Kelly's Filmy Things #2

"The Day I went to The London Film Museum to meet Blogomatic3000"

Well, as you may or may not know, I'm writing for the website www.blogomatic3000.com who sent me to the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World premier. When you write for websites, it's usually via email or Twitter that you talk to the people, not face-to-face. So when you get the chance to meet the people behind the website you're writing for, and there's free tickets to The London Film Museum in honour of the meet up, you can't say no!

So, on the gloomy day of late August, I headed for London and I found Phil and Kat on Westminster Bridge where we were greeted with torrential rain and a broken umbrella. It was also the wrong day to wear a dress easily effected by the powers of mother nature - I must have flashed half of London trying to hold an uncontrollable umbrella, a bag and a phone all at once.

When we finally found Jack waiting somewhere completely different to where we thought we were meeting, we finally made it inside. Here's a few delights from inside The London Film Museum which will give you a little film fix showing memorabilia from all sorts of films:

Queen Elizabeth and I are like this *Crosses Fingers"


Oh, Herrow!


He's such a Pre-Madonna!


This Yeti is kind of cute, no?


You do what he says.


After this, we went for drinks in Leicester Square where we were surrounded by all the FrightFest goers. I was SO jealous of them, really must get tickets for next year's festival. If you've never heard of it, it's a festival dedicated to horror movies. Yeah, you do get the odd crazy one but it's all part of life, right? Speaking of crazy, we had a lovely drunken guy come over to our table and declare I was Peggy Sue and Kat was all of The Spice Girls... Interesting.

We were also joined by the lovely Ben Mortimer who shared some juicy secrets... No wait, he didn't! He just teased us with the idea of them. Oh well, I guess I'll just watch his space. Not as in his house, that's just creepy. But he did propose so we've got a mutual stalker appeal for each other. You know what I mean! Plus, I saw Chris Bistow for a bit who seemed to attract the drunken guy's attention the most by causing the guy grab his arm and move it about.

Don't you love London?

In other news, The Film Obsession is doing well indeedy! I've gone past the 5000 viewers mark on the website, I have over 150 followers on Twitter and my YouTube channel has had over 4,500 views! Thank you SO much to all the readers and viewers, it's so incredible to have your support and to read your comments on things I do.

Why is Anchorman SO good?

With the release of Dinner for Schmucks starring Steve Carell and Paul Rudd, it left me wondering why this group of comedians also including Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Jason Segal and Seth Rogan have done so well for themselves. With a series of movies including Blades of Glory, I Love You, Man and The 40 Year Old Virgin, they've all retained such a dedicated audience that love and adore each and every one of their performances. Anchorman (2004) is possibly one of the best combining the greatest comedians into one film. Voted top comedy over the Noughties and ranked high in the greatest of all time comedies on numerous polls, this film is obviously a must see. So why?

For a start, it caters to the very audience comedies are aimed at - Young men. It has Ron (Ferrell) as the lead who is popular, a leader and a little bit of a womaniser. Men are attracted to this sort of character as they are domineering; they can look up to them and admire what they say (usually because it could never normally be said). The film also holds that "bromance" type feel with a close group of friends all working together, sharing key moments in their life - Like the explanation of love. It's fun loving and silly. It's also this lack of seriousness that makes it a great film to feel connected to, almost because the characters are so stupid you feel superior to them. Everyone always wants to feel a little bit better about themselves, right?

Added to this is the type of comedy the film uses. It's a combination between mockery, randomness and dramatic acting. Combining the 3 is quite a task and to keep them flowing together is a risk worth taking. The film uses professionals in this type of acting anyway, but the script is also improvised meaning classic lines such as "I Love Lamp" tend to come straight from the actors. This keeps the dialogue fresh and exciting, meaning you get comedy when you least expect it. Also, having the film set in the 1970s mean you can play about with the costumes, hairstyles and makeup of the actors to provide an entertaining look even before you've heard anything.

