Divergent Double Bill

Book Vs Film...FIGHT!!!

What better way to spend a shift at work than reading a free sample of a new novel about to be made into a film? That's how it came about anyway. I began reading the first six chapters of Divergent, and I have to say I was struck. So, then came the time to buy the full book so I could find out who dunnit, what happens, how does it end???
Unfortunately, that's where it went a little sour for me. Very similar to 'The Hunger Games', without the irritating tense. A hero (with special abilities/who breaks the rules), a boy (or two), a main enemy to rise against and a revolution (of sorts). I hated 'The Hunger Games' book, for the first time in forever (or at least my forever) I found a film I preferred to the book!

The same could not be said for 'Divergent'. I did enjoy the book more than 'The Hunger Games' and the film less so. Inside my head was smaller version of myself saying 'that's not in the book' and 'why haven't they included that part?'. Which is what I have come to expect from inner me when viewing a film developed from a book.
Obviously, the film has to work on the basis that not all viewers have read the book. For that reason some decisions to change/cut the script made sense.
The casting worked, although I'd imagined Will to be bulkier and Eric to be much more slimy and thin (but that wouldn't really portray a leading Dauntless, would it?)

So, on the whole, the film was a success (especially for teenagers) but I will revert to the echoing moan of all book nerds...it's never as good as the book. (Except for 'The Hunger Games'...seriously.)

Divergent Book: 3.5 Stars ****
Divergent Film: 3 Stars ***

<3 Tattoos <3

P.s. I would totally be in Dauntless!

A post of their own!

I decided not to include these gems on the main post because I had lots to say! I suggests you watch them all!

Dallas Buyers Club: Matthew Mcconaughey wanted to get away from his stereotypical role in rom-coms. This wasn't his first to accomplish a break from the norm (The Lincoln Lawyer, Killer Joe) but it will be the one people remember for some time. Moving, eye opening and raw. Both Mcconaughey and Jared Leto (lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars) perform unbelievably convincing roles. You may have guessed that I'm not the emotional type but this one made me well up! Tissues at the ready guys. 4.5 Stars *****

Gravity 3D: I have read and heard very mixed reviews on this film, despite it's winning streak at the Oscars. But, as always, it's my turn. Graphically astounding. There is so much going on in this film despite the limited setting and cast. Clooney and Bullock acted for their lives. Even after the film had ended I was playing parts over in my mind and dwelling on the vast nothingness of space. I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone therefore I won't go into detail but the ending could be viewed in a number of ways. Extremely clever and breathtakingly beautiful. 5 Stars *****

Lego Movie 3D: You may think this an odd addition to my select few films but everybody loves an animation. The Lego Movie had adult humor, a cracking story and some creative characters. So far, I haven't met anyone who disagrees. An original treat for the whole family! 5 Stars *****

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues: Before I begin, let me just tell you I haven't seen the newest addition with extra jokes. Also, I didn't particularly enjoy the first Anchorman (The Legend of Ron Burgundy). However, and this time it's a huge one, I haven't laughed so hard at a film in a very long time. I may come across as mean but my 'things to look out for' during this moving are: the child crying on the beach and the angry woman at the ice skating rink. If you don't find something in this film funny, you have no sense of humor. There is something for everyone- innuendos, dry humor, awkward humor and people getting hurt/upset! 5 Stars *****

300: Rise of an Empire: Another outstanding sequel. Different to the first, darker, heavier on the tactics and fighting. A deeper look into the bigger picture of war. And for the guys...yes there are boobs and yes there is an overly aggressive sex scene.
It was great to see the return of Lena Heady and Rodrigo Santoro and also new additions Sullivan Stapleton and Jack O'Connell joining the fight. With films such as this surfacing I am excited for the remainder of 2014. 5 Stars *****

2014 so far...

Again, it has been some time since my last post but I guess it gives you more to sink your teeth into! Enjoy!

