Sunday, May 25, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - X-Men: Days of Future Past (2D Version)


After the huge success of X-Men: First Class it is no surprise that a sequel (of sorts gets made). To say there is a lot of superhero films around at present that would be an understatement. After seeing The Amazing Spiderman recently and not being that impressed to Captain America around a month ago & really enjoying some Chris Evans action, today was the day for the next superhero instalment.

So what's it like?


Look the cast is beyond epic!  Jackman as Wolverine, McAvoy/Stewart as Professor X, Fassbender/McKellen as Magneto plus Lawrence, Berry, Page, Paquin and so many people from film or TV shows you will just be like, hey!

So it's not as good as First Class and it totally is just like a stand alone film which does not need to fit into the series. I am almost positive the next one will follow another film (this one or First Class) more closely like a sequel but for now, fear not if you haven't seen first class or the original trilogy this is totally a separate feature.

Peter Dinklage as the villain is great and his Game of Thrones fame has really taken him a long way. Jennifer Lawrence to me is sublime as Raven/Mystique. She for me was my favourite, Jackman was a little too muscle bound and Ellen Page was actually extremely irritating.

So this is a couple of hours of pure popcorn escapism, a couple of hours is actually too long and they do try and cram a bit too much in, but hey look the action scenes are well executed and the cast as above is just amazing.

X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2D cause I basically don't love 3D films, is a 3 star film, it's not life changing but it's well acted and a bit of fun.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Wentworth Season 2 - How does it stack up?


So I was super duper impressed by Season One of the stunning Wentworth on SOHO, now it's time for the tricky second season. It's already been renewed for a third so it has no one to impress but it's viewers and this lucky viewer has already seen the first three episodes.

I must say I did have a bit of a memory lapse of all the excitement and plot developments of series one, but the opener and the following two episodes of Wentworth did not disappoint. There is a lot of ground to cover and the cast including new comer Pamela Rabe as "The Freak" is divine and oh so freaky!

When she is on the screen you can't take your eyes off her and her creepy style as the new Governor. The last creepy Governor was on the Walking Dead but Pamela Rabe is just super tight lipped.

Let's have a quick viewing of the trailer:



Danielle Cormack as Be a and Nicola de Silva as Franky are just brilliant as per their performances in season one and Robbie Magasiva continues to be the most handsome prison guard on Australian television.

Australian TV has been a sticking point for me over recent years and the mounting reality bullshit has shown networks have neglected intelligent and interesting dramas for rubbish like "When Love comes to Town". Excuse me while I commit at that title.

We all saw what is happening at Ten and they are among the worst with their reality line up looking like a horror movie of titles:

The Biggest Loser - DOA
Everybody Dance Now - DOA
So You Think You Can Dance - DOA
Masterchef - I think this will have to be the last year surely

TV networks should look at Wentworth and take a leaf out of Foxtel's book, cast a show well, don't play safe and confront your audience, tell them a story that is real and heartfelt.

Wentworth deserves a lot of praise and I am going to give it, if Foxtel has one thing right it may not be the Real Housewives of Melbourne but Wentworth like previous dramas Tangle, Love My Way & Satisfaction this is top notch stuff.

Tune in Tuesday's on SOHO for this truly outstanding Aussie drama.

Monday, May 19, 2014

RE: I predict a lot more protests in coming months


So the little protest I saw was part of a larger affair which took up Sydney's street's all the way past Central Park and onto Broadway. After stopping at Broadway shops I heard a lady with a very clever sign inform me that the next protests by the March in March and March in May protests will be in June and August. I will keep an eye on this as the news only seemed interested in portraying the arrests, however as a person on the scene and less the spin, it was a peaceful all ages enough is enough good old fashioned protest.

Took me back to the days I rallied against that vile Pauline Hanson. I will always remember wagging school with a sign "Ditch the Bitch from Ipswich", juvenile I know but I like to think that in some way this helped put Pauline Hanson into the position she is in today? Nowhere land, thank god.

Maybe in 5 or 10 years Mr Abbott will also be in nowhere land?





Sunday, May 18, 2014

I predict a lot more protests in coming months


Working in a company where sales and spending habits are looked at only a daily basis it is interesting to see the difference one week can make. Last week (week commencing 5 May 2014) spending in this fine nation was at an all time high with Mothers Day 2014, now a week later with the 2014 budget delivered spending has dropped and people's attitudes towards spending have changed and tempers have flared.

So much so I have noticed a change in the Daily Telegraph and their general love of the liberal government. Calling Tony Abbott out on his broken promises and giving old Joe Hockey a run for his money.


