#chris adamson

[90ssuperheroes]

Mean Machine Angel from Judge Dredd (1995)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Leatherface (2017)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

No long-running slasher series can resist telling us what happened before the killer got their favourite weapon, superpower, or iconic mask. These misguided efforts at expanding the characters always disappoint. There are now two prequels in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. The first, released in 2006, told us what happened before the 2003 remake. Now, the 1974 Tobe Hooper classic has received the same treatment. This is not a good movie but for what it’s worth, it’s the best of these “slasher origin” movies we’ve ever received. Before I tell you why, what’s this movie about?

In 1955, Verna Sawyer’s sadistic children are taken away from her and sent to a mental institution by Sheriff Hartman (Stephen Dorff), who believes the family is responsible for the death of his daughter. Ten years later, nurse Elizabeth White (Vanessa Grasse) and patients Jackson (Sam Strike) & Bud (Sam Coleman) are taken hostage by Ike (James Bloor) and Clarice (Jessica Madsen) following a riot that sees many patients and staff killed. As they travel the countryside, leaving a trail of violence in their wake, the police close in.

With the children’s names changed upon admission to the Gorman House Youth Reformery, neither the characters nor the audience know which of the three men is Jud Sawyer, the boy who will one day grow up to become Leatherface. Astute viewers can probably deduce who it is, but there’s still a mystery as we watch the events unfold and wonder what will turn them into the killer we know. This uncertainty is what elevates this film past the likes of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Child, Rob Zombie’s Halloween, 2011’s The Thing, Hannibal Rising and other horror prequels. At least this one has ambition. It wants to tell a new story. In fact, if it weren't for one scene towards the end, you probably wouldn’t know Leatherface is a prequel, and I mean this in a good way.

Directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, along with writer Seth M. Sherwood have made a film that stands on its own… except when it doesn’t. In the opening scene, we see a young Jud receive his first chainsaw and you will roll your eyes. Still, it’s a breath of fresh air compared to what we've been subjected to by this series before. As of 2017, there are 8 Texas Chainsaw movies. Most of them simply regurgitate what we’ve seen before. Their stories are so bad they would need at least 4 passes through the ringer to become worthy of viewing… and at the end of the process, you’d just have the original movie so they’re utterly pointless. Revise this story 4 times and who knows? I know it sounds like a backhanded compliment but you don’t understand just how awful some of the TCM movies have been.

So it’s the cream of the crap essentially. I appreciated many things this film does but I still would never call it good. A full moon turns to a quarter moon and then a full moon again within the span of a few minutes. The evil characters are so evil they feel out of place. Everyone else is often too unlikeable for you to care what will happen next. The gore is excessive, certain characters or plot points are introduced and then disappear as if forgotten. Ultimately, by being a prequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, all this movie does is remind you of a better movie you’d rather be watching.

And so, we’ve finally come to the end of the series. What a downhill ride it’s been. If I were to rank them all from worst to best, I’d go #8: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. #7: Texas Chainsaw 3D. #6 Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. #5 Texas Chainsaw Massacre IV: The Next Generation. #4 Texas Chainsaw Massacre II. #3 Leatherface (not too bad, eh? Though this mostly speaks to the inhumane wretchedness of the other movies rather than this one’s quality). #2 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and #1 - of course - the original. Now, let’s hope we can finally put the series to rest on this “high note”. (On Blu-ray, May 31, 2019)

[rookie-critic]

Leatherface (2017, dir. Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury) - review by Rookie-Critic

Leatherface might be the worst Texas Chainsaw movie. Like most slasher franchises, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre spawned a litany of sequels, none ever even close to as good as the first, and diminishing returns is ever prevalent. I will say that the franchise stands out in the sense that every single installation feels incredibly unique and each come with their own quirks and personalities that make them easy to differentiate from each other (something that can not be said for slasher franchises like Friday the 13th and Halloween). 2 is almost more a comedy than a slasher, 3 has that late-80s/early-90s heavy metal brutality to it (and was originally rated X), Next Generation is near-Lynchian levels of bizarre; it's just an incredibly eclectic franchise, and that has always fascinated me. Even the 2003 remake was way better than it had any right being, and it's sequel followed a similar vein. I think this is at the heart of what makes Leatherface so disappointing: it's not bringing anything new or different to this franchise that, while quality wildly varies, has always managed to, at the very least, keep it fresh and interesting. There are moments here that feel like they could be on to something fun, but for the most part there's just nothing here to be that interested in. The tone and the color palette are just completely uninspired, and the attempt to give Leatherface this balls-to-the-wall, crazy backstory just feels very disingenuous. I plug into the original Massacre for a classic, well-made, and surprisingly smart horror film, I plug into the rest of the franchise for a bizarre, buckwild good time, and Leatherface doesn't fit into either of those categories.

