Saturday 31 July 2010

The Human Centipede - Disburbingly wrong or grossly right? (For www.blogomatic3000.com)


The idea of The Human Centipede to some would seem completely enticing. It’s a horror film taking every aspect of the sick and tormented ideas that made this genre to a whole new level of gruesome. But to any other viewers of this film, it would seem insanely messed up and completely unnecessary. It’s caused all sorts of arguments among critics, fans and the general public as to why this film has even been made, and why there is a second one coming to our screens. Specialist cinemas in the UK are showing one off nights for people wanting to put themselves through the torment, so is it wrong or right that we’re witnessing this sadistic film?

If you look at it on the one hand, for years these types of films have been circulating our production companies and every now and again they cause a fuss with the public. Remember the video nasties from the 80s including Last House on the Left or I Spit On Your Grave which have now been remade? Tabloids all over were blaming violent acts caused by teenagers on these films. They claimed they were ruining youth, and the film council banned all sorts of twisted film ideas. But they had a cult audience, and it is this audience that are fueling the market for these types of films now. Without them, the very popular FrightFest wouldn’t take place in London every year. Without them, the horrors that appeal to the masses wouldn’t exist. As long as you look at these films without a serious point, you can enjoy them. They’re over the top gore that put the unimaginable on the screen. These films are designed to make you squirm in your seat from disgust, but they’re also designed to intrigue you and keep you on the edge of your seat. The Human Centipede offers an idea so disgusting that you’re completely and utterly compelled to watch, as long as you favour this type of story.

If you don’t, it’s a whole other tale. When you take a step back and really look at the stylistic point, it’s basically glamourising the idea of torture. It almost makes it seem sexy as the cast are attractive and the plot tends to lean towards a more porn style cheesy narrative than a serious feature film does. The film also seems very sexist in terms of the narrative as the women are shown to be weak and loose making them the easy-go, stupid types perfect for the man to dominate and gain power. And when you bring in the idea of making a human centipede by attaching their mouth to the other end of another person, it makes you want to be sick at the thought. Your mind begins to wonder at the possibility of this happening, and at this point this is when audiences become agitated at the themes behind the film.

But again, it’s all fictional. None of this happens so whether it’s wrong or right, the fact is it’s all made for entertainment. It clearly has a market because it’s got a lot of people fascinated by the attention it’s received, making them want to see the film even more. Wrong or right… You decide.

See it here: http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/07/31/the-human-centipede-grossly-wrong-or-disturbingly-right/

Wednesday 28 July 2010

Toy Story 3 ***** (MY 100TH BLOG!)


This is my 100th post! Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading right from the first blog in April 2009 and any new readers from then on. You really have no idea how much I appreciate the support. This is my passion so to have you as a public enjoying (hopefully) and supporting what I write is a feeling you'll never quite understand until you do it yourself. Please keep reading and keep talking about film! I really mean it, thank you.

Remember the wild adventures Toy Story 1 and 2 took you on as a child, making you truly believe that those toys that sit on the end of your bed were alive? Well, your Barbies and Action Men are about to have a whole new lease of life when you watch this heart warming, cathartic film. It hasn't lost any of its charm over the years we've awaited Pixar to bring out this entertaining film, which means all those loving memories you have of the other 2 aren't tainted at all.

As well as inventively being introduced to our beloved characters Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Mr and Mrs Potato Head, Rex, Hamm, Slinky Dog, Bullseye, and the 3 aliens by a home video of Andy playing an imaginative game with them, we're now also in love with whole new characters making just an impact on us as the favourites have done! Lotso the not so nice cuddly bear, Barbie and Ken, and Chatter Telephone to name a few play memorable parts that create this new story, but still retaining it's childlike edge that so many kids will now adore in a whole new generation. But fear not, if you grew up with Toy Story you'll remember the jokes, the banter and the affection this cast have with each other. It really does bring a satisfying sense of warmth within you.

