April in Movies

Okay, so this month has been marginally better than last month. There was barely any disappointment to be had. We had holidays, which were good apart from the fact that I had to work just about every single day of them. The month has closed off with my mother going for an operation and now I have to look after her (I'm such a good daughter), and a trip to the city yesterday to see some avenging and do some shopping. And hey, I've bought five DVDs in the past two days (Thor, Crazy Stupid Love, The Fall, Days of Heaven and Before Sunrise), so I'm back to doing what I do best.

Next month promises to be awesome, though. Particularly because every week of next month has an awesome movie coming out. I'll get to see my beloved War Horse and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo again!

Movies I had never seen before until the month of April

The Rite - Exorcism movies really aren't my scene. At all.
Project Nim - I need to see this film again when I don't have such a cracking headache that I had to have a nap at 6pm. Jeez that was horrible.
Real Steel - Got this for mother today. One of the things I like about her recuperation period is that I get to choose her movies.
Battle Royale - I was glad that I watched this at the start of the holidays, but now I'm back at school I'm convinced that someone's going to throw us into a battle royale and we'll see the worst in people.
Mission: Impossible - Ahaha, in drama me and my partner have based our play around Mission Impossible, but it is more of a comedy version. I get stoned. It is hilarious.
The Fall - Preeeeetty.
The Fountain - Also pretty, but I didn't quite understand it on only one watch. I'll revisit it in a few years.
Machine Gun Preacher - Didn't the Kony 2012 campaign kinda flop? Awkward. Maybe they should be marketing this slightly messy film a bit more.
Chicago - I like musicals but I can't say I enjoyed this film very much. Still, they should make more pretty films set in the 1920's/30's.
Days of Heaven - I can't believe I found this at JB Hi-Fi. I was just looking for it as a joke (since it is out of print here) and there it was. I was so happy.
The Round Up - I think I had a nightmare about the events in this movie the other night. It wasn't pleasant.
Mission Impossible 2 - All I remember about this film were the Ferrero Rocher's I was eating while watching it. Those things are nice.
Heartless - I don't know why I decided to pick up this British horror (I don't watch horrors), but I'm kinda glad I did. I quite liked it.
Mission Impossible 3 - LENS FLARE!
The Son of No-One - It was seriously impossible to find a story in this film. I don't know why Juliette Binoche was in it, either.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - Was actually okay, but this is coming from someone who doesn't watch horrors. Guy Pearce needs some better roles, though.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - If it wasn't for The Avengers I'd still be obsessed with this movie. I hadn't had that much fun with a movie in a long time.
Cloverfield - Why the hell did I miss this back in 2008? It was actually awesome.
I Melt with You - Lord. This movie. Someone came up at work with a couple of comedies and asked what else he could get with them, and then said "what about that movie with melting in the title?" Before I had time to think I pretty much yelled at him "DON'T GET THAT MOVIE!" I'm so happy no-one's rented it (that sounds awful).
Toast - I hate movies that have nice looking food in them because they make me hungry.
Tower Heist - It was okay but I've kind of forgot it exists.
Les Miserables (1998) - I borrowed this from my friend's dad back at the start of December, along with Memoirs of a Geisha and The English Patient. Figured I'd better make a start on them. This movie was okay. I still wish Liam Neeson was my dad.
New Year's Eve - I admit, I enjoyed it, but it was still vile.
The Iron Lady - Working on my review which will be up on Wednesday. Didn't enjoy it that much.
The Avengers - Me and my friend (we've been looking forward to this movie forever) were so pumped about this today at school. We actually started tearing up about the end of Captain America. We're like, equal to The Hunger Games fandom but only much cooler.

Movies I've already seen before but decided to watch again because I'm cool like that.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - I do love Tennessee Williams adaptations. Paul Newman is so sexy in this one.
Romeo + Juliet - Oh gosh, I love this film. The soundtrack is cool, too.
In the Mood for Love - Gave it a second look. Quite liked it, but I couldn't bring myself to reviewing it.
Titanic - Cool night out at the movies. But I must say, my favourite part of the night was the $5 pizza (how does that even compute in a place like NZ?!)
Days of Heaven - Because I thought I was never ever going to see it again for the rest of my life. But thanks to JB Hi-Fi, I won't have to feel sad when I send it back.
The Adventures of Tintin x2 - I saw it twice, once before I depressed myself with I Melt with You and once with my friends. Stuff the haters, this movie is great fun.
Midnight in Paris - Had so many (pretty depressing) movies to watch, but decided to see this again instead. So I'm going to watch a couple of those depressing movies tonight.

