Shocks and suprises hit the internet by storm yesterday. With the 2014 San Diego Comic Con well under way and throwing up a plethora of fan boy teasers including: previews of Marvel Studio's Avengers: Age of Ultron concept art, Ben Afleck's Cape and Cowl for upcoming Man of Steel sequel Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and teaser poster for Ant Man starring Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas. But none were more shocked to see the following report on Jon Schnepp's publically financed documentary on how Tim Burton's Superman Lives went from pre-production to the cutting room floor. The trailer features new interviews with the gothic director himself plus hilarious commentary from then screenwriter Kevin Smith (you know, Silent Bob).
What seemed like a bit of a joke at the time with rumours of Nicholas Cage set to play the man of tomorrow, and leaked concept art and production stills. The rumours have finally been pieced together in full. Titled "Superman Lives: What Happened?" The trailer features clips of Cage in flight as well as multiple shots of him sporting the locks and bangs that made Superman so overly 90s in...well the 90s.
Check out the link below from Newsarama, where the trailer can be viewed: http://www.newsarama.com/21686-trailer-documentary-on-failed-superman-movie-w-tim-burton-nicholas-cage-kevin-smith.html
Saturday 26 July 2014
Saturday 8 March 2014
Coming Soon...
The Moviegoer will be reviewing the excellent her. 2014 Oscar winner for Original Screenplay by Spike Jonze.
Tuesday 4 February 2014
All Is Lost
What can one say when disappointment sets in only 30 minutes into a movie? A movie starring one of Hollywood and Cinema’s most cherished and appreciated champions. “Keep watching it, it might get better by the end”. Unfortunately this is not the case. Having read through countless positive reviews and a building excitement through word of mouth, since it’s opening at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, I can’t help but wonder what on earth Rotten Tomatoes were thinking when stating this in regards to All Is Lost:
"Anchored by another tremendous performance in a career full of them, All Is Lost offers a moving, eminently worthwhile testament to Robert Redford's ability to hold the screen."
Production on this movie started in early 2012 following the critical success of writer and director J. C. Chandor’s 2011 film Margin Call. The film was a smash at the Sundance Film Festival of that year, and sparked the interest of festival patron and founder Robert Redford. Following Chandor’s commute to and from New York during the film’s shoot, the idea of a lone sailor surviving a damaged sailboat all alone came into being. The film was shot on a budget of roughly $9,000,000 (IMDB) and employed the use of sound stages at Baja Studios in Mexico that were built specifically for James Cameron’s Titanic in 1997. With Redford cast as the unnamed and only character in the film, the movie was cut and dried ready for the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2013. Redford received a standing ovation after its screening, and critics reveled in the genius of a film lead entirely by a silent Redford. No dialogue, an experimental score by Alex Ebert (front man for the indie folk band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), and countless nominations from multiple Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes. All Is Lost seemed like a breath of fresh ocean air in a sea of distasteful garbage from Hollywood.
Or at least that was what Redford was getting at after he told the Cannes audience, that this film represented a simplicity that has been lacking in an America that has lost it’s way over the last five decades. The 77-year-old actor stated this in response to questioning:
"We are in a dire situation; the planet is speaking with a very loud voice. In the US we call it Manifest Destiny, where we keep pushing and developing, never mind what you destroy in your wake, whether it’s Native American culture or the natural environment.
"I've also seen the relentless pace of technological increase. It's getting faster and faster; and it fascinates me to ask: how long will it go on before it burns out."
"This film is about having none of that: all you have is a man, a boat and the weather, nothing but the elements. That's it."
Redford was certainly right, and couldn’t have expressed many of our concerns in the way our world is developing with more bravado and honesty. But getting back to the notion that this film is exactly “a man, a boat and the weather”, forget about witnessing a survival film like Cast Away or Life of Pie, and think more of a documentary on survival situations but on mute. Despite a nomination and win for Best Original Score at the 71st Golden Globes, the score is practically non-existent through most of the film, making its appearance almost strange in places. Although this is a deliberate technique so that the audience feels connected to Redford’s isolation and struggle, his performance completely undermines the cinematic nuance. Redford seems so stiff in places (mainly his face) that you can’t gain any emotions from the character. Despite the action sequences and storms really hitting hard, from one scene to the next you’d think nothing has happened.