The animation is, in a word, incredible. Pixar know how to create these characters that you instantly know you can trust or be aware of through features such as the eyes or voice. It's brilliant to relate to children and the colours they use just shout out LOOK AT ME! In terms of the 3D effect, it hardly enhanced my viewing, making me want to boycott the whole idea completely now. Anyhow, the way in which they create the world these characters live in is so realistic but keeps that cartoon like edge, drawing it out from the crowd as it's so professional yet easy on the eye to recognise. The legendary John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton wrote the story, plus Lee Unkrich directed it, so you would expect it to be Disney Pixar's finest.

The story isn't stuck in the past either. It's grown up with the generation it was introduced to. Andy is going off to college, stuck in a dilemma on whether to keep these toys or not. By the end of this, I guarantee the next time you have to have a clean out, you'll think twice about a bin bag stuck up in the loft full of your childhood memories! It's easy to understand as a film on it's own, but it also relates back to common jokes in the previous films to keep that original audience even more entertained, for example "The claaaaaaw."

So, if you want to be completely entertained with light hearted comedy, a good memory jog of your old favourite characters and the Pixar perfect animation, watch this film. You won't be disappointed!

Tuesday 27 July 2010

Day and Night Pixar Short (For www.blogomatic3000.com)


Don’t be getting the name of this short confused with the future box office hit Knight and Day starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz… This probably has a lot more credibility, but I’m not judging, of course.

Day and Night sees the tale of two blob shaped characters with the adorable Disney eyes and movement giving away their personality. But what’s different about these little critters is that they express themselves through nature’s noises and images. With a black screen and only these two characters showing how they feel through, for example, images of ducks quacking to show laughter, the imagination gone into this is incredible.

It’s completely an original idea and stands miles ahead from the other loveable Pixar Shorts we so look forward to when we go and watch a new Disney film. For starters, to use natures noises and no dialogue as a form of telling the audience how the characters feel is brilliant. It shows how even a few images can make a universal audience feel connected to the character.

Their relationship blossoms from us seeing “Day”, being introduced to “Night” and seeing how they discover the wonders that their communication can create. It makes you laugh, feel delighted in the short story and really captures your imagination. It is enigmatic at first as well, because we aren’t offered the name of the feature until the end, leaving you to decipher what’s happening making it that all the more intriguing to stay tuned into.

In terms of the animation, this is beautiful. The idea of having a black screen, only to see the images through the blob’s bodies and to see when they connect it can bring the same image into a different light is fascinating. The dance in particular is quite a spectacle for the eyes when they intertwine their bodies and images that they’re creating. Seeing Las Vegas through Day’s body in natural light, and then Night showing Las Vegas in full colour with its glamorous appeal was a particular favourite.

A completely spellbinding short that Pixar have yet again made audiences feel amazed over. This is a far step from the bouncing lamp and will definitely be one of the highlights in editing history.

Friday 23 July 2010

Inception - A love/hate relationship? (For www.blogomatic3000.com)


It seems a lot of people who have seen Christopher Nolan’s Inception are either hugely in awe of its every aspect, or completely and utterly disappointed by the result of the hype. If you’ve seen the film, you probably have very strong opinions on why you feel the way you do, so here’s my thought’s on why people have been so divided.

Obviously, the hype built around Inception was extreme. The teaser trailer released caused viewers to sit up and pay attention, as the soundtrack invaded our ears with a sense of discomfort and we see buildings exploding in a way we have never quite seen before. And then we’re teased with bold posters and a full length trailer showing Leonardo (DiCapico) brilliantly acting as he always does, and it shows familiar faces such as Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page – now we’re being given the Hollywood dream cast. But we’re not let in on the storyline; this was a greatly kept secret, but it was the storyline that caused audiences to split. We either have the diehard fans that become compelled by this original, insightful, look into the dream world with it’s intelligent script… Or we have spectators confused, not being able to keep up with the somewhat quick and puzzling view of psychology, that can’t connect with the personalities on screen.

