Many critics believe that American Sniper is overly chauvinistic, unhelpfully glorifying the American “war against terror” in the Middle East, whilst others are displaying it as a portrait of a hero. However, it is neither; instead it is in fact a complex, psychological biopic of real life Navy SEAL and his personal experiences.
Chris Kyle, America’s most deadliest sniper, is portrayed by the four time Oscar nominated Bradley Cooper, who delivers a faultless performance, able to effortlessly switch between two personalities; the one unaffected by trauma, and the other poisoned with the disease of war – each side perfectly balanced.
American Sniper is perhaps one of the most realistic war films when considering the effects on the individuals involved, paralleled only by the likes of The Hurt Locker. It details the development of post-traumatic stress disorder on a soldier deeply affected by the atrocities he has both witnessed and been the cause of whilst serving four tours of duty in Iraq, and the trajectory from a hopeful man serving his country to desolate killing machine. It tackles the psychological effects of war beautifully, with a striking depiction of the violence and combat that lingers long after the fighting is over within both the audience and Chris Kyle, from the exciting and suspenseful Iraq war scenes to a dramatic contrast with his quiet, suburban, American lifestyle.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Running time: 134 minutes
Screenplay: Jason Hall – adapted from the autobiography of Chris Kyle
The Interview, starring comedy duo Seth Rogen and James Franco (or Flacco, if you’re President Obama), has been a controversial topic ever since its inception with North Korea promising retaliation upon its release.
Franco plays Dave Skylark, the presenter of a popular infotainment show “Skylark Tonight” and Seth his equally dim-witted “sell-out” producer. Upon hearing news that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is a fan of the show, they are invited out to China to interview him. As a result, they are then approached by CIA operative Agent Lacey (Lizzy Caplan) who orders the pair to befriend and then assassinate the North Korean dictator, whilst giving them a poison which promises kill the dictator 12 hours after contact. However, Skylark bonds with Kim Jong-un over their mutual appreciation of Katy Perry and wishes to show the other side of the scary dictator in his TV interview to reveal to the world he isn’t as bad as he seems, although the film is destined to end in his inevitable demise.
A North Korean cyber-hacking group, called Guardians of Peace, have reacted against the movies release by publicising thousands of confidential email documents which horribly embarrassed Hollywood producers by exposing details of arguments, payslips and inappropriate racial comments. Although the plot centres on the fictional assassination of this deadly North Korean dictator, the film’s main themes are that of comedic value rather than an “act of war” as North Korea would suggest. Therefore, its subsequent cancellation in the wake of the Sony cyber attacks instigated by North Korea leads to the discussion of serious problems that stem from Hollywood’s cowardly behaviour as well as America’s susceptibility to cyber attacks and inclination to cower under threats from foreign leaders.
This attack isn’t an entirely new concept; Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister for the beginning of WWII, announced he would ban Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator as part of his policy of appeasement towards Hitler. The ease with which dictators like Hitler and Kim Jong-un can get a film cancelled is a highly concerning assault on free speech, something that both England and America claims to protect by the common law and United States Constitution. With this as a precedent to go by, Kim Jong-un, and others leading by his example will certainly be encouraged to repeat these same actions, which would make the US and anywhere else that supports free speech, more liable to attacks of a similar nature when confronted with opposing views. Surely then this would mean that by not releasing The Interview, it is in fact creating an even worse problem by letting the country be undermined by cyber-terrorist actions.
However, following the news on its cancellation on Friday, President Obama said he wished Sony executives had spoken to him before cancelling the release, saying “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship,” and vowing to “respond” to the cyber-attack in a “manner that we choose”.
The cancellation has almost guaranteed the movie cult classic status among movie-goers, regardless of its individual merit; Sony Pictures can be assured that the publicity created by the censorship and the buzz surrounding the topic promises sales when, and if, it is released.
