The most anticipated film of 2012 for me is...

... Frankenweenie!

Photo published by HeyUGuys.co.uk

I absolutely adore Tim Burton. Admittedly his most recent films haven't been the greatest in the film world, but next year seems to show a revert back to his original interest of gothic animation.

Frankenweenie's cast includes Burton's favourites such as Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau and Conchata Ferrell. The film tells the story of Young Victor conducting scientific experiments to bring his dog back to life... But with this comes some strange side effects.

God, it's going to be good.

Why do sausages wrapped in bacon make me think of Teeth?

Merry Christmas!

It's a very depressing question to ask yourself on Christmas day. Sausages wrapped in bacon are the one thing on that whole plate of food that turn it from good to great. The simpleness of a sausage wrapped in a meaty coat of bacon is a luxury so pleasurable it makes me want to cry. But you know what else made me want to cry? When I saw one laying on my plate, all pink and juicy, and likened it to Brad's severed penis in Teeth. What made it worse was watching my dog eat one too.

I'm sorry to put that horrific image in your head, but I wanted you to feel my pain, because apparently I'm a sadistic cruel woman. Currently I'm writing a 4,500 word essay on how women are represented as monstrous in film, and chose Teeth as my main film to discuss. So, instead of watching The Snowman or playing family games, I've taken it upon myself to spend my Christmas break repeatedly analysing scenes in which Dawn castrates men. I'm also writing this for a very, very strong feminist who hasn't seen Teeth, so describing this film and how it does portray feminism effectively is a particular challenge I'm finding interesting.

I get told my dog looks a little S&M in this...

My Christmas hasn't been completely filled with vagina dentata, however. I've watched Elf (possibly my favourite Christmas film besides Jingle All The Way), Santa Claus The Movie and Miracle on 34th Street. These are my go to films to get me in the Christmasy mood. Usually Love Actually is whacked out on Christmas Eve, but this year my family chose to walk my dog through muddy woods then crack open the champagne - Not a bad substitute. I just watched the scene with Andrew Lincoln telling Keira Knightley he loved her through cards on YouTube. That's one of the only reasons I watch that film, and to see Rowan Atkinson as the sales assistant, and Bill Nighy as the rock star... Oh sod it, I actually bloody love that film.

Christmas day itself was a wonderful affair, besides the whole penis incident... I got some lovely presents including amazing speakers for my laptop so I can watch scenes like this and listen to every little detail:

Great Moments In Movie History 25: Teeth - "Vagina dentata!" - watch more funny videos      

After I've written this essay, I'm doing a research project of the same length on Batman Returns... Hopefully that won't traumatise New Years for me too much. I hope your Christmas was filled my merriment and joy, and you have a lovely new year! I'm sure you'll be kept up to date with my opinions on penis-less men again at some point.

The Film Obsession is changing...

I know, I don't usually like change either, but this time its for the good, trust me!

If you're a keen reader of this blog, or just keep up to date with the things I do through the various social networking sites, you probably would have noticed I've slowed down on the reviews and features. This isn't because I've grown to dislike it intently, it's because I'm a 3rd year student, soon to be an unemployed graduate.

To anyone that's been to university, or to anyone with an imagination, you'll understand what its like to juggle university work, a part-time job, the desperate attempts at trying to find work experience, and not forgetting the social life you somehow have to create. This is exactly what I'm experiencing at the moment.

I naively thought I'd be able to jump into 3rd year no problem and settle back in fine. The truth is, the gear's changed and I'm not fond of it. The workload is incredibly intense, and the expectations are high. In order to even try and get close to what is needed, I had to cut a few things off the list, and one of those things (regrettably) was adding to this blog. I tried writing as much as I could, but I found my writing lost its edge a bit. I started to feel that I had to write rather than a wanting to write.

This is why my blogs have been very infrequent, even though I promised to do more, and even start those vlogs again - Yeah, that's not going to happen. It turns out I'm too cringe stricken to even face watching my old ones, let alone start doing more.

So, with all this in mind, I'm going to change what The Film Obsession is. Rather than just a way of advertising my articles to readers of the Internet, I'm going to turn it into a more personal blog. I'll write about weird encounters I have, exciting things to happen to me, and generally talk about things that intrigue me. Of course I'll still write reviews and features on film, because that is what I love. But I'm hoping this new sense of personalisation will help with finding my writing style again.Too many times I've written formal essays that my creative writing has started to feel too formal. And formality is the last thing I want... Which probably isn't the best, come to think.

ANYWAY.

"The Film Obsession... And my weird and wonderful life" starts here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! (Go onto Google's homepage).

An alternative look at a fight scene in The Dark Knight Rises

Before you see the videos below, just look at this great photo:

Anyway! It seems some lucky people on Wall Street have got to witness scenes being filmed for The Dark Knight Rises. The videos below are all taken from people working in buildings surrounding the area. It beats checking the stocks, right?

There are a few videos roaming around, but these were some of my favourites:

(P.s. If you play these all at once with your speakers on full volume, you might feel as if you're there)

Why did the audiences clap at the end of Johnny English Reborn?

