MALEFICENT by Michael Johnston

MALEFICENT

 by Michael Johnston

MALEFICENT..im one of the seemingly few who don't think angeline jolie is stunning etc so I went to watch this for the film itself and wasn't disappointed very loosely based on sleeping beauty and brought up to date ..with the obligatory " huge monsters" that have to be in every fantasy film these days. the film hardly has sleeping beauty in it really as its all about the title character ,great acting again from angeline who like charlize theron(snow white n huntsman) must ve had a ball over doing the villain .you will feel for the her and be rooting for her all the way! come the end of the film you might enjoy the plot twist ....a great family film in the vein of "stardust" though not quite as good.. but that's a fantasy masterclass...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/?ref_=nv_sr_1

GODZILLA by SilverScreen Snob

GODZILLA

 

by Silverscreen Snob

Directed - Gareth Edwards
Starring - Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe 

In 1954 the Toho Film Company made a picture about a huge dinosaur-like monster that rampaged through Tokyo. It was only 93 minutes long but it spawned a legend that has lasted 60 years and 28 (Japanese) films. I am, of course, referring to the colossus that is Godzilla.

Fast forward to 2014 and the newest incarnation of the world's most famous kaiju. Godzilla is an icon and the director, Gareth Edwards, had a mammoth task to overcome; how to bring the monster into the 21st Century without angering the fans.

The film begins with some original opening credits; words are redacted before the viewers' eyes, leaving only the names of the cast. This plays out over footage, supposedly from the 1950s, showing radars, military personnel and, finally, a large nuclear explosion at Bikini Atoll (the first of many references to actual events and /or classic Godzilla movies ).

We jump to 1999 and meet Dr. Ichiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) who is investigating the skeleton of a large, prehistoric creature found in the Philippines. Then we zoom over to Japan where Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) is concerned about the nuclear plant where he works. Disaster obviously ensues and what follows is a sequence reminiscent of the Fukushima disaster which occurred only a few years ago. 

And now we are up to date. Joe's son, Ford, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is happily living in San Francisco with his wife (Elizabeth Olsen) and young son.
At this point I would like to say that I was slightly disturbed at watching these two young actors playing lovers as, in my head, they are the Maximoff siblings (I know, I know, it's not real but I can still have my opinion).
Father and son are eventually reunited and that's where the action really begins.

Cranston is brilliant as a father who feels like he has lost it all; both traumatised and unhinged in equal measure. Watanabe is the yin to Cranston's yang; calm and collected to a point where some of his dialogue is barely above a whisper. 
The younger actors; Taylor-Johnson and Olsen, are not as strong in their roles. Olsen is not given much to do except cry and run. In fact, one downside of this movie is that there is a distinct lack of strong female characters. 
Taylor-Johnson has a larger part to play but he doesn't quite fulfil the leading man role. He isn't entirely convincing as an action star but neither plausible as desperate family man. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a good actor but he wasn't given enough to work with. The script is basic with Cranston's impassioned ranting (heard in the trailer) as the only stand out part.

But to most, it isn't the human cast that people care about. Does the 2014 version of Godzilla make the grade? In short, yes. He bears a resemblance to the original creature but without the look of a rubber suit. You could believe that there is a dinosaur-like monster out there. As you have probably gathered from the many trailers, Godzilla isn't the only kaiju in the movie but I will leave what they are, and why they are there, as a surprise.
And then there is THAT roar. Spine tingling with a bass deep enough to turn your internal organs to mush, perfect.

At several points in the film, just as the audience thinks it might be treated to a monster smackdown, the focus is always pulled back to the less interesting human story. However, the final battle is worth waiting for, if not a little short. Gareth Edwards has held enough back for the inevitable sequel (pending box office results). 

There are small niggles here and there but I was always a fan of the King of Monsters (another classic reference) and there is enough here to remind us of the creature we fell in love with.
Bonus points if you spot the reference to another kaiju which appears in the first half of the film.

Rating - 7/10

for more reviews from Silverscreen Snob visit: http://www.silverscreensnob.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831387/?ref_=nv_sr_1

DRIVE by Kudos

DRIVE

 by Kudos

A stuntman come getaway driver who is as cold and cool as ice starts to melt when Carey Mulligans character crashes into his life.

The film sets out to be a taut, stylish 70s inspired thriller and never lets the viewer lose that feel, even in the scenes which are just everyday situations you can feel the underlying tension, Gosling crackles with control, from kissing to kicking he never slips out of the cool zone.

