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IT (2017) REVIEW & REACTION

I had some reservations when they first announced a remake of the 1990 version of IT that starred the incredible Tim Curry. No, it’s not because I hold the original in such high esteem that I think it’s blasphemy to remake the film. It appears remakes are becoming a bit of a trend with the top film studios lately and I don’t see the fun in redoing what’s already been seen. What I would prefer to see is a completely new story made up, but still using some of the same characters. This would feel more original and still keep audiences coming to watch it in the cinema if they know the cinematic favourites like Pennywise the clown are involved.

However, after just watching the 2017 version of IT directed by Andy Muschietti, he has managed to create a film that feels like it’s a part of something bigger. It makes you feel like you’re really delving into the history of the town of Derry in which the film is set. Although it’s very similar to the 1990 TV movie version, he’s made some changes to mix it up. His version of IT has changed the timeline to what the book was. The book is set in the 1950s, however in the 2017 film we first meet our main characters in 1988. He also made some amendments to the type of fears the supporting characters have from the book, one’s that Pennywise the villain exploits. It’s the little things like that which keeps the audience on the toes because that’s not what they’ve seen before.

The director has truly found a way to capture the style of a Stephen King book. The film certainly had the same feel to Stand by Me, another classic novel by Stephen King that was turned into a great film, with the story following a few friends that are considered to be "losers;" getting themselves in to all sorts of mischief and battling bullies that appear to be psychotic.

I was disappointed when the original director Cary Fukunaga and original star Will Poulter left the project due to creative differences with the studio. Fukunaga is a talented director and he directed all 8 episodes of the first season of True Detective which in my opinion is the best season of television ever made. However, after hearing the rumours of what the creative differences were with the studio, I’m sort of glad he was removed from directing and writing the script. He apparently wanted to keep a lot of the source material from Stephen King’s novel, which in most people’s opinion would be preferred, but the scenes of rape and insinuations of underage sex isn’t a great subject to show on screen. Fukunaga still has a writing credit on the final film, and a lot of the changes the studio wanted were done by Muschietti when he came on board to the project.

There’s always a worry when you’re watching multiple younger actors on the big screen that it might not look as professional as they just don’t have the experience yet to give us an all round performance. However, they absolutely nailed it, the acting is fantastic. Jeremy Ray Taylor who plays Ben Hanscom and Sophia Lillis who plays Beverly Marsh stand out for their performances. It’s strongly hinted in the film that Beverly is being sexually assaulted by her Father and her timid, scarred approach to the character is exquisitely played out.

Bill Skarsgard, yes another Skarsgard family member in Hollywood, portrays the insatiable killer clown Pennywise. There was a lot of pressure on Skarsgard, as so many hold Tim Curry’s Pennywise in such high admiration; anyone else playing the character was always going to be highly scrutinized. There was no need to worry, because as scary as this version of Pennywise was he also had that humour factor, that crazed Joker type of humour that has made Pennywise so infamous today. He’s maniacal, delusional, vicious, haunting, and such a showman. There’s one scene where he’s showing his stage performance dance to Beverly’s character, and it’s so eerily creepy you just can’t keep your eyes off of it.

The film has a beginning, middle and end, even though as an audience we know there’s going to be a sequel with the adult version of the kids, it could be sold as its own entity and people would be fairly satisfied with the conclusion.

The sequel is coming to cinema’s in 2019, and I’m hoping for some great casting for the adults. Amy Adams, in my opinion, would be the perfect Beverly character, her performance in Arrival in particular showed us she can own a character with a turbulent past... or future if you’ve seen the film and want to be pedantic.

I recommend seeing IT. Go for Pennywise, go for great character building and leave feeling pumped for the inevitable sequel.

8/10!

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Ridley Scott plans to shoot sequel to Alien: Covenant within 14 months

Alien: Covenant, is a sequel to the 2012 film Prometheus, which is a sort of prequel to Alien (1979), which then spawned multiple sequels over the course of 18 years. Ridley Scott was the director of the original Alien film, it’s now apparent that nearly 30 years later he’s found a story arc that he wants to continue and develop.