Eight years after the first Johnny English film graced our screens, we're now being taken back to that same state of mind with the sequel that was released earlier this month. Almost three weeks after it came roaring into cinemas and hearing quite poor reviews of the film, I (reluctantly) decided to watched it. To my surprise, the cinema was almost full with the audience's ages varying from 8 to 80! It was filled with laughter from beginning to end, and as the film came to a close the audience clapped. Only once have I experienced this happen, and that was at the press screening of Scott Pilgrim - And that really did deserve an applause. So why do audiences love these films so much?

The first, most obvious reason that comes to my mind is the fact it stars national treasure Rowan Atkinson. In England this man can do no wrong. He gained fan's attention from Black Adder, became internationally popular with Mr Bean, starred in films such as Love Actually and Rat Race, and is now Johnny English. With these comedy roles securely placing him as one of the most popular comedians of our time, he literally can do no wrong, including starring in this relatively dull, silly film.

The second reason could be because it is a silly film. You're not there to experience a life changing, melodramatic performance that's been created to make everyone rethink about the way a film can be produced. It's there to gain cheap laughs, fulfil that inner child's humour and be a fun couple of hours to pass on a day off. Added with this, the third reason could be because it caters to so many different people. The target audience isn't set strictly to children, so the protagonist isn't a spy child ready to concur the world. But it also isn't set in stone for adults, so it contains slapstick comedy ready to make the young'uns laugh. By doing this makes it a perfect family film. No one's going to be frightened, no one's going to be bored (well...) and everyone's going to enjoy the silliness.

The forth, probably most important reason, is because it's a British film. We've all seen how successful The Inbetweeners Movie was. Us Brits love a good laugh when the comedy is directed exactly for us. It's a sarcastic film filled with iconic shots of London and the way English people see themselves as. We take it as one of our own creations, and being typically British, we're very proud of that and will support it.

And finally, the fifth reason why audiences could love it so much is because he isn't actually a good spy. He's an everyday guy, getting into situation that anyone of us, when put into that situation, would do. We would trip over things, we would miss a shot when killing a bad guy - That's what makes him so relatable for audiences to enjoy. Johnny English doesn't try to be the smooth badass that gets all the ladies, he's the extra in the film that's been given a chance to shine.

So whether you hate these films or love them, you can't deny they are perfect for a family gathering, sitting in front of your TV after watching The X Factor, and seeing the stupid antics he gets up to. Whether it deserves an applause, I'm still not sure...

He is a bit brilliant.

Psycho trailer: The best (or most ridiculous) trailer I've ever seen.

During my seminar this week for a module called 'Hollywood: Industry and Imaginary" we were shown this trailer for Psycho (1960). 

Isn't it just the best thing you've ever witnessed in your whole life? 

Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but just how intrigued were you to carry on watching it? You might of found it cheesy, funny, creepy or weird, but you still didn't switch it off. 

Why do we not get films advertised like this anymore?

Hitchcock, what a man.

Hey, I'm back.

July 1st, 2011 - That is when my last blog was. How disgraceful is that?!

I'm sorry if you have been waiting for a post at all. I've had a few comments asking whether I had stopped blogging, or why I haven't updated it in so long, or why I haven't been at any events. This poor thing's been so neglected. But now I am back, but with a change.

Previously this blog was mainly focused on formal reviews or press event coverage. But recently I've had to slowly come to terms with the fact that trying to attend press events, work a part-time job and study at a 3rd year level is very, very stressful. So, I will of course keep blogging, but at a more relaxed pace with a few features on various random topics. I will try to attend as many events or screenings as I can, so they won't be forgotten either. But there won't be a post twice a week or something like that. I will use this blog as a way of expressing how I feel over different film issues, review films I see at the cinema or a screening when I get a chance to go and do the same with events.

I really need to focus on finishing my degree and actually figuring out how I'm going to have a career after university.

So, yes, The Film Obsession is still alive. I will post a new video on here in the top left corner which I discover to do with film, and will generally post as and when I can.

Thanks for sticking with it and keeping an interest!

Kelly x x

[Review] Bad Teacher

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[Review] Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (3D)

Michael Bay knows how to make an explosive, mind blowing, action-packed film. I can imagine if another director were to compete with his obvious love for this detail, they would be pretty hard done by. You can witness his work perfectly in the Transformer films - And this one is no different. But, if you are going to see the film for anything other than watching the screen fill with torn apart buildings and robots fighting in surprisingly impressive 3D (Plus, of course for some lingering eye-candy shots of a hot blonde) you will be massively disappointed. I want to say I was entertained, but I can't. However I also want to say I really disliked it, but I can't. 

What let the film down in my opinion was the length and the storyline of it. There were so many scenes, including the ridiculously long set up of the story in the first quarter, that could have been easily reduced and had a more quick, easily understood impact. As it was so drawn out, the focus to the story becomes hazed and the inevitable fight towards the end of the film is all you want to wait for. 

The dialogue seems to have lost its witty edge as well. The parents (Kevin Dunn and Julie White) are there as if to keep the fans happy without a real influence on the story, which is a shame because they were always a highlight to the scenes in the previous two. Shia LaBeouf (Sam Witwicky) still plays the scaredy-cat hero, but because he's got a knowledge of what the robots are, there's less surprise and more of a "LET'S GO!" attitude. 

