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From this point onwards all beeonfilm will be posted on thursdays...

check out my Star Trek review that has just gone live...

A little late, but by no means lacking in quality...

Well I did start writing this yesterday, but seem as my Pc has decided it hates blogger I thought I would try today instead. So where was I yesterday well it has been an interesting week with hopefully a very good week to come with two interviews I could be back at work soon, yay! No more job centre for me, thank Christ!

Anyway, I saw Star Trek last night and much like my working life it looks like it has been re animated. My first message is to those who think Star Trek is the domain of geeks who dress up as Klingons or learn Vulcan, geeky Star Trek this is not. Its action packed and fast paced from the word go and it hardly lets up. All of the cast are brilliant as their predecessors and very enjoyable to watch, even very funny in places. Go see it or check out my review on my usual site if you want some more details, I will of course post it.

I did also watch 10 things I hate about you over the week, the first time I had seen it. It was good, most of these teen comedies feel like guilty pleasures when watched especially when you’re not a teenager. This one especially so, as it cleverly use’s Shakespeare’s basic premise of Taming of the Shrew to make a very entertaining witty film. Heath Ledger is great in it and I bring him up because its sad watching anything with him in anymore, knowing that a young actor was just getting to the top of his game when tragedy struck.

Well I didn’t really watch anything else and I wont count Carry on Cleo that was on ITV, so some news. Bradley Cooper who is the jock in Wedding Crashers and he’s also in this summers The Hangover is rumoured to be cast as face in next years film version of the A-Team. I don’t really know much about this actor so I wont hazard a guess as to whether that is good casting but either way I think an A-Team movie is a bad idea.

Ok with that I’m off; I have some interviews to prepare for. So the other day I discovered that according to the laws of entropy, the universe itself with eventually whither and die, making everything you do pointless, so you may as well just keep watching and reading.

An apology, followed by some good writing?

Firstly an apology, I didn’t post last week as it was a rather busy bank holiday. Family visiting from Scotland, an 18th Birthday and the boys weren’t feeling too great. I’m not coming up with excuses or anything. Also an apology for not having any images, the uploda thing on blogger is being rubbish and my son is haning off my shoulder crying for Sports candy (bloody lazy town!).

I did see Wolverine mid week; I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. I think that may be because I hyped the film up a bit too much, it felt like it was covering ground already tread and that’s not just me as a comic book fan speaking. Think of the first three x-men movies, which were pretty, much Wolverine pictures anyway! Its fair enough most of the comic books end up with the old clawed one saving the day in a different way. What I’m trying to get at is that the X-men movies already covered the whole Wolverine in weapon x programme making this film seem a little pointless. The film is saved by action sequences that are very well done and stand out cameos from some great mutants, Deadpool being the highlight. Where I was most disappointed was the guy they got to play Gambit (who happens to be my favourite Marvel hero), put simply he just wasn’t cool enough. When in action he was very cool and how I imagine it would look but in the danger of sounding like a fanboy with a stick up his ass he should have had red eyes! He should have been damn more arrogant and they didn’t seem to understand that Gambit is an anti-hero as well as wolverine and he just wasn’t scripted or played that way. I’ll stop their cause I’m getting a bit angry.

Anyway, not much film viewing going on at the moment, though I am looking forward to buying rolemodels tomorrow, if you haven’t seen it I suggest you do it is very funny. I did watch the illusionist the other night; it wasn’t to bad and would have been better if Christopher Nolans Prestige wasn’t so good. The Illusionist is the tale of Eisenheim who falls in love with a woman way above his social standing (as you do). As expected this goes tits up and our Illusionist goes into exile across the world, while there he seeks mysteries and a copy of the Prestige. When he returns he can make Orange Tree’s grow very fast and communicate with the dead. The story may seem predictable but just wait till the ending; the problem in this film lies in dull and un watchable characters. Edward Nortons Illusionist has his moments but most of the time he’s dialogue is ruined by moments of romantic melodrama that just don’t fit in with the film. If you want a film about turn of the century magicians please watch The Prestige, its brilliant.