Alien: Covenant is just about to hit theatres here in the UK on the 12th of May, but Ridley Scott is already tantalizing the prospect of filming the sequel to it.  He recently spoke to IGN, “We’re writing [a sequel] now, as we speak. I’ll be filming that within 14 months” Ridley clearly has confidence in himself that his new Alien film is going to be a success, and it’s exciting that we’re getting to see more of these famous horror/thriller films hit the cinemas. There’s a risk that the franchise could eventually become stale, unless Mr. Scott and the creative team start to tell new imaginative storylines. They do of course have one of the best, most fearsome villains ever to grace the big screen and there are plenty of avenues the stories can follow.

The new film stars up and coming actress Katherine Waterson (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), as the new “Ripley” type character that was so synonymous in the original film. Hopefully we’ll get to see another fight scene that is reminiscent of Sigourney Weaver against the Mother Alien in James Cameron’s Aliens (1987). The rest of the cast is also packed with some great talent, which includes, ever-fantastic Michael Fassbender (Prometheus, X-Men: Apocalypse), underrated actor Billy Crudup (Watchmen, Justice League), Demian Bichir (The Hateful Eight) and Danny Mcbride (Tropic Thunder).

The story for Alien: Covenant is as follows, “The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.”

There’s a hope that Ridley Scott goes back to the roots of the Alien franchise, by making an eerie, gore filled thriller, which made it so popular in the first place. His 2012 film Prometheus felt too convoluted, as if he was trying to get the audience to ask too many questions and wasn’t fully focusing on the actual content that was being shown to us. However, it did have its merits, which include the introduction of Michael Fassbender’s android character “David”, who is a welcome addition to the franchise and provided us with a fascinating calculated side villain. The marketing for Prometheus was handled so well, they released this clip that was pretending to be an advertisement for Fassbender’s Android character. It gave us a glimpse of the emotions Fassbender is able to display and the acting ability that has made him one of the most sought after actors out there. 

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Baby Driver: First thoughts

Baby Driver is an original film by British director, Edgar Wright, the man that co created the best Cornetto Trilogy out there with Simon Pegg, (Shaun of the Dead) (Hot Fuzz) (The World’s End). Wright is renowned for his unique style of filmmaking and his ability to give us a fresh visual aesthetic when it comes to portraying comedy within his films. There is a video that breaks down Edgar Wright’s auteur style of directing, which shows some of the shots he’s synonymous for in his films. https://vimeo.com/96558506

After Edgar Wright publicly fell out with Marvel over his interpretation for Ant-Man, the British director was looking for a new film to get his teeth stuck into. Wright had been developing Ant-Man since 2005, and in 2014 he parted ways with Marvel citing “differences in their vision for the film” only a few months before filming was set to begin.  But with every cloud, comes a silver lining, and this gave us an opportunity to see an original film from Edgar Wright sooner rather than later with Baby Driver.

Baby Driver stars Ansel Egort (Divergent), as the titular character “Baby” who unsurprisingly from the title, is a driver. Many people predicted Ansel Egort would take Hollywood by storm, after he swooned and impressed in “The Fault in our Stars”, the film adaptation from the best-seller book by author John Green. However, in the last couple of years his name has gone somewhat off the radar. Baby Driver could be the kick into gear he needs to cement his place as the next emerging star in Hollywood. He’s already rumoured to be starring in the highly anticipated Dungeons & Dragons film, but if the Box Office results are favourable towards Baby Driver, then there’s a strong chance we’ll be hearing the name Ansel Egort a lot more.

Release Date

Baby Driver will hit UK theatres on the 28th of June, one week after the 5th installment of the Transformers franchise; Transformers: The Last Knight. Baby Driver was originally intended to be released in August, but after its premiere at the South-by-South West film festival the release date was pushed forward to June 28th after it was met with high praise from fan and critic alike.

