nThe Edge of Seventeen has become an instant cult hit in the teen movie/high school genre and we believe will remain as one of the greats amongst the string of John Hughes movies we all so dearly love. Unfortunately, it didn’t receive as big a release as we would have hoped, but that is not to say that it wasn’t successful. Adding a further prestigious nomination to her name, Steinfeld received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, and we have high hopes for her future career.\nWe give The Edge of Seventeen 4 stars for promising so much truth and delivering it to us with panache, and with a side of nostalgia for taking us back to our own teenage years, even if we would rather forget them sometimes. This film is laugh out loud funny, honest and unapologetic, without the gimmick which many other films of this genre may contain.\nThe Edge of Seventeen is available to buy on DVD here, or take a look at the trailer below.\n(Images from here, here and here)\n5 273 Viewscomedy coming of age film film blog film blogger film magazine film reviews Golden Globes Hailee Steinfeld perks of being a wallflower Review sixteen candles teen movie the cineblog The Edge of Seventeen true grit Woody Harrelson\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/edge-seventeen-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-edge-of-seventeen/\"\u003eThe Edge of Seventeen\u003c/a\u003e is a brutally honest tale of teenage angst and the laughter that comes along with it. Starring \u003ca href=\"/tag/hailee-steinfeld\"\u003eHailee Steinfeld\u003c/a\u003e, never in recent years have we seen such an accurate portrayal of the struggles of teenage life without the glamour of Hollywood to add a rose-tinted hue. Like a crossover between **\u003ca href=\"/tag/sixteen-candles/\"\u003eSixteen Candles\u003c/a\u003e and **\u003ca href=\"/tag/perks-of-being-a-wallflower/\"\u003ePerks of Being a Wallflower\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEdge of Seventeen\u003c/em\u003e is an incredibly funny take on the all-encompassing high school years, warts and all.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'The Edge of Seventeen' Film Review"},{"content":"After the unexpected success of **The Lego Movie, audiences worldwide couldn’t wait for the next instalment, and when it was revealed that the next movie would be a spin-off starring Batman, fans jumped for joy. With his absolute arrogance and audacity, Batman was arguably the best character in The Lego Movie and provided many of the best jokes, so **The Lego Batman Movie was the obvious next step in this franchise with so much potential.\n**The Lego Batman Movie follows Batman in his very own Gotham City as he fights to save the city from literally falling apart at the hands of the masterful Joker. Upon learning that Batman refuses to have an exclusive hero/villain relationship with the Joker, he and all the other evil villains suspiciously surrender themselves to Arkham Asylum. With no crime to fight and with no loved ones to spend time with, Batman can’t rest until he knows the Joker is locked away for good in a supervillain prison situated in space. The new police commissioner wants to criminalise vigilantes and work together with Batman to make the city safer; Alfred, Batman’s servant, wants Batman to remove himself from fighting crime and start a family; and an orphaned boy unwittingly adopted by Bruce Wayne wants nothing more than a loving father – and they are Batman’s only hope.\nCompared to it’s predecessor, The Lego Batman Movie certainly takes a much more straightforward approach when it comes to the storytelling. Whereas The Lego Movie was essentially about the art of building Lego itself and the worlds which could be created from it, Lego Batman makes almost no reference to Lego at all and focuses entirely on the internal arc of Batman himself. This unfortunately means that some of the charm from the first film is lost in that its originality is compounded into the style and humour of the film rather than the story.\nHowever, Lego Batman is incredibly funny and, for a children’s movie, it really pushes the jokes as far as they can go, squeezing out as much enjoyment for the adults as possible. The humour which was expertly crafted and maintained in The Lego Movie remains in Lego Batman and the gags are so well intertwined with the perception of Batman’s loneliness and hatred of people around him, it is impossible not to enjoy them.\nWhat we loved so much about Batman in The Lego Movie is deeply explored and exploited here. The writers have really juiced his brooding personality for what they can and transformed it into a story of love and friendship, without the cheesiness becoming too overwhelming. We are given scenarios of Batman having just saved Gotham whilst listening to his own rap music, and then shortly after he is sat alone watching Jerry Maguire whilst raucously laughing to himself – and then, Batman quietly pondering his old family photographs but being interrupted by Alfred as he kicks him across the room and into the body of a grand piano.\nThe film is littered with these kinds of jokes, and that is what makes it such a pleasure to watch, but what makes the film that little bit more brilliant is the level of cultural references and characters involved. On one side of the coin they have included almost every DC character you can think of, hero or villain, and where each of them may only have a small part of the movie, it is these one liners and quotes which keeps the humour consistent. On the other side of the coin, there is endless reference to characters and figures outside of the DC universe, clips of movies and also plenty of throwbacks to every single Batman show or movie from the past. It is nostalgic, relevant, and ultimately? Lots of fun.\nAgain, as per The Lego Movie, the cast is stellar. Batman is brilliantly voiced by Will Arnett, who so greatly parodies Christian Bale’s own portrayal of Batman with the deep, gruff voice to differentiate between both Batman and Bruce Wayne. Ralph Fiennes is so predictably the role of Alfred, Rosario Dawson as the new feisty police commissioner and Michael Cera as the awkward but fun loving Richard ‘Dick’ Grayson.\nOther stars involved include Zach Galifianakis as Joker, Channing Tatum as Superman, Jonah Hill as the Green Lantern, Conan O’Brien as the Riddler, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Eddie Izzard as (spoiler alert) Voldemort, and Mariah Carey as Mayor McCaskill… to name but a few. The extent of the stars involved in this movie, and most who only get an incredibly small handful of lines, just goes to show the immense fun that went into creating it.\nLego Batman is a visual treat; the animation is bright, colourful and well-executed and really grabs hold of the fantastical nature of all the characters in the DC universe. DC haven’t delivered such a good movie since Nolan’s **The Dark Knight Rises, and Arnett is a far cry from being overshadowed by any future live action Batman actor – Affleck included. Lego Batman is up there with the best of them, and for good reason.\nWe give The Lego Batman Movie 4 stars for bringing the Batman franchise back down to earth whilst simultaneously bringing the entire universe to life. We don’t know if a direct sequel will be the best way to move forward for the Lego empire, but we hope this isn’t the last we see of the “greatest hero ever”.\nLego Batman is in cinemas now, and you can get in the mood by checking out the trailer below:\n(Images from here, here and here)\n5 298 ViewsBatman channing tatum christian bale comedy Comic Book DC DCEU eddie izzard film blog film magazine film review film reviews film writer jonah hill Lego lego batman mariah carey michael cera ralph fiennes rosario dawson the cineblog the dark knight rises The Lego Batman Movie the lego movie Will Arnett zach galifianakis zoe kravitz\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/the-lego-batman-movie-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter the unexpected success of **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-lego-movie/\"\u003eThe Lego Movie\u003c/a\u003e, audiences worldwide couldn’t wait for the next instalment, and when it was revealed that the next movie would be a spin-off starring Batman, fans jumped for joy. With his absolute arrogance and audacity, Batman was arguably the best character in \u003cem\u003eThe Lego Movie\u003c/em\u003e and provided many of the best jokes, so **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-lego-batman-movie/\"\u003eThe Lego Batman Movie\u003c/a\u003e was the obvious next step in this franchise with so much potential.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'The Lego Batman Movie' | Film Review"},{"content":"Some may find it hard to believe that Quentin Tarantino’s debut feature film, **Reservoir Dogs, is now a quarter of a century old. Such a landmark in independent cinema, it spawned a vast range of copycats and an entirely new style of filmmaking. One of the first things that a film student will remember learning is the world’s most famous use of contrapuntal sound, and it all started here.\nThe film follows a group of robbers after a failed heist as they try to figure out what went wrong along the way, with the story unraveling through the use of flashbacks. None of the group must know who each of them really are, and the struggles which ensue is what drives the film along. It is essentially a character and dialogue driven film, with the added extras of a great soundtrack and intense violence. Generally, with first time filmmakers, the lack of budget can really hinder the lengths an auteur can achieve to show the world who they are, but Tarantino’s distinct writing and directing styles enabled him to overcome this hurdle and deliver a masterpiece in independent film. It is stylish, funny, violent and raw. It laid down the blueprint for Tarantino’s career – he was making a statement saying this is who I am, and this is what I do, and this is kindred to what makes Tarantino such a remarkable filmmaker.\nExpertly cast (with the exception, perhaps, of Tarantino himself) with the likes of Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth and Chris Penn to name a few, it is an ensemble cast to be envious of. The best moments in Reservoir Dogs are the so-called meaningless conversations amongst the characters – these create the humour and the realness, and set the audience up for what is to come in the climactic scenes. These men are defined by their struggle with power and masculinity and their fight to be the dominant alpha of the group – and this is the root of the conflict between them throughout the film.\nTarantino really came out full throttle with his Reservoir Dogs. Again, most first time filmmakers may tend to hold back to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, but Tarantino pulls no punches. The violence aside, which is infrequent but horrific, the use of profanity is at its glorious worst. Fast forward to 2012’s **Django Unchained and Tarantino gives us probably the most profane western ever created, with the ‘n’ word used approximately 116 times. This was to many people’s disgust, yet it went on to win 2 Oscars – proving that despite the controversial nature of Tarantino’s work, it is still seen in high regard and critical acclaim.\nIf we look to the **Kill Bill films, arguably the most violent films of his career, we can see how Tarantino really draws inspiration from Asian cinema in his style and use of violence. Some of the world’s most violent movies are Asian – such as **Ichi the Killer and **Battle Royale – and Kill Bill is as much an homage to them as it is a love letter to Asian filmmaking, being so deeply influenced by Manga and the martial arts. Woven into the stylistic quality of the movie, the violence in Kill Bill is cartoonish and something straight from the pages from a comic book.\nOne of the things that Tarantino has consistently come under fire for throughout his career is the idea that the kind of violence in his films incites similar behaviour in real life. One will no doubt remember a certain interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy in which he attempts to push an answer from Tarantino as to why he believes there is no link between movie violence and violence in real life. Tarantino refuses to answer, stating that his opinions on his issues can be found by looking back over his career, and it’s frustrating for the director and the audience alike to have his legendary work reduced to criticism over violence when there’s so much more to marvel at.\nAs exemplified in Django Unchained, and as told by Quentin Tarantino himself in the above-mentioned interview, violence can be cathartic for the average viewer. It is something we could never fulfil ourselves and would never want to see, but in the context of a film, it is liberating – whether it be a revenge thriller like Django, a horror or even a crime film. Films like Django Unchained cover such serious historical issues that some forms of violence cannot be avoided – Tarantino set out to show people how brutal the violence was at that time, not to glorify it.\nYou could say that the controversy that surrounds Tarantino’s work is, in fact, what makes him so legendary. All you need to do to see his brilliance is look at the cast lists of each of his films. Every single one contains such a huge array of the world’s greatest actors, including Samuel L Jackson, Uma Thurman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Lucy Liu, and one of the best ensembles ever put on screen has to be **Pulp Fiction.