Sunday, August 31, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - Magic in the Moonlight


How delightful seeing a Woody Allen film on a Sunday morning. Magic in the Moonlight is his latest and it stars the dreamy Emma Stone and one of my least favourites Colin Firth. But together they are charming.

Jackie Weaver also shows Woody Allen likes his Aussie ladies after the wonderful Cate B shimmered in his previous masterpiece Blue Jasmine.



The film is just sublime and super easy to watch. The old school music that kicks off at the start and the end just make this a real film experience from start to conclusion.

Emma Stone is just simply wonderful in this picture, she shines and her wardrobe is divine.

It's a well made film with some wonderful one liners, 97 minutes in running time too which always ticks a box for me although near the end after a speedy straight to the point start it does feel a little long. However this soon passes and the end credits roll.

The film is good light entertainment and one I could really recommend to all. Probably my age bracket (30+) and above would be more than at home with this picture.

The all important star rating, let's give this a bright and light 3.75 Stars for this Magic in the Moonlight.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Spring is in the Air


Thank god this Sunday marks the end of one hell of a long Winter 2014. My god I can hardly wait until Spring 2014 and more importantly Summer 2014/2015. Most importantly I can't wait to bring you the real Sydney Festival 2015 again (last year in January grab a look at some of the good stuff Sydney had to offer)

I really love Summer now Winter I just get lazy as all shit. I do hope to complete another Sugar (more like sweet free) September so keep your eyes on the BLOG for lot's of healthy shit on this BLOG next month.

So as Spring looms and over on my other BLOG Flashing off the Record you can see September music lists all September long! Also this week you could have caught my review to the wonderful Courtney Love at Sydney's Enmore Theatre.

So what does Spring bring? New boot camp, a trip to the USA and maybe even a few surprises. I am super pumped to go all travel BLOG again whilst over in the USA and I will have a countdown on this BLOG in the lead up to the big trip.

So until my weekend of Lady Gaga and the Central Coast, peace out folks x

Monday, August 25, 2014

Alan Ball - what has become of you


So I just watched the final EVER episode of True Blood. I want those seven years of my life back. I have recently said this series has been truly dreadful but the final episode took the cake.

After Six Feet Under left our screens years ago Alan Ball's truly wonderful series had one of the best farewell episodes ever. People always refer to this as the benchmark of a way to conclude a long running show. Admitting Alan Ball did start to take the back seat when the series went a little South (not the deep South where it's based) in it's 5th Season.

After Witches, Vampires, Were Wolves, Were Panthers & more there was little left except some crazy Vampire-Zombie hybrids which was like The Walking Dead V True Blood which seemed to be a short lived after thought and nothing really came of it.

Actually come to think nothing explored this season really made much sense, yes (SPOILER ALERT) Bill, Tara and Alcide all came to their true ends but Eric & Pam, such shit endings, like Sarah Newlin, just lame, the Japanese gangsters was quickly just washed away. Jason's random hook up after Hoyt rejected some Alaskan bird was just weird and lazy and Hoyt + Jessica's wedding was just boring and over long.

Too be honest I could have just switched off, but I am a finisher and I have stuck with this for 6 previous seasons and truly seasons 1-4 were wonderful. Yes even the witches (superb) was more watchable than this drawn out non conclusive seasons. Even the Dexter season 8 finale was a masterpiece compared to this. It is a great argument for shows to end when they are on a high and not like True Blood on an extreme low.

The Bill death scene was just over long and so boring. I wanted to jump in that grave and stake the mother fucker myself.

True Blood Season 7 episode 10, what a fucking red hot mess. So disappointing.


Sunday, August 24, 2014

Tommy Little is... Funny


I haven't been to Sydney's Comedy store in a while and it was a nice return to a good show by young Tommy Little. And by young and in his own words 29 is not young, young but still young enough for old comedy fans to think he has some growth time.

Tommy's latest show is Middleclass Gangster, it's not controversial, it's polite and almost Rove like comedy. He swears but he never goes over the line despite saying their is casual racism in his show. For $30 a ticket and an hour of your time you can be sure Tommy is going to deliver and with the friendly 7pm time slot I was in heaven.