There is also a story to follow as well. You're not just watching a series of events going from one place to another with pointless jokes filling in the gaps. We follow the story of a newsreader fighting his way into the industry against other competing channels. There is also the love story between Ron and Veronica (Christina Applegate) that gives the film some substance as well. The added dimension of the dominant woman breaks up the focus on men, giving the viewing slightly more of a meaning with her bringing in a whole new plotline to the film. And with the story using such diverse personalities, we're never left bored on screen. You have your favourites and can watch their performance again and again quoting their best lines.

So, we're being provided with actors that have a sense of humour, can act and work well together on screen. You feel a connection with them and can watch their performance over and over. This is why this team of comedy actors have done so well for themselves, and look as if they're not going anywhere...

Russell Crowe is in... The Rocky Horror Picture Show?

I was cruising on Twitter as I normally am (@KellyAlyse if you're interested) and someone Tweeted an intriguing little message suggesting that Russell Crowe, actor in Gladiator and Robin Hood, performed in the VERY CAMP Rocky Horror Picture Show?

Now, as much as I'd love to believe all the people I read on Twitter, I thought this had to be fake or a ploy to get us to watch the video. Anyhow, it worked and I watched. Guess what, IT'S FREAKING TRUE!

Hard man Crowe performed in 1987 on Australia's stage as Eddie and Dr. Scott in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Moving across in a very camp manner, he actually plays the character with incredible charm and wit. Who knew this mancho man had it in him? Plus, he's got a pretty good voice too!

Take a look yourself, it's priceless:

Cameron explains reasons for Avatar release. It's really for the best...

For Blogomatic 3000 - http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/08/24/james-cameron-explains-why-an-avatar-re-release-is-necessary/

After my rant on why it wasn’t necessary for Avatar to be re-released into the cinemas later this month, I have now read a few quotes from James Cameron on IMDB.com where he states his reasons for the extra release.

He explains millions of people didn’t have the chance to see this film in 3D due to limited cinemas with the capability of showing 3D, so this is a chance for those viewers to watch the spectacle in “eye popping 3D” again. We’re also seeing a new scene which was taken out controversially by Cameron, so that will be extremely exciting for the die hard fans of this film.

He also talks about the 3D DVD release next year to “keep audiences interested”. Looks like Avatar is going to be sticking around for a long time whether we like it or not… Maybe Asylum Productions are going to make a sequel like Titanic 2. That would be something for sore eyes! Cameron stated that the 2nd film wouldn’t be coming out until around 2014, so the welcome arrival of a poor production may just be what the obsessive viewers need to keep them living in the Pandora world.

I still think it’s unnecessary. Yes, it is another chance for viewers to go and see this film again, but you could re-release any film for the chance of those who didn’t get to see it the first time to have another go at watching the film on the big screen. And to keep audiences interested? If they’re true fans they wouldn’t need this extended amount of sales pitching to keep them keen.

If you want to read more, head to this link: http://www.imdb.com/news/ni3943463/

Is it really necessary Avatar is brought back into cinemas?

Avatar, the world's biggest grossing movie of all time beating Titanic. James Cameron obviously knows how to make a film that audiences are going to love (or how to publicise it right). So it's only right we bring it back into cinemas with an added 8 MINUTES AND 5O SECONDS WORTH OF FOOTAGE, isn't it?

Well no, not really. This film is obviously a classic so why disturb this just to gain a bigger audience and to make more money? I'm sure people are just as satisfied with their DVDs of the film that they don't need to see this again. The added features could of just been put into the special features section along with every other film that's been released in the cinema. If you are intrigued even more, here's the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II66zkU1D0Q&feature=search

Sure, Back to the Future is being played in cinemas again in October, but this is 25 years later and a celebration, not 6 months on still trying to live off the hype. It's just infuriating when Hollywood is such a huge organisation that it can't create a new film that's going to entice audiences once more. We're basically paying to see the same movie again in 3D because they didn't bring out a 3D version of the film when it was released in April, which is then going to become a Christmas DVD release which I'm sure will have a 3D enabled disk. Come on Cameron, stop messing us around and trying to get a summer hit as well as a Christmas hit.

