MovieFest

• Lost In Space, 2018 • Review • 8.7/10 • Netflix yet again delivers an exciting new show which while I felt took a few episodes to truely get invested in, is well worth your time, so, if you are looking to binge on a fun scifi show which has been sorely lacking in today's roster of must see tv, this is for you. I will admit going into this, that while I was aware this was a reboot based on an old tvshow and film I had never watched the prior material (apart from the odd episode), which made it easier for me to enjoy. The visuals are completely out of this world! There are some beautiful locations shown here and a variety to, from great ice glaciours to black Rocky Mountains to alien forests and wide open planes, all the areas are often given beautiful wide shots, used to their fullest and changed up enough so they don't get boring. Visual effects are outstanding and it was a treat to watch some amazing flying space ship sequences. Characters I found a little rocky, esp...

It just gets better and better: Quentin Tarantino and Leonardo Dicaprio took the stage together, Monday night at the Caesars Palace Colosseum to promote there upcoming flick 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' which will star Pitt Alongside Dicaprio and here's what they had to say: Tarantino: "Sony and myself will be coming to the theaters with the most exciting star dynamic since Paul Newman and Robert Redford," Tarantino said of DiCaprio and Pitt. "It's very hush-hush and top secret. But I can tell you that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood takes place in 1969, at the height of the counterculture hippie revolution and the height of new Hollywood. Street by street, block by block, we'll transform Los Angeles into the Hollywood of 1969." DiCaprio added: "It’s hard to speak about a film that we haven't done yet, but I’m incredibly excited…to work with Brad Pitt, and I think he’s going to transport us. I’m a huge fan of Singin' in the R...

• Future Man • Season 1 • Review • 9/10 • I stumbled upon this show more or less by accident, and I'm honestly surprised it seems to have flown a bit under the radar, given it was produced by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. Tbh i'm glad I did check it out; this hilarious, over the top romp was a blast from start to finish. I might just warn you, though: it's a bit of an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone. But, if you like the sort of raunchy humor the Rogen/Goldberg duo usually stands for, AND you're a fan of the most iconic sci-fi blockbusters that came out over the last 30 years, chances are you're going to love it. So what exactly is it? Well, the story pretty much recycles almost every important plot point from nearly every better known sci-fi flick that came out over the past 30 years; the show gleefully rampages through everything from 'Back To The Future' to 'Terminator I & II' to 'The Butterfly Effect' and shameles...

The new trailer was released as part of CinemaCon last night and follows reporter Eddie Brock (Hardy) as he investigates the ominous Life Foundation before he struggles with the Symbiote that eventually, as the trailer shows, turns him into the villainous Venom. Some gripping action scenes and high-octane stunts leave the audience wanting to see more, however, with a October 5 release date, fans have some time to wait before they can watch Tom Hardy’s Venom in all its glory on the big screen. Sidenote: Thank god for this new trailer, after the first teaser I wasn't to sure where it was headed, but this one seemed to retrace it's steps a little and explain itself! • Trailer Hype: 85% • Predicted Rating: 7.8/10 • Anticipation Levels: 79%

• Wildling, 2018 • Review • 7.9/10 • Wilding is the feature directorial debut of German-born Fritz Bohm, and it's a good first film, finding a smart balance between sympathetic characters who are willing to understand Anna and ugly ones who are quick to judge her. It's also notable that the good characters are brother and sister, with no parents in sight; it's an interesting dynamic. Wildling is a movie whose meanings can be pleasurably picked apart, although it succeeds more fully as a thoughtful movie than as a scary one. (Dourif, known for his work as "Chucky," was doubtless cast for his horror movie clout, but Bohm doesn't seem interested in superficial scares.) And, of course, the movie's theme isn't exactly original (see Carrie, Ginger Snaps, Teeth, It Follows, Raw, etc.), but at least Bohm tackles it with renewed energy.

