Girl power is strong in these new trailers! Starring my hero Melissa McCarthy and Keira Knightley, two LFF films have released their first looks and they are pretty epic! So, be prepared lovelies.
To start with I thought we would go into Melissa’s new film, Can You Ever Forgive Me…
And now for Keira Knightley’s epic new trailer for Colette…
Firstly, I want to say I am so sorry for being a bit rubbish today with posts. I have had one of the worst weeks of my life and it looks set to continue into next week, so I haven’t really had the heart to do a lot.
I didn’t want to let you all down though, so I have gathered some of the best new clips, trailers and goodies to share with you all. Enjoy…
Here comes the big BFI London Film Festival news! Sit down, take some deep breaths and be prepared to book up a whole host of tickets lovelies, because this year’s selection is pretty epic!
Over the course of 12 days in October, the event will host 21 World Premieres, nine International Premieres and 29 European Premieres, whilst welcoming a whole load of amazing cast and crew members too who are celebrating the 225 features at the event.
With a headline Gala Screening being hosted at Cineworld Leicester Square every night of the event, the opening film will be Steve McQueen’s Widows before the event ends on the 21st October with Stan & Ollie. Inbetween them, fans will be treated to gala screenings of The Favourite, The Coen Brothers The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Colette, The Front Runner, director Dan Fogelman’s Life Itself, Outlaw King, A Private War starring Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Stanley Tucci and Tom Hollander, as well as Luca Guadagnino’s, follow up to his triumphant Call Me By Your Name (LFF 2017) with Headline Gala Suspiria, starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton.
Other gala screenings at the event include this year’s Festival Gala, Wild Rose. The Cult Gala screening of Assassination Nation. Ali Abbasi’s Border features as the Dare Gala. Whilst, Lee Chang-dong’s critically acclaimed Burning features as this year’s Thrill Gala in association with Sight & Sound. And Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum, opens as this year’s Debate Gala, with The Great Victorian Moving Picture Show featuring as the Archive Gala and Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, featuring as this year’s Love Gala.
The Laugh Gala will be the UK Premiere of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, whilst this year’s Family Gala sees LFF favourite Mamoru Hosoda return with Mirai and the Journey Gala’s screening is Roma. With the Create Gala closing the screenings with The White Crow.
The LFF will also bring back some exciting presentations and talks with their LFF Connects series welcoming in-depth interviews with Keira Knightley, Alfonso Cuarón, David Hare, Lee Chang-dong and Simon Amstell, with more being confirmed nearer the Festival. Whilst the event will stream to cinemas all over the UK specially selected films such as They Shall Not Grow Old and Mike Leigh’s Peterloo.
Ten Special Presentations will shine the spotlight on new work from major directors. Including Tinge Krishnan’s Been So Long, Fahrenheit 11/9 by Michael Moore, The Hate U Give by George Tillman Jr, The Little Drummer Girl by Park Chan-wook, Carol Morley’s Out Of Blue, Viktor Kossakovsky’s Aquarela, Make Me Up by Rachel Maclean’s and finally the BFI Flare Special Presentation returns with the trailblazing Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu.
Amongst all of these, the Official Competition this year will be one of the toughest yet, as the films below fight it out to win the top prize at the event:
Speaking about this year’s selection, Amanda Nevill, Chief Executive, BFI said, “Opening doors for everyone is at the heart of the BFI’s purpose and the BFI London Film Festival is the ultimate platform for filmmakers, established and new, to showcase their latest work to audiences in a city renowned for welcoming cosmopolitan creativity. The Festival’s great programme always challenges our global perspective with fresh ideas and viewpoints, something so valuable at this extraordinary moment when we, as a nation are so engaged in a passionate debate about the UK’s future.”
Whilst, Tricia Tuttle, Festival Artistic Director said “We have the great pleasure and privilege at the LFF to be both a public Festival, bringing the best global cinema to the UK’s diverse and adventurous audiences, but also playing a key role in supporting producers, sales agents and distributors to launch their films. It’s our goal that LFF offers films to satisfy any cinema goer. We want to offer 12 days of pleasure – whether it’s being challenged to think about the world, or indeed the movies in a different way, or just strapping yourself in for the ride.”