I do understand that there are going to be people really excited by this, because if you really love a film there's nothing better than watching it on the big screen. Having said that, in a forum named "Ways to cope with the depression of Pandora being intangible" http://avatar-forums.com/general-avatar-forum/43-ways-cope-depression-dream-pandora-being-intangible-5.html there are members discussing how the world is incredible and it's hard to come to terms with the fact it's not real. One member said "After I watched Avatar at the first time, I trully felt depressed as I "wake" up in this world again. So after few days, I went to cinema and watched it again for the second time to relieve the depression and hopeless feeling. Now I listen to the soundtrack and share my views in this forum. It really helps." - Surely this new release is going to encourage this more?!

So, why go see a film that's already had huge success when you can see something brand new that this awesome summer of movies has offered us?

The Sorcerer's Apprentice ***

Jon Turteltaub, director of this and National Treasure, has again created a feature worthy of a cinema audience but still lacking in the oomph it needs to take it from a mediocre blockbuster, to a feature that makes you sit on the edge of your seat in amazed excitement. And with the hate him or love him presence of Nicholas Cage this film is just... Meh.

It's very Disney action galore with the distinct lack of anything controversial, thought provoking or the slip of any profanities. It's a magical film combining the past and present in New York City. It uses the big screen swirling special effects of magic taking over the world as usual, and slips in short sequences of various locations attempting to give context to the background of Balthazar's (Cage) life and why he has been on this planet for 1000 years. When really, they could have just made him enigmatic without the biography and it would have had the same effect.

It is perfect for a children's film though, as you can imagine a feature created under Walt's name would be. It has a very basic storyline to follow with the good and bad characters making their persona very clear to any viewer. And with the less than necessary over use of voice-over at the very beginning, keeping the children's focus is easy as they can clearly understand the plot-line and enjoy the spectacle on screen.

It is heavily based on special effects as well, so the use of the magic and their whole world in general is pretty fun to watch. There's big explosions with colours flying everywhere, and it introduces a bit of physics into the whole operation giving it a little more credit to any adults viewing this. However, the idea of a guy being taken from his human world into a mystical world has been done one too many times recently (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Narnia). It's repetitive and we can guess the ending pretty much.

Dave (Jay Baruchel), the most common, human name you can think of, plays his character well as the science geek sorcerer. His witty one-liners and appeal to all ages makes him the perfect lead. Nicholas Cage is actually quite bearable. He's got a little edge as the wiser character and isn't over acting making him a lot less cringy than you would think. I was hoping for Merlin to make an appearance again from the 5 second scene we saw at the beginning considering the whole film was based around his legacy, but no. Just these two carrying a narrative with a less than riveting dialogue to work with. Maxim (Alfred Molina) and Drake (Toby Kebbell) were probably the favourites as their characters have a little more depth as the evil magicians. Plus, they can have the sarcy comments making them even more easy to dislike which in turn makes them likeable... Funny how the cocky ones are always the memorable ones. The female leads Teresa Palmer and Monica Bellucci are stunningly beautiful and can act which is also a plus on the casting side!

So overall this is perfect for kids. They'll laugh, be scared and be able to follow the story. As for any other viewer, you'll be bored within the first hour.

Save the UK Film Council

For Blogomatic3000 - http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/08/21/save-the-uk-film-council/



As you may have heard, the government – in a plot to save money – announced on July 26th the plans to abolish the UK Film Council. Since then the uproar of fans all around the world have pleaded for this not to happen, and I’m sure you too still would love the British goodness that comes from this agency. Films such as London to Brighton, Girl with a Pearl Earring, This is England and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People are just a few of the gems that have come from the funding this council provides. It encourages film makers from this country to be involved in a cinema that’s so truth telling and real. It makes you proud of the achievement the UK can create, and brings millions upon millions of viewers an entertainment so hard to find in any other country due to its unique nature of storytelling and cinematography.

