Paranormal activity!

So scariest movie of all time or just a bunch of hype!!

Well paranormal activity wont win any prizes for originality. The concept that a couple of lovers are plagued by some paranormal is hardly new, but This is definitely a new slant on it

Going for the Blair witch approach, the film is made up of "found" footage that the couple have recorded themselves in an attempt to document the disturbances and get to the bottom of it

Micah and Katie (the actors real names) have decided to set up a camera in their bedroom and see if they capture anything, what starts off as the occasional door movement and noise from downstairs soon escalates to something more sinister. Micah being the over-cocky protective boyfriend believes he can solve the problem himself, although Katie believes he is doing more harm than good.

So the real strength of the film lies in its ability to allow the audiences imagination run wild. The still camera in the bedroom leads to your eyes doing all the work, scanning the room for any sign of movement. The fact that you never see anything just adds to the tension. Something is clearly toying with this couple and the action builds up a massive sense of unease.

All the paranormal activity happens at night, and the days acts as respite for the two, However as the happenings get worse, the frights start to bleed into the daytime hours as the couple, and especially Katie run out of ideas and sanity.

The film is an astonishing achievement, to make such a fantastic film for such a low budget is credit to the director, and to make the film so watchable, and so scary, is a credit to the actors who have you believing that they are really in danger.

The film isn't all scares and has some lighter moments at the beginning. Micah's acquisition of the camera sees him dial up the charm in an attempt to get Katy to star in a home movie, but the laughs soon dry up as the fear sets in.

Is is the scariest film ever? It depends what you believe. Someone who doesn't believe in ghosts of paranormal activity will have no problem dismissing the whole thing, however if you do have even the smallest doubt then this film will unearth it. Personally I had trouble sleeping after this film, and I think that is the best review i can give a horror films

I would urge everyone to check this out for themselves

5/5

The Twilight Saga - New Moon

Its finally here...

At the radio warrington movie show we know all about how crazy passionate the fans of the Twilight books and the first film are, the dvd hasnt been out of the top 5 since we started the show. So we know all about the crazy expectation for this film

However, just like the first film. I went in to the screening without having read the books, and just like the first film I was pleasently surprised by the film. I think New Moon is a far superior film to Twilight

So for those that dont know the story. Edward is a vampire, Bella is his girlfriend. After an incident at a family party Edward decides its not safe for them to be together, so he leaves, leaving Bella heartbroken. She takes comfort in the arms of her best friend Jacob, who has grown buff over the summer and just so happens to be a werewolf, but when Edward mistakenly thinks Bella is dead he decides to end his own life. Leaving her in a race against time and with a massive choice to make

So the central theme of the film revolves around this supernatural menage a trois involving Bella, Jacob and Edward and all actors step up in this film. Just the hard work alone that Taylor Lautner must of put in to get that toned for the role and Kristen Swanson does heartbroken very well. Even Robert Pattinson makes the most of what little screentime he gets. There is also a great cast to back them up with Michael Sheen and Ashley Greene being the pick of the rest

There is just so much more to get your teeth into (whether your a vampire OR werewolf) but I think if you go in expecting a massive supernatural movie then you may be a little dissapointed

The film is ultimately a romance. Its about star-crossed lovers, it even references romeo and juliet with Edward quoting Shakespeare in class. The film definitely works as a love story first and a supernatural film second. The film will also split people. Personally I think males are more declined to be sympathetic towards Jacob who helps Bella get over Edward, and the females will swoon over Edward as he can do no wrong coz oooh hes a vampire

That aside, I think the story stands up, Ive been told its quite true to the book, and the special effects look a lot neater that first suggested in some trailers. The inclusions of the Voltari at the end seems a bit brief, but Michael Sheen does his best to steal every secen hes in, and he definitely does weird and creepy very well in this

Overall I dont really think you can go wrong with this film, whatever I say, if youre a fan you will go see it anyway, and if your not you will probably be put off by all the hype that surrouds it, but its well worth a watch


4/5

2012

Do you get the feeling that when the world finally ends, Roland Emmerich will be stood there gleefully rubbing his hands saying "I told you so"? After all he pretty much has all bases covered, whether it be Alien attack, Global warming or ancient Mayan prophecies, he has to be right with one of them!!!