Angles and Demons
I’m going to see Star Trek this Wednesday but next Wednesday I’m going to see Angels and Demons. I’m looking forward to it as I thought the book was much better than The Da Vinci Code, Angles and Demons is a faster paced more thrilling story that doesn’t get lost in its conspiracy theories and if the trailers are any indication it looks like the film is going to do the same.

Anyway, like I said sorry about last Sunday but I’m only human, keep watching and reading wont you theirs a recession on its cheaper.

What lovely weather, lets hope it continues...

Doing these columns on a Sunday is getting increasingly tiring, this is supposed to be a day of rest and I’m up at 6.30 writing? I think I might change the day but for now I’ll keep this up. If you haven’t watched Rocknrolla yet for fear that Guy Ritchie has lost his touch I suggest you watch it. Rocknrolla is a return to form in a London gangster romp that as we know suits him down to the ground. The film is easier to follow than revolver; it has some very watchable characters like Lock Stock and Snatch and it throws in some original idea's from the seasoned director. Guy Ritchie takes on the Russian Billionaires buying up land, football clubs and anything they can get their hands on! He deals with homosexuality and makes it very very funny; the parts I’m talking about are the funniest in the film, just watch for Gerard Butler’s reactions. Watch it because there’s no school like the old school and Guy Ritchie is the f*cking head teacher.

I did watch more movies this week but cant remember them for the life of me, which is a bad sign. Instead I’m going to do a preview thing of the next few weeks in cinema.

Wolverine: Xmen Origins
Next Wednesday, not this Wednesday I will be going to see the first of what is to be a very good summer. Wolverine in some ways is the Marvel comic film I have been waiting for about 5 years! It has Gambit in it and he’s not just a name on the screen (damn you Bryan Singer!) He’s a character. Whether or not Taylor Kitsch will do the raging Cajun any justice is yet to be seen but he looks the part. Of course it also introduces Deadpool, the deadly wise cracking assassin and lets face it there’s no one better to play him that Ryan Reynolds who has practically made a career out of wise cracking. What of the title character, well Hugh Jackman was born to be Logan it’s that simple. There is no way anyone else could play him now; Jackman plays Wolverine with great conviction. Playing the perfect anti hero that regularly flays his victims in the comics cant be easy but he does it so well. So let’s hope that this continues in what will be a great start to the summer, Claws crossed.

Star Trek
The week after I will be going to see this re invention by surely the lord of the geeks JJ Abrams. The man responsible for the irritatingly long but terribly addictive Lost has put it on himself to bring back star trek. He’s a brave man but despite the first few seconds of that awful trailer “I am James Tiberius Kirk!” the film seems to doing well. Early screenings indicate that the critics are eating it up and the fans that have seen it love it. Simon Peggs in it which is enough to get me to the cinema and Zachary Quinto (Slyer) looks like he has perfected the younger Spock and I’m looking forward to seeing how he does.

There are still more to come out after that, Transformers, Terminator and many more. Right I’m off to church…

I feel I'm close.... I am close

This weeks entry is bound to be a short one, just thought I would lower expectations a bit before I get started. Yesterday I saw my face on a cinema screen; it wasn’t a very big one but still a cinema screen. It was weird but I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be, we weren’t short-listed which I think is a crime! We were clearly one of the better ones on the day but you can see for yourselves as soon as it’s gone up online, I will of course post it. Down to what I have been watching this week, last night I watched Lucky Number Slevin, I had already seen it but it’s a great crime caper. I have never liked josh hartnett so much as his character Slevin, he wisecracks his way through the underworld of two rival gangs, though he spends half the film getting beaten up. Bruce Willis gives a cold performance as a hired killer setting poor old Slevin up for a fall. It is a great film with a great script; I recommend this one to anyone.