Backers of the protesters to save the council include Steven Spielberg, Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt – All well respected individuals in the industry. Over 50,000 people have “liked” the group to save the council on Facebook showing the enormity of love this government funded agency has.

If you want to help, it’s simple. Head to this page: http://www.savethefilmcouncil.co.uk/ – You can “like” the group and sign the official petition. British cinema deserves a good name and the UK Film Council has provided this so far, why stop now?

Chat Roulette gets it's Last Exorcism

For Blogomatic3000 - http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/08/21/chat-roulette-gets-its-last-exorcism/



You’ve probably seen viral videos on YouTube or RudeTube where adverts are actually advertising a product, but they film it on a low budget camera that makes them look a hell of a lot more realistic, thus giving them a huge appeal to internet video watchers. You’ve also probably heard of the little website called Chat Roulette – a website where anyone with a camera can connect to anyone else on a camera in a much (unwanted) intimate way.

Well, the lastest viral to hit Chat Roulette like a brick hitting the ground is for the new film The Last Exorcism. The film, which is released in the UK on September 3rd, is the tale of a minister carrying out his last exorcism through the eyes of a documentary maker – so you can expect lots of handheld camera and dodgy angles to impair our view and make us that more scared.

This video from Chat Roulette shows what seems to be a very attractive woman happily pleasing the men’s requests to strip… But boy, did they not want to see this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpBL4Ts9yhA&feature=search

Kandahar Break ****

- Released date is 10th September.

- You can pre-order it now:
DVD: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kandahar-Break-Fortress-War-DVD/dp/B003TFS8WA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1281451396&sr=8-1

Blu Ray: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kandahar-Break-Fortress-War-Blu-Ray/dp/B003TFS8W0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1281451396&sr=8-2

- Watch the trailer here: http://www.kandaharbreak.com/

- Review for Revolver Entertainment




This film has combined two of the most popular film genres there are out there - Romance and Action. But this isn't your Knight and Day type of comedy fuel, this is a serious tale of a man who falls in love with a woman that experiences some of the most heart aching, powerful moments in life you can only begin to imagine.

Based in Afghanistan working for the Taliban government, Richard's (Shaun Dooley) role is a British mine clearance engineer worker. But after spending several years there, he falls in love with an Afghanistan woman Jamilah (Tatmain Ul Qulb). The relationship is forbidden as religion splits them apart, but fighting against everyone they carry on this secret affair. You gain this sense of attachment between the two as the moment we first see them kiss is so tender and caring, you can't help but want them to be together. This is what a romance in film should be like. It's not glamorised into something perfect, it's hard and difficult just as most relationships are.

You may be wondering where the actions comes into play in this feature. After a series of events that captivate your every emotion, we see Richard fighting for his and Jamilah's life. We see him having to hide away from the government he works for, surviving in conditions you only see on the news. It portrays a realistic quality of living that's very hard to come by in film now. The fighting scenes that surrounds the idea of the war currently still going is exactly how you would imagine it to be. But David Whitney (writer and director) hasn't made it bloody or gory, he's sophisticated the violence. This means we don't shy away from watching the aftermath of the bodies laying dead. We see the reactions of the killers, we see the reactions of other people involved in the fight. This is was makes the film so enticing to watch, because you're getting involved in people's emotions rather than blood and guts everywhere.

The location shooting is perfect. The mise-en-scene gives the film an edge which makes it that more believable to watch. It's mostly filmed in derelict houses or in the dessert, pushing away from studios that make films look exactly how they want. It's got natural lighting and real homes in which Afghanistani people live in. You become immersed in the world which is so often thrown at us through the television briefly without being able to gain a sense of fact.

