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!

This place is about to become a sea of sweat, ear-shattering music and puke...

Rock of Ages

Rating: 3/5

Starring: Julianne Hough, Diego Bonana, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti and Mary J Blige

Director: Adam Shankman

Year: 2012

Rock of Ages is a musical that I had seen advertised in various magazines and on television etc and to be honest I wasn’t really desperate to go and see it. One rainy night while reading my Total Film magazine, I noticed that they were releasing a film of the musical and Tom Cruise was starring in it. While looking for something to go and see in the cinema, I decided to give Rock of Ages a chance, liking rock music and looking to see something a bit different and surprisingly enough I was very impressed and came out with a huge smile on my face.  

The film takes place in 1987 Los Angeles, California. A young woman named Sherry Christian follows her dreams and leaves her small town of Tulsa, Oklaholma to embark upon a career of becoming a singer. While there, she meets Drew Boley and there they end up in a relationship and he gets her a job in The Bourbon Club, a bar which caters for rock music fans with regular live bands playing. In order to try and boost the clubs profile, manager Dennis calls a favour from Stacey Jaxx’s manager who agrees that the singer will play at the club. Sherry meets the singer and while doing him a favour, Drew ends up thinking that she slept with him and so they decide to part ways for a while.  In the end, he wins her back by guying back her records which were stolen from her at the beginning of the film. 

Throughout the film of course there are various musical numbers including: I Wanna Rock, Dead or Alive, More Than Words, I Wanna Know What Love Is, etc. The songs used throughout related well to the storyline and you really couldn’t help but sing along with almost every song! Credit must be due to Tom Cruise who was excellent in his role as Stacey Jaxx. ‘I Wanna Know What Love Is’ is one of my favourite scenes and moments. I didn’t actually think that it was him singing but alas it was. This film shouldn’t be taken seriously, yes its cheesy and it isn’t the best film ever made but it has a ‘feel good’ vibe to it and it really works. I would consider going to see the musical and have recommended the film to many friends, who like me were quite sceptical at the beginning. I have also downloaded the soundtrack and have that playing in my car on the way to work!

It is a fantastic film and one which the whole family will enjoy.

Good points: The soundtrack is absolutely outstanding, again the choice of songs couldn’t have been better. Tom Cruise. ‘Feel good factor’ Good use of humour.

Bad points: A little long, a chunk could have been cut where there was no singing

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Screen Gal! As I was looking at my blog earlier tonight and thinking about my background, I looked back and realised that my blog is now over one year old!

I can't actually believe that it has been over a year ago since I decided to start writing a blog to share my love of film. It has been one of the best things I've done, however I would love to have more time to update it. I have had lots of views which has been fantastic and wouldn't have continued writing without getting the views and knowing people out there are just as obsessed with films as me! I was talking things over with my better half and he suggested setting up a tumblr account to help boost page views. That is currently in the works as well as the facebook page! I just have loads going on at the moment but hopefully things will calm down soon and I'll eventually be able to get Screen Gal up and running. 

I hope that by the time I look back and see its been two years since I started the blog, things will have taken off and I'll be able to look back and know that I have achieved so much.

In the meantime drop me an email or tweet @screen_gal if you have any questions or comments. 

Top 5 Marvel Films

I had a great idea for this top 5 after seeing Avengers Assemble last week in the cinema (which I cannot recommend highly enough!) and I am hoping to see it for a second time soon! I was thinking about doing a top 5 and after many discussions about the film driving home I decided that it would be great to list my top 5 Marvel films. Marvel have been consistent with super-hero films over the past few years and have notched up a fair few, some great and some not so great. As I have mentioned before, I am not a huge fan of the Fantastic Four offering or Daredevil. I pulled out my DVDs and done some research online to finally come a decision on my top five and here they are: 

Screen Gal's top five Marvel films:

1. Spider-Man
2. Iron Man
3. Thor
4. Captain America
5. X-Men 2

1. Spider-Man (2002)

I actually seen this film for the first time on a flight to Tenerife back in 2004 and was so excited because I missed it in the cinema! Spider-Man is without a doubt my favourite Marvel hero and although he isn’t part of the new Avengers film, I love the geekiness of the character as well as the background story involving his family. 