\nPulp Fiction is often hailed as one of the best movies ever made. It is arty, funny, stylish, violent and unique, quotable and timeless, and will always appear on ‘films to watch before you die’ lists. Potentially the greatest of Tarantino’s works, it is effortlessly cool and solidified the director’s position in the film industry. It was his second feature film but the first time we got to see his combination of wacky music selections with edgy visuals. His love of the 70s is conveyed throughout his films, especially**Jackie Brown, and Pulp Fiction has one of the best soundtracks in history – who can resist dancing like Mia and Vincent at the sound of Chuck Berry’s iconic ‘Never Can Tell’.\nWith Tarantino’s most recent film **The Hateful Eight being released only just over a year ago, we can’t expect to be seeing anything from him soon – on average, he releases a film every three years, and with only rumours of the third instalment of Kill Bill being announced so far, we may have to wait a while. But, as is always the case with Quentin Tarantino, it is about quality not quantity, and whenever we see what he’s working on next, we can be sure there’ll be plenty of that.\n(Images from here, here, here and here)\n3 205 Views25 year anniversary battle royale brad pitt chris penn christoph waltz christopher walken cineblog Cinema django unchained Film film article film blog film reviews film site film writer harvey keitel ichi the killer Independent Cinema jackie brown kill bill leonardo dicaprio lucy liu michael madsen Pulp Fiction quentin tarantino Reservoir Dogs samuel l jackson steve buscemi the cineblog tim roth uma thurman Violence\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/25-years-reservoir-dogs-career-quentin-tarantino/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSome may find it hard to believe that \u003ca href=\"/tag/quentin-tarantino/\"\u003eQuentin Tarantino\u003c/a\u003e’s debut feature film, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/reservoir-dogs/\"\u003eReservoir Dogs\u003c/a\u003e, is now a quarter of a century old. Such a landmark in independent cinema, it spawned a vast range of copycats and an entirely new style of filmmaking. One of the first things that a film student will remember learning is the world’s most famous use of contrapuntal sound, and it all started here.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe film follows a group of robbers after a failed heist as they try to figure out what went wrong along the way, with the story unraveling through the use of flashbacks. None of the group must know who each of them really are, and the struggles which ensue is what drives the film along. It is essentially a character and dialogue driven film, with the added extras of a great soundtrack and intense violence. Generally, with first time filmmakers, the lack of budget can really hinder the lengths an auteur can achieve to show the world who they are, but Tarantino’s distinct writing and directing styles enabled him to overcome this hurdle and deliver a masterpiece in independent film. It is stylish, funny, violent and raw. It laid down the blueprint for Tarantino’s career – he was making a statement saying this is who I am, and this is what I do, and this is kindred to what makes Tarantino such a remarkable filmmaker.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"25 Years On | 'Reservoir Dogs' and the Career of Quentin Tarantino"},{"content":"According to Ray Kroc, played by Michael Keaton in this telling of how McDonalds turned from the most popular burger joint in San Bernardino to a worldwide empire, the one thing you need to pull off that kind of business success is not talent, but persistence.\n**The Founder is another portrayal of the everlasting debate about who really gets the credit for something revolutionary – those who have the talent and genius to develop the initial idea, or those who have the persistence to execute it. We saw the debate arise in **The Social Network, and this is a very similar telling of a story where being the creative talent behind something doesn’t always mean coming out on top, especially if there’s a shrewd businessman waiting in the wings to take your idea for themselves.\nWe went into this film having no real clue about the birth of the McDonalds empire, and nothing other than a fairly lowly opinion for the king of fast food outlets that churns out questionable food to the masses. What we saw was an eye-opening and at times saddening representation of the real intention behind the golden arches, and how that was transformed into one of the biggest corporations in the world.\n**Birdmanhas given Michael Keaton something of a renaissance, and he is undoubtedly the man for the job to play businessman Ray Kroc, who grows from a struggling milkshake mixer salesman to the ‘founder’ of the McDonalds as we know it, and who he has to trod on to get there.\nKeaton’s performance is the best thing about the film; he has just the right amount of aptitude for sales patter, blind ambition, egotism and giving engaging speeches to become someone you utterly believe capable of building the biggest restaurant chain on the planet. He’s strong throughout, but it could be argued there isn’t a whole lot of depth to the way the character is written. We never see any real emotion other than frustration at being held back in business, but then again, maybe that’s all we needed.\nOther notable players here are Laura Dern, who is solid as a seemingly long suffering wife who can’t understand her husband’s endless striving for success, and Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch as the original McDonald brothers, Dick and Mac, are very likeable characters. B.J. Novak as Kroc’s business advisor Harry Sonneborn leaves a little to be desired, and Linda Cardellini as Kroc’s eventual second wife Joan Smith is kind of mesmerising but isn’t given enough of a chance to get stuck in.\nThis is a fairly straight, literal telling of the launch of the McDonalds empire. There’s no real flashy direction or creative cinematography, though the use of Kroc’s meticulously planned sales spiel to move the story forward works well and witnessing Kroc try to understand the concept of receiving his order in 30 seconds and without silverware is interesting to see. The plot moves along quickly and you do get caught up in the ups and downs of Kroc’s relationship with the McDonald brothers turning from an honest man wanting to capitalise on a genius idea, into something entirely more heartless and money-grabbing, and this descent into unfairness is where you really start to feel something.\nTense enough, snappy enough and engaging enough – The Founder is a solid telling of an extremely intriguing story, and seeing the beginnings of the fast food world we now inhabit can’t help but be fascinating. This is an enjoyable watch, but nothing mindblowing, so we’re giving it a pretty good 3 stars.\nIf you’re a fan of Aaron Sorkin talkathons then it’s worth a go, but doesn’t quite match his calibre. Watch the trailer below for a taster. The Founder is showing in cinemas across the UK now.\nImages from here and here.\n40 3090 Viewsaaron sorkin b j novak film blog film blogger film magazine film review film site john carroll lynch john lee hancock laura dern mcdonalds michael keaton nick offerman the cineblog the founder\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/founder-film-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAccording to Ray Kroc, played by \u003ca href=\"/tag/michael-keaton/\"\u003eMichael Keaton\u003c/a\u003e in this telling of how McDonalds turned from the most popular burger joint in San Bernardino to a worldwide empire, the one thing you need to pull off that kind of business success is not talent, but persistence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-founder/\"\u003eThe Founder\u003c/a\u003e is another portrayal of the everlasting debate about who really gets the credit for something revolutionary – those who have the talent and genius to develop the initial idea, or those who have the persistence to execute it. We saw the debate arise in **\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-social-network/\"\u003eThe Social Network\u003c/a\u003e, and this is a very similar telling of a story where being the creative talent behind something doesn’t always mean coming out on top, especially if there’s a shrewd businessman waiting in the wings to take your idea for themselves.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'The Founder' Film Review"},{"content":"**Don’t Breathe is the second feature film from Fede Alvarez, whose debut feature was the reboot of the Evil Dead franchise, and is produced by horror legend Sam Raimi. Evil Dead was a fantastic return to that dreaded cabin in the woods, albeit extremely gory, graphic and with as little CGI used as possible to heighten the realism, and one of the best horror films in recent years. Therefore, the next film from Alvarez would always have a lot to live up to. Don’t Breathe does a brilliant job of cementing Alvarez’s role in the world of horror cinema, and proves he is definitely not a one hit wonder.\nDon’t Breathe follows three amateur thieves, Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and Money (Daniel Zovatto). Fed up of the meagre returns on their steals, they all agree to perform one final heist which will take them out of Detroit and lead them to a better life. They are informed of a house in an abandoned neighbourhood which is inhabited by a blind ex-marine, known only as the Blind Man, who is sitting on some compensation money following the death of his daughter in a car accident. Alex, whose dad runs a security company which covers the Blind Man, steals the device which allows the trio to enter the house and reset the alarm system without alerting the authorities. Money gasses the Blind Man’s bedroom out so they aren’t disturbed during their visit, and once they trust they are safe to continue they go on the hunt for the safe containing the money. To their dismay, the Blind Man awakens and he isn’t as helpless as he appears. He is resourceful and uses his blindness and knowledge of his home to his advantage, to stop the intruders from taking his stash and from finding out his dark secret.\nOne thing which we find is really lacking in modern day horror films is depth. Many rely on incessant jump scares to classify their product as a horror movie. Although Don’t Breathe may be classed more as a psychological thriller, it is truly horrifying. The tension is slowly built and just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, the crescendo continues. With a few jump scares included, as is expected in a suspenseful horror movie, they aren’t overly predictable or too frequent. The balance between the frights is perfect.\nRocky, played brilliantly by Jane Levy, is essentially the main protagonist of the film. Despite her criminal tendencies, we realise she is trying to make a better life for her and her young daughter and to escape the poisonous influences around her. She is an extremely strong character, and Levy is a true rising star. Her ability to convey real emotion, especially when acting scared, is absolutely on point and so believable. We cannot help but root for her and hope that, despite the immorality of her actions, she escapes with the money.\nThe Blind Man, played outstandingly by Stephen Lang, is a particularly slow-burner of a character. At first all we know is that he is an ex-marine, so we expect him to be knowledgeable in combat, weapons and stealth. Then he begins to display weakness when we discover that there is something strange going on. He seems to be protecting more than money and he goes to great lengths to prevent the trio from learning what that is. He is intelligent, unforgiving and extremely well trained. He constantly changes the pace of the film and makes us question the fate of the thieves.\nWe believe that Alvarez has commenced a winning streak in modern horror filmmaking. If his third venture into the world of horror is half as good as the likes of Don’t Breathe or Evil Dead, we reckon he is set to become the next big name in horror and look forward to what he releases next. Don’t Breathe has set a precedent for the art of suspense in horror cinema today. It is an outstanding feat and is superbly original. With Sam Raimi firmly in Alvarez’s corner we can be sure to predict a bright future for this new director.\nWe give Don’t Breathe the full 5 stars for reigniting the hope of horror cinema today. No longer do we need to rely on the golden age of horror for thrills, and cannot wait to see what his next project will be.\nDon’t Breathe is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray – order it on Amazon here – and give yourself a sneak peak at the rights by seeing the trailer below.\nImages from here, here and here.\n2 151 Viewscineblog daniel zovatto Don\u0026rsquo;t Breathe dylan minette evil dead Fede Alvarez Film film blog film review film reviews horror Jane Levy movie blog movie reviews Review Sam Raimi Stephen Lang Suspense the cineblog Thriller\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/dont-breathe-review-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/dont-breathe/\"\u003eDon’t Breathe\u003c/a\u003e is the second feature film from \u003ca href=\"/tag/fede-alvarez/\"\u003eFede Alvarez\u003c/a\u003e, whose debut feature was the reboot of the \u003ca href=\"/tag/evil-dead/\"\u003eEvil Dead\u003c/a\u003e franchise, and is produced by horror legend \u003ca href=\"/tag/sam-raimi/\"\u003eSam Raimi\u003c/a\u003e. \u003cem\u003eEvil Dead\u003c/em\u003e was a fantastic return to that dreaded cabin in the woods, albeit extremely gory, graphic and with as little CGI used as possible to heighten the realism, and one of the best horror films in recent years. Therefore, the next film from Alvarez would always have a lot to live up to. \u003cem\u003eDon’t Breathe\u003c/em\u003e does a brilliant job of cementing Alvarez’s role in the world of horror cinema, and proves he is definitely not a one hit wonder.