Tommy as well is not bad looking which almost makes the hour not only funny but east on the eye.



Tommy has had a couple of appearances on the ABC in Time of Our Lives appearing as the divine Claudia Karvan's rebound and in the recent episode of Back Seat Drivers, he now is also hitting 6% of Melbourne folk on breakfast radio on the NOVA network.

Like Sydney NOVA is not doing so great and the sounds different quote is not really ringing true, it's a little more like sounds similar.

That aside Tommy is a media figure on the way up, whether it's the indie ABC way and on the road to replacing the likes of Will Anderson and Adam Hills (although fellow up start Josh Earl already tried) or a new version of Merrick & Rosso, Tommy Little is on a roll.

His show, funny all the way and not over the top offensive trying too hard. That said I think if Tommy does play his cards right (which at the end of the show he sells coffee mugs and shakes your hand on the way out) I think this guy is one to watch. Being managed as well by Australia's hottest comedy producers Token does hurt either.

Tommy Little hell yes I will be seeing you in Sydney next time, what a champ and a seemingly nice and normal dude off the stage too well done.

Whilst we are on comedy some other ace gigs to look out for in Sin City:

Former Spicks & Specks Host JOSH EARL

JOEL CREASEY is rude and crude, and that's the way I like comedy.

RHYS NICHOLSON has attitude, good and his a Sydney local even better check him out.

MATT OKINE co-hosts Breakfast on JJJ and has a little more reach than Tommy on the radio thing and recently shared a pic showing he has a short tail, weird but true.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - The Expendables 3


Sequel to The Expendables & The Expendables 2, the 2014 version is slightly longer, has a smaller budget than the previous film and has introduced some new characters.

Each film has gotten slightly longer and the problem with that is action films need to be tight. This one the longest is not tight at all, I did miss the very start of the film due to my lateness plus a trainee on the checkout but still the start is great, then it lacks excitement, then it picks up and so on.

The first film was well rounded at 99 minutes, the second added 4 minutes (like the Madonna song) and now from 99 minutes to 126 is a little overblown. Yes the action scenes are still well done but the added extras were just a little average and under cooked. The one line jokes fall flat as and some of the acting is D grade at best.

Let's go retro for my prior reviews on films one and two for a minute, I in the day gave both of these films 3 Stars which is fairly nice really right? This film however I may have to be a bit more honest and harsh as to say I am really horrified by the fact another 2 possible sequels are on the way plus a lady one. Oh brother.

I gave the trailer a spin in a prior blog entry below so I won't bore you with it again now, so let's just say The Expendables 3, may not be a great film but it's action scenes are pleasing and not over the top with gore. Kind of a flash back to the 80's, 90's before good special effects and make up.

I am torn should I continue to give these average mega guest starring films 3 Stars or should I be honest to you dear readers and say this is truthfully a 2.5 Star film. Yes it's $10 this week long at Hoyts and that's really all one should pay for this.

Otherwise the Inbetweeners 2 is showing and despite the reviews the first one actually surprised me and I enjoyed it on a flight from here to someone else far, far away.

Enjoy the weekend and see you at Tommy Little tonight.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

The Weekend is almost here (thank fuck)


The weekend is a fish fart away and I have to say that is a good thing. A week that has seen Australian stage celebrated at Sydney's Capitol Theatre (I can hear ten show queens and a few fag hags out there saying "I am still hungover and wasn't the Lion King's track lovely), Clive Palmer and Lambie take on China, so much new music has been released and the music festival avalanche for 2014/2015 begins.

Weekends are amazing and this weekend if your in the mood for a film The Expendables 3 is the Hoyts $10 film of the week, take a look below:



God I can't wait to see it. Also at the end of this weekend start of next week True Blood finally comes to an end after a fucking terrible mess of a final season. All I can say is WHY?



Remember Alan Ball's first TV masterpiece Six Feet Under and it's wonderful send off? Let's only hope the last episode resolves the whole, Bill, Eric & Sookie series 7 snore fest, what will become of Jason? Actually I just can't wait till I can close this chapter in my life, it has been such a chore to watch each episode this season. So depressing!