Directors: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Running time: 112 minutes
Screenplay: Dan Sterling
Certificate: 12a
Cast: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park, Charles Chun
Continuing where the last movie left of, Katniss Everdeen, a now renegade survivor of the games that was rescued by the radicals of District 13, unwillingly joins the propaganda battle the rebels are launching against the fascist President Snow (Donald Sutherland), dictator of the dystopian future America, Panem. Coerced by the resistance commander President Coin (Julianne Moore) and Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) into being in a succession of inspiring propaganda videos, Katniss is the face of the revolution, the rebellion’s iconic “mockingjay”. She is also suffering from post traumatic stress disorder induced flashbacks to her time in the games and is undoubtedly wracked with guilt by the use of Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) as a propaganda tool by Snow in retaliation. The film centers on Katniss’ struggle to deal with the mounting responsibility she is burdened with and the role she plays in the fight for freedom. The presence of the Mockingjay Katniss Everdeen proves inspiring for the subjugated rebels amid the desolation; Lawrence brings a powerful allure to her ambivalent character that carries the majority of the movie.
The latest installment in The Hunger Games saga is a completely different movie from the first two chapters, which is arguably what is needed in order to introduce the more adult themes of revolution and rebellion in the oppressed districts. Last year’s Catching Fire was in many ways a rehash of the first film, but “Mockingjay – Part 1” sets the series on a new course, exploring the mutiny within the districts against the fascist regime imposed on them and the controlling influence that propaganda has over the masses. Mockingjay – Part 1 is bleak and depressing, darker even more so than the previous movies when the plot was centered on teenagers put in an arena and forced to slaughter each other; with death, despair and war more prevalent than ever before.
It is clear that the recent trend in splitting the final book into two movies did not work for The Hunger Games in the same way it hasn’t before for other book to movie adaptations Harry Potter and Twilight, and instead is just another attempt to make the maximum profit from the success of the franchise. The plot lacks the action the other two movies have provided, with this addition definitely being prolonged, when the book could have easily been one three hour movie instead. Without the second part, it is difficult to ascertain whether Part 1 has done the previous Hunger Games movies justice since it is just half of a story, especially as its source material is by far the weakest of the trilogy.
However, alone, it’s worthwhile going to see, particularly for longtime fans. It still manages to advance the story, has enough time for character development, with outstanding acting from the cast, and introduces some more adventurous elements with fresh political themes being established within this chapter of the series. With one more film left in Hollywood’s The Hunger Games franchise, it’s evident that the action and battles omitted from this installment are being saved for next year’s promisingly epic finale.
Director: Francis Lawrence
Running time: 123 minutes
Screenplay: Peter Craig and Danny Strong – based on the novel by Suzanne Collins
Certificate: 12a
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson
As an ultimately imperfect, yet often breathtaking film that tackles the significance of love and sacrifice in conflict with a basic human survival instinct, “Interstellar” does the impossible and fails to collapse into a “gargantua” of disillusionment for the viewer; if you’re looking for a mind-blowing spectacle, then Interstellar definitely serves its purpose.
The beginning of the film leaves you wondering if you’ve stumbled into the wrong screen, with the depression era reminiscent dust storms and blight ravaged emaciated agricultural land being a far shout from the space travel epic promised. However, it is soon revealed that the Earth’s atmosphere is shifting in a negative way, with human extinction becoming a real threat. “This world is a treasure, but it’s been telling us to leave for a while now,” as McConoughey’s character Cooper puts it.
Former NASA pilot and engineer Cooper, is a widowed farmer trying to provide for his teenage children, Tom (Timothée Chalamet) and Murph (Mackenzie Foy), as well as his elderly father-in-law (John Lithgow). In a period when everyone has been asked to sacrifice their individual aspirations for the interest of the greater good, Cooper has attempted to make peace with the simplistic farm life he loathes. However, as the living conditions progressively deteriorate on Earth, Cooper’s thirst for scientific discovery is ignited once again when he and his daughter are able to uncover a secret message seemingly being sent to them by a supernatural element that exists in Murph’s room, which leads them to stumble straight into a secure NASA base.
Coopers former employer, Professor Brand (Michael Caine) explains to him and his daughter that a wormhole has been discovered in space leading to another solar system with twelve planets. Twelve brave explorers, led by Dr. Mann, have previously been sent through it with Project Lazarus ten years earlier, one to each planet, in search of a new home for Earth’s inhabitants. This is their Plan A. Plan B would involve rebuilding life, instead of moving it, through fertilized embryos that would replace human life on Earth. Cooper disagrees strongly with this plan, so he agrees to pilot the mission for Plan A.