How about you? Seen anything good this month?

A Blockbuster for the Ages

Film: The Avengers
Year: 2012
Written and directed by: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgard. 
Running time: 142 min.

Where do you start on a film like The Avengers? I'm not sure. The film could either go two ways: be a desperate attempt at making money by throwing superheroes together, or it could be a movie with a whole lot of superheroes joining forces to create something extremely awesome. Thankfully, it was the latter that won the battle. The Avengers is pretty much as epic as blockbusters get. You can sit there with your nose in the air saying that the only things that understand the magic of movies are little arthouse films, but never underestimate how much blockbusters understand - sure, 75% of them are money grubbers, yet they all make use of everything available to them. The Avengers, however, takes that to the next level. I've always had a deep love for going to see blockbusters on the big screen (see my review of Thor which I saw this time last year), but The Avengers is by far and beyond one of the best experiences I've ever had in a dark cinema.

The Ten Best Actors of All Time Relay Race

Unfortunately, I was tagged in this Ten Best Actors of All-Time relay race. I say unfortunately because this list is already so good, and I haven't watched enough movies of one actor to be able to justify my decision. Anyway, I'll give it a go! (by the way, I'm posting so early because I have an Avengers review up tonight, and I've already planned my entire week's posting so this didn't come at the most convenient of times. Here's the skinny on this meme straight from My Filmviews:

So what’s the idea behind the relay? I’ve created a list of what I think are the best actors. At the end of the post I, just like in a real relay race, hand over the baton to another blogger who will write his own post. This blogger will have to remove one actor (that is an obligation) and add his own choice and describe why he/she did this. At the end the blogger chooses another blogger to do the same. The idea is to make this a long race, so that enough bloggers get a chance to remove and add an actor. We will end up with a list (not ranked in order) which represents a common agreement of the best actors.

The previous entries:

• My Filmviews
• The Focused Filmographer
• Front Room Cinema
• I Love That Film
• FlixChatter
• All Eyes on Screen
• Time Well Spent
• The Warning Sign
• moviesandsongs365
• And So It Begins...
• cinematic corner.
• Andy Buckle's Film Emporium
• Duke and the Movies
• Southern Vision
• Defiant Success

And the actors:

Robert De Niro

Daniel Day-Lewis

Charlie Chaplin

Marlon Brando

Gregory Peck

Paul Newman

Max von Sydow

Jack Nicholson

Humphrey Bogart

Jack Lemmon

Okay, since I don't know who to take out without looking like a jackass, I'm just going to have to choose Max von Sydow, particularly because I haven't seen any of his work (like I said, I look like a jackass, sorry). But hey, someone can add him back later.

I don't know if it is against the law to bring an actor back but since Ralph Fiennes is freaking awesome, he's coming back. He was awesome in Quiz Show, Strange Days, The Constant Gardener, the Harry Potter films, The English Patient, The Reader, Cemetery Junction, The Duchess, In Bruges, The Hurt Locker, Spider, Wuthering Heights, hell, even Clash of the Titans. But as most of you well know, his performance in Schindler's List is my favourite of all-time. So yes, he deserves to be on this list.

I shall pass this on to Andrew of Encore's World of Film & TV, who would be just perfect for something like this.

Why is The Cabin in the Woods Going Straight to DVD Here?

I wish I knew.

Yesterday, Roadshow announced that both The Cabin in the Woods and Chernobyl Diaries were to go straight to DVD in Australia and New Zealand. While I'm neither here nor there on the latter, The Cabin in the Woods is a film I've heard much chatter about from the blogosphere, and yet, after these few weeks I've been able to avoid spoilers. As far as I know, Cabin was a hit, despite the fact it stayed on the unreleased shelf for quite some time. Now, I know that I rant about how shit it is living in NZ and not getting movies at the same time as everyone else a lot. Bear with me. Here's a moment where I struggle to see the logic behind why they'd decide to not give Cabin a theatrical release.

A Conversation with New Year's Eve

Sorry for the day's delay. Someone decided it would be a good idea to have new releases spread out on three different days this week, leaving New Year's Eve and The Iron Lady until Friday, so I could only but watch it on Thursday. New Year's Eve was a film I wanted to 'converse' with from the get-go, and after seeing it I've realised how much fun I shall have with this one. So let's get going, shall we?

