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BlacKkKlansman (2018)
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
2018 | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Kkkracking
#blackkklansman is an incredible & #fun tribute to the #art of #blaxsploitation film making with a #powerful & very serious #message to tell. Although i found this movie extremely entertaining i left the #cinema feeling extremely #sad & #emotionally shook by it too. What #spikelee has made here is a film that feels very much like a commercial mainstream #comedy film but one thats injected with so much depth & real world drama/issues that its hard not to watch it like its an #educational trip back in time. It really has your #emotions running all over the place especially with its very current & real portrayals of #racism/hate & how it corrupts the weak minded/uneducated while also showing how hate inevitably leads to inhuman & diabolical acts of violence. Infact id say the release of #blackkklansman couldn't of come at a more important time especially with all the hate marches going on in the world & even in my hometown recently. Filmed in such a cool way with an amazing #soundtrack i felt instantly transported back in time & fully immersed from the get go. Lee also uses so many darkly lit, raw & intimate close ups & old filters it makes the viewer feel like we are really there beside the characters really getting to know each & every one of them too. Much like last years #detroit (which i actually prefer) the time period is very well recreated & the overall message here is also just as important & unavoidable too. While not being a film i could recommend to everyone (I think some people may miss the point or fail to see under the films accessible surface) but those who do see it will come away feeling not only entertained but extreamly moved.
#odeon #odeonlimitless #filmbuff #filmcritic #wednesdaywisdom #racist #klukluxklan #lovenothate #blacklivesmatter #empowerment #hate #love #adamdriver #johndavidwashington
  
I Feel Pretty (2018)
I Feel Pretty (2018)
2018 | Comedy
More like I feel shitty
#ifeelpretty is a dull, unfunny #film with so many mixed messages and conflicting tones that it just ends up being a massive waste time. First off I may not find #amyshumer #funny but she is a without a doubt a #pretty woman, so trying to sell me on the fact that she's not just didnt work at all. Then there's the message about believing in yourself, being yourself and having more #confidence in who you are and what your capable of but this is then cancelled out by a the message that so called 'pretty' people are all selfish, arrogant nasty and horrible people that dont work hard for anything and are just out to make us 'ugly' peasant lives miserable. I also just didn't get what it wanted to be tone wise either, its to serious to be funny but its also to #silly to be serious and it doesn't really succeed at either. Acting is alright over all its just the story plods along at such a dull place with nothing really happening that these characters just become uninteresting. #Music and directing are both also completely forgettable and with a run time of nearly 2 hours (of which we stayed just over an hour) the film seemed to be going nowhere interesting and thus failed to hold our attention any longer. I didnt expect this film to be a good one but I at the very least expected a bit of fun and a half decent message. With nothing to offer I can't really recommend this lifeless film to anyone and you'd probably have more #fun seeing #sherlockgnomes instead. #odeon #odeonlimitless #weekend #sunny #sundayfunday #sunday #workout #beautiful #comedy #lifestyle #coffee #girls #cinifile #cinema #hot #body #sexy #ifeelprettythemovie
  
The Shape of Water  (2017)
The Shape of Water (2017)
2017 | Drama, Fantasy
Cinematography was excellent. (1 more)
Character development was perfect, not a lot of detail but enough to fall into their lives.
Tried a little too hard to be unique. (0 more)
The Shape of Water - Visually Stunning
The Shape of Water, as discussed in other reviews, follows Eliza Esposito through a snapshot of her life. She has a clear love of water from the beginning, bordering on a fetish, and she connects with few people due to her mutism. The people around her are flawed. Her neighbor is fighting through a new advertising world that no longer values true artwork, her coworker Zelda has a painful home life with a husband that won't participate. Even the characters that are not part of Eliza's life have their struggles depicted within this movie. We see snapshots, just enough to understand these people are flawed, their lives are flawed, their relationships are flawed. Everyone in this movie is struggling towards a goal, though Eliza is the clear focus.

The cinematography reflects the 60's, from the lighting, to the sets and even how the cameras move with the characters. It's a world that engulfs the viewer, suspension of disbelief is a guarantee. The majority of the film is shot in drab, dark colors to reflect the loneliness of the characters, and the fear of the era. It's extremely effective at creating the unspoken sense of unease the country would have felt during the height of the communist scare.


As the movie moves towards the conclusion it becomes more fairy tale than reality. It was still beautiful, and the story still riveting, however, the transition to the more fantastic style was abrupt and could have been handled with more grace. I did appreciate the open ended conclusion, it's rare in American cinema to see, as most American film-goers prefer the ending tied up in a pretty bow.
  
Phantom Thread (2017)
Phantom Thread (2017)
2017 | Drama
Excellent performances (2 more)
Interesting concept
Beautiful cinematography
An intense character study with a side of high fashion
Contains spoilers, click to show
I haven't been able to stop thinking about this movie for days. On the surface, it's a somewhat absurd look into the life of a overly privileged, egotistical fashion designer (Day-Lewis). His every whim is provided for by his stoic sister (Manville) and a number of lovers that he, in some way or other, always manages to drive away.