After a heartfelt goodbye, in which Murph refuses to accept he is leaving for an indefinite amount of time, Cooper and a small team of scientists, Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway), Doyle (Wes Bentley) and Romilly (David Gyasi) as well as two artificially intelligent robots, TARS and CASE, are launched into the universe to see discover the planet most likely to sustain human life as the Project Endurance team. Three potentially sustainable planets have been identified – named after their scientists that inhabit them – Miller, Mann and Edmunds. With the effect of the black hole Gargantua’s close proximity, causing a difference in gravitational pull being felt through time dilution, one hour on Millers planet equates to seven years of Earth time, which ultimately affects Coopers family, as they are forced to grow up without their father’s presence, while he ceases to age.
Although “Interstellar” has been a controversial topic for critics who disagree on the movies value, there has been undisputed approval of the block robots TARS and CASE, both of which assist the Endurance team on their mission. As supporting characters, both robots steal almost every scene they are in. They are fitted with artificial intelligence, which allows them to have a sense of humor and even a judge of how honest to be that can be changed by the astronauts, with a discrepancy setting also mentioned. Their role in the movie is both pivotal to the plot development and to provide comic relief from the seriousness. The sarcasm and humour associated with both have produced many memorable quotes from the film, such as “I have a cue light I can use to show you when I’m joking, if you like.”
The film is definitely both audibly and visually appealing. It encompasses a mass of locations; the dusty Earth expanses, Mann’s icy planet, Miller’s water dominated world, and the splendor of galactic travel with visual representations of both black holes and expectation breaking spherical wormholes. Hans Zimmer has also created a booming, even at times domineering, score that expresses the colossal task underhand, and demands the intense emotion to be felt by the audience in his fifth collaboration with director Christopher Nolan.
Physicist Kip Thorne is credited as an executive producer and consultant on wormholes, space travel, time relativity and black holes for the movie, so it is expected that many elements present rely more on relevant scientific notions rather than creative designs, which is maybe why some of the concepts may be harder to grasp than your average movie; though this is the norm for many Christopher Nolan blockbusters. With “Interstellar” Nolan has developed a concept so emotive and courageous that it forces you think about the deeper meaning behind everything. For any flaws that “Interstellar” may have, it is a film that is intellectually and emotionally engaging for the audience.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Running time: 169 minutes
Screenplay: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Certificate: 12a
Cast: Matthew McConoughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Wes Bentley, David Gyasi, Mackenzie Foy, Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Caine, Ellen Burstyn, Topher Grace
The Conjuring (2013) Based on a true story, the premise contains a family, a new country home in Harrisville, Rhode Island and a hostile demonic presence. It is then that a married pair of demonologists with psychic powers and exorcism training get involved. This film borrows from every demon story and haunted house cliché there is; the mysteriously moving objects and creaking floors, angry spirits and eerily creepy exorcisms. The film takes overused ideas and creates its own thrilling concept, largely due to the great acting from the cast and insightful direction from James Wan.
The Exorcist (1973) A timeless scare – The Exorcist still continues to exert its demonic spell on audiences 41 years later. Based on a bestselling book by author William Peter Blatty, who also wrote and produced the movie, “The Exorcist” is the story of a household under siege of the forces of evil while two priests try desperately to expel their infernal presence. It is an excellent blend of supernatural narratives, horrific images, and the nature of evil, plus the role of religion in opposing it.
The Amityville Horror (1979) As is the cliché of many horror movies; “The Amityville Horror” is a tale that centers on a newly married couple with three children, who move into a beautiful new home in the quiet suburb of Amityville, which, unbeknownst to them, was the scene of a multiple homicide in previous years. They then come to discoverer that the house already has demonic inhabitants as a result of the murders before and all the land around it seems to be cursed. A decent remake that is probably better than the original, The Amityville Horror is a jumpy and frightening movie, perfect for the Halloween season.
Slasher Films
Halloween (1978) In small town in Illinois, on the night of Halloween, the audience is introduced to a six-year-old Michael Myers as he mercilessly kills his teenage sister. Years later, he somehow escapes from a mental institution and returns to his hometown with a new look, the iconic Halloween mask and knife. Halloween sets the standards for every slasher movie out there, managing to introduce a set of rules and conventions for the genre that were ridiculed in Scream, and it is to fault for the influx of insufficient copycat slasher flicks that ensued after its massively successful release.