Anyway back to weekends and what else is good about weekends:

- Lazy morning sleep ins.
- Being able to drink a coffee slowly and kick back and relaxing whilst not worrying about this fucking rain and getting from place to place.
- Binge TV viewing.
- Watching Nicki Minaj's Anaconda music video on repeat???



Have you seen this? Originally the CD single cover was bad enough:


Like for real? Are you serious? This is just to much, like how clean is that G String? I just feel nasty looking at her butt. And then the video and the lyrics, so random and so in the front running for the most random and novelty song of 2014. Like you can't take this at all seriously?

I am sure I once blogged about Nicki originally being fierce on the Kanye track "Monster" and now this below par pop/porn. She is an interesting creature but the young girls like her. Expect more prostitutes coming to a street corner near you. I love disposable pop culture.

We have so much reality TV, music is so poorly valued and films are downloaded by the dozen on the Torrents so why value the arts hey!

Back off my high horse and I do hope to bring you a film review this weekend however I will be busy:

Tommy Little at the amazing Sydney's Comedy Store on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon some Bridgeclimb before Courtney Love at Sydney's amazing Enmore Theatre. So we will see, if anything I am really dying to see the Expendables 3. I am 90% sure I saw one of these films in a lovely Thai cinema.

So dear readers have yourselves a lovely weekend and give that Nicki Minaj clip a look if you need a laugh, man she is all sorts of tacky.

G Night....

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Q&A Performance Reviews


Last night's Q&A is again getting lot's of press this morning, it's again proving intellectual discussion is far more interesting that bogans in a Glasshouse or the next big popstar (or maybe someone who sells around 1,200 albums in their first week and then fades, fades away very quickly and suddenly, like the record label never actually heard of them) yes Clive Palmer turned it up last night!

So here is my David & Margaret star rating for each panelist last night:

Heather Ridout - A woman who spoke truths, backed it up with facts and spoke extremely well. Yes she was compassionate like me and actually cared about the youth of this nation so I give her a glowing 4 stars.

John Falzon - Like Heather spoke truths about the recent (doomed) budget and Joe Hockey's constant incompetence and also looked at the reality of society with these strong measures. 4 Stars.

Warren Truss - Deputy Prime Minister and pull the Liberal line. Clearly out classed, under prepared and out classed by fellow panelists. It's not that I am not willing to listen to Liberal points of view it's just they never make sense and can never be backed up with hard facts (unless from the 1950's) and to be honest he looked as though he couldn't give a shit. He has a driver, a large super waiting for him, so what's the point sit it out and hope the uneducated continue to vote for tired old slogans like Stop the Boats. 1 Star.

Penny Wong - Flawless as always, she admits Labor made mistakes (and my god have they ever with refugees, if you didn't try to be popular you would have allowed people in and process people efficiently saving millions of dollars and keeping people out of dreadful detention centres) but she also backs up here arguments and engages in the questioner and answers the question. Both Truss and Palmer lacked question answering last night. Wong is a superstar, a role model to women, gays and people in general. She is a fantastic public speaker and has great confidence and someone who I would love to be a potential leader of what could be an amazing nation. 4.5 Stars

Clive Palmer - It's like he had Lambie do a quick survey around Harris Street pre show and asked people what they wanted to hear Clive say tonight and then he rolled it out like a theatresports performance. Palmer has made headlines this morning with an attack on the Chinese Government and could help QA as a show continue to grow viewers and audience involvement. It's been a year for Q&A this year, in studio protest against Pyne, controversial panelists and now Palmer. As much as I wanted to believe he is here for the good of the country I think he says a lot that he know will be popular in the headlining grabbing general public. 2 Stars.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - Guardians of the Galaxy {3D}


Marvel are on fire, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Solider and now Guardians of the Galaxy, all have done/doing well at the cinemas. This film also has the added bonus of it's 80's MixTape soundtrack which is also doing OK business at the shops right about now.

Chris Pratt is largely likeable and the opening scene is not what I was expecting it was actually a bit moving. The remainder of the Guardians are also good in their different roles.

I gave 3D a go on this picture and it was actually a worthy 3D film. I do not say that about many films in 2014 when every second film is 3D now.

This movie has received such wonderful reviews the world over so it was just a must see at the movies event.