2012 is the latest disaster movie from the king of disaster movies and it follows very similar themes as his other films, although I think its unfair to say this is a re-hashing. What is fair to say though, is that if you loved independence day then there is no way you can't love this film.

2012 follows the Mayan prophecy that in December 2012, the world will end. This starts by the warming of the sun heating the earths core, which causes giant earthquakes, volcanoes and tidal waves

As with all of Emmerich's films though, this follows the human story behind the event. Mostly focussing on little known writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) who is trying to spend time with his ex wife and kids and feeling increasingly frustrated as the new man in the picture seems like more of a father figure to his kids than he is.

We also follow scientist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) as he tries to predict the path of the devastation only to find the governemnt already knew more about this that previous thought

The cast is great with Ejiofor and Cusack leading the way, but they also get great support from Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet and The brilliant Woody Harrelsons crazy radio broadcaster

Followers of Emmerich's films wont be dissapointed by its content, you know its going to explore a few father/son relationships (and father/daughter), you know there is going to be more than one rousing speech about humanity, and you know there will be a dog in peril that just about escapes with his life

These have become Emmerichs trademarks, but they all work. The story may be slightly long, and the ending seemes to go on forever, but as a race, do we really want to go out with a bang or a whimper

As far as summer popcorn movies (bit late for summer i know, but humour me) this is one of the finest of the year, its big, bold, brash and cheesey, but perfect way to pass a few hours. This will do massive at the box office due to the special effect, I mean, who doesn't want to see the world get destroyed, safe in the knowledge you will still be sleeping safe that night

As for Emmerich, this may be his final hurrah, I mean how many times can you destroy earth. At least he has made sure that this time, he did it properly


4/5

Clash of the titans trailer online

Exactly what it says on the tin

check out the new classh of the titans trailer

Jennifer's Body

Jnnifer's Body is the latest film from Oscar winning writer of Indie hit 'Juno', Diablo Cody

Directed By Karyn Kusama and starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfriend the film is a Horror comedy with a twist

Jennifer (Fox) is the most popular girl is school, but when she becomes an unwitting sacrafice for a rock band that thinks the only way to chart success is by doing deals with the devil, all hell is unleashed on the quiet little twon of Devils Kettle.

To describe the film as a Horror comedy is about right. Its definitely Horror first and comedy second and the film is quite gruesome and bloody for what is essentially a teen flick.

Megan Fox seems pretty at ease playing the pretty girl who uses her sexually to get what she wants (funny that) but the real star and main character is Amanda Seyfried. As Jennifer's best friend Needy, she has the majority of the plot and makes the most of it

What i really like about the film is how despite what you have seen in the trailer, you are still kept wondering whats going on. The film starts at the end and then plots out how we got to that point, and its seems its poor Needy that has got the worse deal out of this whole bloody mess

Anyway, this film is never going to win an oscar, and I suspect Diablo Cody knew that when writing it, but if you are after a good old fashioned Horror film with plenty of teen wit thrown in for good measure this is it. It would be horror comedy of the year except for the brilliant Zombieland. But just like Needys character, its going to have to learn to play second fiddle...for now at least


4/5

The imaginarium of Doctor Panassus

A film by Heath Ledger and friends...

and thats how the film will probably be remembered.

The latest film by visionary director Terry Gilliam could easily of been left on the scrap heap. Not many films endure the death of a lead actor during filming and still go on to complete it. and according to Gilliam this was (almost) no exception. Heath Ledgers untimely death rocked all the cast and left Gilliam mourning the death of his friend and his film.

After a rethink (and a re-write) it was decided that with the help of some friends(not bad when your friends are Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farell) they would complete it as an epitaph to ledger

So the burning question is does it work? well funnily enough yes. I guess fantasy is the only medium where they could easily get away with it without it feeling contrived.

As for the film itself, it is visually stunning, often abstract and very Gilliam. There are great performances from Christopher Plummer, Andrew Garfield and Lily Cole. And Verne Troyer adds some good comic relief.