47 Ronin: Keanu Reeves ranges from sounded stiff to almost being Neo in this remake. The graphics weren't as elaborate as I expected, the fight scenes weren't as long or as brutal and the characters from the posters barely had any screen time. In all the film wasn't unbearable but it was severely disappointing. 2 Stars **
<3 the final line
<3 the giant armoured samurai

American Hustle: With an all star cast you expect the film to be good. None of the main five disappointed. The film was what I imagine 'The Counselor' was attempting to be. My issue with this twisted true tale was the length. I found some parts laborious and felt certain areas dragged. 3.5 Stars ****
<3 Jennifer Lawrence's rendition of 'Live and Let Die'
<3 The special guest appearance

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale: A Finnish film based on the idea that Santa is an evil being who punishes the naughty children. I have never been a fan of Christmas films- but as this one lacks yuletide cheer and festive prancing I thoroughly enjoyed it! 4 Stars ****
<3 the folklore

The Conjuring: Epically scary with a fantastic story to coincide. One of the best horror films to surface for a while! 5 Stars *****
<3 Ed & Lorainne Warren

Stand Up Guys: This one is a real slow burner. Although I found the ending well written and the story line pretty good I wouldn't watch it again. Definitely something missing from this but there are a number of good moments. 2.5 Stars ***
<3 The Cast

Insidious Chapter Two: EXCELLENT! I cannot express how good this was. Sequels are usually good or rubbish but this one blew the rest out of the water. Another brilliant and spooky story line which also explains the first film incredibly well. The only reason I have dropped it half a star is because it wouldn't work without the first one. 4 Stars *****
<3 The Further

Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug: Long winded, unnecessary and lackluster. I love dragons but I'm not a fan of Smaug. I guess we'll have to wait and see if the third can save the elongated trilogy. 2 Stars **
<3 Kili

Need for Speed: Absolutely abysmal. If you go into this film expecting rip roaring action you will be disappointed, but if you enter the cinema open minded you will encounter one of the best unintentional comedies to date! Laughing at the acting, the lines and the slang terms there was rarely a quiet moment in the screen. Imogen Poots is horrendous. 1 Star * (for pure comedy genius).
<3 'is it fast'
<3 'you learn a lot about a person when you've been hit by a truck'

That Awkward Moment: Another failure which stars Ms Poots. She must bring bad luck. There is no point to this film. There is no real connection to the title (had it been called 'so, where is this going' it would have made more sense). There is too much concentration on the break down of the friends marriage. The whole idea is flimsy and poor, clearly designed to show Zac Efron as a player. I could go on...but 0 Stars.
<3...nothing.

Robocop: I wasn't expecting much...and I didn't get much. There isn't enough action, there is definitely a whole chunk that could be removed. I am, however, anticipating the next installment as I feel the story and action could improve. The suit is pretty bad ass and it does seem like a good set up for a series of Robocop films. So, not a total loss! 2.5 Stars ***
<3 Joel Kinnaman

Into the Mouth of Madness: An old one watched for the first time recently. Odd, definitely old school and a tiny bit cheesy. Great idea but not in the same leagues as Event Horizon so I'm afraid it's only 2 Stars **

Lone Survivor: Really inspiring and tense. A great action and true story film. 'Nuff said! 4 Stars ****
<3 The real life soldiers section before the credits.

Out of the Furnace: A little old school, a little a gritty and a whole load of revenge and backward justice. Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson rarely fail to impress. 4 Stars ****
<3 the Setting

Killer Joe: Off the wall, definitely one of the weirdest films I've seen. You'll just have to watch it because I can't explain! 2 Stars **

I, Frankenstein: 'Underworld' for kids. Cheesy, too similar to other films and not original. Bill Nighy plays an almost identical character to his role in Underworld. Aaron Eckhart's acting was pretty shocking. 1 Star *
<3 The Gargoyles

Food for thought...

...here's a page all the horror fans might enjoy. Film reviews, art work and horror appreciation.