Score: 2/10

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

[blueeyeddarkknight]

Val's lil happy dance 😂❤️🕺

how can a man be so childlike and adorable like that?! 😭👶🏻

[the-hottest-band-tournament]

Round Two

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Defeated opponents: Godley & Creme

Formed in: 1983

Genres: Post punk, alternative rock

Lineup: Nick Cave – lead vocals, Hammond organ

Barry Adamson – bass, backing vocals

Blixa Bargeld – guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals

Mick Harvey – drums, piano, guitar, vibraphone, organ, backing vocals

Hugo Race – guitar, backing vocals

Albums from the 80s:

From Her to Eternity (1984)

The Firstborn Is Dead (1985)

Kicking Against the Pricks (1986)

Your Funeral... My Trial (1986)

Tender Prey (1988)

Propaganda: 

Soundgarden 

Defeated opponents: Mother Love Bone

Formed in: 1984

Genres: Grunge, heavy metal, alt metal, alt rock

Lineup: Chris Cornell- vocals, guitar

Kim Thayil- guitar

Hiro Yamamoto- bass

Matt Cameron- drums

Albums from the 80s:

Ultramega OK (1988)

Louder Than Love (1989)

Propaganda: 

[baltears]

narnia (films) flowers in the attic boxcar children all one genre. to me

[jazzdailyblog]

Chris Connor: A Jazz Odyssey in Vocal Harmony

Introduction: In the ever-evolving landscape of jazz, certain albums stand as milestones, shaping the course of the genre. One such gem is “Chris Connor,” an eponymous album by the iconic jazz singer. Released in 1956 under the Atlantic label, it marked Atlantic Records’ foray into the realm of jazz vocal LPs, creating ripples that would resonate through the years. Unveiling the Sonic…

[thebutcher-5]

Shrek

Benvenuti o bentornati sul nostro blog. Nello scorso articolo abbiamo cambiato completamente genere, passando a un thriller poliziesco di fine anni ’90 davvero sorprendente e con uno dei migliori Sylvester Stallone che abbia mai visto. Il film in questione è Cop Land. La storia parla di Freddy, uno sceriffo che vive nella cittadina di Garrison, nel New Jersey, abitata per lo più dai poliziotti di…

[camyfilms]

SHREK 2001

That must be Lord Farquaad's castle... Do you think he's maybe compensating for something?

[milfjagger]

posting this on its own as well :) template and idea from @trollmaiden and full guide/sources under cut

"La Belle Dame sans Merci” by Henry Meynell Rheam

by Ayami Kojima 

“The Fairy Lovers” by Theodor Richard Edward von Holst 

Gnomes from the novel The Little Grey Men, written and illustrated by “BB” (Denys Watkins-Pitchford)

Nyform Norwegian troll

“Little Red Mischief” by Amy Brown

Faery from “The Hallow” dir. Corin Hardy, SFX by John Nolan

Ariel from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, illustrated by Jane Ray

The Beast from Over The Garden Wall, created by Patrick McHale

“Morgan Le Fay” by Clive Hicks-Jenkins

Unicorn foal sculpture by SovaeArt https://www.deviantart.com/indigo-ocean/gallery

Faery from Good Faeries, Bad Faeries by Brian Froud

“Dusk” by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

Honeythorn Gump from “Legend” dir. Ridley Scott

Oona from “Legend” dir. Ridley Scott

Flora, Fauna and Merryweather from “Sleeping Beauty”, art direction by Eyvind Earle

Bilbo Baggins from a Dutch edition of JRR Tolkein’s The Hobbit, illustrated by Kees Kelfkens(?)