I also watched the film that got me into cinema in the first place, Jurassic Park. The whole trilogy for a fiver in Sainsburys, snip! The first one, clearly the best one is a landmark in cinema. Mostly for its effects, as most of the digital shots still stand the test of time and look sublime. The film is classic Spielberg Blockbuster with great characters although I never realised how irritating the kids were! Its suspenseful and everything an entertaining movie needs to be entertaining. Taking it back again I also watched the first Terminator and apart form the score sounding like it was done on a Casio keyboard it was just as good as I remember. One thing I never noticed before is how Arnie moves his eyes to as far as he can see before moving his neck, its so subtle but brilliant, exactly how a robot would look around as its surveys a scene.

Finally a new film,

Finally a new film, Déjà vu with the ever-dependable Denzel Washington who still hasn’t been able to better his performance in training day is good in this. He is convincing as an ATF agent, yeah I had no idea what the ATF was either! America has far to many agencies, great for films though. This is beside the point as Denzels character is shown a technology that allows people to view the past and eventually send a person back. It’s a little hard to follow at first but its basically the same theory as in Event Horizon, you know the whole folding time and space to pass through wormholes. Its good though, thrilling when it needs to be and some real big set pieces from Tony Scott, though Mr Washington does look uncomfortable doing tender moments.

Well that’s it for now, I have to make breakfast and look for jobs I wont get.
Keep reading and watching please.

Kids films and films with a little edge

Ah Easter, a lovely bank holiday full of kids movies and lots of people off work. Of course that’s not really an issue when you’re unemployed. It’s been an interesting week for film, I have seen quite a lot and kids movies are a big part of that. I watched Tron midweek, I couldn’t resist as I had just read a brilliant feature about it in an issue of Empire magazine. The feature showed just how ground breaking it was and after watching it again I would have to agree. The CGI was well ahead of its time, it looked like an 80’s arcade game but then that’s what it would have looked like in the story. It’s that it was made and that it was made so well that counts, of course now they are doing a sequel and you can check out the little sneak peak here on youtube…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPGWYAUF3v4



Another family feature I watched this week was Over the Hedge, a CGI animated tale about furry creatures taking on the world of humans. As usual any CGI animated film that isn’t Pixar never really hits the spot, Over the hedge is very much the same. It does have some funny characters. Its laugh out loud moments are usually down to Steve Carells bonkers squirrel that clearly has ADHD. I also had a week of classic movies, watching Truman Show; I had forgotten just how good it was. Its hard to think anyone ever thought Jim Carrey could do anything serious before it but he is amazing in this film. The Truman show is funny and moving and covers so many themes, from religion to media and what was to becomes the huge rise of reality TV, its all there.

Another controversial film I saw this week was Starship Troopers. Not often though of like that but very much so. The whole film is a statement about neo nazism, to the point where one of the characters appears at the end draped in what clearly is supposed to be an SS uniform. It was controversial in that viewed from a certain point of view it can be seen as a pro nazi film, it glorifies young adults using violence to gain what they need and clearly shows propaganda working its way into the populace. Of course apart from all that it is a fun movie and is supposed to be viewed as a satire of all things nazi but what the hell, do you want to know more?

Finally I watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the new version. It’s a good film in its own right but when compared to the original there really is no competition. Lets compare Willy Wonka’s, Johnny Depps’s Wonka is funny and weird in an endearing way, you warm to him straight away and even though he tries to be sinister it just doesn’t work. On the other hand we have Gene Wilders Wonka, who not until the end are you really sure of him, half the time he seems sinister, the other half your not entirely sure just how same he is.

That’s it for now, over 500 words! Wow there was a lot to say and no time to say it.
So keep reading and keep watching…

It's all about the writing...

I’m very tired and having trouble of remembering what I’ve seen this week! The last couple of days I have been filming a sci-fi short film, I wont attempt to explain what the hell its about cause quite frankly I don’t know. I was acting in it, as the one and only character, it’s nerve racking and probably the last time I’ll do it. I use to think I was alright in front of the camera or on a stage but I seem to just end up being the same miserable (nose bleeding) loser in every thing I do. I think I’ll stick to my writing for now.