This is only a small selection of films that will be at the event lovelies, with many more having been announced on their website, so make sure to check it out. Booking will open very soon, but if you are worried that you won’t be able to come to London for the event, don’t! The BFI Player is bringing back it’s very exciting festival collection showcasing films from previous years and this year, which can be found here: player.bfi.org.uk/.
Which films are you most excited to see at the event lovelies?
And how are we all? Today, I have some very exciting BFI London Film Festival news, which I can’t wait to share with you all but to begin with I have some very exciting film and TV teasers for you to enjoy.
It seems like it is a Dakota Johnson themed day today on the blog because I have another new teaser from an upcoming film of hers. Every time I get something about Bad Times At The El Royale I get super excited.
I honestly think it is the film I am most excited to see this autumn lovelies! Take a look at the trailer below to find out why...
And how are we all today? Are you ready to have your world rocked? Well, be prepared because I have a whole host of new clips and teasers to share with you all from the world of TV and film!
The day has finally arrived! The Great British Bake Off is back and oh my have I missed it. Every year I long for it to return and never end, as I immerse myself in the bakes, cakes and dramas that unfold within the tent.
As new contestants prepare to introduce themselves to us and we count down the moments until 8pm tonight, I have gathered something that might help. After a long search, I have whipped up some of the best baking films for you to tuck into...
Nailed It: If you are not the best cook, don’t worry about it because this show celebrates everything about those who are skating on thin icing with their baking skills. From horrific Trump cakes to underwater disasters, you will love Nailed It from the first episode.
Bridesmaids: Not really a baking or food-based film, but there are a lot of fun food moments. A giant cookie, a cake on a doorstep and sugared almonds make for some of the best scenes in this film.
Zumbo’s Just Desserts: The Australian version of Bake Off, this has dishes that will transport you to another world in the first five minutes. Honestly, if you thought Paul and Prue were tough, then you haven’t seen anything yet.
Marie Antoinette: Controversial I know, but this film features footage of cake that only dreams could make. It will make you want to go to France ASAP.
Cake Boss: Monster cakes for big and small names, this Italian bakery in New York will make you feel like you are part of the family straight away. Get stuck into the magic world of Buddy and his family now lovelies.
Beauty and The Beast: Have you tried the grey stuff? It’s delicious! And so is the way in which all of these yummy baked goods are shown to us on screen.
Nigella: At My Table: I feel upon this series last Christmas and now I can’t help but find comfort in it. I like the dynamic of the show and whilst I have wondered about some of the ways Nigella makes her dishes they always come out looking delicious.
Waitress: If there is one film that will make you want to eat a ton of pie, then it is this one. Never have I watched a film and wanted to devour one, as much as this film makes me want to!
Chef’s Table: Go behind the scenes of some of the best kitchens in the world and discover how the world-famous names came to be. A milk and cookie shop in New York. An ice cream maker in Sicily. A monk who makes amazing Thai dishes. You need to tuck in now lovelies.
Sugar Rush: A bit like Nailed It, but for the expert cooks. This will have you steaming through the episodes before you know it. A binge-watch that will leave you wanting to cook before you know it.
Don't miss The Great British Bake Off tonight at 8pm on Channel 4 lovelies! It is going to be the most talked about event of the summer, I can feel it baking aha! Let me know in the comments below if you will be watching and your thoughts on the show after it has been on.
About a week ago, I was asked if I would like to try out a new type of crisp. Something that could be the perfect snack for a film night in or sneakily in the cinema. So, of course, I said yes!
Corkers are a brand who have built an incredible trusting relationship with food lovers for their amazing flavours at a great price. And now they have taken that trust to build a new collection of flavours.