The entire second half of the film to me felt like a set up for a sequel and surprise, surprise there is already talk of a sequel but not for some time. We have Avengers 2 and Ant Man still to come. Avengers will clearly be another hit but how will Ant Man fair? It's almost like Reality TV when will enough super hero be enough? Or is this the one genre that just keeps on giving?

Currently Super Hero films for the studios are a super firm and sure thing bet to return on their investment. In the day of so many films on offer, piracy, world films at most peoples finger tips this is a super competitive time for the cinema.

Back to the review however as I always get side tracked but I also had to look to the musical Wicked for Gamora who is entirely Green and her sister is Blue. Both are bad to start but the Green one turns out to be OK and becomes a Guardian of the Galaxy.

Nice to also see young Glenn Close in this big budget flick and also just pulling it off with ease. What a diva.

Guardians of the Galaxy isn't the best Marvel film to date but the action sequences are top notch, their is some cute one liners in the mix and as much as it was a little long it was setting you up for a bigger picture.

Guardians of the Galaxy it's a great little cold, wet Winter film, 3.5 Galaxy Stars.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - Begin Again


After making Once (and with this commencing in Melbourne - the Musical version next month) John Carney is no doubt a talented man and Begin Again is his latest effort. I enjoyed this a great deal. I do love music as my BLOG Flashing off the Record may suggest.

Now Bad Neighbours for a long time has been my favourite film of 2014 for a long time now but something has finally come along and taken it's place. Yes Begin Again a musical drama is just so damn good.

Who needs large budgets and big action sequences when a simple plot of girl meets boy, boy gets famous and leaves you in NYC is so much more interesting and fulfilling to watch. Yes I am a softy and love the music and use of Cee Lo Green and the damn sexy Adam Levine in this pic staring the divine Mark Ruffalo (last impressing the pants off me in The Normal Heart) and the usually irritating Keira Knightly does not once annoy you. She charms and shows she has indie cred.


This film is just great, Ruffalo and Knightly's characters and their relationships feel so real and you really lose yourself in each of their stories.

I can not recommend this film strongly enough, it mad me want to realise my dream (whatever that is) and reach for the stars, it inspired me at the end of this winter to make, create or just damn well do something fantastic.

The songs featured are choice and the NYC back drop is just divine. Good timing as I plan a trip to the States in October of this year. Anything to get away from fucking Team Australia. Cute pic below right?

Anyway back to the film and this is an outstanding film and will totally feature somewhere in my end of year lists and good mentions.

If you are a lover of music, good story telling and life in general this picture is for you, can't say enough good stuff about it, but get off your butt and check it out. Yes I'm doing it 5 GLOWING Stars.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The end is nigh for Singing Competitions and it's all in the numbers


A new format show called Rising Star is really smelling a lot like the end is on the cards for reality TV and it's not only Rising Star with bad news this week.

The Voice Australia's winner CD sales really sucked. I reported over on my music loving blog Aussie music was healthy, but maybe not so much for reality stars. Young Anja only sold 1,952 copies of her lame debut album.

This is no doubt the Voice failed to get that much interest in 2014, the tour also had to discount to get bums on seats and god help the Voice Kids tour. And not to mention the Voice Kids record.

With X Factor now in the final 12 how will their winners album sell? Nothing can be as lame as Anja's debut. I mean CD sales are bad Sia reportedly only sold 50,000 copies of her record in the US the week it went to number one. For a population of the US and Sia's exposure on Ellen and her "no publicity" or photos of her face campaign really got her good milage.

No one really buys music anymore, we all stream from sites like Soundcloud and Spotify or listen to Pandora or digital radio. It's sad one of my biggest loves is struggling to get sales, at least tours and festivals are still in some markets doing well. Stereosonic the two day epic dance festival is still kicking goals, whilst their is excitement building and plenty of rumours swirling for Laneway Festival and Soundwave.

This genre specific festivals seem to be where it's at in 2014.

So will the Voice Kids be back in 2015? Will Rising Star hit Australia? And how will the X Factor winner's album going? 1,952 copies sets the bar low, but still even as Christmas presents do the 12-18 year olds who vote want a CD or $15 for beer for Christmas?