There's no human character written into the story that really stands out in the film. Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) plays the new Megan Fox and does live up the the expectations, but doesn't have the bad girl image alongside it, so she falls under the damsel in distress category which leaves her passive to the story. If John Malkovich (Bruce Brazos) had more of a role in the film, I think he could have really lifted it, but he was a cameo for a fun few scenes. 

What is the saving grace of this whole film is the amazingly edited special effects. Even from the first Transformers film, I have always been amazed at the quality of the visuals. So much of this film is in slow motion as well, so you can fully be in awe of the minute aspects the editing team have created - Such as the Transformers changing from car to robot, and the way they fight and break each other. 

With this means the events are just so entertaining to sit and watch. So what if you've seen Bay destroy almost every landmark known to man! He'll always find some more and it will still be just good plain fun. And I think that's the whole point of these films - You're not there to be emotionally moved by the acting or the morals of the story, you're there to watch robots fight and things blow up. There's nothing wrong with that, and anyone who tells you otherwise, well, you can just class them uptight adults who want to neglect their inner immaturity rather than embrace it. 

As for the 3D? Well, this is one of the exceptions. It's the little details that should be in 3D, not just guns pointing towards the audience, and that's exactly what happens in this - Even sun light reflections. This film makes the war among inanimate objects quite beautiful, actually. 

Yes it's long, yes I was disappointed, but I still left the cinema thinking "Those fight scenes are bloody brilliant to watch."

[Events] BBC Philharmonics presents Great Film Scores live on BBC 5Live

Thanks to the lovely people at BBC, I was invited to Salford's MediaCity to celebrate Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode's 10 year anniversary on radio by listening to the beautiful Philharmonic Orchestra perform several popular film scores live on 5Live. Now, obviously Salford is quite a distance from Brighton so I needed to figure out a way of getting there. Ben, from HeyUGuys, stepped up to the task of driving there and back in one day. Here's what happened, and why is it was truly special event to be a part of...

Getting on the train for 6am was quite a shock to the system considering I have been living the life of a student for the past year or so. But, as it's me I was beyond excited to be a part of this event, so that kept my energy levels up. When I reached Elstree and Borehamwood station, I was delighted to notice a big poster advertising Elstree studios - I hadn't put the 2 together and then it clicked. As Ben and I drove away from the station, posters were everywhere showing what films had been done there. This efficiently allowed us to geek out, and after we stocked up on considerably unhealthy snack food, our journey to the North really began.

If you were following me on Twitter, you would have been kept up to date with our journey and ridiculous conversation taking place. Ben discovered I am quite easily distracted when something looks exciting. To some it can be frustrating, but he found it highly amusing. We saw things like this:

A plane on the road?! Only when you spend a long distance on a motorway do you see things like this.

As we approached MediaCity, we discovered we were an hour earlier than expected because Ben hadn't changed the time on his SatNav. So, as we parked up and left the car, we found a Costa and had a lovely sit down and discovered what MediaCity was like - Very clean, new and odd. Odd because there was a man roaming around on a Segway just checking out the scenery. (We actually know he was a security guard, but how I described it is much more entertaining, in my opinion anyway)

We got to the BBC centre and had that little press panic of not being on the guest list, but alas we were. When we walked through the glass doors, we were reminded of why we were here:

The Philharmonics Orchestra are an amazing musical experience, and we were privileged enough to be invited to this event, not only to watch them, but to celebrate the much appreciated film critic Mark Kermode, and the as loved radio presenter Simon Mayo on their 10 year anniversary together.

As we were waiting, we saw this and realised we would have to be a bit sensible when sitting in the broadcast room. Also as we were waiting, I was lucky enough to catch a few words from Simon Mayo who seemed ready to start the show, saying how fantastic it sounded and how underdressed he was compared to the majority of the room.


Before we were allowed in, BBC asked us to fill in some questionnaires about the show and our personal choices when it came to film scores. They told us these would be used in the shows, and that they are encouraging audience participation. Us being us, when given the chance to film out a form, we tried to be as serious as possible.

Mine was this:

And Ben's was this:

Jokingly we laughed about what would happened if one of us were asked to go on 5Live radio to discuss our answers... But, rather than discuss further, we got taken into the broadcast room, with the greeting view being this:

A whole room full of musicians with the most intimate audience watching on. I think you'll agree it's quite an breathtaking sight. We listened as they started warming up, hearing what was going to be a fantastic sound for the show. Soon Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo entered the room. They greeted the audience, filling in the gaps before the live broadcast started. The cameras filming the show were gearing up, setting their places for the live streaming of it, and then suddenly show began.

To begin with, the orchestra played the famous music from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The excitement that filled the room was incredible. After this, each song was eagerly anticipated. We heard pieces from Taxi Driver, James Bond, The Mission, The Godfather and Blue Velvet. The score that seemed to get everybody bobbing their heads, including Kermode, was from Magnificent 7. The players seemed to really love what they were doing, and you could see how immersed in the music they became as their movements jolted with the sounds.

