I don't wanna die at James Franco's house...

This is the End

Rating: 4/5

Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride and Emma Watson
Director: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Year: 2013
  
After reading a feature in Total Film magazine about an upcoming film focusing on various post Apatow celebrities and how they would deal with the apocalypse, I was genuinely excited. Having been in love with Judd Apatow’s graduates including Seth Rogen, Jason Segel et al since Freaks and Geeks, Superbad and Knocked Up, this was the factor that attracted me the most. The other was the mystery, the audience knew very little about the plot; only that a party was being thrown at James Franco’s house and the famous celebrities are faced with the apocalypse. I had many questions in my mind before seeing this film including how the world would end, the running plot strands of the film and who would or wouldn’t survive.

This is the End is a remake of a short film Jay and Seth versus the apocalypse. I absolutely loved the opening of the film as immediately we are introduced to two characters, Jay and Seth. Seth lives in LA and is picking his friend Jay up from the airport, who doesn’t like LA and instantly I knew this film was going to centre on their friendship. Seth feeling bored wants to take Jay out for the night and so convinces him to go to a party in his good friend James Franco’s house. There we see various famous faces including Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari, Martin Starr, Jason Segel and Paul Rudd. The face that stood out the most to me was of course Michael Cera. I was blown away with his performance as Scott Pilgrim in Scott Pilgrim VS the World, and in every scene that he appeared in this film he stole it. I doubt I’ll ever be able to look at this actor in the same way again. After the ‘disaster’ scene, where a sink hole opens up outside Franco’s house and swallows plenty of guests, we are left with five main characters: Seth, Jay, James, Jonah and Craig who all take refuge inside Franco’s house to await out the end of the world. Danny McBride later joins in the fun, however after eating most of their food and ‘enjoying’ himself with James’ magazines gets kicked out. As the food and water dwindles, so do the celebs, with some going to heaven we are left wondering what fate has in store for Jay and Seth.

I really liked this film and did not stop laughing throughout. I felt that it was really well written. Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen know comedy and have a special talent for writing comedies for the younger generation. I seen this film with my fiancé opening week and immediately wanted to see it again.

The toilet humour and slapstick jokes are not for everyone, however it is a wild ride and I found myself watching the film and constantly thinking what could possibly happen next? That is what I liked overall, having no idea of what twist or turn was in store. If you liked the 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad etc then you will like this film. It isn’t supposed to be taken seriously and can be considered as a bit over the top, but I think its all part of the fun and those involved in the film look like they are having the time of their life. 

The Walking Dead

 

This was always a show which I was really interested in watching, having had a love of Zombie films including Shaun of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Zombieland et al. I can remember seeing it advertised but it just seemed to be one show which I never seemed to get around to watching. My other half managed to obtain the first season and then urged me to watch it and it is one of my current favourites and I haven’t even started season three yet!
 

The show is based on a series of graphic novels and follows Sheriff's Deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), who wakes up alone in hospital after being shot whilst on duty. He makes his way out into the world only to find it isn’t the same place that he left and that the world has been taken over my zombies. As he realises that he is entirely alone he decides to travel to Atlanta to search for his family, meeting fellow survivor Glenn, who takes Rick to a camp outside of town. We are introduced to a group of people who seem to be the last survivors, it is there that Rick finds his wife Lori, son Carl and friend Shane, who all work together to fight off the zombies and try to survive.

This show has finished airing its third season on Fox and season four is due to start in October. I thought season one was quite hard to get into at first and eventually it did pick up; however season two is far superior in my opinion. I think this is where the writers knew what worked for them and you can certainly see that they had a much bigger budget to play with. The Walking Dead is a firm favourite among its fans, with many saying that it succeeds the graphic novels.

I was having a discussion with my fiancé the other night and I was talking about the characters and how I actually don’t have a firm favourite with The Walking Dead, which is unusual. Every other show that I watch I always manage to identify with a particular character though I do have a few favourites within the group. I was also advised not to get too attached to any characters, as the writers don’t plan to keep the same cast for too long. I like this theory that ‘anything can happen’.One character who I particularly dislike is Andrea. The whole time I have been watching season two she has turned into someone who I don’t recognise, it seems that after her sister was killed she has turned into ‘one of the boys’ and a gun wielding maniac! However, I did like the chemistry between her and Shane during this time. It seemed as if the two outsiders came together and defied the others by being the bad guys. I think they also enjoyed playing everyone off against each other.  

The Walking Dead is an addictive programme and one which is well constructed. I think that the cast are fantastic and each plays their roles so well. It is one show which I could quite happily watch an entire series in a day, something I would love to do. If you haven’t caught this great series already then please start watching it, you won’t regret it.

Screen Gal's discussion of the month: Novels VS Films - A real page turner or a real DVD burner?