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Don't Breathe' | Film Review"},{"content":"**Gone Girl is the adaptation of the thrilling and bestselling novel of the same name from writer Gillian Flynn, who also compiled the screenplay. Starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, and directed by one of the kings of thrillers, David Fincher, it tells the story of an American sweetheart in a tense marriage who goes missing mysteriously, the finger being pointed at her husband and the twists and turns that reveal what really happened to ‘Amazing’ Amy Dunne.\nRosamund Pike gained an Oscar nod for her role in Gone Girl and it’s not hard to see why – she’s definitely the best part of the film, playing a well constructed cool girl with subtlety, and putting her low soothing voice and captivating face to good use with a character who is so constantly difficult to read. Affleck isn’t as strong, admittedly, but does kind of make a good ‘guy you love to hate’, and someone you can imagine being a less than ideal husband.\nIt’s hard to talk about Gone Girl without revealing ANY spoilers – although don’t worry, we won’t – because the twists, turns and surprises come thick and fast. That’s thanks to the quality of Flynn’s original story, but how well they translate to film is up for debate.\nGone Girl undoubtedly shows it’s biggest cards around halfway through the film, which can only result in loss of tension, but does take us on an enjoyable journey to figure out the rest of story. And, despite this early reveal, there’s enough surprises to keep you going until the end and maintain a fairly good level of intrigue. That being said, the plot does get increasingly unbelievable as the film progresses – although we’re often not looking for realism in the cinema screen, are we?\nThere’s definitely the makings of a strong thriller; a general feeling of darkness, slick movement through the story and episodic use of black to move us from one scene to the next all make for the quality direction from Fincher that we would expect, but there’s nothing standout about the look and feel of the film because it’s really all about the punches of the plot.\nAmy (Pike) and Nick’s (Affleck) marriage can also present a pretty bleak version of matrimony, with the core of what makes a marriage and how each person compromises for (and battles against) the other being a theme that runs through the whole film. Understanding the nuances of each character’s motivation to act the way they do can be tricky to get first time round – it took us a second watch to ‘get’ and enjoy the film a bit more clearly.\nWe reckon that Gone Girl is a solid thriller, giving you strong performances and the plot twists you’re looking for from this type of movie – but we can’t help feeling that the way the revelations are presented to the viewer ends up in a bit of dissonance when it comes to the tension and build up of the story. 3 stars from us.\nGet a taste of the film by watching the trailer below. How many stars would you give Gone Girl?\nImages from here and here.\n45 4705 Viewsben affleck cineblog david fincher film blog film blogger film review gillian flynn gone girl gone girl review rosamund pike the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/gone-girl-film-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/gone-girl/\"\u003eGone Girl\u003c/a\u003e is the adaptation of the thrilling and bestselling novel of the same name from writer \u003ca href=\"/tag/gillian-flynn/\"\u003eGillian Flynn\u003c/a\u003e, who also compiled the screenplay. Starring \u003ca href=\"/tag/ben-affleck\"\u003eBen Affleck\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/tag/rosamund-pike/\"\u003eRosamund Pike\u003c/a\u003e, and directed by one of the kings of thrillers, \u003ca href=\"/tag/david-fincher/\"\u003eDavid Fincher\u003c/a\u003e, it tells the story of an American sweetheart in a tense marriage who goes missing mysteriously, the finger being pointed at her husband and the twists and turns that reveal what really happened to ‘Amazing’ Amy Dunne.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Gone Girl | Film Review"},{"content":"**Santa Clarita Diet is Netflix’s latest venture into the land of the sit-com, and it comes with a large dose of blood, guts and vomit. Starring and executive produced by Drew Barrymore, Santa Clarita Diet follows Sheila (Barrymore), her husband Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and their 16-year-old daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) as they attempt to uphold a regular family lifestyle upon learning that Sheila is now a zombie.\nAs the show speeds through Sheila’s transformation into the undead without any explanation whatsoever, we are quickly thrown into the situations that follow; these include simultaneously trying to be a good parent and killing people to feed your hunger for human flesh, a husband having masculinity issues because his wife can kill people whilst he struggles with the idea, or attempting to maintain a healthy sex life with a woman who just yesterday ate another man’s testicles.\nNow, Sheila is not your standard zombie – she is rejuvenated, she feels better than ever and when asked about her new-found energy, she says it is all down to her high protein diet. This is a new take on the zombie genre that we can agree with. Long gone are the days where a zombie could barely move without groaning or holding its arms out in front of itself, but Santa Clarita Diet also takes us away from the overdone rabid zombie concept. Sheila is dead, but more alive than ever. She still functions as a regular human being, but requires a diet of blood and guts to sustain herself.\nThe cleverness behind Santa Clarita Diet largely boils down to the setting, a small Californian suburban town filled with stereotypical middle class families striving to live the desired Californian lifestyle. It parodies the obsessions now seen in modern day culture; how we eat, what we buy, what car do we drive and how good our kids are doing. Sheila drinks a smoothie of blood and biceps whilst at a neighbour’s barbeque with her friends envious of her restrain from unhealthy foods, her impulsiveness leads her to buy a brand-new Range Rover that her neighbours wish they could have, and the tough decision of what stethoscope to buy to double check that she doesn’t in fact have a heartbeat. This is about as far as the intelligence behind the show goes – there are a few pop culture references thrown in that work, but many that don’t and some of the jokes leave a lot to be desired.\nThe writing isn’t the best we have seen in recent years, especially with the boom in television production. As previously mentioned, within about 10 minutes of the first episode, Sheila is already full-blown zombie, and we do not know why, and that is something we never find out. Furthermore, some of the one-liners feel a bit forced and unnatural. We can see the type of humour that the writers were trying so hard to achieve, but trying too hard in comedy ultimately leads to failure. Don’t get us wrong, there are some genuinely funny moments throughout the series, however not enough as we’d have hoped with such a strong premise and storyline.\nBarrymore is great as Sheila. Her delivery is far more well executed than that of Timothy Olyphant’s, whose comic ability is sub-par to say the least. His acting mirrors that of a school play, where his effort to be ironic just comes across as over-acting and completely forced. Some facial expressions he makes throughout the season are a sorry attempt to stifle his own laughter, and as this is not a traditional sit-com (i.e. filmed in front of an audience) the covering up of one’s own laughter is something which should not be present at all. Barrymore thankfully overshadows Olyphant’s poor acting skills and makes the couple somewhat likable.\nAbby, their daughter, is your typical teenager, but throw in some witty quips and tone down the superficial characteristics sometimes portrayed in TV teenagers, and you get a well-rounded character who really comes into her own. Abby’s own storyline is somewhat on a different level as the rest of the programme, but it works well because it runs deep into the reasons behind what makes teenagers so rebellious. What more do you need to make you skip school and get into trouble than your own parents murdering civilians to feed your blood-thirsty mother? Her relationship with the awkward Eric (played by Skyler Gisondo) is well portrayed, and doesn’t delve too deeply into the cliché. Eric is besotted with Abby, but Abby keeps him well in the friend zone and helps him to come out of his shell whilst he uses his “nerd” knowledge to help Sheila with her new behaviour.\nWith some unexpected cameos from the likes of Portia de Rossi and Thomas Lennon, and some truly funny scenes dotted throughout the season, Santa Clarita Diet is a meagre yet pleasant watch, despite the overly goriness of the killing scenes – however we imagine it was far from the finished product that the creators envisaged. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, and this is what it makes it watchable, but being simply “watchable” doesn’t quite allow for greatness.\nWe give Santa Clarita Diet an average 3 stars for being an easy watch, occasionally amusing and a little original, but are disappointed that the premise wasn’t pushed to its full potential. Perhaps a few more episodes per season would have allowed for greater detail, a more leisurely timeline and room for some more development.\nSee the trailer below, and let us know what you thought!\nImages from here, here and here.\n5 212 Viewscineblog comedy Drew Barrymore film blog horror liv hewson movie blog netflix netflix original netflix review portia de rossi Santa Clarita Diet skyler gisondo the cineblog thomas lennon Timothy Olyphant tv blog zombie\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/santa-clarita-diet-season-1-netflix-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/santa-clarita-diet/\"\u003eSanta Clarita Diet\u003c/a\u003e is \u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e’s latest venture into the land of the sit-com, and it comes with a large dose of blood, guts and vomit. Starring and executive produced by \u003ca href=\"/tag/drew-barrymore/\"\u003eDrew Barrymore\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSanta Clarita Diet\u003c/em\u003e follows Sheila (Barrymore), her husband Joel (\u003ca href=\"/tag/timothy-olyphant/\"\u003eTimothy Olyphant\u003c/a\u003e) and their 16-year-old daughter Abby (\u003ca href=\"/tag/liv-hewson/\"\u003eLiv Hewson\u003c/a\u003e) as they attempt to uphold a regular family lifestyle upon learning that Sheila is now a zombie.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the show speeds through Sheila’s transformation into the undead without any explanation whatsoever, we are quickly thrown into the situations that follow; these include simultaneously trying to be a good parent and killing people to feed your hunger for human flesh, a husband having masculinity issues because his wife can kill people whilst he struggles with the idea, or attempting to maintain a healthy sex life with a woman who just yesterday ate another man’s testicles.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Santa Clarita Diet' Season 1 | Netflix Review"},{"content":"Blue Jay is a short and sweet love story that depicts thirty-somethings Jim and Amanda, old flames who have, after many years, bumped into each other in a supermarket in their hometown. It follows them over the course of one night whilst they explore old memories and their past lives together whilst sharing new ones. Jim, played by Mark Duplass (who also wrote the film), is an unemployed handyman who has come back to his hometown whilst he figures out the next stage in his life. Amanda, played by American Horror Story‘s Sarah Paulson, is married to a much older man and step-mother to two boys only half her age, and is back in town to visit her pregnant sister.\nAfter an awkward encounter in the supermarket, it doesn’t take long for Jim and Amanda’s chemistry to shine through with small talk being put on the back-burner and playfulness coming into the limelight, like they have never been apart. The night progresses as does their realisations of their feelings towards each other, and their regrets.\nShot in black and white, Blue Jay is a simple but effective love story which can only resonate with one’s own life. Duplass and Paulson expertly portray the normality of life and the silliness in us all. Things that we wouldn’t normally find funny in bigger budget films are in this because they are moments like we all share with our own loved ones. They relive the fun times they used to have, something we all wish we can do when life becomes mundane, or if things aren’t quite going the way we want them to.\nBut as the film progresses, the darker side of their relationships and lives come forward and hit us hard. Where it is essentially a love story which isn’t glossed over by the hand of Hollywood, it really plays on our emotions of the process of growing up – the fun memories we have as young adults, the care-free nature of our lives and wishing we could just go back for one day to escape the difficulties of adulthood, whether it be pure mundanity or issues with work, money, death or the breakdown of relationships. Despite Amanda being married, we want her to rekindle her romance with Jim because all we can see is how perfect for each other they are, and we are left pondering throughout the film – how did they ever move apart? The answer is revealed expertly and emotionally in the final moments of the film.