The film isnt perfect, but what film is. I think the movie stands as a remarkable achievement considering the tragic circumstances around it, and although not Ledger greatest performance. The films as a whole, finished by his friends who gave their fees to a fund for his daughter, is a worthy tribute to one of the finest young actors who died too young!!!


well worth a watch


4/5

Zombieland

Another film about zombies...

Always the most popular of the horror sub-genres, even with Twilight and Cirque de freak sparking new interest in Vampire films, Zombies still seem to be top of the pile (of dead bodies)

Zombieland is different than all the other zombie films though. The only film it really compares to is Shaun of the dead. It goes for humour first and scares second. Although they maintain enough gore to satisfy even the most hardcore brain-munchers

The films is set in a post-apocalyptic world where Zombies have taken over. We follow Jesse Eisenbergs character as he goes through his tips on hos to survive in Zombieland. He then teams up with Tallahasee (Woody Harelson) against his better judgement and they set off on a zombie bashing roadtrip in search of twinkies

There are fantastic performances from both those two, along with the two girls they meet on the way (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) a great cameo from Bill Murray and one of the best rocking soundtracks of the year

There are some great twists in it, like when the guys first meet the two girls, which serves as a great introduction to these characters. And Jesse Eisenbergs portrayal of a loner that finally gets the hot girl next door, only for her to turn into a zombie before his eyes...bad luck mate!!!

I think if you like Zombie films this offer a fresh take on the genre. Its sick, twisted, disturbing in places, but always good humoured

well worth shouting loud enough to wake the dead "zombieland rocks"

5/5

The Firm

WARNING: THE ABOVE TRAILER CONTAINS SWEARING

Apologies that I couldnt play a clip of the film on the show this week, however check out the trailer above

in Nick Loves 5th film The Firm( after Goodbye Charlie Bright, The Business, The Football Factory, Outlaw) he retains his trademark love for the violence

The often criticised director is usually accused of gloryfying violence, However just as in the Foootball Factory Love shows he can embed the film with both a message and a conscience

In my opinion this is Nick Loves best film to date, and if you really want to compare it, then yes its better than The Football Factory

But for me this was a brave step by Love. To take a critically acclaimed TV piece and to rework it from a slightly different angle, could be seen as bold by some and stupid by others. However when you have the gift for capturing british culture that Love has you might aswell use it.

The films is as much about the clothes and haircuts as it is about the football violence. For fans of the Football Factory and Love's previous work, this film is a must. For anyone else who isnt a fan, give this a go, you may just be a Nick Love fan in the making

4/5

Adventureland

Advertised as "from the director of superbad", Adveantureland has a lot to live up to. Superbad was one of the most succesful comedies of the last few years. Where superbad is a loose biographical tale of Seth Rogens ascent into adulthood, Greg mottolas new film mirrors his own growing up

Safe to say their is plenty that we can all relate to. The minimum wage job, the chase of the unobtainable girl, but most of all that magical summer, that most of us had at some point in our adolescence when, despite the situation (rubbish job, no money) you feel as if you have your whole lives ahead of you

The whole themepark setting gives plenty of scope for comedy and fun times, and with crazed customers and out of date corn dogs, you realize that getting through the summer alive may not just be metaphorical

Adventureland, much like superbad relies on some crude humour, although its definitely no superbad 2. It has more heart and a gooeyier centre, but is still equally fullfilling

If you liked superbad, or even a fan of Bill Heder, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Renolds, Jesse Eisenberg etc etc. there should be enough here to keep you happy. Like a day at the fair, its full of ups and downs, and if you manage to get through it without spilling your guts, happy days!!


3/5

(500) days of summer

This is not a love story

from the opening disclaimer to the end credits it seems very clear that (500)days of summer isnt your average rom-com. In fact, the film seems to go out of its way to avoid the usual cliches and in my opinion ends up all the better for it

Rom-coms exist on a very tried and very tested formula, guy meets girl, throw an obstacle in their way, they overcome that obstacle and end up living happily ever after. Nothing wrong with this, and if you are someone that needs a bit of sugar to help your popcorn go down then you probably would of been better watching the proposal.