Selkie depicted on a Faroese stamp

Chortlebones from Bella Sara, illustrated by Lynn Hogan

Huldra from the game “Year Walk” 

The Sprite from Fantasia 2000, segment directed by Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi

and 23 Costume designs for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Robert Courtneidge

As above

Tinker Bell from Peter Pan (2003) dir. PJ Hogan

Hoggle from Labyrinth, designed by Brian Froud and created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop

Mr Tumnus from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe dir. Andrew Adamson

Tom Bombadil from JRR Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings, illustrated by Tim Hildebrandt

The Green Man (source unclear)

Illustration for Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men by Robyn Haley

Truffle from Adventure Quest

 Littlest Pet Shop fairy

Woodland Furby made by me :) Please do not call him cursed

The Psammead from the BBC’s TV adaptation of E Nesbitt's Five Children and It, dir. Marilyn Fox

Thranduil, King of the Wood Elves from The Hobbit, dir. Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass

Nøkken by John Bauer

Gizmo from Gremlins dir. Joe Dante, creature design by Chris Walas

Gollum from JRR Tolkein’s The Hobbit, illustrated by Tove Jansson

Soot Sprite from Spirited Away dir. Hayao Miyazaki

Gonk

“The Junk Lady” from Labyrinth; concept art by Brian Froud

Domovoi by Vladimir Chernickov

Falkor from The Neverending Story dir. Wolfgang Petersen, creature design by Patrick Woodroffe

Cherry Fairy from Webkinz

Titania from Vertigo Comics, illustrated by Matt Dixon

Wind Drifter, My Little Pony G1

[world-of-wales]

CONFIRMED ATTENDEES TO THE CORONATION OF

♚♛ KING CHARLES III & QUEEN CAMILLA ♛♚

───────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────────────

♔ ┆ Foreign Royalty

King Felipe & Queen Letizia 🇪🇸

King Philippe & Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth, The Duchess of Brabant 🇧🇪

King Jigme Khesar & Queen Jetsun Pema 🇧🇹

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah & Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku 🇲🇾

Kīngi Tūheitia & Makau Ariki Te Atawhai of the Māori

Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa 🇱🇺

King Carl Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria 🇸🇪

King Willem-Alexander & Queen Maxima, Princess Beatrix and Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia, The Princess of Orange 🇳🇱

Crown Prince Haakon & Crown Princess Mette-Marit 🇳🇴

Crown Prince Fumihito & Crown Princess Kiko 🇯🇵

Crown Prince Frederick & Crown Princess Mary 🇩🇰

Prince Albert & Princess Charlene 🇲🇨

King Vajiralongkorn & Queen Suthida 🇹🇭

King Abdullah II & Queen Rania 🇯🇴

King Tupou & Queen Nanasipau’u 🇹🇴

Hereditary Prince Alois & Hereditary Princess Sophie 🇱🇮

King Mswati III & Queen Sibonelo LaMbikiza 🇸🇿

Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah 🇰🇼

Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said 🇴🇲

Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani 🇶🇦

Princess Lalla Meryem 🇲🇦

Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd Minister of State 🇸🇦

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed 🇦🇪

King Letsie III & Queen Masenate 🇱🇸

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah 🇧🇳

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa 🇧🇭

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II & Lady Julia of the Ashanti

♔ ┆ Deposed Royalty & Distant Family Relations

Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Pavlos & Crown Princess Mary Chantal 🇬🇷