CHRISTOPHER: Even though it is the 27th of April, I figure it is always okay to interview New Year's Eve. After all, it didn't come out on New Year's Eve. Geez, even Valentine's Day made the effort to come out on Valentine's Day.
NEW YEAR'S EVE: I didn't want to undermine everyone's actual New Year's Eves by making them want to come see me instead of getting drunk and actually having a good idea. So I thought, why not come out at the start of December? Then I'd just undermine Christmas.

C: I don't recall you ever being successful. Christmas still went ahead. 
NYE: Still, I was top of the box office.

C: And in your second week you got beaten by some singing chipmunks.
NYE: I ended up earning more than the singing chipmunks.

C: The singing chipmunks have a higher rating than you do on Rotten Tomatoes.
NYE: I have a better cast than the singing chipmunks.

C: The singing chipmunks are probably more comfortable to listen to than you and your whiny cast are!
NYE: TOO FAR. I'll have you know that people enjoy seeing Katherine Heigl in romantic comedies!

C: Do they? Name some, then.
NYE: ...singing chipmunks?

C: Very convincing. Now, tell me a bit about yourself.
NYE: There is just so much to say. Well, it is New Year's Eve, a night where everyone falls in love and stuff and everyone's happy because they've started a new year and I tell the story of a whole lot of people who want to find love/have love on this magical night. First, there's...

C: Please don't feel compelled to tell us a brief summary of everyone involved in this film. I'm afraid if you did that you'd probably give away your entire storyline.
NYE: But really, I don't mind, everyone's probably figured it out anyway...

C: We really don't have time. If we did, we'd be here until Christmas, by which time you'd probably have another holiday themed movie out.
NYE: Well, you see, we thought that, but some British movie...I don't know, what is it called? Ah, Love Actually, already bet us to the punch with that one.

C: I guess being British helps when you're making holiday themed multi-plot films with big casts.
NYE: Yes, I've realised this, but the fact they've taken Christmas kind of shot that horse in the face. Maybe, we could set the next holiday film in Britain about a British holiday, starring American people. What's a British holiday?

C: Queen's Birthday?
NYE: Perfect. Maybe the Queen could fall in love, on her birthday.

C: For one thing, it isn't her real birthday. For a second thing, she's already married.
NYE: Damn. I thought Josh Duhamel would have been quite the catch for her. Well what about that king guy from The King's Speech?

C: I'm afraid he's dead.
NYE: COLIN FIRTH IS DEAD?

C: No. The actual...never mind.
NYE: Hmmmmmmmmm. I bet there are lots of ways we can show that people really feel the love of Queen's birthday. We have to involve Katherine Heigl and Sarah Jessica Parker. And make a really photoshopped photo, filled with blue and red because that what is on the British flag - but the Americans will think it is all about them since their flag is blue and red too. Genius. And we'll also have another musical montage, because that went down a treat. Maybe we'll get Colin Firth in there, even though you say that he is dead. But I dunno, I hope he has gotten over that stutter. That could prove problematic when he's filming his love story with acting maestro Katherine Heigl.

C: You really need to stop thinking.
NYE: I've got a tagline!

C: Oh good lord.
NYE: "Even though it isn't really the Queen's birthday, you can still find right royal love on this holiday."

C: And just when I thought you couldn't get much worse than 'Let love be your resolution'

What I got:

Getting to Know Me - The Kid Asks the Other Kid Some Questions

The Kid in the Front Row has been running this little feature where he goes to some blogs and asks them some questions. Which is awesome. After reading the posts from The Matinee and The Velvet Cafe, I was pretty happy when he asked me some questions. So if you've ever wanted to know a little more about me and the site, here you go!

I think you have a fantastic and wonderfully written blog, one of my favourites. And you're SIXTEEN!? How long have you been blogging?
Thank you! You're blog is one of my favourites too (and I'm not just saying that, it literally inspires me!)
I've been blogging since I was 14. I remember the beginnings quite well - it was a rainy day in October and I'd just seen Let the Right One In (my first subtitled film), which I loved and wrote a review on in this scrapbook I had. But I decided that no-one was going to see that scrapbook, so I started up a blog instead. The review was only one paragraph long and it was really crap. Let's just say, the blog has grown since then.

Your writing has a great maturity to it - are you the same in real life?
It is funny you ask that. I remember one day when I was 14 (I think) and my friends told me that I was pretty much like an adult. They said I was the most mature person they knew. Which was strange, but I kinda think that's true. When I'm at work or at school, I'm not really treated like a kid any more, I just fit in with the adults. I'm not your average kind of teenager that goes out to parties all the time. I'm the kind who would rather sit at home watching indie movies on my Saturday nights. I've always been that way, I don't feel the need for rebellion or anything clichéd like that. Mind you, I do have my immature moments!