In modern day culture you can rarely read a good book without it being turned into a big budget Hollywood blockbuster. Audiences consistently look for a good film adaptation and it is a guaranteed money maker for the studios. One of the biggest page turner’s of the year 50 Shades of Grey has already locked a screenwriter in place and soon all of the finest young actors will be lining up for the starring role of Mr Christian Grey. 

 Some of the films from IMDB’s Top 250 Movies of all time list are novel adaptations. Are writers really counting that their films will be made into a big budget blockbuster? Or are film studios counting that the talented authors of the world will write a bestseller that they can sell to modern audiences?

I think that the above questions can be answered yes, with both parties hoping for the same thing. Film makers are guaranteed that if a book is part of a phenomenon then a film will be successful. However, if it has been a successful book franchise then the studios are practically skipping to the bank. It is important to remember that Harry Potter would not be the juggernaught that it is today without the film franchise. Other great examples of this are: Twilight series, The Hunger Games trilogy and the James Bond series.

One of my favourite novels of all time is ‘Trainspotting’ by Irvine Welsh, a Scottish novel which follows drug addict Renton and his friends through the ups and downs of Edinburgh life. In 1996 Trainspotting was released as a major motion picture and was extremely well received by critics. The film was fantastic and I thought that the casting choice was perfect; however the book is far superior as there are more characters and links in the story which really stand out. There is a great blog post about Trainspotting which you can check out here.

There are literally thousands of good books which have been brought to life on the big screen; another favourite of mines is High Fidelity where the formula changed on film. Instead of the central character Rob Gordon living in London, they instead wrote his character to live in Chicago. A big change if you ask me, but one that worked extremely well.

On the other hand there are people who prefer to see films than read novels as a lot of people simply don’t have the time to sit down and read a book and would rather see what all the fuss was about in the space of around 2 hours. I have friends who do this, they have never read a Harry Potter book but are quite happy to watch the films and I personally see absolutely nothing wrong with this. 

On a chance outing to the cinema one day, my other half and I went to see The Lincoln Lawyer (which you can read my review here) as we had discount vouchers and I went into this film knowing little about it and having never read the book. After seeing the film it made me want to read the book to see what elements from the storyline were missing and to gain a better insight into the story. 

I enjoy reading a good book and I also love a night out at the cinema. I think that it is safe to say that as long as there are great novels being written, the studios will never not have a story to tell. What do you think? 

There is a great article on this published by The Examiner which you can read about below:

The Examiner 'Literary film adaptations' 

As always feel free to leave any comments below and I will reply to them or if you’re a twitter fan contact me @Screen_Gal with any comments. I’m sorry that I haven’t been around to update as much, but would just like to say a massive thank you to everyone who reads my blog. I have noticed my views have increased recently so thanks! Please pass on to your friends about Screen Gal, you can also check out Screen Gal on Facebook and now Tumblr!

It doesn't matter who we are... what matters is our plan. No one cared who I was until I put on the mask.

The Dark Knight Rises

Rating: 5/5

Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon - Levitt

Director: Christopher Nolan

Year: 2012

I briefly talked about this film in my Batman Top 5 but as I have now seen The Dark Knight Rises three times in the cinema I thought that I would give it the proper review that it deserves.

I am still sitting in awe almost two months after I first seen this film and it is one which has really had a major effect on me. This is the film that I have been constantly asking people if they have seen, and is always a conversation starter between friends. I was so excited about this film and really anticipated it over the last year as more teasers and pictures got released.

The Dark Knight really raised the bar with film making and the performance which Heath Ledger gave was phenomenal, and so before the film was released Tom Hardy had a performance to match up to and possibly overshadow. I was really happy with the choice in casting when it was announced that Joseph Gordon - Levitt was to star, being a fan of his for years when he starred in 3^rd Rock from the Sun, 10 Things I Hate About You, (500) Days of Summer (Although I didn’t like this film I did like his performance). As I have previously said, I first saw The Dark Knight Rises on opening night 20^th July in IMAX. Naturally, I had really high expectations about it and I can say without hesitation that I was not in any way disappointed.

The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after The Dark Knight as Batman’s reputation is tarnished after he took the blame for Harvey Dent’s crimes. Commissioner Jim Gordon has nearly eradicated violent crime and Gotham’s streets are safe once more, however he still feels guilty about the cover up of Dent’s crimes and letting Batman take the fall. Meanwhile Bruce Wayne is living in exile with only Alfred for company and a new enemy in the form of a masked terrorist named Bane.  Wayne Enterprises crumbles after Bruce loses a large amount of money by investing in a clean energy project while Bane stages an attack of the New York stock exchange and uses Bruce’s fingerprints to place some risky investments. After a meeting with Lucius Fox, he convinces Bruce to entrust businesswoman Miranda Tate to take full control of the assets from Wayne Enterprises. 