\nWith similarities to other love stories like the Before trilogy by Richard Linklater, and **Blue Valentine by Derek Cianfrance, this is a film to make us, as an audience, think about our own lives and whether we have taken the right path. It can cause reality to sink in a bit too much – however a film made with realism in mind can’t succeed without really making it’s audience question themselves too.\nOverall, we give this film a solid 5 stars. If you want something that will make you laugh, make you cry, make you feel nostalgic and at home, Blue Jay is the perfect solution.\nGet a feel for the film by watching the trailer below. Blue Jay is streaming on Netflix now.\nImages fromhere and here.\n5 270 Viewsamerican horror story blue jay blue jay film blue valentine cineblog derek cianfrance film blog film blogger film review indie film mark duplass netflix original richard linklater romance film sarah paulson the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/blue-jay-netflix-film-review-5/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlue Jay\u003c/em\u003e is a short and sweet love story that depicts thirty-somethings Jim and Amanda, old flames who have, after many years, bumped into each other in a supermarket in their hometown. It follows them over the course of one night whilst they explore old memories and their past lives together whilst sharing new ones. Jim, played by \u003ca href=\"/tag/mark-duplass/\"\u003eMark Duplass\u003c/a\u003e (who also wrote the film), is an unemployed handyman who has come back to his hometown whilst he figures out the next stage in his life. Amanda, played by \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/american-horror-story/\"\u003eAmerican Horror Story\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e‘s \u003ca href=\"/tag/sarah-paulson/\"\u003eSarah Paulson\u003c/a\u003e, is married to a much older man and step-mother to two boys only half her age, and is back in town to visit her pregnant sister.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Blue Jay' Netflix Film Review"},{"content":"**The Neon Demon is the latest film from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, best known for his stylish yet extremely gritty thriller **Drive, starring Ryan Gosling. Far from his other works, The Neon Demon focusses on the dark side of the fashion and modelling industry and its effect on women.\nElle Fanning stars as the youthful and naturally beautiful Jesse, a 16-year-old girl who has recently moved to LA to pursue a career in modelling after the death of her parents.\nOur first view of Jesse is her entering the cut-throat world of fashion with a very literal metaphor – being photographed with her throat slit open and bleeding out. She is then signed to a top agency where she is rewarded with a test shoot with a big-time photographer who is instantly taken by her. The women around her, all of whom are older, are envious of her natural beauty and youthfulness, and become jealous of her ease of movement through the difficult fashion industry. Everybody wants her and no one else can live up to her. This theme builds and builds until the shocking third act where everything is flipped on its head and envy quickly becomes wrath.\nFirst and foremost, Refn has a penchant for producing the glossiest of films which are like no other. The colour schemes he uses are always precise and particular, bright yet gloomy simultaneously and indicative of the scenario he is depicting. The editing is concise and succinct, with an excellent score from Cliff Martinez (who has worked on all Refn’s latest and biggest films) to run parallel. His films are always visually perfect.\nUnlike The Neon Demon’s predecessor, **Only God Forgives, there is more of an obvious story arc present here. Where Only God Forgives was too arty for its own good, The Neon Demon tones it down just enough to make it work. Refn weaves in the abstract scenes to the main storyline with ease and it flows. The surrealism is mostly confined to the scenes involving photoshoots or a fashion show, which allows Refn to really utilise his skills in creating weird and wonderful spectacles for the audience. They are puzzling yet pleasing and provide a strange kind of respite from the sharp presence of Gigi and Sarah, the envious older models who are competing for the spotlight with Jesse.\nThe use of Elle Fanning for this film provides an unsettling realism despite the abstract nature of it. We all know the blurred lines involved with young models and the things they promote, and also the problems with portraying beauty in younger girls for the purpose of advertising. Fanning herself would have been barely 18 years old upon filming and some of the scenes she performs, we feel, purposefully push those boundaries to make the audience feel uncomfortable, and almost guilty for gazing upon her.\nAlso, the portrayal of almost all the male characters border along the paedophilic. Keanu Reeves’ character, Hank, is the most open and doesn’t care what others think of his sexual desires. The photographer Jack, played by Desmond Harrington, is almost like a Terry Richardson figure – exploiting Jesse’s youthful naivety to produce sexual campaigns for his work, not knowing she is in fact underage (as she is forced to lie about it) and using his position of power to touch her inappropriately so he can cover her naked body head to toe in gold paint.\nFanning is the true star of the movie, as herself and as the character. She carries it completely and truly exerts herself, able to move swiftly between her naïve persona and her stark fashion alter ego, all with a certain vulnerability that makes us always feel protective of her.\nThe film’s focus on beauty is a marked display of the shallow nature of Hollywood and the fashion industry. One notable quote from the film is “beauty isn’t everything, it is the only thing”. It represents the upsetting lengths that women will go to become beautiful, not for themselves but for others. One character, Gigi, played by Bella Heathcote, has undergone almost every cosmetic surgery procedure there is so she can become the perfect model, despite her so-called ‘old’ age. She went through the gruelling process of having her ears pinned back for the sole purpose of being able to wear her hair in a ponytail without being criticised. Whereas some may criticise the film for glamorising this sort of behaviour in young women, we believe it really digs deep into the darkness behind this lifestyle and the finale certainly proves it.\nOne thing that must be mentioned in this review is the shocking nature of its final act. This film was first viewed at Cannes and wasn’t initially perceived particularly well, in fact it was grossly panned, with critics and others reacting in disgust. As time went on and more people could see it there were more positive opinions, but some really couldn’t see past the foul ending – especially as there is no indication of what is to come during the leisurely progression of the story.\nThe Neon Demon eventually becomes a love it or hate it film, and it is not for the faint hearted. Without trying to give away too many spoilers, but allowing a warning to those unaware of the film’s contents, strong nudity, cannibalism and necrophilia are brought into it, and not subtly either. How does Winding Refn manage to bring these themes into a story of the fashion industry? We’ll leave you to find that out yourself.\nWe give The Neon Demon 4 stars for its beauty and originality, but encourage you to err on the side of caution if you are not willing to watch with an open mind – or aren’t one for the truly horrific.\nTake a look at the trailer below, and you can order ‘The Neon Demon’ on DVD here.\nImages from here, here and here.\n5 274 Viewsbella heathcote drive elle fanning film blog film blogger film review keanu reeves nicholas winding refn only god forgives ryan gosling the cineblog the neon demon the neon demon review\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/neon-demon-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/the-neon-demon/\"\u003eThe Neon Demon\u003c/a\u003e is the latest film from Danish director \u003ca href=\"/tag/nicolas-winding-refn/\"\u003eNicolas Winding Refn\u003c/a\u003e, best known for his stylish yet extremely gritty thriller **\u003ca href=\"/tag/drive/\"\u003eDrive\u003c/a\u003e, starring \u003ca href=\"/tag/ryan-gosling/\"\u003eRyan Gosling\u003c/a\u003e. Far from his other works, \u003cem\u003eThe Neon Demon\u003c/em\u003e focusses on the dark side of the fashion and modelling industry and its effect on women.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/elle-fanning/\"\u003eElle Fanning\u003c/a\u003e stars as the youthful and naturally beautiful Jesse, a 16-year-old girl who has recently moved to LA to pursue a career in modelling after the death of her parents.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'The Neon Demon' | Film Review"},{"content":"Netflix’s take on Lemony Snicket’s **A Series of Unfortunate Events is a melancholy masterpiece, that stays true to the source material and brings the original books to life. Centred around three young orphans, the story takes us through their journey after the recent death of their parents, whilst they try to find a suitable home and parental guardian, all whilst attempting to free themselves from the abominable Count Olaf, a horrid man hell-bent on getting his hands on their inherited fortune.\nEach book in the series is split across two episodes, with the season consisting of eight in total, and this allows for the writers to really sink their teeth into the quirks that make the books so lovable. This will also allow the series to last at least another 16 episodes to cover all the books. The details involved in each episode is really what makes this show so great. It is visually stunning, like a Wes Anderson and Tim Burton crossover that so suitably matches the dark storyline and unique themes.\nOf course, the shining star of this show is Neil Patrick Harris; he’s someone who viewers were indifferent about in the run up to the show being released, but who really grasped onto the identity of this character. Unfortunately, due to the previous film’s involvement of Jim Carrey, comparisons are impossible to avoid. Harris generally makes the character his own, using different elements of comedy so as not to be a rip-off, however his portrayal of the alter-ego ‘Captain Sham’ in the Wide Window episodes draw too many similarities to Jim Carrey’s own comedic tropes. Harris sounds like a Jim Carrey (with a hint of Sean Connery) impersonator rolled into one, which can become a bit distracting, however does not affect the overall quality of the show.\nThe remainder of the cast also do an incredible job, especially when it comes down to the finer details of the character they are portraying. Mr Poe particularly, who is played by K. Todd Freeman, is an insatiable man with an extremely odd coughing habit, which is remarkably kept up throughout the season without any explanation. It is the simplest of things which can make a show so pleasing to watch, especially one which delivers on aesthetics more than most. Seldom do we get to see such an emphasis on the steampunk style, and when we do it is so refreshing, despite its dark and gloomy core. It’s almost a disappointment that this is a show made essentially with children in mind, as the dark stylised approach would work so well if it was for an older audience, like many of Wes Anderson and Tim Burton’s pieces of work are.\nA downfall of the show was the opening song. It was a bit lacklustre and not a great start to each episode, considering that there was no opening scene before the credits started – however it was an enjoyable detail that it changed with each set of two episodes so as to remind the viewer what situation we would find the characters in.\nAlso, it didn’t quite seem to fit Netflix’s model for a binge-worthy show – it can be watched all in one sitting, but the lack of thrills compared to other Netflix Originals makes it harder to consume all in one go and you might find yourself needed to take more breaks than usual. This isn’t a bad thing, but if you do plan to see it in one or perhaps two sittings, it may not be quite as exciting a watch as other shows around today.\nHowever, A Series of Unfortunate Events is like nothing else that has been released in recent years, and does a better job stylistically than a lot of films do. Overall, we’re giving it 4 stars and hope that when the next season is released, they keep it as true to the books and true to themselves.\nAside from the minor points mentioned above, the people behind this show have created a visually stunning and somewhat comical gem that will be a timeless piece, and the same approach must be taken for the rest of the series to be as successful and pleasing to watch.\nSee the trailer here. A Series of Unfortunate Events is streaming on Netflix now!\nImages from here and here.\n3 287 Viewsa series of unfortunate events ASOUE cineblog film review jim carrey lemony snicket neil patrick harris netflix netflix originals netflix review patrick warburton the cineblog tim burton tv blog tv review wes anderson\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/series-unfortunate-events-netflix-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/netflix/\"\u003eNetflix\u003c/a\u003e’s take on Lemony Snicket’s **\u003ca href=\"/tag/a-series-of-unfortunate-events/\"\u003eA Series of Unfortunate Events\u003c/a\u003e is a melancholy masterpiece, that stays true to the source material and brings the original books to life. Centred around three young orphans, the story takes us through their journey after the recent death of their parents, whilst they try to find a suitable home and parental guardian, all whilst attempting to free themselves from the abominable Count Olaf, a horrid man hell-bent on getting his hands on their inherited fortune.