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...

• A Series Of Unfortunate Events, S2 • 9/10 • Season 2 of 'A Series Of Unfortunate Events' is jam-packed with, horrors, devastation, heartbreak, literary jokes, slapstick and irony and that's not even the half of it... the creativity here is first-rate, a perfect example is how they make funny nods to the audience: Olaf at one point stares right into the camera after exclaiming, “I hate boring television”. NPH is a true showman, he continues to delight as the terrible Count Olaf, supplying us with amples of funny disguises and musical numbers. He's not been as horrific as the book series as of yet, but I feel something brewing for the final season! Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes are becoming great little stars, filling the shoes of the Baudelaires in tremendous style. Other cast members like Usman Ally, Lucy Punch, Dylan Kingwell, Nathan Fillon and Sara Rue all brought something special to the table. If you look beyond what the eye can see, you will also fin...

• Moon, 2009 • 9/10 • 'Moon' is one the best (independent) Sci-Fi flicks I have seen in a very long time. It puts a relatable human touch on an intriguing and deep sci-fi story that explores loneliness to a T. Sam Rockwell puts on an emotionally spellbinding performance as Sam Bell, and Kevin Spacey's monotonous GERTY voice-over is eery and excellent. I rarely come across movies that have me so engrossed and intrigued from beginning to end. Some may say the film starts off slowly, but I found the first half hour to be an important and gripping portrayal of what it would mean to be alone in space, without it, the movie would not be as effective. As a film fanatic who is not really a sci-fi buff, I would recommend this flick to anybody who wants to see a movie that will take over their lives for a whole 97 minutes and leave you thinking of how beautifully layered it was hours after. P.S - I really do love it when independent films with small budgets and minimal e...

• MovieFest Marathon #10 • Dog Day Afternoon, 1975 • 10/10 • 'Dog Day Afternoon' has a very simple premise, two guys rob a bank, but everything that can go wrong, does. Simple premise, perfectly executed. From the get-go your completely enticed, and for the remaining 2 hours of the film it fails to let that grip go, keeping you enthralled to the very end. The script, direction, screenplay, dialogue and score were all sublime. Everything about this film screams entertainment, especially knowing everything that happened here, is pretty much true. Al Pacino is mesmerising. If u thought he was spectacular in GF I, II, and Scarface....then just watch him in Dog Day Afternoon. Quite simply one of the greatest performances in movie history. Definitely my favorite of his. The depth and energy with which he plays Sonny is such a treat to watch that I lost count of how many times he left me in AWE. This is definetly Al's film, and probably my favourite performance of his, ...

• Heaven Knows What, 2014 • Safdie Brother's • 8.6/10 • Heaven Knows What centers around the real-life stories of actress/writer Arielle Holmes who stars as a lightly fictionalized version of herself. The Safdie brothers we're working on another film at the time when they bumped into Arielle in NYC, and they we're so intrigued by her story, they decided to get her to write a memoir, paying her by the page. This is not an easy film to watch, the Safdie brothers made this flick like a raw documentary, shot with long lenses and backed up by a haunting electronica score which cuts you straight to the bone. This incredibly touching story follows the life of 3 young, homeless heroin addicts and there journey for their next fix, and one's journey to find love or sense of purpose. You witness how harsh life is on the streets, how heroin effects their everyday lives, how they have nothing to hope, live or fight for. It is a real dark, and lonely place to be, and the Saf...

MovieFest's Weekly NewsFest: • • Idris Elba is set to star, direct and produce the live-action remake of 'The Hunchback Of Notre Dame' for Netflix. What a weird choice! • • James Mangold has been tapped up by Lucasfilm and Disney to write and direct a Boba Fett movie. This could be interesting! • • Liam Neeson, Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson have all been cast to star in the new MIB flick. It will be directed by 'Fate And The Furious' director, F. Gary Gray. Love Hemsworth, but hating Hollywood for these unnecessary reboots! • • As you all know, John Wick 3 has began filming, but incase you didn't know, Fishburne and McShane will return and Halle Berry, Asia Kate Dillon, Anjelica Huston, Mark Dacascos and Jason Mantzoukas join the cast. Buzzing for this as our boy Wick has a $14 million dollar contract on his head, we all know what that means!!! CARNAGE!! • • Dennis Villeneuve confirms 'Dune' will be released in 2 parts! • • Sesame Str...