Story

The first trailer for the film was released a little while back and provided us with a better understanding of the story.  Baby Driver centres around a young getaway driver called Baby. After an accident as a child he is left with Tinnitus in his ears. This causes a constant ringing sound, that only the person with Tinnitus can hear. Baby, as a result, uses music as a relaxation method, which fuels his talents for driving. Baby is involved with a crime boss called Doc (Kevin Spacey), who uses our main character as a getaway driver for his heists. Doc coerces and blackmails Baby into breaking the law for him, and with the promise of one last job, Baby agrees to be the getaway driver for a heist that seems doomed to fail. Baby’s life is thrown upside down when he encounters Deborah (Lily James) who he hopes he can run away with for good and escape Doc forever. However, in their line of business having people you care about can be a costly mistake, and Baby will have to use all his skills and expertise to save himself, and the woman he loves.

Cast

The film is packed with a stellar cast; as already mentioned, Ansel Egort plays our main character “Baby”. The rest of the cast includes two Oscar winners, Kevin Spacey (American Beauty) and Jamie Foxx (Ray). Spacey plays the crime boss Doc, who looks to be a manipulative and calculated individual that would have you killed in a heartbeat if you ever crossed him.  Foxx plays Bats, and from what the trailer suggests he’ll be the lead henchman for Doc, and Baby’s biggest physical threat in the film. Also, in the fantastic ensemble is Lily James (Cinderella) who plays Deborah, Baby’s love interest. Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Jon Berenthal (The Wolf of Wall Street), Eiza Gonzalez (From Dusk till Dawn: The Series) and Flea (Back to the Future: Part II) play the aggressive cohorts to the crime boss Doc, and look to be heavily involved with a large bulk of the films action sequences.

Production

Edgar Wright’s script and vision has enticed some of the biggest names in Hollywood for Baby Driver. In his earlier years, Wright directed all 14 episodes of the cult British comedy “Spaced” and now in 2017 is directing Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx in an action thriller that he wrote, which proves the talent and versatility of Edgar Wright. Bill Pope (Spider-Man 2) is the cinematographer for Baby Driver, and has worked on Edgar Wright’s last two films (The World’s End) (Scott Pilgrim vs The World). Bill Pope has been the cinematographer on some of the best action films in the last 20 years which includes “The Matrix Trilogy”. If you remember the car chase on the freeway from “The Matrix Reloaded” then we know Baby Driver’s action sequences are going to be in safe hands. Rounding out the production crew are editors Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss (Scott Pilgrim vs The World), production designer Marcus Rowland (Shaun of the Dead) and costume designer Courtney Hoffman (The Hateful Eight). More on the production and promotion of the film can be found on Edgar Wright’s twitter. https://twitter.com/edgarwright?lang=en-gb

First Impressions

First impressions of Baby Driver are overwhelmingly positive, it was shown for the first time at the SWSX film festival and the reaction was so encouraging that Sony and TriStar Pictures who are the distributors for the film moved the release date from August 11th to June 28th. This is considered to be a prime spot in the film calendar, which shows there are high expectations for Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver. With the incredible cast involved, and Edgar Wright in the director’s chair, we’re in for a film that could be the surprise movie hit of 2017. Let’s hope the audience agrees and supports the original film in the cinemas.

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13 Reasons Why: First thoughts

I’ve recently been watching “13 Reasons Why”, the new hit show from Netflix. I decided to give it a watch based on its rating from IMDB. I know that can be construed as being a bit silly to watch a television show without reading anything about it first, but I’m glad I did because I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I’m only half way through the series at the moment, and once i finish it, I’ll provide a full review. But it’s tense, thrilling, and most of all intriguing. More to follow soon. 

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Some of my favourite TV shows, past and present. 

Fargo - Deliciously quirky, this series is just an entertaining watch, from start to finish. There’s been two seasons so far, and both have knocked it out of the park. With season 3 coming out soon, I’m eagerly awaiting its arrival. 

Game of Thrones - This is possibly my favourite TV show of all time, its level of drama is next to none. Season after season they provide gripping story-lines that are pulled from George R.R Martins books and they never disappoint me. With two seasons left, confirmed by the writers, they’re looking to write their names into the history books and create one of the best Television shows of all time. 