It should have been forgettable, but, in fact was the complete opposite.

The lack of context really makes this film. There are clues throughout, the odd word or image littered here and there, but it is left almost entirely to the audience to piece together the meaning of everything. Woodcock clearly has issues when it comes to his mother, who taught him everything he knew and who died years before the film takes place. He projects these issues onto those around him, involving them in the "game" that is his life. As we, the audience, begin to realise this, so, too, does Alma (Krieps), his current lover. She repeatedly poisons him, knowing the only time she will be truly alone and at his full attention is when he is incapable of being anywhere else. She takes care of him almost as a mother would a small child, further adding to (or relieving?) already prevalent issues in him.

The more I think about this film, the more I love it. I admit, I didn't care for it at all when I first walked out of the cinema, but as time has passed - as I've had a chance to digest and unpack all the gifts this film gives - I find myself liking it more and more. A second viewing is definitely on the cards.
  
Top Gun (1986)
Top Gun (1986)
1986 | Action, Drama
Karaoke scenes (5 more)
Insisting on a shower
Taking me to bed before you lose me forever
Having goose talk to you....
Val Kilmer is awesome, despite not wanting to even be in it, had to for contractual reasons... it's one of his all time best.
The "Danger Zone" soundtrack
A Modern Classic, and Tom Cruise's best work.
this is an 80's classic, a movies movie. Cinema perfection. It embodies a time with no excuses, and really delivers on every level. want to know how quotable this movie is: The real Top Gun School imposes a five dollar fine to anyone in the staff that quotes the movie.

Val Kilmer is amazing: When the guys, as students, were first being spoken to by Charlie in the hanger, Maverick explains that he gave "the bird" to a MiG. She asks how he saw the MiG up close, and he says he was flying inverted. Right then, Ice coughs "bullshit" and the guys laughed. The "bullshit" line was ad libbed by Val Kilmer, and everyone's reactions are genuine.


Also a little known fat.No one had ever "buzzed the tower" at Miramar before. The Navy pilots, who were flying the scenes for the film, drew straws to see who would get to do it. It went to Lieutenant Commander Lloyd "Bozo" Abel. Michael Ironside just happened to be at the hangar that day, and the plane flew low enough to where he could actually see into the cockpit as it flew by. He said it was one of the most spectacular things he'd ever seen.


  As is this movie good sir... as is this movie....


Also here is an awesome alternate movie poster for your enjoyment. I hope it holds you over until Top Gun 2 comes out.
  
Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
The trailer lies
Pay attention for this one folks. The prize is in the details.

I will try to avoid spoilers but I recommend going in having seen nothing except maybe the trailer.

This film is a mystery horror. It's not in your face, it's suggestive. Every shot is thought out and significant, I'm sure I missed a hundred things. The whole time I was nervously trying to understand all the little clues that seemed out of place. But still my theories were so wrong. It may be that no theory us fans come up with is wrong or right. Not knowing is better.

The mystery and horror is only half of Hereditary in my opinion. I felt empathy for Toni Collette's character more than I felt fear. If you don't think you could handle depictions of grief then you should skip this one. My stomach still feels tense. Toni deserves every award for her performance.

I imagine a few people might call out a couple of moments as goofy or amateurish, but I feel like I need those moments. At one point very near the end the whole cinema laughed and the tension in the whole room released, and we'd been scared for a long time by that point.

By far the most beautifully crafted element of this film was the sound editing. The perfectly timed score builds and releases, playing with your adrenal response.

I will watch this movie a hundred times and enjoy it each time. It will stay with me, and I'm going to spook my mother with it to pay her back for that time we watched the Blair witch when I was a teenager and she shrieked every time I went near a corner.
  
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Sarah (7798 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies

Aug 22, 2018 (Updated Aug 22, 2018)  
Christopher Robin (2018)
Christopher Robin (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
A wonderful piece of heartwarming nostalgia
I'd seen some of the not very positive reviews about this film so I hadn't been expecting much, but I cannot tell you how pleasantly surprised and happy I was watching this.

I was a Winnie the Pooh fan as a child but probably haven't seen much of it since, and this was a wonderful nostalgic trip back to my childhood. Right from the opening scene and any time Pooh and his friends were on screen, I couldn't wipe the silly warm grin off my face. The CGI on the characters is very well done and they look fantastic, and the voices too are just spot on (even those not voiced by Jim Cummings). The main problem with this film is that when Pooh and his friends aren't on screen it obvious and whilst it's never dull, you notice their huge absence.

I loved the inclusion of the drawings over parts of the title sequence, and I think the whole way they've briefed over Christopher Robin's life is done well. For once this is a film that shows us what we need to know, and nothing more. It's nice to watch something that isn't aiming for an over 2 hour runtime.