As for the writing, writing a screenplay is not easy but a lot of fun and is moving forward slowly but surely. I saw the Boat that Rocked over this week, a film about a pirate radio station with an amazing cast. I read a review before I saw this saying that there is no real plot and what there is, is to thin. Bear in mind first of all that this is a Richard Curtis movie, undisputed king of British rom-com. Now think about Love actually and its multitude of characters and how their stories tied together. The boat that Rocked may have had a paper thin plot but like love actually there were a multitude of characters to write for, unlike love actually which had a whole city to play with for all its characters this was on a boat. This smaller setting meant that most of the characters stories were lost on you and even the ones that weren’t didn’t really have any impact. It was funny though and should be seen as a little brit comedy gem.

I have also watched an inconvenient truth, a film about Al Gore’s presentation about climate change. Its very admirable that Al Gore has taken this on and the message does come across. It’s very American in its presentation but I did get the feeling that’s who it’s really aimed at. The Majority of the statistics that he presents basically have the rest of the world saying, “Ok we’re doing our bit, what about you?” and pointing at America. See it if you want some interestingfacts if you want to know about climate change, google it.

Last and definitely for least was yet another Nicholas Cage stinker called Next. A story of a man who can see his own future but masquerades as a Vegas Magician. Being honest this DVD broke down half way through but I really wasn’t that fussed, Nicholas Cage’s career has taken a nosedive of recent years and Next is just another step down. Its not Mr Cage’s fault, mainly the choice of films. Next is very badly written, awful lines that you really need to see to believe. Not to mention the awful special effects in what is supposed to be a big budget blockbuster.

Anyway I’m off, keep reading and watching please it all helps.

A little bit of nothing at all...

Ok so this is a little late, these usually go up on Sunday night. Well I’m afraid I was just to damn tired after a weekend of leaving do’s, unintended reunions, the 80’s, some Goths and some very short shorts! Of course I’ve had a lot of time to get some film viewing in, I brought some dvd’s midweek one of them is Cashback (one of my first ever screenings and reviews) I love this movie, such an unexpected gem.

Cashback is about an art student when after a hard break-up begins to suffer from insomnia, he decides to use this extra time in a night shift at a local Sainsburys. Whilst here he comes up with a rather imaginative way of dealing with the boredom. Enough about that film though, like I said I did write a review for it and you can check it out on my usual site or click on the link to the right.

Another film I watched this week was yet another I had reviewed before, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. As with Cashback you can check out the review to your right, it must be said that the Narnia films are taking a long time to hit the right audience. The Lord of the Rings happily appealed to everyone, with Narnia it’s very much the same problem that Harry Potter had, the first few instalments were just aimed at children. Now also like the Potter franchise, Narna is getting darker but still not there just yet.

Now for a film I hadn’t seen, I watched the Black Dahlia during the week, a murder mystery about the still unsolved murder of an aspiring actress in Hollywood. The film works quite well and is directed like a classic thriller, what do you expect from the great Brian De Palma? The performances are just as good; Aaron Eckhart and Josh Hartnett play the brooding boxers turned cops very well and as usual Scarlet Johanssen sizzles on screen. It can be a little hard to follow so make sure you concentrate though and much like “From Hell” it does ruin the mystery of the whole murder that is such a bad idea but still worth seeing.

Well I have some gardening to do and a feature on Wolverine and the Xmen to write so I have to go. Take care , keep reading and watching.

I watch the watchmen.... finally!

So in what has been a hectic week I finally got to see the Watchmen, it was as predicted and impressed me greatly. In the way it was filmed and the way the film was presented, Watchmen was very close to the original material. Some fans might be upset that Zack Snyder had to cut out an entire plot line to make the ending work but consider The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson and the other writers had to be ruthless with the books as they were just to long. The films that came out in the end captured the feel of the books perfectly, capturing the most important theme of friendship and indeed fellowship that is so lacking in today’s society.

