My book shelf could be very easily split into two halves. Terry Pratchett and related, then all the rest. It also wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out which half is more loved. The rest is all pristine books, read once or twice and returned to their slot. On the other hand, my Pratchett books are falling apart. Some held together by pure force of will. One is even splattered with Warhammer paint, from when I was young and thought those were two tasks I could do simultaneously.
The Shape of Cinema
2015 is shaping up to be the year of the blockbuster. From Star Wars to Avengers right back round to Fast & Furious 7, cinema is set up to be big, brash and a whole lot of fun. Yet some people aren’t on board with this. Some people think that cinema is become homogenized, that super hero movies and Michael Bay now dominate the big screen and because of it we are losing all those special little films that not everyone sees, but those who do never forget.
It Follows
The problem with most horror films, is that they are not actually that scary. Oh sure, they’ll make you jump and even maybe have the easily scared scream, but the second the jump is gone, the fear is gone as well. It’s what a few people have described as cattle prod cinema and quite frankly most of us are bored with it.
Trailers = Shit
Trailers. They’re a bit shit aren’t they?
I like getting to the cinema early. I like finding my seat (particularly since most Cineworld patrons seem incapable of working out the seating system), getting comfy and watching the trailers. Now, this ritual has led to some issues over the years. I still involuntarily scream every time I hear Kevin Bacon’s name and you don’t want to see what happened the last time I walked past an EE store. (Seriously, those adverts were the bane of my life). But, I always enjoyed watching the trailers. As someone who goes to the cinema far too often, I actually do see most of the films I want to (it’s the wonders of being unemployed, you run out of things to do around 2 pm) and slowly this has led to me realising that this trailer watching tradition, is negatively affecting my cinema going.
Trash
There’s a lazy habit in the film industry of boiling things down to an elevator pitch and then sticking with that description. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Trash has become widely known as a Brazilian, Slumdog Millionaire. Directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Richard Curtis, the film has star power behind the scenes, but then chose to follow the City of God model by taking its lead actors from the streets of Brazil, rather than the glamour of Hollywood.
Big Hero 6
Following up a hit like Frozen was never going to be easy for Disney. Their animated wing has hit a run of form with Tangled, Wreck it Ralph and everyone’s favourite snowy adventure, so the choice to adapt an obscure Marvel property for their latest animated film, might have seemed bold. Of course, that was before adapting obscure Marvel properties became all the vogue and in a post Guardians of the Galaxy world, it’s become clear that it doesn’t matter how many people have read it, the Marvel Disney combo sells.
The Interview
It is fair to say that The Interview has caused a bit of a fuss. However, hacking scandal and threats of violence aside, there is still a film at the centre of all of that and it has finally seen a release in UK cinemas. The second film to come from the combination of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the first being This is the End, The Interview once again sees Rogen teaming up with James Franco to try to deliver comic success.
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Most studios would be horrified at the idea of an animator filming three seconds of footage a day and it being seen as a good thing. Then again, most studios aren’t Aardman Animations. The studio who are most famous for Wallace and Gromit and uses stop motion clay animation, have long been famous for their incredible attention to detail and wonderfully crafted movies. Yet, even for them their adaptation of Shaun the Sheep felt like a stretch. Based off a show that airs on CBBC and generally runs for around seven minutes, it is the story of Shaun and the farm he lives on. The added hitch in big screen plans, is its complete lack of dialogue.
Inherent Vice
If you’ve ever sat in a smoky room, squinting at a TV screen through the fog of whatever is being inhaled around you and struggled to make out exactly what is going on, then you are probably prepared for the experience of watching Inherent Vice. The latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson, sees the Hollywood auteur try to adapt the famously incomprehensible novel of Thomas Pynchon.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Matthew Vaughn made his name directing the stylish and ultra violent Kick Ass. An adaptation of a Mark Millar comic, which took a very different look at super heroes. It was successful enough that he bagged himself an X-Men film. However, with Kingsman: The Secret Service, it appears Vaughn is going back to the w, as it’s another Millar adaptation, but this time see’s him dealing with gentlemen spies.
Ramblings About Wrestling 