Yes Gosling puts in a spellbinding performance but he is backed up by some great cinematography , supporting cast and a tight plot..............and some seriously sexy American cars in real action...not CGI

It is 90 mins of a very controlled and cool thriller, that refuses to go down the Hollywood easy route........some of the scenes show the hero being brutal and nasty, the scene near the end in the lift is one of the most tense I have seen,

“GET IN, GET OUT, GET AWAY...........I give you 5 minutes, anything happens in that time im yours............a minute either side, you are on your own”

”

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780504/?ref_=nv_sr_2

ZERO DARK THIRTY by Silvercreen Snob

ZERO DARK THIRTY

 by Silvercreen Snob

 

 

Director - Kathryn Bigelow
Starring - Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke

So, I realise I'm late to the party in regards to this film but better late than never, right?

On the surface of it, you can be forgiven for automatically comparing Zero Dark Thirty to Bigelow's other 'war' film, The Hurt Locker; you could be forgiven but you would be entirely wrong! The two films are completely different yet both are equally compelling, just for contrasting reasons.

The movie starts with audio only; calls between victims and the emergency services during the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. It's heartbreaking and horrifying without actually showing you anything. From here we jump two years and we are introduced to Jessica Chastain's character, Maya. Bigelow and writer, Mark Boal, give the audience a strong female character; a single minded woman who stops at nothing until she gets what she wants. Chastain's portrayal is a marvel; from her first 'interrogation' to the final moments, Maya's growth as a character, in strength and resolve, is utterly convincing. The only downside is that the audience never gets beneath the surface. Bigelow sacrifices who Maya is for what she does. However Jessica Chastain is so powerful in her role that the viewer will follow her story anyway without question.

The death of Bin Laden is almost always told as the story of the brave men who stormed his compound, yet we don't get to meet this group until two hours into the film. This film isn't about these people, it's about what went on behind the scenes to allow such a mission to take place; the many layers of bureaucracy and years of research Maya and company endure just to get a meeting with the Director of the C.I.A (played by James Gandolfini).

Some of the torture scenes make for uncomfortable viewing no matter what your opinion of it's usage. Bigelow pulls no punches in her direction and creates a visually beautiful film amid harsh environments.
The final half hour of the film, the storming of Bin Laden's refuge which is shot almost in real time, is fascinating as the director switches between night vision goggles and the drab natural light of the compound, drawing the audience in and creating a tense final scene (despite the fact that we all know the ending of this story).

http://www.silverscreensnob.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/dvd-review-zero-dark-thirty.html
 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790885/?ref_=nv_sr_1

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET by Nigel Hare

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

 by Nigel Hare

 

 

to three hours.    Three hours of money making, drug taking and sex and all is shown in this biography.    Whether it is all fugazi or not is up to the viewer to decide.   Normally I would think three hours is too long for a movie and you can see the parts that should have been left on the cutting room floor or never even shot but I never felt any of that in this movie.    Scorsese sets the pace well and DiCaprio lives up to his a-list credentials and deserves the Oscar nomination for best actor dominating the picture, showing the charisma and hedonistic money love that seemed to be the sign of those last decades of the last century.   Yes he was a scammer of both the rich and the desperate selling worthless stocks as if they were future blue chip;  a wolf that promised gold to consume cash but then nothing but shit comes out.   I have to say that you will not be disappointed by this movie because you will be carried on the energy of DiCaprioThe 2 secrets to being a successful stockbroker are Jerk off at least twice a day thinking about money and snort cocaine.    Martin Scorsese has made some of my Favorite movies:  The King of Comedy, The Departed and Goodfellas;  all of which would make my top fifty movies.    Based on the memoir of Jordan Belfort of the same name this movie runs . 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/?ref_=nv_sr_1

THE OTHER MAN by Melissa Hilton

THE OTHER MAN 

by Melissa Hilton

 

The Other Man......

With a fantastic cast of Liam Neeson, Antonio Banderas and the beautiful Laura Linney I was expecting great things.....I was very disappointed, it was meant to be a suspense thriller, the only suspense is how they got such amazing actors to take part in such an awful film.

It starts with Mr Neeson looking for answers to his wife's disappearance, and when he finds private files on her PC he is desperate to open them, only to discover she had another life with another man.......he goes to find him, plays chess, learns about his wife's relationship with the other man and wants to seek revenge.
The spoiler to save you all 84 minutes of boredom is she actually died of cancer, and they all throw a dinner party.......Enjoy!!!