As with the acting, you have every character you need. Dooley plays his part flawlessly from beginning to end. You've got the hated characters as well as the trusted ones. There are a few which seem a little pointless to the story, but I guess it just gives the film a little more depth in terms of who a runaway in his position would come across. And the way these actors have carried this story with such emotion makes it that even more enjoyable to watch. It seems to lose a little edge about 3/4 of the way through, but it picks up at the end with a brilliantly satisfying ending.

A real emotionally packed, war film with romance at its very core.

Scott Pilgrim - The Website

To add to the coolness that oozes from every inch of this film, after going on the Scott Pilgrim website (www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com), you receive a breath of fresh air as unlike many film websites it really captures the essence that the film has from the 8-bit technology to old school background music. Rather than just showing a few trailers and the posters surrounding the movie, it offers you things.

You can become a character in the film. What more could you want? It provides a rating for you and includes your name and age. Here's my character, I've always wanted green hair:


What really amazed me was the interactive trailer though - http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com/itrailer/ You can click ANYWHERE and it will provide all sorts of juicy information from shooting locations to the actors in question on screen. This is so inventive and produces your inner geek to come crying out at you.

And I'm assuming you like to get free things right? Well, why not download the iPhone app that works on both the iPhone and Ipad. Plus, get a free ringtone as well! You can have quotes from the film that are sure to amuse you for months. Have them as your message tone, it will totally confuse everyone around you. It also shows you where to buy the soundtrack and where you can buy tickets for screenings.

Hold on a minute, this isn't even the website. When you press "Enter the website" it takes you on a whole new adventure. With epic background theme music, you can explore the relationships between the different characters, watch different trailers, look at photos and what video blogs. You can understand the story and read professional notes on all the work gone into this film.

Really, get yourself onto this website. You're in for a treat!

(If you leave the website for too long without doing anything, see what little screen pops up)

Kelly's Filmy Things #1

"My First Press Screening"

As you may know, on 12th August at 6.30pm I went to the Press Screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World for Blogomatic3000 held at the Empire cinema in Leicester Square. This is the tale of the day...

After having a minor heart attack realising almost no printer in my house had ink, apart from the last one I tried which allowed me to suck it's very last juicy bits out to print off the e-tickets to the event, I made my way to London. I literally was about ready to burst with excitement but I got there about 45 mins early as I was meeting JJ at 6.15, so I went and had a brownie and drink at Pret and made a few notes. I love turning into a Londoner every time I'm up there.

After my heart almost stopping a 2nd time as JJ didn't get there until half 6, and I'm usually very annoyingly (or efficiently) early, we made our way to the most beautiful cinema I have ever been in. We handed over our tickets to the people on the door and then surrounded ourselves with critics and fans all Twittering on their iPhones, iPads and Blackberry's. Plus, we all got free popcorn, so there was a lot of muching on that too before the film even started. As we were trying to spot the celebrities, the lights in the cinema were subtly changing creating such an easy atmosphere, and the seating reclined making you feel perfectly at home. The picture just shows how glorious the cinema really was... And how huge! We were half way back!

When the film actually started, they showed a trailer... But not just ANY trailer, a trailer for BACK TO THE FUTURE REMASTERED coming to cinemas in October. A room full of professional film reviewers all reduced to children screaming and clapping as this crisp looking film brought excitement to our very eyes! And when Scott Pilgrim started, people clapped! They clapped at the end too! This is surprising for a room full of movie goers that see films everyday. It shows just how moving this film really was. We were laughing throughout and I heard people saying how truly original it was. A few admittedly didn't enjoy it as apparently it doesn't live up to the comics or Hot Fuzz, but I for one thought it was probably the best film of the summer. Big statement considering Inception and Toy Story 3 have been hot topics... Oh, and The Human Centipede.

Afterwards, JJ and I met with the guys from www.heyuguys.co.uk who I have been dying to meet for so long. We found a quirky little pub and had a few drinks and discussed the industry. They're truly lovely and I really hope we get to meet again soon. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you've probably seen I've written for them, that's how I know them! That and Tweeting. We also met a few news faces which I am now following on Twitter... What a great tool.