The editing of this film was a difficult to follow, yet intriguing way, of looking at fight scenes and time passing. On the one hand, flipping from location to location, with no real detail as to why we’re there other than the clue that there are three different worlds needed to be created for their ultimate goal, becomes puzzling. Trying to keep up with the pace of this film is difficult on its own, but to incorporate the storyline as well as understanding where and why people are in the different locations becomes a somewhat daunting idea – especially as we’re so used to being spoon fed the narrative by conventional approaches to cinema. But this is exactly why the lovers of this film enjoyed the quiz of the story. We’re not sitting back and listening, we’re actively having to get involved and become a part of this fantasy world never having been drawn out to our eyes before. You can’t take your eye off the ball for one moment leaving you completely captured throughout.

The fact there is a non-cathartic ending as well keeps the audience guessing. Nothing round up, there’s still another story to be told, but we’re taken away from it by the cut to a black screen with the titles appear. Annoying to some, but completely exciting for others, this is why you left the cinema feeling how you did.

Maybe this brief analysis has helped you realised why you liked Inception, or showed you why you hated it. But overall, you cannot argue this isn’t an original masterpiece of cinematography that, although somewhat bewildering, takes you on a journey that you have never been on before.

Twilight - Interactive YouTube Game (For www.blogomatic3000.com)


Following popular uses of interactive videos on YouTube, the creators at TheStation have made an interactive Twilight: Eclipse interactive game. This means you can change the fate of Bella, Edward and Jacob causing a whole lot of excitement for the fans of this mega series of books and films.

Cleverly, you can pick what decisions Bella makes when it comes to choosing between Edward and Jacob, which is aimed at the rivalry between the two teams of werewolves and vampires. It’s actually encouraging this unhealthy obsession Twihard fans have with this series?! (Hell, I played it and loved choosing Jacob over that stupid pale face, so click away!)

It is also aimed at the more mocking viewers of Twilight as characters do get killed and say some funny little sarcastic lines depending on the choice of path you click for them, which gives it an original kick of comedy in the gaming world. The game is also done in 8-bit style which makes it look very retro and cool for any computer game fan at the moment, as these classic simple styles of playing are coming back into fashion.

Following popular uses of interactive videos on YouTube, the creators at TheStation have made an interactive Twilight: Eclipse interactive game. This means you can change the fate of Bella, Edward and Jacob causing a whole lot of excitement for the fans of this mega series of books and films.

Cleverly, you can pick what decisions Bella makes when it comes to choosing between Edward and Jacob, which is aimed at the rivalry between the two teams of werewolves and vampires. It’s actually encouraging this unhealthy obsession Twihard fans have with this series?! (Hell, I played it and loved choosing Jacob over that stupid pale face, so click away!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoXvzTgzHH8

It is also aimed at the more mocking viewers of Twilight as characters do get killed and say some funny little sarcastic lines depending on the choice of path you click for them, which gives it an original kick of comedy in the gaming world. The game is also done in 8-bit style which makes it look very retro and cool for any computer game fan at the moment, as these classic simple styles of playing are coming back into fashion.

Thursday 22 July 2010

Bunny and The Bull ****


From the director of The Mighty Boosh, this quirky view of the world seems to be a unique way of approaching cinematography on a low budget, with cameos from our favourite faces of the TV series adding to the originality of the ideas behind this feature. A heart warming, if not almost sad approach to a topic of a man who's trapped in his own home, this is a far step from the wonders of the crazy characters from Boosh... Almost.

If you see how Tim Burton started out, with short features including various little drawings he made up soon to become his trademark of films, you could see why people were a little dubious at first. But this is exactly what Paul King is doing. He's making most of his sets out of cartoons with some eccentric people to feature as the main focus of the film. Granted, this can become a little distancing as it doesn't look clean cut, fresh for our minds to absorb and become warped in. It's there to remind us this isn't a real setting, but an imagination gone wild on screen. People didn't understand Burton's work at first, but look at him now. King has created for himself a cult audience who adore his creations, and this is no different in terms of the way he's gone about creating the world the film lives in.