• Pacific Rim: Uprising • Review • 6/10 • Pacific Rim: Uprising was a gigantic disappointment, the script was a complete and utter mess, the dialogue was typical, forced, and not funny at all, there was no real connection to any of the characters -- maybe Jake, but only because of his father's sacrifice. The acting was mediocre, but then again that wasn't helped by the poor script. It was fun at times, and I'm a sucker for robots, but, for the most part, they sorely missed Guillermo Del Toro!

NewsFest: So as usual, I have surfed the web to bring you guys the most interesting news this week, and, I have to say wether it's good or bad there's enough to keep your brain busy: • Cathy Yan is set to direct the standalone Harley Quinn movie for Warner Bros and D.C. • Josh Brolin teases that Cable has a 4-movie arc. • Steven Spielberg to make D.C comics movie Blackhawk. • The H Collective and Vin Diesel’s One Race Films have acquired rights from Revolution Studios to the “xXx” film franchise and plan to begin shooting the fourth film in December. • David Fincher has put World War Z: 2 on the backseat as Mindhunter season 2 will start shooting first which confirms WWZ2 won't be shooting this fall. • First Poster for Halloween heralds the return of Michael Myers. • First trailer for Denzel Washington's Equalizer 2 has dropped and all I can say is.... HE'S BACK!

• Red Sparrow, 2018 • Review • 5.5/10 • Jennifer Lawrence re-teams with her Hunger Games director for this more grown-up attempt at a complex, sexy thriller, but the result is airless, mopey, and dull. Lawrence gets to try on a finely tuned Russian accent, as well as many gorgeous costume, makeup, and hairstyle changes, but although she tries her best, the character never really comes to life. The story is based on a novel by Jason Matthews, and it's structured adequately; Red Sparrow looks and sounds good, but it just fails to find a spark -- and it's far too chilly to be sexy and vice versa. It also never generates much suspense; it moves sluggishly and gets more and more tiresome as it trudges through its 139 loooong minutes. And don't even get me started on how bad some of the CGI was. The only thing, or shall I say person, I actually liked was obviously the forever awesome Joel Edgerton, him and a few half decent ideas kept this above a 5!.

• The Terror, 2018 • S1 Spoiler-Free Review • 9.5/10 • 'The Terror' is based on a true story of what happened to the crew of the Franklin Expedition; 2 ships of the Royal Navy that set sail to the Northwest Passage in 1848 only to get ice locked for 8 long months. That part of the story is true. It's only fiction leans on introducing a mysterious monster which serves by ways of an analogy to the darker nature that resides within all of us when desperation hits. Genius! Take a group of 19th century English explorers, led by a "man of his times" Captain Sir John Franklin played by Ciarán Hinds. A reckless glory hound hell bent on personal prestige. Contrast this with the raw reality of freezing ice, a savage landscape, starvation and something more lurking in the wintry snow swept darkness. Its coldly creepy, atmospheric stuff, with a slow menace that adds depth to what has shaped up to be another excellent series from AMC. In summary, a phenomenal minise...

• TWD S8 Part 2 • Review • 6/10 • Finally, it's over. Being a big fan of TWD, I really struggled with how the first half of season 8 ended, killing Carl off in such a pathetic way after what he survived, when he wasn't even suppose to die. Even still, because of my love for what this show use to be, I felt like I should soldier on, so I did. This brings us up to the second half of the season which was even worse than the first half. It got to the point where I was just using TWD for background noise, and that's sad. Remember the first 4 seasons, they were amazing, hell even the 5th and 6th weren't overly bad, the point is, I could rarely ever take my eyes off of the screen, I was emotionally invested in the characters and what they went through, but now, now it feels like something you would watch on the syfy channel and I'm starting to lose all hope. All this season did was go round and around in circles, or more back and forth, back and forth, the worse thing...