Headlines like this are a far cry from:


It strikes me as I may have been right from day one, Mr Abbott would be popular for a small amount of time after the election he had in the bag after a large campaign run by News Limited but the love would simply fade like the old Black Eyed Peas hit.



It is a sad state of affairs this country is now in. We have been delivered an interesting (if anything budget), a media circus and a campaign of fear of doom and gloom. Are we a country in a huge mess, well actually no. Today I visited a display home in inner Sydney where I was told all studios and one bedroom units up to the price of $1,000,000 were completely sold out. This large new development had completely sold out of it's extensive range of housing options priced only for people living in a country where it's financial situation is a long shot away from the disastrous position a lot of local media are reporting.

Australia is a lucky country but if we think heading to an American solution of health cover and university fees are the way to go we may as well follow their lead and sell guns in K-Mart.

I walked past a small group of protesters in the city today and I have a feeling this is only the start of things to come. The way the Abbott government have this country moving we will be back in the 1950's with a very Howard government American feel.

I am all for America to visit, I couldn't stand living there unless I was fucking rich and knew if I got sick my credit card limit could cover me and I lived in an area where dogs unnumbered dogs. And actually an area where Christians also had a small presence, after seeing the reaction to the recent NFL draft I think being gay in such a god adoring country would be scary as all fuck.

So Australia will protests become a feature on the nightly news more frequently in 2014? Yes I do believe so with social alliances raiding Q&A and then Sydney Uni, I can see Christopher Pyne saying this word a lot more frequently in parliament and in front of Bronwyn Bishop, how rude!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - Godzilla (2014 film - 2D Version)


Why make another version of Godzilla when it feels like only yesterday "Deeper Underground" was a hit song on the radio from the soundtrack by the one and the only Jamiroquai. Yes 1998 was a different year, this soundtrack featured bands who were massive back in the late 90's Silverchair, Ben Folds Five, Rage against the Machine & more. So in 2014 with no new music as a promotional tool how does the film go?

Well not bad actually, and here is a taste.



Former Malcolm in the Middle Star and Breaking Bad anti hero Bryan Cranston leads the cast (in the first half) and his son Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who I did not recognise as Kick Ass) kills it in the second half.

The smartest of the three Olsen sisters also proves longevity might not be in her sisters blood but she is making all the right decisions. I see her and Taylor-Johnson are both cast in the upcoming big budget Avengers sequel.

I have to say when I originally months ago saw the trailer I thought I would give this a miss but when there is this and Chef on at present I went with Godzilla.

I am happy I took the plunge, and happy I also avoided the 3D money making version. There is no need for 3D with most of these big budget action films.

Look I hope to god though this is a standalone film and no sequels are coming because as far as monster films go this was all right. It was fun, well acted and well cast.

I have to say the action scenes were also well done and I found myself right in the action.

Godzilla a bit of fun for an Autumn outing, 3 Stars.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

RE: A Weekend of US Tele movies {AUSSIE TELE MOVIES}


A little less than a year ago I had a weekend of US tele movies, this weekend I had my fair share of Aussie ones.

I started off watching in a few parts The Broken Shore with a great cast of Aussie folk who get their fair share of roles in this country. Don Hany stars as the main role and Claudia Karvan just pitches in for some solid support.



Noni Hazlehurst, Catherine McClements, Dan Wyllie & Robyn Nevin all stared too. It was a well cast and at times disturbing piece which really aligned itself with the Royal Commission against child abuse.

Next up was another crime and this time it was over to the commercial networks for The Killing Field with Australia's darling Rebecca Gibney.



Peter O'Brien co stars as well as Aussie Spartacus star Liam McIntyre.

I do love a murder mystery and Secrets & Lies did this so well recently, so it was very interesting to see how this was done. It's great to see Australian's taking a chance on drama and giving reality TV the good break it does well and truly deserve.

I just really want more drama's and Australian produced product like this to surface as clearly days of Australian Feature Films are well and truly over.

To a review on each, both were great in different ways and again I would love more of this drama on our screens and less reality on our screens. Speaking of which I vowed to dump negative posts but I did retrieve a good post on the Voice I discovered the other day, check it out here.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro {2D}


It started out good, not great but good and then it just begun to be a by the numbers run of the mill Superhero junket.

Here is the trailer.



So these are a bit better than the original 3 films starring my favourite James Franco however this film just felt like it was an obligation due to the first one making a few bucks.

Andrew Garfield is fine as the lead and Emma Stone was cute as the love interest but for me Jamie Foxx just did not make a good villain. Also Electro and the final showdown was really underwhelming for a 2 hour plus film.

I am surprised another 2 films plus a potential spin off is already on the way. There is so many other superhero films coming that I feel one day one of these films will be a right flop and the next Spider-Man might be it.