For the first time ever in the UK, Corkers have launched olive oil crisps, to highlight the light crunch that comes from it instead of other oils and baked goods. Partnering with the Muela family, producers of award-winning olive oil from the Mueloliva farm, to cook its quality potato and vegetable crisps, the company have used 3,000 olives to bring the following flavours to life.
With A Quiet Place now out on DVD, I decided to host a film night to get everyone in my family to watch it. After fretting over what to feed them, I remembered that the new flavours have something for everyone in my house to enjoy and so I got them out.
From my first impression, I was super happy with the number of crisps in one bag. They were averaged sized, but actually filled up and not with air! After picking out a few including the Mediterranean Cheese & Roasted Onion, Parsnip, Sweet Potato and Beetroot with Sea Salt and the Sweet Potato with Sea Salt, I placed them into bowls and didn’t let on what they were or who made them.
My family can be fussy, especially my brothers - which is surprising considering they eat us out of house and home - so I really wanted to get a first reaction. My mum who is my normal taste tester knew about the test and decided to tuck in first to get the ball rolling.
Instantly she loved the flavour of the cheese and onion ones and I think if we had let her she would have sat with the bowl. After highlighting her love of them, the rest of my house got stuck in and also agreed that they were stronger than normal crisps but didn’t leave that greasy feeling.
Before long they were trying all of them, including the vegetable ones which I was a bit worried about as I know that they wouldn’t normally eat them. However, again they all loved the flavours of them and we actually spent more time discussing what they liked about them then watching the film. Also, it wasn’t really the quiet snack for a film like this aha! Let’s just say the monsters would have come for us.
After letting them stew for a while, I told them it was Corkers who made the crisps and what they were cooked in. My mum was shocked it was olive oil, as she doesn’t really like the taste of it, but she highlighted that she didn’t or couldn’t tell that it was cooked that way. She was only getting the flavours from them through and she happily let me know that she would buy them again too.
Whilst they may not have been the best noise-free food to enjoy with A Quiet Place, Corkers have made a real treat that could brighten your film night, dinner party, outdoor BBQ or as a treat when you want to spoil yourself. The look and feel of both the packaging and crisp are very well done and the company have put a lot of thought into their customers’ needs and wants.
Out now on Ocado lovelies, the packs will be £1.99 each, which I know is a bit expensive, but they are definitely worth it. Even if just for those one-off occasions!
To find out more take a look at Corkers website and get ready to snack lovelies!
With only one week left of the school holidays, many of you will be preparing your kids, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews for school. Whether it be them making the big return for a new year or starting for the first time, it can be really scary to go into a new school year for lots of reasons.
However, if you know someone starting school for the first time, many of you will be very worried about how they take to it. Something Disney Junior’s Vampirina has unveiled in a new survey, which saw parents and guardians admitting that they feel anxious about the four and five-year-olds they look after starting school.
From settling in, making friends and going to the toilet, the research found that over half of adults (60 per cent) admit they lost friends as they got older, and just over one in three (36 per cent) confessed they wish it was still as easy to make friends as an adult than as it was a child.
Something which has inspired Disney Junior to work with psychologist Linda Blair to make a written and video guide called, How to Make Friends and Influence… Five-year-olds, to help both sides make friends. Tackling confidence issues, interests, emotions and how to start conversations, the guide is a really useful tool for all.
Speaking about the new video, Linda Blair, parenting expert and psychologist, commented:
“To make friends children must be able to consider life from other people’s points of view so they can appreciate and react to what others want to do and enjoy. Although young children show they’re capable of appreciating other viewpoints, they don’t normally apply this skill until they’re about five years old. This is why it’s important to start introducing them to this skill at a young age. Once they can understand empathy it will feel like second nature to them to behave in those adaptive ways. Together with Disney Junior, we have developed tips on how you can empower your child and help them develop empathy to increase their ability to make friends.
It’s natural for the whole family to feel nervous on your child’s first day at school—and remember, other parents will be feeling nervous as well. You can help create a welcoming atmosphere by offering a genuine compliment to another parent about their child’s behaviour and/or appearance.”
