Iron Man 3

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Holy crapolah. This movie… Guys… Just..

Wow.

This is a huge step away from the typical and clichéd superhero movies. This one was very funny with a switch up of roles among the characters. Like, it is an action-comedy with an underlying deep and meaningful storyline.

Throughout the movie, Tony Stark kept having anxiety attacks. Although I think it could have been more effective and emotional by having flashbacks, it was still pretty intense.

The story was pretty decent, although I have to say that the villain, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) was… Continue reading →

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What Would I Give – Lisa Crawley

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This is a fun, uplifting song by a kiwi singer, Lisa Crawley. I really enjoy the choppy sound of the piano.

Enjoy! Continue reading →

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Jack the Giant Slayer

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What an exciting cast! Bill Nighy, Stanley Tucci and Ewan McGregor! *drool*

I first saw the advert on the back of the bus, and quite frankly I thought it looked a little.. Lame.

I mean starting from Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, we have had remake after remake of these fairytales and fables; Beauty and Beast, The Wizard of Oz, Mirror, Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman… So to see Jack and the Beanstalk being remade was not a surprise, and I expected it to have similar disappointments with all of the other remakes.

Namely the fact that the violence has to be toned down so that it can be suitable for the younger audience. Despite the storyline being 100 times better if it went the full hog and making it an M.

I was right. But it didn’t stop the story being enjoyable.

I do think the writers… Continue reading →

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I’m still alive! Reviews are coming…

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Hey guys!

So I am swamped with uni studies at the moment and I am afraid my conscience won’t allow me to watch movies as it makes me feel too guilty, when I know I should be writing 2000 word essays on pointless crap.

However! I thought I should write a post to remind you that I am still in existence – I bet you’re relieved – and tell you the list of films I am going to review in about a week’s time…

1. Jack and the Giant Slayer
2. Once
3. The Devil Wears Prada
4. The Cove
5. Express my anger on recent government decisions in NZ…

Please comment to this post if you wish to put something on the list

I have been using my twitter account @NZFilmFreak a little more often since getting an iPhone! Ah! Scandal. What a techno person I am; all up to date and shizz. So feel free to follow!

It’s great to have so many fans of my blog…

*crickets chirp*

…and I am pretty sure that people will begin to recognise me in the street and congratulate me on my talents of blogging and pay me to write about films in the near future… Continue reading →

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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Okay, it was NOTHING like I thought it would be like.

This is not a happy-go-lucky, up beat and freeing movie like the trailer makes it out to be. In fact, it has a lot of very serious themes, making this high school drama rather dark, and not at all light hearted.

Despite the totally unexpected storyline, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a very emotional journey – you laugh just as hard as you cry in some parts. So it evens out into a humbling story.

The main character, Charlie (Logan Lerman) and both of his friends Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), each go through massive emotional roller coasters. Huge changes to their lives that are developed incredibly well. Feelings and emotions are messy, unexplainable and complicated, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower accurately represent them this way… Continue reading →

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Morning Glory

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I saw this movie when it was first released in the cinemas. I remember enjoying it, but not finding it any better or worse than any other chick flick I have seen.

However, I bought it the other day and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it! I think I loved it the second time around because the plot is based in the television industry (the main character, Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) is an Executive Producer on a breakfast show) and I am studying television at the moment.

So “yes”, I am officially convinced. I feel destined to become a television producer!

Rachel McAdams is absolutely gorgeous! Her outfits are to die for too… Continue reading →

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Lydia – Fur Patrol

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I had no idea this rock band was from New Zealand (Wellington)! So crazy.

I love this song. I remember hearing a lot growing up and recently stumbled across it again. A song about letting go of somebody who has moved on to somebody else.

Am I surprised to see you here with Lydia,
She’s oh so nice and easier to love than I Continue reading →

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Dead Poets Society

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Imagine Good Will Hunting + Scent of a Woman… and with a touch of The Ron Clark Story. That pretty much gives you Dead Poet’s Society.

It is a great story about breaking the mould. Not being what your father wants you to be, not giving into the black and white versions of education, but finding the creativity in it and allowing your imagination to run riot.

Robin Williams plays John Keating who is an English teacher with unorthodox teaching methods in a private all boys school. The tradition and formality… Continue reading →

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The Butterfly Effect

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Soooo creepy! But in an awesome way. I have never seen anything like this film before.

