Comic Book Adaptations

Comic Book Adaptations

They have become the new big money spinner in Hollywood; they rarely live up to fans expectations and whether we like it or not, they are here to stay. The reason I bring this up now - a combination of The Dark Knight being so damn good and hearing that Venom (the psychotic symbiotic black goo) is set to get his own movie!

These adaptations have saved comic books and introduced them to a new generation of comic books fans, being a fan myself I think this is great. The bad side is when the films let you down; take my favourite comic the Xmen. The first film although well thought out and very character driven just didn’t have the same feel as the heroics in the comic, the second one however was brilliant. From the first scene you know Bryan Singer had heard what fans wanted to see and he gave it to us. The third one is so over saturated in new mutants from the comic; it’s hard to know where to look!

Spiderman went through exactly the same thing, the first one was fun enough but no one could ignore that ridiculous green goblin costume, but it did feel like the beginning of something and it was. Spiderman 2 was until I saw The Dark Knight the greatest comic book to film, it had everything you could want and was an emotional roller coater of a film! Spiderman 3 had too many bad guys and you just didn’t feel for the character as before.

Before I start going on some huge rant about comic book movies (and I could go on for hours!) I’ll wrap this up now. Comic book movies are here to stay, The Dark knight has shown us just how good they can be. Avoid these ones….

• Daredevil
• Elelktra
• Fantastic 4 (1&2)
• Batman and Robin
• Ghost Rider

There are more but I can’t think of them all at the moment, here are ones you have to see…

• Xmen2
• Spiderman 2
• Iron Man
• Batman Begins
• The Dark Knight
• Batman (Tim Burtons)

Again there are more.

Anyway, check out Marvel.com for news on their new films…

http://www.marvel.com/news/movies/

or how about dc

http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd


I finally got around to watching this last night and I must say, I am hugely disappointed! Put simply this film is supposed to be a musical but every time someone opens their mouth (that includes the ever charming Johnny Depp and the British institution that is Alan Rickman) you feel like forwarding it, or putting your fingers in you ears!

A musical should have catchy music and memorable lyrics; only one song in this entire film is any good! The saddest thing is that every time there is no singing its actually quite a good film, with some great performances from an all star and dependable cast, a script full of some great witty lines and directed as you’d imagine a Tim Burton film to be.

Saying all of that is anyone else fed up of Tim Burton’s style? I mean there’s no doubt he can really do it well, but when every film looks the same it just creates this barrier between the film and the audience. Everyone knows when they see that Tim Burton is directing they know what they are going to see before they’ve seen it, is that a good thing?

Nope.

Tim everyone knows your good at this Gothic eccentric style please try something else!

Well here is some great casting news for Tim’s next one, Alice in Wonderland
http://sify.com/movies/hollywood/fullstory.php?id=14725639&cid=2360

check out Sweeney Todd yourselfhttp://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3509881/Sweeney-Todd-The-Demon-Barber-Of-Fleet-Street/Product.html?cm_mmc=Froogle-_-Films-_-Musicals-_-Sweeney+Todd+The+Demon+Barber+Of+Fleet+Street+(2+Discs)&source=5061&engine=froogle_film&keyword=Sweeney+Todd%3A+The+Demon+Barber+Of+Fleet+Street+(2+Discs)+DVD

Some like it Hot

Some like it hot


There are some movies that because you’re a film buff or film critic, or just any self respecting fan of cinema that you are expected to have seen. Tonight I watched one of them. Some like it hot is always up there in the top 100 lists and always charts near the top for the best comedies. That’s because it’s a true original, sure the term ‘high concept’ was around before it but some like it hot does it like no other.

With an all-star cast dazzling the screen it’s hard to know where to look half the time, Marilyn Monroe is truly the definition of a Hollywood Movie star and not till I watched this movie did I realise why. I mean sure her life was shrouded in controversy but on screen her presence is felt ten fold, the way she used to curl her words into a sultry mix of sex and power it’s a joy to watch.

