Lesbian Vampire Killers

It would be difficult to write a review about this film without noting the many comparisons it will surely receive on Shaun of the Dead. A comedy pairing straight from the TV screens, trying to push their status across the Atlantic and also into the homes of many more fans.

The problem I have with this is that Pegg and Frost are clearly much better. Either this, or Edgar Wright, who directed those two in Spaced followed them to direct both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Horne and Corden just don't have the same talent, don't get me wrong, the film was hilarious, but it just didn't have the film references done quite as well.

My first niggling annoyance was our first scene of them in the pub discussing the holiday in which the whole film surrounds. Close up shot of the pub name, slide cut to them in the pub drinking. Torn straight from the pages of Shaun of the Dead. Next, main character trying to get over ex-girlfriend, getting very drunk in pub with fat best friend telling him theres plenty more fish in the sea. Ooops...did someone just do some copying and pasting?

James Corden is a very funny man, this is mostly just due to his massive over-confidence and his generally all round persona. He is one of those people who can effortlessly just be funny. Mat Horne (note to the Horne parents: a mat is something you put outside a door to rub your feet on.) is simply the main character who gets the girl, zero to hero, everyman type of person. The pairing works fine.

This is definitely a lads film. This probably is quite noticeable when looking at the title, but it seriously is very lad orientated. There's boobs, toilet humour and erm...vampires.

Now, it probably sounds a lot like i'm slating the entire film. However, I really enjoyed it, it wasn't hilarious throughout, but there some very funny moments. Some jokes overused, but it was the random lines peppered throughout which offered the laughs, catching you offguard.

All in all, it was nothing to shout about, but I would definitely watch it again. Another example of the British film industry pushing it's way to becoming a force to be reckoned with.

8/10

DVD, Blu-Ray and a Consumer Obsession.

Stepping into The Mall in Preston today I stumbled across my new foe. I say foe lightly however, the place is more like a best friend and an enemy. 'Replay' possibly has the most enticing DVD offer i've ever witnessed, like my own personal nicotine it draws me in and never fails to make me part with some dosh.

I don't know what is is about DVDs, earlier in my life I would see 3 for £20 and throw a fit then buy the lot. These days i've come to realise that my money needs to be stretched that little bit further so DVD splurges are few and far between. It just never seems as though i'm spending a lot, now I go for the £3 pound DVDs knocking around HMV or the amazing offers that play.com seem to produce. Although, it seems DVDs are dropping in price quicker and cheaper.

Blu-Ray is unashamedly stealing the DVDs glory, no longer are we given the DVD in the adverts, now Empire magazine is plastered with Blu-Ray adverts in double page spreads offering us the next generation in film viewing. This is fantastic, or it would be if it didn't scare me.

I now own upward of 250 DVDs (I think), so as the Blu-Ray weedles its way in, the DVD gradually moves out of favour. Just like VHS did, not long before. I admit, it's going to be a while before DVDs do become obselete, with shelves still filled with DVDs rather than Blu-Rays.

The DVDs drop in price, I, and most likely everyone else, buy them and then it works towards having a bigger collection of DVDs which are potentially moving towards being obselete. It's a vicious circle.

Today, I stood in front of around 50 DVDs trying to select 4 to get my £10 worth. Not because I need them, but because it seems to good an opportunity to miss, and has been the last two times i've visited the shop. I search through them all and whittle them down to the best contenders in my own personal DVD X-Factor. It has become a case of choosing DVDs, not just based on merit but on whether it completes my collection, I have Saw 1 and 3, so Saw 2 was an obvious choice. Maybe i'm going a bit far with this, but I stood there for a good 10 minutes trying to decide.

Whether i'm a film lover/buff or a consumer bitch is yet to be seen, but i'd like to think the former is to be the true analysis.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

I've dropped the review from after the title...because i'm pretty sure you all know what it is.

So, anyway, the new Kevin James starrer is rubbish. From the Sandler production company, this film just couldn't stir up much more than a chuckle. The chuckles mostly came at times when they weren't meant to.