Fifty Cinematic Wishes

This is inspired by Nikhat who was inspired by Sati who was inspired by Tyler who was inspired by TDYLF (just a crapload of inspiration, is what I'm saying). It is pretty simple: what are my fifty cinematic wishes? And who knows if they'll come true? Without further ado, the things I wish for quietly, usually while I'm sitting at school, trying to do my work...

1. I wish I knew how Steven Spielberg made a movie as freaking amazing as Schindler's List.

2. I also wish Ralph Fiennes won at least ten Oscars for his performance in that film.

3. I wish there were more movies as genuinely happy and feel good as The Muppets.

4. I wish more actresses were as lovely as Jessica Chastain. Or more people were as lovely as she is.

5. I wish more people saw Me and Orson Welles and realised how amazing Christian McKay is. Hell, he was even amazing in I Melt with You. He should be in more movies.

6. I wish someone would make a really good biopic on Vivien Leigh. With Michelle Dockery playing her.

7. I wish teenagers didn't exist so they wouldn't overblow things like Twilight or The Hunger Games.

8. I wish I had the brain of Christopher Nolan.

9. I wish less people hated War Horse.

10. I wish going to the cinema was as magical for everyone else as it is for me (but that's because I basically never go).

Tuesday Links and Other Stuff #21

What I'm watching tonight...
I'm actually not entirely sure. Since tomorrow is a public holiday, all of the DVDs that are still out tomorrow came last Friday. So on Saturday night I hauled The Adventures of Tintin, I Melt with You (good lord, this film is still parading around my brain), Toast and Tower Heist home, and I watched the last of the pile last night. Aside from the fact that I watched Tintin with some friends just before. So it shall be a lucky dip in the pile of movies that haven't come straight from the DVD store tonight and tomorrow, until New Year's Eve and The Iron Lady arrive on Thursday. If I live until then. I'm playing netball for the first time tomorrow in three years. Please wish me luck!

Video of the week...

Cosmopolis looks freaking awesome. Someone please get me a plane ride to Cannes Film Festival, I'll love you forever.

A bit of randomness...

This is what the view looks like from my window. LOL JK, I had to walk right down the end of my Dad's property to get this awesome (if I do say so myself) shot of the sun going down. There is plenty more where that came from, too. I love taking photography at school so I can have a flash camera.

Some navigation instructions...
In case you haven't noticed, I've been a busy wee bee figuring how to code those highlighted buttons under 'April DVD releases in NZ' on the sidebar - something I'll be doing with all of the buttons (one day). If you click 'more', you'll find a whole page dedicated to everything that I've seen DVD release wise in the past couple of months. I know it won't be of interest to most of you since you don't live in NZ (I made it for the people of Dannevirke, but they won't use it). If you do, however, want to keep track of what I think of recent-ish films, then go there, it is quite comprehensive!

And a change in schedule...
The conversation post for this week will be postponed until Friday, since I'll be watching New Year's Eve on Thursday, which I really wanna have a conversation with. Underrated Showcase Sunday will be postponed, too, since I'll have a review of The Avengers up for you then. Lame Trailer Clichés will be back soon, though - I just wanted to get I Melt with You the fuck out of my system.

Links...
Sati and Tyler share their 50 cinematic wishes - a list which I'm thinking I might do tomorrow night.

Speaking of The Avengers, Andy was very lucky to catch an early screening. He calls it the "finest superhero film I have seen to date". We'll see how this holds up.

The Kid in the Front Row visited Ryan of The Matinee and asked him some questions. I do love posts like these.

My video review was more successful than I thought it would be, but it is nowhere near as good as Scott's one of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (which me and my friends are going to see when it is re-released in 3D, because we're cool). He cracks fishing jokes.

Diana checks out Fish Tank, a film which I really liked - and good old Fassy was pretty darn sexy (and evil) in it.

Ruth checks out new Australian film Wish You Were Here, starring Joel Edgerton, that I quite want to see.

Cherokee has a new feature called 'Alternate Endings', and her first victim is the horrible The Last Song! I think her version was better than the actual shitpie.

And finally, Bonjour Tristesse sums up Cannes in a way that really makes me wish that someone would get me that plane ticket!

Final word...
Film from the Cannes line-up you most want to see?

Frustration, Annoyance, Anger.

Film: I Melt with You
Director: Mark Pellington
Written by: Glenn Porter
Starring: Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay, Carla Gugino, Tom Bower, Arielle Kebbel, Zander Eckhouse, Abhi Sinha, Sasha Grey. 
Running time: 117 min.

