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.

The Goonies Sequel Never Say Die

The Goonies Sequel Never Says Die

So about a week ago, director of the original Goonies film (1985), Richard Donner hinted heavily towards his next film being a follow up to The Goonies; just under 30 years after the original was released. Now like any other fan of The Goonies, I was heavily excited but hesitant because this is not the first time there have been an notion of a sequel materialising. In recent years there was a mention of a musical being in the works (Gigwise) and also an animated series.(thegoonies.org) Ever since the original was released and proved popular rumours of a sequel was going round Hollywood. Obviously nothing came into fruition but a Goonies 2 did come out on the NES in 1987, again adding substance of an sequel being imminent. 

During the 90's the idea of a sequel calmed down and it was only till the mid 2000's that the possibility of a sequel was possible. The main star of the original Sean Astin always expressed in interest in a sequel along with the director Richard Donner. Many hint at the re-emergence of this due to strong DVD sales and the 25th anniversary of the release of the original. On April 2014, Richard Donner confirmed that a sequel was in the works. Sean Astin and Corey Feldman on their twitter expressed interest into the absolute explosion and frenzy caused by this rumour. Social media is an integral part in today society and I wouldn't be surprised if Warner Bros. gets a taste for the amount of hype and interest for the sequel and be pushed to green light the project. Nothing is set in stone so at the moment I would not get too excited but this is the closest the possibility of a Goonies 2 will happen and if it doesn't this time, it will never happen.

Is it the right time for a Goonies sequel?

It's a long time coming. Goonies has garnered a massive cult following and the formula for the film is one that has lost it's substance in recent times. Children films of today are watered down heavily and restricts the film to be marketed to a wide audience. The Goonies was a silly film with a out there concept. However it contain language not suitable for kids but language that kids likely use. It contained jokes in the film that only adults may of only understood. It blew my mind when I realised that the main pirate 'One Eyed Willie' was a euphemism for a penis. Deliberate or not it was slightly more then your everyday run of the mill children films. It was a family film. A rarity only seen today in mainly Pixar films. So if a sequel does get made it must have the same feel the original had. No watering down or dumbing down the film. It's a dedicated following and must not be looked past.

There's been mentions of the film being about a passing of the torch, with the old Goonies being parents and their kids being the 'new' Goonies. It's a good idea and a quick side note it would be great to have this theme of a lost childhood, the whole Peter Pan complex. It makes it relevant to adults and children. The timing is right for this film. 12 year olds at the time are now in there 40's. I'm almost 21 and I miss being a child, so focusing on lost childhood is something that will make this film relevant. 

The timing is perfect, the following is there, the interest is there, most of the cast is interested. This cannot happened any later. It's a lost opportunity if it doesn't happen. I'm still hesitant that it will get made because this is not the only time I've been hopeful for the sequel and as a longtime fan. I hope it does get made.

Jason Blight 2014

Video Game Movies - Game Over?

One of the biggest enigmas in commercial cinema is the failure of video game films. Around 30 films have been adapted from video games and only one film has received a rating of over 50 on Metacritic. That was Mortal Kombat that received an 55. These films don't just perform badly critically. At the Box office they are generally failures. So what's to blame for the correlated failure of video game films? Is there hope for video game films? Or should they just end the game?




Source Material Ravaged?

The first ever video game film, Super Mario Bros (1993), was a massive failure. The biggest criticism for this is the look of the film and the source material looking so polarised to the game. The film took a more 'human' approach. , King Koopa shouldn't of been the main villain and shouldn't of been human. Bowser has been and mostly been the central villain to Mario. The look of the film was nowhere near the resemblance of the fun tone of the game. the only connection the film had with the game was the title of the film and the character names. This is not the only film that ignored the origins of the game. Later on, the film Doom (2005), ignored the actual plot of the game. Doom, the game, relied around an invasion from Hell but in the film a virus was to explain for the monsters of the film.; likely to try and pass itself for the hugely popular horror genre, the zombie survival genre. Even though it had one of the greatest scenes I've ever seen in a film, the 1st person shooter scene, it was a failure critically and commercially. Films ripping up the folklore of games angers the target audience of the film, the fans of the game, without them there is no audience. The more successful video game films have stuck close to source material, in reference to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Mortal Kombat (1995); both to a sense commercially successful. They are not perfect adaptations and are not completely faithful but does bear resemblance to the video game which is rare commodity. It's trivial why film makers buy the rights of a video game and refuse to use elements important to the video game franchises. It can be argued to aid the failure of these films.