Of course I was weary about Ashton Kutcher being in a serious thriller, but he was fantastic! Like, seriously convincing.

The Butterfly Effect is where a seemingly innocuous act can have a domino effect and create chaos.

It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world.

This film plays on this theory where Ashton’s character, Evan, has the ability or curse to travel back to predetermined points in his life. But every time he tries to make it better, something else goes terribly wrong… Continue reading →

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Walk The Line

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I thoroughly enjoyed this biopic about one of the best country rock n roll singers of the sixties, Johnny Cash.

Joaquin Phoenix did an incredible job of becoming Johnny Cash. His natural intensity was perfect for the really heavy and dark life of Johnny Cash. I didn’t know much about Johnny Cash until I impulsively bought this movie. I had a few of his songs and enjoyed them, but assumed that he was just a country singer for geriatrics.

It turns out that Johnny Cash’s life and the people he rubbed shoulders with is incredible. The stories he has are inspiring. I am not sticking up for everything that Johnny Cash did, but I have to say that it was so unfortunate… Continue reading →

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L’accordéoniste – Edith Piaf

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La Fille de Joie Est Triste (L’accordéoniste)
“The Accordionist” (1940)

This is a beautiful song written and performed by Edith Piaf (Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien – Inception and Tu es Partout – Saving Private Ryan). The chorus gives me chills.

It is about a prostitute who is married to an accordionist who will be going to war soon and will not return to her alive.

Her man will never come back.
Goodbye to beautiful dreams.
Her life is done for.

I interpret her story as though she has to forget her emotions while she’s working, but as soon as she leaves and watches her husband play the Java, she becomes overwhelmed with emotion… Continue reading →

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Water For Elephants

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I bought this DVD as a bit of a whim. After stumbling across the trailer on YouTube I thought that the look of the whole film resembled the circus scenes in Big Fish.

It is the story of the dark side of the circus during the early 1930s, with a forbidden love story between Jacob (Robert Pattinson) and Marlena (Reece Witherspoon) intertwined. Jacob runs away with the circus and poses as a certified vet to continue travelling with them, but discovers that there’s much more to performing that the magic the audience sees.

On the way, he experiences the control and under handed acts that go on in order to keep the circus from failing during the depression. Staff would go missing in the night if the boss and husband of Marlena, August (Christoph Waltz), was unable to pay… Continue reading →

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Burlesque

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So, Burlesque is pretty much a lighter, chick flick version of Moulin Rouge. It is an upbeat, modern story with back to back songs that make you want to get up and dance.

Christina Aguilera is a singer who I admire for her talent, yet if I am honest, I do not enjoy her music.

She does an amazing job during the scenes where she is performing on stage. However, for the most part her acting is much to be desired. Her squeaky voice gets a little on nerves considering she has such a deep, powerful singing voice.

The same goes for Cher, her acting was average… But so was her auto-tuned voice. I’m not convinced that she should really be classed as “a legend”. I swear… Continue reading →

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Midnight In Paris

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When I first watched this film I was disappointed because in my mind I had hyped up the plot line of Gil (Owen Wilson) travelling through different time eras of Paris. The artistic, fashionable, sophisticated and elaborate times of the 1920s, as well as the ceremonious, coming of age times of the 1890s.

The plot is about the Golden Age. That is, longing to live in a time before your own. For example, mine is the early 1960s. Better music and fashion with the huge liberal movement against war and for free will. However, Midnight In Paris attempts to… Continue reading →

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My Fave Character: Maggie Jacobs

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The ditsy character in the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant TV series, Extras, is Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen).

I like her because she is so innocent and naive. It makes a huge change for one of the leading characters to be so honest and unaffected by mainstream beliefs. She is fresh-faced and relatable, similar to Bridget Jones but much more average. I guess because she’s… Continue reading →

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Easy A

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This is quite a different version to the typical high school chick flick that drowns the market. Easy A is about how rumours can make or break your reputation, as well as who your friends really are. But also how you can take insults and use them to your advantage.

It has a pretty funny script with some catchy insults from the witty and very sarcastic Olive (Emma Stone). Her best come backs are usually toward the “Jesus Freak”, Marianne (Amanda Bynes), who was responsible for spreading the original rumour about Olive losing her virginity… Continue reading →

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Megamind

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This animation is one of the most enjoyable ones I have seen. The best animations are ones where they are enjoyable for more than one age group, which Megamind certainly is! Great for the younger audience as well as the teenage and adult.