• First Match, 2018 • Review • 7.7/10 • This isn't your typical underdog sports story, this film is about personal survival, the ability to accept hard truths, and resilience in the face of a lifetime of broken promises and disappointment. There's a lot at stake in First Match. And the entire movie is writ large on the face of Elvire Emanuelle, a young actress of remarkable ability and magnetism. The young wrestlers are exuberant; the coach is insightful. Yahya Abdul-Mahteen II is subtle and effective as Mo's dickhead dad. Kimberly Ramirez, Mo's Spanish foster mother, gives a nuanced, heartbreaking performance. Only the stock neighbourhood "fixer" (Allen Maldonado) seems a cliche. The movie is set in Brooklyn at its least gentrified; the gritty streets, the spot-on rap music, and the sympathetic kids with multiple challenges looking for a way out. Overall, it's not a bad film at all. Finally, Netflix has a half decent film to there name!...

• You Were Never Really Here, 2018 • 9/10 • Lynne Ramsay is at the height of her filmmaking powers here, maximizing the impact of her brutal story. Phoenix is ideally cast as an unstoppable force until the big case breaks his momentum. For those of you that think this is a standard noir thriller, your wrong! You Were Never Really Here is anything but your standard noir thriller. It's not focused on solving a big mystery, and it doesn't have any of the other trappings of the genre. And despite its savagery, it's definitely not about fetishizing violence. This film is about the dark, twisting journey of Joe's lost soul as he tries to function in a world without justice. Phoenix's committed, unadorned work feels authentic. You feel you're with him, sensing all along that this surely can't turn out well. The script is admirably pared down, if a touch confusing at times, the sound design is rife with texture and emotion, the cinematography ...

A fresh promo for Pixar’s superhero sequel reveals a big shift in the Parr family dynamics—and the lengths to which they’ll go to make people trust metahumans again. Elastigirl’s the one in the spotlight in the trailer, which shows the super-family adjusting to a new status quo that has Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible as a stay-at-home dad, Jack-Jack with the ability to manipulate all sorts of energy and Dash is complaining about vegetables, while Violet has become quite the surly teen. Lots of Frozone, too! Anticipation Levels: 90% My Predicted Rating: 8.2/10 The Incredibles 2 hits screens on June 15.

NewsFest: Just a quick update on this week's news as we have had some rather interesting bits floating about. • James McAvoy and Bill Hader are in talks to star alongside Jessica Chastain and Bill Skarsgard in 'It: Chapter 2' as adult Richie Tozier and Bill Denbrough. • Charlize Therone confirms that an 'Atomic Blonde' sequel is in production. • Netflix have confirmed Jessica Jones is returning for a third season, it's nothing we didn't know already, but it's still good nonetheless.

• Maze Runner: The Death Cure • Review • 8.1/10 • Fans of James Dashner's dystopian saga and the movie series will appreciate the closure this serviceable finale provides, with O'Brien immersing himself in the role of Thomas one final time. The stakes in this one are high, but for Thomas and his buddies, it all boils down to saving Minho. The world-building isn't as strong here as in, say, The Hunger Games, but it does have a clearer premise than the later Divergent films: The immune just need to get away from WCKD's experimenting and start over together. A couple of twists and turns reunite the Gladers with kids they thought they'd never see again, which was pretty dope, and characters must make difficult life-or-death choices. Scodelario's conflicted Teresa pleads her case to Thomas, who's willing to donate blood if it means saving the remainder of his friends. It features some good thrills and nail-biting confrontations, it was great to see W...

• Deep Blue Sea 2 • Review • 2/10 • Deep Blue Sea use to be, -- nope scrap that -- is still one of my favourite guilty pleasures, it was cheesy, it was cheap, but it was awesome. Led by the legendendary Samuel L. Jackson and a Shark with a vengeance. Starring Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Michael Rapaport and Stellan Skarsgard. That cast was noteworthy, the idea was original, the Shark was badass and the execution was not bad at all. DEEP BLUE SEA 2 on the other hand, Jesus, where do I begin. Firstly, I don't even know how or why the fu** it has a 2 slapped on it when it should of just been classed as a reboot. Literally everything was stolen from the first, and when I say literally I literally mean LITERALLY! It's almost like they re-shot all of the old scenes in almost the exact same way (but worse) and just tweaked it a tiny bit to try and fit it into the modern day. The only differences; Bull Sharks instead of Great Whites and we get baby piranha like sharks which killed m...