When we left, I got offered the chance to be a prostitute for JJ as he needed to pee so thought it would be best to go down an alley way. When actually, we sneaked into another pub and used the facilities there... To pee, not for me to be a prostitute. And then we got the train home! To top it all off, I saw a shooting star. What a truly perfect evening...

It's a surreal feeling fulfilling a dream you've had for a while. Mine being going to a press screening and having a review published. It's just amazing and something I'll never forget.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World *****

Press Screening Preview review for www.blogomatic3000.com

This isn't your typical dose of a super hero movie; this is an injection of life into cinema that you'll find hard to compare to any other film you've watched. The geek-chic appeal it provides, along with the comic book style editing and gaming type action behind it makes it perfect for any film fan wanting something new. As well as this, the charming, endearing characters and the quick wit humour makes this film an all round original piece of entertainment, taking you on a virtual ride with Scott Pilgrim.

Directed by Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead), the editing behind it is hard to go unnoticed. The biggest amount of care and attention to gaming fans has taken this film to the next level. By placing in captions like "And then..." on a blank screen to skip a few hours in the film, and putting words like "Whaaaaaaack!" directly onto the picture homes in on the indie comic book readers which will appreciate the quirky characteristics linking back to the very popular comics written by Bryan Lee O'Malley. To top this off, the art work created in the books is included in the film. What more could an avid fan want?!

If you're thinking this is just another chance for Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim) to play the adorable nerd, you'd be right. But there's just something about this film which has brought this sense of awakening to his acting. He makes a great super hero. One that's not there to save the world, but there to get what he wants - His gorgeous little scene chick Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). She in herself is a powerful member of this uber cool cast and creates the complicated dynamics of the relationship perfectly. You can see why she's got 7 evil ex's, she's enchanting and mysterious. Along with this, Alison Pill (Kim Pine), Kieran Culkin (Wallace Wells) Anna Kendrick (Stacey Pilgrim) and of course Ellen Wong (Knifes Chau) bring essential comical plot drives and character developments which keep this film at a pace so hard to lose interest from.

Speaking of, the action is incredible! Scott Pilgrim's whole premise is to defeat the pretty cruel and mocking ex's of Ramona to win her over. Who would have thought you could create 7 separate scenes of incredible animated action all leaving your mouth wide open as you're watching the fights take place. They're not gory or realistic, they're purposefully immensely unreal, showing how Wright's mind wondered when he read the books as the scenes took place. You're left watching this piece of film that just blows your mind with excitement.

It isn't just based on the action though. It shows a typical young 20 year old trying to make something of himself. Scott's in a band dreaming of something huge. He goes to house parties, he fools around with girls. He shares a gritty looking house with a gay room mate. He's your average guy that falls in love. This is what separates it from other super hero films. We're not watching someone who is a million miles away from us, we're watching someone like us. Added with this, it's genuinely a very funny film. Of course you would expect this from Wright, but he's turned an action film into something fun, silly and completely likeable by all audiences. It really isn't a let down to fans anticipating this film since they first heard about it, and it will definitely be something that captures new lovers everyday.

This is a glorious piece of Hollywood genius. It brings this sense of imagination out that's rarely been attempted before in cinema. It's just too good to describe. You'll laugh, you'll be sitting on the edge of your seat, you'll feel a connection with the characters and you'll be stunned at the creativity. If you do one thing this summer, see this unexpected triumph.

Crazy film inspired tattoos!

For www.blogomatic3000.com - See the article here: http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/08/09/films-that-have-inspired-crazy-body-art/

If you’ve read the latest issue of Total Film magazine, I’m sure you didn’t miss The Human Centipede tattoo which would either make you laugh or feel a little bit worried about the guy who had it done. For those of you who haven’t seen, this is what it looks like:


Yeah… So, I did a bit of research and found it’s not just The Human Centipede that’s had an effect over the art one displays on their body. Here’s some of the favourites that I can across on the Internet:

So, this is Edward from the Twilight series spread across a poor person’s leg and back. I’m sure that’s exactly what they want!

