The Disaster Artist Review

The Disaster Artist (9/10)

Director: James Franco

Runtime: 105 Minutes

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I review a new film every two days and push myself at delivering thought out and detailed reviews.

This is my second time watching The Disaster Artist. The first being in my local cinema where I had one of the best experiences i’ve ever had going there. Everyone was howling with laughter and even the most subtle of things that you'd only understand if you’ve seen The Room still got a laugh out of the audience. and it’s still as good as when I saw it in cinema. It’s a movie about the making of one of the worst movies of all time. The Room is without question one of the worst movies ever made, is it the worst is a matter of taste. In my opinion it really isn't, maybe from a technical standpoint it could be considered one of the worst but I have seen many more bad movies than The Room. As mentioned at the beginning of this movie by famous actors, The Room is a movie with heart, you can see Tommy Wiseau put his heart and soul into making it. James Franco set out to make The Disaster Artist, a movie that faithfully adapts the events written up by Greg Sestero who plays Mark in The Room. It’s strange to think all the events seen in the film actually happened, what’s better is that James Franco treats it all with such respect and still manages to make it extremely funny.

Greg Sestero is a struggling actor (Dave Franco) who befriends Tommy Wiseau (James Franco). They move to Hollywood to follow their dreams and soon start to get rejected by every casting agency. They eventually decide to make their own movie, that movie being The Room. It’s a crime that James Franco didn't win an Oscar for his role here, as personally I believe it to be one of the best from 2017. Putting Wiseau and Franco side by side he has simply nailed the look and feel of the man. This definitely shouldn't overshadow Dave Franco who looks uncanny as Greg Sestero, overall everyone does a great job in looking the part of their counterparts. Even a small role like Zac Efron in the movie, he does a good job and looks just like the character from the actual movie. There’s so much in this movie that you question, like why did Tommy carry on making this movie even though it was clear he should stop? At the heart of this movie it’s about showing that Hollywood is full of dreamers, just because you want it doesnt mean it will happen. Wiseau is definitely a weird and mysterious guy, the movie constantly has us questioning everything about him. Even Greg eventually asks him out of anger where does all the money come from and how old he really is. We never get any answers to these questions and as the movie tells us at the end, we still don't.

Looking back now it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Tommy Wiseau making The Room, much like how it’s hard to imagine anyone but James Franco playing Tommy Wiseau. The Disaster Artist is a brilliant movie that’s as funny as it is sad. It’s hard to say if you haven't seen The Room if you’ll enjoy The Disaster Artist, my guess is they’ll be certain aspects you won't understand and that might stop you from enjoying it at its fullest. However this is all the more reason to watch The Room, grab a few friends and watch one of the worst (best) movies of all time.

Halloween 2 Review

Halloween 2 (4/10)

Director: Rick Rosenthal

Runtime: 92 Minutes

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As mentioned in my review 2 weeks ago, I will be reviewing all the Halloween movies every 2 weeks to coincide with the release of the new Halloween movie coming out this October. As promised, today I will be reviewing Halloween 2. The sequel to arguably one of the greatest horror movies of all time. The movie begins just as any sequel should, continuing directly after the events of the first. There's not too much to say about the plot as the movie follows straight after the first. We again see Jamie Lee Curtis as she gets wheeled away to the hospital, little does she know that Michael Myers is hot on her tail. Killing many people along the way, and just like the first Doctor Loomis is back on the search to find Michael and stop him for good.

My god, how the mighty have fallen. I used to like Halloween 2 as a kid but now watching it as an adult I have no idea why. John Carpenters original Halloween is one of the best and most effective horror movies of all time. This movie takes everything that the first did so well and ruins pretty much every aspect of it. Halloween 2 does do a lot of things well, it amps up the body count which can either be a good thing or bad depending on how you look at it. Michael has more screentime this time around, which might satisfy some people but it does take away a lot of the mystery surrounding the character. Personally, I don't find this that bad to the narrative as this is the sequel and I would expect to see more of him. Although it does make Michael a less menacing figure, id go so far to argue this movie steals every ounce of scare factor that Michael ever had and makes him feel like a cliche slasher villian than the troubled man hiding behind a mask of bloodshed that truly he is.

