Ultimate Movie Q&A

Movie questions and answers!

Okay so I havent done a blogpost in a while so thought I'd do a movie Q&A I found via Youtuber 'EmilyGrace20' :) I added a couple more questions. Let me know if you want to make a reply, on youtube or otherwise!

Which do you prefer, movies or tv?

Oh most definitely movies. TV is good but when watching a movie you can just drift off into that other world, whereas watching TV, you're just getting into something when the ad break comes on or 'To Be Continued...' pops up. Gah.

What was your favourite movie as a child?

Oh I had a lot... my grandma used to tape movies off the television (she cut the ad breaks out, bless her). Some I can remember were a few Olsen twins movies, The Witches, Matilda, Stuart Little, a cute movie about a boy in China who tried rescuing a Panda and some other animated ones. *Cough*ToyStoryIsMyChildhood*Cough*.

What is your favourite genre of movie?

I'm quite easy when it comes to movie genres. My particular favourites are Fantasy, Sci Fi, Drama and Horror. The only movies which don't do much for me are comedy/romcommy's. If the poster has Adam Sandler on the poster I tend to steer clear.

What is your favourite movie to quote?

Oooohh... I quote a lot of movies... I'll get back to you on that.

What Movie have you seen most times?

Probably the Harry Potter's. I could probably quote the entire film before the lines are said. It's only fun when you do that around others though but Mother kicks me out when I do that. I've seen Twister a lot too thats another film I could probably quote in it's entirety. It's a guilty pleasure of mine. 

What is the weirdest movie you've ever seen?

Weird. Well all the films I think of as being weird fit into the category below... errr... I thought Beetlejuice was weird the first time I saw it but that was years ago haha. 

What is the most disturbing movie you've ever seen?

I quite like watching 'disturbing' films, mainly to test myself to see if I have a limit. So far I have not but if anyone cares to challenge me then proceed, peasant! So The Human Centipede 1&2, Cannibal Holocaust and A Serbian Film were pretty twisted, but I have a twisted mind. I dip my McDonalds chicken nuggets in my strawberry milkshake. I know. Twisted.

Has a movie ever given you nightmares?

Hah when I was a kid there were a few but they never gave me 'nightmares'. More like creepy dreams. I don't scare very easily. But to name a few: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (darn Oompa Loompas), The Amityville Horror and Lake Placid. Oh and Jaws. But folks remember I must have been 9, 10, 11 years old. 

Has a movie ever made you cry?

Oh hell yes. I'll just name some, you can probably guess which parts made me cry: Toy Story 3, Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2 "After all this time? Always", Titanic, Gladiator "I will see you again. But not yet.", Braveheart, American Beauty "But don't worry... you will someday.", Pan's Labyrinth, The Impossible, Big Fish "My girl in the river." Forrest Gump, Cast Away "You're the love of my life!", My Sister's Keeper, Precious and I'll stop because I'm tearing up thinking about them...

Movie you love but everyone hates

I love Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes and everyone seems to not like it. The critics certainly didn't. I still prefer the '68 version but I love Mr Burton still. I also liked Sleeping Beauty with Emily Browning. I love the Scary Movie series as well. Not looking forwards to 5 without Anna Faris though. She completely made them!

Movie you hate but everyone loves

As previously mentioned Im not keen on comedy films like The Hangover, Paul, Shaun of the Dead (tried watching but couldnt get more than 10 minute in). 

Classic movies you've never seen

Oh too many. I am ashamed. Casablanca, Gone With The Wind, Citizen Kane, 2001 A Space Odyssey etc etc. In fact out of AFI's top 10 '100 Movies' list, I've only seen 2. Uh uh...

Movie you regret watching

I don't regret watching movies very often but one movie I thought was dire, possibly the worst film I've ever seen is Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. The sequel to The Blair Witch Project. The unimaginative scares, the wooden acting the sham of a plot, everything was so bad it was almost laughable. I read the wikipedia synopsis before seeing the movie and it sounded alright but it wasn't. 

Movie you recommend

A LOT! Any movie on Empire's 500 list is good enough for me! ;)

Thanks for reading!

Mini Review: Alien (1979)

Empire's 33nd Greatest Movie:

Alien - 8.0/10

"In space no one can hear you scream." Well alone, that tagline would have me reaching for the light switch. But you guys know I'm made of much tougher stuff. Alien (1979) is a creepy and atmospheric horror movie which Ridley Scott has directed well. After tracing an unknown signal, and the famous 'chestburster' scene, the Alien escapes leading to a Jaws-like cat and mouse situation which does not bode well for the crew of the Nostromo. In the time before Avatar-like CGI, Alien still proves more scary than most horror films and Sigourney Weaver is completely in her own as Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley. This sci-fi classic totally deserves 8.0/10.

Mini Review: Spirited Away (2001)

Empire's 339th Greatest Movie:

Spirited Away - 7.5/10

The second film I ordered though Lovefilm was Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2001), a Japanese animated tale about a girl who becomes trapped in an alternate spirit world after wandering away from her parents. Crafty animation, a creative storyline and a beautiful score, this was a unique film to experience and would be an entertaining treat for all ages. Paying too much attention to the subtitles was quite annoying but can't be helped. Characters Yubaba: ruler of the Spirit world, Haku: Yubaba's apprentice and of course Chihiro herself were standout characters, and so while a little slow st the start for my liking, this mysteriously fantasical film soon impressed, earning 7.5/10.