Video Games Cannot be Crossed With Other Media?

The best argument for explaining why video game film fail is because of the interactivity of gaming is an experience that is impossible to replicate on the big screen. Dan Houser, Rockstar Games Co Founder, perfectly describes this by stating about a Grand Theft Auto film, 'We've got this big open-world experience that's 100 hours long......How do you condense that into a two-hour or 12-hour experience where you take away the main things: player agency and freedom?" (IGN, 2013) This explains that video games are not like films, the audience decides what happens to the characters, the way they talk, walk and progress. Films are decided by the film maker. Video Games are a popular media due the interactivity that is foreign to any other medium. Film cannot replicate the interactivity of gaming and an argument that the struggle to create this experience leads to the failure of these films. This argument is the most valid and explains the consistent failure of video game films. However video games are quite popular in expanded media. The Halo, Bioshock and Assassins Creed literature are hugely popular. To conclude that video games films are impossible to be successful is not so simple. The cross over is possible. It just needs the right franchise, right director, right casting and the right story.


The Future?

The answer to the question, is there a future for video game films, you would think by the overwhelming failure of them and the current cinematic climate relying on monetary incentive, the answer would be no; it isn't. There are over 25 games rumoured to be put into production, a massive increase, especially in it's 20 years of the inception of the genre there had only been around 30 films made. The reason for that is that games have become more cinematic. Heavy Rain (2010) and LA Noire (2011) are huge story based games, that have very simplistic game play but the stories are complex and interesting. Story has become an integral part of gaming and normally the games with the complex and original story are successful (minus the big hit franchises - Call Of Duty, Battlefield) Games have become films in their medium and producers are hungry to do the reverse. There is a demand and a future for a video game film market. It only needs one film to be successful to create a boom. Look at the original Spiderman (2002) arguably sparked the Superhero film boom.


Potential Hits.

From the games I've played there are some clear candidates for film/TV adaptations. LA Noire has one of the greatest stories in game history. The game play is poor but the back story and the complexity of the characters would create a perfect TV drama made by someone like HBO. You have the cast already there, as every cast is mo capped and look identical to their character, the story is also there. LA Noire is more of a film then it is a game, it is HBO bait waiting to happen. Also Heavy Rain as previously mentioned would make a great thriller, David Fincher would be a perfect cnadidate to direct due to his film Se7en (1995) sharing a similar style with the Oragami Killer, the main villain of Heavy Rain. moving onto Halo, which has a massive audience already. The Sci Fi connections does create a risk because Sci-fi's either hit with an audience and do well or completely bomb at the box office. Halo has the universe to expand and the temptation of putting the Flood on the big screen is too tempting to become a reality. Neil Bloomkamp would be perfect and should of made the film a few years ago which he was planned too. In a certain quirky suggestion, the recent announced Minecraft film looks to be a repeat of the Super Mario film because the style is so video game like that it would be hard to translate on the screen. However, I'm heavily interested in what they do with the rights of the film because it does have an amazing and wide audience and if it does do well, it could kick start a trend of video game films being produced.


Game Over or Continue?

Gaming is changing, it has become more interactive and immersed then ever. However story has become an integral part of gaming. There are some games that are impossible to make into a film that will be successful for example the open world games are too expansive and free to create into a 2 hour film. However if Hollywood puts all it's eggs into one basket by adapting games such as Heavy Rain, The Last Of Us, LA Noire the more story based games. It would be easier to convey in the cinema to audiences and have a memorable and complex character which makes the film more relatable. In conclusion, there is hope for video game films but the planets need to realign themselves for them to be successful. It needs the perfect franchise, character, director, cast and story. With the boundaries of games and films becoming more blurred, the awaited big hit looks to be close. The question is not will they be successful, it's when and what game?



Jason Blight 2014.

Has Pixar Caught Sequelitis?

Has Pixar Caught Sequelitis

From a number of sources, Pixar have confirmed that Cars 3 and The Incredibles 2 will be made. I'm normally excited for sequels, sequels can be good ideas if done well and if necessary. In recent years Hollywood has churned out sequel after sequel and the argument of sequels being necessary is blurred and the more explicit incitement seems to be for the money. Hearing news of a sequel is nothing new and I shouldn't be worried, however Pixar is no any old Hollywood studio. Pixar is a trademark for innovation and quality; not quantity. So I thought...