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Netflix's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' | Season 1 Review"},{"content":"Released in 2016 and directed by Jodie Foster, **Money Monster tells the story of how an unbearable host of a financial TV show and his crew are taken hostage by an angry young man who’s investment went south after following their advice.\nGeorge Clooney plays said obnoxious host Lee Gates, and is supported by Julia Roberts in the role of director Patty. As the film opens, we see a normal day in their life, full of witty exchanges and well executed, though at times cliche, smarm and swagger from Clooney as the star of the show.\nThere’s no slow warm up here, which is kinda nice – we all know what’s going to happen, so the fact they pretty much get straight into the armed takeover of the show is good. Jack O’Connell is impressive and convincing as a man on the edge who is willing to go to any lengths to be heard, and Clooney is solid too, but Julia Roberts in the control room is the star of the show in terms of performance for us. Seeing her manage her crew, direct the camera and handle what’s happening with such coolness really is the strength of the film – the whole story is about people behind the scenes of the financial industry, pulling strings without us realising, and her aspect of the film relays that perfectly.\nA film like this relies on building palpable tension, having the audience on the edge of their seat as they watch the push and pull between hostages and the hostage-taker. Money Monster achieves moments of this – there’s some build up and twists that you don’t see coming – but overall misses the mark a little in terms of impact. Despite the explosives in the room, there just doesn’t feel like there’s enough at stake, and enough room for the actors to really dig deep.\nAs the story moves along and inevitably the claustrophobia of the location changes, the tension is lost even more, though most films of this kind do fall victim to this. There’s a big business side story which is vital to the plot but delivered in quite a flat way, and the conspiracy they uncover doesn’t exactly leave the viewer surprised.\nThere is true sadness at the climax of the film, though, and the underlying idea of those who have the least being left with nothing by those who have the most is one that is hard hitting in any form. It feels injust, unfair and that is delivered well, although at times doesn’t seem to be taken quite as seriously (or given with quite as much impact) as the far better **The Big Short.\nA pretty good watch, but we reckon there’s better ones out there. 2 stars from us.\nIf you’d like to see it for yourself, you can order the ‘Money Monster’ DVD from Amazon here, and it is currently streaming on NOW TV too.\nHere’s the trailer, to wet your whistle.\n*Images fromhere and here. *\n44 4540 Viewscineblog film blog film reviews george clooney jack o connell jodie foster julia roberts money film money monster money monster film money monster film review the cineblog thriller film\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/money-monster-film-review-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eReleased in 2016 and directed by \u003ca href=\"/tag/jodie-foster/\"\u003eJodie Foster\u003c/a\u003e, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/money-monster/\"\u003eMoney Monster\u003c/a\u003e tells the story of how an unbearable host of a financial TV show and his crew are taken hostage by an angry young man who’s investment went south after following their advice.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/george-clooney/\"\u003eGeorge Clooney\u003c/a\u003e plays said obnoxious host Lee Gates, and is supported by \u003ca href=\"/tag/julia-roberts/\"\u003eJulia Roberts\u003c/a\u003e in the role of director Patty. As the film opens, we see a normal day in their life, full of witty exchanges and well executed, though at times cliche, smarm and swagger from Clooney as the star of the show.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Money Monster' | Film Review"},{"content":"It’s the film that’s already swept the Golden Globes and picked up a massive 14 Oscar nominations, but is La La Land really worth all the hype?\nDamien Chazelle‘s follow up to the glorious **Whiplash, La La Land is a throwback to classic musical cinema with a somewhat modern filter, and follows the romance of Emma Stone‘s struggling actress Mia and Ryan Gosling‘s talented jazz pianist Seb against the backdrop of a hazy, sunny, shallow LA.\nThe most remarkable and memorable element of* La La Land* is it’s visual beauty – the use of bold primary colours in costumes and pastel hues of California sunsets makes for a dazzling and engaging cinematography experience. Every part of the screen has been placed to give maximum aesthetic impact, and it’s clear that colour is at the core of the feel of this film.\nFrom the colours in the scene, to the camera movements, use of light, and the smallest steps in the dance routine, it feels like nothing is accidental here; that it’s all been scrupulously planned to bring Chazelle’s modern fairytale to life. The razor sharp precision we saw in the direction of the drumming scenes in Whiplash is heavily present, with snappy editing and jazz music scenes delivered expertly.\nThis is a movie about movies, and you can’t help but feel and soak up the director’s love for cinema and music. There’s nostalgia in spades, from the retro font to the way the film shows the passing of time, and the LA setting of neon lights and movie sets transports you to the Hollywood days of old. But whilst it delivers on old school feels, it’s always very much set in the present day, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.\nSo what else is good?\nThe performances are strong, from both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. It’s undeniable they have chemistry and Stone in particular has a certain realness that she brings to every role. The stripped back conversational scenes of conflict between them are the strongest, with one dinner table moment in particular really drawing you in.\nThere’s a really nice and unexpected undertone in the plot about creativity, following your dreams and the sacrifices you might have to make in doing so, and that’s the part of the storyline that resonated with us as a viewer.\nHow the film uses music is interesting too – rather than big iconic set pieces that steal the show like in classic musicals, the songs here instead tend to be used as a way to further express the emotion the characters are going through in the scene. This feels more subtle and nice for viewers who maybe aren’t the biggest fans of the conventional ‘musical’ – you don’t need to love musicals to enjoy this film. The vocals from the two protagonists, whilst pleasant, weren’t exactly groundbreaking – but for us, it didn’t matter. The songs weren’t about big voices, they were about conveying the story and chemistry between characters and it made them feel more like real people. You were never removed from the story because of the music.\nHowever, despite all of the above, La La Land isn’t quite the piece of perfection that it’s nominations might have you believe. The songs themselves, whilst fitting to the feel of the film, are largely forgettable – ‘City of Stars’ is the only true treasure, and the opening song feels forced and unnecessary.\nThere’s also some seriously incongruous moments, in particular a dreamlike sequence at Griffith Observatory which sees Mia and Seb lift up and dance in the stars. You can see the romance it was going for, but it really lifts you out of the story and takes the integral surrealism of the musical genre in general just a bit too far.\nAnd whilst the performances and chemistry is strong, we couldn’t help but feel there was a lack of depth to the storyline, to the character’s decisions, to the ups and downs of the relationship. There was passionate and moving moments, sure, but it only ever seemed to scratch the surface. Dare we say it, but could this be a case of style over substance?\nOverall, La La Land is a visually glorious, expertly delivered piece of nostalgic, traditional cinema escapism that is an uplifting way to spend 2 hours, but ultimately it didn’t have the real impact in emotion as well as appearance that we were hoping.\nWe’re giving it an enjoyable, would-recommend 3 stars. Don’t hurt us!\nIf you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months and have no idea what we’re on about, here’s the La La Land trailer to catch you up. We’d love to know what you thought of the film in the comments!\nImages fromhere, here and here.\n50 4670 Viewscineblog damien chazelle emma stone film blog film blogger film review la la land la la land review musicals ryan gosling the cineblog whiplash\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/la-la-land-film-review-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s the film that’s already swept the Golden Globes and picked up a massive 14 Oscar nominations, but \u003cem\u003eis \u003ca href=\"/tag/la-la-land/\"\u003eLa La Land\u003c/a\u003e really worth all the hype?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/damien-chazelle/\"\u003eDamien Chazelle\u003c/a\u003e‘s follow up to the glorious **\u003ca href=\"/tag/whiplash/\"\u003eWhiplash\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLa La Land\u003c/em\u003e is a throwback to classic musical cinema with a somewhat modern filter, and follows the romance of \u003ca href=\"/tag/emma-stone/\"\u003eEmma Stone\u003c/a\u003e‘s struggling actress Mia and \u003ca href=\"/tag/ryan-gosling/\"\u003eRyan Gosling\u003c/a\u003e‘s talented jazz pianist Seb against the backdrop of a hazy, sunny, shallow LA.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'La La Land' Film Review"},{"content":"**Victoria caused quite the stir when it was released; following in the footsteps of Birdman, but taking the idea to a whole new level, this German masterpiece tells the story of one night in the life of one girl, in one city, and in just one take.\nWhereas Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu‘s Birdman gave the illusion of one take by using long sweeping shots, Sebastian Schipper‘s Victoria achieves it fully and completely, with one camera following our protagonist as she leaves a Berlin nightclub, meets a group of strangers, and embarks on a thoroughly unexpected evening.\nThe whole ‘one take’ thing is a novelty, yes, which draws you in to watch a story that you might have otherwise skipped, but it’s more than that too. It’s an integral part of the film which makes it the beauty that it is. It’s not just a talking point that doesn’t really add anything; it can’t fail to bring the viewer into the film, another part of the ragtag band of youths whose night it documents. Despite the elegant and well paced movement between locations, the look of the film continues to impress – Victoria has won awards for it’s cinematography and it’s easy to see why. Between close ups of dancing in nightclubs to watching a face react to a beautifully expressive piano concerto, we reckon it’s a feast for the eyes in a gloriously realistic way.\nIt moves slowly to begin with, we acknowledge that. The first half does some needed character building, and grows a tangible chemistry between Victoria and Sonne, the leader of the group of boys she meets, but you can sense it being filled with improvisation and general ‘larking about’ which wears thin after a while – but the way the film ramps up around a third of the way in and continues to build tension, throwing in twists and turns you don’t see coming, means that by the time the credits roll, you’re left as breathless and exhausted as Victoria herself.\nExperiencing the night in the realest of real time, as the events unfold, the viewer sees Victoria transform from potentially naive and happy-go-lucky, to caught up in the midst of flirtation, to hardened and shellshocked, and feels all of those emotions right alongside her.\nLaia Costa, who plays Victoria, is really compelling, and even more so is the relationship that grows between her, Sonne (Frederick Lau), and the rest of the cast. The film has faced criticism for an unlikely plot – after all, why would a girl leave a club by herself with 4 strange men in a foreign country – but when you remember that our story only just starts at perhaps 5 or 6am, after an already heady night, and that Victoria herself is breaking free from her childhood and looking for adventure, it hardly seems that unbelievable that she invests in these 4 men to find it.\nThe cast feel like actual people, adding to the complete sense of realness that the film hopes to achieve. You can’t help but wonder at what it was like to try and film a whole movie in one take, and applaud them for their delivery and maintenance of concentration and performance for that length of time. It’s a feat of endurance, and one that all who watch it have to respect.\nMusic, though used sparsely, has great impact in the film. The use of silence and then introduction of graceful piano melodies over carefully selected parts of the story lets us revel in the moment and connection of the characters – no doubt it helped to cover up any mistakes that the monstrous task of a take that lasts 2 hours must have presented, but the adrenaline-filled scene of all 5 main characters in the club comes to mind as the most beautiful use of sound.