The Dilemma [M]

Ronny and Nick are as close as any best friends, but when Ronny witnesses Nick’s wife cheating on him, the solid foundation of their friendship is severely shaken. Now Ronny is torn between two choices: tell Nick and break his heart or let ignorance be bliss? 

Well that was crap. I love Vince Vaughn and I like Kevin James, but seriously this was stupid, pointless, mundane, and just crap. 

Ronny and Nick are as close as best friends can be, but when Ronny witnesses Nick’s wife cheating on him, the solid foundation of their friendship is severely shaken. As Ronny battles with himself, weighing the pros and cons of telling Nick the truth or leaving him in the dark, his distant behaviour begins to effect his and Nick’s major work venture, his own relationship, and his trust in practically everyone around him. 

Ok, I’ll admit that the story had some potential, not a mass amount, but definitely some. However, I really don’t think that the dilemma of deciding whether or not to tell someone something like this is such a strong scenario to make a feature film about. I appreciate the whole digging-a-rut-for-yourself comedy, and I do think that Vince Vaughn did very well in this film, particularly his rather funny psychotic episodes, but ultimately this movie did absolutely nothing for me. 

All the performances were rather subdued, although Vince Vaughn did redeem the film briefly with his aggressive and violent breakdown. 

I’m sorry, but I really cannot think of a positive thing to say. I mean, it wasn’t really a bad movie it was just there. There was no real heart to it, there was no strong chemistry between the leads, the entire thing just didn’t radiate any vibes at all, it was just blank. 

Starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Clint Howard, Queen Latifah, Winona Ryder, and Channing Tatum, The Dilemma was a blank and pointless film that had a slightly potential story and was filled with all kinds of conflict, comedy, an alright brawl, and romance. It wasn’t a bad film, but doesn’t qualify as an ok one either. 

The Silence of the Lambs [MA]

Special agent in training, Clarisse Starling, is plucked from her training to help in the investigation of a psychopathic serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. A psychoanalytically complex case, the FBI sends Starling to see notorious serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, commonly known as “Hannibal the Cannibal” in the hope that they might be able to enlist his professional help in the investigation. However, the sinisterly charming Dr. Lecter is too smart to just hand over information and he demands that Starling indulge him with personal memories about her childhood, thus luring Clarisse into an uneasy and disturbing relationship. 

One of the most chilling and delightfully seductive thrillers of all time, The Silence of the Lambs was the first “horror” film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and can boast to be the third movie in history (or at least at that time) to win five major Academy Awards. Based on the bestselling novel by Thomas Harris, it’s a fantastic film filled with gore, dark comedy, delightfully psychotic characters, memorable quotes, and thrilling suspense. IT’S BLOODY FANTASTIC! 

Special agent in training, Clarisse Starling, is plucked from her training to help in the investigation of a psychopathic serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. A psychoanalytically complex case, the FBI sends Starling to see notorious serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, commonly known as “Hannibal the Cannibal”, in the hope that they might be able to enlist his professional help in the case. However, the sinisterly charming Dr. Lecter is too smart to just hand over information and he demands that Starling indulge him with personal memories from her childhood, thus luring Clarisse into an uneasy and disturbing relationship. 

Everything about this film was perfect. It harboured suspense, disturbing images, shocking concepts, drama, action, violence and gore, and light smatterings of dark comedy. Armed with its savagely precise and witty script, and attacking the audience with knockout performances from the leads, it is one of the best thrillers to date and has no expiration date. 

Jodi Foster stars as Clarisse Starling and she was brilliant. A strong woman with a really subtle beauty, she was just mesmerising and delivered a performance that was frank, strong-willed, determined, brave, and incredibly powerful. She was just brilliant! 

Although, technically Jodi was the film’s lead, the show belonged to Anthony Hopkins who stars as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. I believe the role was originally offered to Jeremy Irons but, after seeing Anthony do the role so perfectly, I cannot picture it. Anthony gave a performance that was sinister, witty, menacing, charming, and oddly enough, strangely seductive. Watching him in this film, so calm and yet so dangerous, was actually a bit of a turn on. Maybe it was that delightfully wicked hiss that he did. HE WAS ABSOLUTE GENIUS! 

Starring Scott Glenn, Ted Levine (who was freakishly awesome), Brooke Smith, and Anthony Heald, The Silence of the Lambs was an epically awesome movie filled with drama, murder, shocking concepts, psychopaths, memorable quotes, and dark comedy. It has to be one of my all-time favourite thrillers. 