Mini Review: Singin' In The Rain (1952)

Empire's 8th Greatest Movie:

Singin' In The Rain - 9.0/10

I watched the first film on my movie bucket list, which I ordered through Lovefilm, Singin' In The Rain (1952), about a silent film crew's and their evolution into making sound films, with some hurdles along the way. I gave it a hearty 9.0/10. It was a charming film with many laugh-out-loud scenes, too many to count but some stand out scenes were the infamous 'Singing In the Rain' dance scene with Gene Kelly, 'Make Em Laugh' performed by Donald O'Connor, the heartfelt ending and of course the hilariously devious simple minded Lina Lamont. Recommended for anyone feeling a little down in the dumps.  

Mini Review: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Empire's 436th Greatest Movie:

Beauty and the Beast - 8.5/10

I know what your thinking. I'm 20, I 'love Disney' yet I hadn't seen Beauty and the Beast? Never fear though, because not 5 minutes ago I finished watching it. Beautiful work by Disney I have to say, but then again, Disney movies from that 'Golden era' of the 80's/90's never cease to impress. The story was elegant, the characters enchanting, the songs were catchy and I agree that this is one of Disney's crowning moments in film making. Just a simple fairy tale story yet it captures the imagination and hearts of children and adults alike. 

So Many Movies...

Okay so I'm on a mission to watch and review every film on Empire's 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. 

(Empire's link here)

(My list which I'm gradually ticking off)

In the second link I've highlighted movies I've seen already. I know I call myself a film fan, yet I haven't seen many on the list which is why i have this blog. The list was created in 2008 so obviously movies made after that have been omitted, but if I watch a film made after 2008 which I believe should go on the list, I'll review it. I will write a mini-review (literally a paragraph long), and mark it out of 10. 

On my old blog, I already started a similar project, however with the Internet Movie Database's list, however as new movies are released they are added which throws the whole list out of whack so Empire's was chosen. 

If you have any inquiries, constructive criticism, or would just like to say how much you like reading my blog, please leave a comment! Or you can email me at:
audavita@gmail.com

Thankyou!

Film Review - Les Misérables (2012)

Les Misérables - 8.5/10

A spectacularly directed musical with bravura performances from a talented cast.

I've been looking forwards to this musical since I saw the teaser trailer back in August before The Dark Knight Rises. I saw it last night and was blown away. There was a lot resting on the shoulders of director Tom Hooper, but with an all star cast and one long gripping story, we all had faith. And sure enough, this movie did not disappoint. 

Set against 19th century Paris in the midst of a revolution, Jean Valjean is a freed convict-turned-Mayor who finds himself relentlessly pursued by Inspector Javert and on the way meets factory worker Fantine, whose now grown up daughter in Valjean's care falls in love with student revolutionary Marius Pontmercy against the backdrop of the 1832 Paris Uprising.

The Cast:

Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean: The 'star of the show' as it were, Jackman makes this role his own, with sincere performances that suit his voice and while there are people who could have sung the songs better than him, the fragile element of his voice convinces me that he's just an honest man with a tarnished reputation who wants to move on.

Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert: While Crowe is undoubtedly the weakest cast member voice-wise, there were some scenes when I saw him and felt his character. Although he was among some more talented singers, he still came across to me as a good actor, maybe for a non-musical version but I can think of better people who could have portrayed the complex character with a little more dexterity.

    

Anne Hathaway as Fantine: Anne really came into this role. Her raw, heartfelt rendition of the song we've all come to know and love: I Dreamed A Dream was second to none and no doubt Oscar worthy. Shot in one take with one camera, the close ups of her battered, bruised face and the tears in her eyes no doubt had half the audience crying with her. One of, if not the best performance of this character I've heard or seen.

Amanda Seyfried as Cosette: Seyfried, while maybe not everyone's first choice to play Cosette nevertheless won me over with her childlike innocence and her chemistry with Marius, although they had limited screentime together. Her impossibly high notes also impressed.

Samantha Barks as Eponine: Barks really was made for this role, having played it on stage before. As her debut film too, she really made it her own and stole the audience with her song 'On My Own'. As a West End singer you could tell she was holding back voice-wise but that didn't stop her. I felt her death scene was a little rushed, however but Barks completely came into this character and was a natural in front of the camera.

Eddie Redmayne as Marius: Adorable Eddie as Marius, the student revolutionary who falls head over heels with Cosette. Another Oscar-worthy performance who, I think, has been slightly overlooked. His performance of 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables' was sad and you could hear the regret in his voice over his dead friends. Another bravura performance.

Sacha Baron Cohen & Helena Bonham Carter as thhe Thenardiers: These two were made to play the Thenardiers. Adding just the right amount of comic relief in the film really made them stand out as crooked innkeepers, and their shining song 'Master of the House' is one I was especially looking forward to, and it did not disappoint. Kudos to them both.

The Film:

 One of the best things about this film was the choice to record singing live on set rather than in a studio. You could hear the cold in the voices, hear the anguish and heartbreak, rather than a determination to lip sync properly that the manufactured voices of some movies seem to have, and it added a heightened sense of realism to the movie that many others lack. The little imperfections made them more relatable, which is probably why half the theatre were singing along with the revolutionaries, crying to the dreams she dreamed and laughing with the Thenardiers. Hooper's direction, too was second to none, as the prospect of actors singing live on a scale this big is intimidating enough to make anyone quiver, but he managed it and managed it well. The special effects are explosive, artistic, and I'll mention it again, the amazing cast performances were the icing on top of the cake. Overall, the scale of this production and the hype around it are quite unnecessary: it would still be a great adaptation of one of the best musicals of all time. 

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