\nAn original concept, masterfully and expertly delivered, and a mesmerising cast that committed to their roles entirely – this is a gem of a film, a breath of fresh air, and we’re giving it the big 5. Don’t agree? We’re not bothered.\nWe implore you to watch Victoria, BUT, if you haven’t already, we also implore you not to watch the trailer before you do so.** It gives far too much away, and the way the tension builds as the plot twists keep you guessing is the true joy of this film.\nWho knew so much could happen, that a person could change so vastly, over the course of one single evening?\n(Images from here, here and here)\n59 5024 Viewsalejandro gonzalez inarritu birdman cineblog film blog film magazine film review frederick lau german film indie film laia costa movie blog movie magazine movie reviews one take sebastian schipper the cineblog victoria victoria film review\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/victoria-film-review-4/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u003ca href=\"/tag/victoria/\"\u003eVictoria\u003c/a\u003e caused quite the stir when it was released; following in the footsteps of \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/birdman/\"\u003eBirdman\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e, but taking the idea to a whole new level, this German masterpiece tells the story of one night in the life of one girl, in one city, and in just one take.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhereas \u003ca href=\"/tag/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/\"\u003eAlejandro Gonzalez Inarritu\u003c/a\u003e‘s \u003cem\u003eBirdman\u003c/em\u003e gave the illusion of one take by using long sweeping shots, \u003ca href=\"/tag/sebastian-schipper/\"\u003eSebastian Schipper\u003c/a\u003e‘s \u003cem\u003eVictoria\u003c/em\u003e achieves it fully and completely, with one camera following our protagonist as she leaves a Berlin nightclub, meets a group of strangers, and embarks on a thoroughly unexpected evening.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'Victoria' Film Review | Directed by Sebastian Schipper | 5*"},{"content":"Set in the somewhat dark side of the streets of New York, EKAJ is the story of a young, gay homeless man, and the people he meets along the way whilst just trying to find a bed for the night. It studies the issues of the homeless youth and the cruelty they and the gay community often face, and how the relationships built with people along the way can sometimes be crucial for survival.\nMore of a study of the gay homeless underbelly of NYC life than the telling of a traditional story arc, the film uses intense close ups and brutally honest and unafraid depictions of homeless life to paint a bleak picture of the lives of its’ characters, whilst also showing that having a connection with someone else in a similar situation can often be the only light in an otherwise gloomy life.\nThe film follows two core characters, Ekaj and Mecca, who have a Midnight Cowboy-inspired relationship which first blooms as as friendship born from mutual despair and loneliness, and hints too at a sweet and gentle romance.\nFrom photography to film This gritty, urban indie film is directed by Cati Gonzalez. Despite it being her first feature film project, she is an acclaimed fashion photographer who has shot huge names such as David Kronenberg, Chloe Sevigny and Pharrell Williams. Cati says that the move to cinema was ‘a natural transition for her’, due to her love for the medium from an early age, and the fact it enables you to communicate messages in a more impactful way.\n“Photography was an accident in my life. I enjoyed it very much, and still do to this day, but I wanted to tell stories that had a social impact and shooting fashion and portraits could only go so far. Also, when you are shooting documentary photography your work gets viewed in galleries and is considered art, and it often doesn’t have the reach that film does.\n“I guess I love Film because the subject becomes as important as the director, and you can really give it a voice.”\nShining a light on less than mainstream messages Watching EKAJ, you can feel that giving a voice to the subject was an important part of this film being made. It tackles a range of subjects like homelessness, death, AIDs, homosexuality, prostitution and drug addiction, and it tackles them head on in a way you can’t avoid – and in a way you don’t often see in mainstream cinema with such visceral realness.\n“I live in NYC and I photographed youth in the streets for a long time.\n“I started writing a story reminiscent of Midnight Cowboy, about two drifters and I wanted them to be New York Puerto Ricans. I met an in-law of Mike my partner, that had that cool look that I would love to shoot and the rawness that attracts me, and from there I decided to make the characters gay.\n“I then found Jake, the lead character, on Facebook, and the rest is history.\n“I find these homeless kids have enormous potential, especially creatively, and it’s insane that they are roaming the streets with no support system to help them. Yes, there are a few Youth Centers but not nearly enough to get these kids off the streets.\n“Most of them left home because of rejection from their families or bullying in their schools, and they are young and naive. They jump from their bad situation straight into one that’s even worse. They start doing drugs, drinking to forget, just to cope, and then they end up with HIV in the morning. It’s terrible. Some of these kids are as young as 13- 14.”\nOne of the key characters casually yet heartbreakingly reveals his diagnosis of AIDs during the film, and we see his condition deteriorate. Speaking of her choice to include this in the film, Cati says “I had some friends die from AIDS in the 90’s so I decided to put it in the film as a silent partner. Just like today, it’s every where in the LGBT Community and no one is talking about it.”\nBut, it seems, despite the film being packed full of things to say about the state of homeless in NYC, there are some things still left unspoken.\n“I guess you always feel you can show more, that’s just the nature of a story told under an hour and a half. It’s probably why the film doesn’t have a conclusive ending, since there are no conclusive answers to the problems it depicts.”\nReal life inspiration It’s hard for anyone to imagine life on the streets in NYC as a member of the LGBTQ+ community unless you’ve been there yourself, let alone capture it on camera. What experiences does Cati have of this way of life that informed her in creating this feature film?\n“My partner Mike was homeless when I met him. He was 18, a Puerto Rican from New York’s Lower East Side. His mother died of AIDS in the 80s and he went from family to family ending up in the street at 13.\n“I myself have slept on couches as an artist. You don’t always make enough money to survive and pay the rent in NYC. Sometimes I would have a great spread in a magazine but not the money to pay rent, so I guess I pretty much knew the subject.”\nWhat is the film trying to say? “Be aware! I am a mother and I feel for these kids. They don’t have a lot of hope left. Maybe it’s a message to the parents of LGBT kids who are on the edge of leaving home; try to fix the problems before they run away, be there for them. Teenagers can be impossible – believe me, I know – but think of the alternative.\n“For the kids the message is to be careful. It’s not all glamour: if you run away there are many dangers. A lot of kids think that the LGBT community is going to be there with a red carpet ready to save them but as I’ve been told by Jake and others, that this is not true.\n“Ekaj is every runaway’s experience, and whether a part of it or all of it, it’s far more common than it needs to be.”\nEKAJ is currently being shown in film festivals across the world to great reception, and is in the process of being fully released to the public. Until then, here’s the trailer:\nEKAJ – TRAILER from CATIANDMIKEGONZALEZFILMS on Vimeo.\n** **\n54 3082 Viewscati gonzales cineblog ekaj homelessness indie film LGBT the cineblog\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/features/ekaj-homelessness-lgbt-life-first-time-director/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSet in the somewhat dark side of the streets of New York, \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/ekaj/\"\u003eEKAJ\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e is the story of a young, gay homeless man, and the people he meets along the way whilst just trying to find a bed for the night. It studies the issues of the homeless youth and the cruelty they and the gay community often face, and how the relationships built with people along the way can sometimes be crucial for survival.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"'EKAJ': Homelessness, LGBT and Being a First Time Female Director"},{"content":"Zootropolis (or Zootopia) is the animated smash from 2016 which takes a look at an imaginary world where humans don’t exist, and animals live together in harmony (mostly) to run the world themselves.\nDisney’s stunningly colourful and well explored world follows the story of Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a enthusiastic and ambitious bunny who is the first of her kind to enter the animal police force, and lives her dream of being on the beat in the streets of Zootropolis. Demoted on her first day to doling out parking tickets, she meets sly fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) along the way, and after tackling their differences, enlists his help to solve the biggest crime in the capital.\nThe first thing to say is that this is far more than anthropomorphised animals and bright colours to entertain your little ones for an hour – this film has something to say. Going beyond other animated features which often slip in some jokes for the adults to keep them amused as well as the children, the core of Zootropolis is a statement about the harm that prejudice and discrimination can cause.\nZootropolis manages to explore several different layers of prejudice through it’s excellently woven storyline, full of unexpected turns – we first see Judy face negativity at her attempts to become a police officer due to her upbringing, size and, well, bunny-like nature, and her being put through to Zone 1 but then given the most menial of tasks brings to mind the idea of her being the ‘token’ bunny, employed to be a public face of the Zootropolis police’s diversity policy.\nOther threads see a continuing conflict between Judy and Nick as companions, due to one tending to eat the other if we look impartially at the food chain, and the major crime they’re trying to solve, which pits predators against prey. There’s also scenes of mass hysteria provoked by media coverage and manipulation from the press, and this even leads to violence on the streets – a stark reflection of the modern day.\nThe film manages to tackle these social issues with delicacy, bringing the lightness you’d expect from this kind of piece, but also delivering on emotional and impactful moments – seeing young fox Nick with a muzzle on his mouth feels particularly uncomfortable. It actually almost feels like the plot is that bit too complex for much younger viewers, although it could help to communicate messages about equality and discrimination.\nTurning to the lighter side of Zootropolis, the first thing you notice about the film is the beauty of the animation and the detail in the world they’ve created – there’s different zones and climates to accommodate for the varying species, an adorable mini city for rodents that brings Gulliver’s Travels to mind, and the sloths working for the DMV made us laugh out loud.\nThe characters are lovely, well rounded and smartly matched to the voiceover cast – Judy’s endless optimism and charm can’t help but rub off on you, and seeing Nick develop from an apparent conman into something else entirely is really endearing.\nThere’s also good supporting characters, including Idris Elba as the gruff police chief, Nate Torrence as the extravagant police receptionist Clawhauser, and mafia boss Mr Big is pretty entertaining too.\nZootropolis is a truly brilliant watch – it’s funny, creative, beautifully made with intricate details, and deftly manages to deliver thought provoking messages through a story line seemingly pulled from news reports we see every day.\nWe’ve given Zootropolis 4 whole stars – we’d go so far as to say it’s one of the best animated films we’ve seen, and definitely shouldn’t be written off as just something for the kids.\nIf you’d like to own Zootropolis on DVD for yourself, you can purchase it here.\nAnd if we’ve really intrigued you, here’s the trailer to wet your appetite. Enjoy!\n(Images from here, here and here)\n54 4815 Viewsanimated film cineblog disney film blog film magazine film review film reviews ginnifer goodwin idris elba jason bateman movie blog movie magazine movie reviews nate torrence the cineblog zootopia zootropolis zootropolis review\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/zootropolis-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/zootropolis/\"\u003eZootropolis\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e (or Zootopia) is the animated smash from 2016 which takes a look at an imaginary world where humans don’t exist, and animals live together in harmony (mostly) to run the world themselves.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDisney’s stunningly colourful and well explored world follows the story of Judy Hopps (\u003ca href=\"/tag/ginnifer-goodwin/\"\u003eGinnifer Goodwin\u003c/a\u003e), a enthusiastic and ambitious bunny who is the first of her kind to enter the animal police force, and lives her dream of being on the beat in the streets of Zootropolis. Demoted on her first day to doling out parking tickets, she meets sly fox Nick Wilde (\u003ca href=\"/tag/jason-bateman/\"\u003eJason Bateman\u003c/a\u003e) along the way, and after tackling their differences, enlists his help to solve the biggest crime in the capital.