Doctor Who - I’ve been an avid watcher of Doctor Who since its arrival back in 2005, when Christopher Ecclestone took on the role of the Doctor. Ever since, my love of Sci-Fi fantasy has been quenched every season by the fun and sometimes powerful drama of Doctor Who. Ecclestone has been my favourite Doctor because he was my first introduction to the character, and I liked his style. It was a shame he gave it up after only one season. But David Tennant, Matt Smith and now Peter Capaldi have all taken up the mantle since, and their portrayal’s of the Doctor have been fantastic. I’m excited to see who the new Doctor will be! 

True Detective - Dark, gritty, violence, everything you love about HBO programming is personified in True Detective. With an amazing script, and captivating characters in both its seasons, it’s one of the most gripping dramas I’ve ever watched. 

Boardwalk Empire - An era that I’m fascinated by, characters that I’m interested in, scripts that are beautifully written. Boardwalk Empire is the full package, and with truly great performances by Steve Buscemi each in its 5 seasons, he deserves all the accolade he received from starring in this programme. 

The Office (US) - A TV show you can just put on and escape with. It’s hilarious and it has heart, that’s what I love about it. It’s not just there for the slapstick comedy, you feel for the characters and their stories. It’s certainly up there with Game of Thrones as possibly my favourite show ever. 

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IT – Reaction to the trailer.

IT, is based on the novel by Stephen King, which a remake of the 1990 film of the same name. I’ll be honest, I’ve never read the book, it’s 1138 pages long and that frightens me but I am determined to get it read before this movie is released. Like most people, I love films that thrill me, and also ones that even terrify me. The first trailer for IT came out recently, and I thought it was constructed perfectly; I was watching it with my shirt over my face, because I found it truly petrifying. The trailer itself has set a landmark already as it generated 197 million online views in its first 24 hours of release, which surpasses The Fate of the Furious (2017) that received 137 million online views back in December. The buzz for this film is at an all time high and I anticipate it to do very well at the box office.

The story revolves around 7 adults, who, 30 years prior were haunted by an unsettling character known as Pennywise. Pennywise is a shape-shifting maniacal clown who can take the form of his victim’s worst nightmares. Along side this we also see flashbacks to their time as children in the town of Derry, where they first encountered our villain and his murderous ways. As adults, they’re all made aware that Pennywise is back, and they stop at nothing to finish off the killer clown for good. The reason we should all be excited for this film is that it’s based on a book that is from renowned author Stephen King who consistently churns out successful horror novels such as The Shining, The Mist and Pet Sematary. Additionally, it is directed by Andres Muschietti, the same man who scared all of us with the hit horror film Mama (2013) so we hope it’s in safe hands. Although, there is a video circulating that compares the trailers scenes to that of the 1990 TV movie IT, which shows the obvious similarities between them both. Does this spark some concern that the director is not going to be able to instill his creative flair on the project? I hope that’s not the case, but on September 8th 2017 when the film is released worldwide, we shall see.

Originally, when the film was still in its pre production stage; attached to direct the film was none other than True Detective director Cary Joji Fukunaga, who hired British actor Will Poulter (The Revenant) as the villain Pennywise. Fukunaga is a talented director, and I’m sure his vision for the film would have been something memorable, but unfortunately the studio didn’t quite agree and they parted ways due to creative differences, Will Poulter left the project shortly after.  

Based on what I’ve seen from the trailer, it looks as if Bill Skarsgård (Hemlock Grove) who plays Pennywise is going to give us a nightmarish portrayal of the killer clown, and it’s the villains of the story that really get us off our sofa’s and into the cinemas. The Joker, Darth Vader, Hannibal Lecter and The Terminator to just name a few. I have big aspirations for this film, and I wouldn’t like to count my chickens too early, but it would be refreshing to see a horror film possibly get an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Maybe that’s a bit hasty, but a man can dream.  

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True Detective: Why Season 3 needs to happen.

It has recently been revealed that David Milch has been enlisted to help bring to life a new season of the critically acclaimed True Detective. Milch is a stalwart of the HBO channel, as he was the creator of “Deadwood” another series that received its plaudits that starred Lovejoy himself Ian McShane. David Milch has been brought on to partner up with True Detective creator Nic Pizzolato to see if they can bring a third season of the series to light. According to reports, Pizzolato has written the first two episodes and HBO want Milch to help grind out a compelling story for this third season. Here’s a recap of Season 1 and 2.