(500) days strives to be original, and this could come across as feeling forced and contrived, but the writing and stellar performances from Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt dont allow that

Directed by first timer Marc Webb, he goes for the understated yet stylish, but also takes the breath aswy with a big musical number and an expectation vs reality split screen that works fantasically well

here we have a story of role reversals, guy meets girl, guy falls in love and girl wants to keep it casual. the most interesting and well used part of the tale is the time frame. set over 500 days it flits back and forth at random as we see snapshots of their blossoming relationship.

The one complaint I would have is that, although interesting, it seems a part Deschanel could do in her sleep, and the real meat and bones is left to Gordon-Levitt who is fortunately up to the task

With its indie charm, killer soundtrack and off-beat romance, this for me is one of the films of the year and a must see

so what you wating for...

5/5

Funny People

Ok, Funny people

well lets start with the title. Straight away you have to say its a bold move to call the movie funny people, I mean this means it really does have to be funny right?

Well I guess just being Judd Apatow means you are expected to be funny. The guy behind films such as Cable guy, Anchorman, Talladega nights, Superbad, Pineapple Express etc etc has a lot to live up to.

This movie is billed as being his third film (as both Writer and Director) following the hugely sucessful 40 year old virgin and Knocked up. In terms of subject matter, It seems Mr Apatow feels that the more serious the subject, the more laughs he can get out of it. The 40 year old virgin deals with belated sexual awakening, Knocked up deals with pregnancy after a one night stand, and Funny people deals with Death.

The film follows Adams Sandlers character, who is a successful comedian coming to terms with his terminal illness. He then finds out he is better and bang, he has obtained a new lease of life.

The film feels very personal, and the inclusion of actual footage of Adam Sandler making prank calls from when he used to live with Apatow just add to that. This is a film by stand up comedians by people who used to do stand up

So the main question is, is it any good?

Well the answer is a resounding yes. The film is probably Apatow's best work to date. The cast are superb and there is a great chemistry forged by the fact that these people are long term collaborators. Where the film is let down is by an over long third act which just means this excellent film meanders to its inevitable conclusion when it should of sprinted there. You could easily trim 20-30 minutes off and the film would be better for it

Saying that, if thats the only complaint I can find from Funny people, that there is too much of it, then its a complaint I would be happy to make again and again when it comes to future Apatow films

One of the best comedies of the year. Check it out


4/5

Avatar and Capitalism - A love story

Two great new trailers for check out. Michael Moore's new documentary about the global meltdown, and the Long awaited return of James Cameron in his epic 3-d adventure Avatar

Avatar



Capitalism - a love story

Inglourious Basterds!!!

Inglourious Basterds
18
153 mins

Quentin Tarantino is back, and after the disappointing grindhouse double bill, where tarantnos death proof was totally over shadowed by Robert Rodriguez’s, far superior planet terror,
everyone will want to know if this is a return to form

The simple answer is yes. This film is tarantino through and through, the trademark clever dialogue, the over the top violence and the complete disregard for historical accuracy are all in place

Anyone looking to see an accurate depiction of the second world war should stay at home and watch the History channel, tarantino has about as much regard for history as his Jewish characters have for their Nazi counterparts

As the films starts with a once upon a time heading, you realise this is a twisted fairy tale where Jews are knights and the Nazis are dragons to be slayed (or slain,, take your pick)

Tarantinos boldness is illustrated by the casting of A lister Brad pitt and then only using his sparingly, the real centre point of the film is unknown Austrian actor Christoph Waltz who delvers an amazing performance in a variety of languages

As with all Tarantino's films, the real meat is with the characters, and whether its the Basterds death squad, or Shosanna's revenge plot, these are well crafted charcters that you can't help but like despite some truly horrific acts. these horrific acts are quite sporadic, and the film, really builds up some great tension with the intense dialogue being muttered in several languages

Overall I think anyone who liked their fiction pulped, and their bills, well killed, will be happy with his latest offering, and film fans in general will find enough in this cross homage between spaghetti westerns and war films to keep them entertained

This is a must watch film

4.5/5

Killer Virals!!

Viral marketing is such a buzz term at the moment

You will probably have heard of the term loads of times. Obama was elected 44th President of the US using probably the most intense and sophisticated viral marketing campaign ever launched

But what does it all mean?