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Zootropolis Film Review | Film Blog"},{"content":"As we go into the third Captain America instalment, we see our heroes divided due to the aftermath of the Sokovia incident from the previous Avengers movie.\nChris Evan‘s Captain Steve Rogers and the inimitable Robert Downey Jr‘s Tony Stark end up on opposite sides after Stark’s guilt from the destruction that the Avengers leave in their wake leads him to demand that the team are put in check by the UN. Cap can’t quite agree to the boundaries, adamant that the Avengers must remain independent in order to fight when they’re needed.\nAs events unfold involving Winter Solder Bucky Barnes’s past, Captain America is forced to go rogue and break the rules, and the whole gang turn on each other in a battle of morals. Cue extremely satisfying fight scene with more supers together than we’ve ever seen before. Except maybe X-Men.\nThis movie feels like Marvel is growing up. It’s becoming about more than just smart one liners (though there are plenty of those) and how many buildings you can destroy in one action set piece. Don’t get us wrong, we’ve always thoroughly enjoyed most of the Marvel films, especially the Avengers, but **Civil War feels like a step up.\nWe really start to see the morality of the Avengers questioned in a believable way, and you can completely understand both points of view in the debate over the Sokovia Accords that would bring the team to account. The rift between the two sides is real, tangible, you can feel it, and you’re able to sense that they don’t really want to fight each other, but are unable to give up their principles in order to stop.\nThe quality of the action scenes contributes a lot to the feeling that Marvel have stepped up their game, too. Despite being directed by the Russo brothers rather than Paul Greengrass himself, the car chases and fight scenes have a distinct Bourne feel to them – not to mention the shot of Bucky jumping off a roof that’s seriously reminiscent of that chase in Marrakesh from **The Bourne Ultimatum. There’s some serious speed but also a realness to the action scenes that really makes each of the set pieces more impressive than the other.\nOne of our favourite fights is between Cap, Bucky and Iron Man near the end, with the punches being thrown and the shield flying between characters so fluidly it’s like a dance routine. And, of course, seeing two sides of the Avengers run towards each other in battle is somewhat of a nerd’s wet dream, but it’s pulled off effortlessly, with each character getting their own starring moments.\nSpeaking of characters, the introduction of new ones is also a highlight. Chadwick Boseman‘s Black Panther is everything you want him to be; regal, righteous and lithely feline. His grudge against Bucky drives the plot and the end sets us up nicely for his solo film, which we’re really looking forward to.\nAnd how could we talk about new characters without a hat tip to Tom Holland‘s new Spiderman? We’re really not sure we needed another Spiderman reboot, but can’t deny how endearing and entertaining Tom is in this role. With his own film coming up too, **Spiderman: Homecoming, we’re excited to see what new places the webbed hero can go to next.\nAbove all, we have to applaud the chemistry between Evans and Downey Jr as the heads of the opposing sides – you feel the history between them, and we get to see a new side to both characters.\nAs with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a lot of the plot is driven by the backstory and unpredictability of Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, who does a good job of kicking ass as well as showing vulnerability. Whilst we like the chance to learn more about his past, there’s definitely a lot of room for development with Bucky’s character, beyond the fact that he can’t always control his violence and can’t undo his past.\nThanks to a huge cast that each do a stellar job, it’s almost impossible to go through everyone’s contribution – but rest assured it all works well together. This film could so easily have been too crowded, or have introduced characters only to neglect them, but that never happens here.\nAs the film ends, the future of the Avengers is up in the air – where do we go from here? With **Avengers: Infinity War coming up in the next couple of years, we won’t have to wait too long to find out.\nWe’re giving Civil War the full 5 smackeroonies – we reckon it’s Marvel’s best outing yet on the big screen.\nOrder Captain America: Civil War on DVD here, or watch the trailer below.\n(Images from here, here, here and here)\n40 4016 Viewsant man avengers avengers infinity war black panther black widow bucky barnes captain america captain america civil war captain america the winter soldier chadwick boseman chris evans cineblog film blog film reviews iron man jeremy renner marvel movie blog movie reviews paul rudd robert downey jr russo brothers scarlett johansson spiderman spiderman homecoming the cineblog the winter solider tom holland x-men\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/captain-america-civil-war-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs we go into the third \u003ca href=\"/tag/captain-america/\"\u003eCaptain America\u003c/a\u003e instalment, we see our heroes divided due to the aftermath of the Sokovia incident from the previous \u003ca href=\"/tag/avengers/\"\u003eAvengers\u003c/a\u003e movie.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tag/chris-evan/\"\u003eChris Evan\u003c/a\u003e‘s Captain Steve Rogers and the inimitable \u003ca href=\"/tag/robert-downey-jr/\"\u003eRobert Downey Jr\u003c/a\u003e‘s Tony Stark end up on opposite sides after Stark’s guilt from the destruction that the Avengers leave in their wake leads him to demand that the team are put in check by the UN. Cap can’t quite agree to the boundaries, adamant that the Avengers must remain independent in order to fight when they’re needed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Captain America: Civil War Film Review | Film Blog"},{"content":"As we enter election year, and the third film in the Purge trilogy, the annual purge is now a well established part of American life – so much so, that so called ‘murder tourists’ are even travelling to the US from overseas to take part in all the fun – and it’s all down to the New Founding Fathers.\nBut, the country is waking up to the Purge, what it’s doing to society’s most in need, and how the people in power are the ones benefiting from the violence.\nThe third film in the **Purge trilogy occurs in election year, and sees Senator Charlie Roan (played by **Lost‘s Elizabeth Mitchell) in the middle of her attempt to become President. She is the voice of reason, pledging to rid America of the Purge when she rises to power and save the country’s soul – all motivated by the trauma of watching her whole family die during Purge night eighteen years ago. This ruffles the feathers of the New Founding Fathers and the film follows her trying to survive the night, as well as those that help her along the way.\nOne of those people is her head of security Leo (Frank Grillo) who we first met in the previous instalment, The Purge: Anarchy, where he helped other Purge victims whilst going through his own journey to avenge the death of his son. Having not gone through with his crime, he instead now backs the Senator’s vision of ridding America of the Purge and giving her protection to enable her to do so.\nOther stories come into play too – there’s Joe and Marcos, the two shopkeepers defending their business against murderous teenagers, their badass friend Laney that roams the streets delivering first aid during Purge night, and Dante Bishop, the leader of the underground revolution against the Purge.\nThe best thing about this Purge movie is that it feels bigger than the other two – it’s tackling how the Purge affects society on a much larger scale, and we see it’s impact on the country as a whole rather than just an individual story. The plot is good, because the Senator is at the heart of it – you can feel that there is more at stake, that she’s to be protected and that she can make a difference, and that’s the first time we’ve actually seen a glimmer of that in the Purge.\nSome are calling it the best film of the three, and it does feel like we’re finally really starting to explore the concept. It certainly outdoes the second movie, but comparing it to the first Purge feels like apples and oranges (or crossbows and chainsaws, if you want to stay on topic). The original film works as it’s own movie because it’s the world of the Purge, but on a much smaller, more claustrophobic scale – whereas **Election Year is something else entirely.\nThe pace of the story really works and is outlined effectively; we understand the Senator’s story and the setup to Purge night without it being dragged out, and we get to the Purge action nice and quickly (which it kind of feels like you’re waiting for).\nElizabeth Mitchell and Frank Grillo give the best performances here – Grillo is good at continuing his role as a surly antihero who suspects everyone, and we think Mitchell is strong at conveying both horror at the violence, but the drive to make a change.\nHowever, we weren’t so keen on others, especially Joe. If we’re honest, he gets increasingly irritating as the film goes on, continues to utter racial slurs that seem out of place, and detracts from the better parts of the story.\nDialogue is what really lets the film down; it’s seriously clumsy and cheesy in parts, especially between the characters from the deli. It feels really quite laboured, but smart writing isn’t what you’re watching The Purge for.\nWhat you do watch The Purge for, however, is the 12 hours of anarchy that occur every year on Purge night, and it certainly delivers on that – though it’s definitely a sideline to what’s happening with the Senator and the bigger picture overall. Though no bad thing, this is a significant difference to the other 2 movies, where seeing new ways that people ‘purge and purify’ made up the majority of the thrills.\nWe’re big fans of the whole Purge concept – it’s unique, it’s interesting and it tackles real world issues – and so we thoroughly enjoyed this film. Groundbreaking cinema it is not, but an entertaining watch it certainly is, and there’s a twisted cartoonish aesthetic to the trilogy that makes it stand out from the crowd.\nThe third Purge gets 3 from us. It’s better than average, not quite excellent, but worth seeing if you’re a fan of the franchise.*\nHere’s the trailer – **The Purge: Election Year is in cinemas now.\n(Images from here, here and here)\n46 4699 Viewscineblog elizabeth mitchell film blog film review frank grillo lost movie blog movie review the cineblog the purge the purge anarchy the purge election year the purge film review\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/film-review-the-purge-election-year/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs we enter election year, and the third film in the Purge trilogy, the annual purge is now a well established part of American life – so much so, that so called ‘murder tourists’ are even travelling to the US from overseas to take part in all the fun – and it’s all down to the New Founding Fathers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut, the country is waking up to the Purge, what it’s doing to society’s most in need, and how the people in power are the ones benefiting from the violence.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Purge: Election Year Film Review"},{"content":"The dream team of Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass have reunited to give amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne another mission, much to the joy of Bourne fans the world over after the disappointment of The Bourne Legacy.\nThe good news? It’s everything you want it to be.\nThere’s something about the Bourne films that makes them stand out from other action movies. They have everything you’d expect of the genre – a strong but silent hero, extreme car chases and brutal one-on-one fistfights, but somehow done so much better thanks to Damon’s cold but vulnerable exterior and Greengrass’s super fast editing and directing style.\nIf you haven’t seen the other 3 in the Bourne series, we suggest you watch those first before viewing the new one, or else you will likely be very confused. We’ve followed Jason Bourne (or David Webb, as he was originally known) and his story all the way from being fished out of the sea with multiple shot wounds, to going against the CIA to reveal its secrets and uncover the truth about his past, and finding out how he ended up as a lethal weapon with a long list of kills under his belt.\nAgain, at the start of the new film, we find Jason living a life ‘off the grid’, and yet again, he’s brought back to the CIA’s attention due to the actions of others. We see him get closer and closer to getting captured as he discovers more of the lies that lead him down his violent path, and eventually seek revenge on those who conspired against him.\nThere’s a familiar face in the form of Julia Stilesas ex-agent Nicky Parsons, who is key in bringing Bourne out of his new life as a cage fighter – but there’s also a lot of new characters that really bring the film to life.