For many years Hollywood poked fun at Ben Affleck. He was often accused of riding the coat tails of Matt Damon when the topic of their Academy Award Win was brought up. But after watching Affleck's directorial debut Gone Baby Gone I knew that Affleck had a lot more to offer the movie going public than most had given him credit for.
His second offering behind the lens, The Town, once again doesn't disappoint. It is a wonderful heist film, filled with great characters and great performances by the actors. Whilst the Extended Cut is enjoyable to watch, offering more than 30 minutes additional footage, the film itself doesn't feel as punchy as the Theatrical Cut.
Format: Bluray
Venue: My favourite couch
Degrees of Separation: 6, Camron Diaz voices Princess Fiona in Shrek, she also starred in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle where Bruce Willis made a cameo. Willis starred alongside Ben Affleck in Armageddon and Affleck stars in The Town
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
#19 & #20 Shrek & Shrek 2 (29 and 30/01/11)
I remember when the Shrek phenomenon hit. My wife and I had actually seen the film almost two months earlier at an advanced screening, we had no idea about the film but we had time to spare and were bored so we went and saw it. I remember thinking it was nothing special and when the phenomenon hit we were a little stunned. When the sequel was released I remember others excitement and once again i was surprised when the sequel was better than the original (which had slowly became a higly watched film in our house).
I guess the reasons people love the films is that they are a spin on the classic fairytale but they also feature references from pop culture. This helps viewers to relate on a different level to a straight Shrek film, also who doesn't find Donkey funny. I will never look at waffles the same.
Format: Bluray
Venue: Couch Sweet Couch
Degrees of Separation: 7, Will Ferrell starred in The Other Guys, he also voiced Megamind in the film of the same name. Also voicing a character in Megamind was Brad Pitt who starred in Inglorious Basterds. Inglorious Basterds also featured Mike Myers who voice Shrek.
I guess the reasons people love the films is that they are a spin on the classic fairytale but they also feature references from pop culture. This helps viewers to relate on a different level to a straight Shrek film, also who doesn't find Donkey funny. I will never look at waffles the same.
Format: Bluray
Venue: Couch Sweet Couch
Degrees of Separation: 7, Will Ferrell starred in The Other Guys, he also voiced Megamind in the film of the same name. Also voicing a character in Megamind was Brad Pitt who starred in Inglorious Basterds. Inglorious Basterds also featured Mike Myers who voice Shrek.
#18 The Other Guys (22/01/11)
I'm going to start by saying it. I love Will Ferrell films. There is somethign about him that I just love. That said I think for a lot of people Will Ferrell is slipping on the comedy ladder. Land of the Lost and now The Other Guys have not been considered the same quality as some of his previous work. Though I actually found The Other Guys to be quite funny.
I think where it differs from so many other Will Ferrell films is that Ferrell and Wahlberg despite being the main characters almost play a back seat to the other characters around them and it can cause the film to feel a little over burdened with people trying to be funny. If you can look past that this is a hilarious film that is more Mark Wahlberg's than it is Will Ferrell's.
Format: Bluray
Venue: The same couch as the last one
Degrees of Separation: 5, Steve Carrell voiced Gru in Despicable Me. He also starred in Date Night with Mark Wahlberg who stars in The Other Guys.
I think where it differs from so many other Will Ferrell films is that Ferrell and Wahlberg despite being the main characters almost play a back seat to the other characters around them and it can cause the film to feel a little over burdened with people trying to be funny. If you can look past that this is a hilarious film that is more Mark Wahlberg's than it is Will Ferrell's.
Format: Bluray
Venue: The same couch as the last one
Degrees of Separation: 5, Steve Carrell voiced Gru in Despicable Me. He also starred in Date Night with Mark Wahlberg who stars in The Other Guys.
#17 Despicable Me (22/01/11)
Despicable Me was one of those films I was semi excited to see but after reading how many reviewers were surprised by how good the film was I really wanted to see the film. Unfortunately I was unable to see it in the cinemas but a few months down the track I was able to hire it from my local Video Ezy, actually I don't really like my local so I venture to Charlestown (around 10 minutes from home).
Despicable Me does nothing special but what it does, it does with a heck of a lot of heart which if you've read this blog you'll know I'm a sucker for. It's filled with a superstar cast but I love that all of them do an accent or voice totally different to the one you are used to hearing. I'm also surprised at the quality of the animation. For a first time studio Illumination Animation have done a great job.
Format: Bluray
Venue: My place
Degrees of Separation: 7, Cameron Diaz starred in Gangs of New York. She also starred alongside Seth Rogen in The Green Hornet. Rogen starred alongside Jason Segel in Knocked Up and Segel voices Vector in Despicable Me. (I could have also replace Segel with Steve Carell as Rogen was alongside Carell in 40 Year Old Virgin).
Despicable Me does nothing special but what it does, it does with a heck of a lot of heart which if you've read this blog you'll know I'm a sucker for. It's filled with a superstar cast but I love that all of them do an accent or voice totally different to the one you are used to hearing. I'm also surprised at the quality of the animation. For a first time studio Illumination Animation have done a great job.