 

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0974613/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

JACK REACHER by Michael Johnston

JACK REACHER

by Michael Johnston

 

 

JACK REACHER..when a crazed lone gunman randomly shoots dead 5 innocent people,after some brilliant police work the man is caught and asks for jack reacher ,thing is he knows jack hates him so why call for a man who wants to see him dead...tom cruise plays the lead which caused fan boy rage as the character is 6 foot 6 or something,but tom is too good an actor to let that bother him ,he plays an ex military cop whose got more medals that Michael phelps,and as tough as tarzans feet. robert duval pops in late in the film to play exactly the same as he always does the ending feels a little bit 80 s action movie but its great fun with a few twists and red herrings ..enjoyable film that if im not mistaken didn't do that great at the box office..tom can do no wrong!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790724/?ref_=nv_sr_1

ALAN PARTRIDGE: ALPHA PAPA by Michael Johnston

ALAN PARTIRDGE: ALPHA PAPA

 by Michael Johnston

 

 

ALAN PARTRIDGE..alpha papa...well 2 films in 2 days im on a roll ..and even without a Friday drink it was bloody good fun.some brilliant moments and some cringe inducing ones too(never as bad as stuff on" the office" though) simple storyline really ,when a takeover of the norfork radio station threatens a late night dj (colm meany) he takes them hostage and its up to alan to be a negotiator ,all the old cast are back including Michael the Geordie who can say anything and make me laugh.whist the siege is being televised alan see s this as a great opportunity to get back to the big time... its good but not great .wanted it to be more but just enjoy steve coogan in his best character.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469021/?ref_=nv_sr_3

HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE by Michael Johnston

HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

 by Michael Johnston

 

 

hunger games catching fire.the 2nd part or the story picks up right from the end with the winners doing a begrudging pr tour of the districts with all the characters from the original(well the ones that didn't get killed anyway) and the addition of new gamesmaker the late Philip seymore Hoffman playing his usual subtle but brilliant. the relative comfortable life that katniss and peetr have is thrown into panic when president snow announces all the previous winners have to compete in the games this year ,katniss and peetr are not playing ball on the tour and causing a bit of unrest so must be taken out. when the movie gets to the games it all feels very similar and like the saw movies etc its just a case of oh heres a new danger/way to die etc ..its all going well and its a fun ride then being a 3 part story .(dragged out to mokingjay part 1 and 2,kerchinggg) it suddenly ends and you feel very unsatisfied and somewhat cheated.i fear the 3rd instalment will be even more drawn out ,good film but not great ...mrs loved it though

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951264/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

 

ROCK OF AGES by Michael Johnston

ROCK OF AGES

 

 by Michael Johnston & Kudos

KUDOS
120 minutes of joy..... raunchy, ridiculous love story dressed in the most over the top clothes worn by top stars over acting............with a huge shot of satireHow this got passed the conservative, conventional Hollywood money guys I have no clue.Yes it borrows from other “rock operas” the opening is straight from the ALMOST FAMOUS bus scene but it takes that idea and runs, dances and sings with it for the whole film.
Tom Cruise seems to be have been possessed by Heath ledgers Joker spirit, Baldwin is just flawless , Brand didn’t convince at the start but had his moments......him and Baldwin together singing will stick in the head for the right reasons for along time.
The two young leads grounded the film, surrounded by the over the top, the flawed and the famous their story never got drowned out ….of course Cruise got the best scenes but when he is acting like this then only an idiot would not focus on him, HEY MAN the monkey did steal some of his thunder.
There is some cutting satire running through the plot, asks questions about the righteous right, the conservative conventional and reality TV with its manufactured bands
Stick the DVD in and enjoy, the music is not my taste but worked, the plot was maybe a shade to light but it is 2 hours of pleasure, laughs and may even get you singing..........not that I did, honest......
It is film that I think will gain a following after its release at the cinema and on DVD, like footloose and rocky horror show did........and I may watch it again tomorrow
ROCK FOR ANY AGES