We were given a short break whilst the news and sport was announced. During this time, members of the audience were called up because of their responses on the questionnaires we had to fill out. Names were said, and when the final one was called, we heard "Ben Mortimer, we'd love you to come talk to us." It was such a great moment because for one, we both have a mutual disliking of being on camera, so the thought of Ben having to be filmed was quite entertaining for me. The second reason was because it was RADIO 5LIVE and Ben as going to be on it - How often does that happen?! He slowly made his way down, and the radio show began again.

Kermode and Mayo started their film review section and began 'interacting with the audience'. There were 4 people being asked questions, and when Ben got given a chance, he even managed to slip in a joke about being numb to the retrieval of bad news because of how good the orchestra were. They asked for his favourite film score to which he responded Ravenous. Now, I haven't seen this film but apparently the music is very hard to describe, and when they asked him to remind them of it, all of me wanted him to sing a little - But surprisingly he didn't.

As the orchestra began again, I reminded myself of how amazing it was to be sat in such a (relatively) small room with so many talented musicians playing music from some of the most brilliantly made films. What was extra special was that Kermode had been practising all week for his harmonica solo in the score from Midnight Cowboy. Needless to say he nailed it, surprising everyone at his efforts with a harmonica. After this, music from There Will Be Blood was heard. And also, we were given quite a mystery piece as it had rarely been heard before, but apparently Paloma Faith insisted it was played. It came from Wong Kar Wai's 2046 and immensely filled the room.

To end this fantastically entertaining show, it was the score from the one and only Raiders of the Lost Ark. As this piece came to an end, the audience were cheering with the full orchestra on their feet bowing. Mayo seemed especially grateful for their contribution to their show, as we watched in awe of them for most of the broadcast.

When we left the room, Ben and I realised how exceptional this show was. Going to red carpet events and screenings are exciting, but this was something completely new for the both of us. To sit and listen to your favourite film music for two hours, whilst being a part of one of the country's biggest radio film shows is an experience you can never quite take for granted or forget.

On our way out, we did spot this little guy:

It's not everyday you're in the company of an ACTUAL Dalek, so clearly we had to get a picture.

We made our way back to the car, both agreeing this event was brilliant and we drove home... Which took a very, very long time. But, as we did, we listened to the Radio 3 broadcast of more film scores being played. Ben said "It's weird to think we were in a room with them 2 hours ago." and then we reminisced. It just goes to show even if we do get to go to all these glamourous events, we're never unappreciative.

If you want to listen to this show, head over to BBC 5Live's website. You can hear it from beginning to end, and try and experience what we experience first hand - A magnificently entertaining musical performance and radio show.

[Review] X-Men: First Class

Taking a film that's got a well loved cast and replacing it with young, new faces would be risky, especially when those films have been hugely successful in terms of audience following and critique. Now, imagine one of those characters was so popular that he got given a film based solely around him, and he's not in this new one? That would be extremely risky indeed. But, bold as it may be, it works - And works well. This adaptation of the X-Men comics takes us back in time, bringing light to fond characters and giving us the well needed dose of X-Men story magic. Move over Patrick Stewart, there's a new version of you on the block and he means business!

Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Stardust) steps up to the task of directing this gigantically action packed film, and most definitely brings a large visionary scale to it. The locations vary in almost every scene giving you something new and exciting to look at in the various parts of the film. When we come to the conflict, he doesn't shy away from showing pain, meaning all those details you'd rather not see (like a knife in someone's hand) are there. But this doesn't mean the whole film is gory. His filming of it is done in a way that makes it bearable to watch, almost to the point of not being able to take your eyes off the scene. He also does this through the extreme establishing and tracking shots. Particularly towards the end of the film, you are guaranteed to be thrilled by his interpretation of how a battle between super powers should be conducted.

As with any super-hero film, the audience need to feel a sense of the impossible being completed. This film shows just that with the brilliantly crafted special effects, but adds a bit of sentiment to the story, as we watch these incredible 'mutants' from previous films learn their trademark power. The development of the characters in this film fit perfectly to what's already been seen. If you're a true fan, you'll notice particular references that will make you smile. And I think this is what makes First Class quite charming, in a way. Nothing hides away from the fact that we are watching a prequel, which means it all fits in together smoothly.

Now for the big question - Are the cast any good? In my opinion, yes. They're not impersonating, which I think can be a big issue when it comes to prequels. The cast have their own sense of the characters, and are obviously well aware of their status in the film meaning the characters that are meant to shine do, and those who are companions stay as companions. James McAvoy (Charles Xavier) warned fans of the X-Men series not to watch this, but he fits into the role brilliantly, showing he can be quite powerful if he wants to be. Michael Fassbender (Erik Lehnsherr) brings the aggressive emotion that rivals the good intentions from Charles which makes the film flow effortlessly as they play off each other well. In fact, as a whole, the group of mutants hold the humour, anger, confusion, vulnerability and the race to win as much as the previous films do, coming together as a group accordingly.

This is a real summer blockbuster, filling the screen with exhilarating detail perfect for all sorts of audiences. Even if you've seen none of the previous films, that doesn't matter. The story holds its own and leads you into the other films as if you were reading a well drawn map.