 

In order to get her ‘clean slate’ Selina Kyle, a cat burgular who robbed Bruce Wayne takes Batman to Bane’s hideout in the sewers where the enemies battle it out until Bane overpowers Batman and breaks his back. Bruce is led by Bane and his men to a prison from which escape is virtually impossible. After many months Bruce regains his strength and escapes from the prison to bring Bane down and clean up Gotham once more.

I feel that this is without a doubt the best Batman film ever made, it is visually stunning, the acting is incredible and it is just a perfect piece of filmmaking. Christian Bale is fantastic as Bruce Wayne and personally my favourite Batman (after Michael Keaton of course!) I really liked Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle and although I don’t particularly like her as an actress, I thought her portrayal was fantastic and I loved her scenes. The standout performance for me was Tom Hardy portraying Bane. I found it so hard to watch when he was destroying Batman and I think he was a great villain and was very memorable. I thought the voice he adopted for the role was fantastic and I had absolutely no problems understanding his dialogue and could quite easily follow what he was saying. My favourite scene has to be the opening where the plane is suspended in mid air as Bane and his gang are putting their plan into action.

IMAX of course really added to the experience and enhanced the film ten fold. This is definitely a film to see and one which will leave you wanting to see it over and over. Christopher Nolan really does deserve a lot of recognition for this film as it is modern day filmmaking at its best and his franchise will certainly go down in history as a classic.  Whether you are a Batman fan or not I beg you to see this film and I can guarantee that you won’t leave disappointed.

Top 5 Batman Films

I had an idea to do a top 5 a while ago as I haven’t done one since my Romantic Comedies Top 5 in February and then decided that since I thoroughly enjoyed The Dark Knight Rises and have been unable to stop talking about it since viewing it opening night that it would be a great idea for a top 5 list. I have always loved Batman as a child and can vividly remember reading the children’s series of books and watching Batman Returns on repeat many a Friday night. The idea of a man who is a billionaire and putting the money towards saving the world fighting bad guys and the various gadgets that he has is a genius concept. As Christopher Nolan has recently rebooted the franchise, it has set my heart alight and allowed me to rekindle my love with the Caped Crusader. 

Screen Gal’s top five Batman films:

1. The Dark Knight Rises 
2. The Dark Knight
3. Batman Returns
4. Batman (1989)
5. Batman Begins

 

1. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Wow...in what way could I possibly begin talking about this film? In my opinion this is a perfect piece of filmmaking. I have been so excited about seeing the final ending of the trilogy and after the endless teaser trailers and posters bearing the words ‘The Legend Ends’ the wait was finally over and I seen the film on opening night on Friday 20^th July. Naturally, I had really high expectations about this film and I can say without hesitation that I was not in any way disappointed. 

The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after The Dark Knight as Batman’s reputation is tarnished after he took the blame for Harvey Dent’s crimes. Bruce Wayne is living in exile with only Alfred for company. A new enemy emerges in the form of ‘Bane’ and threatens to destroy Gotham with his faithful army of mercenaries.  Batman must once again don his cape and return to defeat Bane as he is the true saviour of Gotham. 

This is without a doubt THE best Batman film ever made, it is visually stunning, the acting is incredible, the plot is explosive and it is just a perfect film.  The cast could not have been more perfect and all the actors looked as though they were born to play the parts, Christian Bale especially as Bruce Wayne delivered yet again another fantastic performance and I also enjoyed Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. I am not normally a fan of her work and Michelle Pfeiffer will always be Catwoman to me but I liked her take on the character. However, the best performance for me was Tom Hardy as Bane. I had no problems understanding his dialogue and found him terrifying at times. This is definitely a film to see and one which will leave you wanting to see it over and over again.

2. The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight was one of my favourite films of 2008, and looking back I can remember feeling the exact same way I did about this film as the way I feel now about its follow up. If I cast my mind back to 2008 and all the hype that surrounded this film, I was particularly excited but also saddened as Heath Ledger tragically died from a drug overdose and this was to be his shining moment. The Joker has always been my favourite Batman villain since I was a child so when I knew that he was going to be the main focus of The Dark Knight I was very excited to see what was coming our way. 

The Dark Knight takes place after the events of Batman Begins, where Batman is continuing to raise the stakes on his war with crime. Together with Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, the three successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City until a mysterious character known as The Joker wreaks havoc on the citizens of Gotham and throws Batman between the lines of Hero and Vigilante. Meanwhile Bruce must look within himself and see his life more personally as Rachel Dawes is in danger and love triangle with Harvey Dent. 