The Amazing Spider-Man it might not be amazing but it was a bit of fine. I give it a pass mark 2.5 Stars.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - Bad Neighbours


Zac Efron V Seth Rogan, no competition I go for Zac Efron any day...



How f'ing ripped is young Zac these days, damn baby doll. Dave Franco is also adorable and Rose Byrne, oh Rose Byrne you are wicked. Rose really stole the show, played an awesome Aussie bird and should have been paid millions for allowing Seth Rogan to pretend to penetrate her multiple times in this film.

So how is Bad Neighbours? I loved it, I saw it with four people, 2 loved it and 2 loathed it. It's kinda like if you liked Zac in High School the Musical, you will hate this, if you liked This is the End with Dave Franco's handsome bro James Franco, you'll enjoy this. Maybe even laugh a little.

This was an impressive film, I laughed almost as much as Bridesmaids (Rose Byrne you did it again doll) and at no point was I bored. It only runs for 97 minutes so it does not out stay it's welcome and I truly think this film will kill it at the box office.

Not just appealing to 14 year men, this will get the ladies in with Zac's near nude scenes and that body, oh that body.

Bad Neighbours, it was a fun Monday movie, I want to see it again and I strongly recommend it to you dear readers, yeah I'm doing it 5 fucked up mother fucking swear jar overload big fat stars.

Night, night x

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Channel Ten - Why?


OK so in the media lately (Media Watch, online news articles etc) Channel Ten has had a bad wrap, yes it has some of the worst shows currently screening:

Wake Up
Masterchef
So You Think you Can Dance (Rating wise - it was OK but this format died a while back, do we all remember Everybody Dance Now? Or on this statement did Channel 10 learn anything from that expense Kelly Rowland project?)
Offspring (I so preferred her in Love My Way)
The Biggest Loser
Studio Ten

Is that enough for now? That said I recently ran a post on Secrets & Lies, it was a truly wonderful 6 part drama series and now I have just had a binge viewing of Puberty Blues - Season 2 and man this is great. I forgot how wonderful the show was round one, but this season has really built on the last one.

Claudia Karvan is always wonderful and Susie Porter is brilliant this season. The two lead girls are great too but for me it's the adults who still the spotlight. Rodger Corser is a five star heritage asshole and plays this so well.

So Channel Ten I have been cruel in the past but really with these two drama shows and some other dramas which with work could also be potentially watchable (Offspring and Wonderland)this network's share price could go up from $0.25 to maybe $1.00 at least?

Channel Ten there is a lot of noise about dull reality shit so maybe shelf this and focus on some quality drama you have at your fingertips. Become a little more HBO and a little less poor man's Channel 7 or 9. Cooking and renovation shows are on the way out, dance has left the building and singing shows have little future, so keep up the good work with dramas and I hope, I pray the viewers will come.

Come on Channel Ten, until next time, happy Sunday x

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - Transcendence


Called one of the worst movies of the year and Johnny Depp's fourth flop in a row. Look I didn't mind The Lone Ranger, I couldn't be stuffed with Dark Shadows and yes the 21 Jump Street remake was pure shit (however I will give 22 Jump Street a go) but this was really not that bad.

It wasn't great either but the reviews have been a little unfair and a little bit harsh.

The cast on paper is good, Depp, Freeman, Kate Mara & Cillian Murphy, but the story is a little blah and too be honest it's about 30 minutes long.



Look if you like sci-fi you will probably like this film however if you don't maybe go see an advance screening of Bad Neighbours this weekend (I am seeing it Monday - so expect a review Tuesday or so) or catch up with The Other Woman which is fun (again despite those critics).

So to the star rating, this rates a rather average and just pass mark 2.5 Depp needs a hit film stars.

Also did you see this trailer come through during the week:



Happy Saturday PM viewing.

Night folks x

Oh dear BLOG how I have missed you..


And I will do a longer update when I don't have birthday brunch to jump off to however on Flashing off the Record, Chet Faker's divine new record is my second album of the year nomination for 2014, read more here.

Heres to the weekend, getting off to see a film or two, and kicking back. A huge happy birthday to Cathy T and thanks for a divine night last night.

Belinda you old bitch, happy 32nd for Tuesday coming C U N Tuesday please. And last but not least Robert totally sorry I missed your birthday during the week, happy birthday mate!

Will write more later but for now it's time for some Puberty Blues after catching up with the Following Season 2 Finale, nowhere near as good as last seasons finale, Bates Motel pre finale episode (so it took 9 episodes to discover Norman was the killer from last season, lame) and The Americans I am actually just not that into this series as much as the first.

And speaking of telly, True Blood and Orange is the New Black make their way back to our screens next month.

Until next spare five minutes, catch you later folks x