Whilst, David Levine, General Manager, Disney Channels UK & Ireland said, “Disney Junior’s Vampirina is a show about making new friends so we’re delighted to lend our characters to help both children and parents settle into school in what is an exciting, but often anxious time, for all involved. It’s fantastic that TV shows such as Vampirina can spark conversations around everyday problems that ordinarily may be difficult for parents and children, and in turn offer support by showing solutions.”
In a brand-new guide to help children make friends, the Disney Junior team have taken inspiration from Vampirina, a show about a young vampire called Vee who moves town with her family and has to make new friends to create a helpful video guide for all. Take a look at it below…
It is never too late to make new friends lovelies and this great guide is super sweet, easy to follow and really comforting to watch and learn from. Plus, you are never too old for Disney lovelies!
It may be a Tuesday afternoon lovelies, but I wanted to spread some early-week joy with a brand-new competition for you all to get involved with after the Bank Holiday weekend!
To celebrate the release of Narcos Season 3, I have three copies of the TV series to giveaway some very lucky winners.
All you must do to enter is to head over to the blog’s Twitter, follow the blog and retweet the tweet on the blog’s Twitter page. Don't worry if you can't find it though lovelies, here is the link to it as well: https://twitter.com/StartWithThis/status/1034412423468470274
You have until 2pm on Friday 31st August to enter lovelies. So, head on over to the blog’s Twitter and you could be the lucky winner!
And a happy Tuesday to you all! In the UK, we had a three day weekend, which was spent relaxing inside as the weather took a bit of an autumn like turn. Who else had fun and is loving the cosy feeling at the moment?
If you are, then you will love snuggling up with these new clips that were released over the weekend from Netflix hit, To All The Boys and more lovelies. Enjoy…
Since her arrival on screen in Dinnerladies, Maxine Peake has gone on to give audiences the true grit of British life. Whether that be through TV shows, such as Shameless and the recent Three Girls or in film performances such as The Theory of Everything. However, something that stands out is that she hasn’t ever really been the leading lady. Something, which is very wrong!
However, this all changed last year with the London Film Festival hit Funny Cow, a film by Adrian Shergold and Tony Pitts. Recalling the life of a female comedian, during the 1970s and 80s, the story captures the tough working men’s world that Funny Cow works to break down. With testy subjects and jokes that are made strangely not to be laughed at, the film shows Funny Cows rise, as she takes on an abusive father (Stephen Graham), lazy husband (a role Pitts fills) and a boyfriend (Paddy Considine) who constantly relies on her, to show audiences that she will not be stopped.
The film is a raw piece of British cinema that reflects that of the 60s kitchen sink genre and the 90s post-Thatcher world that was being rebuilt. Peake shows how the woman she is embodying isn’t trying to make audiences fall in love with her. Just proving to them that life may be tough, but she is going to make sure that they know she has the strength to get through it. Even it does mean that as a viewer, you are left both in awe and pain for the character.
Meeting the character at the top of her career, before going back and forth into her life to see how she got there, is a clever way to immerse the audience into all aspects of her life. And if you are anything like me, it provides a sense of beauty about the way in which Peake plays Funny Cow. She is showcasing to viewers all over that the character won’t be able to be recreated. She is giving her all, everything and power to make her hers and hers alone.
Overall the film is going to go down as a classic piece of British cinema, but also as the film that will now catapult Peake as a true leading lady. She has proven it time and time again, but with the clever use of Pitt’s script, Shergold’s capturing of the character and her building of the personality that we see on screen, she is a force to be reckoned with. Funny Cow will bring how that true British comedian we all know in a new wave.
Years ago, the west end was alive with the news of a new play called Ghost Stories. No one was allowed to mention what happened in the plot. Audiences were left terrified and the time it was meant to be on stage was extended.
All of which leading to the smash being placed on the big screen. With Martin Freeman leading the way, the film is the child shared between horror fans and their love of the genre. Taking audiences on a scare-filled journey from start to finish with the stories of three horrified men and how they all became that way.