Scream (1996) Scream is focused around a high school student who is stalked by an anonymous “ghostface” killer that is murdering her classmates all around her. Most of the victims die because they adhere to movie clichés epitomised by “horror queen” Jamie Lee Curtis – never have sex, drink or do drugs, and definitely never say “be right back”. This is another timeless classic that will be one of the defining movies of the slasher genre.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) As is the norm for many slasher flicks, a group of teenagers are terrorized, but with an interesting and original premise. They each are suffering from violent nightmares that all feature a common element, an otherworldly figure, “Freddy Krueger” – his choice of weapon? Gloves with knives attached to every finger. However, pretty soon, their nightmares become a reality. A genuinely frightening movie, it succeeds by preying on the most basic of human fears – the unknown, and power of the unconscious mind in conceiving the evilest horrors imaginable.
Psycho (1960) A Hitchcock classic, Psycho is infamous for its disturbing shower scene, but has been immortalised for its influence on the horror genre and is often credited as the first slasher. Nowadays, the shock value may be lost on audiences that have been desensitised due to the ungraceful and superfluous amount of gore and violence within the modern slasher movies with their higher octane, but the slow pace and old-fashioned narrative sets “Psycho” up to be more impactful when the carnage does eventually ensue.
Nick Dunne – husband, brother, son… murderer? Is he responsible for his wife’s disappearance? This question definitely keeps the viewers guessing for the first half of David Fincher’s enthralling, warped, mysterious adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel of the same name. Gone Girl seems to be, on the surface, nothing more than an enigmatic film, structured around its female lead, Amy Elliott Dunne’s, disappearance from her and her husband Nick’s home, apparently dead or abducted. but it serves to be so much more; a social critique of the institution of marriage and the damaging role of the media as the events unfold.
Once Nick’s wife Amy’s disappearance becomes a prominent case in the news, Nick is slandered and vilified by the media, leading to mass condemnation and judgment by the people around him, revealing the purpose of the film as a criticism of media sensationalism and how easily it manages to influence public opinion.
There is also the clear deterioration of a marriage that is seen on screen through flashbacks and Amy’s own diary entries. The structure of the film is ingenious in a way that we are introduced to the conflict immediately, without character history or backstory. Therefore, as the story develops, we as an audience are presented with several different potential motives. However the film is ultimately about the conflict within Amy and Nick’s relationship, and as we see their relationship worsen slowly over time, the audience gains perspective on what really happened to Amy, although I can guarantee it is nothing like you would expect. Rosamund Pike’s powerful portrayal of Amy is one that I would not be surprised to see as a major contender during awards season.
David Fincher has ultimately created a plot with enough twists and mystery to keep the viewers guessing what will happen all the way to the end and his direction is faultless, as to be expected. Gone Girl isn’t up there with Fincher’s very best pictures, (Fight Club, Se7en) but is a worthy addition to his impressive filmography and one that he will be remembered for.
Director: David Fincher
Running time: 149 minutes
Screenplay: Gillian Flynn
Certificate: 18
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens
The plot follows the expected traditions of a typical possession horror movie; expectant wife, Mia, who collects dolls, receives beautiful, rare, vintage Annabelle, as a gift from her husband, John. However, two members of a satanic cult, who, after just sacrificing their neighbours in an attempt to conjure an evil spirit, then violently attack the couple. When the blood of the female cultist drips on Annabelle, it serves to summon an entity so malevolent and powerful that it manages to use the doll as a sinister conduit and endeavors to deceive and torment Mia into sacrificing her soul. Horton and Wallis play the roles of Mia and John adequately throughout most of the film but are let down by the below average writing, leading to weak dialogue between the characters.
Perhaps it was the lack of James Wan’s magical touch that made this film fall short of its superior and far more effective predecessor “The Conjuring”. The fact that both Wan’s meticulousness and aptitude to create that intensely coveted chilling atmosphere that is associated with the exclusive “Splat Pack” of the horror genre, is missing from “Annabelle”, leads to the extreme disappointment that I shall now forever associate with the movie.