Bloopers with actors in costume make it all the better to watch:

[Review] Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (3D)

You would think that after 3 films about a cheeky pirate, the plot couldn't really adapts itself much further, and your thoughts would be right. While this isn't a bad film, the storyline's just a bit mundane because we've seen everything before. It does, however, play a lot of focus to women, both human and otherwise which is very entertaining showing their competitive streak against the male domination of the previous films. Overall though, it's just Jack being Jack with a few extra lady-friends.

There's no denying the visual aspects of this film are incredible. Rob Marshall loves his spectacular shots, and as with this, they are definitely something to gaze at. The ridiculously big fight scenes are choreographed so well you can only get caught up in them, helpfully passing the time in this relatively long film. The scenery shots are not to be argued with either. We're given those gorgeous sweeping establishing shots that identify the enormity of this film, and bring with it that exciting element of location shooting giving the film it's proper pirate feel. The effects with water are also flawless. It almost looks real as the Fountain of Youth starts crawling up walls and surrounding various pirates.

However, because of the extremity in situation, the shots become cluttered. There's so much going on in each scene it becomes hard to focus on one element of the film, leaving you to be immersed in an intense action film which can be quite daunting, especially if you're wearing 3D glasses as that's even more claustrophobic. This combination of shouting, gun shots, sword fighting and quick cuts makes it quite a stressful experience to sit through. But obviously, as these films have progressed, their budget has got bigger, meaning these supreme fight scenes are about as dramatic and outrageously far-fetched as they can be.

The storyline just seems to progress effortlessly leading the pirates from A to B without any sort of disruption. There's no plank walking or discovery of new places. The characters know where they're going and what they need to do. Although this makes the plot easier to follow than the previous 2 films, the mystery element is gone, losing it's magic. Because we've become so accustomed to the settings, there's not really much else we can find exciting. The only thing that's good is that it sticks to what works for the films. It's got the loud and familiar soundtrack, the good humour and the brilliant locations.

A great bonus to this film is Penelope Cruz. She's sexy, charming and charismatic - A great rival to Jack. Having a lead like this makes up for the loss of Keira Knightley, and brings with it a whole new light to females. Mermaids, which also play a focal point to the story, are surprisingly scary. Forget pirates that are really ghosts, one kiss from these evil bitches and you're done for.  But, let's not forget why we all love (and apparently some hate) these films - Johnny Depp. He's everything you want him to be, but a little bit more tanned this time adding to his output of beauty. However, what's disappointing is that I think Geoffrey Rush has lost his bad guy appeal and become a commodity that brings all the films together - Controversial, I know.

So, how to sum my thoughts of this film? It's okay. If you enjoy the films you'll find it lightly entertaining, much like I did. The 3D element isn't necessary, as I find with most films. And there's also a short clip at the end. It doesn't add anything to the plot in my opinion, but if you're going to sit through the credits anyway, it's a nice way to end the film.

I wish I wrote him a letter...

[Review] Senna

My fear for this documentary is that it's only going to attract Formula 1 fans, and this just shouldn't be the case. From the beginning of this informative and emotional story focusing around the unjust short life of Ayrton Senna, we're taken through his trials and tribulations. We see his astonishing highs and his heartbreaking lows up until the end of his time. The feature length documentary is not only brilliantly edited together to capture emotion so hard to conjure up in a specialist film, but it uses footage that's interesting and probably not seen by fans and the general public, making it all together a superb piece of film-making.

Director Asif Kapadia seems to have put his heart and soul into this. His admiration for Senna is reflected in what occurs throughout the film. You're not taken from scene to scene, being fed regurgitated information heard several times before, but are shown a heartfelt life story with archival footage creating intense emotion. The range is taken from home videos to news footage and interviews from all around the world truly showing the effect this man had over Brazil and the Formula 1 following.

I have to admit, I take a vague interest in, what looks like to me, an expensive car race, but Senna was someone I knew very little about. After watching this documentary, you can't help but feel a total loss. I understand a documentary is made to effect you in a certain way, but the way his life is revealed to you, the courage you see him build and the determination he has just brings you to a stand still as the film ends. You witness his beginning and then dramatic death only to feel an emptiness as the film slowly begins to roll the credits and finish. This is how a feature-length documentary should be made.

The uncertainty of filling a two hour space with clips of a good car racer did cross my mind. But once it starts your eyes are transfixed on the screen. There are points of rage you feel for him, a need for celebration and a cause for mourning. What's most hurtful is the fact that this is his life you're watching. You can't shy away thinking it's all fake. You are watching a world famous man's life rise and fall in front of you.

The most fitting word for this film I can think of is "dedicated". The film is dedicated to Senna's life, dedicated to making a perfect viewing film, and Senna himself was dedicated to the world of racing. All three are met perfectly, paying a justified tribute to him, giving his fans a world-class reminder of who he was, and bringing a brand new respect for his life to new people.

What a cheeky man:

[Feature] The King's Speech: After the hype.

After the, what seemed to be, endless months of praising, celebrating and encouraging this film, I still hadn't gone and seen The King's Speech at the cinema. For reasons I can't quite pin down, the fact of the matter is I just didn't buy a ticket. Not through some sort of pretentious rebelling, not allowing myself to get caught up in the hype, and not because I was SO busy I just didn't have the time of day to see it, I just didn't. 