What is different about this film compared to his previous work is that it's a lot more serious. But when I say "serious", I don't mean 'Stepmother' serious, I mean we're actually following the tale of Stephen (Edward Hogg) who is an OCD mess tormented with his past, trying to find his way out of the prison he's created for himself, rather than being taken on an adventure with Naboo. But fear not, we're still offered that niche sense of humour Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt have created with bestiality based jokes and lots of odd accents. Plus, as we see Simon Farnaby (Bunny) at his side most of the way through this film, you know it's not totally going to be strict as he's a little weird and wonderful man himself.

It's very hard to feel a connection with the characters unfortunately. As much as you can get caught up with the whole journey they go on, by the end of the film you don't miss watching them or feel a sense of achievement, you're a little miffed about the whole thing and almost wonder what you just sat through. But that's the appeal of King's storytelling; you can go to a whole new world but never really understand why, but you know you enjoying it... Intriguing is the right word to use.

So, don't expect to watch a drawn out version of The Mighty Boosh because this is a huge step in sophistication and accomplishment. But you will still get a sense of that mystifying world you sometimes wish you were a part in.

Night Before The Wedding **** (Preview Review for Film Courage)


This is kind of like watching a more sadistic version of The Hangover; which isn't a bad thing at all. Directed beautifully by David Branin, this film is slow yet packs a powerful punch in terms of its narrative, acting ability and cinematography. And being that this was promoted highly at the Hollyshorts Film Festival, it looks as if other film fan thought exactly the same!

From beginning to end, we are always kept with an unsettling feeling within us. Maybe due to the lack of music, or maybe because the topics discussed are controversial, you never feel relaxed watching this feature, but this just keeps you enticed. Focused around the story of William (John Keating)on his final night of freedom before he ties the knot, his friend Bronco (Gregor Collins) throws him a party he'll never forget (but wishes he could) that includes a very interesting Pizza Man and porn stars. This probably sounds like every guy's perfect stag do, but poor William certainly doesn't approve.

The character profiles are very well established as soon as we meet them. We know from the high class acting who we can trust, who we're a little be scared of and who's the stupid one. It has everyone you need to create a perfect story. The cast work very well off each other and play their parts almost flawlessly which just adds to the feature as a whole.

The filming has obviously had a lot of care taken over it, and every scene seems to be what you would find in any Hollywood production on our screens. It flows perfectly in terms of the editing and has an interesting twist as the soundtrack gives us no indication how to feel, we're simply left to our own devices on what to think of every situation. Plus, interesting focuses and draw backs make it particularly intriguing as it is done on a slow pace which draws your eye to every detail.

Along with this, the story is slow and some scenes do seem a little drawn out, but you do gain a sense of connection from this. We're not hyping up the situation with glamorous huge settings or things blowing up, we're in one house with everything being taken into account. There's a peculiar piece of pornographic art on the wall which seems to fit perfectly with the film.

Speaking of, yes we see weed, vivid sex sequences and a lot of alcohol being consumed. It's telling the truth, or possibly a fantasy, of every guy's mind and what goes on in it. It doesn't lie about being conserved, it delves straight into the action and captures you off-guard, packing that punch I mentioned before. It also ends with no real sense of fulfilment which it great. It breaks down that barrier of making everything perfect and leaves you there standing.

A little bit shocking, a little bit fun and overall an intriguing watch. If you get a chance, go and experience something a little bit wrong and right!

Sunday 18 July 2010

Inception *****


Every now and again you see a film that truly inspires you, makes you think and captures your every emotion... This is one of those films. Inception not only takes you on a unique adventure, but explores the possibilities of film in a manner that's never quite been done before. From beginning to end you're constantly left in ore, making the experience of seeing this film riveting and challenging.

The imagination gone into this for a start is nothing but brilliant. Christopher Nolan (director of The Dark Knight along with other superbly composed films) has taken the tough task of incorporation the dream world into a feature film which represents the state you're in, as well as makes it a relatively understandable viewing. When you see the first few scenes, the daunting task of trying to understand what you're watching dawns upon you as we see short sequences switching from one scenario to another. But slowly you begin to become apart of this world. As the film states "there's nothing quite like it" and it's true. Although you are taken from one place to another, the story is told so well that you use the same traits as the characters do in discovering where you are.