Tobey Maguire stars as Peter Parker, an outcast high school student who lives with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben in Queens, New York. Peter is secretly in love with Mary-Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) but is too shy to approach her about his feelings. He is also best friends with Harry Osbourne (James Franco), son of Norman Osbourn who owns Oscorp manufacturing. On a school trip to a genetics laboratory, Peter is bitten by a genetically engineered spider and later passes out in his bedroom, to wake up the next morning with perfect vision, muscles and quicker reflexes. It doesn't take long for Peter to realise that the spider's bite has given him powers and he trains himself to scale walls and swing through the city. After his Uncle Ben is tragically killed, Peter puts his powers to good use and fights crime throughout the city, however he also has to deal with the Green Goblin and stop him from destroying everything that he loves.

This film is everything that I imagined it to be, I thought that the casting was perfect and really enjoyed seeing Toby Maguire playing Peter Parker. I loved the choice of villain and think that the Green Goblin is a great character and I also love how they carried this on to later films using Harry Osboourn. My favourite scene is when Peter makes his own costume and enters into a wrestling competition, in this scene you really see how vulnerable Peter is and get a proper insight into this character.

It really is hard to believe that this film is 10 years old! I was really sceptical when it was announced that they were rebooting Spider-Man as I didn’t think that it needed to be done so soon, however I am really looking forward to seeing Andrew Garfield in action and it will be interesting to see what he can bring to the role and possibly a new franchise.

2. Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man is actually a character that I had never read in the comic books until the release of the film back in 2008. I am a huge Marvel fan (obviously!) and was really excited to see another of their heroes come to life on the big screen. I was really surprised by how much I loved this film and since then I have became an avid reader of the graphic novels and comic books.

Playboy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr)  who has inherited his father's comany Stark Industries is in Afghanistan with Colonel Rhodes to demonstrate a new Jericho missile, however things goes awry when the team is ambushed and Tony is captured, kept alive by fellow captivee Dr Yinsen, who places an electromagnet in his chest to stop a piece of shrapnel from killing him. In order to escape, Stark builds a suit of armour and with help from Yinsen he builds a generator called an arc reactor to power the suit. After his capture, he returns home and announces during a press conference that Stark Industries will no longer make weapons. Company Manager Obadiah Stane, does not agree with Tony on this matter and thinks that he will destroy the company. Tony then discovers that Stark Ind. have been delivering weapons used to attack Yinsen's home village and after an argument with Stane, it becomes clear who the real villian is.

Iron Man is a really hard hitting film and perhaps one of the darkest of the Marvel films. The film involves real life issues and a lot of it centres around middle eastern conflicts. For example, we see a father almost being shot before his wife and child and we see Tony Stark being captured and beaten by the Iraqi guards. I thought that Tony Stark was perfectly portrayed by Robert Downey Jr and he brought the real arrogance and charm that is Tony. I also loved the ‘will they, won’t they?’ relationship between Tony and Peppa Potts. Not forgetting about Jebidiah played by the brilliant Jeff Bridges. 

The second instalment was thoroughly entertaining however not so much as the first and it will be interesting to see if a third film gets the green light. 

3. Thor (2011)

 

Thor is always someone I was particularly interested in as a child, although not in the Marvel sense. Around age 9 I studied the Vikings in school and we learned that he was the God of Thunder and always had a magical hammer with him. Marvel-wise it was never a hero I was wholly familiar with, however I was always picking up and reading bits and pieces about the character. 

In the realm of Asgard, king Odin wages war against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim 

to prevent them from conquering the nine realms, starting with Earth. The Asgardian warriors defeat the Frost Giants and seize the source of their power, the Casket of Ancient Winters. In the present day, Odin's son Thor is awaiting to ascend the throne but is interuppted during the ceremony when the Frost Giants attempt to retrieve the casket. Thor and his gang including his brother Loki (the brilliant Tom Hiddleston!), childhood friend Sif and three other warriors decide to travel to Jotunheim to confront the Giants, a battle breaks out which Odin must intervene and saves the Asgardians, destroying the truce between the two races. As punishment for his foolishness, Odin takes Thor's godly power away from him and exiles him to Earth as a mortal accompanied by his hammer. He lands in New Mexico and meets Jane Foster, her assistant and her mentor and it is not long before Loki seizes power and tries to destroy the Earth.