Even though I had heard bad things about it, and most people wouldn't even bother with it, I was extremely excited to see I Melt with You. The trailer really piqued my interest. I actually have a penchant for watching masculine movies where all they do is get drunk and high. The thing with I Melt with You is that it looked like an indie/arthouse film - not the best example of that genre, but exactly the kind that I'd like. The excitement that I had at the start turned into frustration, which in the end turned into intense anger. And I've been unable to shake that intense anger for the past couple of days.

Now, I'm going to discuss some important plot points in this one, so steer clear if you hold some interest in seeing the film. Chances are, you never heard of it until I brought it up. I need to vent about this film, so read at your own risk - but I doubt any of you are amping to see it (and there may be a bit of cursing. It is a movie that demands it).

A Heavenly Piece of Film

Film: Days of Heaven
Year: 1978
Written and directed by: Terrence Malick
Starring: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz, Robert J. Wilke, Jackie Shultis, Stuart Margolin, Timothy Scott, Gene Bell.
Running time: 92 min. 

You know that moment when the credits start rolling in a film, and you sit there, as still as a statue, your eyes glued to the screen, willing for the film to keep going? Then, as you pry your eyes away from the screen, flip the disc out of the player, you find that the movie has seeped through your skin and has this strange hold on you, which can only be worn off by extreme distraction? Maybe you've never had this feeling before, but if you haven't, you can't have seen an extremely good film. I have this feeling often. The latest film taking responsibility: Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven.

Days of Heaven is not a film which I can easily write about, as it is often hard to write down coherent thoughts on a movie that I love so much. I can't really explain it, but it was like this film breathed life back into my love for movies. It even breathed life back into my life. This has barely anything to do with the story - it was all about the beautiful look of the film. Despite the fact that the film is one of the most critically acclaimed of all time, I've heard it said time and time again that the story isn't too strong. While it wasn't my favourite thing about the film, I thought it was still a heart-breaking one. The film opens with a largely silent scene of Bill (Richard Gere) accidentally killing someone at his workplace, which causes him to flee the scene and find a new line of work. He takes his sister, Linda (Linda Manz) and his girlfriend, Abby (Brooke Adams) on a train, and they ride it until they can find work. Bill and Abby say that they are brother and sister, to prevent gossip. On their train ride they are led to work on a farm, owned by a rich yet shy farmer (Sam Shepard) who Bill finds out is going to die within a year. He convinces Abby to marry the farmer so when he dies they can take all of his riches. As you can imagine, this isn't a secret so easily kept.

Video Review - The Fall

Let's try something new - a video review, no less. I hardly ever see people do things like these. Probably because they're time consuming, it involves showing your face, and podcasts are a little easier (Ryan, this is as close as you're getting to a podcast from me). Alas, if you feel like you have a spare nine minutes, watch as I talk about Tarsem Singh's 2006 cult film The Fall. You can chuck me in another tab and go about your day on Facebook/Twitter/what ever other life ruiner tickles your fancy. Lemme know what you think, and if you think I should carry on with this (which is quite unlikely, I ain't no movie star).

A Conversation with Mean Girls

Earlier this evening, I felt like I'd failed you all because I didn't have a movie to converse with. And then the brilliant Nikhat came to me at my hour of need and said "Oh you should totally do one with Mean Girls. It'll be so fetch ;-)" Fetch it would be. In case you don't know, I freaking love Mean Girls - it is definitely one of my absolute favourite films of all time. And not a day goes by where I don't quote it. This should be fun...

CHRISTOPHER: After being tormented by Greek Gods, robots, and a cat wearing boots, I'm ready to talk to a movie about normal people. 
MEAN GIRLS: You go Glenn Coco!

C: My name is not Glenn Coco.
MG: Well then, what is it?

C: Christopher. 
MG: What? Crisp-oaf-her?

C: No, just Christopher. As it sounds. 
MG: My apologies. I have a nephew named Anfernee, and I know how mad he gets when I call him Anthony. Almost as mad as I get when I think about the fact that my sister named him Anfernee.

C: ...Okay. Tell us all a bit about yourself.
MG: I am the guide to being a girl. I will teach you everything. For example:
-Butter is a carb.
-Halloween is the holiday where a girl can dress up like a total slut and no-one will say anything about it.
-You can't do to Taco Bell if you're on an all-carb diet.
-Everyone in Africa knows Swedish.
-Fetch is not going to happen.
-Joining mathletes is social suicide.
-Jingle Bell Rock is the best song you can perform at Christmas time. 
-Ex-boyfriends are off limits to friends. That's just like the rules of feminism.
-Don't have sex, because you will get pregnant and die! Don't have sex in the missionary position, don't have sex standing up, just don't do it, OK, promise?

