Hola! 

Talking about Kristen Stewart back when she made good films (Adventureland) got me thinking about other underrated films. At this stage, I'm more thinking 'underrated' in the sense where these were acknowledged to be GOOD films, but they never really got the attention they deserved from an audience etc.

So, first up is Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005) which is a highly annoying title to write repeatedly, but I won't hold that against it. I've mentioned KKBB before in my Best Film Ever! post, so admittedly, I am openly biased towards the awesomeness of this film. But that is because, it is in fact, awesome. And I'm going to give you a list of reasons why!
                                        




1) It's written and directed by Shane Black.
You may not have heard of Shane Black, but you've definitely heard of his films. This guy is behind classics like Lethal Weapon, The Last Action Hero (also, underrated and ridiculous) and the biggest smash of the year, Iron Man 3. He's that guy. I'm not always big into action films. I find that a lot of films with action tend to favour LOUD NOISES over an actual story (case in point; Transformers), not this guy. Shane Black's films become known for the sharp, witty banter between the characters, and this is no different. The relationship between Harry and Gay Perry (not being homophobic, that's his actual name), is one of the best I've seen in an action film, or just in general!

You're welcome.

2) Robert Downey Jr.
It's a well known fact, that RDJ was doing a Lindsay Lohan long before 'doing a Lindsay' was a thing. Dude was into all sorts of craziness. But he went to jail and rehab, sorted his shit out (take note Lohan) and is now one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. This was one of his first big films after the stint in rehab/jail and he nails it. This film showed off his comedic chops long before Iron Man was even on the radar and his Harry is an adorable, unlucky, and oh-so-stupid sweetheart. The scene where he accidentally auditions for a film is priceless.

Hola!

Okay, so hear me out first. I know the title is enough to make a 12 year old beat me to death with her 'Breaking Dawn' book, but I can explain!

So, I should say, I really do HATE Twilight. I'll make no bones about that. I read the books when they first came out, largely because I am a marketers dream ('Ohhh, vampires and pretty people! Yay!') and have been full of regret since. Every-so-often I like to hate-read them again, much like I like to hate-watch the films on occasion. Nobody will watch those films with me because all I do is complain. A lot. The problem is that the films never really stood a chance, how can you take a bad book and make it into a good film? 
                           
                                                                               I hate you all.

The problem is the characters. Particularly one character. I mean Bella.

OH MY DAYS WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Played by Kristen Stewart, who I actually really quite liked in Adventureland (underrated), she apparently decides that Bella has no facial expressions at all. Not that Bella is well-developed enough to have expression. Essentially, this is a girl whose entire existence revolves around getting a boy to like her and then when he leaves, deciding if she likes a different boy. Who could be arsed? For some reason, she is utterly irresistible to the male gender. Whilst Kristen Stewart is very pretty, the character is dull as shit making this love all the more inexplicable. Bella though, only has eyes for the unattainable Edward Cullen, who comes from the same school of character development as Bella. As in, there is none. Apparently the screenwriters believe that if you're indecently good looking, you don't NEED to have a personality. So of course this runs true for all of the exceptionally good looking cast. 

My main problem with Bella is that she knocks the idea of strong women in films back to the 1930's. This girl exists only to please Edward Cullen. I mean, the dude leaves and she mopes in her room for like 4 months? And she doesn't mope like any other person would after a break up, oh no. This break up is THE WORST BREAK UP IN THE HISTORY OF BREAK UPS. Yours doesn't even compare, because Bella and Edward, are like, meant to be and, are like, part of each other. It's enough to make you want to claw your eyes out. And there have been plenty of women in films whose main drive is to snag a man and get married, but this film and these books were a global phenomenon. I mean, if you were a teenage girl, those books were required reading and the films were essential. So the problem lies in that this girl, who gets in danger constantly and ALWAYS has to be saved, becomes a sort of icon. All the girls want to be like this girl who ceases to exist as a person once she gets a boyfriend, she becomes simply an extension of Edward. She sacrifices her life to be with him, for frig's sake! If you can show me a moment where she does something just for herself, not to please a male character in the film, I'd be quite happy. 

Teenage girls (and apparently their mothers) all fall for this ridiculous idea, that a relationship like this could, or should exist in real life. If you met a couple like this in real life, you'd avoid them like the plague. They are the smug couple who believe that their relationship is worth SO much more than yours, that you couldn't even compare. Ergh.

