Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)

Live Long And Prosper. Leonard Nimoy passed away a few days ago and to see the impact he had, all you need to do is to look at Twitter. Celebrities and the public from all ages, nationalities paying their respect. Best known for his role as Spock from the original Star Trek series. As a fan of Star Trek, I was saddened by the news.

Nimoy was Spock. Spock's ideals and beliefs was a major stronghold on the fans.Spock was a fan favourite and more importantly a Pop Culture Icon. A signifier of popular culture, Nimoy embraced his character with Gene Roddenbery, creator of Star Trek, crediting Nimoy with giving Spock depth and dimension in his character.

Nimoy is an icon for living, for peace, for exploration. Star Trek has impacted millions, inspired millions and still is loved today, even after 50 years. Nimoy directed one of my favourite comedies, Three Men and Baby, voiced in two of my favourite cartoon films, Pagemaster and Atlantis. (Two very underrated animations) Narrated one of my favourite games, Civilization. A man that has been a part of my childhood, teenhood and adulthood. Leonard Nimoy impacted millions and he may of passed away back his legacy will Live Long And Prosper.

Boyhood (2014) Film Review

Boyhood (2014) Film Review.

The coming of age genre, it can span over a couple of hours (Breakfast Club) or take over 12 years to film. Boyhood is not just a technical and creative achievement it is a life experience. It tackles a period of life that is hard to reproduce in this medium and the cinematic experiment has paid off.

This film is no three act structure, it is a series of event, tracking the progression of boy/man Mason Evans (Ellar Coltrane), while the film also tracks the lives of his mother (Patrica Arquette), who struggles being a single mother while studying. His sister, (Loreli Linklater) and his father (Ethan Hawke) who sees his kids over the weekends.

Boyhood is an engrossing experience, pack with moments that we have all shared, maybe not all but there will be big life moments that we have encountered, your first beer, having the talk with your parents etc. The reason why no other film can pull you in and re-experience it, is because this film you are growing up with the actors. You first see a boy, young and free, grow to a man, scared of the future. This journey, a full three hours, contains a genuine evolution of exploration and knowledge.

This is a unique experience and probably will never be repeated again. Filled with pop culture references and nods to past fads. Boyhood is a film that puts the audience in a position of recollection. A realisation of 12 years that has past. It is filled with moments of smiles, joys but also horror.

I hate calling it an experiment but it did have a huge risk, to work at something for 12 years and it to flop would of been a tragedy. There are some critics that will criticise this film to go against the grain. They need to re-evaluate themselves, because for a film critics to slander a project with so much passion and heart. This is what film is about and any cinema fan should be ashamed to cast this away.

Boyhood is the seminal reason why I love film. Richard Linklater had an idea. Even though it sounds ludicrous, he stepped up and made it. Great performances and commitment to all that was involved. This is not just one of the best film of the year, this is one of the best films I have ever seen.

My Top 5 Favourite Movies Of 2014 - 5. Edge Of Tomorrow.

My Top 5 Favourite Movies of 2014.

5. Edge Of Tomorrow. (2014)

2014 has been a busy year and I live further away from a cinema, meaning I haven’t got to watch as many films as I should and wanted too. This is a brilliant segway to a film that not many people have seen and should see. Now I got a free ticket to this film and didn’t expect much. It’s a tom cruise film that steals the plot from Groundhog Day. It is and it does, but it’s much more then that.

This is a underrated movie that takes the Groundhog Day plot of living the same day over and over again and expands it and does everything right. I hate Tom Cruise but in this film he’s a likable character. Emily Blunt is amazing in this. This was the biggest shock of 2014. I love it, it’s sci-fi and action element was perfect and it was brilliant to see the progression from day to day. This film was shunted before it’s release as being another Tom Cruise film, with a stupid name, which the studios recognised and imitating the Groundhog Day storyline. However it is much better then that. A great plot, great character, well shot and a massive surprise. I recommend this film.

Movie Review - Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Movie Review - Silver Linings Playbook (2012)


Yes I know I am two years late and haven’t done a review in ages but this has been on my to watch list and finally had a chance to watch it. David, O Russell’s explores into bi-polar disorder which is a mental illness that is perceived with a general ignorance and I am glad that this film tackles this topic because it is a great reflection of a disease that is placed in the same societal generalisations of depression with people calling that just being sad but is far from the case. A reason why I have longed to watch this film.