If you are expecting the same feeling of terror that comes with watching “The Conjuring” then prepare to be severely dissatisfied. However, Annabelle does have its share of thrills, though I would recommend going into the movie without watching the trailer, as many of them are given away in the short 2 minute clip.
Overall, “Annabelle” is nothing more than a dismal and forgettable effort, a greedy attempt to feed off the success of “The Conjuring” and is only good for a cheap kick and cliché horror thrills.
Director: John R. Leonetti
Running time: 99 minutes
Screenplay: Gary Dauberman
Certificate: 15
Cast: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Alfre Woodard, Tony Amendola
As it nears it’s 20th anniversary on the 14th October, Pulp Fiction still remains one of the greatest cult classics in existence and has solidified writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s legend status. The structure of the movie is original and innovative, with the use of a non-chronological order of events; Tarantino begins the movie with the end, which really is actually only the middle. He also divides the movie into three main interconnected stories that all meet in some way; “The Bonnie Situation,” “Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife,” and “The Gold Watch”
The first part of the movie opens in an unknown diner – which is later revealed to be the same one that two other characters, Jules and Vincent are eating in. Two criminals, known as “Pumpkin” (Tim Roth) and “Honey Bunny” (Amanda Plummer), weigh out the pros and cons of robbing banks and liquor stores, finally deciding that the best place to rob is a Diner as you can “catch them with their pants down” and make the most money from the wallets of the unsuspecting customers. They then announce their plans to rob the diner in typical loud, violent, Tarantino style, “Any of you fucking pricks move, and I’ll execute every motherfucking last one of you!” Cut to the opening credits with a freeze frame, played to the iconic Pulp Fiction theme song of Dick Dale’s Misirlou.
The next part of the story introduces the other two characters on the way to a job. Vincent Vega (John Travolta) has just returned to LA from having spent three years in Amsterdam. He is in the car with his partner, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) talking about the ways Europe differs to American culture, including how a quarter pounder is named a “Royale with Cheese” on account of the metric system, how you can purchase a pint of beer in a cinema, and the laws on marijuana usage. They then enter a building with guns, whilst discussing the fate of their friend who was supposedly thrown out of a window for giving their boss, Marsellus Wallace’s (Ving Rhames) wife a foot massage. This brings about another lengthy discussion on the intimacy of a foot massage and whether their boss had an appropriate reaction. It is then revealed that their mission is to kill someone for their boss, and the mere insignificance of their conversation helps to reinforce to the audience that this is nothing out of the ordinary for them. Violence is simply a deeply integrated part of their lives.
Once Jules performs a lengthy recital of bible passage Ezekiel 25:17, plus has a few notable mentions of his catchphrase, “motherfucker”, and Vincent recovers a mysterious, glowing briefcase, they proceed to fire their entire clip into their target. Unbeknownst to them, there is a fourth man; hiding in the bathroom with a gun, preparing himself to surprise attack them. This leads to a “miracle” as Jules describes it, when the lone gunman reveals himself from the bathroom and shoots several wayward shots at them, leading Jules to (later on in the movie) announce that he will now retire after this last job.
It is then we are introduced to their boss, Marsellus Wallace, or at first, the back of his head, which features a peculiar plaster on his neck. This sparks the debate over what was in the briefcase. One popular theory has it that it is Marsellus Wallace’s soul, hence why there is a plaster on his neck, as it was the extraction point. Jules tells Pumpkin in the diner later on that the briefcase contains his boss’ “dirty laundry,” and indeed, Marsellus Wallace has a lot of dirty laundry, which could be interpreted as a lot of sins upon his soul. This could explain why the combination of the briefcase is 666, the devils number. It could similarly justify “The Miracle”, when Jules and Vincent are saved by perhaps divine intervention, as God would be allowing them to carry out their important task of returning Marcellus’ soul to its rightful owner.
Whilst being introduced to Marsellus’ character, we are also introduced to Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis). The audience comes to understand through a flashback that he is in possession of a treasured gold watch. When he was a child, his father’s friend, Captain Koons (guest appearance, Christopher Walken) visits him and describes the great (and painful) lengths that he and Butch’s ancestors went through to get the watch to him. The watch had belonged to Butch’s great-grandfather, who took it to World War I with him. Butch’s grandfather had also taken it to World War II, and similarly, Butch’s father to Vietnam. Butch’s father died in captivity of the Vietnamese, but entrusted the watch to Koons to return to Butch. Koons says that he and Butch’s father had to hide the valuable watch in their rectums to keep it away from their captors.