C: Sounds very...interesting.
MG: Oh, and there's a 30% chance that it's already raining. 

C: Really? How do you figure that?
MG: I'm kinda psychic. I have a fifth sense. It's like I have ESPN or something. My breasts can always tell when it is going to rain. Or, at least, when it is raining.

C: That's a real talent. 
MG: I know, I bet you're jealous. I mean, I'm sorry that everyone's so jealous of me. I can't help it if I'm popular.

C: I'm sure you can't. 
MG: You want to hear a rap?

C: I'm sure you're going to do it anyway.
MG: Yo Yo Yo! All you sucka MCs ain't got nothin' on me! From my grades, to my lines you can't touch Kevin G! I'm a mathlete, so nerd is inferred, but forget what you heard I'm like James Bond the third, sh-sh-sh-shaken not stirred - I'm Kevin Gnapoor! The G's silent when I sneak through your door. And make love to your woman on the bathroom floor. I don't play it like Shaggy, you'll know it was me. Cause the next time you see her she'll be like, OOH! KEVIN G!

C: Wow, that was inspiring. But I thought joining mathletes was social suicide.
MG: Only if you're a girl. And preferably don't make up rap songs. So not fetch.

C: And I thought fetch was never going to happen?
MG: People thought that Lindsay Lohan was going to happen, but she didn't.

C: So fetch is going to happen?
MG: It is going to happen just like Rachel McAdams does in dreary romantic dramas.

C: But Regina George said it was going to happen...
MG: And of course you'd believe that. You've probably felt personally victimised by Regina George.

C: Yes, I have. Who hasn't?
MG: Exactly. Her face smells like a foot, anyway.

C: So in this interview, we've covered the rules of being a girl, that your breasts can tell when it is raining, and you've performed a rap song. Anything else you need to say?
MG: On Wednesdays we wear pink.

What I got (obviously):

Mission: Fairly Difficult, But I Did It Anyway

With the never-ending amounts of sequels being released today, I've had to fill in many gaps in my watchlist to ensure that I'm up with the play. The latest series demanding my attention was Mission: Impossible. Starting in 1996 with a Brian DePalma film, which rebooted a popular TV series, and spawning three sequels, the latest of which - Ghost Protocol - has just been released on DVD, the series follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), a super IMF agent who always accepts fairly difficult missions. It was strange watching a series that is just one year younger than myself, and like my life, it has gone from stage to stage with varying results. Let's pick each film apart...

Tuesday Links and Other Stuff #20

What I'm watching tonight...

I just watched The Son of No-One, which was a fairly pointless movie. Next, I'm moving onto another Katie Holmes flick: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. I'm only watching it for Guy Pearce, and I will probably end up praying later tonight that someone gives him some good roles. After that, I shall watch Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol. I thought it looked pretty darn cool, so I watched all of the other Mission Impossible's in the last week or so. I didn't particularly enjoy any of them, apart from the third one (which is probably not the right way to go, but so be it). Alas, I need me some Jeremy Renner to tide me over the next week until The Avengers comes out.

Video of the week...



While I was watching Titanic in 3D, I couldn't help feel a little disappointed that the chairs didn't explode when they fell, there was a lack of lens flare and I didn't have ice thrown at me. But I know that James Cameron will release it in super 3D when he 'runs out of money'.

Links...
Andrew takes a look at one of my favourite scenes from the brilliant Take Shelter.

Sati offers up a stunningly amazing review of Shame, a movie which I am still desperate to see. Like, I've had at least ten dreams about me watching it.

Tyler was inspired by Ruth and myself to give us a list of 50 cinematically awesome moments.

Mette revamps her top 100 - and man is it awesome. Confessions of a Shopaholic, for the win!

The LAMB's movie of the month this month was the brilliant Inglourious Basterds. Check out everyone's posts about it here.

Reel Talk looks at some kickass female villains in action movies.

And just because I'm kind of in love with Tom Hiddleston at the moment...

Final word...
Favourite big Hollywood franchise?