By the way, the story is flawless. It's intelligently written by Nolan with scientific, psychological and architectural fact, but it's not hard to interpret. You can begin the understand the world as Ariadne (Ellen Page) does, as she is recruited to be the architect of the world they create in order to reach their goal, but has no idea this world even existed.

She plays the most relating character of the incredible cast in this film. As she is the one least knowledgeable but learning quickly, you learn with her making it as exciting as she finds to you. We also become closely linked with Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who's the almost Robin to the Batman that is Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio). Leo is just perfection on screen, as is Tom Hardy who plays the ever loveable crooked character Eames. Other faces you will recognise are Michael Caine playing Cobb's father-in-law, Marion Cotillard playing Cobb's wife and Cillian Murphey (our 28 Days Later man) playing the almost victim, you could say. They all bring a unique viewpoint to this whirlwind adventure. The emotion packed into this is immense. It has scenes of anger, sadness, torment, confusion, humour, happiness and leaves you with a sense of admiration for the acting, as well as the special effect that add to this engrossing film.

I can't begin to describe how utterly mind blowing the screen was to watch this film. From every single aspect of the dream sequences, you see explosions, fight scenes, street locations and slow motion like you've never seen them before. It is so realistic and detailed it really makes you believe that cinema is a pure genius still developing to become more and more enticing. This film shows cinematography at its best, end of story.

If there is one thing you do this summer, see Inception. I cannot name one bad thing about this film, really. It has everything you need for entertainment and will open your eyes to a new way of watching action.

Friday 16 July 2010

Killers **


When you combine genres, the results can be excellent bringing your interpretation of the film to a whole new level. Unfortunately, Killers' combination mess made this almost disastrous to watch. If it stuck to a clear structure of a rom-com or an action film it could have perked up the final result, but meshing these two with a thriller means it's a cliché cringe rather than a original blockbuster.

Assuming you've seen the trailer, it convinces you that Spencer (Ashton Kutchur) takes Jen (Katherine Heigl) on a whole new adventure turning her into this agent type woman like with him who's a mysterious spy. But really, they remain exactly the same characters and get more confused as to why they're still having to deal with all these murderers trying to hunt down Spence, because they've been living a perfect life for 3 years. When you break it down like this, you notice the bad use of hybrid genres. The film tried to show a whirlwind romance but condensed it down into 5 minutes of what seemed to be a rushed relationship. One minute they're on the first date, the next minute it's 3 years down the line and they're married. And in terms of the action genre, it has no motive really. We see no past life work, we're just meant to assume and now everyone's after him... Ridiculous.

There are two bearable things about this film - Ashton Kutchur looking incredibly amazing and Katherine Heigl's acting. She's a brilliant woman in the film industry and really can bring a comical edge to any personality as well as keeping herself responsible which is needed for the more serious scenes. But Kutchur is totally in love with himself in this film with pointless shots of himself topless, which just turned it cheesy. *Spoiler* And so did the "murderers" after his character. It was meant to be shocking, full of twists as to who's going to kill him next, but any character you feel mildly connected with on screen turns against him and he kills them. It's actually quite shocking the way they're killed in some sort of dramatic scene with bodies hanging off of pointy chandeliers; it's like being put straight into a low-budget horror film.

Robert Luketic, what are you doing?! He directed 21 which was one of my favourite films of 2008, but now he's gone from The Ugly Truth to this?! My, my, my. The camera work was obvious and didn't seem to flow. There were forced shots of key items which instead of subliminally slipping into the viewing, just stood out like a sore thumb.

Any fans of Heigl won't be disappointed. But if you appreciate film, run away from seeing this. It may make you laugh a little bit, I did. But by the end I genuinely wanted to walk out.

Wednesday 14 July 2010

What would we do without technology, ay?


Hello. Thought I'd do another personal one to let you know what's going down in The Film Obsession's world.

