How Television Saved My Life

"Let me be brave." MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD I'm an avid Doctor Who fan, and some, well   those few individuals that read this blog are probably wondering why on earth I've not blogged about series nine. I've been saving it up to make a big whopper of a post, because I want to double back and watch the episodes again. Series nine has actually been a lot of fun and has picked up a thread from the latter of series eight (which was fun at the end). Unfortunately something's come up - Clara Oswald ( Jenna Coleman )  that is. The impossible girl. The girl who flew in on a leaf. She's gone. Somehow I knew that Clara would go bravely ahead, but it's the first companion to have really died in New Who. There have been others, but never a recurring character at this scale. I had prepared myself already as I knew Jenna Coleman's contract was up. Despite all of that, I never really felt prepared for what was to come. It's not a big scale fanfa...

When the news about Jessica Jones  burst out post-Daredevil I became rather giddy, and even more so when the tiny teasers popped up, teasing both the heroine herself acted by Krysten Ritter (known from Breaking Bad) and the devilish purple man  played by David Tennant (beloved tenth Doctor). I was counting the days towards its release on the twentieth of November and I promised myself that I would try to limit my watching to one episode per day. I failed spectacularly by watching all the 13 episodes in one sitting. Jessica Jones is about Jessica Jones ; she's a private investigator, earning money on taking photographs of people cheating on their spouses and the other classical stuff. She, however, is not the healthiest of people veering off to a rather self-destructive pattern with loads of alcohol besides pushing people away because of dark deeds in her past. If this was any old hero  you'd not blink an eye, as it's regular business. Loads of detective shows are m...

'look at us we're so cute it's vomit inducing' I'm a connoisseur within the romantic comedy sphere. I can tell if something's going to be a complete waste of my time or not. Unfortunately for the last couple of years the majority of romantic comedies haven't exactly been newsworthy or un-cringe-like. They've all fallen into that ridiculous trap of over-the-top comedy and just unrealistic portrayals of people; besides every line spoken causing sharp never-ending embarrassment. I'd had some expectations for Man Up already. It got Simon Pegg who'd I'd not pegged (hah) to be dabbling in romantic flicks, though he'd briefly stepped into it with Run Fatboy Run , but that's some years since. Films he's been in have had romance in them, though that wasn't the main focus of said films (thankfully), for example - Shaun of the dead . So I didn't really know what to expect, though the trailer had given me some hope in regards of...

The future is now; a terrifying concept, as self-tying shoelaces and microwaves that cook your entire meal in seconds haven't exactly become a thing (rumour has it that the former is actually  being worked on). This doesn't mean that our time has disappointed in the realm of technology, but we haven't exactly aimed for this kind of future. It was never Robert Zemeckis' plan to have the lot of us bemoan the fact that we don't have  whatever they had in this imaginary future, though I'm certainly glad the eighties influenced fashion isn't a thing (even if the nineties are), but we still do in some ways because the fantasy is wonderful. So I hope you'll all watch Back to the future  with the knowledge that we can't go back anymore. We're already here.

"Don't shoot first Han." I jokingly said while re-watching Star Wars 4-6  that Flynn Rider from Tangled was obviously built on Han Solo, "Look at him! Hopelessly trying to be Mr Cool Guy but really wanting to know if she's in love with him or not? He's even got the vest on!" And of course, I realized in that very moment that I'd hit the actual nail, as a quick wiki-check confirmed my joke; " Originally written as a British farmer, Flynn was ultimately developed into a  swashbuckling  thief based on fictional characters  Han Solo  and  Indiana Jones . " I did a double take that very moment, giggling to myself in the knowledge that I hadn't failed (then again I probably skimmed the article before and have forgotten it, typical, disney princess binge-watching  phase ).  Leia and Rapunzel are kind of similar, except the former didn't have to spend her life trapped by Mother Gothel in a tower or, well, trapped by  the Emperor (she...

most unrealistic scenario: a chick with matching underwear I've always had a fondness for 1996's Scream -  that film was iconic at the time, throwing a new spin into the slasher film genre. When I heard the announcement that MTV were doing a tv-show I didn't quite understand how that was going to be possible, and despite being fun, the show does have it's quibbles, but it's a bloody version of a who-dunnit. When a young woman is cut up at her home after posting a video of a classmate that goes viral, things slowly escalate in Lakewood, as the town is suddenly reminded of an incident twenty years ago. There's elements of mystery, drama, but it doesn't feel fresh  and invigorating. It's nice to have breathing room between the characters being killed, allowing us to see the characters reactions etc, but it doesn't have that classic pull. Then again I did end up watching 10 episodes in one night because I needed to know the killer's identity ...

