Tag: hollywood

Adam Resurrected: Movie Review!

Posted on by T. Maxwell-Harrison

Releaed in 2008.

Starring Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe and Derek Jacobi.

IMDB gives it 6.2/10

“In the aftermath of World War II, a former circus entertainer who was spared from the gas chamber becomes the ringleader at an asylum for Holocaust survivors.”

Perhaps not the most detailed account of the second world war this movie decides to focus on Adam, a somewhat unique former circus entertainer with a knack for making Nazis laugh. What we have is a unique movie with some dramatic acting and disturbing concepts.

Adam is living in an asylum in the idle of the desert following the end of the second world war. He has a charismatic way of acting and Goldblum did a decent job with the psychiatric symptoms. Symptoms which can be classed as a severe form of traumatic stress.

Adam was forced to act as an animal in a concentration camp, leaving him scarred. All the more harrowing is his connection with the nurse, a somewhat sexual deviance reminiscent of his days gallivanting about a stage with women. He is keen to get better, and so too are his doctors wanting this. However, he soon discovers another inpatient who is in a worse condition that he is.

A type of spiritual dramatic movie, Adams personal journey through mentally unwell to a released and normal person is warming, and is quite good to see.

Willem Dafoe doesn’t make much of an appearance but when he does he’s playing the bad guy, which isn’t unusual for him. He’s a harrowing Nazi who abused Adam. Perhaps the directors and writers were themselves confused as to how to use his character. He wasn’t going to play a very big physical but instead emotional role in Adam’s recovery.

It’s a little bit of a hidden gem, but it also certainly no Schindlers List. If you want an uncomfortable movie to watch this is it. Not least down to the acting. I felt like Adam was a bit too flamboyant. There’s little wrong with the set design. It is fairly grim as one would expect and lighting and camera angles were good. Unlike other movies which tend to flick back and forth several times a minute.

I can’t bring myself to rate it more than 7/10 but I do feel it is worth a watch.

Overall verdict: 7/10

Breaking The Ice – The Depp v Heard Case

Posted on by T. Maxwell-Harrison

It is one of the biggest cases in Hollywood. Johnny Depp v Amber Heard. It has gone on for some years and I want to give my stupid opinion on it. Stupid? Yeah, because as mentioned in a previous post, people shout abuse and hate when you make more sense then they do.

Everybody seems to have jumped onto Depp’s side in this case. I really have no idea why. The evidence so far has show him to be an alcoholic and drug user, who punched and headbutted Amber, had violent drug induced rages and more. Yet, people still think she is the cause.

You know not long ago, during the Will Smith Oscars fiasco, people jumped to his side for assaulting a man because he was defending his wife apparently. Well, why are they not jumping to Amber Heard’s side, brave enough to speak out? I also posted on twitter that the evidence from the trial is actually support Her case more than His. Yet, people got angry commenting things like I need to improve thinking skills. You know, I didn’t side with either one of them, I highlighted what was being revealed in the case. This is the sort of brainwashed nonsense that happens when people jump on a bandwagon with zero knowledge of what has happened.

I stand with Amber Heard. I stand against abuse against women. Amber is seeking help. This case highlights the fact women can be treated so badly and nothing will happen. This is a defamation case, although Amber Heard should consider other options.

What do you think? People jump on the wagon of the most popular celebrity to garner social gossip.

The Fast and The Furious: Remembering Paul Walker

Posted on by T. Maxwell-Harrison

The first movie in the franchise, The Fast and The Furious, was released in 2001, 20 years ago. It was a high octane racing thriller and captivated youths all over the modern world. Everybody wanted to be either Vin Diesel or Paul Walker (Dom and Brian). A film that spawned the biggest grossing series in the world, with the first movie ranking in $206,512,310!

What really kickstarted the series was Paul Walker, an undercover FBI agent. See, he’d starred in other movies, but the Fast and the Furious films were what he was and is still known for. First starring alongside Vin Diesel in the first movie, then being the star of the second, and reuniting with Vin for number 4. Film 4 and 5 was where we start to see a competitiveness between the actors to be the lead. Vin had vanished for movie 2 and made a brief appearance at the end of movie 3, Tokyo Drift. The 3rd movie, Tokyo Drift, was never my favourite, I preferred the first 2 movies. At the time though it didn’t matter, you liked it and you were cool, didn’t like and you were living in the past of the first movie.