Whilst Marilyn’s performance is stunning the comedy is held by stars Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis whose performance as cross dressed band girls is the performance all cross dressing acts should live up to. Not because of how convincing they were but how they handled the Dialogue, The films dialogue is sharp quick and witty and you just feel no one else could have done it.

What I’m really trying to get at? Well this film is a classic in every sense of the word and now I know why it’s always up there.

Click here if you want to check it out for yourself

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Some-Like-Hot-Marilyn-Monroe/dp/B00005Q61Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1217112030&sr=8-1

or if you don’t want to buy it then click here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC0wO25_tKo

and go here and see why time love it so much
http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/0,23220,some_like_it_hot,00.html

Four Minutes (Vier Minuten)

Four minutes (Vier Minuten)

Up until about two years ago, all I really cared for was anything that came out of America or Hollywood. In a way that reflects what has happened over the last two years, a boom in foreign cinema. Kicked off by films like Amelie (which I only shamefully say a few months ago) or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, this boom has caused for a few more to flood the market.

Four Minutes is one of them, it’s a German film set in a women’s prison. Full of hope and beautifully shot it’s a simple tale of succeeding through adversity. It made me think of other foreign films I think everyone should see like Pans Labyrinth or Volver.

Speaking of foreign films check out the best at

http://www.foreignfilms.com/

My review will be up over the weekend at

http://thesmellofnapalm.com/

In the meantime check out what Film Four thought

http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=165224

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

Today I’m thinking it’s a good day to be freelance writer, on Monday I got to see The Dark Knight before its release date. Not just that I got to see it in the London Imax, for free! Now whilst that is very cool, it has been a bit of a double edged sword. Imagine if you will, you have just seen what you think is the film of the year and you have no one to talk to about it, it’s terribly frustrating.

This film is easily the film event of the year, not just because of the circumstances surrounding Heath Ledger but also the hype. It all began with Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan single handily saved a franchise. Lets face it Batman had become this horrible glaring neon vision that hurt the eyes! It had become camp with everyone wearing skimpy outfits and the whole script having undertones of sex and terrible innuendo; of course we’ll also never forget the be-nippled bat suit!

What Nolan did was to take who is one of the most believable comic book characters and make him just that, believable! I mean let’s face it all the other characters are from other planets, are mutants or have been irradiated. Bruce Wayne is just a guy with limitless money! On the same lines as Tony Stark except without the battler armour, when you make a hero more real everything he does has an extra sense of danger, thus making him more heroic and making for a great cinematic experience!

Anyway enough for now, The Dark Knight is breaking records

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/dark-knight-breaks-200m-in-record-5-days/

The Critics are loving it

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=the+dark+knight+reviews&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

So am I

http://thesmellofnapalm.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=260:the-dark-knight&catid=36:in-cinemas-now&Itemid=54

Welcome to a Bee on Film

This is my first blog on what is to become my online portfolio, so welcome to the world of the bee on film. First a bit about myself, I am 24 I live in South London and am happily engaged and have two beautiful children. Of course being a freelance writer I have a day job to pay the bills, I am as of this minute a Sales Executive for City and Guilds but am due to leave here on the 15^th August to do pretty much the same job somewhere else!

Now a little about my experience in film, well apart from an Acting degree cut short and the odd film project, including writing/ acting and voice work with friends, my experience is the same as most peoples. Sitting there after paying the extortion they charge these days, staring at a huge screen and being taken away from your life.

Where I try to be different from the regular person is not to over analyze a film, but to simply see it from more than one perspective. How can you write a movie review if all you’re telling someone is your opinion? Keep your opinion to yourself, or at least keep it down. Cinema is a form of escapism and is now a highly respected and most popular of all the art forms.

For that reason I hereby dedicate myself to bringing movie news as and when I find it, giving you my honest opinion on it. I will bring you an honest review of almost every film I see, helping you make an informed decision on what and what not to see. All I ask in return is that you spread the word; if you like my writing or you feel my honest approach helps you then please let everyone you know…. Well know.

Thank you, remember keep watching and keep reading.