Firstly, i'll tell you what was good about this film. Kevin James, he carries the film, if he wasn't in it, it would really be awful. However, he manages to raise a few laughs and a scene in which he rocks out to Detroit Rock City is fairly priceless. Unfortunately the supporting cast just don't do the same, when you've got 'that girl from Epic Movie' and 'the weird brother from Wedding Crashers' as the two below him on the bill, you know you're up a certain creek without even so much as a plank to float on.

Now, heres the fun part. It's time to tell you folks what was particularly bad about this film. The director Steve Carr seemed to have an obsession with stunt glass. I think various characters smashed through some form of glass at least ten times. I know a mall doesn't provide much in the way of stuff to blow up, but come on. It must have been like christmas when he filmed a scene in which Kevin James is in a glass elevator and has two of the henchmen smash through the glass to attack him.

Speaking of the henchmen, I guess the Power Rangers stunt doubles must be out of work. The amount of unnecessary back flips and jumping down stairs was unbelievable. Oh. Not to mention they were all named after Santa's reindeer. Lead by probably one of the top ten worst movie villains of all time.

All I can say is I hope Seth Rogen's next film, Observe and Report, manages to make the mall security guard look good.

2/10

Destroying Our Childhood, One Cartoon Character At A Time.

Recently, it was announced that Tom and Jerry and Yogi Bear were to receive the 'Garfield' treatment and get their own live action/CGI films. Initially, this makes my heart bounce with absolute glee. Tom and Jerry probably being my favourite cartoon as a child, and probably a lot of other peoples.

The only niggling little feature is the whole CGI/live action bit. It's a tag which never quite amounts to everyones expectations. Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam began the trend, without CGI, and managed fairly decently to seamlessly blend cartoon and live action. Looney Tunes: Back in Action then kind of ruined everyones efforts before attention was turned to CGI. Garfield, Scooby Doo and Alvin and The Chipmunks came along, and didn't quite manage it either. Don't get me wrong, Garfield was an enjoyable film, but it nowhere near captured the wise-cracking genius of it's comic strip predecessor.

Scooby Doo was originally a cartoon based on a murder mystery, with the first film following that formula to an extent, but it relied heavily on silly slapstick gags and just didn't really seem to live up to its cartoon partner.

Usually, it's the live action part which ends up being the clincher. The 'supporting' cast if you will. Breckin Meyer in Garfield just sounded like a helpless loser, leaving it up to his cat to find his other pet. Honestly? Really? Jason Lee in Alvin and The Chipmunks, seems a little warmer, gathering a fan base from his turn in My Name Is Earl. Matthew Lillard did an OK job in Scooby Doo, but it was more of an overexaggerated copy of his cartoon counterpart.

Tom and Jerry have been long overdue a live action film. However, previous films don't leave much of a taste for anticipation. Yogi Bear equally. It's a predicament the film makers may have to combat. Previous attempts at the same sort of material have been hit and miss. There's no doubt the kids will flock to see these films, but in the long run will they stand up proudly against the original source material or just float into the wilderness of the DVD stands.

Watchmen Review

Arguably one of the top ten most anticipated films of 2009 hit cinemas last friday. Reviews seemed decent, with the general consensus being that it kept very close to the graphic novel. Which I had read a couple of weeks ago in preparation.

As the film started I sat staring at the Imax screen, fully expecting to have some sort of strain on my neck by the end of the film.

The tagline "Who watches the Watchmen?" was answered fairly well when we got in, everyone and anyone, and at a 11.45 showing, this definitely shows it is going to be popular.

The film seemed long, and I am fairly split as to whether I liked it or not, I did in a sense, but also I didn't. The action scenes were few and far between, but when they did happen, they were fantastic. Definitely not for the faint hearted, lots of blood and sometimes the fight scenes offer so much fast cutting I felt a little dizzy.

With it being based on a graphic novel and following closely to it, this had its advantages and also its disadvantages. Firstly, it meant that it pretty much had a script there already and a storyboard. However, because each box only has 2 or 3 speech bubbles, the gaps in speech were quite frequent and it all seemed a bit boring.