Films need strong characters as the heroine/heroes. You need someone you want to root for. Twilight offers us a girl who follows a boy around and after that, follows another boy around. Super. In an industry where women are increasingly relegated to the position of 'damsel in distress' or 'love interest', to have a central character willingly made into something so weak is hard to take. Take the likes of Katniss or Hermione, both characters in exceptionally successful franchises, both women entirely capable of looking after themselves. These are the types of characters that teenage girls need to look up to, they are girls you can aspire to be like. 

The other reason I hate the Twilight films is because the general story is just shit. They are essentially a lot of events leading to an anti-climax. 

'Oh, trouble ensues!' 'Oh no, we're going to have a battle!' 'Montage of us preparing for battle!' 'Oh, wait, nevermind. We'll just talk a lot and avoid action of any type.' 'Battle? Na, we'll just head home.'

I paid money for this! DO SOMETHING! I need something other than longing looks and pained signs and 'passionate' kisses to make a film, lads. Have a girl who can do something other than run between 2 different, disgustingly attractive boys! And all these films have really achieved, is make girls think that relationships like this are normal and healthy (bit of perspective, he WATCHED HER SLEEP) and that that all girls need a boy like that. Just letting you know; YOU DON'T. 
                                  

I get that this film is super popular, I just don't know why. Like, I genuinely don't understand why people like it so much? If anyone could explain it to me, that'd be great. Yes, the cast are all super attractive, but what else is there?

Okay, I promise I'll be less rant-y tomorrow :).

Peace out!

Hola!

So I was meant to see The Conjuring tonight. I have been looking forward to seeing it for SO LONG. The trailer is that good. I'll link it here below for those few that haven't seen it, or for anyone who likes a cracking trailer.



So, yes. We (my sister, her boyfriend and me) get to the cinema and the line is out the door and down the street. Which, whilst a good sign for the movie industry, not a good sign for us getting tickets. So we wait for 10 minutes, finally get in through the door, only to overhear the people at the till say that it was sold out. GUTTED. I don't think I've ever been quite as excited to see a scary film in a long time, so to not get in was VERY DISAPPOINTING. I know, I can just go and see it another time, but I got myself all excited for it! I put makeup on for frig's sake! 

When I got home I got to thinking, what was the last scary film I saw in the cinema that properly terrified me? I find that in today's society, with being more exposed to real life horror (cheers media), it becomes increasingly difficult for a film to genuinely induce fear. I remember when Paranormal Activity (2007) came out and it was massive, and honestly, did scare me. I watched it on my laptop, in an empty house, with the headphones on and I have never feared for my life and sanity more. Obviously, with any big film comes the inevitable backlash, but that film achieved a great deal on a small budget. Certainly a great deal more than a lot of bigger budget horror films can achieve. Having said that Paranormal Activity 2-34, not quite as effective. Although, I did quite like 3...

The last scary film I remember seeing in the cinema, that properly terrified me was The Descent (2005). Holy shit. That film is amazing. Sitting in the dark, empty, cramped cinema in my town you felt like you were genuinely in the caves. There's a lot to say for watching a film in the right conditions. My friends who I saw it with, had to leave the screen because they were so freaked out. Essentially, it's about a group of women who go on a trip following a tragic event, only for shit to get even worse. They go into spelunking (mentalists) in some caves, and find something terrible in there... I would advise anyone to see that film, unless you're claustrophobic, then I'd probably skip it.

Honorable mention goes to Sinister (2012), not a perfect horror film by any means, but so atmospheric and so creepy in a cinema. Sure, I sorta hated the main character played by Ethan Hawke, which took away from it a little, but everything else was pretty great. The music especially is super effective.

Obviously, I've seen other horror films that scared the crap out of me, but a lot of the time I don't get to see them in the cinema. It is very difficult in a tiny town to get seeing any good films, especially when the cinema still plays films that are about to be released on DVD. Which is just strange. 

So, what horror films have you seen in the cinema that scared you senseless?v Have you seen The Conjuring? Thoughts? Let me know! In the meantime, I'll leave this terrifying poster for The Conjuring below, for you too to be scarred by the super creepy doll. 
I fricking hate dolls.

Peace out!
P.S. If you're big into horror films as well, check out www.bloodydisgusting.com!

Hola.

So, I've been thinking about what makes the 'Best. Film. Ever', and about what my best film ever is. Largely I think about films when I'm meant to be doing something else, obviously I've been thinking about films a lot. I have a lot of BEST FILM EVER'S!!! some of which are not even close to being a best film ever, yet for some reason I am convinced they are. 