Anyway, as I was saying Watchmen was as good as I expected it to be. It was refreshing to see another comic book movie made just for adults. I mean it’s not bad that comic book movies are mainly aimed at kids and families but that does mean that some of the older generation who were reading comics long before they hit the big screen were waiting for a more mature approach. Another film I saw this week was Thank You for Smoking, this inside look into the tobacco industry is insightful and actually a lot of fun to watch. Some great performances create sympathy for the devil but don’t worry you wont find yourself wanting to light up.

Like I said it’s been a busy week, I have also seen the fist hour of the duchess but best not talk about it, I don’t have much patience for Kiera Knightly and I like I said I did only see an hour. I did on the other hand see the whole of How to Lose Friends and Alienate people, now I’m a huge Simon Pegg fan so anything with him in I am bound to like. This film was a bit different as it feels like the first big Hollywood outing for Mr Pegg, with star trek coming out this year it seems the British star has stamped his mark. Lets just hope he doesn’t lose sight of what made him so big in the first place. The film was funny enough, nowhere near as good as his other work, probably due to the script written by someone else.

Some news for you now before I get off, the long touted Green Lantern movie looks to have a leading man, in Chris Pine who you can see as Captain James .T Kirk the summer.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/13603/chris-pine-is-the-green-lantern-maybe/

Nothing else really worth mentioning, although bringing up Star Trek again, he premieres is going to be in a Sydney Opera Playhouse, interesting ah - Maybe not. Ok that’s it for this week, please keep reading and watching.

A tribute to a true original

It’s far to early to be up writing this but I cant do it this evening as I’m finally going to see watchmen, due to a little dramatic dog issue I didn’t get to go midweek but come hell or high water I’m there this evening! More about that next week when I have seen it, A week spent looking for looking after my boys, looking for work and playing games has left it a pretty barren week for films.

I did get a chance to see Factory Girl, the story of Edie Sedgwick; One of the “it” girls of her time and Andy Warhol favourite for a few years. It was very good just for the two lead performances, I have never been a big fan of Siena Miller but she embodies “Warhols superstar” so well. To see what I mean just watch the film and then search Edie Sedgwick on youtube, its an almost perfect a tribute to her. Guy Pearce also plays Andy Warhol superbly, I have for a long time though that quite eccentric characters like Warhol were quite easy to imitate but Andy Warhols mannerisms were subtle, his false confidence hides layers if insecurities and Mr Pearce take it all on, in what has to be one of my favourite of his performances.

Shot in a way you think Warhol would have appreciated the film is a tribute to Edie Sedgwick and her tragic life, fully deserving of the best comments. Moving on I don’t have much else to write about, I would like to take this chance to apologize for any bad grammar errors. I am currently going through a bit of a purge of all my bad habits due to getting a warning shot from one of my regular editors. So some old films are going to get reviewed as practice, which will be fun and I’m going to get a test for Dyslexia, oh the joy!

Some news for you to digest, the first on set photo from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is up…

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00022629.html

Another first set photo, this time from Iron Man 2 (for Roston)

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=53600

Finally some news for Transformers fans, Michael Bay is seeking the vocal talents of one Frank Welker. For people not in the know, he voiced Megatron on the original cartoon, anyway click bellow for more…

http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?p=67588#post67588
Right that’s it for now, I’m off to clear up and make breakfast take care, keep reading and watching.

A fish out of water and into a busy frying pan

What a busy week I have had, let me put my life into context for you. This Monday just gone I was in the Orchid room of the Dorchester hotel, I was awaiting the arrival of the stars of this months new release Marley and Me. Feeling rather out of depth at one of these things, my new Dictaphone poised on the table at the front and my notepad and pen at the ready. That morning I was trying to unblock a toilet and keep my boys from killing each other as they war over a train set. I was lucky enough to meet another freelancer, a lady named Gillian, she was quite funny but incredibly cynical and at one point during the questioning showed me a note saying “they have to be the dullest people alive”, I mean it may be me being naïve but actors like these two probably find press conferences quite tedious compared to their normal day to day life?