Redford does little to make you feel scared for him, or connect with him emotionally due to his situation. There is no name nor character development, no point of entry into this mans life or any other point of reference as to who he is. There are a few lines of opening monologue featuring the words “All is lost here” and a few seconds of hair pulling and an unconvincing “fuck!” when things go really bad. It feels like you're watching a shadow of a great actor trying something new under a director who does little to coach a good performance. A performance that is certainly not a “tour de force performance holding the screen effortlessly” as The Guardian’s Andrew Pulver described. The film is simplistic and realistic, but falls flat in so many areas. The positive critical response that the film gained set the bar so high that for this moviegoer, disappointment and confusion set in very early. You wait the entire film for Redford to really let loose, after all his character is in a critical situation in which he could die, and yet nothing of the sort happens.
It seems that a great deal of care was taken in showing that the character was well versed in sailing technique and navigational skills, but was this even satisfying to sailing enthusiasts? He plots his coordinates on a map showing us that he is in the Indian Ocean, he attempts to repair his boat, and he somehow filters seawater with a plastic jerry can and a bag that allows him to stay hydrated. If there is anything here to make the film a great watch for the sailing community, I hope it’s not at the expense of these limited marine factors. All in all, the film is extremely dull and cannot be awarded the various positive attributes that made it a hit last year. As much as I would like to add positive elements to this review, a film as disappointing as this really cannot be praised.
What did you think about the movie? Post your comments below.
"Anchored by another tremendous performance in a career full of them, All Is Lost offers a moving, eminently worthwhile testament to Robert Redford's ability to hold the screen."
Production on this movie started in early 2012 following the critical success of writer and director J. C. Chandor’s 2011 film Margin Call. The film was a smash at the Sundance Film Festival of that year, and sparked the interest of festival patron and founder Robert Redford. Following Chandor’s commute to and from New York during the film’s shoot, the idea of a lone sailor surviving a damaged sailboat all alone came into being. The film was shot on a budget of roughly $9,000,000 (IMDB) and employed the use of sound stages at Baja Studios in Mexico that were built specifically for James Cameron’s Titanic in 1997. With Redford cast as the unnamed and only character in the film, the movie was cut and dried ready for the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2013. Redford received a standing ovation after its screening, and critics reveled in the genius of a film lead entirely by a silent Redford. No dialogue, an experimental score by Alex Ebert (front man for the indie folk band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), and countless nominations from multiple Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes. All Is Lost seemed like a breath of fresh ocean air in a sea of distasteful garbage from Hollywood.
Or at least that was what Redford was getting at after he told the Cannes audience, that this film represented a simplicity that has been lacking in an America that has lost it’s way over the last five decades. The 77-year-old actor stated this in response to questioning:
"We are in a dire situation; the planet is speaking with a very loud voice. In the US we call it Manifest Destiny, where we keep pushing and developing, never mind what you destroy in your wake, whether it’s Native American culture or the natural environment.
"I've also seen the relentless pace of technological increase. It's getting faster and faster; and it fascinates me to ask: how long will it go on before it burns out."
"This film is about having none of that: all you have is a man, a boat and the weather, nothing but the elements. That's it."
Redford was certainly right, and couldn’t have expressed many of our concerns in the way our world is developing with more bravado and honesty. But getting back to the notion that this film is exactly “a man, a boat and the weather”, forget about witnessing a survival film like Cast Away or Life of Pie, and think more of a documentary on survival situations but on mute. Despite a nomination and win for Best Original Score at the 71st Golden Globes, the score is practically non-existent through most of the film, making its appearance almost strange in places. Although this is a deliberate technique so that the audience feels connected to Redford’s isolation and struggle, his performance completely undermines the cinematic nuance. Redford seems so stiff in places (mainly his face) that you can’t gain any emotions from the character. Despite the action sequences and storms really hitting hard, from one scene to the next you’d think nothing has happened.