A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. 

The Hangover Part II [MA]

It’s happened again. Whilst in Thailand for Stu’s wedding, the boys take a drink on the beach and then wake up to discover that, not only are they suddenly in Bangkok, but that Stu’s fiancé’s little brother is missing. With no time to lose, they set to work trying to track the events of the night, discovering in the process that they got up to some serious shit. 

There was no way that I was going to expect this one to be as good as the first one, but I have to say that it really wasn’t that bad. Essentially, it was the same Hangover vibe and style, just a little more crude and, for lack of a better word, “f***ed-up”. 

It’s happened again. Whilst in Thailand for Stu’s wedding, the boys take a drink on the beach and then wake up to discover that, not only are they in Bangkok miles away from where they should be, but that Stu’s fiancé’s little brother is missing. With no time to lose, they set to work trying to track the events of the night, learning in the process, that they got up to some serious shit. 

After the success of the first one, Hangover II was never going to have trouble in pulling in an audience. The story is basically the exact same, and what I liked about this movie is they didn’t try to change anything dramatically. The film started just like the first, with a phone call from Phil saying “we fucked up” and from there, went back one week to where the story really begins. In place of a tiger in the bathroom, we have a badass monkey, instead of Stu missing a tooth, he’s acquired a tattoo, and Alan’s hair has vanished. From there the mishaps escalate into a completely bizarre set of events including missing fingers, kidnapped monks, an abundance of penises, and a burnt down neighbourhood. 

The performances were fairly similar to the first film, although something had happened to Alan’s character, I can’t figure what but he was not as innocent, he was jealous and just a right prick. And I do have to say that the chemistry between the three of them wasn’t the same as the first film. It wasn’t as relaxed and genuine. Funny nonetheless. 

Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Mason Lee, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson, and Paul Giamatti, The Hangover Part II was a good movie, but not as good as the first one, being cruder, edgier, and at times just downright bizarre. Filled with action, car chases, live animals, exotic prostitutes, beautiful scenery, and bizarre scenarios, it’ll make it into the collection because we have the first one, but it really wasn’t as brilliant as its predecessor. 

American Psycho [R]

Patrick Bateman is a handsome, intelligent, rich Wall Street executive by day, and a bloodthirsty serial killer by night. As he gets older, his mental instability strengthens and soon he discovers that he no longer has any control over his actions and bloodlust. 

Based on the controversial bestseller by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho is a fantastic psychological thriller that keeps on you on the edge of your seat and leaves you scratching your head and trying to make sense of it all. Filled with violence, sex, action, and suspense, it’s a fantastic film that has rightly become a cult classic. 

Patrick Bateman is a handsome, fit, highly intelligent, and rich Wall Street executive by day, and a bloodthirsty, sexually ravenous serial killer by night. As he progresses through life, his mental instability strengthens and suddenly he discovers that he no longer has any control over his vicious actions and bloodlust. Trapped in a lethal frenzy, Patrick can no longer differentiate his day life from his night, and his panic and murderous tendencies soon escalate into a massacre that he fears he won’t be able to get away with. 

This movie leaves you speechless, mainly because you’re sitting there trying to understand what just happened. It really leaves you feeling unenlightened and bewildered, which is why it’s such a great flick. A wonderful example of plot misdirection, American Psycho personally follows the “hero”, Bateman, and shows audiences events that he perceives to happen. The audience, along with the hero, are then violently jolted back to reality, but left confused and disillusioned. It really brings a whole new meaning to “relating to the film’s hero”. 

Scattered throughout the movie, to play against the violence and suspense, are wonderful moments of dark comedy and enlightening philosophy, mainly manifesting themselves in the form of Bateman analysing and discussing certain artists and albums that he owns and enjoys. It brings a nice breath of fresh air to clear the smell of blood and sinisterness. 

Christian Bale stars as Patrick Bateman and he was brilliant. Being a very handsome man with a great body, he already has that going for him, but what I love is the way that the camera loves him. He’s like a mermaid or the snake hidden under the bush of roses. On the surface he is charming, handsome, and approachable, but underneath there is something sinister about him. In a fair few of the films of his that I’ve seen, he does have a touch of the sinister about him, which made him perfect for this movie. He delivered a performance that was charming, witty, envious, darkly funny, violent, chilling, and wonderfully moving. I just love Christian Bale. 

