Woman in Black Preview

So York is considered the most haunted city in the UK so what better place to see the new film interpretation of the Woman in Black. Free Beer and Popcorn was provided making me rather happy before the screening, however this was soon to change when the film started.........

I was on edge throughout the film, and the woman in black was a constant threat in many of the shots, standing at a window or in a mirror, the fear of the unknown was a define element of the film. The cinematography of the film must be praised, and the range of shots was well chosen in increasing the tension, especially through the use of the rather creepy children's toys.

However the film could have been so much better without the inclusion of  Daniel Radcliffe as the lead. He was just as wooden as in his previous film roles and a sense of vulnerability and fear did not seem present at times, he also appeared too young to portray the character of Arthur Kipps, and seemed barely a child himself at times.

As you probably know the Film is based on a book of the same name by Susan Hill, the film is completely different from the source material changing the story rather significantly, I thought the interpretation was rather good, and the new story worked well on the screen especially with the absence of a lot of dialogue.

After the film there was a live Q and A with the director James Watkins, and I asked whether Susan Hill(the author of the novel) had any input in the filming process and what she thought of the film, he said that she didn't have any input in the filming process but she did like the finished product, but i wonder whether if she had had more input if she would have changed anything and whether Daniel Radcliffe was her ideal Arthur Kipps.

Tonic Art Love Xx

NEW FEATURE ---->>Dvd Box

Each week probably Saturday or Friday night, i will give you a dvd from my dvd collection, this will be picked a random so it may be my favourite, and will possibly belong to someone else in the residence, but hopefully it will open you up to some new/old films and may make me revisit some awful film. soooo this week it is..............Attack the Block

This is a relatively new addition to the DVD collection, and don't just think, because it begins with an A I am going through my DVD's alphabetically, because I can assure you there is no order to my collection!!! I was really excited to see this film, but sadly missed out at the cinemas, so this was really my first encounter.
I found the film quite entertaining not perfect, but entertaining, and thought the characters where all well developed and was particularly impressed by the lead actor John Boyega (Moses), he will certainly have a good future. The aliens/creatures were also well designed and original, and  liked some of the hints of ET, with the youths riding on there bikes etc. However I felt the film was hard to place, as it was not that scary, but it wasn't that humorous, and either a greater focus on one of these or a better combination of both of them may have improved it somewhat.
But this aside, I found Attack the Block an exciting film from newcomer Joe Cornish, and look forward to his future projects. So you should definitely give it a watch.

★★★★

Micheal Kiwanuka --> Sound of 2012

All this week has been the countdown of the BBC's sound of 2012, and today was the release of the artist in the number one position, and it goes to Micheal Kiwanuka.
His voice is soulful and his music his highly relaxing, and I urge you to check it out, you will not be able to resist the soulful charm. Check out this video--->> Home Again

This is only a quick update and will get a full analysis of the line up later

Bourne First Image

So we have been given a small, (and I mean small) taster of the new Bourne film, starring Jeremy Renner. It basically gives nothing away and could just be a still from his current film Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol!!! Lets just hope the film fills us with more excitment.

3D YAY OR NAY

It seems only a year ago that 3D was being hailed as the new frontier of cinema,  advertised as offering viewers an increased immersion and overall better cinema experience.  But desaturation of colour, headaches, annoying glasses, and also increased prices have meant that the audiences are revolting against the studios and rejecting what is essentially a money making endeavour.
   Firstly the cost must be considered; a typical cinema ticket is around £8.00(varies per establishment), £2.00 for 3-D and the glasses at around £0.80,  a price which for many means a trip to the cinema will become an avoidable expense. Colour saturation is also a problem, and if you are familiar with film critic Mark Kermode you will be well aware of his rants about the "nonsense" that is 3D and importanly the the loss of foot candles of light. This is certainly something i have noticed when attending 3D screenings take Harry Potter and the deathly hallows part 2 and Fright Night both in 3D and both containing scenes in near darkness, in which many of the forms on the screen were hard to make out!! An additional issue is retrofitting, where films filmed in 2d are then transferred in 3d for the cinema release, meaning that the film was not meant to be in this format, but changed in order to apparently make the film more immerrsive?? More likey to create more money for the studios, but to be honest this is unnecessary as the main thing that makes a film immersive is a strong storyline well directed, and interpreted by good characters; and when you have seen the same film on both 3D and 2D personally i find it hard to distinguish, only maybe that the 3d gave me a slight headache.