I really loved this film and I am currently awaiting the DVD to come down in price before buying it. I actually seen this film in 3D in the cinema and as I have previously stated, I felt that the 3D added nothing extra to the experience. The performances in this film were fantastic, special credit is due to Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston for their biggest debut performances of their career. It also does help that Chris is particularly easy on the eyes. He is a great actor who can carry off humour so well and I loved the battle scene with the Destroyer. I have also heard that there is going to be a Thor 2 so I am really looking forward to going to the cinema to see yet another offering from marvel. 

4. Captain America (2011)

 

I actually only caught this film a couple of months ago and somehow missed the release in the cinema, although I think that I was on holiday at the time. Anyway on our Blockbuster 14 day free trial we rented Captain America and were not disappointed. I was really happy that Chris Evans was cast as I love many of his other films including his small role in Scott Pilgrim VS The World.

Captain America centres around the story of Steve Rodgers, a sickly man from Brooklyn who has tried to enter the army but has been declined because of physical and health issues. While attending an exhibtion with his friend Bucky, Dr Erskine overhears Steve telling Bucky that he can't help in the war but really wants to enlist and so Dr Erskine recruits Rodgers as part of a 'super-soldier' experiment. Rodgers emerges from the experiment taller and more muscular and after Schmidt sends an agent to assassinate Dr Erskine, he is used to tour the nation in a colourful costume known as 'Captain America' to promote war bonds. During the rescue he learns what Schmidt's real plans are, and when he reports to his superiors, he forms a unit to thwart his plans and save the world.

I found this film was particularly well detailed and realistic when it came to re-enacting the war sequences and credit is due to the design, wardrobe and make up departments for their vision in making the audience feel that they were back in time. To be honest I feel that the villain could have been a little more thought out and didn't quite feel that he was bad enough.

5. X Men 2 (2003)

 

I absolutely love the X-Men films and it's a great series which Marvel really planned out. I first seen this offering back in 2003 in the cinema and immediately knew I was in for a treat. I am also a HUGE fan of Alan Cumming's work and was really pleased when I heard he was going to be cast as Nightcrawler. I loved the first X-Men film however the second film still remains my favourite in the series. 

This film takes place several months after the X-Men defeated Magneto and imprisoned him in a plastic chamber. A mutant called Nightcrawler attemps to assassinate the President in the White House setting off a chain reaction of anti-mutant measures by the government. Professor X's school is attacked by William Stryker's forces and Logan, Rogue, Iceman and others are lucky to escape. Stryker managed to capture Xavier and it is up to Wolverine and the rest of the team to join forces with their enemy, Magneto to stop Stryker before it's too late. 

I really love this film and although I don't watch it as often as the other Marvel films, I still find it really exciting. You can imagine my excitement when visiting Casa Loma in Toronto two years ago, as this is used for X-Mansion interior shots throughout the film. I think the performances are fantastic, with Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman holding their own. I have yet to see X-Men: First Class or Wolverine but I'm sure I will get around to it eventually. 

That's my top five Marvel films folks, please feel free to comment or add your own top five! I will be reviewing Avengers Assemble in a future update so save my blog in your favourites as you don't want to miss out! Thanks for all the views guys and apologies for not updating as often as I'd like but things will change.

Screen Gal’s discussion of the month: What went wrong with From Dusk Till Dawn?