\nAlicia Vikander is the stand out as steely-faced agent Heather Lee, a tech expert with questionable motives who tries to regain control of the hunt for Bourne, as well as breaking the rules to help him. Vikander seems to be having somewhat of a ‘moment’ right now, with successes including The Danish Girl and **Ex Machina behind her, and big roles like the new **Tomb Raider movie coming up. She’s great here: cool, collected and intelligent, but able to show the character crack under pressure.\nThere’s also strong turns from Vincent Cassel as the antagonist ‘asset’, the first one we’ve really heard speak, and Tommy Lee Jones as CIA Director Robert Dewey, whose power has clearly gone to his head and who takes matters into his own hands on multiple occasions. And, Riz Ahmed is good in the sidelines as the founder of a tech giant looking to expose the dark side of the CIA.\nAnd of course, there’s Matt Damon. He’s just so brilliant in this role. You believe that he is strong and powerful and able to outwit the agency at every turn, but you’re also convinced that he’s a man with a troubled past, who doesn’t know where he comes from and is just desperate for answers.\nAll of the slickness and tension and speed of the previous Bourne films is present here; there’s several signature heart pounding car chases which literally make you wince in your seat, satisfying scenes where we see Bourne gain the upper hand on those chasing him, great moments in the agency headquarters as they do their best to keep up with his movements, and a fistfight at the end where you can just feel it’s a fight to the death.\nAs the storyline moves from city to city across the world, the tension rises, and the use of long sequences where you can feel the build to something big going down means the film never lulls.\nIt’s weird, there’s nothing exceptionally new here that we haven’t seen in the previous instalments, but it turns out that the Bourne formula is one you just don’t get sick of.\n5 stars from us, all the way. In fact – it might just be our favourite Bourne yet.\nIf you’re quick, you can still catch Jason Bourne in cinemas. Here’s the trailer to wet your appetite:\nImages from here, here and here.\n40 4503 Viewsalicia vikander cineblog ex machina film blog film magazine film reviews jason bourne julia stiles matt damon movie blog movie magazine movie reviews paul greengrass riz ahmed the bourne legacy the bourne series the cineblog the danish girl tomb raider tommy lee jones vincent cassell\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/jason-bourne-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe dream team of \u003ca href=\"/tag/matt-damon/\"\u003eMatt Damon\u003c/a\u003e and director \u003ca href=\"/tag/paul-greengrass/\"\u003ePaul Greengrass\u003c/a\u003e have reunited to give amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne another mission, much to the joy of Bourne fans the world over after the disappointment of \u003ca href=\"/tag/the-bourne-legacy/\"\u003eThe Bourne Legacy\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe good news?\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eIt’s everything you want it to be.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s something about the Bourne films that makes them stand out from other action movies. They have everything you’d expect of the genre – a strong but silent hero, extreme car chases and brutal one-on-one fistfights, but somehow done so much better thanks to Damon’s cold but vulnerable exterior and Greengrass’s super fast editing and directing style.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Jason Bourne Film Review"},{"content":"It’s been one of the most hyped blockbusters of the year, and has raked in a fortune in it’s opening weekend – but **Suicide Squad, the latest installment in DC’s comic universe has been faced with negative and mixed reviews.\nIf you’re unfamiliar with the film, the (supposed) plot revolves around a number of villains (superheroes without the hero part) that are locked up in jail, which the US government decide to put together into Taskforce X, a team of baddies (or metahumans, as they’re referred to) with superior abilities that they can send into dangerous situations with nothing to lose.\nThe gang includes the Joker’s girlfriend Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), a slightly deranged girl with a penchant for hotpants and circus tricks; lethal hitman Deadshot (Will Smith) who never misses a shot; serial arsenist El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) who can conjure fire from his hands; and Aussie crook Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) who apparently is good with knives and loves a fluffy pink unicorn.\nThere’s also turns from Viola Davis as mastermind of the operation Amanda Waller, Cara Delevingne as June Moone and her witchy alter ego Enchantress, and Joel Kinnaman as squad leader Rick Flag.\nUnfortunately, and we’re truly sad to say this about a film we were looking forward to so much, but it really was a disappointment.\nImage Source\nThe real issue lies in the core foundations of the film; the plot, the method of storytelling, and the editing. It’s choppy, but too much so, and flits from place to place leaving the viewer confused and unable to understand what’s actually going on, never mind the motives of the characters. Some have said it’s a film full of trailer material and we have to agree, that’s kind of what it feels like. There’s some cool moments and one liners, but it’s pointless if it isn’t backed up by an actual cohesive rest of the film. It felt as though each scene was literally lifted from the page of a comic book, but not translated into something that would work for cinema.\nThe structure of the film feels too simple – we’re introduced to the characters, then they’re sent on a mission. Simple is fine, but it feels like there was no real effort put into it, and some nuances of the story we’re shown (the Joker and Harley jumping into a vat of something?) are just plain weird and don’t add to the overall arc.\nNot everything is dire – we actually quite liked the first half of the film, where we see each of the villains in their cells and are shown flashbacks to their past. We enjoyed the jail sequences too, but they’re definitely still not perfect, and even the hyper stylized look and feel to the film didn’t put us off too much.\nIt’s when the squad head to their mission that things really go downhill; it feels like huge chunks of scenes have been cut out, things move along too quickly and yet not fast enough, and it all just becomes a little dull. And a lot of it just doesn’t make sense – the thing they’re trying to defeat is essentially a demi-god, but apparently they can be destroyed by normal bullets, a boomerang and a girl with a baseball bat?\nImage Source\nMargot Robbie as Harley Quinn is definitely the highlight of the entire show; she’s got a genuine flash of crazy in her eyes, can move between the highs and lows of the character and you’re essentially waiting for the next scene with her in it throughout. Will Smith as Deadshot is also good – you feel comfortable watching him and he’s probably the most actually developed character, as we see glimpses of his family life too.\nAnother thing that really irked us, and that you’ve probably noticed in this review, was the sheer lack of the Joker. Jared Letoas Gotham’s favourite criminal was built up so much, it seemed as though he was to be the core villain of the film, but he was nothing more than a sideline story that could have been cut out altogether. Leto was okay in the part itself, although he was certainly no Heath Ledger. Though, to be honest, we didn’t see enough of him to actually judge his performance, and felt mislead by the trailers as to how big a part he would play.\nAnd, despite being sold as the ‘Worst. Heroes. Ever’ and the most evil of supers, there just wasn’t enough badness and darkness to really draw you in. We wanted to see a group of people that were truly despicable – but likeable – and see some kind of arc where they become heroic, but that doesn’t really exist. They’re just not that bad, for a group of baddies – it could have been so much darker.\nThere’s nothing worse than feeling thoroughly frustrated and disappointed at a film’s wasted potential, and unfortunately that’s all Suicide Squad really delivered for us.\nWe’re still holding out hope for DC after seeing the trailers for **Wonder Woman and the Justice League, but they’re going to have to do a lot better than this if they hope to compete with Marvel’s anthology of successes.\nOverall, just a 2/5 for us. Sorry, Suicide Squad. We’d hoped for better from you.\nHere’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on the film!\nFeatured Image Source\n44 4127 Viewscaptain boomerang cara delevingne cineblog DCEU deadshot film blog film review harley quinn jai courtney jared leto jay hernandez joel kinnaman justice league margot robbie suicide squad the cineblog the joker viola davis will smith wonder woman\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/suicide-squad-film-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s been one of the most hyped blockbusters of the year, and has raked in a fortune in it’s opening weekend – but **\u003ca href=\"/tag/suicide-squad/\"\u003eSuicide Squad\u003c/a\u003e, the latest installment in DC’s comic universe has been faced with negative and mixed reviews.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you’re unfamiliar with the film, the (supposed) plot revolves around a number of villains (superheroes without the hero part) that are locked up in jail, which the US government decide to put together into Taskforce X, a team of baddies (or metahumans, as they’re referred to) with superior abilities that they can send into dangerous situations with nothing to lose.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Suicide Squad Film Review"},{"content":"Don’t be fooled by the throwback font and talented young cast – this show about all kinds of things that go bump in the night is definitely not just for kids.\nSet in a small town in 80s Indiana, **Stranger Things is the story of how a young boy disappears, a mysterious girl appears, and the journey that follows to find out what’s happened to both of them. We’ll give you some clues, it involves a big secret lab with men in biohazard suits, a thing without a face and several terrifying trips to something the characters call the ‘upside down’ – all very spooky.\nThis show looks just mesmerising, but in a weird way. It has a kind of vintage film over it, with the incessant browns and beiges that seem so intertwined with that era in style seeping into every corner. It feels nostalgic and yet completely refreshing simultaneously – there’s influences from Twin Peaks and **Goosebumps as well as modern mindbenders like **Chronicle, and it makes for a really engaging mix.\nOh, and we loved that each episode was a chapter, with an actual name. It made it feel more old school, more like a story.\nWhat really makes it is the cast – Winona Ryder is perfectly on the edge as a frantic mother searching for her son, and the supporting characters of Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and police chief Hopper (David Harbour) are all really strong, there’s no weak link.\nBut, the real stars of the show are the 4 kids at the centre of it.\nThe aforementioned mysterious girl is called 011, Eleven, or El for short, and she is quite simply magical. Played by Millie Bobby Brown, who seems to have acting ability that far exceeds her years, she is scared, strong, endearing and powerful all in one go – and her big brown eyes widen to draw you in to her emotion every time. We ended up caring just so much about her character, and yes, shed a tear or two over her.\nThere’s also 3 young boys that really bring the show to life – Mike, Dustin and Lucas (played by Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin respectively) are unstoppable in the search for their friend, and the quality of their performances is undoubtable.\nWe may be wusses, but this show is genuinely creepy, and there’s so many tense and scary moments that really build to a climax in the last few episodes. The storyline is gripping and surprising and so, so lean, meaning every part has you interested and there’s never a dull or throwaway moment.\nQuite simply, we loved it, and were sad for it to end.\n*Keep ’em coming, Netflix… *\nIf this hasn’t piqued your interest enough, here’s the **Stranger Things trailer for season 1. Give it a watch, you won’t regret it.\n(Images from here and here)\n40 3644 Viewscaleb mclaughlin charlie heaton chronicle cineblog david harbour finn wolfhard gaten matarazzo goosebumps mille bobby brown natalia dyer netflix netflix original stranger things the cineblog twin peaks winona ryder\nData scraped from web archives. Preserved for the cinematography community.\n","permalink":"https://thecineblog.com/reviews/stranger-things-season-1-netflix-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDon’t be fooled by the throwback font and talented young cast – this show about all kinds of things that go bump in the night is definitely \u003cem\u003enot\u003c/em\u003e just for kids.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet in a small town in 80s Indiana, **\u003ca href=\"/tag/stranger-things/\"\u003eStranger Things\u003c/a\u003e is the story of how a young boy \u003cem\u003edisappears\u003c/em\u003e, a mysterious girl \u003cem\u003eappears\u003c/em\u003e, and the journey that follows to find out what’s happened to both of them. We’ll give you some clues, it involves a big secret lab with men in biohazard suits, a thing without a face and several terrifying trips to something the characters call the ‘upside down’ – all very spooky.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stranger Things Review | Season 1"}]