Starring Willem Dafoe, Reese Witherspoon, Jared Leto, and Chloe Sevigny, American Psycho is a fantastically dark movie filled with action, bloodshed, sex, murder, violence, dark comedy, and suspense. It’s a real cult classic. 

I feel lethal. On the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

Morning Glory [M]

Becky is the ideal worker. She’s committed, determined, reaches for the stars, and her job is all she has. But Becky is put to the test when she is hired as the executive producer of Daybreak, a gossipy morning show that is failing in popularity. To get the show going, Becky hires a sophisticated, breaking news anchorman, but this soon turns into a massive mistake as he finds that everything and everyone on the show is beneath him. With only a limited amount of time to get the ratings up, can Becky transform this late night nightmare into her morning dream? 

I rented this movie, mainly for Harrison Ford. He’s charming, he’s handsome, and he was Indiana Jones and Hans Solo. Come on, there is nothing hotter than that! I was pleasantly surprised by this flick. It was warm, charming, and an adult comedy about dreaming big, which is something that is the dominating element in most kids’ and family movies. I rather enjoyed this movie. 

Becky is the perfect worker. She’s committed, determined, she reaches for the stars, and her job is all she has. But Becky is put to the test when she is hired as the executive producer of Daybreak, a gossipy morning show that is failing in popularity. To get the show going again, Becky hires a sophisticated, breaking news anchorman, but this quickly escalates into a monumental mistake as he finds that everything and everyone on the show beneath him. With only a limited number amount of time to get the ratings up, can Becky transform this late night nightmare into a morning dream? 

This really was your typical, for lack of a better word, chick flick, but set in an environment that was all about work. As a determined and pretty much full-on worker myself, I understand that, sometimes, work is all that people can have in their lives and it was nice to see a movie that walked down this road. It means that certain members of the audience can relate to the heroine and gives a sense of realism about the whole thing. 

Rachel McAdams stars as Becky and she was adorable, albeit slightly annoying. She played a character that could put on a professional veneer in two seconds, but could not behave appropriately in social circumstances, and she did very well. She delivered a performance that was determined, sure, bubbly, talkative, annoying, and very cute. Well done to you. 

Starring Harrison Ford (who was wonderful), Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, Noah Bean, and Jeff Goldblum, Morning Glory was a warm and fun little movie that was filled with fluff, news, comedy, romance, self-realisation, and determination. I don’t think I’d add it to the collection, but it was a cute and fun movie that I enjoyed nonetheless. 

Pulp Fiction [R]

Whilst two hit men are collecting debts and blowing their boss’ rivals’ heads off, a boxer is cheating a partner out of a deal. Somewhere else an inexperienced drug dealer is saving a gangster’s wife from overdosing and a professional is solving a bloody problem. 

One of the most savagely funny and cleverest films that I’ve seen to date, Pulp Fiction is a wonderful fix of bloodshed, comedy, action, and complete mayhem. It definitely makes it into my top ten favourite films of all time. 

Whilst two hit men are out collecting debts and blowing peoples’ heads off, a boxer is cheating a partner out of some sort of deal. Somewhere else, an inexperienced drug dealer is saving a gangster’s wife from overdosing, and a professional is solving a bloody problem. As a couple holds up a restaurant, and a deep and meaningful discussion about the names of burgers in France takes place, it proves to be a strange sort of day. 

WHAT A FANTASTIC FILM! It basically is just these little stories that all intertwine with one another. I love films like that. The other thing I really liked about this movie was that it kept leaping forwards and backwards through time. Basically, the film begins at the end, and then goes back to the beginning. Then it goes to the middle, which is actually the end, and then it finishes at the end, which is actually the middle. It’s an absolutely fabulous mind trip that leaves you open-mouthed and cross-eyed. It’s bloody brilliant! 

The other thing that is so totally awesome about this movie is the script. WHAT A GREAT SCRIPT! Most of the action comes in the form of gunplay, samurai swords, and general punch-ups, but the script is what arms the film with its comedy and its drama. It’s particularly wonderful to see these two hit men, gangster and intimidating as all get out, having deep and meaningful conversations about everything from divine intervention to the names of MacDonald’s products in France. Some of the stuff that they talk about is actually rather pointless, but it’s the words that they use and the way they say it that keeps you hanging on every word. It’s sheer genius is what it is! 

Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Madeira de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, and Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction is a fantastically savage comedy filled with action, drama, mayhem, bloodshed, brilliant dialogue, deep and meaningful conversations, and comedy. One of my all-time favourite films, you HAVE to see this movie!