It's always fun to see ones Professor geek  out by revealing that the film you're about to see he'll be watching for the twenty-sixth time. I've never been big on westerns really, though I did watch loads of them when I was a kid with my dad. The sort of thing that would crop up with Eastwood or John Wayne to both our amusement. These last couple of years there has been a certain upsurge in Western films, after a not-so-curious decline, as it's been done before (the hateful eight, etc). And we watched today  John Ford 's version of a western - a version that many directors such as Spielberg keep close to their hearts, watching it again and again. Ethan Edwards ( John Wayne ) comes home after having been gone for a long time after the Civil War, visiting upon his brother and his family. But this happy  visit is cut rather short for when he's assisting someone to search after stolen cattle, he discovers that it's all a distraction, which leads to hi...

We've analyzed loads of films of late, delving into the deeper meanings, because our professors mean that this is the essence, the important thing if you're making film. Especially if you want to make something you can take a step back from and look at proudly. Not everything needs to mean the same thing to everyone, but you've got to give it some consideration before you start screaming action.  My whole first year is focused on process  and how important it is to sit down with a pen and paper and consider every action you'll take before you do it. We can't all just turn on a camera and become the next Kubrick. The biggest names in the industry - that always end up being repeated by some bloke wearing square glasses, usually had thought and passion put into their projects. They loved what they were about to make, even if they probably were tearing out their hair repeatedly throughout, but they keep reminding themselves of their goal , of what they set out to ...

To anyone who knows me I'm a huge Bond fan. It's a nostalgic trip to my childhood where I religiously watched the films again and again on the telly in the right order, dismissing the parody's and other versions that popped up, but always always  singing the themes. I knew and still know all the themes by heart, excluding some that annoyed me more than anything , cough , die another die, cough. When Spectre news started showing up, I was tremendously excited, as Skyfall had been a good one all in all. I was somehow hoping for Adele to show up again, but the news revealed that Sam Smith was going to be the new artist, keeping me quite interested. The title of the song was also given away, making my brain immediately jump to the exploding pen from GoldenEye and Q's terrible joke. Finally yesterday the song was released and it's - - - not so bad. The last couple of years, Bond songs haven't exactly been something to toot ones horn about with the exception of S...

I love my sitcoms like I enjoy my breakfast. Okay, that's quite literal, because I watch sitcoms while intaking the most important meal of the day, breakfast. You're probably going Emilie where haaaave you been? Work and summer and now school have presently occupied me. Funnily enough I am finally studying film, so I'll get to be behind the camera in some extraordinary capacity. Hopefully some cool position, or well, we'll see how it'll turn out as time passes us by. But when it comes to this cop show slash comedy slash slice of awesomeness you should watch it. All of it is on Netflix, bless, and can be enjoyed thoroughly, also it made me giggle loads. It's not like I haven't seen Sam Rockwell on the Moon   or Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome  or The Avengers: Age of Ultron or Ant Man or lots and lots of other sick shit, but I am just too lazy to develop any coherent reviews for those films. Except for Mad Max, what up Tina Turner in a chain mail sort of ...

"Scully, hold up your flashlight?" "No." Everyone knows what the X-Files are. I grew up with that show on television, which also meant I was terrified of that show at the same time (the theme song, oh man). But I by some miracle never watched it, probably due to a very interfering mother. Agent Dana Scully ( Gillian Anderson ) is told to work alongside with Fox Mulder ( David Duchovny ) who is dealing with something called 'the X-Files' and to write reports back about her observations in a scientific and clinical way. That's how the pilot plays on it at least. Can you believe that I never knew whether or not the show dealt with aliens ? I was half-way expecting that Scully would find a logical and much more reasonable explanation, which she tries, but in the end it's rather futile. Mulder of course is the firm believer, though still tries to pursue it logically first, even if he's determined that there's more to it than meets the eye...

'This would look great in my car' What brand were those shoes? That's a question that ran through my mind during several sequences that were already impossible enough as it was. I could harp on about the shoes, which I am honestly rather impressed by. Those shoes that could withstand that kind of territory and dinosaur action without breaking a heel. Wow . I like how one can suspend ones disbelief about dinosaurs, but those shoes just makes one sigh into the heavens. Or at least that's what I've gathered from the general consternation that's surrounded the film where Bryce Dallas Howard has had to go out and say she chose to wear them. I'm not surprised she did. If the shoe fits. It's twenty-two years later. The park is thriving, though apparently the general public are unimpressed by dinosaurs these days. They want bigger and better, or at least that's what the people who are funding it seem to think. So they've genetically engineered ...