It doesn't stop there i am now seeing adverts for all these 3d TVs, phones and cameras i find my self shouting at the TV its unnecessary, just STOP IT.

What are your views on 3D??

My Favourites from 2011

2011 has certainly produced some cracking films (and also some awful ones!) but I will note down my top 5 they are not necessarily the best but they are my favourites and deserve a watch:::::

5----> Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Having been a long time fan of Harry Potter, it was sad to witness the end of what have been not necessarily the best movies but entertaining for fans of the book. I felt the final part created a fitting ending, with a good mix of action and narrative, and although the ending was somewhat cheesy, it did get a great deal of laughs!. One niggle was that they did not really focus on those who had died, losing some of the emotion which is clearly present in the book. Now its all over I feel a bit sad, as there will be no more Harry Potter, to get excited about, so we will just have to settle for the DVD's. Also if you are one of the minority who has not read the books, I highly urge you to do so.


4----> Source code
This film came out earlier in the year, and was the second outing from Duncan Jones. His first film Moon was stunning and was certainly one of my favourites of 2009. Source code was also an engaging watch, a clever film, which many have compared to Inception, a comparison which overshadows it I believe. I was gripped throughout the film with the interesting concept and never guessed who the terrorist actually was. **SPOILER** You may disagree, but I felt that the film could have done without the happy conventional ending, and could have ended on more of a grim note, which would I would have found a bit more realistic. But it still makes the top 5 as it was a well-directed and clever picture.

3----> Hugo
Recently reviewed Hugo, manages to get into my top 5. This is mainly due to Scorsese's ability to create a child's U certificate film which manages to engage both children and adults alike. It is also visually stunning and introduces a new audience to the earliest form of cinema.

2----> Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy
The 1970's looked very grim, and everything in the film emphasised the grey tension and fear that surrounded the time period, and between the characters themselves. It was a film you had to concentrate on, which I personally like. I admit, I was lost at various points but when we get the big reveal at the end it all seems to be clear. Some have commented on it being boring, but I found it a thoughtful adaptation, well worth the recognition that many have given it, and Gary Oldman, well deserves an award for his portrayal of Smiley.

1----> Drive
I didn't think I would enjoy Drive, I envisaged it being something comparable to the Fast and Furious franchise, but it was so much better. Ryan Gosling portrays the central role extremely well, and although there is violence, which at some times was shocking, in the film I believe it works well in the context. Also the soundtrack was just amazing and every musical interlude was well placed fitting the scenes extremely well. It isn't for the faint hearted, but would highly recommenced as you like me will probably be surprised.


2012 definetly looks like an exciting year, especially with the release of the recent trailers...., so HAPPY NEW YEAR, dear readers!!!!

Hugo Review

Children's films really vary in quality, I know I'm not the target audience!!! But I think children much deserve a genuine story than a constant string of fart and sick jokes. Hugo is a very intelligent film and directed by Martin Scorsese we didn't really expect anything else. It manages to tell a heartfelt tale of loss, alongside the birth of modern cinema, and all in the beautiful backdrop of Paris.
The characters are all well developed, and the acting is well executed. Sacha Baron Cohen as the the station guard does seem somewhat of a caricature, but this does harm the story in any way. Personally I have not read the original source material so cannot comment on its accuracy, but it was a film full of emotion and made me check out the films of  Georges Méliès,  which I must say are also well worth a watch. Although I am not the biggest fan of 3D I would have liked to see this in 3D as you could clearly see it was designed to be in this format.

check out the trailer--> Hugo Trailer
★★★★★