Michael Johnston





ROCK OF AGES now were talking ,what an unexpected treat this was .if there was a film under the title guitly pleasure ..its this. contrary to popular belief im not into grease ,but this is grease for the next generation,being of a certain age shall we say being 17 at the time the films set and into all the songs (and they cram em in let me tell you) certainly helps,the cast all look like they re having the shoot of their lives and if its all the actors singing then im impressed even russell brand cant ruin this film playing a brummie who seems to drop in and out of cockney on occasion ,the plot is pointless to mention its laughable ,its performances are insane (cathrine zeta jones and tom cruise hamming it up to the extreme) best moment could be brand and alec Baldwin s song together ,this should be held aloft as the best musical ever made(but it wont)but if you hate 80 s rock music it might be a drag ...but please if you don't enjoy this.. your wrong...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1336608/?ref_=nv_sr_1

FRANKENSTEIN ARMY by Nigel Hare

FRANKENSTEIN ARMY

by Nigel Hare

 

 

 

First up this is the wrong title. Borg Birth would have been better but that would have infringed on the Star Trek brand. It has a normal war movie start with a documentary style, soldiers marching and attacking a machine gun nest. But this isn't a war movie it's an average gore movie. Yes it does have a small amount of originality like errrrrrm. Well I've never quite seen anything like this but I felt as I watched it that I'd seen similar. The first monsters, the army of the title, are more alien, these are followed by the factory monsters which are raw Borg. I've sat watching top gear for an hour trying to find something in this movie to recommend it to the club. It was the top gear episode in which they made the electric car and it must be the forth time I've seen it. The Doctor, the creator, is an interesting character and the only one that is beefed out but the meat is cheep and thin sliced and over quickly leaving you empty and wanting something more. There is a fair amount of blood and dismembered body parts but aside from a couple of scenes it is mostly decoration so if your a gore aficionado I don't think this will be satisfying.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1925435/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

 

 

 

YOU'RE NEXT by Michael Hayward

YOU'RE NEXT

 

by Michael Hayward

 

So last night I did the unthinkable. I watched a horror film. Now, i'm going to be open and frank and say right off the bat that I really don't like horror films. Not because they're 'scary' because invariably they aren't, but because of their stupidity. With that said, I'd seen a film list somewhere that had recommended "You're Next" as one of the hidden gems of last year. I thought I'd give it a shot. Here's what I think...
Stupid. The plot is the usual nonsense with so many holes in it that it could have been a prototype for Tetley's newest teabags.
Moronic. Both the plot/script and the characters.
Terrible. The acting. It's like Am Dram in a village hall.
Boring. I cared not for any of the characters and that made their stupid deaths even less important.
Done. As in to death, if you've seen any of the slasher films from the last twenty years then this may as well be a repeat.

I want my hour and a half back please.

If you like horror films (there's no accounting for taste!) then it may be your kinda thing, weak plot, terrible acting, a dash of gore and ridiculous deaths aplenty then go ahead, fill your boots. If you like films with a little more substance then I can only suggest you carry on looking elsewhere

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853739/?ref_=nv_sr_1

THE LEGEND OF HERCULES by Lorraine Sears

THE LEGEND OF HERCULES

 by Lorraine Sears

 

 

 

The Legend of Hercules ... I so wanted this to be a great movie. I could cry for this film not being what I wanted it to be. With decent a cast of 'B list' actors, lead by Kellan Lutz of Twilight Saga fame; their delivery was not ... awful, in fact it was quite good in places. I prayed that it might be one of those rough diamonds you stumble across from time to time; something under budget but with the potential to turn cult. Alas no.
Poor budget and incompetent production sent this film sprawling face first into one of it's own muddy puddles used for the many fight scenes. All the money was blown on the excessive use of stop motion film during intense battle scenes and appallingly obvious CGI for the big pull-away battle formation shots. There wasn't even enough left to spend on fake blood, which was conspicuous by it's absences from scenes of (non-)bloody mayhem and death. And as for the scene between Hercules and the lion ... Aslan would be turning on his stone table, as it appeared more reminiscent of plasticine monsters from old mythical classics such as Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts.
And! Where were the gods? Hera appeared through a young mystic, sounding like a small, petulant child. And Hercules, son of Zeus, never met his father and had to spend all his time talking to cotton candy clouds and curly lightning. Thats to say nothing of the ending ... But enough!
Will I watch this film again? Probably; it's only a 12a and my seven-year old son might think it's cool. But will I pay for the privilege of watching it again? Definitely not!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1043726/?ref_=nv_sr_1

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK by Kudos

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

 by Kudos

 

 

Well that’s why I love films, it is rare for a film to just grip me and tell the rest of the world to “bugger off” but this needed 100% attention.
Plays with the idea of mental illness not being a line in the sand, most of us dance on the line between what society judges as sane and insane, faith, superstition, lucky shirts are acceptable but brutal honest choices based on what feels right, step over the line..................”are you mad”, most of us probably are if we honest.

