X men:first class(2011) Movie review; I only watched this because of Kevin Bacon, I loved it!!

I only watched this because of Kevin Bacon,I was half expecting to be turned off by the super geeky references to the comic book but enjoy Bacon’s performance all the same,well I have to swallow my negative presumptions and say this movie is great,if like me, and you have no time for comic book characters,fear not,this movie is the prequel that actually works.

The characters are interesting and the director teases you with their special powers so you end up being intrigued from start to end.

Kevin Bacon was immense in his bit, he shockingly pulled of the Russian and German accent as if were fluent in both languages,such a smart move by the casting director to pick Bacon,one reason is it made me watch and the 2nd, being that he is just perfect for the role.

7.5/10

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I want someone to eat cheese with (2006) Movie review; It’s missing Larry David

Jeff Garlin plays a chubby loser who has nothing to do but bitch about his acting jobs and talk with his friend.

There were moments that were cute,and moments that were heart-felt but overall the movie just missed something,that something could have been Larry David,Jeff is a nice guy but for a feature-length film you either need a more interesting story or an interesting lead,they missed out on both counts here.

I thought Sarah Silverman played a her role superbly,for the small amount of time she was on the screen I was captivated by her good looks as well as her funny brain.

5/10

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Nothing but trouble (1991) Movie review; A classic comedy on many levels

Dan Aykroyd,John Candy and Chevy Chase star in an early 90’s comedy about what happens when you break the law in a backwards hick town.

First off I can’t believe that on IMDB the average rating is 4.4,of the all the crap that gets produced and rated highly I can not work out why this has such a low score.

The story is original and the characters are fully entertaining in all the right ways,as a child I did find part of the movie scary but as an adult it’s just funny,I think it’s a real family movie that is not to be taken seriously but is still good fun all round.

*Please look out for the small part played by 2Pac*

7/10

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The Usual suspects (1995) Movie review;The best twist there has ever been…9/10

You know it’s amazing how many movies have a plot that goes no where or ends with an anti climax,I don’t think I have ever watched a film like this that has so many things going for it!

The main leads in this movie all share a very natural chemistry,it was reported that the cast were always laughing in between takes,I think this must have spilled over into some scenes, which creates a very a believable situation,added to this you have a very unusual bunch of guys, from the tough talking and sensitive to the disabled and the incoherent,these people are forced together, this is the key early on,the writer of the film ( Christopher McQuarrie ) writes a plausible reason about why the unbelievable is happening which sets the viewer at ease from the start, far too often a writer / director will dismiss his audience and chop from scene to scene treating the viewer as a simpleton who doesn’t know any better,this results in the viewer emotionally disconnecting with what he is watching while his eyes start looking for a subplot away from the screen.

Spoiler Alert –

Kevin Spacey turned everybody’s head with this performance,even if people didn’t realise it at the time,few actors can truly say they hoodwinked the audience the way his character did,Verbal Kint starts off as the go between for the viewer and the story,he narrates from the start which automatically crosses him off the list of suspects.

Pete Postlewaite’s character Kobayashi, was originally written for a Japanese actor , the voice was made up by the actor on set, when his first scene of the film arrived the director asked if he was going to use that voice throughout the film, Pete replied,unless you want me to change it, his dead pan delivery brings so much mystery to the film.

Chazz Palminteri plays Dave Gujan,I think people over look his role but I don’t think the film works without his performance,he listens along with the viewer and starts off the scene with the line,I am smarter than you! which starts a battle of wits between the two of them,his character pull’s you along nicely,you find yourself agreeing with him near the end until the bottom falls out of the story and all is revealed.

Gus from Breaking Bad (Giancarlo Esposito) also plays a bit part in this classic story,I had to double-check because when you compare his character from Breaking bad to this one you realise they are worlds apart which is a testament to Giancarlo as an actor.

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9/10

Background information on the film –

Christopher McQuarrie‘s inspiration for the character of Keyser Soze was a real-life murderer by the name of John List, who murdered his family and then disappeared for 17 years.

John Emil List (September 17, 1925 – March 21, 2008) was an American fugitive convicted of murder. On November 9, 1971, he killed his wife, mother, and three children in their home in Westfield, New Jersey, and then disappeared. He had planned the murders so meticulously that nearly a month passed before anyone noticed that anything was amiss. A fugitive from justice for nearly 18 years, List, after assuming a false identity and remarrying, was finally apprehended on June 1, 1989, after the story of his murders was broadcast on America’s Most Wanted. List was found guilty of the murders and sentenced to five consecutive terms of life imprisonment. He died of pneumonia while in prison custody in 2008.