 

I have been thinking about doing something different for the blog and while sitting up late one night, I thought it would be a great idea to do a ten step analysis of a film. Immediately From Dusk Till Dawn came into my mind as I thought it would be a good film to write about as it is one that divides many people’s opinions. From Dusk Till Dawn has to be one of the most panned films of all time and while I would’ve written a different ending, I don’t think it deserves to get a really bad review. I have seen this film many times throughout the years but find myself struggling to like the film after the infamous scene featuring Salma Hayek. I love Robert Rodriguez and some of his films are sheer genius e.g. Sin City, Planet Terror and The Faculty but for me From Dusk Till Dawn is fantastic up until the point they reach the club. Let’s look closer as I give my verdict on the film step by step;

1. First of all, I loved the opening of this film and felt the tension immediately at the polite but quiet conversation between the owner of the liquor store and the sheriff. I felt that the introduction of the two brothers Seth and Richard Gecko and their hostages was well played out and it was well conveyed that Seth was the more dominant brother between him and Richie. I especially liked the scene where Richie was shot straight through his hand, this was really full of humour (whether this was intentional or not, I have no idea). The two brothers are obviously the ‘bad guys’ however the audience immediately sees them as their heroes.
2. Next is the motel room scene, the use of humour at the beginning “What do you think I want you mean old bastard, I want a fucking room!” is classic and you really empathise with the hostage Gloria when they sit her down and explain the situation to her. We begin to see a softer side of Seth, that he really is true to his word and he isn’t all bad. Richie on the other hand is the complete opposite and there is a look between Gloria and Richie that says his intentions are somewhat amoral. As soon as Seth leaves her and Richie alone in the bedroom you immediately know that something is going to go wrong for this normal and down to earth woman.
3. We are then transported to a diner and see a family sitting having breakfast – two teenage kids, Scott and Kate and their father, Jacob. It turns out that the father is a pastor but has felt abandoned by his faith and decides to leave his role at the church. Scott and Kate try and change their father’s mind but another thing the audience picks up is that he is bitter towards his ex-wife. A brief news broadcast also shows that Seth and Richie are wanted criminals and that in total they have killed 16 innocent people.
4. Back at the motel Seth returns with the food and finds Richie sitting at the table acting like nothing is wrong and shows no remorse.  Seth then notices that Gloria is missing and discovers her body lying on the bed. This is a clever scene as while Seth is questioning Richie we see clips of the bloodstained bedroom flash on the screen while they are looking through the door and see the murdered hostage in the background. I personally found that Seth forgives his brother too easily for this crime and would have liked to see more anger from Seth.
5. Scott, Kate and Jacob arrive at the motel much to Kate’s dismay and upon pulling into the car park, Seth walks out in front of their motor home and you can slowly see him putting a plan together in his head as he gazes through the windshield. As Jacob is resting, Richie knocks on the door asking for ice and in walks Seth and tells the family exactly what he needs from them. I really loved their entry and thought again it was a great use of humour but they did seem quite threatening. That is something that Rodriguez is excellent at, being able to make you laugh one minute and then shocking you the next. Quentin Tarantino was outstanding in this scene where Kate (Juliette Lewis) walks through the door in her bikini. The way he delivers that line about the bikini contest and imagines what she asks him to do “Richie, will you do me a favour and eat my pussy for me? Please?” is just sheer genius and shows how sick he was to believe that it actually happened. 
6. Following on from the last part, the family then join up with the Gecko brothers to get them through the border into Mexico where they need to meet Carlos. Upon travelling to the border Richie is ordered to keep an eye on Scott and Kate in the back of the motor home while Seth talks to Jacob while he’s driving. Richie at this point is infatuated with Kate and he can’t help but look her up and down. This scene totally screams sex and really emphasises how much he thinks about it. 
7. There is loads of tension at the border scene and you can’t help but feel quite uncomfortable. I found myself holding my breath and just hoping that they would make it across without getting caught. During this scene there is again some light comic relief when Richie and Seth start arguing because Seth told him not to act like a nut, to which Richie takes great offence and the argument hots up before Seth knocks Richie out and breaks his glasses. And of course the family get through the border and you can’t help but feel a wave of happiness. I really liked this scene and couldn’t wait to see what Mexico held for the family and what was going to become of the Gecko brothers. Also, a great cameo here by Cheech Marin as the border inspector.
8. So here we have arrived at the Titty Twister bar, exactly this point in the film is where things start to go wrong for me. I can’t help but feel a little let down when they go inside the bar and the argument breaks out between the bartender (the awesome Danny Trejo, who appears in loads of Rodriguez/Tarantino films) and Seth and co. I got that ‘Is this what they’ve been building up to?’ feeling and it certainly wasn’t a good one. I also get the feeling that this film is in two parts with the first part feeling like a quite gory thriller, with a Pulp Fiction/Natural Born Killers edge but the second part almost like a cheesy vampire B movie. I wouldn’t be surprised if the writers changed during the scriptwriting process.
9. The dance scene with Salma Hayek is a really popular and iconic scene that is guaranteed to get people talking. She looks absolutely stunning and it is a good scene, you can’t help but feel drawn into it. I felt I could anticipate what she’s going to do next and so not to disappoint; she turned into a vampire as did every other dancer and almost every trucker in the bar. The fact that they turned into vampires seems a bit ridiculous, instead why not have a vicious gun battle between the men in the club? Or that they owed money to Salma’s character? I will say that the effects are good with the make-up etc but I just don’t believe that there would be a vampire coven in the middle of the Mexican desert.  
10. Lastly, I liked the reference about preaching from Jacob and how God could protect them against evil. It was a shame about Jacob being bit by a vampire and turning, I was really hoping that he would survive but I liked how only Seth and Kate got out alive and I don’t think it would’ve been right if both of the brothers were killed. I felt the ending was okay but again, from the moment they entered the bar it just starting going downhill for me.