There is very little plot so chooses to hang the fate of the whole story on its characters, Bradley Cooper leads without leading brilliantly but Jennifer Lawrence steals the show, awkward, nonconforming, passion driven and spell binding to watch.
I have zero interest in dancing but the end dance is stunning to watch.....because of the time you have invested in them and the build up to their “relationship”
It is a film that plays with your head not your eyes and needs a selfish attitude to watch.........but because of that will stay with you long after the DVD is back in the case.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/?ref_=nv_sr_1

CAPTAIN AMERICA 2 WINTER SOLDIER by Michael Johnston

CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER

 by Silverscreen Snob, Michael Johnston & Kudos

 

Silverscreen Snob

The latest installment of the Marvel franchise has landed in the muscly form of Captain America. However the main attraction is neither the size of Chris Evans arms (sorry ladies) nor the pout of the beautiful Scarlett Johansson (never mind boys). Instead, the whole film is nothing short of a game changer for those that follow the Marvel universe and the TV series. Without giving too much away, watching the old films will never be the same again.

Mr Evans does a fantastic job as the man out of time trying to make sense of the world he now inhabits. Joining him this time is Ms Johansson as the arse-kicking Black Widow, and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, aka, Falcon. Both are great in their sidekick roles; Black Widow gives the girls a reason to cheer by holding her own against the men of the movie, however these moments seem to be inter-cut with several lingering shots of her tightly clad bum. Mackie also plays his part well without looking like he is just auditioning for his own solo film.

The film is action sequence after action sequence but this doesn't detract from the plot. The only negative I have with the faster paced scenes is that sometimes the punches and kicks are a blur (but that could be something to do with my age).

And now onto the titular Winter Soldier. I won't reveal his identity, even if it is pretty much an open secret now. However I will say that, although he is an excellent foil for Steve Roger's Captain, I would have liked to see him a lot more. For a man whose name is in the title, he plays second fiddle to some of the other bad guys.

Despite my Winter Soldier gripe, this is a fantastic film and really does open up the future for the Marvel film franchise. There are little nods to other Marvel characters, both old and new, which should keep every fan boy (and girl) happy. As usual please stay until the end of the credits for two post film sequences, the first of which had me squeal with delight... thank goodness there was only my boyfriend and daughter in the cinema (who were just as excited).

http://www.silverscreensnob.blogspot.co.uk/

Kudos
Now I am not a Avengers fan, Thor was a bore, Iron Man got rusty by the third and the Hulk never amounted to much..........Captain America I did like, the tone, the plot and the morals....

So on to Winter Soldier, stunning on the eyes without getting silly, some of the smaller set pieces stayed longer in the head than the huge brilliant CGI orgy later on, the side on fight scene at the start was like ballet with bite, the lift scene has got me paranoid about sweaty people in lifts and the Black Widow, well just got me sweaty, wow.

 

Your eyes will not be disappointed but weaved in is also something for the grey matter, has a feel of 70s cold war movie where you can trust no one, mixed with current paranoia of remove the threat at any cost even before any threat has been made...........”thought crime” punished by remote drones.

A strong cast backed by writing that never lets you worry about the plot and CGI that is jaw dropping, sit down, pull down the safety harness and enjoy the ride but remember not to leave your brain in the foyer ….....you will need it and a little treat for “War Games” fans

“This is not freedom, this is fear"

 

Michael johnston 

Captain America 2 winter soldier...I like my superheroes clean cut nobel righteous etc and with the possible exception of superman they don't come cleaner cut than steve rogers .from the start a wonderful set piece rescuing some people from pirates to the elevator scene .nick fury stuck in traffic...(seriously) and the taking down of a fighter jet will have the nerds reaching for the tissues, not that its all set pieces (theres lots but it never feels like they re just cramm...ing em in)the weight of the film is in the trust issues and secret organisations that weigh on cap s mind when fury tells him all isn't as it seems ,Robert redford reminds the young uns how to act (isn't he always good)and jenny agutter will have your jaw on the floor in one scene ,the villain on show is silent but deadly and doesn't appear till mid way and isn't your usual manic psycho, the fight scenes with the cap and him are outstanding ,its hard to keep things fresh when every film has a fight scene trying to out do the last one..but this does ,admittedly I love a marvel superhero film but I dare anyone not to enjoy the ride...as usual with marvel stay till the end credits for a sneek peek (the uber nerds will understand it all ) but will leave most scratching your head. in short, better than the 1st not as good as avengers but really what is!!!