The movies could arguable be the reason for video games such as Need for Speed: Underground released in 2003, and Need for Speed: Underground 2 released in 2004. Don’t forget Burnout, released in 2001. I played all 3 and I preferred Need for Speed, simply because of the car customisation which was a huge part of the first few Fast and Furious movies. They went from being crime films full of octane chases and races, to more of action thrillers where the cars customisation took the backseat. I still like the movies and for me number 7, Paul Walkers last movie, was my favourite. I still have to see the 9th movie!

So, what happened? Obviously Paul passed away in 2013, after the release of Fast and Furious 6. Making a digital appearance for number 7. It was known that he loved cars in real life as well as being in the Hollywood success series. The 6th movie also introduced Dwayne Johnson, which was a surprise. What was a bigger suprise was that he stayed on in the following movies. Going from antagonist to friend of the group.

See, Paul Walker starred in the first few movies, helping to build up the franchise and make it what it is today. Sadly, not everybody wanted that. He brought to the series a likeable character. Overshadowed by one person and pushed to the back seat a lot of the time, which we start to see in 2009 releases Fast and Furious.

We can’t change the past, but we can appreciate that Walker played the main character, Brian O’Connor in the first movies and added that undercover cop magic. The series grew, so did the income, so it was really not a surprise to see more recognisable faces showing up, like Dwayne Johnson, like Kurt Russel. The excellent spin off movie, still a part of the franchise, Hobbs and Shaw, starring Johnson and Jason Statham! Yes, an epic combination and to be honest, one of the best films I have seen in terms of action and plot. It still retains that Fast and Furious seal of approval, the upgrading of vehicles, the car chases. The crew of the series did well to integrate this spin off. See, Jason Statham, if memory proves correct, made a brief appearance at the end of one of the Fast and Furious movies. I think it was number 7, and then then film ends. So, to bring him back in film 8 (?) been a while since watching, was a good idea. An ideal villain. Anyway the spin off was good.

Back when the franchise was starting Paul and Vin were the only big stars in the movie that people cared about. There was Michelle Rodriguez though, who turned heads. She stayed in the series until film 4, Fast and Furious, in which she was killed and the plot evolved around Dom trying to avenge her. It was a rather emotional entry in the series. But fear not, she magically comes back in a later movie and sticks around. Rodriguez did go on to star in films like Resident Evil.

If the series continues, and no doubt it will, because of the money, then lets hope they go back to a time when the film was about the races, the upgrading of cars, and the neon lights on the streets of Los Angeles. The movies still have cars and fast chases, but the original movies were about racing. They lined up, some women in tight shirts would wave the banner and then they race. There was nitrous, there were crashes, and there was winners and losers. It felt very real. The newer movies don’t feel quite the same.

This has been a remembrance of Paul Walker’s contribution to the franchise, without whom it would not be where it is today. For the sake of clarity, I like the movies.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: Movie Review

Posted on by T. Maxwell-Harrison

Spoiler Free as can be.

Well Quentin Tarantino throws us a magnificent suspense, drama, comedy movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. An absolute killer of a Hollywood movie set in 1969 Los Angeles and focusing on faded television actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo Dicaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they try to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Rated 85% by Rotten Tomatoes and 7.7 by IMDB, running time at 2 hours 41 minutes.

I was hesitant to buy this movie from Amazon Prime, but I took the plunge and loved it. This is the best Tarantino film in my opinion since movies like Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained. What you get is a sweet mixture of intense suspense, action, drama, comedy (absolutely hilarious, subtle) and some great acting.

Leonardo Dicaprio and Brad Pitt shine in this movie. I thought to myself what a strange combination, but in the end they make a great acting pair and the chemistry is brilliant. Don’t forget Margot Robbie, hopping in as Sharon Tate and Emile Hirsh as Roman Polanski.

The movie starts off getting to know Rick Dalton, and his stunt double, we see that they are struggling, trying to plan and forge some kind of future success in the movie industry. There is a great bond, a friendship which makes this connection and film so unique.

Of course, things get better and more funny as they finally land their roles in western films typical of the 50s. Then, all is not what it seems as Cliff, seemingly sets in motion a chain of events after picking up a young girl on the street looking for a ride. I won’t say anymore.

The film seems to be going off on tangents and I was left wondering what the point of all of it was. Persevere for a great, suspense filled finale. It all comes together at the end.

A film that ultimately comes down to love and friendship, dramatic relationships and comedic failing television stars.

My Rating: 5/5