AND YOU WILL KNOW MY NAME IS THE LORD WHEN I LAY MY VENGEANCE UPON THEE!!!

True Romance [R]

Clarence is a loner who is inexperienced in the ways of love. But that changes when he meets Alabama, an irresistible sex kitten. After a whirlwind courtship, the two are married and their lives change for both the better and the worse. So in love, Clarence commits a terrible crime defending Alabama’s honour and with this one romantic gesture, the two are thrust headlong into a collision coarse with both gangsters and cops, as the mishap pushes them on a feverish venture to get out of Detroit and into L.A. 

Even though he has a great love of violence and bloodshed, I do love the stories and films of Quentin Tarantino. True Romance was a delightfully gritty and course romance/drama/comedy that was filled with familiar faces, violence, memorable characters, romance, and plenty of action. What a great movie! 

Clarence is a loner who is inexperienced in the ways of love. But that changes when he meets Alabama, an irresistibly innocent sex kitten. After a whirlwind courtship, the two are married and their lives change for both the better and the worst. So in love, Clarence commits a terrible crime defending Alabama’s honour and the two are thrust headlong into a collision coarse with both gangsters and cops, as the mishap pushes them on a feverish venture to get out of Detroit and into L.A. 

What I particularly like about this film was that it was action-packed and violent, like most Tarantino films, but there was a great romance and comedy to play against all the terrible things that happen. A little like Cohen Brothers comedy, you have to watch the entire thing to understand why it’s so clever. 

Christian Slater stars as Clarence and he was brilliant. He was maniacal, aggressive, loyal, charming, and completely sincere, and the chemistry between him and Patricia Arquette, who played Alabama and was just delightful, seemed really natural and genuine. The two were just great together, with a sense of innocence and spontaneity about them. Simply delightful. 

Starring Gary Oldman, Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Chris Penn, Brad Pitt, and Christopher Walken, True Romance was a wonderful film filled with violence, romance, drugs, bloodshed, comedy, memorable characters, and plenty of action. It was a great flick.  

Black Swan [MA]

Talented and dedicated ballet dancer, Nina, finally gets to prove herself when she wins the lead role in her theatre’s production of Swan Lake. Already perfect for the part of the delicate White Swan, Princess Odette, Nina initially finds the role of Odile, the Black Swan a challenge. But the challenge lessens as she begins to crumble under the pressure and lose her mind. 

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There are no words to describe the awesome power and brilliance of this film! It’s a wonderful psychological drama with never a light moment. Filled with beautiful costumes, dazzling makeup, pressure, violence, shocking visions, and ambition, Black Swan is an amazing achievement that proves that great tragedy is true beauty. 

Talented, dedicated, and sweet ballet dancer, Nina, finally gets to prove herself when she wins the lead role in her theatre’s production of Swan Lake. Already perfect for the delicate White Swan, Princess Odette, Nina initially finds the role of Odile, the Black Swan, a great challenge. However, the challenge lessens as Nina begins to crumble under the pressure and slowly lose her mind. 

I am still breathless and my stomach is still tumbling over itself. WHAT AN AMAZING FILM! I was completely blown away. For me, I would describe it as a cross between American Psycho and Pan’s Labyrinth. I am aware that that is a really strange observation, but let me explain my thinking: 

The story of Swan Lake runs parallel with Nina’s own internal struggles, mirroring her stages of mind and events that dictate the stability of her emotional state, making the fantasy very real. This is similar to the way that the fantasy dramas run parallel and mirror those happening in reality in Pan’s Labyrinth. Sometimes, you cannot tell what is real and what is fantasy. 

The film follows Nina throughout the entire rehearsal and production schedule, sometimes quite literally, and we, as an audience, see only what Nina is seeing. This is a very clever example of plot misdirection as we see what Nina perceives to happen, but then we are jolted back to reality, along with her. This is exactly what happened in American Psycho and gave the movie its power and shocking appeal. The combination of those two dominant elements makes, Black Swan one of the most powerful and shocking films that I have ever seen. 

Natalie Portman stars as Nina and she was just dazzling. To see her go through this slow change was really amazing. She began the film as a sweet and prim little ballerina but then the pressure that is placed upon her completely transforms her into this aggressive and violently ambitious creature. It is no wonder she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her performance was sweet, ambitious, dedicated, trying, competitive, confused, paranoid, and delightfully dark. She was absolutely mind-blowing. 