Morbid Fascination 13

It's been too long...

Summer is over, winter is coming. Here are some movie reviews for you to mull over!

Grown Ups 2: Underrated. Ridiculous in parts but Adam Sandler proves he still has it when it comes to movies. Very funny with a great cast. 
4 Stars ****
<3  'There's a raft in there?' *pulls cord* 'who did that?''<3

2 Guns: There was never any doubt that this would anything but witty, action packed and clever. With a cast made up of Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington it was bound to be good. Thoroughly entertaining. 4 Stars **** 
<3 Wahlberg's wink <3

We're the Millers: Outrageously funny, I couldn't breathe in parts. Jennifer Aniston looks amazing in her underwear and Jason Sudeikis is hilarious! Definitely one to store in the DVD/Blu-ray collection! 5 Stars ***** 
<3 'watch out for bears, you won't be able to see them' <3
<3 'roman candle' <3
<3 The Fireworks <3

Saving Mr Banks: I was lucky enough to see a preview of this upcoming film starring Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks. If you are a fan of Mary Poppins and a true Brit then this film is for you. Suitable for the whole family it certainly tugs on the heart strings. An absolute gem that is sure to do well in the box office. 5 Stars *****

<3 Penguins <3

<3 Emma Thompson <3

Dead Man Down: An original and refreshing take on revenge. I am a big fan of Noomi Rapace and Colin Farrell so I was expecting to enjoy this anyway. 3.5 Stars ****
<3 Darcy <3

Byzantium: Not even slightly what I expected. A traditional vampire story told in modern-ish times. I felt it was quite flat, uneventful and colourless. Disappointing. 1 Star *
<3 Daniel Mays <3


Machete Kills: Nowhere near the standard of the first. This film tries FAR too hard to be cheesy and ludicrous. Machete worked despite the cheese but this dreadful sequel isn't worth the time. We didn't actually make it through the whole viewing and left with about 45 minutes still left to go. 0 Stars

Turbo: I wasn't expecting much from this given the time of year it's been released and the predictable story line. Unfortunately for me everything has been done before so the originality has to come from somewhere else. The creators of Turbo managed this task. I enjoyed everything from the artwork to the soundtrack. 4 Stars ****
<3 Chet <3

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2: With the array of foodimals on show this film had a lot of potential. The foodimals pulled through but the film did not. with the addition of 'live corp' boss Steve (who resembled Steve Jobs at Apple quite a bit) the film lost it's uniqueness and sense of fun. I was truly disappointed! 2 Stars ** 
<3 The Marshmallows <3
<3 Barry <3 

Thor: The Dark World: In a word- awful. There were parts of the movie I liked but on the whole I thought it made viking Gods appear as cheesy, useless aliens who can't decide if they want to help the people of Earth or not. The entire story grated on me and if it wasn't for the superb acting from Christopher Eccleston and Tom Hiddleston I probably would have left early. Alas, I stayed so I could fully review the film for you but I'm sorry Marvel fans, it doesn't look good. 2 Stars **
<3 Idris Elba and his golden eyes <3
<3 Loki <3

Escape Plan: Turn your mind off and enjoy the action. There is a decent story line to boot! With Arnie and Stallone taking front and centre this film is exactly as you'd expect but with unexpected twists. Thoroughly entertaining. 3.5 Stars ****
<3 Arnie <3

Riddick: Disastrous. Almost identical to Pitch Black, there was no point in making this film other than to extort more money from people and show that Vin Diesel has still got it (which he most definitely does). However it proved a waste of time viewing and I will never recover that spent time. 0 Stars.
<3 Vin Diesel's Dog <3

Pain and Gain: Bazaar. This film was like nothing I've ever seen before. Unfortunately the odd qualities didn't really work in the film's favour. It was a mash of comedy, real life and action that blew up creating a mess of laughable, body building maniacs. I would state that to understand my review you should watch the film but it is far too long and I'm not really sure you should. A very confused 2 Stars **
<3 Anthony Mackie <3