The film was similar to The Dark Knight in that it was fairly slow to begin with, until everything kicked off. Then I was firmly stuck to my seat.

Zack Snyder can definitely put himself up there as being the man to adapt graphic novels, after this and 300. Along with some rumours about him being the back up if Nolan jumps ship from the Batman franchise.

Now for the acting. Jackie Earle Haley IS Rorschach, he fit into the character perfectly, the voice and the general mannerisms were exactly what Rorschach is. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson as The Comedian and Nite Owl II both were perfect in the roles. Billy Crudup as Dr Manhattan, although being a big blue man for most of the film was pretty good too (apart from half the time having his 10 foot glowing cock in your face for half of the film).

Matthew Goode as Ozymandias wasn't so good. He just seemed a bit poncy to actually look like he could fight anyone. Then Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre II, really, she just can't act, fantastic to look at however (and for the boys, she gets them out).

All in all, it didn't make me want to rush back to see it again. However, it was decent enough and people will give it bonus points for sticking so close to the base material, but I think this is where it suffered as well. It's difficult to keep the peace everywhere.

7/10

The Foot Fist Way Review

Well, another film tagged with the Ferrell/McKay seal of approval always warranted a viewing. Starring Danny McBride, the new up and coming actor in the Judd Apatow pack.

The film was all a bit rough around the edges, it had a taste of the Napoleon Dynamite about it, amateur style acting and a lot of improvisation. There is promise in Danny McBride, which seems to be why he's been thrown straight into films such as Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express. However, he cannot hold a film as a leading man, although this was his first film, so it's only expected.

Foot Fist Way offers a few chuckles but nothing out of this world. Although it's a damn sight better than most sport comedies. All in all, it's good but not amazing. Just okay.

5/10

Michael Bay/Bayhem/Bay-splosions

This is a post i've been meaning to do for a while, but it has taken me some time to collect together my thoughts and ideas. Plus, the inconvenience of travelling to and fro from university to home hasn't helped too much. Here I will be telling you why Michael Bay is a good director. I'll let that sink in for a bit...

Possibly the most hated director working in Hollywood today, mostly amongst those self proclaimed film experts on forums and messageboards, with their only expertise being based on they own roughly 2, 567 films made in the outer reaches of Eastern Europe and they tell 'real' stories...there is a reason why the mainstream film industry hasn't picked up on them...it's because they are rubbish and only useful for a film studies lessons.

I feel i'm going off the course of my original idea. For those of you who don't know, Michael Bay has directed a multitude of blockbusters. Bad Boys 1+2, The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbour (or Pearl Harbor to go by its real American name), The Island and then of course Transformers. I am very aware that not all of his films are great, The Island was OK at best, and Pearl Harbor's only crowning moment was watching the destruction of the titular site.

Bay creates films for teenage boys, and he does this very well. He's good at blowing stuff up, he's good at choosing leading ladies, he's good at creating action sequences. Does this necessarily equate to him being a bad filmmaker?

If the target audience and the production company are asking for an enjoyable film, he can create one. No one wants every single film ever made to be a deep, heart-wrenching piece of cinema. We can't have the Godfather or the Shawshank Redemption being made a thousand times over, sometimes you can't be bothered with it, I know I can't.

Sometimes all you want to do is sit back and watch Will Smith driving really really fast dodging falling cars. Sometimes you want to watch robots fighting each other. Sometimes you want to see the end of the world being prevented.

He makes visually amazing looking and exciting films. Transformers used some of the best special effects of last year, utilising CGI to the best of its ability.

Isn't the idea of film about escapism, it's a form of entertainment, I want to be entertained. I think some people forget this, demanding thought provoking and interesting subject matter. His films aren't necessarily thin on plot either, they might end up being a bit far-fetched, but who cares?

I know i'll be waiting in line to watch the Transformers do battle again this summer and so will a hell of a lot of other people. I'm aware by voicing this opinion, I have committed film journalistic suicide, but I feel a lot better for it.

A little quote from Nick Frost to finish this off:

"You ain't seen Bad Boys 2?"

His disbelief is warranted, any action fan should see that film.