Margrave Bernhard & Margravine Stephanie of Baden

Landgrave Donatus of Hesse

Prince Philipp & Princess Saskia of Hohenlohe - Langenburg

Margareta (Custodian of the Crown) and Prince Radu 🇷🇴

Crown Prince Alexander & Crown Princess Katherine 🇷🇸

Tsar Simeon & Tsaritsa Margarita 🇧🇬

Annoying Ginger from Montecito

♔ ┆ Governor-Generals of Commonwealth Realms

Governor-General David Hurley & Linda Hurley 🇦🇺

Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams & Lady Williams 🇦🇬

Governor-General Sir Cornelius A. Smith & Lady Smith 🇧🇸

Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro & Richard Davies 🇳🇿

Governor-General Mary Simon & Whit Fraser 🇨🇦

Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen & Lady Allen 🇯🇲

Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam 🇧🇿

Governor-General Dame Cécile La Grenade 🇬🇩

King's Representative Sir Tom Marsters & Lady Tuaine Marsters 🇨🇰

Governor-General Sir David Vunagi & Lady Vunagi 🇸🇧

Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae 🇵🇬

Governor-General Dame Marcella Liburd 🇰🇳

Deputy Governor-General Hyleta Liburd of Nevis

Acting Governor-General Errol Charles 🇱🇨

Governor-General Dame Susan Dougan 🇻🇨

Governor-General Sir Tofiga Vaevalu Falani 🇹🇻

♔ ┆ Heads of Governments of Commonwealth Realms

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese & Jodie Haydon 🇦🇺

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau & Sophie Grégoire Trudeau 🇨🇦

Prime Minister Philip Davis 🇧🇸

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell 🇬🇩

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins 🇳🇿

Prime Minister Terrance Drew 🇰🇳

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves 🇻🇨

♔ ┆ Governmental Representatives of Commonwealth Realms

Margaret Beazley, Governor of New South Wales 🇦🇺

Linda Dessau, Governor of Victoria 🇦🇺

Jeannette Young, Governor of Queensland 🇦🇺

Chris Dawson, Governor of Western Australia 🇦🇺

Frances Adamson, Governor of South Australia 🇦🇺

Barbara Baker, Governor of Tasmania 🇦🇺

Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham 🇧🇸

Former Prime Minister Perry Christie 🇧🇸

Michael Pintard, Leader of the Opposition 🇧🇸

Janice Charette, Clerk to the Privy Council of Canada and Secretary to the Cabinet 🇨🇦

High Commissioner Kisha Abba Grant 🇬🇩

High Commissioner Phil Goff 🇳🇿

Christopher Luxon, Leader of the Opposition 🇳🇿

Koni Iguan, Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament 🇵🇬

Justin Tkatchenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs 🇵🇬

Rainbo Paita, Minister for Finance and National Planning 🇵🇬

Taies Sansan, Secretary for the Department of Personnel Management 🇵🇬

Gisuwat Siniwin, former Member of the National Parliament 🇵🇬

Premier Mark Brantley of Nevis

High Commissioner Moses Kouni Mose 🇸🇧

Jeremiah Manele, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade 🇸🇧

♔ ┆ Foreign Heads of States + Governments

President Andrzej Duda & First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda 🇵🇱

President Petr Pavel and First Lady Eva Pavlová 🇨🇿

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos 🇵🇭

President Katalin Novák & First Gentleman István Attila Veres 🇭🇺

President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson and First Lady Eliza Reid 🇮🇸

President Michael D. Higgins & First Lady Sabina Higgins and Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach 🇮🇪

President Herzog & First Lady Michal Herzog 🇮🇱

President Egils Levits & First Lady Andra Levite 🇱🇻

President Ali Bongo Ondimba & First Lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba 🇬🇦

President Mario Abdo Benítez & First Lady Silvana López Moreira 🇵🇾

O le Ao o le Malo Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II & Masiofo Faʻamausili Leinafo 🇼🇸