From the get-go, you wonder how the terrifying atmosphere that they built on stage would be able to be recreated on screen. But those fears can be left at home, as the unsettling feature uses close up camera shots and panoramic views to build suspense and panic for the audience.
Each man has had something happen to them that has left them scared and with the unknown element of not knowing, the film’s world becomes original and exciting. Much like the stage show, you don’t want to say what has caused each one, as it ruins all the drama that is built up.
The film isn’t all horror though and the use of gags lightens the mood at times in a clever way. Not taking the outright mickey, but doing so in a way that matches the likes of Scream and Halloween.
As horror films change and take on new dynamics for modern audiences, Ghost Stories shares all the good bits from the last with all the freshness of the new. You will be left clinging to a pillow for a long time afterwards.
I’m going to start this by saying that The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco would not be my top choice when picking something to watch on TV. It is more of a feature that my mum would binge watch on ITV Player and tell me all about later on, but I decided to give it a chance. As the sequel to the hit first season, The Bletchley Circle, the show takes its cast abroad to given them new challenges after the end of the war.
With the group split up, the WWII codebreakers head off in different paths to find new tasks to take on board. These include tutoring the local children and running the local library. However, it isn’t enough and soon Millie, played by Rachael Stirling, discovers that an article in The San Francisco Chronicle could lead them to re-join and solve a new mystery involving one of their own.
The 1950s and 60s feel of the show instantly provide viewers with the sense that this isn’t going to be the same as what they experienced before. Or in other Bletchley based dramas and films such as The Imitation Game. But sadly, that doesn’t mean that it is a real winner for them as viewers. The mystery soon fades away and the characters present a sense of disinterest from the get-go.
As TV dramas become more powerful and lead the way in many homes, shows must give audiences grit, strong storylines and characters who you fall for until the very end. Yet, this show never allows for that to happen. The writing is slack, the storylines drift off and the characters never seem to connect in the same way that they did in the first season.
All of which leads to an uneasy viewing for audiences who want the same emotions and portrayals that they got in the first season. It often feels like the story is being dragged out and it would have worked in the creator’s favours to have made this sequel a short and more punchy series than a drawn out one.
If you have a Netflix account then you have more than likely scene Narcos! Everyone who is anyone is watching and the world goes crazy when a full season appears on the streaming service.
Don’t worry though if you haven’t seen it, because the third season has finally arrived on DVD and Blu-ray! And it is time to escape the sun and get binging. With the hunt for Pablo Escobar over, the DEA is now on the hunt for those involved in the biggest drug trafficking organisation around. However, those within it are not going to let them discover the deep dark world they have created so easily.
Like many Netflix dramas, there are light-hearted actions and then the deepest of brutality that can be shown on TV. Without its leading man, it would be easy to now dismiss this show with the idea that it has nowhere to go. However, that certainly isn’t the case!
Pedro Pascal, Damián Alcázar, Michael Stahl-David and Matt Whelan all bring a flare to the story that makes you forget about Escobar by the second episode. Especially Pascal, who takes over as the leading man with a coolness and edge that hints that this has been the show and spotlight moment he has been waiting for. And deserves!
With gripping action sequences that lead right up to the end of the season with a chase to find who they have been searching for making some of the best moments, the creators know how to make an audience stay.
They know that they must not hold back viewers when it comes to them enjoying what they have found so refreshing in this show. Like Sons of Anarchy, it popped out of nowhere. But now, as its third season ends on a high, it has proven that it is going nowhere.
I will admit that I did not know about the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf when I was sent these films to review, but since watching them, I have found a new love for his work. Raw, honest and some of the most beautifully shot pieces, The Poetic Collection, featuring Gabbeh, The Silence and The Gardener are feature’s the whole world should be getting behind.
In Gabbeh, the film captures the sweet telling of a love story that has been woven together over the years, with the clever capturing of a woman who is making a woven rug at the same time. It captures their world twining together and building, whilst also looping around issues that audiences will be able to connect with.
