How Television Saved My Life

'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 ...