Mark Gatiss is suitably hammy as Robin's boss and Ewan McGregor is as good as he ever is. Hayley Atwell though is vastly underused. And yes this is a Disney film, so there is a small amount of sickly sweet schmaltz thrown in. But for once this is kept almost entirely to the end and isn't overbearing in the slightest, which is a refreshing change for Disney.

This is the most wonderful film I've seen at the cinema for quite some time. I can't remember the last time I smiled so much.
  
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Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Halloween (1978) in Movies

Sep 5, 2018 (Updated Sep 5, 2018)  
Halloween (1978)
Halloween (1978)
1978 | Horror
Well shot, intense, patient and the birth of a horror icon (0 more)
A little tame compared to the horrors that followed, at times the soundtrack can overwhelm the dialog to the detriment of the film. (0 more)
John Carpenter's Slasher still stands tallest
Contains spoilers, click to show
That theme song starts.

You feel it somewhere deep inside, that feeling that something special is going to happen.

Halloween is THE Slasher, with a silent antagonist, an over-the-top performance from Donald Pleasance, the introduction of Jamie Lee Curtis, and the establishment of John Carpenter as one of the foremost purveyors of horror.

Patiently paced, with little time given to explanation of exposition, we are taken on the slow build up of tension as we go from the legendary intro sequence, to a breakout at the asylum, through to the stalking of teenagers by the man in the William Shatner mask.

Lots of shots of Myers just watching, waiting, judging, which could be interpreted as boring on paper, but it is just the right side of unnerving, and it is this constant threat which means the viewer is constantly scanning the edges of the screen, looking for our antagonist.

It contrasts beautifully with the naivety and innocence of his victims, who are just trying to enjoy Halloween as most teenagers are wont to do.

Yes this film is relatively tame compared to the films that have come after, but few can touch the pure sinister feel and atmosphere that Carpenter creates, and it is a simply iconic entry in cinema history.

Watch it for what it is, a genre changing horror film, that changed all that followed it.

No Myers, No Friday 13th, No Scream, No Nightmare On Elm Street.

Its that important.
  
Nativity Rocks! (2018)
Nativity Rocks! (2018)
2018 | Comedy
4
5.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Another disappointing sequel
The original Nativity movie is a huge Christmas favourite in the Boardman household. It's one of the first seasonal Blu-ray's to get played each year, along with the soundtrack too. The second and third movie are thought of nowhere near as highly though. I managed to sleep through most of one of them at the cinema, and just got bored and angry at the other. My daughter on the other hand, likes all of them. So, me being the dutiful dad, decided to go along with her to see the latest offering, Nativity Rocks!

Simply put, this sits somewhere between number 2 and 3 in terms of awfulness. There isn't a single remaining original cast member, and all of what made the original movie so enjoyable is now completely lost. The thing about this one is that it is even more muddled than previous movies. There is so much going on, so many plot threads quickly introduced that nothing ever gets explored enough. Leaping from scene to scene, to the point where you don't have enough time to care about any of them. There's a story about Syrian refugees and a Syrian father and son getting separated, a boy whose parents are so caught up with work that they're neglecting him, homelessness, not to mention all the school nativity stuff. So many famous faces cropping up too and all needing their screen time. Then suddenly, right at the end they put on a big nativity show, making you wonder how on earth they had time to plan and rehearse any of it!

Luckily, my daughter agreed that this wasn't very good so even if they decide to keep churning these out, at least I won't have to go and see them.
  
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Ross (3284 KP) Nov 26, 2018

These films have been rubbish since they stopped putting Tim from The Office in them.

The Dark Tower (2017)
The Dark Tower (2017)
2017 | Horror, Sci-Fi, Western
Idris Elba (0 more)
Doesn't follow the books (0 more)
An enjoyable film, if you have not read the books
If you think of the film on its own, seperate from the books, it's ok. It was enjoyable enough, Idris Elba was a good Roland and the kid that played Jake a good actor. They had a good chemistry on screen. The story was easy to follow, it was an ok adventure film. Worth a watch, glad I didn't go to the cinema to see. If you haven't read Stephen King's Dark Tower series, you will enjoy the film and follow the story nicely. They have managed to fit a shelled down version of the Dark Tower story into this one film.

However, if you have read the books; you are going to be dissapointed. Whilst Idris Elba as Roland is a really good choice, that's the only thing that is good. Roland and Jake meet in a completely different way, Jake's history is completely different, so right from the start you know it's not going to be the story from the books. You will notice the absence of Eddie and Suzanne as well. Of course, I didn't really expect it to follow the books, they have fitted an epic 8 book series into one film. It's dissapointing, the Dark Tower was worthy of an epic, at minimum, trilogy of films.

All in all, this film gives you a little taste of the Dark Tower world, its gunslinger and mid-world's ways. If you watch the film before reading the books, whether you like the film or not, I really recommend reading the books. If you have read the books, you may want to skip the film.