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

 

HUE AND CRY by Nigel Hare

HUE AND CRY by Nigel Hare

 

 

 

 

Hue and Cry: I first watched this movie some weeks ago and it has taken this long to digest enough to give it a fair review.
It is listed as the first of the Ealing Comedies but it isn't funny, their later comedies have a lot more humour. If you think of Enid Blighton books like the Famous five or boys own adventure books or even, if you are my age, the Saturday morning children's shows down at your local cinema you will get a better idea of the themes and tone of ...this movie. It's plot even begins from a detective story in a weekly comic.
A gang of working class kids in post war London are the heroes and this is the beginning of my dislike for this movie. It's not the location shots of bombed to rubble London that I object, that's is historic and worth a view, but the children. Where are the rough accents and why are all the older ones always wearing shirt, tie and jacket! Am I being fair?
The bad guy is played by Jack Warner (I don't think that is a spoiler because it is obvious) whom you may remember as Dixon of Dock Green, and if you've never heard of that prime time Saturday BBC show ask a parent or someone my age although I'm barely old enough. The delight of this movie is Alistair Sim but his screen time is ten minutes max and he could have saved this movie had he been given more.
I still don't think my critique of this movie is fair because I am convinced that the market is children. But if I doubt that any children would thank you if you showed them this movie in fact you would have to tie them to the chair and tape their eyes open to make them watch. Child line!!!! For those in the club: it is available on DVD as part of my Ealing collection but try the others not this.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039478/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

 

 

GELNGARRY GLEN ROSS by Nigel Hare

GELNGARRY GLEN ROSS

by Nigel Hare

 

 

Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Pryce and Kevin Spacey with a cast list of well respected actors you wonder how much left of the budget they had to go on the other important things like the script and, therefore, how good the movie is going to be. I wonder if the financiers and the accountants decided enough fans will watch their favourite actors in a poor movie for it to make a profit. The script was written by D...avid Mamet (never heard of him - neither have I but he has won a Pulitzer prize for drama) adapted from his Tony nominated play of the same name.
This movie depicts a side of the American dream that you don't often find in movies. It's the drama of the salesmen who are very much selling something slightly intangible and some would say a con. They sell land as an investment. Maybe these salesmen go home to the picket fence surrounding their home in the burbs with the pretty wife waiting to relax their man or maybe they don't.
It's starts with the rain poring down and it pours on these salesmen in a meeting with Alec Baldwin whose attempt to motivate them bounces from 'look how rich I am' to 'your all bums and I will fire you if you do not close the deal' complete with corporate accessories such as brass balls. The thrills come from the interactions between Pacino (top salesman on a good run) and down on his luck Jack Lemmon. Incidentally the latters character Shelley 'the machine' Levene is the bases for the 'Gill' character in the Simpsons. They are two actors in tip top form and shine like the stars they are (RIP Jack). But then not of these actors give anything but top class performances and it is that plus the script that puts this film right up there as a classic. It is a movie I think I shall watch once a year and never get bored with it. Classic, classic, classic.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104348/?ref_=nv_sr_4

KUDOSFILMCLUB FILM PICTURE QUIZ 2014

20 films to find, more to be added through the year, just email your answers to kudosfilmclub@gmail.com .

no prize except the kudos of being the

KUDOSFILMCLUB CHAMPION 2014

1.

2.

 

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

 

11.

 

12.

 

13.

 

14.

 

15.

 

16.

 

17. 

 

18.

 

19. 

20.

 

 

 



JOHN Q by Ben Nicholls

JOHN Q

 by Ben Nicholls

 

 

John Q - Started off just like one of your average Denzel films, but to be fair, I'm a huge fan so this wasn't a problem.

He plays an out of luck father who's son suddenly develops a terminal condition and he only has months to watch him die.

Himself and his family and the community go through hell and back to try and save his life. This fighting takes a turn for the worse, or better depending on your view on the situation. He takes matters into his own hands and accidentally gets the whole city behind him. If you haven't seen it, I can't tell you the whole picture or it'll spoil it.

To recap, it's one of the best movies I've seen and even had me stopping the tears at one point. A true hero of a father story.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251160/?ref_=nv_sr_1