So many questions and I have spent so long thinking about reality stars Vs real (or non reality artists). It's so hard to make it in 2014 but so many acts like Sia have been banging around for years and then bang, it hits great success or bang like Lorde at under 20 this girl is one of the biggest stars under the sun and all over the radio. So is it a great marketing team and some killer music videos or a TV show that is more likely to get you radio play and more than 1,952 sales of your debut album in it's first sales week?

I think the key is a great song, a sleek and unique look and most importantly the music needs to speak to people. Australians are good to adapt to new acts, Lana Del Rey was a huge success early on as was Pink back in her day, she was way more popular here than in her homeland of the USA.

I think handwork will always pay, in most aspects of life but particularly music and unfortunately, crying on live TV does not equal years of writing music and songs and playing gigs to 5-10 people in some shitty pub.

Sorry X Factor top 12 I think your five minutes of fame may only be one or two minutes this year.

Monday, August 11, 2014

1,800 Posts and still going strong!


Monday 11th August marks the 1,800th post and yes I am still going to continue hitting up the cinema and if your love is more of the musical variety (and I don't mean like Miss Saigon I mean MUSIC) head over to my other online home Flashing off the Record. There are loads of music lists, a weekly countdown, posts of new music and a look at the latest music news from here plus abroad.

Here on Randy Andy I will continue to rant, watch way too much TV (currentlyI am going back in time and watching my old DVD set of Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles. The short lived two season US mega action series. I believe another new Terminator series is in the works so watch this space.

I did however watch the first episode of Anzac Girls last night on ABC. To be honest I was a little bored but the sexy male cast members (mainly Dustin Clare & Todd Lasance) will probably keep me coming back for the remaining 5 episodes in the 6 season mini series.

Speaking of Australian TV and ABC the wonderful second series of The Time of Our Lives wraps up this Thursday at 8:30pm on ABC. It has been truly wonderful and inspirational. The characters are so diverse yet so compelling to watch. William McInnes has even grown on me and Stephen Curry has had some of the most heartfelt moments in this series.

So excited for Australian TV right now, Wentworth concluded a brilliant second season proving Pamela Rabe was a truly brilliant addition to the cast, Please Like Me with Josh Thomas returns this week, as does Legally Brown over on SBS tonight.

Let's support local content and keep the great stories coming on local TV and fight the reality bad guys.

So happy 1,800th post to me, it's been a long and fun journey and I will continue to post all the excitement (sometimes the lack of excitement) and random shit that swirls around my wee head.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - The Hundred-Foot Journey {Advance Screening}


Dame Helen Mirren really turns up the heat in her latest "food" drama The Hundred-Foot Journey. It's a sweet film which revolves around two restaurants in a French village. And look like last night's effort And So it Goes this really is a pensioners dream, Mirren and Food, it's like a two hour episode of Masterchef but without the tears.

It's hard to release two films both aimed squarely at the Senior Citizens of the world and hope both well succeed, with The Hundred-Foot Journey doing the advance screenings run this weekend I am sure the distributors are hoping for good old fashioned world of mouth to carry this for a strong opening next week.

This film was a lot more superior to And so it Goes, Mirren was divine and her supporting cast were divine. Let's take a look at the trailer real quick:


Like the food obsession on TV I think this like recently released Chef will do relatively well at the cinema. The love story in the background for two individuals is sweet but Oprah has her hands all over some of the cheese factor which starts to smell a bit Miss Winfrey does a do over.

It's got all the flavours of a well cast, well developed story with the lovely background of France and some delicious Indian tunes thrown in for good measure.

All in all this works and I had a good time, it ran a little long but other than a 15 cut I think this was a solid 4 star straight out of the oven touchdown. Dame Helen Mirren you have done it again!

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - And So it Goes


Old people unite, it's time for an old person's love story! Hello Michael Douglas & Diane Keaton in "And So it Goes".



David & Margaret both hated this film on this week's instalment of the at the Movies on the ABC and I sort of saw why. Yes it was rather lame, but cute at the same time. It featured the second most uncomfortable Michael Douglas sex scene after that scene in Behind the Candelabra with Matt Damon.