This movie has none of the artistry or the imagination of the original. However, despite all the hate that I'm giving the movie, it did entertain me enough for the length of its runtime. Sadly this was more down to some absolutely, ridiculous moments, that made me laugh so hard that for a second I forgot I was watching a horror movie. It was enjoyable for completely the wrong reasons. It does have some memorable kills though, seeing Michael disfiguring the face of a beautiful woman by plunging her repeatedly into scalding water of a whirlpool bath, was original and entertaining. A minor thing, I can't seem to get over how much I disliked the remixed version of the Halloween theme. It sounded like John Carpenter put over a techno 80's beat over the original music, it wasn't at all scary and I have no idea why they changed such a perfect and iconic song.

If you can look past all the idiotic choices that the characters make then you might find something enjoyable here. If anyone used just an ounce of common sense then this movie wouldn't even be half as long as it is. Then again, it wouldn't really be a slasher then would it.

I really didn't like Halloween 2, it tried to copy everything the original did but fails miserably. Michael is no longer scary or a menacing figure lurking in the darkness. Some unique kills and an always enjoyable performance by Donald Pleasence stops this movie from being terrible. I'm really happy that the new Halloween is forgetting the sequels ever existed. Maybe this will be the true sequel the original finally deserves.

Halloween (1978) Review

Halloween 1978 (9/10)

Director: John Carpenter

Runtime: 91 minutes

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With the trailer just dropping and a new Halloween movie coming this October I figured what better time than now to start reviewing the entire franchise. So starting from today I'm going to be reviewing each Halloween movie every 2 weeks, starting with John Carpenters original classic and working my way up to Halloween 2 by Rob Zombie. Safe to say these reviews are going to get more painful to write as the movies go on.

On Halloween night of 1963, a young Michael Myers murders his older sister. 15 years later, Myers escapes the institution he's in and goes back to his old town searching for people to kill. This was back when slashers meant something, before Ghost face, before Freddy, even before Jason. There was Michael Myers. There had been prior slashers to Halloween but it was the first to revolutionise the genre. I hadn't watched Halloween prior to this review for years, the movie was released in 1978, that's 40 years ago and it still holds up surprisingly really well. It's a feat to be able to say that after 40 years it's still one of the greatest Horror movies ever made. The Horror genre most likely wouldn't be what it is today without the influence of Halloween.

The film triumphs greatly over its narrative, little is explained to the audience and we're left to piece together the parts ourselves. On the surface this is a story about the Boogeyman, Carpenter takes this tale and squeezes everything out he can for his audience. The brilliance of this movie lies within it's main centre piece, we know little to nothing about Michael Myers and although the sequels tried to add more and more layers of backstory to the character and give him a reason for killing. I prefer the simple fact that he's just plain crazy. This movie is really, really dark, but in a good way because it was shot on a small budget Carpenter knows how to utilise his lighting to create and dark and menacing figure. Michael materializes in and out of shadows, you're never quite sure where he is or where he's going to pop out. I've always loved just seeing his white pale face slowly peaking it's way through the darkness.

The movie also has one of the greatest opening scenes ever. It's one extremely long take as we witness a murder through the eyes of a killer. As it progresses we realise this killer is a little boy and is a young Michael Myers. It must have took them ages to get everything just right in that one scene. Halloween also has one of the greatest, and my personal favourite horror theme of all time. It's so scary and memorable, it's played to highlight something the audience should be paying attention to, whether this be Myers car or Michael standing watching someone. As much as I love the theme, 're watching the movie did make me think that in the first half it's way to over played. I absolutely love the theme but there's literally a theme playing every 5 mintues or so and I just felt that it became to much and slightly overpowering at times.

Halloween is an absolute classic, if you haven't seen it then definetely do yourself a favour and do. It paved the way for all the slashers to come and is still one of the best in its genre. Although many slashers came after him, Michael Myers is still an extremely effective and creepy villian. The theme is downright amazing, even if played a little too much throughout the film. Overall I think Halloween is an amazing movie that deserves all the love and attention that it gets.