• Gringo, 2018 • 7.9/10 • Gringo is a twisty action-comedy from brothers Joel and Nash Edgerton. It starts off as a high-energy, colourfully funny thrill-ride, but as soon as we hit the 70 minute benchmark that all starts to falter -- The jokes fail to land and the action gets tiring. Don't get me wrong, it's definetly not a bad movie. The storyline is quite complex but easy to follow (plus for me), It's full of clever twists, the action is solid and it is genuinly funny, for the most part. The two standout stars are Theron and Oyelowo. It was great seeing Theron out of her comfort zone, playing a snide, OTT, foul-mouthed biatch with all the jokes (she really hit the nail right on the head), and as for Oyelowo, he was absoluetly hilarious and had me almost crying with laughter a couple of times, I think he's found his calling. The biggest problem for me (surprisingly) was Sharlto Copley. Nash struggled to get the best out of him, completely underutilizing wha...

• Thoroughbreds, 2017/18 • 9/10 • 'Thoroughbreds' is an unsettling slow-burn debut masterpiece from writer-director, Cory Finley. Anya Taylor-Joy (Split) and Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel) are two young actresses ready to take hollywood by storm. There performances are note-perfect, and there chemistry is pure fire in this icy psychological thriller. Childhood besties, Lily (Anya) and Amanda (Olivia) have problems (to say the least), Amanda is a sociopath who over the years has taught herself to mimic human emotions because she is completely void of them all, she literally feels nothing! Lily on the other hand is probably the exact opposite, she's way to oversensitive and bloody competitive, she feels everything. When there on there own, everything's cushty. Put them together and they become fucking homicidal! As soon as the late Anton Yelchin appeared on-screen it brought an Instant fire which kicked the flick straight into 5th gear. Everything he did was amazin...

• MovieFest Marathon #9 • Full Metal Jacket, 1987 • 8.2/10 • Although this is a film about the Vietnam War, it could just as easily be about recent events. The ugly realities of war, and what soldiers have to endure before they even get there, are a timeless theme, and 'Full Metal Jacket' looks at the whole picture. There isn't really a lot of plot -- the soldiers go from training to war and they fight for their lives -- but the relationships among the men and the extremity of the situation they're in are riveting. The film captures both the excitement and the tedium of war, but ultimately loses something by not having a stronger storyline and a stronger leading man. Modine is a good actor, but he is something of a cipher here. We don't know enough about him to care deeply for him, but he's the moral center of the film. It's a well-made film that is powerful and still relevant, but it somehow doesn't quite deliver what it seems it could. P.S - I...

• Death Wish, 2018 • 3/10 • Director Eli Roth's remake of 'Death Wish' is not only awful, it's also incredibly thoughtless, brutish, and very simpleminded. It does offer a few arguments against vigilante violence, but for the most part, it wants us to root for its "hero" and hope he'll get away with his heinous crimes. Filled to the brim with shit dialogue, cliches and backed up by a god-awful script, It's boring, unoriginal and weak. On top of all that, it's stupid. For example, a "surgeon" who swore to protect and save lives shouldn't resort to killing so quickly, and especially get a kick out of it that easily, baring in mind his wife is dead and his daughter is still in a coma, dickhead. The only one thing that had a little time and care put into it was?? Can you guess, being an Eli Roth movie an all.... Yep, the gore, that was pretty much the only thing that stood out. Bravo! Skip this one!

• MovieFest Movie Marathon • Spirited Away, 2002 • 10/10 • This is a thrilling, spectacularly beautiful movie, filled with imagination, amazing animation, wonder and plenty of wit. 'Spirited Away' is an edgy portrayal of what a young girl needs to do in order to grow up and take responsibility for more than herself. Chihiro fights Yubaba, she rescues Haku and aids a wounded spirit, triumphing where others do not because she is not sidetracked by (the ample temptations of) greed. Beautiful animation, beautiful story, beautiful score, this film is 100% beautiful! Must see!