NewsFest: So as usual, I surfed the web to find this week's most interesting news to me and hopefully to you too and here's what I found: • After a few setbacks, Disney and Pixar have finally confirmed that Toy Story 4 will be released on June 21 2019. • 'A Quiet Place' delivers a not so quite $50 million opening which is bloody impressive for a horror! Kudos Krasinski! • AMC have announced that season 3 of 'Preacher' will premiere Sunday, June 24th at 10pm ET/PT on AMC! I absolutely love this show and cannot wait to see what happens next to these nutters! Can I get an Amen! • Colton Haynes is set to return as a series regular on Arrows 7th season. • Lots of rumours are floating about surrounding Woody Harrelson playing Carnage alongside Tom Hardy in 'Venom.'

⭐ 12 Strong ⭐ Review ⭐ 8.4/10 ⭐ 12 Strong tells the true story of a group of soldiers, who are part of an elite task force. Post the horrific events of 9/11, Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth) & his comrades have been given the mission to enter Afghanistan in order to defeat the Taliban. In order to do that they take the help of an Afghan warlord. 12 Strong is a good film. Director Nicolai Fuglsig has given us a thrilling debut war movie with some beautiful shots. The action set pieces are the highlight of the film; every single scene sounded crisp and looked sharp as the bullets flew and the bombs dropped, they really were something else. The main flaw of the movie is it takes some time to pick up the pace, but that is pretty much it on the flaw front. The cast has done a memorable job. Chris Hemsworth is spectacular as Captain Mitch Nelson and It was refreshing to see Hemsworth play a regular character, after portraying Thor multiple times. Michael Shannon is outstandi...

• A Quiet Place • Review • 9.1/10 • John Krasinski has created a masterful film, a tense, suspenseful and emotional thrill ride with a great family dynamic. The most gripping aspects of the film is both the silence and the sound, considering all of the silence and the lack of dialogue, everything else going on around the family was so loud, sharp and detailed (amazing sound editing), so when you put them two up against each other, BOOM, that's what had you on the edge of your seat! Not only did it give you a bad case of the heebie jeebies, it also managed to pull the hell out of your heartstrings with some really emotional scenes. Emily Blunt was sensational, definitely the star of the film and it was nice that the hubbie gave her the spotlight, Noah Jupe was terrific alongside big sister Millicent Simmonds, they were sensational together! John Krasinski was a master, and I'm going to be looking forward to seeing what he has to offer in the future and the aliens were a...

⭐ Ready Player One ⭐ Review ⭐ 9.1/10 ⭐ For a flick that lasts longer than 2 hours, RPO didn't drag once, filled with pop culture galore, stunning CGI, breathtaking action sequences, clever twists, and more nostalgic references then your heart can desire, this film truly reminds us why we go to the cinemas! Spielberg's newest addition is a visual masterpiece, bursting at the seems with some of the most breathtaking CGI I have ever layed my eyes on, I mean, I'm still struggling to pick my favourite scene, there were just so many, but I think I have finally narrowed it down to two; when Gundam and Chucky got introduced. Alan Silvestri's score, along with the many '80s jams, is wholly evocative of the decade -- which is only to be expected, considering that his previous scores include the Back to the Future trilogy, which is heavily referenced in this film. Spielberg put everything together so well that it made the actors jobs so easy to impress. The only one...

⭐ A Clockwork Orange ⭐ Review ⭐ 9.4/10 ⭐ A Clockwork Orange has earned the title of "cult classic," and rightfully so. This is the darkest of satires, exploring the deepest of themes: behavioral conditioning, crime and punishment, and the quote attributed to the anarchist Emma Goldman: "A society gets all the criminals it deserves." The end result also is a lampooning of youth culture as well as of those who adopt "law and order" at the expense of free will. As the anti-hero Alec, Malcolm McDowell presents so much style and momentum that the iconic stature of the character has only grown in the decades since the movie was released. It isn't for the squeamish, but, unlike so many films in which sex and violence are omnipresent, there are reasons behind the brutality and the gratuitousness. It is an unforgettable movie and ranks among Stanley Kubrick's finest.