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A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
2011 | Comedy
A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas is the third movie in the Harold and Kumar series. This movie takes place six years after the events of Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Harold Lee (John Cho) and Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) have fallen out of touch since Harold got married, got a job on Wall Street and moved to the suburbs. Kumar is still smoking tons of weed. Harold on the other hand has stopped smoking weed and is desperately trying to find a way to impress his father in-law, Mr. Perez, played by Danny Trejo. Mr. Perez is obsessed with Christmas. Every year his family uses a Christmas tree that he has grown. This year he brought his home grown tree to Harold’s house for Christmas. In an attempt to win Mr. Perez over, Harold encourages Mr. Perez to take the family to midnight mass while Harold decorates the tree while they are gone.

Kumar is still living in the same apartment that he shared with Harold. He has let the place go a bit while he has been living on his own. His ex-girlfriend shows up to tell him she is pregnant, but since Kumar is high he doesn’t act very mature about it. Later, as Kumar is getting ready to go to a party with his new friend, he finds a mysterious package at his door addressed to Harold. Kumar decides to take it by Harold’s house on his way to the party. When he gets there Harold and Kumar catch up a little bit over some egg nog. Harold opens the package and discovers it is a giant joint, which Kumar proceeds to light it up. Harold gets upset and throws the joint out of the window. It then magically comes back inside and burns down the tree. Of course this freaks Harold out and a desperate search for a new tree begins

This is the beginning of a hysterical journey . This roller coaster ride is filled with drugs, sex, gangsters and even more drugs. Of course Neil Patrick Harris comes back to be his crude self. This movie has a lot of good Christmas moments, but it is only for a mature audience. Fans of the first two Harold and Kumar movies will love the third installment. A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas is a non stop laugh fest. The 3D in this movie was surprisingly good. Movie goers will be impressed by the two different kinds of snow and the weed smoke going out over the audience. A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas is bound to become a Christmas classic that you will want to watch every year.
  
Boyfriend Material
Boyfriend Material
Alexis Hall | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Romance
9
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
4.5 stars.

I'd seen this all over Goodreads and added it to my wish list on Amazon and a few weeks later, it went down to under £2 so I bought it.

It starts with Luc going to a fancy dress party and his inner musings over how he got to be wearing his bunny ears for the (mad hatters tea) party. He's the son of two has-been rock stars and is wary of some people as they may just be after some story to sell. When bad press leads to the charity he works for losing income, he decides to get himself a fake boyfriend with a good image so that he can then show his boss and their investors that he is reliable. His friend recommends Oliver, the guy he met about two years ago and who he tried to sleep with but Oliver turned him down. Oliver is also in need of a fake boyfriend so they work out a few details and run with it. Only things change between them the more time they spend together.

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't only the romance either. Just the way it was written was brilliant. Luc didn't take himself too seriously and his thoughts and the situations he sometimes found himself in...? *snorts with laughter* He wasn't perfect in any way really. He was messy and forgetful but so likeable.

Oliver on the other hand, well, he was a little serious at times but he was also good in any situation. Put him in the middle of posh people, he could find something to talk about with everyone. Put him in the middle of a party and he fits in. He grew on me a lot with how he treated Luc and I really loved them as a couple.

I loved Luc's jokes to his colleague, Alex, at the start of some chapters. They weren't the greatest jokes in the world but...geez, Alex's reactions to them was priceless. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, so his reactions through most of the book had me chuckling to myself. And then let's not forget his girlfriend/fiancée Miffy and that weird bar scene.

I also feel like Luc's mum, Odile, needs a mention. She's a riot. She's very forthcoming with her opinions on everything and doesn't care what people think about her and said opinions. Her curry and that scene was hilarious.

This was right up my street. I love me a good MM Romance and this one was more about the feelings that grew between our characters as there were no explicit sex scenes included in this. It was cute and very British with it's situations and humour. Recommend it to anyone who likes any of the above.
  
