Favourite Films

This Is England ’86: The Greatest UK TV Show For A Generation

Posted by in Reviews, TV and Film Pie
29/09/10

——–THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS———

Last night I did an almost unprecedented thing. Midway through the fourth and final part of a programme that I was looking forward to since its inception and ridiculously emotionally involved with from the first episode on, I switched off the TV and walked away. I simply couldn’t handle watching it. That programme was Shane Meadows This Is England ’86.

this is england

Thankfully this morning I summoned up the courage to continue and finished off what was quite possibly the greatest UK television programme of a generation.

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Can The Rest Of 2010 Save Cinema From An Annus Horribilis?

Posted by in Blog
28/09/10

With the news that The Hobbit is taking one step there and two steps back again one of the most sought after films on the horizon looks unlikely to hit our screens any time soon. A crying shame for film fans that are looking for something, anything to look forward to, after what has been a year substantially lacking in lustre.

due

Inception and Toy Story 3 aside 2010 has offered very little so far in terms of history making cinema, blockbusting thrills or quotable comedies. With 3 months to go can this change, can 2010 go out in style?

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The Town

Posted by in Reviews
27/09/10

In the thirteen odd years since winning an Oscar for his work on Good Will Hunting hating Ben Affleck seems to have become a global past time. No one could deny there have been some notable indiscretions in that time; including but not limited to Gigli, Pearl Harbour, Paycheck and Jennifer Lopez. However, over the past couple of years Affleck’s career has taken a deserved upturn peaking with his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone.

poster

Now, three years on, Affleck has returned to the director’s chair for The Town and he’s assembled an impressive cast which reflects his renewed gravitas.
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The Hole 3D And How Kid’s Films Are As Scary As Adult Ones

Posted by in Blog
27/09/10

When I was but 10 years old my parents foolishly left me alone with a remote control and a television. Feeling more than a little mature with this newfound responsibility I immediately decided to challenge my ‘grown upness’ by watching the first part of Stephen King’s It. Big mistake. What followed was plenty of sleepness nights, a new (completely rational) fear of clowns and an even bigger mistake by my parents: they didn’t let me watch part two.

it

Huge parental failing on their part because if they had done I would have discovered that scary Clown-man turns into stupid, rubbish Spider-monster and most importantly, that the kids were alright. Instead I had years of letting my imagination get the better of me in relation to circus folk living in my school’s shower.

20 years and one resurgent Joe Dante picture later, and that imagination is still maintaining a level of dampness in my now adult pants.
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Is Funny Finite?

Posted by in Blog
15/09/10

It seems ‘Change’ was such a good slogan that for any political party, after any time in office, the general public wants more of it. On the other side of the Atlantic Obama and the democrats are facing up to an all American Ass-kicking in new elctions and on home turf, our Con-Lib coalition is facing a union lashing that could see people taking to the streets. If they can afford the travel costs to get to said streets.

wf

But it’s not just governments that have a limited shelf life. Bread, milk, eggs, sex after marriage, and the reason you had to sit through a feeble attempt at Politics For Dummies and the basis of this article; Comedy actors.

After a glut of appalling films including Land Of The Lost, Step Brothers and Semi Pro, this weekend sees the return of Will Ferrell to the big screen with, The Other Guys. He’s hoping that his schtick is worth one more trip on the comedy rollercoaster.

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Dinner for Schmucks – Review

Posted by in Reviews
15/09/10

I don’t know about you but a lot of modern day comedies just don’t quite have the wow factor for me. There are a few goodies out there, and some films which have great comic moments, but they’re usually films which aren’t straight, flat-out comedy. One of the few actual laugh-out-loud, modern comedies that I have really appreciated is (probably one of the most quoted films of all time) Anchorman (2004). The timing, the script, and the acting…superb, especially from the hidden gem that was the then not so famous Steve Carell as the ‘mentally retarded’ but loveable Brick Tamland.

dinner

Since this film I have been an avid fan of the genius that is Mr Carell, and when I found out that he was to be teaming up once again with Paul Rudd (Hollywood’s go to comedy straight man) I couldn’t wait. So waiter, Dinner for Schmucks please.

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Grown Ups

Posted by in Reviews
02/09/10

After a few trips to the States I have concluded that there are a number of cultural differences that I will never fully understand. Why do New Yorkers stand in the road when crossing the street? Why do Floridians have fruit with their bacon? And why the hell do they find Adam Sandler so funny?

Sandler's ring piece

Granted, there’s a certain juvenile charm about his early roles, Happy Gilmore and Airheads are tolerable and I’d even go as far as to say I enjoyed The Wedding Singer. But why oh why does the man who inflicted the likes of Click and Spanglish on the world, seem to have carte blanche to churn out whatever self indulgent tripe he wants? As you might expect, Grown Ups is another prime example of such tripe.

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