Look old folk may love this but with a shockingly low score on Rotten Tomatoes something tells me this film will only be on for a short period of time. Rival film Hundred-Foot Journey is also doing advance screenings this week aimed square on at the pensioners so with two films to choose from I think the pension will just cover the latest Dame Helen Mirren The Hundred-foot Journey.

Look overall this was nice light fluff for a Friday evening. I really would feel mean scoring this less than 3 Stars as overall there are some nice messages, even the oldest cranky man can turn out OK (so here's looking at you Liberal Party - come on put on a happy face and have some god damn compassion) and old people can still find love and come out with some funny one liners.

And So it Goes, it's definitely not brilliant but it's easy on the eye, 3 Golden Oldie Stars.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Australia is now run by a complete pack of lunatics


Aside from Malcolm Turnbull of course, this is just the latest in a government who will soon be less popular than the final few horror years of John Howard in power.

Even Andrew Bolt seems to be getting irritated and that's saying something. However he does remain a vile human being when you wake up to this on a Friday morning. People I know who have immigrated here have some of the most motivated parents and these people too are also some of the most motivated folk I know. It upsets me the way this country is headed to small minded and uneducated Australia. I am a proud Australian, love Australian music, film, TV and culture but don't like the negative rubbish the media (mainstream) push.

I believe in we at the end of the day are all worm feed, whether we are black, Asian, white, male, female, gay, straight, a doctor, a homeless youth, there is one thing we all have in common we all pass away and everything is history.

But enough of this, it's Friday and it's the start of the weekend and I intend to get my Park Run on, have a look at this great idea. This is what I am talking about volunteering, getting out among people and staying active, nice.

Also something nice is a silly film, this hits the cinemas next month y'all:

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

True Blood Season 7, Truly disappointing


When a seven season drama decides to call it quits there are big expectations. Dexter was recently slammed for the season 8 finale. Yes it was rather lame but overall Dexter was an extremely consistent if not anything drama. Unfortunately True Blood has been on the downward spiral since Bill turned to blood and was reborn at the end of season 5.

Season 6 was a red hot mess seeing the show's ratings never getting back to where season 5 or previous seasons had risen to.

This season started promising but after watching the most recent episode the magic has definitely left the HBO produced sexy series.

Yes even Jason Stackhouse can no longer carry this Vampire/Werewolf/Fairy/Dwarf and fuck knows what else supernatural series which has only 3 episodes left to redeem itself.

Can the show turn things around in the last three episodes? Will everything else be wrapped up and all loose ends get resolved? I don't imagine they will unless it's a movie length fast forwarded episode where it stops the nonsense and gets straight to the point.

Unfortunately True Blood may have done an additional season or two and should have just gone out on a high note. But really how often does that happen these days? Maybe some would say Breaking Bad.

So if your still in for the fucking crazy ride that is True Blood here is what next week has in stall:

Monday, August 4, 2014

Sharknado 2: The Second One {My Reaction}


Around this time last year I had an epic weekend of US Telemovies and this weekend I gave one US telemovie sequel a crack, yes Sharknado 2: The Second One. And ready and willing 2015 we will see the third Sharknado television event.



This time around it's NYC pride as the franchise takes to the streets (and air for that matter - the start featuring Kelly Osbourne is a hoot) to New York City. It's again fun and Tara Reid and Ian Ziering are just having the time of their revised career lives.

Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray joins the fun as does Vivica A Fox.

Can I wait for the third Sharknado film to land? Well this was really easy going viewing on a Saturday morning whilst putting washing away, planning the weekend and thinking why and how did this concept ever come about? How did Steve from 90210 make it again? What the hell is Tara Reid doing back on TV/film?

Enough said this is just a bit of choice shark viewing. I have always been partial to a shark film and this one although silly makes for decent viewing. If you have a spare moment the latest and definitely not the last Sharknado film is good for these under 20 degree days.

Speaking of TV, Foxtel has done it again, I saw this when catching "Lucy" at the cinema:



I am extremely excited but this and after Foxtel have killed it this year with Wentworth it looks like other than Time of Our Lives, they have drama well covered in 2014.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - Lucy


Day two of the weekend and movie two. This weekend has seen a lot of competition for the box office spend, existing high grossing flicks:

22 Jump Street
Dawn of the Planet of Apes
Hercules
Sex Tape
Transformers

And new comers:

These Final Hours - yesterday's review below, trailer further down
Guardians of the Galaxy - Advance Screenings

And finally Lucy. With the big five above you can definitely give Sex Tape, 22 Jump Street and Transformers a wide birth but the other two really are some of the finest and fun films I have seen in a while.