Well its basically any form of promotion using the internet and usually social networking and often involves clever, manipulative, disguised campaigns. The fact that you are reading this blog is probably due to viral marketing (facebook, twitter), but hopefully that doesnt make you think less of me ( and even if it does, continue with me and i will redeem myself, i promise)

So the best example of Viral marketing in movies happened a decade ago. The Blair With Project made everyone believe , at least initially, that the whole things was a documentary based on real life events. Missing posters, police reports and, witness interviews were all placed online to perpetuate the Blair Witch myth. This all conspired to the The Blair Witch Project become the highest grossing film of all time when measured against production costs. By the time the film hit the UK, it didnt matter that everyone knew it was a hoax, the internet hype had created a worlwide buzz that made the film a hit.

Some other great Viral ad campaigns were launched for the films A.I., Batman - The Dark Knight, and The Da Vinci Code (well not all great)

The reason I am talking Viral ads is that is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for the films marketing staff. In todays internet crazy society they have to come up with more and more interesting ways to give us sneak previews of films

If you know what to look for (and this is where I help) you can get some great little teasers, check out links below for virla campaigns for new films, District 9, Iron Man 2, and 2012.

District 9



D-9.com

Iron man 2



twitter.com/Jon_Favreau

2012



instituteforhumancontinuity.org/

enjoy!!!

Andy x

RIP John Hughes!!!

So another day and another legend dies

for those of you who don't know John Hughes was a massively influential american director who had massive hits in the eighties. His films are almost a calling card for that decade, full of wit, teen romance and the odd expletive.

His films include classics such as Planes, trains and automobiles, Ferris Buellers day off, weird science, the breakfast club, Sixteen candles, Uncle Buck, and Home alone amongst others.

My first memory of John Hughes films is turning the channel over late one night to discover, some crazy film where some guys create there perfect girl using their computer, complete nonsense, but utterly compelling at the same time. I later found out that film was weird science and I have seen it several times since, aswell as his other films.

He was a visionary director, who made films that completely represented the time, creating his own eighties zeitgeiest. He did shy away from the fame, and basically went into hiding for the last decade

Hughes impact on cinema can never be forgotton, with his influences being cited by such people as Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow. I will always look back at his films, with a fond smile, as for a lot of us they were a part of growing up in the eighties

anyway thats all i have time for now, but have a look at some john hughes tribute stuff, like this empire article

http://www.empireonline.com/features/why-john-hughes-rocked-the-80s/

Andy



Rip John Hughes
(February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009)

Welcome to the Warrington movie revolution

Are you ready???

Something massive is happening regarding movies in WARRINGTON

Whats that you say? nothing exciting ever happens in Warrington?.....well you are nearly right!! but life is what you make of it, and I, with your help, am determined to make it movie-tastic

So in a nutshell, I am going to be your new wall to bouce, ideas, thoughts, opinions and ramblings off.

I am going to be running the new movie show on radio warrington. Anyone who doesnt know what that is needs to drop everything for a second. THAT MEANS YOU!!!

Now type http://www.radiowarrington.co.uk/ into your tool bar (or just click on the link that has been handily provided) and check it out. This is community radio at its finest. You can listen live online 24 hours a day and check out some of the fantastic shows.

So my show is going to be concentrating on movies. We will be playing loads of great movie-related music (thats everything from current chart stuff to tunes so cheesey and 80s that you will feel leg warmers growing on your calfs and have a sudden urge for pepsi.)

along with all that crazy eclectic music, we will be reviewing the latest cinema and dvd releases, doing regular wacky top 5 sections, talking about whats going to be hot at the cinema next year and also talking about the art of filmmaking and how the north west fits into the whole British film scene

But...and like Jennifer Lopez, this is a big but!!!! the show is nothing without YOU. We will be playing song requests, discussing films (good, bad and the Vin Diesel) and getting your opinions on everything from how can Jake Gyllenhaal outrun frost and did Greedo really shoot first??


anyway, hopefully this serves as a quick intorduction to what we are trying to do


much, much more to follow!!!!