But now I have. I sat down in front of the TV, put it in the DVD player and watched this film. I have to admit, I was so excited because this truly seemed to be a phenomenon when it was released. I didn't see a review lower than 4 stars, and whoever I spoke to about it seemed to rave. The award ceremonies didn't disagree with any of that either. So, all this expectation and what for? Quite a positive reaction actually. 

It's a thoroughly entertaining film on all accounts. The story is moving, the dialogue is witty and the acting is "just splendid", to quote the film. Adding to all this, I think my favourite thing about the whole movie was the direction of it. The movement of the camera, the editing of the shots and the framing is beautiful. I almost watched it again just to admire the gorgeousness of it. Tom Hooper deserves all the glory he received. 

What's pleasing after watching it is the fact that it's a genuinely good film, not one of those who gets caught up in the excitement and then forgotten about. You could watch this film over and over again and not get bored. The storyline isn't too intense, and I'm sure you'd notice new things in each scene every time you watched it. The fact that it stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter puts the cherry on top of the cake. Actually, what DID put the cherry on the cake was the little girl from Outnumbered, Ramona Marquez. That girl is lovely. 

You should remind yourself of this great feature and watch it again. It's a beautiful and heartwarming film, as you probably are well aware. It oozes Britishness and makes you proud to be a part of the nation this film belongs to. There's enough eccentricity in it to not make Britain seem to middle-class, but enough seriousness to keep our reserved nature flowing. 

[Feature] Lego Film Posters: The Funny and the Weird.

I love looking at other people's interpretations of film posters. It's really interesting to see what they do with the concept of the movie. Look at Olly Moss -  He completely redesigns the posters and features them in Empire magazine every month! When looking at these posters, I came across this ingenious one:

Jaws in Lego form is brilliant, right? So I found some more and created a whole post about it. (It's amazing what you can do when procrastinating)

American Beauty is definitely my favourite - Even though it is slightly disturbing. 

Made In Dagenham (DVD Review)

For Blogomatic3000

For any female looking for a bit of a self-esteem boost, this film will absolutely hit the spot. The characters are endearing, the story is inspiring and the entertainment running throughout keeps you glued to the screen. You can't watch this without wishing you were there to experience the incredible movement these women made in society. Don't get this confused with a chic-flick though, because this has a far deeper level to it than your Drew Barrymore film. 


Based in Dagenham where Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins) made her name, the girls involved really are fun to watch. They're cheeky, charming and you can easily gain a connection with them. Added with this, we have Bob Hoskins there to guide and support the girls along in their fight for justice. Rather than taking over the scene because of his strong presence, he sits back and lets the women dominate the screen


What's great about this film is that no one is glamourised. Set in a run-down area, the girls live with a low-income and average life, but are full of fighting spirit. This turns them into believable, watchable people who really effect you emotionally. Particularly with Sally Hawkins, the timidness mixed with determination makes her final result that more jump out of your seat exciting, because she's overcome this fear of hurting anyone and stands up for what is right.


You can just imagine what really happened in the 1968 strikes at Ford. The costumes are perfect, the iconography of the time is placed into the film effortlessly, and the music matches every scene. Clearly Nigel Cole (director of this and Calendar Girls) has found his calling. He turns females from the sex symbol stereotype of Hollywood to real, beautiful women with passion and drive.


Adding all these elements together, plus the fact this is a proper British film makes your love for the country's film industry grow even fonder. You gain a new found respect for these real women that deserve to be credited, and actually can understand what feminism is really about, rather than the cliche men-hating name it seems to have made for itself now.

Arthur [Review]

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Guess what?! We see Russell Brand playing himself... again. But this time he has a slightly softer voice with his comedy toned down, which makes him seem even more childish and a bit mundane, if that’s even possible. As you can imagine, this story is somewhat boring, but oddly, there is enough essence to keep you going through the two hours of a man completely reliant on his mother’s money. 

The film is of course a remake of the 1981 Arthur, whereby Dudley Moore plays this eccentric, spoilt man-child, but unfortunately this is another adaptation which doesn’t live up to the original. Russell Brand adds charm, and the modern technology serves well in the film, but there’s nothing quite like watching Moore frolic around in his giant bathtub. 

What seriously lifts this film is the two main females in Arthur’s life, Hobson (Helen Mirren) and Naomi (Greta Gerwig). They turn this film from a dull lamp to a bright spotlight. Mirren is her wonderful self, adding even more British elegance than Brand - The self-proclaimed English gentleman now famous in the United States. And Gerwig adds just enough quirkiness to match up to Arthur, and make it believable that he could be attracted to a ‘poor girl from Queens.’ Brand responds well to both these characters, and all three of them play off each other perfectly.

The relationships in the film are all relatively plausible, and you can gain a sense of the connection, or in this case disconnection, with each other. This therefore adds a little sentiment to the tale being told. You do catch yourself starting to feel a tiny bit sympathetic  towards certain people, but then realise the story is quite bad and snap yourself out of it. Although, I do have to admit, the sad moments are given to us VERY sadly, taking you out of this happy-go-lucky mentality, and leaning you towards the more serious side of life in an instant. 