Redford does little to make you feel scared for him, or connect with him emotionally due to his situation. There is no name nor character development, no point of entry into this mans life or any other point of reference as to who he is. There are a few lines of opening monologue featuring the words “All is lost here” and a few seconds of hair pulling and an unconvincing “fuck!” when things go really bad. It feels like you're watching a shadow of a great actor trying something new under a director who does little to coach a good performance. A performance that is certainly not a “tour de force performance holding the screen effortlessly” as The Guardian’s Andrew Pulver described. The film is simplistic and realistic, but falls flat in so many areas. The positive critical response that the film gained set the bar so high that for this moviegoer, disappointment and confusion set in very early. You wait the entire film for Redford to really let loose, after all his character is in a critical situation in which he could die, and yet nothing of the sort happens.
It seems that a great deal of care was taken in showing that the character was well versed in sailing technique and navigational skills, but was this even satisfying to sailing enthusiasts? He plots his coordinates on a map showing us that he is in the Indian Ocean, he attempts to repair his boat, and he somehow filters seawater with a plastic jerry can and a bag that allows him to stay hydrated. If there is anything here to make the film a great watch for the sailing community, I hope it’s not at the expense of these limited marine factors. All in all, the film is extremely dull and cannot be awarded the various positive attributes that made it a hit last year. As much as I would like to add positive elements to this review, a film as disappointing as this really cannot be praised.
What did you think about the movie? Post your comments below.
Friday 10 January 2014
Oh The Desolation!!!
So apparently it’s pronounced Smaug (like Smowg not Smorg), incase any of you fine moviegoers were confused? The second installment in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy hit theatres late December 2013 to mixed reviews. Many fans of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy have noted that this film is rather dull compared to its predecessors, both Lord Of The Rings and the first Hobbit movie. Despite being a shorter story than the series that followed it by author J.R.R Tolkien, The Hobbit has been split up into three equal parts to obviously rake in the big bucks again. But can we really complain? A new chapter each year isn’t much to complain about, especially when the final chapter of the Hobbit trilogy means an end to over ten years of films of this caliber reining supreme.
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug picks up where the first movie left off. Bilbo Baggins played by Sherlock star Martin Freeman, is well under way on his quest to help dwarf king Thorin (Richard Armitage) reclaim his homeland from the evil guarding it. A ginormous dragon named Smaug voiced by the wonderful Benedict Cumberbatch, is but one evil the gang must face with the help of meddling wizard Gandalf (returning cast member Ian McKellan). Now heavily entrenched in the same narrative that existed in The Lord Of The Rings, Bilbo has found the one ring to rule them all, but without any knowledge of its origin nor any suspicion from his fellow travellers. With action sequences that take the viewer on a roller coaster ride; as the group sail down stream in barrels to escape the elf king and the pack of orks that have been chasing them since the first installment, The Desolation Of Smaug is adventurous and fun. If like me you are not a major fan of this type of fantasy entertainment and find it hard to keep up with who this character is, and what the other’s names are, I highly recommend some light reading material or at least re-watching the first movie (An Unexpected Journey) to refresh your minds.
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug picks up where the first movie left off. Bilbo Baggins played by Sherlock star Martin Freeman, is well under way on his quest to help dwarf king Thorin (Richard Armitage) reclaim his homeland from the evil guarding it. A ginormous dragon named Smaug voiced by the wonderful Benedict Cumberbatch, is but one evil the gang must face with the help of meddling wizard Gandalf (returning cast member Ian McKellan). Now heavily entrenched in the same narrative that existed in The Lord Of The Rings, Bilbo has found the one ring to rule them all, but without any knowledge of its origin nor any suspicion from his fellow travellers. With action sequences that take the viewer on a roller coaster ride; as the group sail down stream in barrels to escape the elf king and the pack of orks that have been chasing them since the first installment, The Desolation Of Smaug is adventurous and fun. If like me you are not a major fan of this type of fantasy entertainment and find it hard to keep up with who this character is, and what the other’s names are, I highly recommend some light reading material or at least re-watching the first movie (An Unexpected Journey) to refresh your minds.
