Film Challenge

Having my friend here has resulted in a glut of film watching, all of which I've been meaning to get around to watching but have been set aside due to my infatuation with sci-fi.

The other night, we watched the Hollywood, 2011 version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

IMDB

 I watched this film with an additional soundtrack. It was almost like the directors commentary but instead the script read something like this:

Oh Daniel Craig
He is so sexy
Mmm yes I'd get on that
No, he just put white plates on the table, these ones are glass
Look at the way he wears his glasses, they make him look so intelligent and hot
Why is he wearing his glasses below his chin? What is that?
He's so smart and attractive, I want him
Get him here for me
I want to be in Sweden, I miss the snow
I need to leave the UK
An English man would be too wimpy in the cold, I want to marry a continental prince.
(that's me in italics)

Yep so I was listening to someone lust after Daniel Craig while I picked out the flaws and tried to wrap my head around the film. It wasn't great at explaining what was happening as it goes along but if you're any good at remembering some of the earlier detail, you can put it together with not much difficulty nearer the end. The main thing I found hard was keeping all the faces distinct in my head. I often found myself thinking they were talking to the father when in fact it was an uncle or assistant! I couldn't stay on top of it all.

I was pretty impressed with Lisbeth and Mikael's investigative skills. Makes me want to be a PI and sneak around peoples houses at night and hack into their computer systems. So exciting! I think I have no firm idea of what I want in my future I just grab onto everything I see in films.

Film Challenge

So continuing in the vein of futuristic, adventure sci-fi, I watched The Time Machine.

Source

I definitely still like the genre, it has a lot of scope and when you have gentlemen from the late 19th century wandering around in a waistcoat in the 802000s where they still speak English, what's not to like?

Film Challenge

The Matrix Revolutions.

IMDB

This was the third of the Matrix films and I'm sad to say, my least favourite. Although it had me on edge the whole time and the fighting scenes were just as inspiring as the first two, I couldn't help feeling that the end was lacking.

I would have loved it to go out with a bang, or at least a tidy conclusion but they've left a lot of loose ends untied and questions unanswered. There are lots of rumours about a Matrix 4 and possibly 5 on the internet but no recent news about that. It's a shame, then end has been left open for Keanu to make a miraculous reappearance in another film and I feel that the ending has been compromised because of it. You could argue that by leaving it open the viewers can speculate about the future and the nature of the storyline at the end is that no one really knows what's happened but I can't stand films doing that. It just feels lazy to me.

So maybe another Matrix would be a waste of money. Personally I'm all for it, I want that ending cleared up please. If nothing else has come from watching 8 hours of sci-fi adventure, I'm now thoroughly motivated to join a martial art society at my uni and I'll be giving that genre much more consideration.

Film Challenge

So captivated was I by The Matrix that it's 2.40am and I've just finished watching The Matrix Reloaded.

 

IMDB

I think I'm developing a taste for this dystopian, sci-fi, action movie genre. It simultaneously challenges my ideas about the world we live on, our freedoms and our choices while at the same time inspiring me to take up a martial art and become Neo. It looks so cool with all the back flips and the defying gravity. If I could have that but none of the danger that would be great.

If my eyelids weren't aching for sleep I'd be getting the next matrix film ready right away. Ah well, another day.

Film Challenge

So today, while my sister was working late and my parents went to the pub leaving me home alone, I watched 'The Last Kiss'. 

IMDB

It might be sacrilegious to say it after the legacy of Scrubs but I'm not a huge fan of Zach Braff. This film might have changed that. Before this, I thought he could only be a comedy actor, I could see him in anything but sitcoms, certainly not films where I was supposed to feel endeared towards him. I almost feel like I betrayed myself but having watched The Last Kiss, I like him, or at least the character he played.

Film Challenge + Life

Today I had the most incredibly stressful day.
I was late.
I now need glasses.
I typed my PIN in wrong 3 times so my card is now locked.
The only help Apple could give me was a free phone number so I can talk to people who don't speak English for free.
My bank couldn't help me with my concern and referred me to a phone helpline.
The phone helpline told me my branch were supposed to know.
My branch told me that the letter I was sent and was worried about didn't actually concern me or my account, they just sent it as routine to everyone.
I walked 5 miles so fast because I was late.
With burning legs from yesterdays workout.
Arrived to meet my friend late and sweating buckets.

I did achieve a few things though.
I managed to buy my favourite Simple face wipes.
And have iced tea with my friend.
And watch the Matrix!

Source wikipedia

I'm slowly ticking those films off the IMDB top 250 list, I've seen embarrassingly few.

Film Challenge

I might be a bit late with this one but I finally watched the Shawshank Redemption and my was it good!
I know I've heard lots of good things about it and there are references all the time to it but I just didn't think it was for me. Now I'll be touting it to all my friends.