So basically, I'm really trying to encourage people to talk about film. You have so many conversations on a daily basis about different films you've seen or want to see, so why not tell it to the rest of the world? You can really learn from people and find out new things. This is why I have a discussions tab on my Facebook page. It's a new feature and I'd love people, if they've seen a film, to start a conversation about it. You're most likely not going to be the only one to have watched it and have an opinion. Here's a link to the page: http://www.facebook.com/yllekesyla#!/pages/The-Film-Obsession/119740334732933?ref=ts You'll need to "like" the page first before you can do anything. But that way you can have your say and find out easily when I've done another blog or vlog. That's another thing. I know the videos on YouTube aren't great but it's all a learning curve and I'm trying to get better at talking in front of a camera! Thanks for sticking with it though, I seem to ramble but the more I do, the more I'll get used to it... I hope.


I'm starting a new thing where if you want to do a 10 word review of a film, you can email me them and they will appear here: http://thefilmobsession.tumblr.com/ It's just a way for you to have your say on the films you watch. Send me an email to filmobsession@live.co.uk and I'll let you know when it's up there! Alternatively, just contact me on Facebook!

If you have Twitter, follow me! I usually either mention something crazy that's happened in the film world, quote my friend's weird and wonderful thoughts or just write down silly things I've seen. It's a great place to meet new people. My Twitter account is @KellyAlyse.

I'm gonna be having a few new blogs on the big names this summer including Inception, Toy Story 3 and Scott Pilgrim. Thanks so much for constantly reading, you have no idea how happy it makes me. If you want me to review any films, let me know and I'll get to it!

So, head to Facebook, head to YouTube, head to Tumblr and head to Twitter... God, what would we do without technology, ay? x x x

Saturday 10 July 2010

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief **

Well, this was an odd one I have to admit. It looks terrible in the trailers as it seems like another kid's fantasy film, and it is, but it's actually got some good historical context in it making it that little more intriguing to watch. I don't want to watch it again though. Can you see why this is odd now?

Based around Percy (Logan Lerman) who is wanted by Greek gods that apparently still exist in this world created in the film, we watch the traumas he has to go through to save his mother who got kidnapped somewhere in the narrative. It got lost between all the poor special effects and silly one-liners from half man/half goat Grover (Brandon. T. Jackson).

It has a very weak storyline, rushing from scene to scene making fights between as many gods as possible more of a focus than the actual telling of the tale. You realise his mission is to find his mother, but the screenwriters Craig Titley and Rick Riordan try to introduce the idea of Percy as being some kind of lightning thief. You're never fully aware of what the young boy is trying to prove and why he is all of a sudden on a mission involving Medusa and Hades, and obviously why this lightning he's stolen is so important. We see modern news reports of storm clouds effectively going to stop the world, and then we're taken to a medieval camp where Percy trains for fighting the powerful ones. It's very, very limp in terms of a gripping, edge of your seat script.

You do gain some satisfaction from Grover who in himself is a very loveable and endearing character as the protector of Percy. Plus with appearances from Uma Therman adopting the role as Medusa and Pierce Brosnan playing the half horse/half man Chiron brings a new light to their personalities in terms of their acting profile, but this really is the only highlight. Percy himself is kind of cocky and his romantic interest Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) is just another power girl. We've basically got a less experienced Harry Potter cast with Harry Potter type adventures going on, but it's not Harry Potter - Bad, bad, bad. Chris Columbus even directed the first two Harry Potter films, what's he doing making this almost spin-off?!

The special effects are shoddy. Clearly we need a huge impact from the editing to make a difference in our viewing as we're effectively watching a supernatural world, meaning make up and camera work isn't going to cut it. But this film just didn't have the budget or wasted too much of it on the water effect as that's the only believable looking editing. When we see transformations of devils and other monsters, they just seem completely fake rather than film, we almost believe it's real, fake. It's a shame really because if more investment went into this, we could become enchanted with what we're watching. But no, we're aware we're watching a relatively boring film with little excitement and mostly just fun colours with kids acting.

Nothing special. Just watch Narnia, the first one. That's got half men in it WITH decent post-production.