I can smell the sweat Yes. Yes. I had rules. No repeats, but I don't have any hay fever medicine left so I'm silently suffering through what will potentially be ' a very bad day '. Also I dreamt that I sat in a bus that drove past Samuel L Jackson. IT WAS A SIGN that my subconscious really needs to watch John McClane ( Bruce Willis ) turn all bloody in his wife-beater besides Zeus Carver ( Samuel L. Jackson ) being indignant.  I don't know why this is one of my favourites. Not that Die Hard isn't wonderful, but that's a given. This is my other fave, but I suspect the team up is one of the main reasons. The real action as well. That's what I love about nineties action films. CGI hadn't taken over quite yet - - also swearing was still a thing. John McClane : [ hands Zeus a gun ] Here take this. Zeus : How's it work? John McClane : You don't know how to shoot a gun? Zeus : Look, all brothers don't know how to shoot guns, you r...

i want one, get me one, NOW I've avoided being too  hyped about Star War s, though I do have some faith left in JJ Abrams who I know is a massive fan of the original three. He might have glossed up the Star Trek franchise a bit too much, and not actually been a fan of it either, which he publicly admitted (though let's not dig up that deep edged wound again), but his heart is at the right place for this one.  Ever since Disney was announced as the new owner everyone has been wary, but I've rather been giddy. I don't know why I have faith in Disney, maybe it's because they're behind my childhood. And most of the people involved with Disney probably grew up with Star Wars themselves. You see they strike me as the people who've probably been mentally making up stories, or well fan-fiction and just going 'Imagine if Luke-,' and so forth. They are  the kind of people you want to have running things.  Let's be real.  We need the nos...

same bro, SAAAME It's been a while since the latest Arrow episode made everyone gasp in horror and shock. Roy decided all of a sudden to out himself as the Arrow saving Oliver from being arrested, but inadvertently putting himself into an orange jumpsuit. Oh, the fickle youth, they must always try to be the better hero. Detective Lance despite Oliver being cleared from responsibility is still on his man-hunt, and it's clearly due to personal issues. It's always interesting to see what the Lance family does after someone kicks the bucket. I'm glad it's not a round of alcoholic beverages, but can somebody straighten him up soon? Does he need to start hallucinating Sarah or...? He's just going through the same thing his character did in season one, and though it is throwing a wrench into Team Arrow's planning in general it's kind of getting repetitive. I know what this whole season is about, and it's about Oliver taking back Oliver Queen besi...

so how many will be cosplaying him in the future to get laid? When I found out that  Daredevil was showing up on Netflix, I gave a noncommittal shrug. Not that Marvel's creations haven't been awesome, though some perhaps a bit too light-hearted and comical even for my tastes. They've been blockbuster's more or less, the type you chew popcorn throughout and admire Robert Downey Jr for. Daredevil just seemed like a bad idea in my head, another way to earn money really, especially with the sudden shiver inducing flashback of Ben Affleck as the lead. Then again, I do adore being proved wrong with a far more adult series than one would suspect. It's a gritty rough world in Hell's Kitchen where Matt Murdock ( Charlie Cox )  is concerned, and it's certainly an awesome ride from start to finish. Matt Murdock got into a car accident when he was a kid, more or less jumping in to stop an old man from being hit (oh those youthful heroes). He loses his eye sight ...

my bae in grey I heard about this film at production stage and was immediately excited.  Matthew Vaughn  is a personal favourite of mine, and that has much to do with Layer Cake, Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class and Stardust. His scripts are always fun and full of references besides homages to great cult figures that influenced his childhood (consequently mine as well). The soundtracks themselves are stellar as well . He's just awesome, okay. I don't often gush over directors, but I do adore the stuff he's been churning out over the years, especially this one. I am sincerely hoping there's a franchise to be found here, as that would certainly be ironic. Vaughn is a huge Bond nerd, and this film is a tribute to that besides other classical spy films that defined the 60's. He's even got Michael Caine in it ( hello ). It's obvious from the get-go, as the film is about a young man called Gary  Eggsy Unwin ( Taron Egerton )  who soon gets roped into a spy a...

pretend i put some hipster bullshit under here I know a handful of people who mean feeling conflicted about a film tells how good the film actually is. However, this conflict isn't the typical disgust or horror that might come from a film that is brutal or any other apt reaction. It's more the 'one wonders if the director/writer thought that deeply about the subject manner they were dealing with'. Films about Artificial Intelligence are hardly a new breed, as technology is slowly turning towards that sphere whether we're picking up our fork pitches or tweeting happily about it. The director debut of  Alex Garland  who's previously written a lot of different scripts, often about the future in some twisted way or the other - 28 days later - Never let me go - Sunshine - Dredd - has an interesting first film. Caleb ( Domhnall Gleeson )  a young programmer wins a contest at his work and is suddenly flown over to the remote house of his boss Nathan ( Oscar Isaac...