Hereditary Review

Hereditary (5/10)

Director: Ari Aster

Runtime: 127 Minutes

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Why are people calling this the scariest movie in years? Why is it being marketed as a horror? These are questions I left asking myself at the end of Hereditary. The debut movie by Ari Aster, Hereditary tries to be grisly and genuinely frightening and for me it never was. I'm not the biggest fan of subtle horror, nor am I a big fan of arthousr horror. This movie never had me on edge, even though the trailers leads you to believe it'll be extremely intense and have a grim atmosphere but it never does. This is where my biggest issue with the movie lies, there was a never a moment that I felt scared and all the moments that should have been intense weren't because I never felt like there was something to be afraid off. Maybe some people might consider this a good thing as the story keeps you guessing, I personally never got invested in the story enough to care.

I've heard this from a lot of other critics and I completely agree with them, the marketing for this movie was awful. It leads you to believe you're going into an intense horror movie. When in actuality you're walking into a drama, and a slow burner one at that. A lot of people might consider this off putting and I can definetely see why. Going into this movie I pretty much knew I wasn't going to like it, I really did want to but I knew it didn't look like my type of horror movie. It reminded me a lot of The Witch and The Babadook, both movies that I really didn't like but the majority of critics loved. Give credit where it's due, the performances in this movie are outstanding. Toni Collette is brilliant as the mom stricken with grief at the death of her own mother. Alex Wolff gives his break out performance here and I truly do hope he starts to get recognised as an actor to be reckoned with. I hated his crying in the movie as it sounded ridiculous but the rest of the movie he is top notch. The movie also goes on for far to long, clocking in at a little over 2 hours it drags during act 2 and there were many scenes that lingered for far to long, not adding anything to the overall plot and could easily have been cut.

Overall I haven't got a whole lot to say about Hereditary. I feel people who like subtle horror, movies like The Babadook and The Witch then you'll definetely like this. Personally I don't think it's a great movie and if it wasn't for the stellar performances then I'd probably give it lower than a 5. I went with two people who loved this movie so I might just be on my own when saying if wasn't a great movie. I'd definetley say give it a watch but be prepared that you're going into a drama/thriller and not a horror.

The Greatest Showman Review

The Greatest Showman (8/10)

Director: Michael Gracey

Runtime: 105 Minutes

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I was listening to "Rewrite the stars" on my way home today and realised I haven't done a review for The Greatest Showman. Considering it was one of my favourite movies from last year I felt it only right to write one for my page. I even remember my first time seeing this movie, as it was also my first time ever having to sit in the second row from the screen because the room was that full. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I didn't mind sitting that close, and the movie was also really good so overall I had a really pleasant experience.

P.T Barnum (Hugh Jackman) is a near penniless dreamer determined to build a better life for himself and his family. After struggling to establish himself, Barnum launches out on his own, creating a theatre in the heart of New York City. He gathers together people with special talents as well as those with physical abnormalities. (a giant, a bearded lady, Siamese twins, a dwarf, etc) He also hires the likes of Zac Effron as an overcompensated apprentice. But as we all know, in the end showbiz always goes to your head and this is where Barnum gambles on an all out tour with opera singer Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson). Leaving all his old talents behind.

The film starts with the title song "The Greatest Show" A showstopper of a song that never stops the rhythm with a repetitive thumping that throws the audience straight in. The cinematography here (much like the whole movie) is so good, keeping the movements fluid which gels well with the rhythm of the song. All the actors feel connected by their actions and everything comes together so the audience is plunged straight into the centre of the ring. At the centre of this whole story is Hugh Jackman, who greatly carries this whole movie. He's got such a flamboyant charm that it's just impossible to hate him, you realise that everything he has done has been for his family even if his own selfish needs to get in the way at times. Plotwise this movie is very thin, its simple told story but told tremendously through its lavish production numbers and crafted sets.