Starring Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Mila Kunis, and Winona Ryder, Black Swan was a delightfully tragic and beautiful film that was filled with ambition, pressure, sex, violence, paranoia and dark desire. I cannot stress how utterly AMAZING this movie was. You have to see it to believe it!

Life As We Know It [M]

After being set up with each other by their best friends, Holly and Messer decide that they simply cannot stand one another. The only thing that they have in common is their dislike for one another and their love for their goddaughter Sophie. But their lives change abruptly when Sophie’s parents die in an accident and they discover that it falls on them to raise Sophie together. Now they are forced to put their differences aside and find some common ground while they live under one roof. 

This was a nice, simple, and heart-warming movie. Two complete opposites forced to live under one roof has comedy written all over it, but what was nice about this movie is that it didn’t overplay the comedy or go for any crude humour or anything like that. It just really simply observed the natural ups and downs of raising a child, the added humour being that neither guardian knows what they’re doing. I rather liked that. 

After being set up on a disastrous first date by their best friends, Holly and Messer decide that the only thing they have in common is their dislike for one another and their love for their goddaughter Sophie. But their lives change abruptly when Sophie’s parents die in an accident and the responsibility of raising her falls upon them. Now they have to try to put their differences aside and find some common ground if they are to live as a family under one roof. 

The story has appeal straight away. Two opposites forced to live with one another’s company. That has comedy written all over it and worked very well for Blades of Glory, Starsky and Hutch, and other such comedies. What was really nice about this movie is that the comedy was completely natural, in that all the humorous elements were real, everyday, problems that a significant proportion of the world’s population have experienced. 

The mixture of the chemistry between the leads and the film’s charming and witty script made for good, heart-warming entertainment. 

As well as the comical element of these two inexperienced guardians taking on the challenge of raising a child and trying to not kill each other, the film had a wonderful romantic story on the side that very nicely played against the comedy, making Life As We Know It, a nice and balanced film. 

Starring Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas, Hayes MacArthur, Brynn Clagett, and Alexis Clagett, Life As We Know It was a lovely little movie filled with comedy, romance, the odd bit of drama, and everyday experiences. I don’t think I would add it to the collection, but I did enjoy it. 

Night at the Museum [PG]

On his first night as the new night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, Larry discovers that he’s dealing with the most ridiculous job in history. Thanks to an ancient Egyptian tablet, everything in the museum comes to life as soon as the sun sets, and it’s Larry’s job to gain control over the chaos and make sure that nothing gets in…or out. 

I went to the cinemas with my parents and brother to see this film and all of us came out of the cinema saying “it’s a keeper!” Night at the Museum is an original story filled with comedy, action, and memorable characters. It’s the perfect family film! 

In danger of losing his continuous visits with his son, Larry must find a steady job that can pay his bills and keep some stability in his life. So he takes a job as the night watchman at the Museum of Natural History. However, his first night on the job, Larry realises that there is more on his plate than he bargained for. Thanks to an ancient Egyptian tablet, everything in the museum comes to life as soon as the sun sets and soon, Larry finds himself dealing with the most ridiculous job in history as he tries to gain control over the chaos and not let anything in… or out. 

I think what really makes this film memorable is the bizarre mix of characters that clash delightfully with one another. There’s a gigantic T-Rex skeleton that behaves like a puppy. Atilla the Hun is aggressive on the outside but just wants a little love. The miniature cowboys and Romans refuse to be in the same room as one another. Teddy Roosevelt spends his time loving a woman he’s never talked to. And Dexter the monkey causes great mischief that almost brings Larry to breaking point. It’s a wonderfully bizarre and delightful mix that brings a whole new light to history. Ben Stiller stars as Larry and he was great. Admittedly, I find that Ben Stiller is pretty much the same sort of character in everything he does (aside from Zoolander), but he does the part so well. He gave a performance that was freaked, trying, and wonderfully funny, and to see him conversing with all these strange and eccentric characters was really amusing. 

Starring Robin Williams, Jake Cherry, Paul Rudd, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, and Ricky Gervais, Night at the Museum is a wonderful family movie filled with action, comedy, hysterical performances, and memorable characters. No matter how many times I watch it, I can never grow tired of it. 

You know how they say in certain museums history comes alive? In this museum… it actually does. 

Babe [G]

Taken from the breeding pen as an innocent piglet, Babe is whisked away to the farm of an eccentric man of few words, Farmer Hoggett, whose wife sees the little piggy as nothing more than a Christmas dinner. But as Babe’s innocence, kind heart, and generosity change the lives of all the farms’ inhabitants, Hoggett develops a bond with him and challenges the laws of normality and tradition by entering him in the most prestigious sheep dog competition. 

