MovieFest

• There Will Be Blood, 2007 • 8.2/10 • Firstly, I would like to start with Daniel Day Lewis' mesmerizing performance as the ruthless oil prospector, Daniel Plainview. The scumbag cons local landowners into selling their valuable land for pittance, and then he comes along like a "straw" and "sucks it all up," leaving him very wealthy and everyone else in his way. Paul Dano, Wow, do you really expect anything less than magic when it comes to him acting, he's a true tour de force. I wish we had preachers like Eli Sunday up at my local church. Johnny Greenwood's score is brilliant, it really gets under your skin, you then combine that with the gorgeous cinematography, smart screenplay and the brilliant acting, you then have yourself a film where even if your not paying complete attention, you will still hate the lead by the end, all the same! Yeah, I did just say that. I'm sorry peeps but it got a little boring at times (it didn't keep me hook

• Amores Perros, 2000 • 8.5/10 • Oscar winning director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's first feature, nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001, is as gripping and thought-provoking as it is harsh and hard to watch. He takes an unblinking, cynical look at the ways love can hit you like a head-on collision and leave you as emotionally wounded as the victims of his literal car crash are damaged physically. Violence, blood, and gore abound, against both humans and dogs make this flick hard to watch, but the compelling characters, top-notch acting and bloody brilliant direction make the film well worth viewing. I've got to say, I have become a very big fan of his works. In the last two days I watched 'Birdman' and 'Amores Perros,' plus I have already seen the likes of '21 Grams,' 'Babel' and the sensational 'The Revenant' and tbh I love every single one of them. Therefore in my eyes, he really is a fantastic filmmaker and on so m

• Birdman, 2014 • 9.2/10 • Whilst viewing 'Birdman', I spent the first hour or so of the film trying to decipher my emotions and opinions towards it, what I was watching was a weird, yet wonderful work of art. Truly though, 'Birdman' is a technical masterpiece! Throughout the years Michael Keaton has generally been undermined as an actor (despite a few notable roles as Batman, Beetlejuice and Vulture) and has instead faced Hollywood picking more acclaimed and popular actors, 'Birdman' however was his golden ticket to an Oscar win, and he should of won, his performance is absolutely mesmerising. Alejandro González Iñárritu created a truly spectacular character study that arguably featured 2014's strongest acting performances, alongside a well-executed script, booming soundtrack and a monumental achievement with cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki, where he displays the story through a seemingly single and unbroken sweeping shot. This is the true defini

So, today I thought I would do something different for you guys and gals! Deep down inside we all Love them scenes that make you go oooohh! We might not always be able to bare watching them at that specific moment in time, but, when we do, them images don't leave your mind for a while! Here's 18 that never left my mind!! • • I Spit On Your Grave - Shotgun + Asshole! • Alien (1979) - Chestburster! • Gone Girl - ThroatSlash • Raw - Bikini Wax • Englorious Bastards - Scalping Scene • Black Swan - Cuticle Cutting • Drive - Elevator Stomp • 127 Hours - Cutting His Fucking Arm Off • American History X - Curb Stomping • Antichrist - Snip-Snip • Raid 2 - That last fight though!! • Green Room - Oh God You Know what scene! • Itchi The Killer - Chains!!! • The Passion Of The Christ - Whipping Back!! And the other 100 mins of OUCH! • Kill Bill: Vol 1 - Pretty MUCH everything involving a sword! • Oldboy - Poor Tongue/Squid/Teeth • The Human Centipede - Do I have to even

• Oldboy, 2003 • 9.6/10 • 'Oldboy' is one of the most intense movies you will ever see. Breathtaking, brutal and easily one of the best revenge movies ever made. Every shot is bursting with background detail and wonderful colour. The screenplay is probably one of the best I have ever seen. The acting is amazing, especially Choi as the main protagonist Dae-su Oh. All the actors did great but his performance was powerful, emotional and raw (all you need to do is see the infamous squid scene). I also highly commend Ji-tae Yu, he put in a spectacularly believable performance as the sadistic and very lonely Woo-jin Lee. Chan-wook Park gives this movie a very unique style with his subliminal direction and his extremely intelligent and edgy script. It will leave you guessing right up until the very end whilst simultaneously making you think and question your moral compass! Must see! Thoughts??