Returning characters from The Lord Of The Rings trilogy like Legolas (Orlando Bloom) are a welcome dose of familiarity. They do however; stick out like a sore thumb. Each of the characters that are featured in this chapter or referred to purely because of their appearance in the original trilogy let the film down. It feels at times that you are not watching a new adventure, but rather a prequel to justify the three movies that came before the Hobbit trilogy. New characters like Tauriel (Lost’s Evangeline Lilly) and Bard (played by Luke Evans) have little impact among the long roster of actor’s either returning or joining the cast of this movie. The incredible amount of special effects and CG/Motion capture do create the world of Middle-earth, but at times seem a little rushed. Fights with gigantic spiders, and the flakey embodiment of Sauron (the primary antagonist of The Lord Of The Rings, and creator of Bilbo’s precious find) are pretty awesome. During Legolas’s lengthy hand-to-hand battles however, the CG looks almost game like. Handycam shots employed to give the river escape sequence a more realistic feel are also heavily misplaced.
All in all, the film is definitely worth its length if you are a fan of the book or of The Lord Of the Rings trilogy. If you feel the need to see it because you put yourself through hours and hours of The Lord Of The Rings on DVD after you felt pressured to see what all the fuss was about (a little like me), then prepare yourself for over two hours of action and madness that leave you a little disappointed when the film abruptly ends to make way for the final chapter.
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug is in theatres now, and The Hobbit: There And Back Again is due December of this year.
Sunday 22 December 2013
The Moviegoer’s Top Ten Christmas Movie Recommendations
Whether it’s Miracle on 34th Street or The Nightmare Before Christmas, everyone has a select group of movies they most enjoy around the holiday season. Maybe it’s the festive cheer, the life changing affirmation of the human spirit, or perhaps just a few laughs that keep us entertained year after year, but very few will dispute at least one yuletide motion picture that warms the heart on the day that comes but once a year. The following are only a few of the many festive cinematic experiences that we have all come to love and adore. So ranking them in order of preference is merely an exercise in sharing The Moviegoer’s Top Ten Christmas Movie Recommendations…Happy Holidays Folks!!!
10. Bad Santa (2003)
Sadly the last appearance of 8 Simple Rules star John Ritter, Bad Santa is truly one of a kind. According to online sources both Jack Nicholson and Bill Murray were interested in taking the lead role of Willy in this offbeat black comedy. All we can say is ‘thank god Billy Bob Thornton was available’. Bad Santa is irresistible to watch at this time of year. Its pure outrageousness in the form of a mall Santa who is the front for a convenience store robbery, and just so happens to: enjoy fornicating with large women, drinking, puking, pissing, and cursing at every little kid, has us in stiches. It has been rumored for a while that a sequel will go into production early 2014. If so, then I personally can’t wait to see more antics involving the heartless safecracker and his kid sidekick. “I’m an eating, drinking, shitting, fucking Santy Claus”.
9. Jack Frost (1998)
After Batman and Beetlejuice, Jack Frost is one of my favourite Michael Keaton movies. So he might only be in the film for about fifteen minutes at the beginning, but the mythological Christmas character was truly reinvigorated for this movie where a father who returns from the afterlife to mentor his teen son, does so in the form of a snowman. With Keaton’s witty and sarcastic attitude brought across as the snow-dads voice, this 90s kids movie really takes it up a notch. It also makes spikey haired teen punks look like wimps when a talking snowman throws snowballs at them. Coupled together with a magic harmonica, this touching tale is a true testament to the great holiday filmmaking of the 1990s.
8. Jingle All The Way (1996)
Schwarzenegger running down a street reciting the names of Santa’s reindeer… “Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen” is enough to make Jingle All The Way one of my favorite Christmas movies, and the fun doesn’t stop there. Like a few others on this list, the slapstick style of comedy employed for Arnie’s journey to find his son (Star Wars’ Jake Lloyd) a Turbo Man Doll on Christmas Eve is hilarious to watch. Known for his typical body building robotic army roles, Schwarzenegger always openly admitted that he enjoyed playing the good guy. It was even said that he approached Harold Ramis about becoming a Ghostbuster if they ever made another film, not a bad shout considering GB2 was set during the holiday season! Every year we route for the big guy against rival father Myron (Sinbad), who will also go to any length to secure the one item that will make his child happy on Christmas day. “Its turbo time!”.
7. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
There have been a great many adaptations of Dickens literature, and the Christmas Carol has been told in both live action and animation through the years over and over again. With Michael Caine as Scrooge, and the supporting cast in the form of Jim Henson’s Muppet characters, this movie is a true Christmas classic. If like me you are a fan of Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie Bear and the rest of the crew, then the Muppets take on the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas past is a winner. The movie is both emotional and entertaining, and so lovingly crafted that you forget you're watching a spoof of the story with looney puppets. “Bah humbug”.
6. The Santa Clause (1994)
A movie made by Disney, starring Tim Allen, and based around the notion that anyone’s Dad could become Santa Claus if they believe hard enough…finally they got something right in the 90s! Tim Allen undergoes a heavy transformation as he turns from Scrooge like corporate advertiser to the main man himself. The Santa Clause is fantastic fun for children and adults. It employs beautiful sets and impressive effects to bring the North Pole and Santa’s workshop to life, leaving little to the imagination. There are also a few sad moments when it seems that only Charlie (Allen’s son) believes that his father really is Santa. But don’t worry; one of the happiest Christmassy endings takes place of course, it's Disney after all! A big Christmas movie franchise, The Santa Clause gave birth to two sequels with further clauses that get Tim Allen into difficult situations when trying to remain in the red overcoat and the big black boots. Each film will make you believe, after all “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing”…gotta love those elves!
5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Just one of the many National Lampoon’s Vacation films starring Chevy Chase, Christmas Vacation brings a gut busting slapstick feel to what would typically be a traditional Christmas tale. The families are all together, and the spirit of the high holiday fills Clark Griswold (Chase) with a sense of longing. For the perfect Christmas, Clark goes to a whole heap of trouble, and almost entirely at the expense of destroying the home of yuppie neighbor Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Watch out for an early appearance of the Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki and a young Juliette Lewis as Rusty and Audrey Griswold, comedy classic from John Hughes.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
I never really know whether to watch this on Halloween or Christmas, so sometimes I just do both. It is possibly one of the greatest films created by gothic mastermind Tim Burton. With claymation characters and classy songs from Danny Elfman (who just so happens to be the singing voice of Jack Skellington), The Nightmare Before Christmas has settled itself into the zeitgeist of the 90s resurgence of Christmas classics. It’s almost Grinch like approach to the darker corners of the imagination, have a strange effect on the viewer. Halloween vs. Christmas is like a child’s dreams come true; there’s no wonder perhaps that this movie has remained so pivotal to festive entertainment. I personally would love to live in Halloween Town, but then again, it might get a bit samey after a while…good thing the old pumpkin king knows his way around.
3. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Some may not have believed a live action adaptation of a Dr. Seuss story would have worked, but when you have Ron Howard directing and Jim Carrey starring, how could it not. Despite being a remake of the classic 1966 animated movie of the same name (that was voiced almost entirely by Frankenstein’s Boris Karloff), this Christmas tale is zaney, family friendly, and most importantly… funny. Jim Carrey’s facial expressions and physicality are only heightened by the make-up and green body suit that turn him into the Seussical creature that tries to destroy Christmas. For all the Whos down in Whoville it’s a must see around the holiday season, and narrated by none other than Anthony Hopkins.
2. Home Alone 1-2 (1990/92)
Ok... so it might be cheating putting them both together, and although it spawned three dreadful sequels, Home Alone defied the conventions of family entertainment. Basing the entire movie around the performance of Macaulay Culkin after his breakthrough appearance in the John Candy classic Uncle Buck, Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York really express the anxieties that all children feel in a large family around the holiday season. Culkin carries both films with ease, and his cleverly plotted battles against wet bandits Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are both hilarious and heart warming. With Christmas Vacation and The Home Alone movies, writer/director John Hughes is safely one of the masters of Christmas comedies. “Merry Christmas ya filthy animal”.
1. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings”…how could it not be number one. Like only a handful of Hollywood classics, It's A Wonderful Life is effortless and beautiful. The fact that the story of George Bailey lends itself to a Christmas miracle is thankfully one of the best darn excuses to watch the movie at least once a year. For anyone in need of a life-affirming lesson, look no further than this exceptional cinematic masterpiece. Jimmy Stewart’s performance is one for the ages, and who could forget the adorable Henry Travers as his guardian angel Clarence. I recommend this more than any other Christmas movie…just make sure to watch the original version and not the re-master that brought the film to colour, it spoils that which is already perfect in every way.