True Detective Season 1: Some Spoilers Ahead 

Season 1 of True Detective was a revelation, it showed us that HBO are still able provide new material, that is dark, gritty and powerful drama, something which is synonymous with the Home Box Office channel. The first season centres around two police officer partners in the state of Louisiana, Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) who in the first episode of the series are investigating the murder of a woman found in a field. The story jumps from 1995 and 2012, as the older version of the characters are retelling their exploits of 1995 to two other officers who are investigating their actions. The acting in this series is some of the best I’ve ever seen in TV. McConaughey plays an enigmatic cop with a troubled past, a “weirdo” as his counterpart Marty calls him from time to time in the season. Harrelson plays a headstrong, passionate officer that wears his heart on his sleeve but often succumbs to his sexual urges which results in him cheating on his wife on more than one occasion. Michelle Monaghan, a highly underrated actress plays Maggie Hart the wife of Harrelson’s character, in a role that turns the two police officers against each other when she finally finds out about Marty’s affair and acts upon it.  

The story of season 1 centres around the murder of a woman, found in a field. The resulting investigation by our two main characters lead them down a discovery of corruption and satanic rituals that all stem from within the local religious community. In between this main investigation, we get to delve more into the minds of our two main characters, with testimonials from their interviews in 2012 and the flashbacks to their time in 1995. We’re given beautifully written character development that’s unattainable in some of our more mainstream TV shows today. Having fewer characters with such dramatic story lines, is incredibly more captivating for us as the audience as we can immerse ourselves into their fictional lives a lot easier. 

Season 1 was solely written by Nic Pizzolato, without the support of a writing staff, which is highly unusual for a TV series like this one, but HBO clearly had the faith in him to deliver a quality programme. In addition to the solo writing team, one man directed the entire 8 episodes of the the first season, Cary Joji Fukunaga. Although their relationship on set was apparently intense, these two men obviously put their differences aside and produced a television series made for the history books. 

True Detective Season 2: Some Spoilers Ahead

Season 2 of True Detective was highly anticipated, however, to a lot of people it was a huge disappointment. Due to the incredible success of the first season, HBO were keen to get a second one on to our screens as soon as possible. Maybe it was this pressure placed on Nic Pizzolato to write a new series as quickly as possible, which caused the story to suffer so much. Although, I do agree that the story in season two is very convoluted in parts, the drama and the characters kept me captivated and I eagerly awaited each episode every week when it was released. 

In the second season, instead of two main characters, we have four. Ray Velcoro (Colin Farrell) Ani Bezzerides (Rachael McAdams) Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn) and Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch). For a second season in a row the acting is phenomenal. Colin Farrell’s performance in particular is a favourite of mine. He plays Detective Velcoro, a violent, ill-tempered police detective with a drug and drink problem, and a turbulent past that haunts him in his daily life. It sounds like the majority of roles that Colin Farrell has played in the past, but to his credit he is fantastic in this series. Though he plays an anti-hero of sorts, you truly route for him to find happiness. His character’s side story that involves whether his son is actually his, due to his ex-wife being raped around the same time that the boy was conceived, is a storyline that tugs on the heart strings all the way to the last episode. Rachael McAdams and Taylor Kitsch play two other officers that are also battling their own personal demons, and both of them give us performances worthy of a golden globe nomination. The fact that none of the cast were acknowledged for their acting in this season by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is a travesty. By the end of the season our three main police officers are working together to solve the murder of a wealthy businessman in the fictitious city of ‘Vinci’ and finally discover that corruption within the city comes from the very top. Vince Vaughn plays a gangster, although his character, Frank, would reiterate multiple times that he’s not one. Vaughn plays a man who’s on the edge, he has lost most of his money due to the death of the businessman mentioned earlier, and his side story is one of survival in a city where everyone is aiming for your head. I personally don’t believe Vince Vaughn was right for this role, lately we’re getting a lot of comedic actors turning to drama, but in this instance I just felt like he was the weak link, compared to all the other powerhouse performances we had from our other three stars. 