There are some entertaining moments as well, with lines that will make you chuckle. Hobson has a very dry sense of humour that contrasts against Arthur’s deliberate jokes. Jennifer Garner’s slapstick comedy approach to her ‘naughty’ character adds another level, and we get the typical ‘foreign man not understanding things’ references with the servant, Bitterman (Luis Guzman). All this and Gerwig’s use of language matching up to the walking dictionary that is Russell Brand gives that extra quality which will stop you from finding this an utterly monotonous film.

However, it just feels like another feature that will come and go again. There’s nothing that stands out, and once the film’s finished, you don’t feel emotionally effected by it. The best way to describe it is ‘neutral’. 

The Roommate [Review]

Two girls, one room and an obsession - This story has the potential to be very, very good. We could see a claustrophobic style of filming like in Buried and a horribly passionate psycho like Cape Fear's Max. But instead we're given a watered down thriller with slight elements of horror without the actual gore factor, making the whole impact of his film quite minimal. 

The lead actresses are, of course, gorgeous. Leighton Meester plays the 'overprotective' Rebecca to Sara Matthews, played by Minka Kelly (a Kim Kardashian look-a-like). I think the polite way of putting what I want to say is 'their acting is subtle'. But what I'm actually thinking is 'I didn't notice anything another than two girls remembering their lines from a script." This is also mimicked in Sara's love interest Stephen (Cam Gigandet). He is there for the eye-candy to the girls supposedly wanting to watch this film. However, the main audience for this, I imagine, will be teenage boys wanting to see a little lesbian action, with connotations towards this idea running as understated as a clown in a funeral. 

I do have admit, I did have fun watching this. I'm not going to deny the fact I love cheesy horror films, and this gave me my fix of the week. If you go in expecting the worst film you could possibly imagine, you'll be delightfully entertained. You know, its one of those which is so bad it becomes funny, and therefore likeable. Its not boring at all. The film is relatively short, and there is enough action to keep you interested through that hour and a half of your life, if you're willing to sacrifice that time for this film. 

The elements of the story are quite controversial. Sara's sister has died, Rebecca has a serious mental health issue, and therefore adopts the position of the sister in an absurdly evil way, such as stealing the dead sister's jewellery. You can begin to understand how this film could be great, but with references such as a poor excuse for Facebook, rather than the actual website, an attractive cast, with that being the only element going for them, and the ridiculously dramatic acting means you're just there left thinking 'Really?' 

The sexual references with a quite perverted teacher, girl on girl action in a club and a phone sex conversation seem to be more fitting for a porn film than this. Maybe if they added more graphic images and changed the publication and output of this film it would have been more successful and would have given the audience what they actually wanted...

Go De Niro!

Submarine [Review]

Curiously beautiful, this film is. From the stylish cinematography to the quaint acting, the screen is filled with presence that makes the watching of it full of heartwarming and entertaining events. Based around the few things that happen in Oliver's (Craig Roberts) teenage life, we see relatively little occur, but those small happenings have a big impact on our emotions.

A directing debut from The IT Crowd's Richard Ayoade in terms of a big screen release, he has really made an impact on his style of filmmaking. He places emphasis on the craft behind the filming of an event, and uses interesting editing techniques to create a sense of feeling in the scene. The film flows effortlessly, but you pick up on the detail that's included, making you want to congratulate him on his achievements. Rather than having his style slapped in your face, like a Michael Bay film for example, you're gentle caressed with it, becoming more and more caught up in the world that the film is creating.

What adds extra passion to the story is the soundtrack. Written by Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), we're given gorgeously calming songs that enhance the mood completely. Reflecting this feature, the songs are simple yet effective.

Craig Roberts, with his funny voiceover, interesting looks and on the outskirts, dull personality reminds me of Moss from The IT Crowd, but as with him, when you see more of his character you become more compelled to learn about him, and find he's not dull at all, but a very intriguing boy. His love interest Jordana (Yasmin Paige) is just as engaging, showing quite a cool exterior, but really being a broken young girl. Every character in this film has alternative motives, which adds to the charm, changing your opinion of them constantly throughout.

The trailers for this seem quite art-house like, but it isn't as pretentious as you may think. The humour is constant throughout, but very dry indeed. There are scenes in which you wonder whether you can laugh, and others that are just laugh out loud funny. Yes the style is Ayoade's own and not necessarily what you would see on a typical main stream film, but you're never struggling to find the actual meaning behind the shots, you're just there to enjoy. Notice the use of red, it's brilliant.

If you read the short summary of this film on IMDB.com, you can gain a better sense of this feature:

15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: To lose his 

virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the 

flame between his mother and an ex-lover who 

has resurfaced in her life.

In that short paragraph, you smile, notice there is a serious element to the story, and appreciate the way its phrased. Imagine that in a film and you've got it. 

Lovely.

I do adore Moss.

Jameson Empire Awards 2011 [Report]

Thanks to HeyUGuys and Ben Montimer, I was lucky enough to attend red carpet event and press room for the Jameson Empire Awards 2011. It was a stunning exciting night with some great results voted by the Empire readers. If you want to read in detail all the interviews, awards and coverage, head over to HeyUGuys' dedicated page. It includes Ben's interviews on the red carpet, and my scramble to film, the results from the night, my interviews with the stars after they'd won and a recap of everything written by Jon Lyus.  