I found them both quite pleasant, Jennifer Anniston taking every question by the throat and talking for America, Whilst Owen Wilson sat back clearly at ease answering only when asked and adding sly but funny little quips throughout. On reflection seeing Owen Wilson in the flesh has somewhat ruined my appreciation of him as an actor, as he seems to just play himself in every movie. Now the press conference is under in embargo till the movie is out so I cant post anything that was said but I will of course post the link to my article so you can read more.


In regards to movies I have seen 5 this week, the first I suppose could be called another dog based comedy, but the dog is used more as a rather embarrassing plot device, The film is called sleeping dogs. It’s a film about keeping something to oneself basically either that or a lesson about how giving dogs fellatio is a bad idea and “experimenting at college” is no excuse for such lewd behaviour. It had its funny moments but you do have to keep reminding yourself that your watching a film about a girl blowing a dog, it just isn’t right; Directed like cheap porn doesn’t help.

I also watched all 3 Xmen films as part of a Xmen feature I’m writing but more on that when it’s done, I will say that the second one is still the best and the third one just gets worse on repeat viewings! The last film was Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I thought I would like this and I did, being a big fan of Judd Apatow and Russell Brand I couldn’t see what could go wrong. Mr Brand may as well have been playing himself really; there was no need to create a pop star persona.

On a final note but hopefully not the last time I write about it, me and one of my friends have decided to join forces and create a production company to write, film and produce short films. The birth of be warned productions is here, more of that as and when it happens. So on that note its goodbye for this week, I’m seeing Watchmen on Wednesday (love orange Wednesdays), can’t bloomin wait, so keep watching and reading.

Nervous? Me? Never!

I’m sitting here, thinking a few things. Where do I find more jobs? What is that smell emanating from my boys nappy? What will Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston be like in the flesh and will I get a question in? If so what do I ask them? Yes that’s right I’m home due to having a boss with less than 2 brain cells, spending some more time with my boys which is never a bad thing, of course that’s till Oscar decides to climb over my head whilst I’m typing (he just did). This afternoon I’m off to the Dorchester Hotel to be at the press conference for Marley and Me, I think they invited me because I’m about one of only two critics who liked the movie! Still it’s rather exciting, it’s my first press conference and the first (hopefully not the last) time I’ll meet some real movie stars and I say meet, more sort of see across a crowded room.



Enough about that, I’ll talk about it more next week and there will be a full article about it on my usual site, which of course I’ll post. In regards to movies this week not much really, I’m still watching the x files but I did watch Premonition. A Sandra Bullock movie where the title reveals pretty much all you need to know. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with it. It was just quite boring, I gather from the plot and the script that it’s meant to be a supernatural thriller but it works at being neither. Instead due to a rather unconvincing performance as a housewife by the rather hit or miss Bullock, that’s it though this rather un eventful film is full of scenes which should be suspenseful but it fails to hit the nail on the head.

Now a bit of news for you, JJ Abrams has spoken a bit about a cloverfield sequel, its all rather exciting I didn’t think too much of it when I first watched it but it grew on me. Its more the whole mythology that went into it and the investigating on the Internet that feels really rewarding every time you find something new, that makes it so great. Anyway Abrams said and I Qoute;

"We're actually working on an idea right now.... We have an idea that we thought was pretty cool that we're playing with, which means there will be something that's connected to 'Cloverfield,' but I hope it happens sooner than later because the idea is pretty sweet."

It sounds good to me; I don’t really care what they do as long as we get some more answers. Well I’m going to leave you with a suggestion, go and see watchmen next week its going to be brilliant! Well I think it will anyway and I cant bloomin wait! So keep watching and reading please, bye.

The other side of the dog film debate

Not three weeks go by and I’m at another screening of a damn film about a dog, but in the ying yang fashion of movies this one was surprisingly good. Marley and me is a film based on a book, a story about a couples life with a rather eccentric canine. There were no real moments when the typical dog based jokes ruined the story, in fact they were funny. I think the real reason I enjoyed it was because I could relate to the whole falling in love having a family and still trying to hold onto dreams, the main character happens to be an aspiring writer.