President Paul Kagame & First Lady Jeannette Kagame 🇷🇼

President Wavel Ramkalawan, & First Lady Linda Ramkalawan 🇸🇨

President George Vella & First Lady Miriam Vella 🇲🇹

President Julius Maada Bio & First Lady Fatima Bio 🇸🇱

Hakainde Hichilema & First Lady Mutinta Hichilema 🇿🇲

President Sergio Mattarella 🇮🇹

President Ranil Wickremesinghe 🇱🇰

President Halimah Yacob 🇸🇬

President Faure Gnassingbé 🇹🇬

President Muhammadu Buhari 🇳🇬

President Filipe Nyusi 🇲🇿

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier 🇩🇪

President Vahagn Khachaturyan 🇦🇱

President Alar Karis 🇪🇪

President Sauli Niinistö 🇫🇮

President Emmanuel Macron 🇫🇷

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 🇧🇷

President Alexander Van der Bellen 🇦🇹

President Vahagn Khachaturyan 🇦🇲

President Salome Zourabichvili 🇬🇪

President Katerina Sakellaropoulou 🇬🇷

President Abdul Latif Rashid 🇮🇶

President Vjosa Osmani 🇽🇰

President George Weah 🇱🇷

President Gitanas Nausėda 🇱🇹

President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani 🇲🇷

President Maia Sandu 🇲🇩

President Stevo Pendarovski 🇲🇰

President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera 🇲🇼

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih 🇲🇻

President William Ruto 🇰🇪

President Irfaan Ali 🇬🇾

President Wiliame Katonivere 🇫🇯

President Paul Biya 🇨🇲

President Nikos Christodoulides 🇨🇾

President Mohamed Bazoum 🇳🇪

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa 🇵🇹

President Klaus Iohannis 🇷🇴

President Macky Sall 🇸🇳

President Zuzana Čaputová 🇸🇰

President Nataša Pirc Musar 🇸🇮

President Võ Văn Thưởng 🇻🇳

Emmerson Mnangagwa 🇿🇼

Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers Borjana Krišto 🇧🇦

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 🇧🇩

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo 🇰🇷

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif 🇵🇰

President Alain Berset of the Swiss Confederation & Muriel Zeender 🇨🇭

Prime Minister Galab Donev 🇧🇬

♔ ┆ Governmental Representatives

First Lady Jill Biden & Finnegan Biden and John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate 🇺🇸

First Lady Olena Zelenska 🇺🇦

First Lady Verónica Alcocer 🇨🇴

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar 🇮🇳

Vice President Fuat Oktay 🇹🇷

Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet Koné 🇨🇮

Vice President Han Zeng 🇨🇳

Vice President Mohammed B.S Jallow 🇬🇲

Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the National Assembly 🇦🇿

Christophe Mboso N'Kodia Pwanga, President of the National Assembly 🇨🇩

Arnoldo André, Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇨🇷

Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation 🇿🇦

Nabil Ammar, Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇹🇳

Narayan Prakash Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇳🇵

Gustavo Manrique, Foreign Minister 🇪🇨

Ahmed Attaf, Foreign Minister 🇩🇿

Frederick Shava, Foreign Minister & Mthuli Ncube, Finance Minister 🇿🇼

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State 🇻🇦

Ambassador José Alberto Briz Gutiérrez 🇬🇹

♔ ┆ Representatives from International Organizations

Amina Jane Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General 🇺🇳

Ursula von der Leyen, President of EU Commission 🇪🇺

Charles Michel, EU Council President 🇪🇺

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament 🇪🇺

[dearabsolutelynoone]

Films You Kind of Have to Watch During the Holidays Because They’re Technically Christmas Movies (No I Won’t Elaborate)

Sound of Music (1965) dir. Robert Wise

Quote: “After all, the wool from the black sheep is just as warm.”

While You Were Sleeping (1995) dir. Jon Turteltaub

Quote: “I've had a really lousy Christmas, you've *just* managed to kill my New Year's, if you come back on Easter- you can burn down my apartment.”

Anastasia (1997) dir. Don Bluth & Gary Goldman

Quote: “There was a time, not very long ago, where we lived in an enchanted world of elegant palaces and grand parties.“

Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001) dir. Owen Hurley

Quote: “There's a world full of wonders out there, Uncle, and Clara deserves to experience them.”

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) dir. Chris Columbus

Quote: “Now if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed - or worse, expelled.”

Mean Girls (2004) dir. Mark Waters

Quote: “Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Regina George.”

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) dir. Andrew Adamson

Quote: “Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia. May your wisdom grace us until the stars rain down from the heavens.”

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2011) dir. Bill Condon

Quote: “My life as a human was over, but I've never felt more alive. I was born to be a vampire.”

Little Woman (2019) dir. Greta Gerwig

Quote: “Just because my dreams are different than yours, it doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.”

[valmybeloved]

I loved how you did those short stories.

I would like to know if you could make a list of the different characters that could be put together with those of Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise

and if you could do one of bruce banner (val kilmer) with some tom character.

Hi I’m so excited that you are interested in my stories. It means a lot that you want to write about my somewhat crazy ideas💀 I know I’ve been MIA for a while so Idk if you still are interested, but if you’re still here, I will gladly make that list for you

 Bill Hartford x Virgil Adamson

Stacee Jaxx x Danny Parker.

Madmartigan from Willow and Jack from legends

Simon Templar x Ethan Hunt

Chris Knight x Joel Goodsen( the fan favs!)