Butch is also a boxer, and his business with Marsellus was a corrupt match, to make sure he goes down in order to make Marsellus money from betting odds. Butch however, decides to place a large bet on himself winning and deceives Marsellus, beating his opponent so bad it results in his death and then fleeing town with his French girlfriend, Fabienne, to a motel.
The next morning, they wake up, and as Fabienne, intent on having a “pot belly”, describes the breakfast she is about to have, Butch realizes that she left his cherished gold watch at the apartment and proceeds to scream at her, reiterating that he reminded her to pick it up several times, and then smashing the TV in anger. He leaves in her car after giving her money for breakfast in order to retrieve the watch from the apartment, a dangerous task with a bounty on his head, but one he must make nonetheless.
As a precaution, he parks a few streets away and is shown walking through a vacant lot to his apartment building. He enters without any incidents and finds his wristwatch in the bedroom. Thinking he is alone, he enters the kitchen and proceeds to make a PopTart, but upon noticing a submachine gun in the kitchen, he realizes he’s not alone in the apartment. It is then revealed that Vincent Vega was in the bathroom and Butch proceeds to kill him with the found gun when he emerges, off guard.
This is important, as it seems that Vincent Vega was alone, since Jules had retired the day before after the incident of “divine intervention” that Vincent had dismissed as purely coincidence. Tarantino has evoked a powerful religious argument with this series of events. Had that instance in the apartment not happened and resulted in Jules’ retirement, then Vega could still be alive, as it would be implied that as his partner, Jules would have been with him and taken out Butch when he came to retrieve his watch. Or, it could have gone the complete other way, resulting in Butch taking out the unsuspecting Jules and Vincent. Either way, it would prove that the incident in the apartment the morning earlier was not purely coincidence, and that it was both a warning and threat for both Jules and Vincent for the unlawful lifestyle they are leading.
Continuing on with the story, when Butch is leaving the apartment with his watch, he encounters Marsellus crossing the street and decides his best bet is to try to run him over with his car, but only wounds him and is hit by another car himself. Marsellus then chases Butch into a pawnshop and it is there that the owner, Maynard (Duane Whitaker), overpowers them.
Maynard calls another man, Zed (Peter Greene) to hurry over in front of bound and gagged Butch and Marsellus, who seemed to have woken up in the basement of the pawnshop. Maynard and Zed are apparently a pair of redneck serial killer cousins who kill passers by who happen to stumble upon their store. Maynard and Zed take Marsellus into the next room and commence raping him. Butch manages to escape and rather than leaving the pawnshop, his freedom guaranteed once Maynard and Zed are done with Marsellus, instead procures a samurai sword (similar to the one in another Tarantino movie, Kill Bill) and rescues Marsellus; in the process, killing Maynard and emasculating Zed with a shotgun blast. Marsellus stays behind to oversee the promise of a painful torture session of Zed, even saying “I’ma get medieval on your ass,” but promises that as long as Butch never mentions what happened and never returns to Los Angeles, Marsellus will forget that Butch didn’t throw the match like he promised to. Butch returns to Fabienne and they leave town on Zed’s motorcycle.
In “Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife,” Marsellus is leaving town the evening that Vincent and Jules retrieve his briefcase and Vincent is to take Marsellus’ wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), out for dinner to keep her entertained. Before going to the Wallace household, he visits his drug dealer, Lance (Eric Stoltz), and buys some high-quality heroin. Whilst experiencing a high, he escorts Mia (who happens to be addicted to cocaine and an avid smoker) to Jack Rabbit Slim’s, a West Hollywood 1950s theme restaurant. After some small talk about Mia’s pilot TV show (which is similar in content to Kill Bill, as “Fox Force Five” can be compared to the “Deadly Viper Assassination Squad”), and the fateful foot massage, Mia volunteers herself and reluctant Vincent for a dance contest. They dance the twist and supposedly win an award, supposedly because they actually stole it. The audience is led to believe that Vinnie and Mia won the dance contest at the Jack Rabbit Slim’s restaurant, but when Butch is returning to get his watch, there’s a radio announcement alerting the trophy had been stolen.