Patrick (Bradley Cooper) has Bi-polar disorder and has just been released from a mental facility after an incident and must try and get his life back on track. He meets, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) a widow he wants him to participate in a dance contest in exchange to help him win back his wife.


It is a beautiful thing this film does, to portray BPD in a fashion that does not make light hearted comedy of a mental illness. The film has dark places that touch on the struggle of this illness. There is a comedic tone to the film but never crosses the line to be insulting. Bradley Cooper’s performance is rightly so Oscar nominated. His chemistry with Jennifer Lawerence is a match made in heaven. They bounce off each other with a fast paced exuberance later seen in American Hustle (2013). There characters pull you into their state of mind and you sympathise with them to the point of understanding and that is a very difficult task which is accomplish here. Through the writing and Cooper’s and Lawerence’s acting.


What makes this film an instant classic in the underlying argument that everyone is just as crazy. As we are placed in the shoes of Tiffany and Patrick who are seen in society as ‘crazy’ the surrounding character perform similar character traits of ‘craziness’ but is seen as ‘normal’. Robert De Niro character as Patrick’s Dad is a brilliant example of this, he has a obsessive nature that he must perform certain tasks so the Eagles win a American Football game. De Niro’s performance parallels performance there in the 1970’s and 1980’s. His best performance in the noughties. Silver Linings Playbook contains a whole vast line of character from a slightly turned down Chris Tucker who has been far away from the movies recently turns in a great performance and only wish we received more from his character because I believe that he can pull in a serious role and doesn’t have to do the Chris Tucker, turn it up to 11.


In all, Silver Linings Playbook is on my list of greatest movies ever. It’s portrayal of mental illness is a rarity in the medium especially a film that has had a worldwide exposure. The performances are brilliant, the production is smooth and story is heartfelt. Silver Linings Playbook is a film that has the heart of an independent film but the production of a big Hollywood film and it creates a film that is a pure classic that should be on anyone’s and everyone’s to watch list.

Robin Williams 1951-2014.

Robin Williams (1951-2014)


Last night, a man with so much energy, so much passion and so much joy passed away due to the horrible illness that is depression. An illness that to a large amount of people lack substance as an actual illness. Depression is real and fatal. It is not just sadness or in a bad mood and is not solved saying cheer up.


Robin Williams was loved by all, an eccentric human being who had an amazing acting range from magical genie to peter pan to a serial killer. As a kid I fell in love with his films from Francis Ford Coppola directed Jack, still one of my favourite films to watch, Jumanji. “ITS A STAMPEDE!’ However the list goes on ; Hook, Mrs Doubtfire, Toys, Flubber, Patch Adams, Happy Feet, Night At The Museum. All great films that are still enjoyable to this day. I could easily watch all these films right now and while watching wear the cheesiest grin on my face. These films brought so much happiness to people. This is evident in the reaction to his death with the whole of twitter, facebook, tumblr plaster their walls with favourite quotes from a huge array of his films.


Where Robin Williams pulls apart from any other comedic actor is his more serious roles. Dead Poets Society is the first film I saw in his ‘serious’ catalogue. It was a film that was a huge influence to me not just in poetry but in film. ‘O Captain O Captain’, ‘Carpe Diem’. Good Will Hunting is also another one of my favourite films and Robin Williams role was a scene stealer and a well deserved Oscar. One Hour Photo and Insomnia shows a darker side to Robin Williams and was a fresh move in the later part of his career.


Robin Williams brought happiness to a number of generations and will bring even more happiness to future generations. His films are timeless, not just for the comedy but the messages they convey. Dead Poets Society will forever be in my top ten films and recommend anyone to watch. Jumanji is also on that level.


It fills me with overwhelming sadness that a man who brought joy to millions succumbed to a horrible illness. His presence will live on in his work and with the problems he encountered in life, He is at peace now. All I can say to Robin Williams is Thank You.

Godzilla (2014) Review. (NO SPOILERS)

The most anticipated film of the summer. The same amount of hype mirrored to the 1998 version of Godzilla.  Instead of the eye of Godzilla from 1998, the loud ear piercing scream of Godzilla fames the 2014 marketing. However that is the only similarity between the two as this film cherishes the source material of the Japanese film lore of the king of monsters.

It's very rare Hollywood respects the source material but it achieves it here with this remake. Godzilla is bigger, louder, more destructive. I can only recommend watching this film in IMAX because when Godzilla roars it literary sent chills down my spine. It's exactly the way Godzilla should be. The scale and destruction of this film is massive, the action is explosive. Even though the first hour of the film is very slow, when Godzilla is finally shown in full, the action exponentially rises and building topples, bridges explode and cars get thrown about. Godzilla really lives up to it's title of King of the Monsters.