Format: Bluray
Venue: My place
Degrees of Separation: 7, Cameron Diaz starred in Gangs of New York. She also starred alongside Seth Rogen in The Green Hornet. Rogen starred alongside Jason Segel in Knocked Up and Segel voices Vector in Despicable Me. (I could have also replace Segel with Steve Carell as Rogen was alongside Carell in 40 Year Old Virgin).
#16 Gangs of New York (20/01/11)
When it was first released this was one of my favourite films. The scope of some of the shots astounded me and the character of BIll the Butcher was one I knew I'd never forget. Recently I bought the film on Bluray and realised that it wasn't quite the same film i remembered. Sure the scope was there still and Bill the Butcher is just as scary, if not even more scary but it wasn't the same.
Perhaps I had taken too long to watch the film again and as a result the memory was better than the film itself. Or perhaps I was not prepared for the almost 3 hour running time. The film just fell a little flat for me. Still Bill the Butcher is there just as bad as ever, he will always be held in the highest of regards when it comes to film villains but I feel now as if Gangs of New York would only be a shade of the film we have now without Daniel Day Lewis. Perhaps I need to wait a month or two and rewatch it again, I'm sure my feelings are more mood based than actually something against the film itself.
Format: Bluray
Venue: The couch
Degrees of Separation: 7, Jonah Hill stars in Get HIm to the Greek, he also starred in Knocked Up alongside Seth Rogen. Rogen stars alongside Cameron Diaz in The Green Hornet and Diaz plays Jenny in Gangs of New York.
Perhaps I had taken too long to watch the film again and as a result the memory was better than the film itself. Or perhaps I was not prepared for the almost 3 hour running time. The film just fell a little flat for me. Still Bill the Butcher is there just as bad as ever, he will always be held in the highest of regards when it comes to film villains but I feel now as if Gangs of New York would only be a shade of the film we have now without Daniel Day Lewis. Perhaps I need to wait a month or two and rewatch it again, I'm sure my feelings are more mood based than actually something against the film itself.
Format: Bluray
Venue: The couch
Degrees of Separation: 7, Jonah Hill stars in Get HIm to the Greek, he also starred in Knocked Up alongside Seth Rogen. Rogen stars alongside Cameron Diaz in The Green Hornet and Diaz plays Jenny in Gangs of New York.
#15 Get Him to the Greek (16/01/11)
I'm a sucker for a film with heart, especially when it is a film that probably shouldn't have that much heart. Get Him to the Greek is a film that is advertised with quotes such as "This years The Hangover" and it's trailer makes it out to be a party film when in reality it's not. It's a film about a rock star and his struggle to cope with that fame. If you've read Russell Brand's book My Booky Wook you'll definitely see some similarites between Aldous Snow and Brand himself, it's almost art imitating life.
But where the film really shines is not the parties and the hijinx that the parties bring, which are hilarious, it's actually Snow's self discovery and redemption that I love about the film. Brand actually has the ability to make you both love him and hate him whilst still having you feel sorry for him.
Format: Bluray
Venue: The cappucino couch
Degrees of Separation: 7, Jeffrey Tambor provides the voice of the big nosed thug in Tangled, he also provided the voice of Carl Murphy in Monsters vs. Aliens. Also providing his voice as B.O.B. in MvA was Seth Rogen. Rogen also starred alongside Jonah Hill in Knocked Up. Hill stars in Get Him to the Greek.
But where the film really shines is not the parties and the hijinx that the parties bring, which are hilarious, it's actually Snow's self discovery and redemption that I love about the film. Brand actually has the ability to make you both love him and hate him whilst still having you feel sorry for him.
Format: Bluray
Venue: The cappucino couch
Degrees of Separation: 7, Jeffrey Tambor provides the voice of the big nosed thug in Tangled, he also provided the voice of Carl Murphy in Monsters vs. Aliens. Also providing his voice as B.O.B. in MvA was Seth Rogen. Rogen also starred alongside Jonah Hill in Knocked Up. Hill stars in Get Him to the Greek.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
About Me
I guess I never really introduced myself to anyone that is reading and I am completely letting this blog run its course via word of mouth purely because I've never written on a blog before and I'd like to see how it goes.
My name is Geoff Reid and I am a 28 year living in Newcastle Australia. I work full time in the travel industry and study part time a Bachelor of Internet Communications at Curtin University. In actual fact this blog is the result of a University assignment.
On top of work and Uni I also run a movie news website CineFOOLS.com, films are one of my passions. I just love the escape a film can give and this blog also relates to that passion.
My name is Geoff Reid and I am a 28 year living in Newcastle Australia. I work full time in the travel industry and study part time a Bachelor of Internet Communications at Curtin University. In actual fact this blog is the result of a University assignment.
On top of work and Uni I also run a movie news website CineFOOLS.com, films are one of my passions. I just love the escape a film can give and this blog also relates to that passion.
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