Whilst in The Silence, the film tells the story of a young blind boy and the ways in which he makes the rent money for his family by working on instruments that others find joy in. As music and living come together to show why one person’s hobby and one person’s job show that both are the reason that life thrives it is again an artistic venture that makes audience thinking.
Finally, The Gardener documents the life of a father and son team, who head to Israel to find out a faith that bonds not only them but those of 7 million others. Altogether the films are a peaceful and enchanting look at the beauty that life is and the ways that while there may only be one or two people involved, the whole world is actually at the heart of it all.
Makmalbaf has made a collection that will have you thinking. It will have you dreaming of the world and how amazing it is and the people who are in it are. And when an artist can do this in such a way that it feels as fresh as this, you know it is going to be a winner.
FRIDAY HAS ARRIVED! Oh yes, the weekend is finally here and in the UK this weekend we are getting three days off work and life. I will be spending a lot of it planning a special trip, getting blog posts sorted and watching a ton of films.
With this in mind, it seems right to start the weekend with a ton of new clips and teasers that were released overnight. Starting with this little teaser from Avengers: Infinity War…
A few weeks ago, I shared the first look at the upcoming Suspiria and a few moments ago Amazon Studios teased us with even more footage. In a brand-new trailer, things seem to get a lot darker very quickly.
See what I mean below…
Will you be watching this lovelies? I have a sneaky suspicion it may be one to watch at the LFF this year!
One day more until the weekend is here and I can’t wait lovelies! Who else is ready for Friday? If you are, then I am going to bring it to you early with these brand-new teasers and clips from the world of TV and film.
With an all-star cast, led by Jason Clarke, The Senator is a film that many will judge before they have seen it. With a small release, it is easy to miss out on watching it. However, The Senator is a fantastic political thriller that will shine a light on a Kennedy brother that many don’t know about.
In a world where politics is all over the place, Clarke plays Sen. Ted Kennedy, the brother of JFK, as he drives his car off a bridge in Massachusetts. The accident leads to the death of passenger Mary Jo Kopechne, who works alongside Kennedy to build his campaign. All of which leading to a detailed examination of his life and the disasters that led to the horrific event.
Clarke is often an actor who delivers time and time again but is easily lost in the Hollywood bubble. With performances like this though, he is proving that his on-screen presence is a powerful one. In fact, it is an award-worthy one, which hopefully as more people see this film it leads to.
The story is detailed and provides an inside look at a man that many audiences will have never heard of before, let alone seen inside. Instead of taking the easy root to focus on JFK, this story is fresh and vibrant in terms of teaching others about those who helped build the political system in America.
Clarke’s performance is matched highly by his co-stars, especially Bruce Dern’s and Kate Mara’s who are both impeccable at delivering their characters’ lives to the audiences. Director John Curran has made sure in fact that all his actors were well chosen and it is a commendable thing.
With performances that help to make the characters stay with audiences well after viewing and a fresh story about American politics, this film is a highlight of the year and definitely not one to be missed.
Happy Wednesday to you all! As I fall into another Riverdale binge-watch (honestly what am I going to do when I finish it?!?), I have prepared this very exciting clip gathering to help keep you all entertained wherever you are in the world.
It may be a Tuesday afternoon lovelies, but I wanted to spread some early-week joy with a brand-new competition for you all to get involved with!
To celebrate the release of American Horror Story: Cult on DVD, I have a copy of the TV series to giveaway, as well as some very exciting AHS goodies to one very lucky winner.
All you must do to enter is to head over to the blog’s Twitter, follow the blog and retweet the tweet on the blog’s Twitter page. Don't worry if you can't find it though lovelies, here is the link to it as well: https://twitter.com/StartWithThis/status/1031573033616650242
You have until 2pm on Friday 24th August to enter lovelies. So, head on over to the blog’s Twitter and you could be the lucky winner!
