Films to watch out for this week – 2nd May 2016 -8th May 2016

Hello Reader!

How are you lovely lot?

Good. I’m glad your all well.

Well most of you anyway. (There is bound to be one of you that answers ‘not good’ to that question, so I have to cover all bases don’t I)

Apologies for being a little late with the column this week. Well it is a bank holiday after all!

I have had a little bit of downtime over the weekend to recharge the old batteries. But I am back to it today!

But enough about me…….

 

Exorcist House of Evil – Released in the UK TODAY, Monday 2nd May 2016

This is an interesting one to start. You only have to read the name of the film to know what type of film this is.

That’s right its a comedy!

Only joking. No it is in fact a horror.

What makes this an intreguing watch is the fact that it is based on a true story.

Before we go any further, lets get this straight. Many films these days claim they are based on a ‘True Story’ or on ‘True Events’. Now, they may well be! However it is very difficult to distinguish what is the true bit, and what may have been added for, what, dramatic effect!

Anyhow we are heading onto a different dual carriageway and if we don’t stop now the next turn off is in 10 miles. And trust me, you don’t want me to go on for 10 miles talking about the ‘True Events’ argument.

Being one of the most famous houses in America, The Exorcist House, was a family home for many years and is the site 0f an infamous exorcism. The film focuses on the house when a young woman returns to the home she used to live in with her family.

A fun fact about this film is that while filming was taking place, the crew captured both audible and visible paranormal activity. It is no surprise then that the producers have left this footage in to give us a look at what haunts this remarkable house.

I don’t know what I think about the paranormal activity argument. Is it really a thing? Is there another universe? Who knows.

What I do know is that this film looks like an interesting watch.

Click on the film if you dare!!!

 

The Wild Life (Robinson Crusoe) – Released in the UK on Thursday 5ht May 2016

Next up, an animation adventure comedy. Originally called Robinson Crusoe, this animation is definitely based on the 1719 novel by Daniel Defoe.

An outspoken parrot by the name of Tuesday can’t stop dreaming of seeing the world. Living on a tiny exotic island with his friends, after a heavy storm, Tuesday discovers a strange creature who goes by the name of Robison Crusoe.

With Crusoe being the only human, he finds it hard to communicate with Tuesday, but realises that they have to work together to survive on the island.

To my surprise, this film was created in France. Now I don’t know why it shocked me but it did! However, when you look at it in a little more detail, the animation looks a little similar to the french theme park, Parc Astérix.

Rated a PG and lasting a lovely length of 90 minutes, this most certainly lands itself right in the centre of the family viewing category.

Please, correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t see any well known names for this film. This may be half to do with the fact that it is a French made film.

There isn’t really much more to say about this film to be honest, so if you want to find out more, just watch the trailer below.

 

Florence Foster Jenkins – Released in the UK on Friday 6th May 2016

Staring the likes of Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, this Biographical Comedy Drama follows the life of Florence Foster Jenkins who is a New York Heiress wanting to become an Opera singer even though she can’t sing.

Having seen multiple trailers to this along with interviews with the cast, I believe that this film will go one of two ways. Firstly, it could be an 8 or 9 out of 10 and get to the point. The comedy could be spot on and be a laugh a minute.

Or it could, which I feel it might be, a measly 1 or 2 out of 10. Watching the trailers, the ‘comedy bits’ really are not that funny! Now it might just be me, but personally I feel timing is a little out.

Simon Helberg of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ features in the film and from what I’ve seen, his character is a little wet. Now I am a huge Big Bang fan. Personally I think it is one of the best American comedies of the last ten years. I know a few of my Film Night colleagues would disagree with me on this, but Helberg in the series has great timing and posture, for use of a better word. Something I believe he may lack in this outing.

Let me get to the point! Who cares about a lady who wants to be a opera singer who can’t sing? Not me thats for sure! Have we used all the other ideas for film that we now need to create them about just normal people?? I don’t know.

One positive point is that the film was filmed in Merseyside, Liverpool in the North West of England. Not a million miles from Film Night HQ, which is great to see. Hopefully a few more films could use the different areas of the North of England a little more.

If you would like to see a lady attempt to sing, but film miserably for almost 2 hours, then you should probably check out the trailer below.

 

And that, lovely reader concludes my column for the week.

I’ve wasted enough of your time and you probably have quite a bit to get through.

No?

Well I have so that’s your lot!

 

Till next time………

Films to watch out for this week – 25th April – 1st May 2016

Good Morrow fellow film lovers!

Yes, you may notice a Shakespeare reference or two in this weeks column/article/post whatever you would like to call it.