Friday 9 July 2010

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse ****

Now, before you judge the star rating because you know I'm a Twilight fan, let me say this - Genuinely, I realise Twilight is a mass merchandised product in order to make teenage girls weak for a fantasy storyline they'll never be able to have. So to be aware of this means I am not deluded into thinking this is one of the greatest stories ever told, because it's not. But this film is the best out of the 3 so far and has really pulled everything from the books that it can in order to make a very entertaining film... So, enough with the grovelling; as Jimmy Carr says "It's a young girl's choice between bestiality and necrophilia." - What's not to like about that?!

We're now seeing Bella (Kristen Stewart), Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) as very refined characters in this story being told to us. After the previous 2 seeming to be somewhat of a swoon fest for young girls and lets not forget older women, this film has hyped up the action, reduced the long, drawn out stares and brought aspects of the books into the feature very well. True fans of the books will appreciate the attention to detail in terms of the background stories behind the vampires and the key plots in the writing. Scenes such as the tent scene are visualised in this film perfectly making it a very exciting watch for the Twihards.

Now, if you're not a fan you'll probably be rejecting the idea of seeing this film completely. Let me tell you why you shouldn't. Action in this has been filmed brilliantly. The fight scenes aren't drawn out but last enough time to see the true brutality behind the killings of the creatures. It doesn't hold back when giving you tips of how to kill an evil vampire coming after you. In regards to the scenes leading up to the fights, the intensity grips you pretty hard not only due to the professional acting from the cast but with the way in which the story is told. It does start off a little annoyingly as we jump from storyline to storyline with different shots, and you don't seem to be settled with the story being told to you before you're watching the next one. But this slows and we begin to see more of what's important, and then slowly you become hooked. In all honesty though, if you go and see this and don't like it, you're never going to like it. Give up.

What brings this film back to reality (as much as reality can exist in this film) is the fact it almost takes the mick out of itself. With little one-liners from the cast showing they realise what fans love most is the rivalry between the two teams (I'm Team Jacob), it introduces fun taking away the almost silly fake seriousness it tries to create in the previous two.

David Slade (who also directed 30 Days of Night) has really played focus to the darker side of this story. Yes, he carries on the love triangle because that's the main drive behind the narrative. But to make this a true vampire film with dark truths behind these almost glamorised monsters has worked very well. With focus on the other vampires as well as the favourite Edward helps with the new appeal this film seems to have gained. We're also introduced to new characters like Riley (Xavier Samuel) and Leah Clearwater (Julia Jones) who adopt their roles perfectly.

So, give it a go if you haven't liked the others. You might be pleasantly surprised - See it when it's going to be quiet though because the noise of screaming hormonal girls will drown out the sort of gratification you may receive from this. If you love the others OH MY GOD, LIKE YOU'LL TOTALLY ADORE THIS ONE.

Monday 5 July 2010

Daybreakers **

Once you've gotten over the fact that blood rules this film, all that is left is a poor, unoriginal storyline with unconvincing special effects and characters that really aren't inspiring. Yes, this is what happens when Twilight meets Dracula - A messy emotional narrative with gore and guts at it's up most importance.

This could have had the potential to be a brilliant film. It's set in 2019, so rather than having a period type drama involving the vampire legend, we're offered a modern twist to the tale by vampires having taken over humanity and are now on the verge of being horrible monsters as humans are becoming extinct. Original you may think, but once you begin to understand the main drive this film has, all it is doing is repeating the same patterns we have seen time and time again. Edward, the lead vampire in this film played by Ethan Hawke is the one audiences relate to as he's the good guy. We have the inevitable blood obsessed, human killing vampire Charles (Sam Neill) and other minor characters too boring to mention.

It's just a dull film with shocking gore making that off button on the DVD player seem more and more appealing. Seriously, this film is ridiculously gory. It reminded me of a horror from the 80s, and not in a good way. In 28 Days Later, you expected the horrendous attacks as the film was about zombies. Made by the same producers, the horror inflicted on some people just seems totally unrealistic and all a way of making the audiences scerm. This isn't a horror film, it's a thriller with bad special effects. Even the burning of the vampires has poor editing, along with what seems to be a modern day appeal. Really, they've just used a bunch of bright lights and stainless steel to make us believe we're 9 years ahead.