However Jersey Boys and Mrs Browns Boys D'Movie can definitely be missed also, Jersey Boys was overly long and had nothing on the live show and the TV show Mrs Brown's Boys looks so lame it's hard to believe their is a live show and now a god damn movie hells bells.

Anyway that's what's on at the movies but here is my review for the short and sharp 89 minute feature Lucy.

I had heard good things and also some online chatter that this sucked but I went in with a clear mind and no judgement. I do love Scarlett Johansson, but like her co star Morgan Freeman she is severely over exposed.

I can only go about two months between outings to the pictures without seeing Morgan Freeman in a film and with three more films featuring Freeman to be released by the time the year is out let's just say I am sure I will see him in another picture before too long.

Now finally to Lucy, clocking in under 1 and a half hours this movie gets to the point fast and by the time it gets there it moves swiftly to a super random ending. A good ending for a sci-fi film but slightly random.

I enjoyed the film, the action box ticker the car chase and the action scenes really were amazing. Johansson is beautiful and after her voice seduced us in Her she now seduces us as an action lead star.

Look Lucy is not the best film out at the moment, nor is it the best film of the year but overall I enjoyed it and can't wait to see Johansson in the second Avengers picture.

Lucy rates a 70% approval rating, that equals roughly 3.5 Stars.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Film Freak 2014 - These Final Hours


Screen Australia has had a massive amount of funds cut and this is highly evident with the few and far between Australian movies hitting the big screen. That and the fact the major players in the cinema game Hoyts & Event Cinemas opt to play Hollywood blockbusters wall to wall, it makes it very difficult for an Aussie film to get screen time in 2014.

That said These Final Hours has some decent session times this week and I took the time to take in the 10:40am session this AM. Not to my surprise I was joined by a mere 4 other folk who rose early on a chilly Saturday to take in an early film.

This does not help my above Australian film issue, Aussie films come out and then no one goes so major cinemas think (and sometimes rightly so) let's just put a few extra Transformers sessions on and leave Charlie's Country to the indie cinemas or their poor man cinema option in Hoyts case Cinema Paris.

So now to the film and I took in this morning and to be honest it's August so I can comfortably say this may be my favourite Australian feature of 2014. This film debuted at the Melbourne International Film Festival last year and was also a selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

Can I just say Nathan Phillips is a babe and he loves a sex scene (thank goodness) and he is currently appearing on the US version of the Bridge.



He is the main lead in this Aussie made disaster film about the end of days. He is well cast and as above is simply delicious and in the opening scene he does have an ass to die for.

He takes on the role as the hero in this highly disturbing look at Perth in the wake of the end of time. It looks at the bogans we host in this country and the desperate measures people go to in the final few hours this country has. Europe, South East Asia, America & Canada are all gone whilst Australia's are either partying, killing themselves (and their family) or just trying to survive.

It was an interesting look at what would potentially happen if the Earth was coming to an end (Global Warming Mr Abbott??) and how would you react?

Phillips assists a young girl to track her family down and has some vile encounters along the way. I posted the trailer below so have a peek there or just go out and enjoy a 90 (or just under) minute look at the end of time Perth style.

After only seeing two other Aussie films in 2014, The Rover (also rather apocalyptic - is there are a theme with Aussie creatives) & Wolf Creek 2 I really am going to say this is my favourite thus far. The partying scene with the bogans it hosted, kind of made me happy the world was ending for these folks, Aussie flags draped all over the shop & drunk youths drinking & over doing drugs (whilst forcing drugs onto young children) would we really miss these folk?

This film stayed with me whilst I had my $20 wash and cut at the local hairdresser, what would you do if you knew you had hours to live? Would you do a good deed like Phillips or become a complete creep? It's an interesting thought when you look at the society we currently live in.

These Final Hours, it's not amazing, but it is sure better than a kick in the nuts, 3.5 100% Australian made stars.