And a fabulous Tuesday to you all! As many of you know I love a Tuesday and today I have good reason to because I have a whole host of new footage to share.
Grab yourself a sweet treat and enjoy these new clips lovelies...
And a happy Monday to you all! I’ve started the week on a bit of a mad one. I overslept by 30 minutes, but still managed to workout, shower, get my breakfast ready to eat at work, catch my train (with a minute to spare) and drink a tea! You can never not have time in England to finish a tea!
With things now calming down a little bit, I think it is time for another cuppa and these amazing clips released over the weekend. So, put your feet up and enjoy...
I have also spent my morning whilst working out enjoying three episodes of Riverdale. I swear I never thought I would be so obsessed but I am! Who else did this?!? Let me know what you are currently watching below!
Recently it seemed as though The Rock/Dwayne Johnson had changed the films he starred in. Jumanji, Central Intelligence and Moana to name just a few were box office smash hits, which cemented his leading actor ways. However, sadly, Rampage fails to light up the screen in the same way.
When a special technology is created to turn loving animals into terrifying monsters, the world is put at risk. And there is only one man who can stop it from being destroyed – Johnson’s zoologist Davis Okoye, who is forced to deal with the gorilla he had begun to build trust with. Sound a bit odd? Well, the film kind of is.
Filled with action, the feature tries to recreate Godzilla and King Kong in its own way. But, it doesn’t have that true animalistic nature about it to work. In fact, it all comes off a bit too much and lacking in any sense of worth. Yet, there is some fun to this. With all the madness that takes place, you can’t help but laugh at it.
As we learn about Davis’ relationship with the animals and how they have grown up together, audiences are treated to a Mario like growth of one animal, who just so happens to be Davis’ favourite one. The leading gorilla figure expands and booms his way across the city in so much CGI fashion that it could bring a smile to even the coldest of hearts. It doesn’t require thinking. Just the key use of your imagination. And the brilliance of using Dwayne Johnson to be the leading man in this feature.
Director Brad Peyton, who has worked with Johnson before, should have known better than to make something like this again after San Andreas. However, he hasn’t and his return to the big screen fails to draw us in apart from the few laughs.
Based on the 1986 game, which also didn’t shock the world, the film lacks what many fans of the classic game edition will love. Humans are meant to turn into animals – something that don’t do here – and the characters become like a secondary feature against them. In this case it is the scientists an heir knowledge that lead the way in hysteria. Space stations blow up. Animals destroy mankind and the planet nearly stops spinning from it all.
All-girl schools have always had a reputation of being a little bit bitchy. And whether they are or not, they have always been perceived this way in films and TV shows. In the latest adaptation of the novel, Picnic At Hanging Rock, the characters are making sure that this trope doesn’t go anywhere in a very dark way.
With Natalie Dormer leading the cast as headmistress, Hester Appleyard, the six-part series captures Appleyard’s purchase of an isolated mansion, which she transforms in a school for young women. After building the establishment to an elevated level, six years pass with no problems. Until three students and a governess go missing in a mysterious manner. Leaving all involved sadden and in dismay that something like this has happened, each episode works to uncover what has happened to the girls and how their disappearance has affected everyone involved.
Every episode brings new challenges to both the characters and the audience. Nothing is certain. Nothing is clear and the darkness that falls over the school soon brings a darkness to the story on a whole new level. Yet, all of this bonds the show together to make for thrilling viewing. Especially with the superb acting from Dormer.
As the lead performer, Dormer makes sure audiences capture a character who may be more menacing but equally as enchanting as the plot line. Her adaptation of the role is one that has been done with skill and talents that highlight that she has spent a large amount of time getting to know the character. Something, in fact, that each actor has done within the show with equally fabulous performances.
The huge winner of the show though is the Australian landscape. There is a beauty in the scenery that highlights the threat of the disappearances and the darkness that surrounds the buildings. If the story isn’t capturing you, it is the world that it is set in that does.
With all this in mind, I am giving the gripping show…