It’s abundantly clear that I think Season 1 of True Detective is superior to Season 2. The first series had one director, directing the full 8 episodes, that meant he could give it a unique and consistent style. Season 2 had 6 different directors creating 8 episodes; each with their own style and their own vision of how the story should be put on to the screen. This direction along with a more complex script makes season 2 a more inferior one to the first. However, Season 2 still provides us with compelling characters with back-stories and flashbacks that felt appropriate with their actions in the present day. The characters felt believable and that level of drama intertwined with a gripping last couple of episodes makes this a series that deserves to be watched by the masses.

Why Season 3 needs to happen

It has been nearly two years since the last episode of True Detective aired, and what so many people thought was a rushed season two, the writer has had plenty of time to draft out a story and script that is absorbing as the first two. Nic Pizzolato created a masterpiece with Season 1, and he clearly has a passion for telling these stories, and I believe he has more original ideas that deserve to be given another chance. Pizzolato creates characters that are torn, twisted and still leave the audience feeling empathetic towards them, and if another season was announced then I can guarantee there will be a list of big Hollywood stars looking to get in on the action. He has already enticed Matthew McConaughey, Rachael McAdams, Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson and Vince Vaughn to the small screen, actors who at the moment are at the top of their game. Season 3 needs to happen, and I’m sure the creator along with his new partner David Milch will bring us something memorable.

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Movies in 2017: Why we should all be excited

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - 

First of all, it’s Star Wars, the hype started back in 2012 when they announced a new trilogy was happening. JJ Abrams gave us ‘The Force Awakens’, the first in the new trilogy, and now the prestigious honour of directing a Star Wars film has been bestowed to Rian Johnson. Who is a talented director that has made films such as Looper, Brick and directed the outstanding episode of Breaking Bad; Ozymandis. He’s been put in charge to also write the second instalment, and in his hands I believe we’re going to see an incredible movie. The film is titled The Last Jedi, which has got a lot of people wondering, who is The Last Jedi? Jedi could be plural or singular, is Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker The Last Jedi, or could it be the breakout star from ‘The Force Awakens’ Daisy Ridley who plays Rey in the franchise. These are answers we’re hopefully going to find out in December, and it’s the fact that we have so many questions is what makes this film so exciting. The Last Jedi has recurring��characters from the first instalment, John Boyega is back as Finn, who was one of the best things that came out of ‘The Force Awakens’ and also Oscar Isaac as the charismatic fighter pilot Poe Dameron who was given far less screen time in the first film than he deserved. Which is something I hope Rian Johnson will fix in this film. As for plot details, Lucasfilm and Disney like to keep it hush hush as much as they can before release, and with no trailer out yet it’s hard to comment on what the storyline is going to be. You can bet the whole subplot of who Rey’s parents are is going to be brought up. Kylo Ren played by Adam Driver, the first films antagonist is going to be back and after revenge after his embarrassing defeat to Rey. A new villain has joined the cast in versatile actor Benecio Del Toro, who is rumoured to be playing a ‘man in black’ character, so it’s extremely exciting to see how his character arc plays out and how involved he is with our main characters. Ultimately, we have another Star Wars film, that is being directed by another impressive director, it has a terrific cast and Lucasfilm have had two new Star Wars films released in the last two years and they haven’t disappointed so far. I can’t see why they would start to with this movie. 

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Movies in 2017: Why we should all be excited