I feel like most people I have the same issues with this movie, the film tries to get through its plot as quickly as it can so they can show us the next big set number. All of the pieces look incredibly good, however, it's just a shame that they rely too much on CGI during these moments when they could have recreated everything with real stuntmen. I mean we see it all the time at real-life circuses. Although I do realise some of the trapiz moments do defy the laws of psychics so sometimes the storys own narrative does stop it from being greater than it could be.

People come to see this movie for the music and here is where it does everything so well. Every single one of the tracks is great and are placed so perfectly throughout the narrative. You can count on at least one to stick in your head for ages, for me its "Rewrite the stars" which is a beautiful song that tells the struggles of both these characters who just want to be together but society stops them.

Overall I still love this movie just as much as I did the first time I saw it. Hugh Jackman is brilliant and so is all the supporting roles. All of the songs are so catchy and sometimes beautiful, they're placed perfectly in the narrative of the story. Everyone is deeply committed to entertaining the audience, in and out of the film. This is most definitely the greatest show on earth.

Oceans 8 Review

Oceans 8 (7/10)

Director: Gary Ross

Runtime: 110 Minutes

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I love the original Oceans trilogy, I felt Soderbergh was able to craft 3 incredibly enjoyable heist movies. It's pretty obvious by now that Hollywood is remaking loads of classic movies but replacing the men with women. This can either work or it doesn't, I appreciate Oceans 8 for not being a remake but rather a sequel. It's simply building on everything that's came before, it's more of what we've come to enjoy about these movies so if you didn't like any of the first 3 movies then you certainly won't find much to like about this one.

This time around we follow Danny Oceans sister, Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock). She's looking to pull of the biggest heist of her career, steal $150 million worth of diamonds concealed around movie star Daphne's (Anne Hatheway) neck. Before the pulls this off she needs a crew, a crew consisting of 8 females all carefully chosen for specific roles.

We rarely see Sandra Bullock in a lead role anymore so it's a breath of fresh air when we see her leading this heist. And oh does she do it well. One of my biggest joys of the movie was her, she was extremely likeable and determined to pull this thing off. The chemistry between all these character is brilliant, you can really see the friendship blossom throughout the movie. You really get a feel that Bullock and Blanchett have been friends for years, it is a shame that not every character is as fleshed out as I would have liked but I do see why that would have been hard considering the movies runtime. I'm not going to go into depth about every individual character like many reviewers have done because I don't think it's something that needs to be spoken about. If you've seen the trailer then you know every skillset every character has and how they play into the story. I will however say that it's so fun to see all these cast of characters come together and form a team. I especially liked how there's a little line thrown in that atleast tries to give an explanation to the audience about why it's only women working on this heist. I really appreciated the screenwriters for going that extra mile to write something like that into the movie.

Although Soderbergh only produced this movie his humour is still there. For anyone who's seen the original movies, Logan Lucky or Magic Mike. Then you know how unique and silly his style of humour can be. I definetely got that vibe here, watching them have to look at a diamond necklace for far to long that it becomes hilariously suspicious to everyone around them, all because they need to 3d scan it. There's even a scene where we see two of the characters trying out Tinder for the first time, in the midst of all this planning and we have two people swiping on Tinder. Now that is funny.

So how is the heist? The thing that everyone comes to see this movie for. It's incredibly engaging and riveting to watch, not in an action sense but in a Soderbergh type of way. Every character looks cool and slick as their plan works through each and everyone of them. It's just a shame that the heist never turns up the heat, there never seems like there's any danger that's about to happen as pretty much everything goes to plan with not even a small bit of it looking like it might not plan out the way they hoped. It's a real shame there wasn't any jeopardy to the heist, the movie might have really benefited if just for a moment the peril really ramped up,.

Overall there is a lot to like in this movie, otherwise I wouldn't be giving it a 7. The cast ensemble is great, I liked every single one of the actresses and felt the chemistry between them all was fantastic. Especially Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, but Bullock is most certainly the stand out performance. It's very cliche and does nothing to reinvent the heist formula, but it is incredibly fun and has an upbeat tone that makes for a very enjoyable watch.