Before he’s allowed to leave, Verbal Kint gets back his belongings, which include a gold watch and a gold lighter. Keyser Soze was seen earlier using both.

The order that the personal packages are given to everyone in the pool room is the same order in which the characters die.

When Verbal Kint falls to the ground during the interrogation by Kujan, Verbal clearly says “I did, I did kill Keaton.” Kujan is yelling at the time and does not hear the slip up, which Verbal quickly covers up by saying “I did see Keaton get shot.”

In the movie, Kevin Spacey‘s character explains that his nickname is “Verbal” because he talks too much. In the DVD commentary, Bryan Singer points out that the nickname is a clue, since Keyser Soze is said to have a Turkish mother and a German father. According to Singer, in a mix of German and Turkish, “Keyser Soze” can be roughly translated as “King Blabbermouth.”

Watch closely near the end, when Keaton is shot and Verbal hides behind the pile of ropes. As Verbal runs to the ropes he passes behind a stack of tires and does not emerge, but the pan quickly continues to the ropes. Bryan Singer told Kevin Spacey to stop behind the tires so Verbal isn’t actually seen hiding behind the ropes, because “There’s no one there. There was never anyone behind the ropes.”

The role of Dave Kujan was offered to Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken, who both turned it down.

Thirteen Days (2000) Movie review; A masterclass in acting and story telling – 8/10

Another movie that passed me by on its release,a friend mentioned how entertaining this was but political films are not normally my cup of tea, well in the future if they are made to the same standard as this one I may have to start getting into them.

Kevin Costner plays president Kennedy’s right hand man at a time when the country is under threat from Cuba.

If ever there was a secret club of established actors in Hollywood that everybody quietly admired without them being headline names this movie would be the film that those actors would come to play,every new scene or character impressed more and more as the film went by, there is a level of nerve being held by most on the screen that creates great excitement and entertainment.

The key to the success behind this movie is the political strategy that has the American and Soviet government at war,what may seem simple when being reported in the newspapers is broken down into several agenda’s and a ton of ego’s,I don’t think they could have improved on the final cut of this film,it really is outstanding.

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8/10

The film is set during the two-week Cuban missile crisis in October of 1962, and it centers on how President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and others handled the explosive situation.

The movie is free to watch on You tube –

Floyd Patterson:The fighting life of boxings invisible champion.(2012) Book review; captivating story about a true gentleman

Everybody always refers to Muhammad Ali when they talk about the greatest,I have to be honest and say I knew nothing of Mr Patterson’s career before picking up this book but now I am filled with knowledge and I guess more wisdom,it sounds strange but Floyd really was a champion in and out of the ring, he held back his emotions towards racist groups of his day and showed a level of class towards everybody, regardless of their background or beliefs.

If ever there was a man who proved that manners make the man Floyd would win first prize,that said he would probably be too humble to accept the award,he shared meetings with all the political figures of his day, including the president of the United states and musical legends such as Frank Sinatra.

The thing I like about the book is the story behind the man, Ali has a ton of stories about what he said or a scene he created,Floyd is the opposite, he is the master of keeping his cool and more of a thoughtful / sensitive man who chooses to keep his dignity in the face of confrontation,there are many occasions in the book when I felt myself yelling on behalf of Floyd, but when the dust has settled you realise that the man keeps his cool and is one of the most genuine characters to ever face the lights and camera’s of the world,added to this he also had a big heart,notably after Sonny Liston lost his world title, Floyd went and found Sonny in an empty changing room after the fight,boxing fans only showed negative emotions towards Sonny and was even nicknamed the ”Big gorilla”,Floyd went and consoled the defeated champion and offered words of encouragement to a man who had been demonised by the worlds press.

Floyd is the first fighter to ever win back the world heavyweight title,up until then every heavy weight had always failed to get back on top once they had lost their belt.

I would recommend this book to non boxing fans as well as boxing fans,his life story is interesting and I found it very inspiring.

8/10

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Red Dawn (2012) Movie review; No real suspense

It’s a great idea for a movie having America invaded by North Korea,visually it makes you lick your lips when the parachutes start falling from the sky, this I am afraid is where the praise stops,a pack of young kids start to rebel against the invasion which is believable, just not the way they made it seem in this movie, the director / writer messed up in this department,when the kids were setting off bombs and traps no one ever questioned their suspicious behaviour….. not until it was too late.