If you haven't seen it, do and I wont spoil the story for you.

Source

Film Challenge

Well you can't really go wrong with Rob Brydon can you? For me, it doesn't matter what he's doing or who he;s acting alongside, if he's in it, I'll watch it. But for this film, more like a dramatised documentary, Rob Brydon was just a bonus.

With the paralympics due to start in a couple of weeks, the radio and television are once again filled with stories of athletes who have gone further than anyone for their sport and pioneering developments. Well a radio 2 program caught my attention the other, talking about the efforts of Ludwig Guttmann. A doctor who fled to England with the rise of the Nazis as he was Jewish and denied the right to practice on regular patients as he was German. Ludwig was allowed to treat the paraplegics, those patients who were hidden away in shame and whose condition was managed to ensure they died as comfortably as possible. No one expected them to live, to recover and to live a normal life. But Guttmann changed all that. He revolutionised the treatments of paraplegics, refusing to let then give up and accept defeat, making them strong so they could live again.

Source

Well the BBC2 feature length program, The Best of Men, was a hilarious story with a really serious message. It ends on a lovely note with him starting the first paralymic games event in the grounds of the hospital. And just look where we are now. Over 500 athletes from over 100 countries will be performing in the coming weeks. We aren't ashamed of people with disabilities, we celebrate their incredible achievements. But it would never be happening if it wasn't for that remarkable man.

 

 

 

 

Source

 

 

 

 

 To read a article by the Telegraph on The Best of Men, follow this link.

Film Challenge

I unexpectedly completed the challenge for today. My TV program finished and The Falcon in Danger started and my Dad and I just ended up watching the entire thing.

Source

My mum was very surprised on walking in at the end that I was watching a black and white film and though I'll admit it's not normally my thing, I did enjoy this one. Our favourite moment was a scene at the roller rink. All the people at the roller rink were holding each other by the waist like a conga line and being pulled along by an attendant. From the clips it seems they're going quite fast and someone lets go. At full speed everyone crashes to the floor, falling on top of each other and guns scattering everywhere. As my Dad said, you don't get organised fun like that anymore!

Film Challenge

I know it seems I've been a bit lax about this lately, after so strong a start but it's been hectic! First I had a day of crazy baking, then my sisters birthday and then I was down south in my uni house with NO INTERNET for 4 days! However, when I was down there, living like the Victorians did, with no television or indoor heating, I did manage to watch one film.

My friend came round for dinner and we watched The Skin I Live In.

Wikipedia

This film had a couple of brilliant points:
1) Sexy Antonio Banderas!

source

Mmmm just look at that sexy, smouldering face.

2) Subtitles mean no one else wants to watch the film and ruin our enjoyment
3) Really intriguing plot line, especially the way it is revealed to you
4) Sexy Antonio. Did I already say that? Whoops.

Film Challenge: Shutter Island

After explaining the other day to few people that no, I wasn't watching that The island, not the one with Leo but the one with Ewan, I was reminded that I hadn't watched Shutter Island.

Source: Wikipedia

So yesterday I watched it. Well it was very dark. I spent a lot of the time being confused at the skipping back and forth between his delusions and dreams and waking life. But it did make me think. And the scenery was most imposing. Mostly I was creeped out by the old fashioned doctors and lots of peoplein white coats.

Any suggestions for tomorrow?

Film Challenge

I  have a confession to make. I don't watch films. How can you be the VP of FilmSoc without watching films you ask. Blag it. Ask your friends about the films they've seen, mention them very vaguely and avoid answering questions about the details. It's an art. However, I do think there will come a time this year when someone other than my housemate will find out and it will come in handy to have seen a few films. So, this smmer, or what remains of it, I'm setting myself a challenge to watch a film everyday. Since I have no job and very few plans I figure this shouldn't be too hard.

Image source

 So yesterday I watched my first film for over a month: Disney's Brave. It was a really enjoyable, animated film. I know people say you're never too old for Disney but this one was definitely not just for kids. I mostly just love her amazing hair! It's so long and thick and fiery red. I spent most of the film just watching the way it flowed around her, it was mesmerising. That and they way she handled her bow and arrow sums up to a huge, fictional girl crush. Plus, you know, the animation was great, the story lively and the message was actually quite inspiring, especially for young girls. It was a good film to ease myself into the challenge.

Source

source: wikipedia

Then in the evening, my family and I started watching The Island; the one with Ewan McGregor and not Leonardo DiCaprio. Well, I say watched. I did about 7 other things while watching The Island but I stayed up till 1am to see the end, that counts for something right? Even my family didn't make it that long, retreating to bed long before the end.  I can't say I was blown away but the idea of humans being grown as insurance policies and harvested their organs being harvested if and when accidents befall their counterparts in the 'outside' world.