                                               Best film ever?

So is there an actual pattern or design for a BFE (I'm shortening it, I can't be arsed writing that everytime)? Or is it just, a lot of people with mutual tastes declare a certain film 'BFE'? I'd be inclined to think it's a mixture. I mean, 'Shawshank Redemption' is a definite BFE, but it was a total flop when it came out cinematically. Once it reached a wider audience, that was when people recognised how great it was. 'Peeping Tom' is another example. Arguably one of the great horror films, it was reviled upon release, until filmmakers and horror aficionados demanded it got the attention it deserved. 

I guess, the first thing to qualify as BFE is that the films themselves are actually good. So, I'm ruling out the likes of 'Step Up 1-76', romantic comedies starring Kate Hudson (I'm looking at you 'Bride Wars') or her similarly attractive repeat offender Matthew McConaghey and other such films. Any film made on the basis of advertising how attractive the leads are, rather than advertising the story does not qualify. Sure, those films are fun for a bit of mindless entertainment, but a BFE has to be more than that. Although, if the leads are attractive, that is a bonus. A BFE, has to actually have a cohesive story that pulls you in, people who can act and directing that moves a story forward. Since the films made just to show off pretty people generally only have 2 out of the 3 of those basic elements, they are outta here! 

Talking about what makes the BFE is something that I could do for hours, and would do, if only people would listen to me. I am crap at picking my BFE, I need genres and then a top 10 list for each, otherwise I feel like I'm excluding some of my babies. So without further rambling, some of my own personal BFE'S;

Shaun of the Dead, 
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang,
Breakfast Club,
Casablanca,
The Shining,
Peeping Tom,
Shawshank Redemption,
Poltergeist,
Streetcar Named Desire,
Rebel Without A Cause,
Pitch Perfect (and what?!),
Zombieland,
Easy A,
On the Waterfront,
Beauty and the Beast,
The Godfather,
Scream,
Joss Whedon's Much Ado (so good),
Wall.E,
Up!,
Toy Story1-3,
Fight Club,
Ed Wood,
Edward Scissorhands,
Monster's Inc.,
Pan's Labyrinth,
Amelie,
REC,
Inception,
Some Like It Hot,
Memento.

Okay, I think that's enough for now haha. I'll give my Top 10 of different genres another time when I shouldn't be doing something else :). So yeah, these are some of my BFE'S, let me know what you think, any of yours and drop me any recommendations.

Peace out!

Hola.

Hola.

Hola.

So this carry-on is new! Never thought I was a bloggy type person. Largely because I am terrible at keeping up a blog. I've tried like 3 times and every time I've just sorta...drifted away from them. This time will be different! I can feel it.

Anywho, I'm not entirely sure what I want to achieve with a blog. I guess I've sorta accepted it's the way forward to anything that I want to do. I am weirdly comfortable with talking to faceless strangers though, moreso than talking to people face-to-face probably...which is alarming. 

So. Who am I? The eternal question. I am...Becca. Yup, that's a good start! But as Juliet once said "what's in a name?" (oh yeah, check my Shakespeare reference out!). Nothing's in a name, I just wanted to show off. I am a self-confessed film addict. Like, if they had a support group for that sort of carry-on, I'd be in it. But there's not, so I'm cool.

I like all sorts of films. Even the exceptionally bad ones, and I'm not sure why I like them, I just do! There's something about creating a whole new world that totally boggles and amazes me and, most importantly, inspires me. After seeing a great film I feel like I can achieve nearly anything. That's the beauty with films; they make you believe the impossible is possible. I came out of Black Swan thinking I was a ballerina, The Dark Knight thinking I was a superhero and out of The Shining with a deep mistrust of anyone working in a hotel. 

Now to the important issue. What does that craic have to do with yon bloggity blog? So, I have made a list of things I want to do. Most of which have absolutely nothing to do with what I've just written, but some are alllll about this obsession. I want to write a screenplay, I want to write about films, for films. Essentially, I'm aiming to break into one of the most difficult industries in the world. Never let it be said that don't aim high!

So for you, faceless and possibly non-existent reader, this is what we will talk about. Films, and my desperate attempt to succeed. If you enjoy humiliation, paralysing self-doubt and crippling insecurity, you'll love this! 

Peace out.