Marvel are having a bit of a blast at the moment with film adaptations of their comics. In the past couple of years we’ve have Iron Man (1 and 2), Thor, Ghost Rider and this summer’s blockbuster Captain America.
One Day
24 August 2011 by 5 Comments
David Nicholls’ novel One Day was a massive hit a couple of years ago. The story of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew has enchanted readers worldwide so it wasn’t a massive surprise when a film adaptation was announced.
Inception
24 August 2011 by 2 Comments
Christopher Nolan’s high-concept drama Inception was one of last year’s biggest box-office hits and a massive success with critics who claimed it proved that a summer blockbuster could also have a brain.
The Way
23 August 2011 by 4 Comments
Charlie Sheen gets all the media attention these days but I’ve always found Emilio Estevez to be the more interesting of the two brothers with the more fascinating and esoteric career. From founding the Brat Pack to coaching The Mighty Ducks …
Cowboys and Aliens
16 August 2011 by 5 Comments
Total tosh – but fun and enjoyable tosh
The title was the first thing that attracted me to this film. Cowboys AND Aliens in the one movie. That thought alone made it almost unmissable then I learned that Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford were the leading mean and that just sealed the deal for me ….
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
16 August 2011 by 5 Comments
Apes will rise – and I’m on their side
Until recently the new Planet of the Apes film completely passed me by. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never been terribly interested in the whole series that I missed news of its production ….
The Cove
15 August 2011 by 16 Comments
Nature’s greatest deception – one of the most important films you’ll ever see
Apart from watching movies and reading books I spend a lot of time as part of a dive club. I spend some time diving and some time helping out on the surface. The diving community is a fantastic one to be part of ….
Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
9 August 2011 by 1 Comment
Trashy, campy nonsense – loved it!
Given my love of all things camp and the amount of time I spend with men who regard Bette Davis as the ultimate icon it seems incredible that I’ve made it to 2011 without seeing What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? Thanks to a reader’s suggestion ….
Trading Places
4 August 2011 by 2 Comments
An 80s classic to be treasured – not remade with the latest floppy haired teen idol
One of the most well-worn clichés in life is that you know you are getting old when policemen look young. Cliché or not, it’s certainly true. Another sure-fire sign is when you remember chart songs from the first time round and tut angrily at the horrendous cover versions. Yes Black-Eyed Peas I’m looking at you… I know I’m getting old because I’m dreading the inevitable remakes of my favourite 80s and 90s films. There’s a spate of remakes already released including The Karate Kid, Nightmare on Elm Street and Arthur. Others are still only rumours or are stuck in the development stage including Footloose, Overboard and Top Gun. The very thought of some of these new films makes a little bit of my soul die, however it has got me considering my favourite films and how I would feel about any potential remakes.
I’m passionately attached to films and hate the idea of spoiling the magic. I won’t watch It’s A Wonderful Life in colour, I refuse to see the “sequel” to Dirty Dancing – Havana Nights or go to see the apparently brilliant stage version. The thought of a CGI Gizmo in a 3D remake of Gremlins is enough to keep me awake at night sobbing. I think, though, the film I would be most upset to see a remake of is the 1983 John Landis classic Trading Places. Let’s face it though, it’s probably ripe to be remade, particularly in light of all the financial shenanigans going on at the moment. We’d easily believe that a couple of bankers (or brokers, they’re all the same anyway) would be evil enough to wreck the lives of a pair of innocents just for fun.
Singin’ in the Rain
1 August 2011 by 4 Comments
The perfect movie musical – why haven’t you seen it yet?
The 1940s and 1950s was the golden era for the movie musical. A true classic was produced almost every year and most of these came from the lot of the famous MGM studios. You must know the films – Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, High Society, Annie Get Your Gun, Gigi. The list goes on and on. Despite being recognized now as one of the greatest films of all time with accolades such as the number one slot on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Greatest Musicals and being selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, Singin’ In The Rain, was not a great financial success on its release. Proof that the box office isn’t everything.
Singin’ In The Rain is a film about films, about Hollywood, actors and actresses and most importantly the transition from silent movies to the ‘talkies’. Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont (Gene Kelly and Jean Hagan) are the most popular film stars in their world – their love stories, almost always period pieces, entrance audiences everywhere. As does the story of their own true love. A story completely fabricated by the studio’s publicity team. Despite her good looks and ladylike appearance Lina is a shrill-voiced, shallow harridan. Don is much more interested in chorus girl Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds). The first Lockwood and Lamont talkie, The Duelling Cavalier, is a disaster – the preview audience treats it with derision and many vow to never watch another Lockwood and Lamont film again. Don, Kathy and Don’s best friend Cosmo Brown (a scene-stealing Donald O’Connor) hatch a plan to save the film by turning it into a musical with Kathy dubbing Lina’s dreadful voice. Can The Dancing Cavalier save the studio, Lockwood and Lamont’s reputation and careers and Don and Kathy’s blooming relationship?
It’s hard to know where to begin with Singin’ In The Rain, there’s just too much brilliance…..