The Dark Knight is a fantastic film and at times quite harrowing to watch. Heath Ledger delivers the performance of his career and one which he will be remembered for. He is sadistic and psychotic and I love the little tics and twitches that he brings to the character. The opening is fantastic, with a bank robbery taking place where all the robbers are wearing clown masks and talking about the man who hired them for the job, as the audience we know who they are referring to. The film does not lack on action or suspense and the climax chase between The Joker and Batman certainly delivers and gives the audience the Batman picture that they had been waiting for.

3. Batman Returns (1992)

As I stated above, Batman Returns was always my favourite Batman film as a child and one which I most vividly remember. Michael Keaton was a particularly favourite actor of mine, after seeing him in Beetlejuice many times and I thought that he was a good choice to play Batman. 

Batman Returns is the second Tim Burton Batman feature film, where after defeating the Joker he must now face a new villain - the Penguin.  Together with Max Scheck, a crooked businessman with a plan to destroy Gotham, the two men attempt to expose Batman in a different light. As Penguin runs for Mayor, desperate to become accepted into society after being abandoned and living in the sewers for years, Max has his own problems to deal with after he wrongs his secretary, Selina Kyle. Selina is thrown from a building and transformed into Catwoman, who has her own agenda with Gotham and Batman. 

I am a huge fan of Tim Burton films and am quite glad that he chose to do a sequel to Batman (1989). It is clear from the outset that he had more creative control in this film, as from the opening credits it is clear that it is a Burton film that we are watching. This film is very clever and very creative; my favourite character of course has to be Catwoman. Michelle Pfieffer is phenomenal as Catwoman and has such dominance about her that every scene she appears in she steals it. Selina radiates sexuality and is quite a match for Batman. Credit it also due to Danny DeVito and I thought he was absolutely perfect for the role of The Penguin. 

4. Batman (1989)

I actually only seen this film around a month ago when my better half and I done a countdown on the lead up to The Dark Knight Roses. I had heard so much about this film and seen various clips of Jack Nicholson’s characterisation of The Joker.  I was really excited to see this film, being a huge fan of Tim Burton’s work and hearing all the hype that surrounded this film being ‘the original’ Batman flick. 

The story begins with a child, Bruce Wayne, who after seeing his parents murdered decides that he will avenge their deaths in a battle with crime as the costumed superhero Batman. Gotham City is controlled by Carl Grissom and his sadistic second in command Jack Napier, who plans to replace him as the head of the crime syndicate. However, Jack becomes horribly disfigured after an incident in a chemical factory and adopts the alter ego of The Joker. It is then up to Batman, along with help from Vicki Vale, a photo journalist to help save Gotham before The Joker takes control and it’s too late to save the city.

I really liked Michael Keaton as Batman and felt that he was quite suited to the character. In this film there a lot of depth to Bruce and he is more socially awkward, often hiding in the shadows. Another member of the cast who I of course have to mention is Jack Nicolson, who gave a fantastic performance as the Joker, and looked quite scary when he had no make – up on and his scars were very visible. This was the first Batman film after the 1960’s Adam West camp fest and was actually taken quite seriously at the time, with one critic claiming that it was ‘too dark’.  Burton has created a memorable, entertaining superhero film which many fans still hold dear in their hearts. 

5. Batman Begins (2005)

 

I had heard numerous reports at the time of this film’s release that it was a big disappointment and it should be avoided at all costs so I admit that on first viewing I was rather sceptical about Batman being brought back. I thought that Chris Nolan successfully explored the origins of Batman and felt Liam Neeson had a great part to play. Batman Begins reboots the Batman films and explores Bruce’s fear of bats and having to cope with losing his parents. 

As a young child, Bruce Wayne is playing with his childhood friend Rachel Dawes when he falls into a well which is filled with bats, causing him to develop a deep phobia. Soon afterwards he witnesses his parents’ murder and so has to be cared for by the family butler Alfred Pennyworth.  Bruce then travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice, mentored by Ra’s Al Ghul he learns how to fight evil and trains as a ninja.  Bruce returns home and finds that Gotham has become overrun with crime and corruption and decides to face his fears and tackle crime under the ego of Batman. With a strong team around him, including Lucius Fox, Alfred and Lieutenant Jim Gordon, he soon undertakes his secret identity and fights the criminals who plague Gotham’s streets. 

I thought that this was a fantastic film with great depth and emotion. Michael Caine is absolutely perfect as Alfred and I honestly cannot think of a better actor to play him. Another character who I really loved is Dr Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow, however I would have liked to have seen a lot more of him. I also liked how this film did not wholly focus on action; instead it gave the audience a background as to who this person is behind the mask and why he is important. A solid beginning for a fantastic trilogy. 

That's my top five Batman films folks, please feel free to comment or add your own top five! I will be reviewing another film before I jet off on holiday next week so save my blog in your favourites as you don't want to miss out! Thanks for all the views guys and to keep up to date with the latest news please follow me @Screen_Gal on Twitter!