IT - 

IT, based on the novel by Stephen King, a remake of the 1990 film of the same name. I’ll be honest, I’ve never read the book, it’s 1138 pages long and that frightens me but I am determined to get it read before this movie is released. Like most people, I love films that thrill me, and also ones that even terrify me. The first trailer for IT came out recently, and I thought it was constructed perfectly, I was watching it with my shirt over my face, because I found it petrifying. The trailer itself has set a landmark already as it generated 197 million views in its first 24 hours of release, which is incredible. The buzz for this film is at an all time high and I anticipate it to do very well at the box office. The story revolves around 7 children as they are haunted by an unsettling character known as Pennywise who takes the form of a super scary clown (I’m not joking, i was terrified from the trailer) The reason we should all be excited for this film is that it’s based on a book that is from a renowned author in Stephen King who seems like he churns out a new fantasy hit every year. But IT is certainly one of his most famous novels, in which it earned him high accolade and awards. Based on what I’ve seen from the trailer, it looks as if Bill Skarsgård (Hemlock Grove) who plays Pennywise is going to give us a nightmarish portrayal of the killer clown, and it’s the villains of the story that really get us off our sofa’s and into the cinemas. The Joker, Darth Vader, Hannibal Lecter, The Terminator to just name a few. I have big aspirations for this film, and I wouldn’t like to count my chickens too early, but it would be refreshing to see a horror film possibly get an oscar nomination for Best Picture. 

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Movies in 2017: Why we should all be excited

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales  - 

Some of you reading this might be like, another one?! However, the new Pirates of the Caribbean film has recently been shown at CinemaCon in 2017, and it’s created a lot of buzz, people are comparing it to the first film in the franchise ‘Curse of the Black Pearl’ which is hugely exciting as that film was fantastic. The new film is directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, directors who haven’t really been able to make their mark on Hollywood before Pirates of the Caribbean. But if the buzz is to be believed, then these two could have a very successful career ahead of them. And could join the likes of the Coen Brothers and The Russo Brothers, who are duo directors that are receiving high accolade by creating great films. The new film in the billion dollar franchise provides us with some familiar faces. Johnny Depp returns as the enigmatic , entertaining, swashbuckling pirate Jack Sparrow. Depp has had a hard time as of late with personal problems, and his latest films have turned out to be flops, but this man defines this franchise and to see him on the screen again as Jack Sparrow is hugely exciting. Geoffrey Rush is also back as scene stealing pirate Barbossa or Captain Barbossa as he so loved to be called in the first film. The return of Orlando Bloom is also on the cards as his previous character Will Turner, he missed out on the 4th film but as his career seems to be in decline he’s looking to return to the franchises that made him a star in the first place; The Hobbit Trilogy being the other. We have some new faces that have joined the crew (pardon the pun) Brenton Thwaites (Gods of Egypt, Maleficent) and Kaya Scodelario (Skins, The Maze Runner) play the supporting roles who i assume will have the new passionate relationship that will more than likely emulate the same one that Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley had in the original trilogy. Finally, but not least, we have a new villain in Javier Bardem as Salazar the man who was betrayed by Jack Sparrow and is out for revenge. Having Javier Bardem on board is incredibly exciting, the fact that he is playing a villain is even more thrilling because we all know how well Javier Bardem plays the baddie. Skyfall, No Country for Old Men, they speak for themselves. This film hasn’t got as much buzz as it deserves, but i have a great feeling about this Pirates of the Caribbean movie and it’s going to be one of the hits of the summer. 

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Movies in 2017: Why we should all be excited

Justice League - 

No matter how you felt about Batman vs Superman or Suicide Squad, it’s undeniable that the buzz hanging around Justice League is high. Is it going to be another critical flop? Or has Zack Snyder and Warner Bros finally created a film that is going to win over the majority of people instead of splitting them in half.  The film brings back Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman respectively, however this time they’ve added more to their rag tag team of superheros. Jason Momoa (Stargate Atlantis, Game of Thrones) joins the group as Aquaman, a surprising but popular choice with fans. Ezra Miller (Perks of Being a Wallflower, We Need to Talk about Kevin) is back as The Flash, he made a longer cameo than most in Batman vs Superman and since the release of the Justice League trailer fans are coming round to the idea of him playing the Scarlet Speedster. Finally, the new man on the block, Ray Fisher is playing the final member of the Justice League; Cyborg. Fisher is very new to the silver screen, but after positive clips shown from the two trailers for Justice League, the hype is high for him to deliver a stellar performance. The reason we should be excited about this film is the fact that we’re finally going to get to see the Justice League on the big screen, characters that have been around in comics for over 75 years coming together at last to fight a common enemy, that is exciting! Marvel gave us Avengers Assemble, and now it’s up to Warner Bros and DC to deliver with this film. There’s been so much criticism about Zack Snyder and his previous DC films, but I think after the backlash of Batman vs Superman, the director is going to give us one hell of a spectacle, that’s hinged on a great storyline.