Chris Hemsworth is not too bad at playing one of the leads,his character is likeable,the rest of the casting is a bit shoddy if I am honest,I don’t know if it was just bad dialogue or bad acting.

There was a movie made in 1991 called Toy soldiers,a group of terrorists take over a school, similar to this film the kids start to fight back, but in Toy soldiers they created a lot of suspense and tension,I think this was down to the bad guys coming across as evil and the kids being brave but not turning into Rambo over night,Red Dawn means well but there is no brain or realism to the story or action.

5/10

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Beer league (2006) Movie review; one of the most painful films I have ever had to sit through

As a Brit,Howard TV (as in Howard Stern ) is new to me,I have been trawling You tube and managed to find several really interesting interviews by Stern,in the background of the show Artie Lange once commentated on the show,I only knew of Artie’s work based upon the some of the films he had appeared in,Boat Trip and Old school being the highlights,when I came across a show on Stern where he was plugging his movie I thought it would be worth a butchers…. how wrong I was, one of the most painful films I have ever had to sit through.

Whenever the Karate Kid gets repeated on TV for the thousandth time I sometimes say to myself,I wonder why Ralph Macchio does not make movies anymore,the mystery is over,he is a terrible actor,he may have stolen a lot kids hearts with his wash on, wash off movie in the 80’s but in this film he only confirms that he is washed up as an actor!

An extra element of shit in this script is a lack of any real plot or subplot,it feels like everybody off the comedy circuit in New York, who didn’t have a lot going on turned up for this film,when comics asked for a script they were told there was no script,just call Artie a fat hopeless loser,Artie in turn will tell you to bite him! OK now send in the next comic to repeat that scene again…..

When they were not on the field they were in the bar,the dialogue throughout the movie has got to go down on record as some of the worst ever written.

Shame on you Artie Lange, you give fat losers a bad name 🙂

-5/10

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The Spanish prisoner (1997) Movie review; This is one of my favourite films

This is one of my favourite films,the plot has many layers and the relationship between Steve Martin and Cambell Scott is tantalizingly entertaining.

Steve Martin puts in one of his most stand out performances in a movie,when the movie was released I remember the reports of him playing in this role,and that it was a serious non comedic role,straight away I thought of how terrible that sounds,when I finally got round to seeing the Spanish prisoner I was blown away by him,they say that a lot of comedic actors have a dark side which makes it easier for them to flip their character,I suppose the prime example would be Robin Williams,that said I think Steve wins hands down with this performance,he really does play it to a point that makes yearn for more when the final credits come up at the end.

The whole movie is about misdirection and I have to say the director pulls it off ( David Mamet ) when you think you know what is happening the rug gets pulled beneath you,a truly delightful film to watch.

8/10

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The Fifth element (1997) Movie review – My preconceived ideas about this film were wrong

This is the first time I have seen this movie,I am happy to say my preconceived ideas about the film were wrong,I am not a star wars or star trek fan,from the trailer I saw on release it looked like a crazy version of the films just mentioned,hence the reason why it has taken me 16 years to see it.

If I was the casting director the last person I would have chosen to play the American president would have been ex wrestler Zeus (Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister) from WWF fame,that said he kind of fits into the quirky nature of the film perfectly.

Bruce Willis plays his usual frosty character who has no time for anything,his performance is convincing but as the movie picks up speed and Bruce see’s more screen time I tend to forget I am NOT watching a Die hard movie,don’t get me wrong this movie is unique,I applaud that,my only issue is Bruce playing the same role for the 100th time,surely they could have changed his characteristic’s a bit ?

Gary Oldman is terrific, which becomes a cliché thing to say when you comment on 99% if his performances,still it was nice to see him purring around on-screen delivering cutting lines to a backdrop of madness.

Did the movie keep my interest throughout ? not really,I enjoyed the odd ball humour and the futuristic feel to the film but with two-thirds of the movie gone I felt my enjoyment starting to fade,Gary Oldman’s character was dark and heartless but I never really felt I was ever in the ball park of being scared or in fear at any stage,the aliens wandering around the ship are more comical than menacing, so the movie played out more like a kids adventure and not an adult sci-fi film which was a bit of a drag.

6/10

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