Over the years watching more and more films, plus getting older I have realised that diversity is what makes me enjoy movies more than I ever did. When I was younger, I'm talking before 20, a long long time ago, horror or genre films were my thing, and horror my main thing! I wasn't into the SCI-FI films as much, so not really a fanboy like you see at comic-con. I never got into the films that way, didn't learn all the best lines or dress up like my favourite character, that's not why I watch films. I just wanted to watch horror movies!
But now I'm older and wiser I just want to watch films, at the cinema, on DVD and Blu Ray, with my wife, with the kids, with friends or just on my own, so if I get the chance, then I'll watch a film!
What appeals to me now is the diversity of films I see, or what I want to see or even what I collect on DVD and Blu Ray. I can sit and watch Mary Poppins or Jungle Book with the kids, to Troll Hunter with my eldest or The notebook with my wife, and enjoy them all. A musical to extreme horror and everything that goes in between, I will watch it.
No I don't like everything, I will try to watch most things but there are some films I do draw the line at. I'm not keen on spoof films, or made for TV true life movies, these I can miss without regret. But give me Inception, which I've just finished watching or Drive or even Hatchet and I'm in my element.
So back to diversity, this weekend alone I saw 4 very different films and only disliked one - immensely!
First I saw Star Wars Episode 1, no need to tell anyone what this is about, except I wasn't impressed with the 3D presentation, just pointless!
In the same day I saw Extremely Loud & Incredibly close, a touching film based around the 911 disaster and a boys attempt to make sense of losing his father in that event.
The day after I saw the 3D comic anti-hero Ghost Rider, while not the best film, infact pretty average, I liked it. Some of the action sequences are great and the camera work is brilliant, but I'd class it as one of my guilty pleasures!
The following day I saw the extremely good, A Dangerous Method with Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightly. A little high brow for me at times, and some of the pyschoanalysis went right over my head, but it was well acted and the musical score was excellent.
So a diverse weekend of films, but at the cinema you don't that choice, these strange combinations of films present themselves on a regular basis and you've just got to go with it, one day it's the Muppets followed by Woman in Black, followed by Carnage. But that's the reason I never get bored of the cinema, the diversity of it all!
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Friday 17 February 2012
A week of Films!
Another week of films at home and at the Cinema, with the kids, friends but mainly with my eldest daughter. She is becoming a right film geek! Even wanting to watch the BAFTA's with us. One of her favourite actors was nominated in the Rising Star Category, he didn't win, much to her and even my disgust!
So our first film at the cinema was Hammer's The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Ciaran Hinds. Having not read the book (which I did start last night), not seen the TV version or the play, I wasn't aware of the story. After the film I hope the book is better! I wasn't that impressed at all, first I didn't find it scary, it had a couple of creepy moments, but Radciffe's failure to convey any fear didn't help. Also it lacked any tension, and why was every "jump" moment accompanied with loud music! It didn't need it! It's not all bad, the production values of the film were superb, Hammer got that right, just a shame about the horror!
However my daughter liked it, but this was her first real ghost story! Maybe too many years of horror films and novels have taken their toll on me and things just don't scare me anymore!
Next was the BAFTA's and I've not much to complain about here, The Artist was always going to do well I thought and it did. The Best Actor category was a close one to call, and really the award could have gone to any of them, I would have give it to Clooney. Best Actress was obvious as well and for me a Streep was a worthy winner.
The only one which seemed off the mark was Rising Star Award, and I suppose this is what happens when you let the public vote, but Deacon? I thought Hiddleston here, 3 films, Thor, Warhorse and Midnight in Paris, great in all of them, a true rising star. Or even Redmayne, I thought he was terrific in My week with Marilyn. But Deacon? 150 films at the cinema and I didn't see him in any of them!
Monday we were back at the cinema, to see the lost footage film, Chronicle, I really liked this, thought they could have expanded the "getting used to our super powers" section, but apart from that it was very very good. And my motion sickness didn't kick in - thank god!
Next day I had all my kids at the cinema to see the Muppets, which I enjoyed, but then again I did watch the Muppets when I was a kid. My eldest liked it, my son liked it, my other daughter said it was boring!
Having got back in from the Muppets, I sat down and watched Crazy, Stupid love on DVD with my eldest, she wanted to see what all the fuss was about Ryan Gosling. She got the point!
I do like this film a lot, and I think Steve Carell is superb, he owns this film. Plus it has the fabulous Emma Stone in as well!
Wednesday - I thought I'd then introduce my daughter to one of my favourite ghost stories, no NOT A tale of two Sisters, don't think she would sleep for a week after that! The Orphanage. The blu ray is stunning, the picture is amazing, the sound is brilliant, just adds to a great film! It's creepy, but it's sad, so sad, it's been a while since I've seen it, but it haunts me for days after. My wife doesn't want to watch it again! My daughter thought it was excellent, she would watch it again.
Next day was a monster douoble bill, me and the kids watched Super 8 on Blu Ray, they loved this one, however I wasn't impressed with the sound on the Blu Ray. Thought my Surround Sound was playing up, after Troll Hunter I know it's not!
Back to Super 8, still a fantastic film, my film of 2011. Loved watching it again.