After dinner, they return to Mia’s home in cheerful spirits, with Mia wearing Vincent’s coat. Vincent goes to the bathroom to talk himself out of making a move on the very attractive Mia. There is a recurring theme throughout Pulp Fiction, which is that every time Vincent seems to go to the bathroom, something bad happens, which could be a relevant foreshadowing technique. Whilst he is in the bathroom, Mia pulls the bag of heroin out of his coat pocket whilst looking for a lighter and, mistakenly assuming it is cocaine, snorts some. She immediately passes out and begins to foam at the mouth. Panicked, Vincent races the dying Mia to his even more panicked drug dealers house, Lance, where they argue about what to do with her. Following Lance’s advice, Vincent is able to revive her with a shot of adrenaline administered with a straight stab to the heart. She awakes, and they agree not to tell Marsellus what happened since both of them would get in trouble for it.
After Jules and Vincent retrieve the briefcase, they leave with Marvin (Phil LaMarr), Marsellus’ inside man in the gang. In the car, Vincent asks Marvin if he believes in miracles, but accidentally shoots him in the head and kills him covering the car in blood and brain matter in the process. Jules hastily drives to the house of his only friend in the Valley, a former colleague named Jimmie (played by director, Quentin Tarantino). Jimmie lets them hide the car but angrily tells them that they have to get rid of the body within an hour which is when his wife Bonnie comes home from her night shift at a hospital, hence why the section of the story is called, “The Bonnie Situation”. Jules calls Marsellus at his home to explain their predicament and he then calls Winston Wolf (Harvey Keitel), a suave and specialized criminal who solves problems. Wolf arrives at Jimmie’s house and tells Vincent and Jules how to clean up the car and themselves; they have to strip out of their business suits and wear Jimmie’s spare T-shirts and shorts. He then helps them dispose of the car and body at a junkyard belonging to a discreet friend named Monster Joe, whose daughter is Mr. Wolf’s girlfriend.
With the whole situation resolved, this then brings the story to the final part… Jules and Vincent decide to have breakfast at the diner from the beginning, where they continue their discussion about miracles and God. It is then that Jules reveals his plan to leave the criminal lifestyle and travel the globe as a “bum” as Vincent describes it, helping those suffering under tyranny. After Vincent ridicules him, he then goes to the bathroom, which is when Honey Bunny and Pumpkin begin their robbery of the diner. They stockpile the cash from the register and the patrons’ wallets in a large bag. Jules gives Pumpkin his wallet, but when Pumpkin tries to take Marsellus’ briefcase, Jules expertly pulls his gun and disarms Pumpkin, resulting in Honey Bunny screaming to let him go whilst holding a gun to Jules who is holding gun to Pumpkin. While Vincent then comes and holds Honey Bunny at gunpoint, Jules explains to Pumpkin how, even earlier that morning, he would have killed Pumpkin and Honey Bunny without a second thought. He then recites Ezekiel 25:17 again, explaining that while he previously thought it was badass to make such a cold-blooded passage the last thing his victims heard, he now realizes that the “tyranny of evil men” part of the passage refers to him, and he intends to become a better person. Honey Bunny and Pumpkin leave wrapped in each others arms after the traumatic turn of events with the money and Jules and Vincent leave for Marsellus’ place.
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Running time: 168 minutes
Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino
Certificate: 18
Cast: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken
As a film that is akin to the likes of “Babel” and “Crash”, Jason Reitman’s “Men, Women and Children” intricately weaves together the lives, both online and in real life, of a set of parents, their digital age children and how the internet impacts their relationships with one another. The trailer can seem quite confusing at first, with so many different stories being told, that 2 minutes just doesn’t seem to be enough to get it across.
Tim (Ansel Elgort), used to play football but now spends hours a day engrossed in virtual games with strangers, which worries his father, Kent (Dean Norris). He also spends his free time stalking his mothers Facebook, since she has run off to California with a new boyfriend. Kent begins dating fellow single parent Donna after they meet at a parents meeting held by Patricia (Jennifer Garner), a overly cautious mum who monitors every aspect of her daughter’s online life, unaware that Brandy (Kaitlyn Dever) actually has a Tumblr and a developing, cybernetic romance with her classmate Tim.