It really is a poor excuse for a film. The only redeeming factors is the way in which the story flows because although it's not that original, it's told well and little plot details are released slowly meaning you can carry on guessing what's going to happen throughout. Saying that, the ending is, well, as you'd expect any film of this category to be - predictable and settling. Except, it almost rounds everything up so well that you're more unfulfilled than settled.

Don't watch this film if you like vampire stories, or if you like any film for that matter. Rent out Nosferatu; you'll gain so much more satisfaction without having to be mentally disturbed from too much flesh eating.

Thursday 1 July 2010

Why is the Paranormal Activity 2 trailer so scary it had to be taken out of cinemas? (Analysis)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qt_002jXjs - Watch if you dare.

Well, for a start the first 8 seconds on the YouTube video are silent already giving you that uneasy feeling. We're not welcomed with a light-hearted drum beat and guitar, we're simply given nothing leaving your mind to wonder what's about to happen. Inevitably you'll get a little bit anxious because you know you're about to watch something frightening.

When a sound finally does kick in, it's a flicker of a tape - That well known sound from the first film which you dreaded because that home video camera was what gave you all those sleepless nights. And then it cuts to a loud bang and the terrifying shot of the boyfriend being thrown at the camera. A clever trick to use as this was the most scary part of the whole first film, and you're suddenly thrown back into the horror. And then it freezes on the doorway, but where's Katie? Are we going to see her in this trailer, is she going to freak me out as much as she did before? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! This is when it starts to get intense and you can begin to see why it was removed.

The flickering starts, blurring your vision which leaves you to think you saw something or it's going to cut to something more troubling and then the zoom. A zoom into the doorway where KATIE IS?! Why? All you can think is stop zooming, stop zooming but it just carries on slowly meaning the tension builds in your body 10 times the pace the camera's going. Titles appear reminding us that it was a successful movie and gives the director (Oren Peli) a little ego boost (the new film is directed by Tod Williams) by saying "you demanded it" (which audiences did in cinemas in America because it wasn't going to be shown). We see flashes of a packed shocked audience showing the popularity and impact the scare factor had, giving it a more enticing appeal as so many people have the same reaction. And there she is! Katie, hello again you creepy woman. The sound is raised with some sort of screamy breath like noise and we see quick cut reaction shots to audience members meaning the intake of images becomes condensed into a few seconds of terror.

Uh oh, we seem to be in the same house with a few more things Katie might like to attack like a dog and a baby... Two of the most loved creatures on this Earth. Clever little ploy to make Katie even more powerful and horrendously evil. The cuts of the security footage around different areas of the house means this film obviously has a bigger budget and is going to have more locations to have her presence scare. They make the saucepans move like in the first one to remind you that she's around. Oh, I hear floorboards creaking... AND SO DOES THE DOG! Black screen, white titles "Nothing can prepare you"... Prepare us for what, prepare us for what?!

The dog is now barking and the baby is standing up. In the first film, we were scared because Katie the demon came at night when they were sleeping, and they were totally unaware. Now the dog is aware and the baby also seems to be upset by the reaction of the dog, subtly giving the clue that she's going to be able to cause more actions as she awakes the two most venerable parts of the family. Oh damn, the dog's backing away. It's a dog the police use. We are, as an audience, familiar with the aggressive nature they hold so to have this type of dog back away empowers the evil more.

It cuts back again, we now know what we can't be prepared for what's about to happen next by the titles appearing. But it never does tell you what that future is... It would probably ruin the movie, right? So, causally we cut to the living room, she's not there... OH MY GOD, THE BABY AND DOG ARE GONE and she's left standing in the doorway like some sort of crazed maniac. The focus on the dog and baby makes this scene all the more intense because we now know nothing of what happened during the flickering cut. And then all we're left with is the title of the movie appearing in a flickering form with a black screen.

So overall, this is a pretty intense trailer. You're on edge throughout providing that feeling you got from watching the first film. Now, the first wasn't great apart from the ending. But with a new director, bigger budget and Hollywood firmly behind it, this is probably going to be a lot more powerfully shocking. Lets hope so! And it's coming out around Halloween, Great!