If I haven’t made it clear enough already, what really went wrong with From Dusk Till Dawn is the fact that the ending was poorly thought out. I do like this film to a certain extent but with a bit more thought, creativity and time it could have been Pulp Fiction with a twist, instead it was Starsky and Hutch with vampires and bigger guns. 

I must also apologise as it's been a long time since I last updated the blog, I recently started a new job so I feel that I haven't had a minute. I may not get to update as often as I would like but I will keep you all well informed. My Facebook page is also nearly ready; in the meantime follow @Screen_Gal to keep up to date with the latest news!

Top 5 Romantic Comedies

Valentines Day has not long passed us by and I thought that it would be a good idea to focus my top 5 this month on romantic comedies. I am not a romantic or ‘slushy’ movie fan at all; however I do enjoy my romantic comedies. They are completely different as they contain elements of comedy throughout but also have a slight emotional attachment. My other half and I continually watch gross out comedies, horrors, thrillers (you get the picture) so this will be a bit of a challenge to pick out my favourite romantic comedies and put them into a top 5. We all have films that are close to our hearts and ones which will always hold a special connection between couples. Films bring us closer together and can be enough to ignite a passion between two people. So here are my top 5 romantic comedies which I suggest that you watch immediately!

Screen Gal’s top five romantic comedies:

1. High Fidelity
2. The Wedding Singer
3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
4. Just Married
5. Run Fat Boy Run

High Fidelity (2000)

This film would definitely make it onto my top ten list of favourite films of all time as it is sheer genius. The first time I seen this film I was over in my friend’s house and it came on BBC2 late one night and we decided to give it a go. Every time I watch it, I always immediately want to go and work in a record store or be involved in the story as it totally pulls you in. I got this on DVD as a Christmas gift back in 2004 and it’s one which I go to when I’m sick, bored, feeling down…anytime basically! I am also a huge fan of John Cusack so that partly clinched it for me. 

Based on the 1995 novel by Nick Hornby of the same title, High Fidelity follows the love life of record store owner Rob Gordon. Having just split up from his long term girlfriend Laura, we follow their relationship through a series of flashbacks and how she ends up involved with the guy who lives upstairs from Rob. Rob then decides it’s time to look back through his top five all time break-ups and we see him revisit his old girlfriends looking for meaning as to why he always gets dumped for someone else. Much of the story is played out in the record store with his two wacky clerks at his side, Dick and Barry. Together they continually reference pop music and make top five lists in relation to what is happening in their lives. Rob then decides that in order to win Laura back he may need to change his old habits and ways. 