So...what is your favourite Christmas Movie? Leave your thoughts and comments below and perhaps they will make it into The Moviegoer's nice list for next year!!!
10. Bad Santa (2003)
Sadly the last appearance of 8 Simple Rules star John Ritter, Bad Santa is truly one of a kind. According to online sources both Jack Nicholson and Bill Murray were interested in taking the lead role of Willy in this offbeat black comedy. All we can say is ‘thank god Billy Bob Thornton was available’. Bad Santa is irresistible to watch at this time of year. Its pure outrageousness in the form of a mall Santa who is the front for a convenience store robbery, and just so happens to: enjoy fornicating with large women, drinking, puking, pissing, and cursing at every little kid, has us in stiches. It has been rumored for a while that a sequel will go into production early 2014. If so, then I personally can’t wait to see more antics involving the heartless safecracker and his kid sidekick. “I’m an eating, drinking, shitting, fucking Santy Claus”.
9. Jack Frost (1998)
After Batman and Beetlejuice, Jack Frost is one of my favourite Michael Keaton movies. So he might only be in the film for about fifteen minutes at the beginning, but the mythological Christmas character was truly reinvigorated for this movie where a father who returns from the afterlife to mentor his teen son, does so in the form of a snowman. With Keaton’s witty and sarcastic attitude brought across as the snow-dads voice, this 90s kids movie really takes it up a notch. It also makes spikey haired teen punks look like wimps when a talking snowman throws snowballs at them. Coupled together with a magic harmonica, this touching tale is a true testament to the great holiday filmmaking of the 1990s.
8. Jingle All The Way (1996)
Schwarzenegger running down a street reciting the names of Santa’s reindeer… “Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen” is enough to make Jingle All The Way one of my favorite Christmas movies, and the fun doesn’t stop there. Like a few others on this list, the slapstick style of comedy employed for Arnie’s journey to find his son (Star Wars’ Jake Lloyd) a Turbo Man Doll on Christmas Eve is hilarious to watch. Known for his typical body building robotic army roles, Schwarzenegger always openly admitted that he enjoyed playing the good guy. It was even said that he approached Harold Ramis about becoming a Ghostbuster if they ever made another film, not a bad shout considering GB2 was set during the holiday season! Every year we route for the big guy against rival father Myron (Sinbad), who will also go to any length to secure the one item that will make his child happy on Christmas day. “Its turbo time!”.
7. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
There have been a great many adaptations of Dickens literature, and the Christmas Carol has been told in both live action and animation through the years over and over again. With Michael Caine as Scrooge, and the supporting cast in the form of Jim Henson’s Muppet characters, this movie is a true Christmas classic. If like me you are a fan of Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie Bear and the rest of the crew, then the Muppets take on the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas past is a winner. The movie is both emotional and entertaining, and so lovingly crafted that you forget you're watching a spoof of the story with looney puppets. “Bah humbug”.
6. The Santa Clause (1994)
A movie made by Disney, starring Tim Allen, and based around the notion that anyone’s Dad could become Santa Claus if they believe hard enough…finally they got something right in the 90s! Tim Allen undergoes a heavy transformation as he turns from Scrooge like corporate advertiser to the main man himself. The Santa Clause is fantastic fun for children and adults. It employs beautiful sets and impressive effects to bring the North Pole and Santa’s workshop to life, leaving little to the imagination. There are also a few sad moments when it seems that only Charlie (Allen’s son) believes that his father really is Santa. But don’t worry; one of the happiest Christmassy endings takes place of course, it's Disney after all! A big Christmas movie franchise, The Santa Clause gave birth to two sequels with further clauses that get Tim Allen into difficult situations when trying to remain in the red overcoat and the big black boots. Each film will make you believe, after all “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing”…gotta love those elves!