• Only God Forgives, 2013 • 7/10 • Everything that added to the appeal and style of 'Drive,' failed with 'Only God Forgives,' the long lingering shots, the long pauses, the silence, tbh it was boring at times, and too stylized with no real substance or depth behind it. There were even times where I was almost begging for the camera just to speed the fu** up! Dont get me wrong, just like Nicholas' other works, it's beautiful, the use of colour, some of the shots, the score, you really can't take that away from him, just like his use of gore, spot on! He created a very dark and gloomy atmosphere in this flick, a little too dark for my liking. It was almost completely devoid of any kind of human emotion, -- not one tear, smile, nervous twitch, nothing, oh, apart from one little outburst. Every actor and actress had the same vague look on their face for the entirety of the film, it really didn't work for me, not to mention the weird, perverted type r

 • Akira, 1988 • 8.5/10 • Katsuhiro Otomo co-wrote the screenplay of Akira and also directed this 1988 adaptation of his much-loved 1980s-era manga (comic book). When it arrived in America, it became a cult classic and introduced our Western audiences to anime, a genre that remains extremely popular to this day. Akira is extraordinarily dense and enormously complicated, and things like story and characters tend to go out the window in favor of cosmic ideas, mysteries, bizarre imagery, and astounding levels of violence. It takes full advantage of the animated medium with its sheer imagination and intensity. Considering I saw this for the first time two days ago, time has not yet dulled the sheer impact of the work, and the level of detail, movement, and fluidity is still highly impressive. It's still essential viewing for anyone who loves anime!

• Love, Simon • Spoiler-Free • 8.7/10 • Well, what a surprise.... Don't get me wrong, the story of 'Love, Simon' has pretty much all been done before, just not executed as well. Bar the classic stereotypes and some cheesy moments, this film had me laughing out loud and crying even louder! Tbh when you watch a film like this, you normally expect it to try to be, too clever, too cute and too precious, but boy I have never been so far off the mark. The intelligence, depth, and charm were all legitimate and sincere here and it truly made the film into something rather special. It's funny, sweet, caring, true, real, and should pretty much be labelled a "True Story" for all its worth. The acting on all accounts was second-to-none but Josh Duhamel had the biggest tear-jerking scene going! I was sobbing like a real man! And Nick Robinson was believable and nothing short of phenomenal! Kudos! If you can get past the cheese-factor, you will definetly Love,

• Tomb Raider, 2018 • 7.9/10 • Alicia Vikander gives Lara depth and personality much like Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones. She's vulnerable, but she's also stubborn and focused to survive on her own and has never lost hope that she'll once again see her father. The story is built on the reboot of the video game series, but takes another way after the arrival at the destination where most of the action takes place. When the story follows the video game it has weaknesses (as so many games adaptations do), but when it stands on its own, it shows glimpses of coming adventures for Lara Croft that makes you want more -- much because of Vikanders grounded performance. The script is by no means perfect, the CGI was a bit spotty in places, and yes there are a few cliches and overused story devices here and there, but overall it is an enjoyable film and our first successful game adaptation! Yesss! P.S - Dominc West was the perfect choice for Mr. Croft!

• Unsane, 2018 • Spoiler-Free • 8.2/10 'Unsane's story was perfectly edited in a way that it doesn't reveal to much until it gets to the climax. The fact that it was shot on an iPhone makes it look and feel more personal, engaging and deeply unnerving. The iPhone quality almost automatically relates to our daily lives, which in a way makes you feel like your spying on someone you shouldn't be. It's such a well done thriller, it never gets slow or boring because the screenplay is near-perfect and the acting is tremendous (the realism is unreal). Juno Temple and the creepy-ass Joshua Leonard looked so comfortable in there roles it was horrifying. And last but not least, Clare flipping Foy gives 100% with an absolutely riveting performance. Plus im adding another 10% for her tremendous skill, being able to do this kind of role with an iPhone strapped right in front of her face for the whole flick, wow, I felt claustrophobic, let alone how she felt. Yeah th