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Movies in 2017: Why we should all be excited.

IT 

Justice League

Alien: Covenant 

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Guardian of the Galaxy Vol: 2

Wonder Woman 

Blade Runner 2049

Star Wars: The Last Jedi 

Dunkirk

The Snowman 

Annihilation

Okja

Bright

The Current War

The Shape of Water

Mary Magdalene

Thor: Ragnarok 

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Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice - Hughes Reviews

“Style over substance”... that’s all I ever hear when I read a review about Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. I know I’m in the minority, but I actually enjoyed this film. The things that the critics despised about it, I loved. The dark tone of the film is a refreshing take on the superhero franchise. It all started with Christopher Nolan and his Batman trilogy, but did anyone complain when he gave us a dark toned superhero film? No, is the answer. Of course, The Dark Knight is a triumph, and I’m not saying Batman vs Superman is better or even equals that film, but it’s getting put down for reasons that I just can’t comprehend. 

Any superhero film that comes out now will always be compared to the Marvel films, because they’ve found a formula that works, Disney know what they’re doing, and they know how to sell a film to a wide audience. They make their films more family friendly, and they’re entertaining, you can’t deny it. 

But to me, Batman vs Superman had a lot of heart to it, it had a few jokes that were put in that didn’t seem out of place. Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne watching Gal Gadot’s figure walk away at a party and then quipping “Wow. Pretty girl, bad habit. Don't quote me, alright?” as he talks to Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) as his reporter alter ego. The relationship between Clark Kent and Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is a strong one, and the anguish of Clark’s last words to her before he’s killed by the film’s main villain “Doomsday” is tearjerking. “This is my world, you are my world” Simple words, but in the context of what was happening in the film at the time, it hits hard. 

However, my biggest problem with this film is Lex Luthor played by Jesse Eisenberg. In my eyes, Warner Bro’s and director Zack Synder got this completely wrong. In the comics, Lex is an older, disgruntled man who exudes power and has an unnatural hate for the man from Krypton; Superman. But instead of that cool character, we get a wimpy, annoying, young Lex Luthor that is played so horribly by a fantastic actor. His acting almost feels false, and ham like, as if they thought lets have another quirky, psychotic bad guy like The Joker, but it isn’t anything like what Heath Ledger did with The Joker unfortunately. 

Overall, I would give this film a 4 out of 5 star rating. Ben Affleck gave us a gritty take on Batman and showed us how brutal he can really be. The warehouse fight scene in particular is mesmerising for its choreography and savagery, something we’re not quite used to seeing in superhero films. Henry Cavill gave a solid performance, and in all honesty, he wasn’t given as much dialogue and material to really get stuck into this film but the scenes he was in, he gives a grounded, heartfelt performance. Plus, the man is literally Superman, he is the comic book character personified. In terms of style over substance, yes, Zack Synder makes beautiful looking films, but this story sets up the DC cinematic universe perfectly, paving the way for the Justice League film coming out this year. The story is not bad, it’s not going to be winning any Best Picture Oscars, but it actually gives us a different, interesting storyline because it has two “good” heroes fighting each other until death. (If Lois hadn’t shown up to spoil Batman’s victory) 

Ps. The whole “Martha” moment... No i don’t think he decided to stop killing Superman just because he had a Mother with the same name as his own, I believe that obviously helped. But it’s because he finally realised he’s not this alien from another world, who’s looking to destroy the world if they displease him, he is literally just a man with a Mum who he cares about. Batman relates, as we would all do. 

4 OUT OF 5 STARS. 

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Here is my 2017 showreel. 

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This film looks incredible, makes me dream of being able to work on a film set like that one day. 

[markhughesreviews]

I am currently reading The Girl on the Train, (I am a bit late) But with the film coming out later this year with Emily Blunt as the lead star, I had to start the book. Thoroughly enjoying it at the moment, and I will write a review of the book when I have finished it.