i want this dress, thank you, mail it to me 'Be brave and kind'  and let's repeat this slogan throughout the movie to underline the kindness and braveness of the character instead of fully fleshing that out. We all know Cinderella. I know her too well and am a ridiculous fan of the original Disney film from 1950. Not to the extent where I do not see it's flaws, as I throughout the years have become more drawn to several other adaptations. There's Three nuts for Cinderella that's  shown every Christmas with a silly dub or the one with Brandy (and a really hot Prince and Whitney Houston, hello) besides the film Ever After that stole my heart away. Technically, if I had to pick a true winner it would be none of them, but a book actually. Unfortunately we are not here to talk about books (though it is Ella Enchanted, the loveliest of lovelies). We are here to actually talk about this newest version, which salutes its origin very nicely. Needless to say it do...

flower crown hipster queen You know how there are people who you go ' Oh, they're beautiful, aren't they? And their clothes and the things they say, because you've just caught brief snippets of their conversation and tone. You just end up assuming that this person is somehow holy  in someway or the other. That they're an institution of their own. That they're brilliant and have to be amazing. I've got that problem with costume drama's of any kind. I tend to presume they're good from the get-go, which is a terrible assumption, especially when they try to be historically accurate. Okay, when they claim to be historically accurate, but are in fact - not accurate. It's not that The War of the Roses information was lost to me, but we weren't schooled much about European history that wasn't our own. We got small little bits of course, and then everything was left for you to dive into on your own. This was one of those things. Knowing v...

And he did.  Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)

Don't fuck with man's best friend I'd heard that  Keanu Reeves  decided to step back into action, which is his best genre to be honest. The man might not have the most formidable of acting skills, but those he has excels in such an environment where violence plays the biggest part. You find it utterly believable that he can wield a gun and kill people with little conscious on his part. John Wick is about John who just recently lost his wife, but where all hope has lost, his wife gave him one last parting gift expecting her own death.  One lone little puppy that brings hope into John's life again, but it's when he comes across a knob-head Iosef Tarasov played by  Alfie Allen  who's familiar to anyone watching Game of Thrones ( besides the song Alfie by Lily Allen ) - that things more or less fall apart. It turns out that John isn't just a widow grieving his loss, but an ex-hit man who one shouldn't - for a lack of a better w...

(spoilers in text) Besides enjoying scones and frivolous amounts of tea, I've finally caught up with the likes of Agent Carter , which series finale will be coming up next week. Peggy is in harsher waters than ever before, as she's challenged by the people who work with her. While Leviathan is seemingly leading, having gotten their hands on equipment that will certainly throw shade over the eight episode. But she's not the only one suffering, as Annalise finds difficulties when Sam's sister shows up - besides Sam's body. My favourite leading ladies aren't experiencing any fun time these days, but it's certainly interesting to see them under such circumstances. The intrigues just continue to simmer under the layered web of How to get away with murder and they're certainly at a rise in Broadchurch.  Cliffhangers and emotions are being used rather well this week, and hopefully before the great summer draught aka the hiatus - we'll have some sol...

'Hand gestures means friends' I love that not once in the film is the other possible word ' friend zoned' ever mentioned, which briefly did give me a wee lantern of hope throughout what could have been a very awkward scene.  Daniel Radcliffe  plays  Wallace who is a normal bloke, but just got his heart broken. He finds himself at a party where he meet Chantry ( Zoe Kazan )  who he immediately hits it off with, and who admits to him that she never experiences that kind of thing at parties. Unfortunately after he's gallantly followed her home and asked her if they could meet again, she drops the b-word - boyfriend . Wallace then willingly lets her number go instead of pursuing an actual friendship with Chantry. Since clearly the classic 90's view of - 'men and women' can't be friend is still thriving, though in some ways this one is 'a man who instantly finds a woman attractive and wants to be with her can't be friends with her'. T...

Jennifer Kent's first long feature debut is a well-crafted horror film, and I'm not talking about the typical jump-scares  and gore that frequents the genre these days. This is a different matter entirely. Amelia is a mother to a six-year-old boy called Samuel. He's rather afraid of monsters , though she tries to convince him they aren't real, he seems to be under the belief they very much are. Making weapons and preparing himself to protect her and him from them. His beliefs take a rather nasty turn when he wants her to read from a book called: The Babadook. It's a pop-up book about a monster called Mr Babadook. Samuel does what he always does, is terrified, while his mother lets him sleep in her bed. much to her frustration. But in the end, it seems that The Babadook is someone you can't ignore. Spine-tingling is the kind of horror I enjoy, where sound comes forward and plays. The film uses that efficiently, emphasizing certain things and knowing whe...