Who wouldn’t want Gerard Butler shouting “THIS IS SPARTA!” imprinted onto them?

Perfect for any Trekkie, sorry, Trekker fan!

Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty McFly get to go on all sorts of travels now!

I bet the owner of this tattoo is (fear and) loathing this piece of “artwork”

And finally, the creepiest of them all.

Hey, maybe you have some tattoos from your favourite film? Whatever the reason, they’re sure dedicated to their passions…

Why girls should hunt around their guy's DVD collection (For www.dorkosphere.com)

We all know it’s a typical trait of women to be immediately attracted to the “It’s Complicated”, “27 Dresses” type films, and to be fair I’m no stranger. “Twilight” is my guilty pleasure, and when I say guilty I don’t mean it at all because I adore the series. This is because the market these films are aimed at is women, because they’re more likely to fall for the characters and the storyline of a fantasy type romance that’s been done countless times. So much research has been done and has found that men spend more on DVDs, so maybe girls, you should have a look around your boyfriend’s movie collection as there are some gems to be found – they’re not all “Die Hard”, macho blood fests.

Films like “Fight Club”, “The Godfather”, “Alien”, “Scarface” and “Pulp Fiction” are classics when it comes to a cinematic experience. The reason they are so popular is because they’re original. The films don’t follow a typical pattern that has set out and worked a 1000 times, they’ve changed them making it a truly unique experience. Yes they may be gory, but it’s this gore and the way in which it approaches the subject which makes them original. They’re in your face and tell the truth, it doesn’t pretty it which breaks away from the Hollywood system.

If you think all comedies are stupid and pointless, think again. “Anchorman”, “Role Models” and “The Hangover” are truly, rib breakingly funny. Line after line of quotes and scenes which seem outrageous but work so well on-screen are what takes them away from the “Scary Movie”, piss-taking comedy. They tell a story throughout as well, so you’re not just left watching scene after scene of ridiculous circumstances, you’re actually hearing a tale being told.

Some of the most intellectually stimulating films could be found in their collection too. Take “The Departed”, “Requiem for a Dream”, “Trainspotting” and “The Shining” for example. These films delve into the mind in a way you’ve never quite seen before. They’re designed to keep you on the edge of your seat and make you squirm or be shocked. Not in a “OH MY GOD, HE’S BEHIND YOU!” way, but so subtly
done you don’t realise it’s happening until you’re actually caught up in it. They challenging and insightful, not just an excuse to watch drug related disgustingness.

And finally, watching rom-coms is never going to open up your mind to the possibilities of editing in films. When you watch “Donnie Darko”, “Kick-Ass” and “28 Days Later”, you’ll see a way of filming that draws your eye to everything on-screen. The focuses they use, the locations in which they shoot, the originality of the camerawork is mind-blowing to anyone, not just the makers of the films.

Obviously, I’m not saying all women have never seen these films but the majority would be put off by the marketing that makes it look tough, scary or just plain horrendous. But don’t be, your boyfriend has good films! He’s gonna have some “Top Gun” and “The Fast and the Furious” in there too, but you can just skip past those…Right?

Top 5 Pixar Shorts (For www.dorkosphere.com)

In 1984, something was created that from then on would cause an overwhelming feeling of excitement in each and every person when they went to see a Disney Pixar film. That something was “The Adventures of André and Wally B” – Pixar’s first short (well sort of). John Lasseter made groundbreaking work involving the short tale of the cute characters of André and Wally B, using incredibly emotion and charm from a computer at the time. From then on, Lasseter played a huge focus to Pixar’s success and with now around 20 shorts, each evolving into something greater, more entertaining and completely original each time, they’re a big part to our cinema-going experience every time we set out to see a new Pixar film. “Day and Night”, the latest of the little features has an immense amount of work gone into every detail making it possibly the most memorable and most appealing to audiences. Taking this out, I have explored the different shorts and come up with a top five which you must watch in order to gain the real satisfaction of the artwork these films use.