A Trip Back to 1997 - Thoughts on Seeing Titanic on the Big Screen

As most of you should know, I'm a pretty big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio. My obsession started with him when I was 13 years old, and saw What's Eating Gilbert Grape for the first time. His performance in that is something fantastic - at age 19, he plays a young boy who is mentally retarded, and makes his brother's (Johnny Depp) life quite difficult with his hyperactive actions. I cried foul when I found out that he didn't win an Oscar for that performance. Until I saw Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List. How the hell did both of them miss out on an Oscar that year?

But I guess mine and Leo's story begins back at the beginning of 2007, when I was 11 years old. Titanic was on TV, and my mother had recorded it so she could watch it again later. Usually, I didn't watch movies with her, but I managed to catch the tail end of it, basically from where one of the lifeboats is going through all of the dead bodies. For some reason, I was ready to declare this movie as my favourite movie of all-time, and Leo and Kate were suddenly my favourite actors. Alas, it was another two and a half years before I saw the movie in it's entirety. While I had grown up a little since 2007 and wasn't ready to throw myself into calling something my 'favourite movie' after five minutes of it, Titanic was still a bloody good, if a little long, piece of cinematic history.

Underrated Showcase Sundays: The Round Up

Around nine months ago, I had to do some research into the Holocaust, which in turn led to filing through a whole lot of movies on the matter. There was one that particularly interested me: Sarah's Key. What interested me about this one was that it showed an event known as the Vel' d'Hiv Round Up, which occurred in Paris in 1942. This wasn't Germany's doing - it was the French who executed this. What happened was the French decided to take action against the Jews, so they set out to arrest over 20,000 of them one morning. They managed to get just over 13,000, since many Jews were hidden by families in Paris. For the 13,000 that did get arrested, though, they were sent to the Vélodrome d'Hiver - a bicycle veledrome, where there was no bathroom facilities and only one running tap. They were sent there with strict instructions on what they could take (very little), and had to stay in there for three days. After that, they were sent to another camp, before they were deported to Auschwitz. Why am I giving you this history lesson? Because this is the story that is told in the French film The Round Up, which is little seen outside of it's home country.

25 Moments of Cinematic Awesomeness

This post is inspired by something that Ruth posted earlier this week. What is cinematic awesomeness, you say? Well, Ruth derived the idea from something called a 'photogenie', which is a moment in a movie that you you love. You just love it, there's no way you can describe it. Therefore, it is a piece of cinematic awesomeness. I'm going to pick out my 20 favourites, for now, but I know that there are FAR more! (there may be some spoilers, so read with caution)

25. The final shot of The Ghost Writer

24. "Baby, you are going to miss that plane"

"I know" - Before Sunset (see the scene here)

23. Joey and Albert (Jeremy Irvine) reunite in War Horse - never before have I felt so many emotions exploding inside of me.

22. When Myra (Vivien Leigh) sees that Roy (Robert Taylor) is still alive - Waterloo Bridge

A Conversation with Puss in Boots

Forgive me if this one seems a little slight - I saw the film way back when I was coming home on the plane from Melbourne. I've decided to 'interview' it now since it is out on DVD this week. I had planned to see it again, but it didn't arrive until it's actual release date, meaning I couldn't take it home and give it a watch the night before. So I'm relying on my memory, which will be slightly distorted since I was quite sad to be leaving Melbourne behind...and the fact that the movie wasn't so memorable in the first place.

(A little backstory that may be useful - Christopher is named after a ginger cat that I never got. And imagine Puss in Boots' voice to be like Antonio Banderas', since the whole interview is with Puss in Boots, the character. You'll get the full experience, that way.)

CHRISTOPHER: I've spent all week with Real Steel running through a list of possible reboot ideas - I'm exhausted. Hopefully Puss in Boots won't have so many ideas for reboots. After all, it is only a spin-off of a series that has done its dash.
PUSS IN BOOTS: You say your name is Christopher?

C: One would assume so.
PIB: You say that you were named after a ginger cat, yes?

C: I've been told that is the case...
PIB: Where's your accent?

C: My accent? Uh...I have an accent, it just isn't the same as...
PIB: You have a Mariachi band?

C: No, I've never really felt the need...
PIB: Where's your boots?

C: Are my sneakers not good enough?
PIB: Come on, if an actual ginger cat can wear boots, then someone named after a fake ginger cat can at least wear the boots!

C: I'm sorry.
PIB: No no, it's okay. Just know that you'll never be one of us. Now, you were going to ask me questions, yes?

C: What do you mean, 'one of us'?
PIB: I guess I should say, a movie about fairytale characters, but you know that the coolest character in Shrek was me. Therefore, you'll never be like me - you're just not cool enough.

C: Oh wow, thank you.
PIB: Now get on with your questions!