As far as romantic comedies go this one is definitely up there with the best. I love the choice of casting as everyone plays their role to perfection and I could not imagine anyone but John Cusack portraying Rob Gordon. Iben Hjejle deserves massive praise in her first major film role for her performance as Laura. You can really feel the chemistry between these two actors and really believe that they are a couple, something which Cusack is very good at, even in his other roles. Throughout the film Rob talks to the camera as if he is telling his story to a friend and even though he does bad things in parts of the film you can’t help but be charmed by him. 

The characters Barry and Dick are just extremely well played and very likeable. Credit is due to both Jack Black and Todd Louiso as their performances are outstanding. In fact, every actor in this film plays an incredible role, not failing to mention Joan Cusack, Tim Robbins and Catherine Zeta Jones. This is a romantic comedy but does also contain a lot of dark humour. I really love the continual references to music and pop culture as it is something which I regularly do myself. Rob’s relationships do feel true to life as there are moments when everyone looks back and thinks ‘why did I get dumped for someone else’ or ‘why does all bad things happen to me?’ his relationships definitely have a human reality to them. High Fidelity is a funny, clever and romantic film that is guaranteed to make you laugh and root for Rob in his struggle with life. 

The Wedding Singer (1998)

The Wedding Singer is a film which never fails to make me smile. It was my big sister who introduced me to this film, not long after the film’s release as we rented it from our local video store. At the time I didn’t get some of the jokes and it is only since getting older that you begin to understand and find things a lot funnier. One thing which I particularly love is the chemistry between Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, they’re always a winning combination! Although I own this film on DVD (surprise surprise!) whenever it is on TV I always find myself sitting down to watching it and it’s one that I never tire of. 

The film takes place in 1985 where Robbie Hart is the ultimate wedding singer and people are flocking to hire him and his band for their special day. It is while performing at a wedding reception that Robbie meets Julia, a waitress who regularly caters for his events. She immediately clicks with Robbie as they both believe in love and are pure, optimistic people. Both of them are due to get married, Robbie to Linda and Julia to Glen (a serial womaniser) After Robbie is left at the altar at his own wedding, it soon begins to have an impact on those around him and specifically shows when he is performing. The audience knows that Robbie and Julia are supposed to be together and so as the film continues we are constantly rooting that they will get the happy ending that they deserve. 

The Wedding Singer is without a doubt my favourite Adam Sandler film as to me it stands out as his best performance. Drew Barrymore is one of my favourite actresses and I love her performance in this film, showing vulnerability but also a sense of fun. My favourite cameo is from Steve Buscemi who plays the groom’s best man in the first wedding reception of the film. Another great element to this film is the soundtrack as I love the music from the 80’s and also the music that Adam Sandler’s character composes ‘Somebody Kill Me Please’ and ‘Growing Old with You’ are instant classics. If you give the Wedding Singer a try you will be laughing for days afterwards.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

One of the more recent films on the top 5, this was one film that I had my mind made up about when it was released in the cinema as I did not like Russell Brand at all and knowing that he was starring in the film completely put me off. I only seen this film for the first time around two years ago when a friend loaned me it and told me that I should watch it and try not to have any misconceptions about it. Within the first ten minutes I absolutely loved it and could not wait to see how Jason Segel’s character Peter would turn out. 

The film revolves around the life of Peter Bretter, a music composer for a TV cop show (CSI-esque) in which his beautiful actress girlfriend called Sarah Marshall is the starring role alongside Billy Baldwin. Peter is absolutely distraught when Sarah comes home one day and announces that she is leaving him for someone else. His best friend convinces him to come out and drink so he can move on from her as soon as possible, which isn’t easy so Peter decides that he needs a vacation and heads out to spend the week in Hawaii. While there he meets hotel receptionist Rachel and the two embark on a romance. Of course things don’t run smoothly as Sarah is there with her new boyfriend, singer Aldus Snow. As Rachel and Peter become closer it then becomes apparent that Sarah wants Peter back and so he must decide if he wants to go back to his old life with Sarah or embark on a new relationship with Rachel. 