5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Just one of the many National Lampoon’s Vacation films starring Chevy Chase, Christmas Vacation brings a gut busting slapstick feel to what would typically be a traditional Christmas tale. The families are all together, and the spirit of the high holiday fills Clark Griswold (Chase) with a sense of longing. For the perfect Christmas, Clark goes to a whole heap of trouble, and almost entirely at the expense of destroying the home of yuppie neighbor Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Watch out for an early appearance of the Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki and a young Juliette Lewis as Rusty and Audrey Griswold, comedy classic from John Hughes.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
I never really know whether to watch this on Halloween or Christmas, so sometimes I just do both. It is possibly one of the greatest films created by gothic mastermind Tim Burton. With claymation characters and classy songs from Danny Elfman (who just so happens to be the singing voice of Jack Skellington), The Nightmare Before Christmas has settled itself into the zeitgeist of the 90s resurgence of Christmas classics. It’s almost Grinch like approach to the darker corners of the imagination, have a strange effect on the viewer. Halloween vs. Christmas is like a child’s dreams come true; there’s no wonder perhaps that this movie has remained so pivotal to festive entertainment. I personally would love to live in Halloween Town, but then again, it might get a bit samey after a while…good thing the old pumpkin king knows his way around.
3. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Some may not have believed a live action adaptation of a Dr. Seuss story would have worked, but when you have Ron Howard directing and Jim Carrey starring, how could it not. Despite being a remake of the classic 1966 animated movie of the same name (that was voiced almost entirely by Frankenstein’s Boris Karloff), this Christmas tale is zaney, family friendly, and most importantly… funny. Jim Carrey’s facial expressions and physicality are only heightened by the make-up and green body suit that turn him into the Seussical creature that tries to destroy Christmas. For all the Whos down in Whoville it’s a must see around the holiday season, and narrated by none other than Anthony Hopkins.
2. Home Alone 1-2 (1990/92)
Ok... so it might be cheating putting them both together, and although it spawned three dreadful sequels, Home Alone defied the conventions of family entertainment. Basing the entire movie around the performance of Macaulay Culkin after his breakthrough appearance in the John Candy classic Uncle Buck, Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York really express the anxieties that all children feel in a large family around the holiday season. Culkin carries both films with ease, and his cleverly plotted battles against wet bandits Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are both hilarious and heart warming. With Christmas Vacation and The Home Alone movies, writer/director John Hughes is safely one of the masters of Christmas comedies. “Merry Christmas ya filthy animal”.
1. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings”…how could it not be number one. Like only a handful of Hollywood classics, It's A Wonderful Life is effortless and beautiful. The fact that the story of George Bailey lends itself to a Christmas miracle is thankfully one of the best darn excuses to watch the movie at least once a year. For anyone in need of a life-affirming lesson, look no further than this exceptional cinematic masterpiece. Jimmy Stewart’s performance is one for the ages, and who could forget the adorable Henry Travers as his guardian angel Clarence. I recommend this more than any other Christmas movie…just make sure to watch the original version and not the re-master that brought the film to colour, it spoils that which is already perfect in every way.
So...what is your favourite Christmas Movie? Leave your thoughts and comments below and perhaps they will make it into The Moviegoer's nice list for next year!!!
Thursday 19 December 2013
Paul Rudd Confirmed for Ant-Man!
After intense speculation and rumours, it was announced today that Anchorman star Paul Rudd will indeed be playing the character 'Ant-Man' in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to online reports, Rudd was in competition with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises, Brick) who lost out on the role having confirmed his intentions to produce and possibly star in the Warner Bros. DC Comics/Vertigo adaptation of The Sandman. Fans have been following the story for quite some time, and have enjoyed early concept footage and costume designs from Director Edgar Wright since his announcement and introduction to the project nearly three years ago. For more details on the project's journey, take a look at the previous blog discussing the Ant-Man character and the films early conception below.
http://halthemoviegoer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/anchorman-to-ant-man.html
http://halthemoviegoer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/anchorman-to-ant-man.html
Thursday 5 December 2013
The Moviegoer Reaches Over 1,000 Views!!!
Just a quick update to say thank you to everyone who has been following this page. Today marked the blog reaching over 1,000 views. I am extremely proud to have the support of so many friends who also like to share in their own views and artistic expression for creativity. Please keep checking out this space for more reviews, comments and chat about Film, TV and cult entertainment...and in true Moviegoer style, let the fiesta begin!!!
All the best,
Hal.
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