Nick Rivers x Steve Randall

Please please please let me know if you do end up writing anything about these I would love to read them ( if ur still here💀)

[cinematitlecards]

"Shrek" (2001) Directed by Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson (Animated/Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy) . . "Shrek 2" (2004) Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, & Conrad Vernon (Animated/Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy) . . "Shrek The Third" (2007) Directed by Chris Miller & Raman Hui (Animated/Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy) . . "Shrek Forever After" (2010) Directed by Mike Mitchell (Animated/Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy)

[blueeyeddarkknight]

With great eyes comes high light and flashing sensitivity 👁️🕶️📸🥺

It gets overwhelming sometimes and he gets temporary blindness 😵😭

It evolves a lot of squinting in pics, wearing tinted glasses, even indoors (not to mention they look cool ❄️)

That's also why his house (new Mexico) is mostly lit by soft and yellow lights, scones💡 and candles 🕯️even the chandelier.

Source : the architectural digest

[adamwatchesmovies]

Shrek the Third (2007)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

The drop in quality between Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third is so steep you'll wonder why anyone bothered. There’s nothing inspired here in terms of plot, character development, humour or even pop-culture references. It’s a devastating letdown that disappoints more the longer you watch.

King Harold (John Cleese) is dying and names Shrek (Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) as his successors. Convinced an ogre will be unfit to rule the kingdom of Far Far Away, Shrek decides to track down her cousin, Arthur “Artie” Pendragon (Justin Timberlake). With the help of Donkey (Mike Myers) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), our swamp-loving hero is off, but not before Fiona reveals she is pregnant. Meanwhile, a washed-up Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) vows revenge.

The story by Andrew Adamson - adapted by Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Chris Miller and Aron Warner - is so flawed I don’t know if there was any salvaging it. By and large, it’s really just the same plot as the original film. Shrek and Donkey - plus Puss - have to find a royal and bring them to a castle so Shrek can get his swamp back the way he wants it to be. Oh sure, there are slight differences. Obviously Artie doesn’t fall in love with the green meanie the way Fiona did but they do have that big “lover’s quarrel” scene once true intentions are revealed.

What you essentially get is Shrek but without anything that made it magical. The characters aren’t fresh the way they were before. Worse, the well of fairytale-based jokes has been drained dry, leaving this movie with few opportunities to make you laugh. I know you could argue whether Red Riding Hood or the Three Blind Mice really fit the fairy tales motif but King Arthur? Sans excalibur and with only a couple of lame scenes where an exaggerated, incompetent and loopy Merlin (Eric Idle) appears? It feels completely out of place.

Tonally, director Chris Miller misses the mark so thoroughly it's almost like it's on purpose. The first scene has a humiliated Prince Charming mourning his now-dead mother. Next a parade of scenes of Shrek grumbling about how much he hates Far Far Away and how much he doesn’t want to rule. He then finds an excuse to abandon his wife so he can pawn the kingdom off on some schmo he’s never met. In no time, you're sympathizing with the villain rather than the hero. Yes, Charming turns out to be malicious but it feels like the character was re-written to be the antagonist. From what we saw previously, there was nothing to indicate he had any volition of his own; he was just a mama’s boy raised to believe he should rule. Couldn’t Fiona wear the crown? How about the still-living Queen? What if Artie had been this megalomaniac who, after obtaining power, used it to get revenge on everyone who bullied him at high school? Shrek would’ve come off as an even bigger jerk than he already is.

Even the choice of songs doesn’t feel right. Whereas Livin’ La Vida Loca, I’m Holding out for a Hero and All-Star in Shreks 1 & 2 either subverted your expectations in a novel way, drove the story forward through non-litteral music, or both, there’s nothing about the short clip of Immigrant Song and the cover of Live of Let Die during the royal funeral that comes close. Where’s the wit? Where are the unusual choices that don't seem to fit on paper, but in execution work so well?

I doubt anyone who saw Shrek the Third upon its original release remembers it. They might remember some of what happens, but the way the movie made you feel? No way. That’s because this comedy has no heart. It’s diet water served after two classic animated comedies. I’d say I hated it, but that's incendiary, passionate - too good for Shrek The Third. The people behind the scenes knew this movie would be a hit so they rushed out a mediocre product because they knew they could. (On DVD, August 9, 2019)