The review will be up on my usual site when the film comes out so I’ll post that link; it’s a honest film about life seen through the eyes of a dog. I say life of course but in all these films it’s also life seen through “American dream tinted glasses”, but enough of me arrogantly quoting my own work. I haven’t seen anything else this week as I am currently watching all 9 seasons and 2 films of the x files, not all at the same time of course. I love the X files but more of them when I have finished my marathon.

I’m doing it again and ending my blog a little early but I haven’t seen any other films this week and there is no interesting news to talk about. Though this is a weekly blog so no doubt at some point I’ll have more than enough to say. Oh currently I am trying to watch the Oscars online for free, well I have found a place but the bloody buffering is annoying. If I can find a better site and stay awake I’ll post the winners as I hear them but I’m not promising anything as I am pretty tired. Well that little rant got me over 300 words so don’t feel too cheated. Keep watching and keep reading.

Valentines shmootz and Turtles, talking ones

So it’s been a week for the lovers, so to speak. Well it was Valentine’s Day and in the words of Joel Barish “a day invented by greetings cards companies to make the rest of us feel miserable” or something like that. Course I can’t complain I have my valentine. This week I finally got round to watching a rehash of one of my favourite cartoons as a kid, TMNT. Otherwise known as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, I would have to say that apart from there being no shredder (the bad guy from the original) it was actually rather good. The idea to do it in computer animation suited the style and didn’t take away from the original like other unmentionable films.

The story is well written and picks up where the original movies left off, shredder is dead and splinter has sent Leonardo off for some team leading training in the wilderness. Not sure how the wise vermin sensei thought that would do any good but whom are we to argue with a talking rat!
The writers have been not just true to the characters and their natures and relationships but made them funnier, I don’t think I ever laughed as hard at the originals, during a scene when the turtles are eating breakfast, I won’t spoil it but it is very funny. Leonardo is still the hard faced leader; Raphael is still the hard man with a chip on his shoulder, Donatello the intelligent one (saying that all of them being able to talk is pretty damn smart... for a turtle!) and Michelangelo the pizza obsessed comic relief. The characters have been explored more simply by taking Leonardo out of the process, making him more the leader than he ever was as the Turtles try hilariously to get on with their lives, seeing Donatello give IT help over the phone is great.


Anyway that enough for now, once again I won’t reach 500 words, but once again it is self inflicted so I don’t feel too bad. Keep reading keep watching.

Dogs and Baftas!

Name me a decent film with or about dogs? Did you think Beethoven, Homeward Bound maybe Lassie. Are they any good or just films you loved as kids? It doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad movies; you had to love them as kids so they were doing something right. Well I saw the press screening of a new film about dogs “Hotel for Dogs”. When I first heard the title, all I thought was some gangster film from America, how wrong could I be. This extremely kiddie friendly film is about two orphan kids who are dying to own a dog, when a stray dog finds its way into their lives they decide to hide it out in a derelict hotel.

This hotel eventually becomes the hotel in question, this half way house for vagrant canines is the one ingenious thing in the whole film. Of course one of the kids is quite good with technical things and the devices used to keep the dogs hidden and to help them use the hotel amenities are entertaining. That is where the good points end, like so many films before this one it is predictable, contrived and badly acted. Cut the humans out and you have about a half hour “animals do the strangest things” programme.

Anyway moving on, it’s the Baftas, strangely as I’m typing, thanks to the wonders of the internet I am watching them live whilst “The Devils wears Prada” booms out of the TV. Heath Ledger won the best supporting actor as expected; no one can question his performance. Danny Boyle has just won best Director for a film I’m yet to see and Mickey Rourke (the new comeback king) has just won best Actor. I can’t really comment on any of these as I’m yet to see a large amount of the movies, I’m not a big film journo, yet! I have just enjoyed a rather funny acceptance speech from Mickey Rourke.

I’m afraid I may have to end this column before I meet my landmark of 500 words, of course it’s self inflicted but there really is no news worth talking about. So thanks for reading, so till next week, keep watching.