Pixar being under the Disney umbrella, a studio known for it's franchises, (Marvel, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean) it shouldn't come as much of a shock. However Pixar before Cars 2 only made sequels to the highly popular Toy Story franchise but it was done well. Toy Story was an metaphor for the stages of growing up, each sequel was a great message to present about childhood. Cars 2 looked more of a cash grab, even though it was John Lasseter passion project. The idea that the first film made approx. 10 billion dollars in merchandise, two sequels doesn't seem like a productive step in innovation.

Toy Story in 1995 was a huge step in computer animation with every other film after that creating a new universe, unique and the story was original and detailed. From the ocean's of Finding Nemo to the Monster world of Monsters Inc. Pixar created universes that did allow sequels to be a possibility but held back on that possibility because they relished the idea to create something new. However with the announcement of Cars 3 and The Incredibles 2, it adds to the list of sequels of Cars 2, Monster University, the upcoming Finding Dory and there have been a few sources of doing a Toy Story 4.

Now I'm a sequel addict when I hear sequel I start to dribble and make weird noises but for Pixar I'm hesitant. They have always been consistent in their films and Cars 2 and Monster University, not bad films but Pixar can;t be content with not bad. Monster's University was a great films but I see more potential in the idea of the new, original Pixar film coming out called, Inside Out. Coming out in 2015, it will be set in a girls mind and the characters will be emotions. This sounds like an amazing idea and is so 'Pixar-like' It's risky, it's experimental but Pixar seem to hit every time. I'm more interested in that film then Finding Dory. I could probably guess what will happen in Finding Dory but Inside Out; I'm intrigued.

Now I won't stop watching Pixar films, I think they are still amazing. There sequels are much better quality then any shluck that Hollywood throw out. Sequels have a bad name to them, they have a capitalist motive and Pixar doesn't need a legacy of a sequel to 'cash in'. Their consistency record allows to experiment and still be a box office success. 

Pixar is an anomaly in Hollywood. They have so much detail in their films, it's why it takes years to make just one. Pixar is a studio that can experiment and innovate. It does hurt a little that they have announced a flurry of sequels not because they won;t be good films, it's because Pixar creates new environments and new universe that are detailed and unique that a Pixar that doesn't cover new ground seems like a wasted opportunity. The announced films of Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur shows a lot of promise and I hope, on a personal standpoint that Pixar doesn't get to the point where they rely on sequels. Pixar are a trademark of innovation and sequels are not the step forward.

Jason Blight

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Review

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Review.

Even though film reviews are suppose to be impartial but I have a soft spot for Wes Anderson. From a personal stand point his films are comfortable to watch. It has this style which is weird and wacky but it’s colour aesthetics gives a sense of nostalgia and the retro grandeur is a pleasant portrait to cast your eyes upon. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel is no different. Anderson stays to his way of film making. Even on a limited budget the sets and the direction is one of a majestic feeling and the tone is quirky enough to become a joy to view. The huge and acclaimed cast is perfect for this film. It;s huge cast of all era’s and the only downside is that every big star gets limited to a cameo performance.

Ralph Fiennes plays the concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel and his character is a unique in Anderson’s universe.  In past films every character plays to Anderson’s world. Wacky in style and peculiar in their speech, There’re normally a calm tone to the characters speech even when they are angry. However Fiennes breaks out of this mould and at times, quoting ‘fuck it’ and loses his marbles. Fiennes breaks out of that mold and it provides a comedic strength to the film. Fiennes definitely shines in this film and that is not putting anything down on the supporting cast. Every actor did their job to the Anderson standard. Especially Ed Norton’s character was also a favourite, now becoming a regular in Anderson’s troupe. I would love if he had a leading role in the next Anderson film.

This is not Anderson’s best film, Moonrise and Steve Zissou is still by far my favourite films. The story had a lot of tangents that wasn't necessary and the cast was too big. Their was a lot of talent on show and not enough screen time. The Royal Tenebaums shows that Anderson can utilise a big cast, in this film some big names had very little screen time. 

However The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of the best films I’ve seen this year and would recommend everyone to watch it. It was hilarious, not massive laughs but constant chuckles. I just had a 100 minute smile on the whole time. This film will surprise you, it will make you laugh, make you cry, amaze you though the style and sets. I have yet to come across a Wes Anderson that I’m disappointed by.  

Overall - Wes Anderson creates another masterpiece and if everyone followed suit of how much effort the director put’s into the set and utilise the budget every film would be a joy to watch. Maybe it was over ambitious in it’s cast but Fiennes shines, Norton excels and Dafoe just terrifying. If you love Anderson watch it, If you don’t find your lost soul and watch it anyway. Film Rating 8.5/10