Another teenager, Chris (Travis Tope), is obsessed with watching pornography on the internet. His dad, Don (Adam Sandler), who is drifting apart from his wife, Helen (Rosemarie DeWitt), scrutinizes his son’s browser history looking for suggestions. Don and Helen seem to utilise the Internet to their advantage in order to continue their adulterous escapades — with Don hiring a paid escort and Helen being connected to others through a site catering to cheating spouses. Chris’s obsession makes it problematic for him to hit it off with Hannah (Olivia Crocicchia), who is cheerleader and aspiring actress whose mother, Donna (Judy Greer), exploits her by posting inappropriate pictures online, hoping it will help her further her career.
Allison (Elena Kampouris) is Hannah’s fellow cheerleader, and she uses the Internet to feed her obsession being of thin on pro-anorexia websites whilst also risking her emotional and physical wellbeing in pursuit of a boy who doesn’t really give a crap about her.
Ultimately, the film seems to be a cautionary tale about the dangers of the Internet, and how it can destroy romances, ruin friendships and damage your own welfare. Many people may find that this movie resonates deep with them, as the problems tackled may be more common now in this digital age we live in. People are becoming increasingly addicted to electronic items and social media websites, which is bound to cause problems. The trailer does its job though and sells the film well, as it seems like a must see when it is released in the UK on 28th November of this year. It could be extremely relatable; we as a species have created a culture of lies and deceit through various technological mediums, which is exactly the types of prevalent issue that this movie explores. It also poses the ultimate, important question of, do social networking sites make us less social?
Director: Jason Reitman
Running time: 116 minutes
Screenplay: Chad Kultgen
Certificate: 15
Cast: Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever
A Deadpool movie has been in the works since the earliest, February 2004. A 2-minute CGI screen test was produced in January 2012 in an attempt to convince the studio to move forward with a live action version of the movie. However, after two years of production being static, on August 1st 2014, the footage was leaked to the public. It received an overwhelmingly positive response from fans, with demand for the movie never being higher. Now, debut director Tim Miller is being given his chance as he is set to direct with Ryan Reynolds as the titular character, also known as Wade Wilson.
The plot is unknown at this time, but it will likely be an origins story for Wade Wilson’s transition into Deadpool, similar to the new Ant Man movie being produced. Reynolds has publicly commented on the leak, saying to the Niagara Falls Review, “The movie has been in a state of limbo for a while. There was such an overpowering reaction to the footage, you sort of feel like, ‘Oh, so we weren’t crazy for our reasons for loving this character, for loving this role.’”
The 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine didn’t exactly please fans of the deranged Marvel Comics character despite featuring Deadpool’s first ever live-action appearance; in fact, it served to do the opposite. The only thing it did prove was that Ryan Reynolds was a fitting choice for Deadpool, as despite the weak script for his character in the movie, the execution was as amazing as it could be. The film script however, omitted everything about Deadpool that makes him Deadpool: there was no costume and on top of that, a sewn up mouth?!
Nevertheless, there is a chance for redemption. After years of being stuck in development limbo because studio executives seem to have no vision for the potential of this comic book movie, Deadpool is actually moving forward. 20th Century Fox has officially announced that the movie will be released on February 12, 2016, meaning that production will start up in at least the next year. Let me just say, that the CGI version of Deadpool had to be 10 times more badass than the live action version of him in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
A live action movie may be completely unneeded, Ryan Reynolds could provide his voice and still the character would be recognized and loved; undoubtedly, a live action movie would still be pretty awesome though. However there is speculation over the rating. It is going to go without saying that the studio would prefer to maximize their target audience with a lower rating in order to make a bigger profit, but how would they do that without losing the appeal of the character we all know and love so much? Deadpool’s crude humor/sarcasm and love of talking so much is the reason that he is so well revered, and also the reason that a movie with him as the star rather than just a supporting character, would work so well, and it’s why the fans have relentlessly campaigned for his own feature length film. Let me just say if it has a low age rating, it will more than likely suck.
Faith Shaboo-Meere 