Now there is some weaknesses in this film, it is slow in the first part of the film and takes a while to see Godzilla but I don't see that as a major flaw. It just heighten the anticipation of when Godzilla is finally revealed.  There are some plot holes that I can't mention due to spoilers and some scientific inconsistencies but this film is about and 300ft monster so who cares. I have been reading other reviews and they always comment on the cliche characters or not well developed characters. It doesn't matter, you don't go into this film caring about the humans, you want to see Godzilla. Maybe Walter White (Bryan Cranston) but people want to see Godzilla.  Now the cliche character does limit the actors abilities being shown so I can't really excel anyone credentials here, except for Cranston's, there are moment where he does create another layer to his character which all the other actors find hard in the confines of their cliche. The action sequences sometimes get cut short when it seem things are hotting up but this just builds up to the final encounter which is absolutely amazing, literary blown off my seat.

This was the Godzilla I wanted to see, it met my expectations from the hype, it might of not surpass it beyond the confines of awesomeness. However I am satisfied of Gareth Edwards careful consideration of Godzilla, you can see he is a fan with the little nods to the Japanese originals. I would recommend people to watch it. It's big, it's loud, it full of destruction. Not overkill like Man of Steel but enough destruction to fulfill to audiences masochistic needs. As a Godzilla fan, I loved it, I'll watch it again and I think you should too.
Rating 8/10 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episode Review, The Body.

Favourite Episodes

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

The Body.

Season 5, Episode 16.

(Does Contain Spoilers)

This is the episode about Buffy finding her Mum lying dead on the sofa. It could of gone for the ER style of death, have some important lesson and have some piano laden music to really pull the heartstrings. This does the complete opposite, there is no important lesson and there is almost no sound. Ambiance is the main source of sound for this episode. This is the most honest reflection of death I have ever seen on screen. Along with great direction from Joss Whedon and amazing acting from everyone. This is by far one of the best Buffy episodes, no its one of the best episode ever to be shown on screen. This deserved to get an Emmy, but like all great shows (cough, House, cough) it got snubbed. (fuck you Emmy’s!!)


For a show that focuses on fantasy and the supernatural, it contains the most realistic scene I’ve ever seen. Let’s start with Joss Whedon’s direction. He uses every camera trick that a student gets taught at film school. The skewed angles, the long takes, the misplaced shot. It’s all there and all these shot types add to the nerving impact this episode is suppose to go for. This is evident in the first scene of the episode with the 3 minute long take of Buffy finding her Mum’s body. The lack of sound and the distorted nature of this scene (which is filmed by a handheld camera). Every detail of this scene has an amazing effect, the large buttons on the phone, the ambiance of outside inferring that normal life outside of Buffy’s is still going on, the alternate dream Buffy has of her Mum waking up and being Ok, contributes to this impact of death of a loved one. It just feels so real and me as the audience I became so intertwined in the episode and I felt what Buffy feeling. It was traumatic and brilliant at the same time.


This is also an episode that does provide some truly amazing acting depth and every character in this episode raises their game and each of them deserve an Emmy for this. (But none of them got one, not even Sarah Michelle Gellar!! Fuck You Emmy’s) Sarah Michelle Gellar portrays Buffy here with the most realistic acting I’ve seen of her ever. I was blown away by how good of an actress she is. This is her finest moment so far in this series acting wise. Alyson Hannigan plays the grief stricken with so much “believability” and when she was crying about what she would wear to the morgue, I started too cry and at that point I knew that this episode would be an emotional ride and god I was right. Another outstanding moment is the Anya monologue (Picture above) played by Emma Caulifield is one of the most beautiful and emotional things I’ve ever witnessed in this show. I’ve always loved the Anya character but this childlike reaction to death set me off again and I started to cry. Every member of the cast in this episode shows how good of an actor they really are and this is an outstanding episode in an outstanding show.


This episode shows how different Buffy the Vampire Slayer is and how amazing Joss Whedon is. This doesn’t show that death makes you stronger like other American TV shows, it shows that it pulls you apart and makes you feel isolated. I love this episode and I cannot stressed how much I cried and was overwhelmed of how good this episode is. This is truly a remarkable episode that shows that death in it’s true light. Absolutely brilliant.