Place Beyond the Pines: Another film that didn't deliver. The beginning was promising but the film was slow and I soon lost interest. I have never been a big fan of Eva Mendes and I certainly wasn't a fan of Bradley Cooper's son but my own personal opinions aside this film wasn't as clever as it thought. 1 Star *
<3 Ryan Gosling (obviously) <3

Shooting Stars

My Must See Movies:

Bugsy Malone

Rango

How To Train Your Dragon

Fantasia

Mirror Mirror

Robots

Battle Royale

Night Watch

BaseketBall

Grandma's Boy

Waiting

Little Nicky

Get Him To The Greek

Airheads

Cabin in the Woods

Goon

Seven Psychopaths

Uncle Buck

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

Orphanage

Event Horizon

Thirteen Ghosts

Dog Soldiers

Fourth Kind

The Killing Gene

Taking Lives

Hannibal Rising

Se7en

The Gift

What Lies Beneath

The Descent

Perfume

Identity

Martyrs

Jumanji

Pans Labrynth

Sin City

Dredd 3D

Seven Pounds

Dead Man's Shoes

Machette

The Goonies

Tron: Legacy

300

Minority Report

Hancock

Lovely Bones

Demolition Man

Reservoir Dogs

Rock of Ages

Reign of Fire

Hitman

Snatch

Lock, Stock and two smoking barrels

Inception

Shutter Island

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Deep Blue Sea

No Country for Old Men

Lawless

Public Enemies

Stardust

Gran Torrino

Million Dollar Baby

Gone in 60 Seconds

Lord Of War

Con Air

Vantage Point

Blues Brothers

From Hell

Limitless

Red Lights

Constantine

Max Payne

Doomsday

Chronicles of Riddick

Lucky Number Slevin

The Book of Eli

Eastern Promises

Southland Tales

Priest

What Dreams May Come

Easy Rider

Hook

Shoot Em Up

The Departed

In Bruges

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Cool Runnings

Holes

Beetlejuice

Longest Yard

Filth

****SPOILER ALERT****

A cult classic? I'm not sure.

The story is desperately sad. McAvoy plays a drug fueled detective hell bent on receiving a promotion at work. He sets about setting all the other candidates up for a fall, therefore giving him a clear path to the top. Presented as a know it all Scottish stallion with a finger in every pie it becomes quickly clear that not all is as it seems.

It is evident from quite early on that the situation with his wife isn't as he makes out to colleagues. The reasons, thus far, are unclear. The deeper he plays into his own game the more the audience realise Bruce (McAvoy) is seriously messed up.

Bruce is not a likeable character. He is twisted, sex obsessed and cruel. Further into the story it becomes apparent that his condition is becoming out of control. He begins having visions which help explain his predicament. From the odd scenes, reminiscent of Twin Peaks in parts, the audience are informed of his early childhood and how the death of his younger brother occurred.
Eventually the true nature surrounding the crime he is investigating comes to light. It was at this point of the film I felt it spiraled into serious strangeness. 
Not only has Bruce's wife left him but he cannot remember why. This point is never fully explained. Conclusions could be that he was always sex-fueled and cheated, that perhaps his drug addiction started before the break-up or the possibility that the situation with his brother messed him up for day one. Otherwise there could be another reason not revealed.
The sessions with the doctor are also unclear, did they truly happen but are shown in a warped version of Bruce's reality? A lot of the film is unclear and odd. Full of sex, a little violence, swearing and drugs. Does this make it cult? I think not. It attempts to push boundaries and succeeds but there are so many other films that do the same and are not classed as cult. Despite my arguments about the style of the film what it really boils down to is whether I enjoyed it. I wanted to understand, to find out what had made Bruce so cracked. But alas, this was not to be. In the end Filth gets a mediocre 3 Stars ***