Well we couldn’t let his 4ooth Anniversary of his death float by without a mention could we? No that would be wrong of us.

Now, to mark this occasion, I will be using a few of his quotes and lines from a few of his works, so watch out! (I will underline them for those of you who are not familiar with him)

He was an alright Gent was good old William!

Wasn’t he?

I mean he has provided us with pages of text written in a language that most of us don’t really understand! We should be grateful!

I would be the first one to admit that I do find his works quite complicated at times! Although I am getting into the swing of things on that front!

Right! Are we ready?

Let’s go…..

Scream Park –Released in the UK Monday 25th April 2016

I’m jumping straight into this week and starting with a Horror. I haven’t heard of this one before as it was originally released into the public domain in 2013. Why it has taken forever and a day for it to be released in the UK I don’t knhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uLgH__wZVAow but, well, thats a topic for another day.

With a budget of $3,000,000, Cary Hill has written and directed this supposed scare – fest of a closing down amusement park that is struggling due to lack of ticket sales. Wanting a media stunt to spark interest, Mr Hyde (I wonder where they got that name from!) hires two henchman to dispatch the employees one by one.

From reading the synopsis and watching the trailer this looks very interesting. With a limited budget, it has a local feel to it. I’m not the biggest fan of horrors, however I am very intrigued as to see what this may be.

Unfortunately it may be a little difficult to source this film straight away as I don’t think it is released into the big cinema chains.

If you would like a little bit of a jump in your seat, yell off with his head and have a gander at this:

 

Capsule – Released at the Sci-Fi London International Film Festival on Wednesday 27th April 2016

I am always at the front of the queue to protest when it comes to Sci-Fi films. In my opinion the majority are just plain boring! However, I am prepared for the good of the Filmnight podcast to reserve judgment on this next one.

Capsule was released in the UK on 23rd December 2015 and stars Edmund Kingsley as Guy Taylor. The film follows Guy, an experienced British fighter pilot, who is in charge of the first British manned mission to space. Pretty similar to The Martian then?

And we all know what we thought of that!

Please Sci-Fi creator! That it should come to this?

The same old film recycled time after time? Please can we have a little originality?

No?

Ok then!

I think I should leave this here before I get on my high horse again! A horse! A horse! A kingdom for my horse! (Do you like that! I thought you would!)

Anyway……… here is the trailer:

Err….. I think we may have a problem! I can’t seem to be able to find trailer link. Perhaps this is telling us something about the film! Who knows!

Well this is a first!

You can find one, should you nosey onto another famous film website. I won’t go any further that that!

Golden Years –Released in the UK Friday 29th April 2016

Next up, it’s a comedy. With everything going on in the UK at the moment, what with the retirement age increasing year after year, why not create a comedy about it? Yes! That’s an idea.

Staring the likes of Simon Callow (A Shakespearian Actor did you know?) and Sue Johnston, this British production leads a well to do retired couple into a life of crime. Arthur and Martha Goode, annoyed with the fact that they are losing a percentage of their pension, decide to start robbing banks.

The question I ask is this. Is it so bad that it’s funny? Who can deny Zimmer Frames (walking frames for our american cousins) that turn into paintball guns or actors in their 70’s running around town wearing clown masks?

‘True is it that we have seen better days’ may be what I say when I leave the cinema after watching this but then again I may be saying ‘though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t’.

If you would like to see Gangsta Grannies and Granddads hatch their next crime of the century, then please take a look at this:

 

Right, that concludes this weeks pick of films of you to keep your eye on.

Also before I sign off. If you can come up with an good name for this segment, please let me know. I’m all ears.

Ok! it’s time for me to go, but I will leave you with this……..

 

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool” – Hamlet

 

Till next time…………

 

Selma – I may be a little late to the party (by one year) but who cares!

 

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If you listened to Episode 39 you will know that I have recently watched the 2014 Oscar winning film Selma. Yes, ok, I know it was released over a year ago, but well I’m a very busy gent! You know the score, things to do, people to see and all that. Anyway, Selma is a biodrama based on Martin Luther King’s campaign to gain equal voting rights for all American citizens by organising a march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama 1965. Continue reading “Selma – I may be a little late to the party (by one year) but who cares!”

Trumbo: What’s it about?

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I don’t know about you, but I always get intrigued when a new Biopic pops up and is released. There’s something about watching and learning about the life of someone, that quite often you don’t really know much about. Finding out who they were, what they did, and why they were so important in the world in which we live. That is definitely the case with the new 2015 Biographical Drama ‘Trumbo’. Continue reading “Trumbo: What’s it about?”