Next came Troll Hunter, now my daughter thought this was Epic! Have to say the blu ray is Epic! Norway looks amazing, the trolls are fantastic, this is a film I could put on again and again. And I didn't feel that sick after it, you know my motion sickness thing!
Then this morning, I was supposed to take the twins and my eldest to see Phantom Menace in 3D. My youngest daughter dropped out, she doesn't like it! Fair enough I can see her point. But I wanted to see it on the big screen. First the 3D is pointless! 2nd this film is rubbish! Actually I think this is the first time I've seen it all the way through! The pod race and Darth Maul's fight sequence are the only decent moments! The rest is just terrible!
I have a few films planned this weekend and then a week of DVD's and Blu Rays!
So our first film at the cinema was Hammer's The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Ciaran Hinds. Having not read the book (which I did start last night), not seen the TV version or the play, I wasn't aware of the story. After the film I hope the book is better! I wasn't that impressed at all, first I didn't find it scary, it had a couple of creepy moments, but Radciffe's failure to convey any fear didn't help. Also it lacked any tension, and why was every "jump" moment accompanied with loud music! It didn't need it! It's not all bad, the production values of the film were superb, Hammer got that right, just a shame about the horror!
However my daughter liked it, but this was her first real ghost story! Maybe too many years of horror films and novels have taken their toll on me and things just don't scare me anymore!
Next was the BAFTA's and I've not much to complain about here, The Artist was always going to do well I thought and it did. The Best Actor category was a close one to call, and really the award could have gone to any of them, I would have give it to Clooney. Best Actress was obvious as well and for me a Streep was a worthy winner.
The only one which seemed off the mark was Rising Star Award, and I suppose this is what happens when you let the public vote, but Deacon? I thought Hiddleston here, 3 films, Thor, Warhorse and Midnight in Paris, great in all of them, a true rising star. Or even Redmayne, I thought he was terrific in My week with Marilyn. But Deacon? 150 films at the cinema and I didn't see him in any of them!
Monday we were back at the cinema, to see the lost footage film, Chronicle, I really liked this, thought they could have expanded the "getting used to our super powers" section, but apart from that it was very very good. And my motion sickness didn't kick in - thank god!
Next day I had all my kids at the cinema to see the Muppets, which I enjoyed, but then again I did watch the Muppets when I was a kid. My eldest liked it, my son liked it, my other daughter said it was boring!
Having got back in from the Muppets, I sat down and watched Crazy, Stupid love on DVD with my eldest, she wanted to see what all the fuss was about Ryan Gosling. She got the point!
I do like this film a lot, and I think Steve Carell is superb, he owns this film. Plus it has the fabulous Emma Stone in as well!
Wednesday - I thought I'd then introduce my daughter to one of my favourite ghost stories, no NOT A tale of two Sisters, don't think she would sleep for a week after that! The Orphanage. The blu ray is stunning, the picture is amazing, the sound is brilliant, just adds to a great film! It's creepy, but it's sad, so sad, it's been a while since I've seen it, but it haunts me for days after. My wife doesn't want to watch it again! My daughter thought it was excellent, she would watch it again.
Next day was a monster douoble bill, me and the kids watched Super 8 on Blu Ray, they loved this one, however I wasn't impressed with the sound on the Blu Ray. Thought my Surround Sound was playing up, after Troll Hunter I know it's not!
Back to Super 8, still a fantastic film, my film of 2011. Loved watching it again.
Next came Troll Hunter, now my daughter thought this was Epic! Have to say the blu ray is Epic! Norway looks amazing, the trolls are fantastic, this is a film I could put on again and again. And I didn't feel that sick after it, you know my motion sickness thing!
Then this morning, I was supposed to take the twins and my eldest to see Phantom Menace in 3D. My youngest daughter dropped out, she doesn't like it! Fair enough I can see her point. But I wanted to see it on the big screen. First the 3D is pointless! 2nd this film is rubbish! Actually I think this is the first time I've seen it all the way through! The pod race and Darth Maul's fight sequence are the only decent moments! The rest is just terrible!
I have a few films planned this weekend and then a week of DVD's and Blu Rays!
Saturday 11 February 2012
The Start of 2012
So well into the February and my new mission to see as many films as I can is working out pretty well. Tonight, The Woman in Black was my 37th film, with 24 of them at the cinema, so I am pleased with my progress. This isn't just notching up the totals this is about watching films!
And in that I have seen some terrific ones so far. Young Adult, Martha Macy May Marlene, J Edgar, Shame, Warhorse, The Lady, The Descendants and The Artist. Plus the rest and really seemed to have missed the bad ones, Haywire and the Darkest Hour being the only two I did see.
Then we had the Ryan Gosling week, well 3 days, Crazy, Stupid Love, the stunning Drive and then the Notebook. I am impressed with Gosling, he's a very good actor. Drive is my favourite of the 3, and since watching the soundtrack has been played to death! It's on in the car, the house, the mp3 players - it's never off! (And it's not even me playing it!)
My daughter and I then had a couple alien invasion films, War of the Worlds on Blu ray and ID4. Then last week we watched Burning Bright, she loved it!
I'm getting my daughter to blog, she is a much better writer than I am, and I'm looking forward to seeing her take on the films she watches!
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