5 - “Lifted” was the short for “Ratatouille” and sees the adventure of a naive alien practising using all the wonderful buttons on the spaceship in which he lives. The way light and dimensions in this is used is particularly interesting to watch. And the fact that adults can relate to the almost driving test appeal it gives means it’s entertaining for all ages. That is what Pixar does best!


4 - “For the Birds” really shows off this animation company’s ability to create humour on a mildly sadistic level but keep it heart warming and enjoyable to watch throughout. It was the short for “Monsters Inc”. which in itself was revolutionary for the way in which Sully’s fur moved. They took this level of perfection on the bird’s feathers in this short which makes for a very realistic watch.


3 - “Geri’s Game, made for the first Pixar film “Toy Story” was of course so unique and original at the time. No audience had seen a film with this level of computer animated imagery, and to see a completely different story as an introduction to the film with compelling characters and almost a tear jerking storyline all in under 4 minutes was something you’ll never quite forget watching for the first time.


2 - Seen before “Up”, “Partly Cloudy” really shows off Disney’s ability to imagine up a truly original piece of work with characters you can’t help but feel a huge connection with. To even imagine that you could personify a cloud and capture children’s hearts with the tale of the stalk carrying a baby is just so clever.


1 - "Luxo Jr.", of course! It had to be. That jumpy little lamp isn’t just before every Pixar film we see bouncing on top of a letter; it has its own feature which was shown before “Toy Story 2″. This short takes everything into account; the incredible animation, the adorable characters, the quick but impacting storyline and the charm that comes along with every single one of these shorts.

I did this article for www.dorkosphere.com - You can read it here: http://dorkosphere.com/2010/08/07/guest-article-top-5-pixar-shorts/

Cinema's got Gay Pride (For www.blogomatic3000.com)

As you may well know, this weekend sees Brighton hosting the biggest Gay Pride festival in the country, attracting people from all around the world to celebrate gay, lesbian, transsexual and bi-sexual awareness. If you want to get into the spirit of things, watch the following films for a truly unique look at the homosexual world explored in cinema.


Milk - Directed in 2008 by Gus Van Sant, it tells the story of Harvey Milk, an American gay activist who only wanted to free the country of prejudice against gay people by becoming an openly gay politician in the official elections. Sean Penn plays an incredibly moving performance which only gets better with his added co-star James Franco playing Scott Smith.


Brokeback Mountain – This film was an original and thought provoking performance from both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal which shows all aspects of a homosexual relationship in 60s. It’s agressive, sad, funny and heart breaking all at once.


I Love You, Philip Morris – Starring Jim Carey and Ewan McGregor, this film takes a more comical approach to a gay love story by setting their romance in a jail. It’s odd but totally wonderful to watch, plus you completely connect with the characters.


Bruno – Ridiculous, outrageous and utterly pointless, yet again we see Sacha Baron Cohen play the most extreme of a character he can get. With up close and personal sex scenes, the fight to adopt an African baby and photographs you’ll never be able to get out of your mind, this film almost goes too far but openly discusses the idea of homosexuality.


My Own Private Idaho – Again, directed by Gus Van Sant this takes a more art-house approach to the gay scene and will probably confuse the hell out of you. Designed to look like a Road Movie, this film will either compel you or repel you.

Read the article here: http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/08/06/cinemas-got-gay-pride/

Cupcakes get the red carpet treatment!

If you thought cupcakes were just there to have swirly butter icing on top with 100s and 1000s sprinkled all over them, you'd be wrong. So many creative types have made unique designs on their little sweet treats, and these ones are all themed around films. My two loves combined into one - Cupcakes and films. I was in heaven googling this...

Sex and the City just got girlier:

Darth Vader from Star Wars looks more appealing this way:

Twilight gets more tasty:

Horror fans, you'll be in cake hell:

WALL-E couldn't resist Eve's eggcellent makeover: