Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, as some of you may have seen, last year I started a film podcast entitled Film Focus and on this podcast I talk about various topics in film and reviews as well on a biweekly basis. The latest episode of the podcast was a special one as I decided to try something tricky and interesting with a triple review for Split, xXx: Return of Xander Cage and T2: Trainspotting.
Anyway here’s the episode 24:
This is the first episode for a while where I didn’t have a written review done beforehand, so what you’re hearing is my thoughts in their freshest form, though as I stated in the episode the reviews are condensed versions of what I’d normally deliver, so I may still do written thoughts for all of these films, depends on the timing. Anyways please be sure to check out the reviews for any or all of the films I cover as they’re spoiler-free and fun to listen to (I assume haha).
Here’s the time codes for the specific reviews:
Split 03:38
XXX: Return of Xander Cage 11:17
T2 Trainspotting 16:45
As I mentioned before in each episode I’ll cover a different topic and since I don’t have much in the way of listeners or promotion, I’m here to spread the word about my podcast. 🙂
So if you have some spare time on your hands and would like to listen to the ramblings of a passionate/strange man then please check it out, and share it with your friends if you can. Also you have any feedback or if you’d be interested in joining on future episodes be sure to let me know, until next time, laters! 😀
Howdy people and welcome to another instalment in my blogging rants. I can’t believe that its been almost a year since the last rant, that’s mental. with all the crazy stuff I had to deal with in 2016 I’m surprised I didn’t make a few more posts last year. But nevermind, I’m back to talk about something that’s always irked me for a long time and that is people who talk during films.
Now this may not be a big deal for people who aren’t that into films but for me and many other film lovers it’s an infuriating experience. For most people films are fun to watch alone or with friends whether you’re in the cinema or at home, but when someone starts talking away during a film you have to questions things like:
Why watch a film if you’re going to talk though it?
If you have questions about what you’re watching, why not let the film answer those questions?
It is mainly terrible when you’re in the cinema because it is the ultimate film-watching experience and you can be in the best mood ever while being fully immersed in a great film… But then you get some selfish asshole, or multiple assholes, whether they’re teenagers, groups of loud girls or guys, annoying couples or old people, sometimes they talk too much. Children are the worst offenders because parents either bring them in because they have no baby sitters or decide to bring them into a screening for a film rated higher than their age… But sometimes it’s not just random people that can bug you, sometimes it can be your own friends and family. On numerous occasions I’ve watched films with people I know only for them to constantly ask me questions or moan about the quality of the film and it got so tedious. My mum is the worst for that, she always asks questions and just doesn’t let things play out, she’s vocal about the notable elements of a film like a bad joke, character death or a double cross, it’s especially annoying when its a film I haven’t seen before and I miss certain details. But then there was my uncle on Christmas Day, good gravy I think he may be as bad as my mum. We watched most of The Avengers and Ant-Man and had to comment on everything from the story, to character motivations to the realism and everything else, and considering that I love those films I hate to be distracted and good god it was almost impossible, and it made me wonder how much worst he’d be like if he was in the cinema. Now I have no issue with watching film with people at all, in fact I welcome it for certain times of films like comedy, horror and superhero films, but with all that bloody jibber jabber, it makes me glad that have the option to watch films alone just to avoid the distraction of people around me. In the end people respect the film watching experience and be silent unless the film wants you to make noise, if you’re talking and not paying attention to the film just get lost.
Well that’s another rant over. Hopefully this has been somewhat insightful and if you’ve had any similar experiences please be sure to comment about it in comments below. Until the next time people, laters. 🙂
Howdy ladies and gents, how’s it going? Normally I would be here to give you a film review, however that is not the case today as the first single from Jamiroquai’s upcoming 8th album has been released and I just have to talk about it!
Let me just start by saying if you didn’t know already I am a MASSIVE Jamiroquai fan, have loved them since childhood and just behind the Red Hot Chili Peppers they are my all-time favourite band. It was also a life goal to see them live and I got to live that dream in summer 2013. And so their last album Rock Dust Light Star came out in 2010 and I have been waiting for what feels like an eternity for some new material, following every tiny bit of information about the band, their studio time and what not, and I knew something would be going down this year, but I had no clue the info would drop so soon. In the last week we got info on the name of the album, track listing, tour dates and locations, a teaser for the music video of the first single, and when the first single would get its first play.
Yesterday I saw on Twitter that the song would drop on Jo Whiley’s show on BBC Radio 2 so I downloaded the app just to hear it and unfortunately I didn’t catch the whole thing because I got lost in a game demo, but I caught the last half of it and what I heard, I liked. 🙂 Then I found out the song, “Automaton” would be officially released today and now that I’ve heard the song in full and seen the video I’m ready to give my thoughts on it.
Here’s the song:
Firstly let me talk about the song itself, wow, what a jam, it sounds so good. The cool thing is, it is different and familiar and I’m really feeling the style of music. The best way to describe the song is that it feels primarily electronic with disco mixed in. I felt shades of A Funk Odyssey and Rock Dust Light Star but with a Daft Punk edge from the Tron: Legacy soundtrack. During the first verse the difference in sound did take a little adjusting, but once that chorus kicks in with Jay Kay’s gorgeous vocals, everything slots into place. But then towards the latter side of the song there’s a lovely breakdown where the song taps into the more familiar Jamiroquai sound with the funky disco sounds and it feels so nice! I feel like this song is an evolution of the sound from “White Knuckle Ride” but on another level. This sound is bold, in your face and just oozing with flair and personality.
As for the music video, I really liked it. I watched it around an hour ago so I may miss some details, but I thought it was very sci-fi/otherworldly with Jay Kay playing some kind of man who was either: 1) A cyborg. 2) A human with robotic tendencies. Or 3) An alien. Either way it was an interesting video to watch this character move through the underground train stations, abandoned trains, out in the fields and in the room with that other guy watching all those monitors among other places. And that ending when he found the hat (which I believe is the same one from the cover of the High Times compilation album from 2006) I got so giddy, but then UFO’s showed up with a spotlight on him and that was a crazy, the way I interpreted the video was that this character was an alien sent to earth to learn and somehow contact his people to get picked up. I liked the colour scheme of the video, from the outdoor locations, to the glowing robot hat to the cool mirror room Jay was moving around in, plus this was the first video in ages to see Jay Kay dancing again and it was hella fun to see him busting some moves on the underground.
So that’s my quick thoughts on “Automaton“, I think it’s a really cool song which will grow on me and I will bleed the hell out of for weeks to come. And while I can see old school fans of the acid jazz days of the first 3 albums not being too captivated by this material, I think that this is a sign of good things to come. Anyway, for you Jamiroquai fans what did you think of this new song? Drop me your thoughts in the comments below so I’ll see ya on the next blog post, laters! 😀
Howdy ladies and gents, and welcome to What I’m Currently Watching where I give you a tiny update on what TV-based stuff I’m watching and give mini reviews/impressions on them. This is the 31st week, and today I’ll be talking about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Lucifer,Grimm and Star Wars Rebels. With that out of the way let’s talk about some TV! 😀 Oh and careful for spoilers especially for Star Wars Rebels…
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 4) “The Patriot”
Now this was a good episode and probably my favourite since the origin of Ghost Rider in “The Good Samaritan” last year. Sometimes AoS fluctuates with the amount of engaging material in the overall story arcs with some episodes being really good, average or dull, but this episode was on the better end of the spectrum and had a lot of the key aspects that make this show worth watching. Straight from the beginning with Mace holding the press conference for Daisy I loved it, the way it was set up and framed with Coulson and Mac undercover, you knew something would go down, you just weren’t shure as to how it’d happen. It felt like a spy thriller set up from a film and more in line with the kind of material I wish this show would do more. Anyway, I enjoyed pretty much everything about this episode, it had action, suspense, mystery, cool reveals and moved at swift pace. There was a lot of really good material in this episode, but the main plot point with Mace and Colonel Talbot was great. Learning about the origin of Mace’s abilities and how Talbot not only had a hand in it, but also that the serum was a modified version of what Daisy’s dad used back in season 2? That was a crazy callback! I liked Talbot’s reasoning for why he did what he did even if his actions resulted in deception, being discovered and heated exchanges with FitzSimmons and Coulson. Plus it was great to get some insight into who Mace is, how he is good guy and has a moral code, but stumbled into a situation which he couldn’t escape from, this episode made me more relatable and human for sure. It was also great to learn more about Dr. Radcliffe and his plans for LMD May, Aida and normal May, oh and seeing Fitz still wanting to fix the other Aida was intriguing but bad as his secret will surely spell the end of the relationship with Simmons, I’m calling it right now (though I hate to). Also the humour was great, AoS has sometimes been hit and miss with its humour, though season 4 has been solid and this episode had some great one-liners from Coulson, Mace, Fitz and Simmons, and of course Colonel Talbot who had some great lines especially with the coffee.
Lucifer (Season 2) “Stewardess Interruptus”
So Lucifer returned this week and it was another really good episode, I’m continuously surprised by how much love this show and its ability to create depth and development for all of the key characters while still offering fun and interesting episodic cases. This episode dealt with some really interesting things like: 1) The people that Lucifer’s slept with: It was funny and interesting to learn of the people that Lucifer bedded and their varying experiences of pleasure but also see that it was just sex for them and witness Lucifer’s happiness turn to sadness because their lack of emotional attachment to him. 2) The killer may return: I found it interesting that the victims were used for drug smuggling and when we were finally introduced to the bad guy, we never see their face and they were able to get away. I’m sure this can’t be over. 3) Seeing Lucifer’s mum and Amenadiel actively try help Lucifer and Chloe’s relationship was fun especially the conversation between Chloe and Lucifer’s mum. And 4) Lucifer and Chloe’s relationship: We almost had a kiss at the end of last episode/this episode yet it was offset by an unexpected guest, and from there Lucifer and Chloe had hilarious/troubled conversations about their “moment” and the state of their relationship. Towards the end of the episode it looked like the people behind this show was gonna put a reset on the Chloe and Lucifer’s relationship, even though these two cared for each other but just weren’t emotionally sure about committing to it. But after Lucifer’s heartfelt speech on the beach Chloe went for the kill, and man it felt nice! I’m curious to see where their relationship goes from next week onwards. Oh and the humour, so much of it was great including stuff with Maze, Dan and of course Lucifer, that “Booties call me” line was frigging awesome! XD
Grimm (Season 6) “Oh Captain, My Captain”
So this is my first Grimm review for a while it feels and it feels good to finally be talking about the show again even though this is the final season 😦 But anyway let’s talk about episode 3 and man it was a doozy. Grimm always finds ways to create interesting storylines, and some of the creative and impossible tasks the creators find for our heroes to try and overcome is fascinating and fun to watch. So this episode dealt with the manhunt for Nick and any of his associates while our heroes tried to come up with a way to stop him and good gravy they came up with a dangerous plan; to turn Nick into Renard with magic and make a public announcement to renounce his candidacy as Mayor and clear Nick as a uncover agent. That was a crazy plan with a lot of humourous and dangerous moments not only with the media attention, but also with the real Renard once he found out as well. Doppelganger episodes are always tricky to pull off because of the stakes and story involved, but I think this was done well and Sasha Roiz did a great job playing himself and Nick. Also I knew that once Nick got stuck in Renard’s body, it would somehow fall to Diana to be the one to turn him back to normal, the moment she saw Nick (as Renard) I knew she’d probably see through it, so yeah Nick’s back to normal again, yay! But that look on Diana’s face was worrisome, she’s had no reason to mistrust Nick before but she does now, oh dear. But that was not the only surprise of this episode, as soon as Renard got home we saw Meisner again, now clearly this must be one of Renard’s visions, however, if that’s not the case then how is he still alive?
Star Wars Rebels (Season 3) “Trials of the Darksaber”
Well I’m calling it now, this might be the best episode of Rebels to date, talk about drama! This kind of emotional depth has been missing from this show for a while now, and when I go on about how great this show is I am talking about episodes like this, where the stories transcend just kid-friendly material, and dive deep into mythology but also present you with character-driven material that older audiences can appreciate as well. Straight from the beginning of the episode this episode felt different with a more somber and serious atmosphere, and that carried on through to the end of the episode. It was fascinating learning about the history of the Darksaber and how it tied into Mandalorian history and the significance/weight it put on Sabine. Since season 2 Sabine became one of my top 3 characters, but this episode really gave us our best look at her when it comes to inner conflict, combat abilities and backstory with the Empire and the Mandalorians. Seeing her train and get frustrated with not only her technique, but also with Kanan’s training methods and dealing with Ezra as a training partner/teacher was interesting and showed her at her most vulnerable. I loved seeing Kanan as the stern master and Sabine as his capable yet unbalanced student, it was handled wonderfully with the dialogue and sword fighting, and it felt like the kind of material you’d see in a classic film (like a martial arts film).
The visual material was superb with great sword stances, fight choreography, rich colours and wonderfully framed shots. I also loved the music as it had such a great sense of presence, drama and had an oriental feel during the training moments. I also liked seeing how everyone reacted to Sabine’s situation with Kanan being frustrated with her because of her Mandalorian tendencies and inner conflict, how Hera could relate to Sabine because of the family issues, and how Ezra, even though he was quite annoying, had a moment to remind Sabine that she at least had family to go back to. And of course I can’t talk about this episode without mentioning Sabine’s heartfelt speech while fighting Kanan, I love how Kana pushed her to the point of an emotional outburst which was raw and intense, and I got flashbacks to Return of the Jedi (Luke vs. Vader). Just hearing Sabine’s lament about how she was responsible for what happened to her people and tried to speak out, but was abandoned by the people she wanted to protect, its gut-punching stuff. And finally to see Fen Rau, Ezra and Kanan kneeling and saying they’d follow Sabine as a leader was beautiful, I really want know where this storyline goes.
Well that’s what I’ve been watching. So have you seen or plan to watch any of these shows? If you have any thoughts be sure to drop a comment below and let me know what TV shows you’re currently watching too. Until next time, laters! 😀
Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, as some of you may have seen, last year I started a film podcast entitled Film Focus and on this podcast I talk about various topics in film and reviews as well. Since I never made a post about episode 20, I decided to release both episodes in the same post with the first about Assassin’s Creed and La La Land.
Anyway here’s the episode 22:
And here is episode 23:
I’ve already written about Assassin’s Creed and La La Land, however if you’re not into reading then I believe you’ll find my audio commentary to be a little more comprehensive, entertaining and possibly funny. 🙂
As I mentioned before in each episode I’ll cover a different topic and since I don’t have much in the way of listeners or promotion, I’m here to spread the word about my podcast. 🙂
So if you have some spare time on your hands and would like to listen to the ramblings of a passionate/strange man then please check it out, and share it with your friends if you can. Also you have any feedback or if you’d be interested in joining on future episodes be sure to let me know, until next time, laters! 😀
Howdy ladies and gents, and welcome to What I’m Currently Watching where I give you a tiny update on what TV-based stuff I’m watching and give mini reviews/impressions on them. This is the 30th week, and the first set of TV reviews for 2017. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do these reviews a lot more as opposed to last year where things got a little too complicated/busy towards Christmas. Today I’ll be talking about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Star Wars Rebels. With that out of the way let’s talk about some TV! 😀 Oh and careful for minor spoilers…
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 4) “Broken Promises”
So AoS returned last week and after a fairly entertaining first few episodes with Ghost Rider and some interesting developments with the story and characters, the show is moving in the direction I expected it to from the time Aida came to the forefront of season 4, and that is focus on robots turning evil and having Life Model Decoys becoming the next phase of the show. I knew that Aida wouldn’t stay on the side of our heroes for long and I was hoping Mac’s rightful skepticism wouldn’t come to pass, but of course it did as we learnt that Aida has become self-aware, wants the Darkhold and has caused issues for our team. But what I didn’t fully expect was after Aida was beheaded, that it was Dr. Radcliffe behind everything, that he sent that Aida model to retrieve the book for him as a test, but had the May LMD as a back-up to get close to Coulson to eventually get the book later on. I had a feeling that might have some questionable motives, but for him to be lying to the team in quest for ultimate knowledge was pretty intriguing. The other key element of this episode that I enjoyed was seeing Senator Nadeer, I knew she’d be a character to look out for and she’s become more and more intriguing as time has progressed, but this material with her brother has given her the most depth and development so far. It was great to see Vijay out his cocoon and interacting with his sister in a nostalgic manner, but it was also interesting to see her betray him and get the Watchdogs to kill him. I thought it was cool to see him convince her to keep him alive, but once he started showing off those powers I knew his days were numbered. But to see Nadeer shoot her brother and through him from that helicopter really reinforced her resolve about taking out Inhumans even with her brother. Now I’m curious to see how 1) Things play out with Vijay now that he’s in his cocoon again in the ocean. 2) What’ll happen between Coulson and LMD May (I have a feeling and I’m troubled). And 3) How Nadeer and the Watchdogs will advance with their Inhuman plans.
Star Wars Rebels (Season 3) “Ghosts of Geonosis Part 1 & 2”
This was pretty solid two-parter and was more in line with what I expect from Rebels on a weekly basis; here we had a story that was unique and intriguing, tied into the live-action films and Clone Wars and but also stood on its own. These episodes had a good balance of adventure, seriousness and humour, darker moments and laid the foundation for interesting things to come in the future. As someone who doesn’t know much about Saw Gerrera beyond what I saw in Rogue One, it was cool get some additional info on him when comes to the people he’s lost, his tactics and the kind of person he was before the events of Rogue One. Saw was a much more interesting and layered character than he was in Rogue One, he’s got not a bad guy, but his life experiences have shaped into being quite ruthless and unpredictable which I liked. Oh and I loved Sabine’s line about sand, I’m sure that must be a reference to Anakin’s now infamous dialogue from Attack of the Clones haha.
Well that’s what I’ve been watching. So have you seen or plan to watch any of these shows? If you have any thoughts be sure to drop a comment below and let me know what TV shows you’re currently watching too. Until next time, laters! 😀
Howdy ladies and gents, time for my top 12 most anticipated films of 2017, I know it’s almost 2 weeks into 2017 and most people have done their lists already, but I had to sort out PART 1, 2 & 3 of my Films to Look Out For in 2017 lists first. Now I’m finally ready to reveal the films I’m most looking forward to. Now this was a hard list to put together so this some of these films aren’t specifically in order (mainly in the lower half). But anyway let’s get on with this list.
12. Wonder Woman
This is the superhero film from DC and Warner Bros that I’m the most curious/excited to see, not only is the first solo film for Wonder Woman, but it is also the first film in the DCEU not handled by Zack Snyder (not counting David Ayer). I’m just very fascinated to see how this film plays out, the second trailer really sold me on this film with its vibrant colour palette, cool action sequences and interesting characters. I hope this film succeeds.
11. The Fate of the Furious
While I’m not overly keen on the idea of Dom going against the very people he’s had such strong ties to for so many films now, but hey if it means we can get Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson teaming up then I think I’m cool with it. The film will be interesting to see how the story plays out, but more importantly for all the crazy action sequences, I really want to know how that submarine fits into this film. 😛
10. Dunkirk
This is the first war film from Christopher Nolan, I think that’s all that I need to say haha. But seriously that’s my main reasons for watching this film, that and the cast.
9. Kong: Skull Island
I’m really curious to see how this film turns out, I was initially really exited for this film, but the second trailer with the humour and overall atmosphere wasn’t as good as the last trailer. I have hope for this just because I want a good King Kong film with some cool mystery, mythology and potential ties that could set up the crossover film with Godzilla in 2020,
8. Thor Ragnarok
I think it is safe to say that Thor is the least loved Avenger, even though he works well in the Avengers films, his solo films haven’t fared to well with certain fans and critics. I love the first film and don’t care for The Dark World, but Ragnarok has the potential to be the best of the three with the incorporation of Ragnarok, Hela, the Planet Hulk storyline and seeing what Taika Waititi can do with an MCU film? I’m down.
7. John Wick Chapter Two
The first film was a lot of fun and as soon as I saw the teaser for this sequel it caught my attention straight away. I’m just looking forward to some more kick ass action with Keanu Reeves being a badass.
6. Kingsman The Golden Circle
The first Kingsman was one of my favourite films of 2014 and while I didn’t need a sequel, I am glad that it exists just so I can see where Eggsy’s and his crew advance to and see how these new characters factor into the story.
5. Logan
Here we have a film I’ve been looking forward to for a while now, but wasn’t absurdly excited for until I saw that trailer. The trailer for this film totally took me by surprise and now all I can hope is that the film is half as good as the trailer is. Logan looks dramatic, violent and totally different from what we’ve seen from the X-Men film series so far, I can only hope it delivers the goods.
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man is my boy, he was awesome in Civil War and now has his solo film on the horizon and so far it looks really good. I already love Tom Holland in the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, I can’t wait to see how Michael Keaton handles Vulture, and finally I just hope that this film is the one that gets that right balance of high drama with superhero adventures right. This could be Spectacular Spider-Man in live-action if we’re lucky.
3. War For the Planet of the Apes
If this film is as good as the trailer suggests, then War could be part of one of the best trilogy of films in recent film history. I really want to see the war between humans and apes kick off, seems like Caesar is done being patient and forgiving and will butt heads with Woody Harrelson (who looks crazy cool).
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
I feel like the wait for this film has been SO long, my love for Guardians of the Galaxy was pretty intense back in the summer of 2014 and I’ve been ready for so long to see these characters back in action. Now we’re only around 4 months away and the details we’ve gotten James Gunn and the first trailers have only made me more excited, can’t wait to see the visual spectacle and hear that new soundtrack.
1. Star Wars Episode VIII
I think we all knew that Star Wars was gonna end up at number one, while there are many other films that have me excited for different reasons whether they be first time adaptations or original films, seeing the next chapter in the episodic Star Wars films. Regardless of your thoughts on The Force Awakens, it was still a solid film which set up this new world of
Now I know the majority of my list are all major blockbuster films and a good few of them are comic book films but I can’t help it, I like what I like and I want awesome comic book adaptations. So what are your most anticipated films of the year? Drop me a comment below and I’ll see ya on the next blog post, laters! 😀
Howdy people of the interweb and welcome to Films to look out for in 2017! This is my preview of upcoming films that I believe deserve your attention this year. In PART 1 I covered films from January to March, in PART 2 I covered April to July and in this post I’ll be covering August to December.
Now before we begin I have two main things I need to point out:
Obviously a lot of films come out, so if they’re not on my list it’s either because I don’t know about them or I don’t care…
2016 films getting their UK releases this year don’t count! So there. 😛
Okay then, let’s start 😀
Baby Driver
Release Date: August 11th (USA & UK)
Trailer:
I am a massive fan of Edgar Wright and I will follow his career wherever it goes, and while I will always wonder what he would have brought to Ant-Man, I still respect his decision, plus his original projects are always more interesting. I like the sound of the premise and the cast is also impressive including Lily James, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey and Jon Bernthal among others.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Release Date: August 18th (USA & UK)
I just looked this film up and it sounds like it could be fun, while I’m always dubious of comedies these days, action comedies at least have some spectacle that I’ll enjoy and the premise sounds like it could be worth watch, plus this cast is interesting including Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Élodie Yung, and Salma Hayek, I’m down.
American Made
Release Date: August 25th (UK), September 29th (USA)
I’m always looking forward to Doug Liman’s next project especially after Edge of Tomorrow and the fact that he’s teamed up with Tom Cruise on this project gives me hope that the film will be worth a watch. The premise sounds interesting and I am curious to see how those real life events translate to the big screen.
Granite Mountain
Release Date: September 22nd (USA & UK)
Here’s the premise: “A drama based on the elite crew of men who battled Yarnell Hill Fire, a wildfire in Prescott, Arizona in June 2013 that claimed the lives of 19 of their members.” I may have heard about this film’s production on Collider Movie talk before or some other film-related site, but reading about the premise it sounds like a captivating and intriguing story to be brought to the big screen. I’m really curious to see how Joseph Kosinski handles this film, so far he’s made Tron: Legacy and Oblivion, both films I enjoyed but were more style over substance, though I liked the latter film more for its story and mystery, so maybe with a more grounded story he’ll be able bring something new. Oh and I’m liking this cast including Jennifer Connelly, Taylor Kitsch, Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, Miles Teller and Ben Hardy (who will have more to do than he did in X-Men: Apocalypse) and Alex Russell who I haven’t seen since Chronicle.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Release Date: September 29th (UK), October 6th (USA)
Kingsman: The Secret Service was one of the best surprises from 2014 and I think ended up in my top 5 of that year, it was so fun, action-packed, hilarious and violent and totally had all of the best qualities that come with a Matthew Vaughn film, but was also self-aware and had some good pop culture references too. So when I heard there’d be a sequel, part of me was wanting to leave the first film alone, but I was also curious to see where this series would go. So now we have the sequel with a cast possibly more impressive than the last including newcomers Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges and Elton John? This should be an interesting adventure an I hope it can be the badass sequel it has the potential to be.
Blade Runner 2049
Release Date: October 6th (USA & UK)
At this current pont in time I haven’t seen the first Blade Runner, I know, blasphemy right? All I can say is that I just haven’t gotten around to it yet, but I obviously will have seen it by the time this sequel comes out later on this year. I was never overly interested in a sequel to this film until Denis Villeneuve was attached to direct, I haven’t even the entire teaser trailer, this film is a mystery to me and I’m curious to see how it unfolds.
The Snowman
Release Date: October 13th (USA & UK)
I don’t know much about this film besides the fact that it’s a crime thriller based around a detective who investigates the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman, it’s directed by the man who did Let the Right One In and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (the former I liked and the latter I didn’t) and it stars my peeps Michael Fassbender and Rebecca Ferguson, so those facts altogether have me interested.
Logan Lucky
Release Date: October 13th (USA)
Here we have another interesting film with no UK release date, but there’s a great cast and director and a fun premise. I’m always interested ina comedy if the right kind of people are behind it and his you have Steven Soderbergh in the director’s chair I’m already intrigued, but then you add a cast including Adam Driver, Channing Tatum, Seth MacFarlane, Daniel Craig, Katherine Heigl, Hilary Swank and Sebastian Stan? I’m all over it, I really hope the trailer is good when it gets released.
The Commuter
Release Date: October 13th (USA) October 20th (UK)
All I know is that I like action thrillers and with a cast that includes Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Neill, Elizabeth McGovern, Jonathan Banks and Patrick Wilson I’m pretty excited to see how this turns out, especially with because you can never have enough Sam Neil. 😀
Thor: Ragnarok
Release Date: October 27th (UK), November 3rd (US)
I’m unapologetic about my love for Thor from 2011, while not a perfect film, I think there was a lovely sense of wonder, mythology, fun and interesting themes and character elements introduced into not only that film but also the MCU as a whole… And then there’s Thor: The Dark World, one of the most, if not the most forgettable film in the MCU, while there were some cool aspects with Thor and Loki and some action scenes, overall the film was a massive step down for me. And now we have Thor 3, a film that will have: 1) Thor and Hulk together (they had some of the best scenes in The Avengers). 2) Taika Waititi in the directing chair which is awesome. 3) Some adaptation of the Planet Hulk storyline, yay! 4) And a crazy impressive cast including Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Hopkins. This has the potential to be really good, but we’ll see.
Justice League
Trailer:
Release Date: November 17th (USA & UK)
I’m so dubious of this film, while I do want it to succeed I just don’t know if I’ll get a version of the characters that I liked from the animated shows that I enjoyed in the teenage years. Now I know as an adaptation there will be changes from the comics to screen, however, with Man of Steel and Batman V Superman, I feel like there were some unnecessary changes to the basic elements of Superman and Batman in terms of the characters, tone and story that made them a little unlikable for me and some other fans. Now with Justice League, that first footage they showed at Comic-Con last year was interesting for sure and I liked some elements, but I don’t know if it will be a film I’ll like overall. I’m cautiously optimistic.
Coco
Release Date: November 22nd (USA) December 8th (UK)
Well here we have another new Pixar film which isn’t a sequel or prequel, but an original film and I’m interested but dubious for one key reason; the story is based on the Mexican holiday The Day of the Dead. The reason I am a little less excited about this film is because we’ve already had a film based around this holiday in the form The Book of Life and then there was the opening sequence in Spectre that had a big focus on that event too. Now I know that this film will have its own original take on the holiday and will have those Pixar elements that will make it special, but I guess I need a trailer in order to be swayed.
Murder on the Orient Express
Release Date: November 22nd (USA) November 24th (UK)
Rogue One may not have been for everyone but I and numerous other fans across the world certainly enjoyed it, but let’s be real, everyone was waiting for Episode VIII. Besides the addition of Laura Dern and Benicio del Toro and some comments from Rian Johnson about a heavy focus on Luke and Rey’s relationship and what was going on with Luke Skywalker since Return of the Jedi, there’s not much else to go on. All I want is more drama, character development, some more darkness, more Kylo Ren and Snoke, and finally some sweet Luke lightsaber action, that’s all I could ever want.
Pitch Perfect 3
Release Date: December 22nd (USA & UK)
I will never hide my love for Pitch Perfect, it was one of my favourite music-based film experiences in the cinema in years, it was such a pleasant surprise and cemented my love for Anna Kendrick forever. But then Pitch Perfect 2 came out, and I was stupid hyped for that sequel, but it was a disappointment, not a terrible film, but nowhere near as clever or as fun as the previous film. So when I heard there would be another sequel I wasn’t too keen, but because I like these characters I know I’ll be back to see this new film, I just hope the music, humour and story is better this time around.
The Greatest Showman
Release Date: December 25th (USA) December 29th (UK)
So finally that’s PART 3 done. Thanks a lot for reading. Are any of the films listed on your personal list of films to watch? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them below and coming back to see my Most Anticipated Films of 2017! Laters 😀
Howdy people of the interweb and welcome to Films to look out for in 2017! This is my preview of upcoming films that I believe deserve your attention. In PART 1 I covered films from January to March, and in this post I’ll be covering April to July.
Now before we begin I have two main things I need to point out:
Obviously a lot of films come out, so if they’re not on my list it’s either because I don’t know about them or I don’t care…
2016 films getting their UK releases this year don’t count! So there. 😛
Okay then, let’s start 😀
Going in Style
Release Date: April 7th (USA & UK)
Trailer:
I saw the trailer for this the other day and I felt mixed about it. On the one hand it is an interesting concept of having three old guys going off to steal some money when their financial situations become problematic, but it also looks very questionable with some of the humourous situations that they’ll get into. To put it simply, this film looks like Last Vegas, except with old guys being robbers instead, I like the lead men and this could be fun, if handled correctly.
Gifted
Release Date: April 12th (USA), June 16th (UK)
Trailer:
I’m interested in this film for three reasons: 1) I loved Chris Evans. 😛 2) I’m curious to see what Marc Webb’s been up to since those Amazing Spider-Man films. And 3) The premise for this film sounds intriguing and I’m liking the look of trailer so I hope it’ll be as good as I’m hoping.
The Fate of the Furious
Release Date: April 14th (US & UK)
Trailer:
At this point you’re either on the Fast and Furious hype or not, but for those of us who are we’re pretty curious to see how this series progresses, not only because it’ll be the first film without Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner but also because Dom Torreto seems to have turned on his people and has teamed up with the enemy. I think the series should have ended with Furious 7 considering the send off for Paul Walker, but considering the money that film made, you knew this series was gonna continue regardless. The trailer for this new film looks like the same chaotic and nonsensical fun we’ve seen from the last few films, I just hope that some of the changes aren’t going to make the film less interesting.
The Lost City of Z
Release Date: April 17th (USA)
Trailer:
I’ve heard a lot of talk about this film since last year and it has an interesting premise, but the main reason I want to watch this is because of Tom Holland. There’s no UK release but hopefully since its being distributed by Amazon Studios it’ll be available on Amazon Video at some point for Prime members like myself.
The Circle
Release Date: April 28th (USA)
Trailer:
Here we have another interesting film with no UK release date, but I’m liking what I’m seeing in the trailer and it has a really impressive cast including Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Patton Oswalt, and Bill Paxton? Sign me up yo!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Release Date: April 28th (UK), May 5th (USA)
Trailer:
Guardians of the Galaxy was one oft he best surprises of 2014, I mean I knew it’d be good, but for it to be as fun and different as it was, it changed the landscape of the MCU and the types of comic book films that could be made going forward. So far I’m totally happy with the marketing for this sequel with the humour, beautiful visuals and my favourite people, Groot and Drax looking to be standout characters once again.
Alien: Covenant
Release Date: May 19th (USA & UK)
Trailer:
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Prometheus when it came out in 2012, and subsequent viewings didn’t do much to change my opinion, the film had some interesting ideas and was a beautiful film, but most of the characters besides Michael Fassbender’s David we idiots or just really boring. So the idea of a sequel to that film wasn’t too high on my list of films to check out this year, however, that trailer that dropped on Christmas day has swayed me a little, it looks violent and has some elements of the first and second Alien films (the best ones), so I am curious to see if this could be the Alien film I’ve been waiting for.
Wonder Woman
Release Date: June 2nd (USA & UK)
Trailer:
This film has the potential to be really good or really bad depending on the story and central performance from Gal Gadot. It seems like a fair amount of people have embraced her as this character after Batman V Superman, but this solo film will be the real to see if her character can shine on her own. I thought the first Comic-Con trailer was fine, but the second trailer was much better with the action and visual presentation, I hope this can be a win for Warner Bros. and DC because they need it.
The Mummy
Release Date: June 9th (USA & UK)
Trailer:
I wasn’t too interesting a reboot of this franchise, until Tom Cruise was attached and the additional cast came along and kept my interest going. Now the trailer wasn’t the most impressive thing ever, and that Tom Cruise scream will be stuck my head forever, but that being said I’m curious to se how this turns out.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Release Date: July 7th USA & UK)
Trailer:
Spider-Man is my all-time favourite superhero and he has had 2 great films, 1 decent one and 1 terrible one, after 2014 I thought I might be done with live-action Spidey films for a little while, and yet last year, Civil War showed me that I was completely wrong, that I could love Spidey in films again in a fresh yet classic way. I’ve liked what I’ve seen of this new Spidey film from the set pictures to the first trailers, I hope the film is as good as I’m hoping because it has the potential to be the best Spidey film to date.
War for the Planet of the Apes
Release Date: July 14th (USA & UK)
Trailer:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of the best surprise films of 2011, and Dawn was a dramatic and character-driven adventure, both of these films have been really fun, exciting, badass and surprising captivating. So with this sequel I’ve been excited for the last few years to see where this franchise would go and after that first trailer I am so hyped for to see this film in July.
Dunkirk
Release Date: July 21st (USA & UK)
Trailer:
I’ve pretty much liked every film that Christopher Nolan’s made and this is probably his most realistic and grounded film for a while, so I am curious to see how he handles a film in the war genre, the trailer looks good and I’m excited to see the cast especially Kenneth Branagh and Cillian Murphy.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Release Date: July 21st (USA) August 4th (UK)
Trailer:
I heard about this film I think after Comic-Con last year and I wasn’t too keen on the promotional images, and wasn’t too fussed about this film until I saw the trailer. Now while I’m not too sure on what the plot is, and I don’t really care for the music, on a purely visual level the film looks insane! The amount of creativity, colour, detail and crazy designs of the aliens and locations is mind-boggling and depending on if the film is good or not I may want to see this in IMAX. Now I wasn’t the biggest fan of Lucy so I am cautious, but I like Dane DeHaan so here’s hoping there with be some substance to this spectacle.
The Dark Tower
Release Date: July 28th (USA & UK)
I’ve heard a lot about this film from the years it’s been trying to be made from different studios to finally getting into production with Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in the lead roles. I’ve never read the book, but I am interested in this film just to see how it turns out.
The Coldest City
Release Date: July 28th (USA), July 28th (UK)
I had no clue this film was coming out until I looked it up and the more I’ve looked into it the more excited I’ve intrigued I’ve gotten. Firstly its a spy thriller film which has my interest already, plus you have a good cast including Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman and Sofia Boutella. And you have the fact that it’ll be helmed by David Leitch, one half of the directing team behind John Wick, and will also be responsible for directing the Deadpool sequel? It sound like this film will be cool to watch.
Alrighty then, that’s PART 2 done. Thanks a lot for reading. Are any of the films listed on your personal list of films to watch? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them below and I’ll see you for PART 3! Laters 😀
Howdy ladies and gents, how’s it going? So La La Land, the film that everyone has been buzzing about since critics it got released recently during in America and while the film isn’t out here in the UK officially until Friday I think, I got to see it at a Cineworld unlimited screening last night and I’m gonna tell you right now, I really liked this film and I’m gonna tell you why in this review. 🙂
The story can be described as the following:
“This film tells the story of Mia and Sebastian, an aspiring actress and a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts, and so this musical explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.”
I really enjoyed this story, it had a really classic feel to it in its tone, narrative and when some critics say that this film is a love letter to old Hollywood films you can really feel it while you’re watching. The story had a lot of familiar elements and some parts you can predict, but it was handled with style, passion and care so when the drama, love, joy and etc go down its engaging and endearing. But what I didn’t expect was how deep, emotional and thought-provoking the film would be, this film covers a lot of themes when it comes to success and failure, compromise, having aspirations, following your dreams, and the trials and tribulations that can come with breaking into music and film industry. It was realistic and I think will not only resonate with people who are dreamers but also make people thinking about their own career paths especially if you’re a creative individual trying to get into the media industry.
The cast was wonderful, but the main people you’ll remember is Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone who killed it! Firstly there’s Emma Stone as Mia Dolan, a girl who has great love for the film industry and had dreams of becoming a famous actress, and what I loved about her was playfulness and determination, and Stone was incredible, easily my favourite performance from her so far. Ryan Gosling was great as Sebastian Wilder, I loved his admiration for jazz and the fact that he continued to follow his dreams in spite of set backs and compromises he’s had to make, and Gosling is one of those guys I’m liking more and more with every film I see him in. Stone and Gosling had great chemistry and their characters’ love story was beautiful, engaging and felt natural. John Legend also did well as Keith, as did Rosemarie DeWitt as Laura Wilder and J. K. Simmons’ contribution as Bill was small yet unforgettable and hilarious.
The presentation was off the charts, visually and musically the film was stunning. Visually this film does some really impressive, surprising and fascinating work with the cinematography, colour scheme, lighting, set design and use of visual effects. I loved the amount of continuous shots this film was able to pull off, it looked like an insane amount of tracking shots. Oh and that dance choreography, LOVED IT! I’m a massive fan of dance choreography and this film had some pretty cool footwork especially in the extravagant dance numbers with numerous people all moving at the same time. Oh and the music was so nice, I wasn’t sure if I would like it considering the trailers, but it not only worked for the film, but it was pretty catchy, diverse and had a lot of jazz influences which I really appreciated. Justin Hurwitz’s score was magical, dramatic and infectious.
In conclusion La La Land made me think, made me feel and left a strong impression me long after I left the cinema. I had such a good time with this film and I highly recommend it, and that means a lot coming from a man who isn’t keen on musicals to begin with.
So have you seen La La Land and if so what did you think of it? Be sure to drop me your thoughts in the comments section below and I’ll see ya on the next review 😀
Howdy people and welcome to another instalment in my blogging rants. I can’t believe that its been almost a year since the last rant, that’s mental. with all the crazy stuff I had to deal with in 2016 I’m surprised I didn’t make a few more posts last year. But nevermind, I’m back to talk about something that’s always irked me for a long time and that is people who talk during films.
The Hypersonic55's Realm of Reviews and Other Stuff 