It’s about a blue alien named Megamind (Will Ferrell) who grew up on Earth causing destruction and trouble, and his arch nemesis Metro Man (Brad Pitt) who is the city’s ‘super hero’. It’s a classic good guy/bad guy relationship which becomes a game to Megamind, until he finally defeats Metro Man and realises that the success he had always strived for was not as rewarding as he had thought… Continue reading →

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Sour Times – Portishead

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I found this album in my mum’s CD collection and gave it a listen.
Heavy much! As soon as this song begins you suddenly feel in a daze… Perhaps that’s not an overly positive reaction, but that’s how strong this song is, it’s very influential on your emotions. Really puts you on edge, for sure.

In fact most of Portishead’s songs are, (particularly on their album Dummy (1994) anyway), the drone of the instruments mixed with the drowned vocals is original and gives you chills. If you need to chillax or need to have a good cry, give this song a listen.

I just read that the Portishead genre is referred to as “trip hop”. Never heard of that term before. Also, watching the music video, the lead singer looks like Jodie Foster… What do you reckon?

Love it! Continue reading →

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My Fave Scene: Saving Private Ryan

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I had first heard of Edith Piaf when I saw Inception (Non, je ne regrette rien). She is a famous French singer from the twenties through to the sixties, and I adore her music.

Since learning about her songs, this scene in Saving Private Ryan jumped out at me. It is a bonding scene between the soldiers that begins with a conversation about Piaf’s song, like most of my other favourite scenes, it’s a slower paced and one of the quieter moments of the movie.

I just really enjoy one of the more sensitive soldiers translating the song to the others.

Please excuse the quality… Continue reading →

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My Fave Scene: Yes Man

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Yes Man (2008): Talking down a man from jumping

On a comedic turn, this scene jumps out from the otherwise somewhat average comedy as Jim Carrey’s character, Carl, talks down a reluctant suicidal jumper via sing-song. A song called, rather appropriately, “Jumper” by Third Eye Blind (jump to the start of the song at 1.17 in you’d like). Continue reading →

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My Fave Scene: Little Miss Sunshine

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Little Miss Sunshine (2006): “Life is just one big beauty contest after another”
Just a fascinating moment of reflection by a character who is longing to become a pilot despite being colour blind, and a writer who attempted suicide.
http://youtu.be/zi_UfQpDwxA Continue reading →

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Movie 43

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So it’s pretty much a series of skits, all directed and written by different people. The story line was that a crazed writer blackmails a producer to get his movie made. The finished product is the movie that is in the cinemas now, Movie 43.

I mean, obviously this film was not going to be good, you could tell that from the trailer.

I can’t say I actually laughed at all in this movie… The funniest scene was the first short with Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman but even so, I only giggled a little… Continue reading →

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My Fave Scene: Up In The Air

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Up In The Air (2009): “I stereotype, it’s quicker”
A story about the lives of people who have been made redundant during an economic crisis, told by the man who is hired to fire them on behalf of their bosses. A very comedic look by Ryan (George Clooney) regarding people in airports:
http://youtu.be/_uNPpFZLelE

“Everybody needs a co-pilot”
A heavier scene is about the point of life, with quite an insightful answer by Ryan.
http://youtu.be/TsT0ExNMK3I
… Continue reading →

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My Fave Scene: Scent of a Woman

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Scent of a Woman (1992): “An amputated spirit, there’s no prosthetic for that!”
Al Pacino plays a blind Colonel who stands up to the system. I love this scene because he is shaking this deep rooted college by the shoulders, waking them up! It gives you chills! He says that schools need to teach the practicality and values that are important in real life and for your soul, not necessarily reputation or how much money one has. That won’t always help you in life… Continue reading →

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The Breakfast Club

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Probably the best high school based film. Openly addressing and mocking their stereotypes and the pressures each one of them are under by their associated peers.

It is a very well made film because it is entirely based in one place during one day, with a tiny cast. We are sitting in on a Saturday detention with five completely contrasting students who soon find out what they hate and what they love about each other and themselves. Very human, very emotionally rooted.

The Characters… Continue reading →

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