Here's my experience:

Ben and I arrived at the London Grosvenor House Hotel, Mayfair about half an hour early. After tensions started to arise when trying to find out where we were supposed to check it, we received our green wrist bands and got the makeshift camera with extra strong tape holding it together set up. 

The event was decked out in Empire and Jameson related backdrops. The red carpet was ultra bright, but not so much after someone broke a glass and spilt their drink on it. You saw the panic in the PR's faces as this happened, but as quickly as it happened, it was cleaned up.

Soon the attendees started to arrive. We saw the likes of Keira Knightley, Lily Cole, Dara O'Briain and Edgar Wright casually slip past all the press. It is ridiculously manic on the red carpet, and seeing as we were right next to the paps as well, the noise was unbelievable. We did, however, manage to speak to Tom Felton from Harry Potter, who is one of the nicest men alive. He seemed to appreciative bring the representative for Harry Potter, and later told us he saw himself as a minor role in the film.

We caught a few words from Chris O'Dowd who told us he was extremely hungover, and was in no way interested in directing, unlike his co-star Richard Ayoade, who has recently directed Submarine. It seemed everyone was hanging as Dermot O'Leary also stated he was feeling a little fragile. 

Jane Goldman told us that she absolutely loves HeyUGuys, and Jonathan Ross seemed to be lapping up the press, and making the little girls in the crowd scream with excitement. We were next to Heat World who didn't seem to get a very happy result from the stars, especially Sarah Harding who made it clear what she thought. 

When we thought it had all finished on the red carpet, Gary Oldman arrived, who was the man of the night by the looks of things. He was surrounded by staff from Empire, snatched away by as many press people as he could be and really gave it his all. He's one of the quietest men in showbiz, fact.

When everything did finally settle down, we headed back to the press room which had lots of sandwiches and alcohol for us all to enjoy. Ben and I found our very good spot on the red carpet inside, and waited for the winners to present themselves. 

Eli Roth was the first to arrive with his award for Best Horror with The Last Exorcism. He seemed to want to really go and party. The cast and crew from Four Lions seemed so happy with their award for Best Comedy. After this I spoke to Tom Felton again, Mark Strong and Jane Goldman. Noel Clarke was telling us about some recent work he's been doing. Tom Hiddleston, now my favourite man ever, was telling us how awesome he thought the script for Captain America was as well. We then briefly saw The Inbetweeners with Dexter Fletcher, and then Colin Firth with Gary Oldman - Of course! 

It was such a fun night, and I have now gotten over my fear of interviewing. Ben said he wants me to go in front of camera which, funnily enough, probably isn't going to happen anytime soon!

March Update [Film Obsession News]

Oh Hi! Remember me?

You have no idea how much I've missed blogging on this site. So much has happened in the past few weeks that I thought I'd fill you all in. Exciting, ay?

First of all, I'M GOING TO BE ON THE RADIO! I recorded a show on Wednesday 23rd, and it's going to be broadcasted on Saturday 26th at 11am. Admittedly I'm only on it for about 10 minutes towards the end talking about film remakes and froze once or twice, but it was a lovely experience. It's Radio Reverb in Brighton (97.2 FM) and the show's called The Geekend. If you're not free for the whole hour, tune in about half 11 and I should be on sometime around then - It's in the last bit of the show. But it's also full of other film related things, so you might find it interesting to listen to anyway.

Secondly, I got a new job! I'm no longer going to be working at the lovely HMV. Unfortunately, as much as I love that place and all the crazies that fill it, I just fancied a change and have been lucky enough to get a job as a sales assistant at Angel Food Bakery. It's a gourmet cupcake shop in Brighton, and if you know me at all, you should realise I'm pretty obsessed by these little cakes. I start working at Angel Food Bakery on 11th April. I'm actually thinking of starting a blog based around all things cupcake, so keep a look out for that.

Thirdly, if you're going to keep up with the Jameson Empire Awards on Sunday 27th March, I'm covering it with Ben Montimer for HeyUGuys. We'll be on the red carpet and in the press room, so you'll be able to hear all the gossip. For those of you who followed me when I was covering the BAFTAs, you are probably well aware that I get very excited at these events, so be prepared for LOTS OF CAPITALS AND EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!

Other than that, I'm going into my final term of my 2nd year at Sussex doing Film Studies. The work load is mentally horrible, so please be patient if you're expecting lots of posts. During term it's incredibly difficult finding the time between studying, mentoring and working. But I'll do my best from now! Three lovely girls from my course and I have found a house in Brighton to move into in September, so we'll stay up all night quoting anything we think of. It's all very Film Geek Chic, babe. Just one more thing, a certain someone has got me obsessed with Guillemots, and we're seeing them again on 18th April, but saw them this month where we met Fyfe Dangerfield himself afterwards. I almost crumbled when he had his arm around me, and I almost didn't let him go. But I thought it was safer for everyone that I did... *sighs*

I hope everything is well with all you lovely readers, and thanks for encouraging me to keep posting. It's such a lovely thing to hear, and so nice that you're all so interested. Please don't see this as showing off, it's merely a reflection of how enthusiastic and happy I am. Come see me in the cupcake shop! I'll make you a coffee.

See ya,
Kelly x x