This movie has the comedy element down to a tee. I love Jason Segel in How I Met Your Mother and think that he is perfect in this role and did a fantastic job of screen writing the entire film. The brilliant and stunning Mila Kunis is also in this film and I find her character Rachel really likeable. I found that I could not stop laughing throughout this film as it really does have a specific comedy element to it and also the hint of romance. You really do empathise with Peter once he gets dumped at the beginning of the film and cannot help but root for him as the film continues. There is also a great cast of supporting actors including Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd (most likely due to the connection to Judd Apatow)

Just Married (2003)

It’s funny because as I was doing a lot of research into this film, I came across the fact that it was widely panned by critics and yet I really like it! I first seen this with my better half when we first started seeing each other and loved it right away, being a major fan of both Brittany Murphy and Ashton Kutcher. It is always a great film to put on after a long day at work or when things have been particularly stressful as it is guaranteed to make you laugh. 

Just Married follows young couple Tom Leezak (Kutcher) and Sarah McNerney (Murphy) who decide that they are meant to be together and get married, against the wishes of Sarah’s family and friends who feel that she should marry someone of similar socialite status. After the wedding Tom and Sarah fly to Europe on a romantic honeymoon together however they soon come across certain events and obstacles which really test their love and it soon becomes the honeymoon from hell. Added into this picture is Peter Prentiss, a wealthy ex boyfriend of Sarah’s who bumps into her just when her and Tom have had an argument. The couple then make it home and it is Sarah’s turn to decide if she wants to be reunited with Tom or continue life without him. 

As I have stated above, I do not see how many people didn’t like this film, sure it is a bit cliché and has probably been done to death but I really enjoyed it. I liked Brittany and Ashton together and thought they did make a really good couple (given that they did date in real life around the time of the movie release!) There are loads of really funny moments throughout including their argument in the hotel room, where Tom gets an ashtray thrown at his forehead, that scene never fails to make me laugh. At the end I was really rooting for the couple to be reunited and live ‘happily ever after’ as it’s a story and a relationship that you can’t help but get drawn into. I definitely rate this film and think that it is one worth watching so ignore the critics and give it a go!

Run Fat Boy Run (2007)

I am a huge Simon Pegg fan and love Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz etc however I actually never got round to seeing this film at the time of its release. It was only a few years ago that my other half bought it for me and I absolutely love it. Another main reason I was desperate to see it was because of the gorgeous Dylan Moran (I have a slight obsession with this man, have I not mentioned this?). This film received a lot of mixed reviews from critics however I really liked it. 

Directed by Friends favourite David Schwimmer this film follows Dennis, a dim and slightly overweight security guard who left his pregnant fiancé Libby five years earlier on their wedding day. The couple have a five year old son Jake and when he sees that Libby has moved on to the wealthy and powerful American Whit, Dennis decides to take matters into his own hands and try and win her back.  He decides that as Whit is really into exercise and training, he will run the Nike River Run in London and to do this he must consult his two aides; best friend Gordon who has a terrible gambling addiction and Mr Ghoshdashtidar, his landlord. Once Whit proposes at Libby’s birthday party this pushes Dennis to gain all the motivation he needs and finish his marathon in order to get her back.

I was really impressed with David Schwimmer’s film debut directing and think that he definitely took the film in the right direction. Some of the scenes have great comic timing and one of the standout performances for me was Dylan Moran. He got the majority of laughs in the film and I really liked his character and gave him a gritty edge by showing that he had a gambling addiction. I found myself really rooting for Dennis to get through the race and was quite on edge when he hit the ‘wall’. It is the same old formula that we have seen again and again but somehow this time it works. The casting is fantastic with all actors giving a great performance. It is a great wee film to watch, again it’s not flashy, it’s a general down to earth film which won’t fail to have you grinning long after it’s finished. 

 

SG: Apologies due as it's been a long time since my last update! I have just a lot of new things starting at the moment so trying to find the time to update is a little difficult at the moment but that will change. I've got some great things lined up for the blog so stay tuned!