I'm Stephanie and i love films, here i will post spoiler-free reviews!

Wednesday 30 October 2013

5 Films To Watch This Halloween!


I love Halloween. I mean, carving a pumpkin is fun and who can turn down the big bowl of sweets (for the trick-or-treaters of course)? But the best part of Halloween, for me at least, is that it offers the perfect excuse to put on your jammies, draw the curtains and snuggle down with some Halloween-appropriate movies.

My dilemma with Halloween is that you're supposed to get scared, right? You're supposed to watch horror movies aren't you? This can be a difficult feat when, like me, horror films simply do not scare you and as a result you feel a bit... Cheated. Well, classic Halloween films come in all shapes and sizes so never fear - here are the top 5 Halloween classics that you can enjoy even if you are not left quaking in your boots!




5. The Exorcist (1973)
Erm, okay - perhaps this one does teeter into the 'horror' aspect of Halloween but a film made 40 years ago really isn't all that scary, is it? It is however a classic and a film that should be watched and appreciated in all of it's gory glory. The Exorcist is about a little girl called Regan who is possessed by a mysterious demon and two priests must do anything that it takes in order to save her life; 360 head spins and green vomit ensues. The Exorcist is probably the number one film when it comes to 'classic horror'; a film that encompasses the traditional meaning of Halloween through the use of demons and the supernatural rather than human psychopaths. It caused quite a stir upon release in the 1970s with some cinemas even handing out special 'barf bags' at screenings because the film was considered so gruesome. Compared to the types of films we are exposed to in this day and age (without complimentary sick bags!), The Exorcist is actually pretty tame but still a great film and always worth watching.



4. The Omen (1976)Obviously the classic horror film production was at its peak in the 1970s - what else could explain another great horror film being released in the same decade? As if Rosemary's Baby (1968) didn't do enough to scare off horror film fanatics from having kids, in The Omen we are introduced to Damian - a seemingly innocent child of a wealthy couple who actually turns out to be the Antichrist. Literally, the Antichrist. It is a fascinating story with somewhat surprising albeit ridiculous twists and turns which makes it an encapsulating watch. Do not confuse this movie with the subpar 2006 remake starring Julia Stiles, if you are going to watch The Omen make sure you do it properly and watch the original!


3. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Okay, I have a confession to make: I don't actually... technically... really... like this film? I have tried really hard to make myself like it by watching it every year but there's something about it that I just can't enjoy. Why is it on the list then? Well, i'm a huge Christmas lover. Absolutely anything to do with Christmas I will watch and Jack Skellington stumbling across ChristmasTown and trying to bring Christmas to HalloweenTown thus hybridizing the two holidays and making it socially acceptable to watch a film with Christmas themes in October will always be something that I applaud. Also, I love the song 'What's This?'


2. Donnie Darko (2001)
If you haven't already seen this film, maybe have it as one of the first films you watch in your Halloween Movie Marathon - one where your brain hasn't started to turn to mush and you actually can pay attention to the story because if you don't you might find yourself getting a bit lost. Donnie Darko is a troubled teenager who narrowly avoids death in a freak accident, however, he soon becomes plagued by visions of a giant rabbit who manipulates him into committing a series of crimes. I think the reason this film feels especially Halloween-y (you know, aside from the giant bunnys and weird crimes) is simply because it is set around the time of Halloween. It is a great film though with an incredible story that will leave you thinking...


1. Hocus Pocus (1993)
No other film in the history of cinema quite encapsulates the essence of Halloween as much as Hocus Pocus. A childhood classic that will never get old, Hocus Pocus tells the story of the Sanderson sisters who are brought back to life after being executed 300 years ago. In order to stay young the sisters must kill the town's children and it is down to teenager Max to save the day. This film really does have everything: a talking cat, catchy musical numbers and witty one-liners, it is suitable for the whole family and if it isn't already part of your Halloween rituals you should make it into one - stat!

What films would you recommend for Halloween viewing?

Let me know!

Love,





Friday 18 October 2013

ROMEO & JULIET


Needless to say, this 2013 remake of Romeo & Juliet was not high on my list of 'must-see' films, in fact I had scarcely even heard of it and its forgettable trailer and z-list cast made me wonder exactly what I was letting myself in for when I went along to the cinema on Tuesday night.

Directed by Carlo Carlei, this film is simply yet another rework of Shakespeare's classic play about two star-crossed lovers Romeo & Juliet. In case you live under a rock, a brief summary of the plot: Romeo (Douglas Booth) and Juliet (Hailee Steinfield) are on opposing sides of a long-standing feud between two families. However, when they meet at a masquerade ball they immediately fall in love and marry in secret - however, tragedy soon ensues.

Carlei can not compete with the 1996 masterpiece
The story has been made into film countless times - from the traditional to the animated to the outrageous but perhaps the most prominent interpretation comes from the Baz Luhrmann's 1996 masterpiece Romeo + Juliet, starring Leonardo Dicaprio. Unsurprisingly, Carlei's version doesn't even come close to the levels of Luhrmann's brilliance.

I suppose the most important point to mention is that Carlei has stuck to the more traditional depiction of the story. There are sword fights, they are in 'fair Verona', there are no fights at petrol stations nor any murder on the beach. One criticism that I can't understand is that it 'bastardizes Shakespeare' - this film holds the closest imitation of the actual play from any of the films that were made this side of the 1970s (sadly the 'Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?' debate was mercilessly cut), although the 1996 version is the stronger film by miles, if either of the two were to be accused of bastardizing Shakespeare, I would have thought it'd be the that one.