C: What's your story?
PIB: I'm one of those origin movies. You know those origin movies? Like that X-Men: First Class one. With that man in it, the shark...what's his name?

C: Michael Fassbender.
PIB: Yes, him. He's one fish I would not like to eat. No matter how big he is.

C: I'm hoping that you are not insinuating something that goes far over the heads of your target audience...
PIB: I was meaning that a shark would be too big for me to personally eat. What do you think I was saying?

C: Oh, nothing. Speaking of suitability, do you think you're good for the kids?
PIB: Well, I am animated, and kids like animation. I come from Shrek, and kids like Shrek. Why do you not think I am 'suitable' for the kids? Is it because I like to spend my time with the lovely looking female felines?

C: You're very forward with them...
PIB: It is just part of my nature! No kid can tie me down!

C: B...
PIB: I don't see any kids with cats who wear boots!

C: Well, no...
PIB: You have made the cat angry. You do not want to make the cat angry!

C: I'm sorry.
PIB: I forgive you...for now.

C: At least you reference Fight Club.
PIB: Well, Humpty does. 

C: There's nothing wrong with a Fight Club reference, even in a kids movie.
PIB: I thought that one would be enough, but then I saw Rango. How dare I lose an Oscar to that chameleon! What's nothing wrong with me?! I bet it was your doing! I challenge you to a duel!

C: If you want me to be a Greek God, I was told by Immortals that I was too pale...
PIB: You are too pale. No, I want to duel you to see who can look the cutest!

C: Ummmm...okay...
PIB: ME FIRST!

Now your turn!

CHRISTOPHER:

PIB:....You keep your sneakers, you'll never be worthy of the boots!

What I got:

Tuesday Links and Other Stuff #19

What I'm watching tonight...

The only movie that I absolutely have to watch tonight in Machine Gun Preacher, as it is the only thing coming out tomorrow apart from Puss in Boots (which I've already seen, and it didn't actually arrive today so I could see it again). But here are the movies I have to watch as well: The Round-Up, In the Mood for Love (I wanna see it again), Les Miserables (the 1998 version with Liam Neeson), The Duchess, Cloverfield, Chicago, Heartless, The English Patient and Memoirs of a Geisha. What do you suggest for tonight?

Video of the week...

I rewatched Romeo + Juliet last night (and it is still as great as I remembered it to be), and I was quite taken by the soundtrack. One song I love, though, isn't on the actual soundtrack. Radiohead, a.k.a my current obsession, wrote a song specifically to play in the end credits of the film. The song is simply called Exit Music (For a Film), and it is amazing.

A bit of randomness...
The blog passed 300,000 hits yesterday! Does this mean I can stop blogging now?

Haha, jokes. It may not be a big deal to most people, but I like how it has only taken three months to get from 200,000 to 300,000. I love Google Images. And everyone who has clicked on my site, and commented. I appreciate it a lot. I really do not deserve it at all.

Links...
Though I wasn't a huge fan of it, Nikhat offers up a brilliant review of Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher.

Rachel (from Rachel's Reel Reviews) and Jess (from Insight Into Entertainment) have teamed up to create Reel Insight. I can't wait to see what they have in store for the future!

Ruth picks 20 moments of 'cinematic awesomeness' - which is such an awesome idea for a list!!

Leith hits 100 posts and celebrates it with five of his favourite dystopian films. Great list.

Diana highlights Paul Thomas Anderson's brilliant Magnolia, and it seems she enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Speaking of being a fan of Magnolia, Tyler loves that film. But one thing he didn't love? Jack and Jill.

It seems that Mette loved Drive almost as much as me. Which is impossible, since I love it so freaking much.

Nick reviews one of my favourites, City Lights, as part of his 50/50 series.

Inspired Ground just celebrated their second year of business. Go wish Andina and her blog a happy birthday!

And finally, this joke never gets old. I can't wait to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo again.

Final word...
I guess...what should I watch tonight out of those movies I said?

Lame Trailer Clichés: The Textbook Teen Trailer

Sorry for the absence of this feature last week - I had the migraine sent straight from hell. This post is probably going to make that migraine come back. Why? I'm looking at the trailers from two of my least favourite movies of 2011: Abduction and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. Their purpose? As we all well know, these were movies with a target audience of my peers (maybe slightly younger though). But they did a good job of warning me to stay away. Each of the trailers come out of the same mould. So if you're ever making a teenager movie, I'll give you the recipe to how you can make a trailer for it...

1. The awkward doting look at the one you love...