Psycho (1960)
Psycho (1960)
1960 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ah Psycho, the granddaddy of slashers and a film that I find somehow modern and dated at the same time.
Psycho is a slow burn, at the beginning even the dialogue is sparse as the film builds up to the confrontations with Norman Bates (argued by most as the first modern slasher) and this is part of what makes it dated (and modern), the lack of action and the main character driving around gives Psycho the feel of something that Tarantino might make but it lacks 'something' . It's hard to explain but, by todays standards, parts of Psycho are a bit bland, not necessarily boring but bland. The best example I can think would be the scenes in the car, Psycho has just one character in the car who is imagining what others are saying about her and lots of silence which are filled with dramatic music, where as something like Pulp Fiction you get two characters who are just talking, the music seems to take you out of the situation because, in a modern film it would just be in the background.
As the film progresses we start to pick up on some of the slasher tropes, Norman is strange, again we can't quite explain why but that is sometimes the same in a modern film, we see him spy, once, on Marion and, in a more modern film this would probably be stretched out a bit more.
The kills aren't actually as graphic as most modern day slashers but this doesn't matter as Hitchcock has a talent for making the viewer see what he wants and not just what is happening.
The character of Norman is quite interesting but a lot of 'fleshing out' is just told to the viewer in exposition near the end, however you can see how Norman/Mother could easily be an inspiration for the Jason/Pamela dynamic in the first 'Friday 13th'

Psycho has a lot to answer for, sighted by many as the first modern 'Slasher' movie it caused an uproar for other reasons, the first time a toilet was seen flushing on screen, the first time a 'Leading Lady' was killed off halfway through the film (still a slight oddity now as we normally have one 'final girl') and the fact that the stolen money is just thrown away when it is no longer needed to push the plot along. It is these firsts that help to make the film feel dated, we are used to more graphic kills, toilets are almost irrelevant and there is normally more nudity/sex in a modern slasher.

Apart from being a little dated Psycho is a pretty good and entertain film which has put some thought into it's story and characters
  
Superbad (2007)
Superbad (2007)
2007 | Comedy
Hilarious From Start to Finish
Two best friends go on an adventure to get alcohol for the last big party of high school.

Acting: 10
Michael Cera and Jonah Hill couldn’t have played their roles any better as best friends Evan and Seth. Cera is nerdy and lovable while Hill is a big ball of energy that plays macho but is really insecure. Their chemistry is perfect together and sets up perfect assists for awesome side characters like McLovin’ to shine.

Beginning: 10
Right from the first line of the movie, I got sucked in. The comedy hits you and doesn’t stop in the first ten minutes as Evan and Seth discuss what porn sites to subscribe to. It’s a perfect setup for what is to come.

Characters: 10
Evan and Seth are perfect together. You almost wonder if they aren’t best friends in real life. If there weren’t any other characters in the movie but the two of them, I still would have given this category a perfect score. Hilarious characters like Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and Officers Slater and Michaels (Bill Hader and Seth Rogen) just add to the film’s overall enjoyment.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 10

Entertainment Value: 10
In one scene, we find Seth making sex impresssions in home economics behind his cooking partner’s back while Evan looks on. This is just one of a number of scenes that make this movie ridiculously entertaining. It’s amazing how many crazy antics they get into in so few settings.

Memorability: 10
Evan and Seth are in such a rush to grow up, but towards the end of the movie, there is a scene where they are laying in sleeping bags like two little kids. It’s unique little touches like this that really make this movie strong and impactful. More than just a mere comedy, but also amazing at comedy, Superbad soars to great heights with scenes that stand the test of time.

Pace: 10

Plot: 10
Such a simple story made strong with great twists and turns. It never tries to be anything more than what it is, but it also manages to have layers nonetheless. It’s a great ride overall, and the epitomy of a “less is more” concept.

Resolution: 10
Loved how they tied everything together. Beautiful final ten minutes, just as quality as the start. Definitely leaves you with a feeling of fulfillment.

Overall: 100
As a screenwriter, a movie like Superbad is what I aspire to write. Not a comedy, but a movie that fires on all cylinders and maintains consistent, perfect timing. This is a movie I can watch repeatedly and it will never get old.