Despite sticking to the language of the play and paying homage to traditional Shakespeare, the incredibly weak cast are the huge downfall of this film. Reminiscent of a bad school play, it was clear that much of the cast - namely Hailee Steinfield who was unfortunately one of the leads - simply memorized their lines but didn't bother to look into the meaning of the words. It was obvious that they did not understand this old English language of which they were speaking and it made for awkward, emotionless and confused dialogue being recited in a way that can only be described as cringe-inducing.

Surprisingly, aside from our Juliet, the most painful performance came from Damian Lewis who floundered as Juliet's dad. A performance so bad that it actually defied belief as he over-acted his way through the two-hour film, trumping any other bad performance within the film almost as though the actors were secretly in competition for the title of Worst Actor.

Most of the cast seemed to be competing for the title of 'Worst Actor'
The only shred of acting capability came from Douglas Booth as Romeo. Still not the strongest of performances and he definitely doesn't have the charm and loveability that DiCaprio brought to the character in 1996, but he at least appeared to understand the lines that he was reciting and he managed to have a slither of believable passion as a character, which is more than can be said for anybody else.

Let's be honest, the film was clearly on a tight budget - this was proven by the fact you could see the actor's breath as they spoke throughout most of the indoors scenes as they were clearly freezing on set -, the cast were amateurish and the entire thing felt a bit clunky and awkward. However, it was still watchable and I have to say I have certainly seen much worse films this year. As a traditional re-telling of the classic play, it is a good adaptation; it sticks to the original script and transports you back to the time of which it was set. It is just a shame that the cast made this feel more like an awkward High School play than one of the most renowned pieces of fiction  to exist.

All in all I award Romeo & Juliet: ★✯☆☆☆

Stay tuned for more reviews and follow me on twitter if you fancy it :)

Love,




Friday 11 October 2013

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS



Captain Phillips had everything against it when I went to the screening last night. A serious case of travel sickness en route to the cinema (which is weird as in my day-to-day life I get 2 buses, 2 trains & 4 tubes a day so no idea why travel sickness decided to rear it's ugly head last night), made for unpleasant viewing at the best of times but combined with the only available seats being far too close to the huge cinema screen for a film that is mostly close ups and shaky camerawork meant that I spent 95% of the film staring at the floor, sipping water and trying not to be sick. Why didn't I just leave the screening you ask? Well, the answer is simple: because Captain Phillips is bloody brilliant.

Captain Phillips tells the true life story of... Captain Phillips, as played by Tom Hanks, who was on the US-flagged cargo ship along the coasts of Africa when it was hijacked by Somali pirates. Phillips saved his crew in an incredible display of bravery before being kidnapped and held for ransom.

The story alone is an intense and action-packed roller-coaster ride; from the moment the Somali's are spotted on the ship's radar there is a pulse-pounding threat of doom and although you know that they will board the ship you can't help but hope that the ship and all of the crew will get away safely. Hanks embodies Phillips flawlessly in an incredible performance that makes it impossible for the audience not to immediately feel compassion and empathy for his character. Phillips' desperate and quick-thinking acts are ultimately what saves the crew's lives and you can't help but be in awe as the character puts on a brave and almost friendly/buddy-like facade to the pirates in an attempt to negotiate his way to safety whilst clearly masking the fear and panic that is consuming him. It is fascinating to watch Phillips attempt calmness as he guides the pirates around the ship whilst simultaneously taking the measures necessary to help the hiding crew.

The drama really begins to unfold when the pirates kidnap Phillips, an unexpected change of scenery refreshes the look of the film and keeps the tension high. As proven with director Paul Greengrass' other films (most notably United 93), he is incredibly good at showcasing the claustrophobic and trapped feeling of his protagonists and although the amount of extreme close ups combined with the shaky 'at sea' camera shots did nothing for my sickness, it aided the film's storytelling as you really felt that you were trapped in there with Phillips and that your life was also at risk which only served to heighten the overall effect of the film.

As mentioned, Tom Hanks gave a stand-out performance; he encompassed the fear, confusion, anxiety and panic that you would feel in that situation and the way he was constantly concerned for his family was heartbreaking. However, Barkhad Abi gave an equally strong performance as leader of the Somali pirates Muse. It would have been easy for Greengrass to keep the enemies as bland and impersonal, just faceless tyrants with no story or background. Instead, and thankfully, each of the pirates are given their own personality, their relationships with eachother are clear and only add to the horror on board the ship as it becomes more and more blatant that they aren't entirely sure of what they are supposed to be doing.. And their individual personalities makes them seem more human which consequently makes the concept all the more scary. They are just normal humans with families and worries of their own; not rare or special violent super villains - they are real. Barkhad Abi really shone, even when sharing a scene with acting legend Tom Hanks, and that is an impressive feat and it was his performance that made the panic and sense of unwinding chaos all the more prominent.

Captain Phillips is a great portrayal of an absolutely terrifying real life ordeal, the strong performances and clever direction do the story justice and consequently blend together to make one of the biggest must-see films of 2013.

All in all I give Captain Phillips ★★★★☆

Captain Phillips is in cinemas nationwide from Friday the 18th October!

Stay tuned for more reviews and follow me on twitter if you like!

Love,