Based on the novel by Dick King-Smith, Babe is a heart-warming and timeless tale of innocence, curiosity, friendship, and bravery. Filled with memorable characters, a beautiful script, wonderful music, and the occasional bit of comedy, Babe has rightfully made it into The Book and is a film that I am very proud to have in my collection. 

Taken from the breeding pen as an innocent piglet, Babe is whisked away to the farm of an eccentric man of few words, Farmer Hoggett, whose wife sees the little piggy as nothing more than a Christmas dinner. But as Babe’s innocence, kind heart, and generosity changes the lives of the farms’ inhabitants, Hoggett develops a bond with the pig and, after seeing him do wonders on the field, challenges the laws of normality and tradition by entering him in the most prestigious sheep dog competition. 

Aw, I just love this movie. It’s a wonderful story that is heart-warming and completely innocent. The script was just wonderful, with a little bit of satire that smacks a little of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Clever and genuine with narrations by Roscoe Lee Browne, the script of the movie is what gives the film its power. 

What is most incredible about this movie is the use of animatronics. The mixture of animatronics and live animals are mixed together seamlessly and, no matter how old you are, you truly believe that these animals are talking with a voice and an understanding entirely their own. It’s absolutely amazing technology. 

Starring James Cromwell and Magda Szubanski, and featuring the voice talents of Christine Cavanaugh, Miriam Margoyles, Hugo Weaving, Miriam Flynn, and Danny Mann, Babe is a timeless classic that’s filled with innocence, curiosity, hierarchy, comedy, and live animals. It has to be one of the most deeply moving films of the 90s and one that every film buff should have in their collection. 

That'll do Pig. That'll do. 

James and the Giant Peach [PG]

James’ life has been miserable ever since his mother and father died and he was forced to live with Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, who beat him, don’t feed him, and make him work work work work work. But when a mysterious man offers James some magic green things, all that changes. After tripping and dropping the green things all over a barren peach tree, a giant peach grows with giant bugs living inside. James, together with his new friends, sets off on the giant peach to New York, a city where dreams come true. 

Based on the classic story by Roald Dahl, produced by Tim Burton, and directed by Henry Selick, James and the Giant Peach is a classic family movie filled with adventure, friendship, comedy, and musical numbers. 

James’ life has been miserable ever since his parents died and he was forced to live with Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker; two nasty women who beat him, starve him, and force him to do nothing but work work work work work. But all that changes when a mysterious old man offers James a bag of magical green things. When James trips and accidentally sends the green things spilling in every direction over a barren peach tree, he thinks he is doomed to be miserable forever, but a ray of hope remains when the peach tree bears a giant peach with giant bugs living inside. Along with his new friends: Miss Spider, Old Green Grasshopper, Mrs. Ladybug, Earthworm, Mr. Centipede, and the Glow Worm, James embarks upon an epic journey on the giant peach to New York, the city where dreams come true. 

What I particularly love about this film was that it’s a kids’ film, but it also holds a fair bit of entertainment for the adults. The script is very witty and adult and the characterization of the insects is really clever. It’s really a sort of personification: The grasshopper is a British intellect, complete with tails and a monocle, the Ladybug is a lovely English mother with practically everything in her purse, the Centipede is a coarse, cigar-smoking show-off from Brooklyn, Glow Worm is a deaf old operatic lady, Earthworm is a paranoid with sunglasses and an accent, and Miss Spider is an elegant French lady, complete with high-heeled black boots, gloves, scarf, and beret. It’s really clever characterization. 

The movie uses stop-motion animation just like The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride and features wonderfully catchy songs by Randy Newman. And for all those Tim Burton fanatics out there, Jack Skellington even makes an appearance! 

Starring Miriam Margoyles, Joanna Lumley, Pete Postlethwaite, Paul Terry, and featuring the voice talents of David Thewlis, Susan Sarandon, Jane Leeves, Richard Dreyfuss, and Simon Callow, James and the Giant Peach is a fantastic family movie packed with action, adventure, danger, great songs, and friendship. I loved it as a kid and I still love it now! 

Robin Hood [G]

With King Richard away from home, England is in the hands of the greedy and cowardly Prince John, who is taking all the poor peoples’ money for himself. Luckily, there lives an outlaw called Robin Hood who steals the money back from Prince John and gives it to the poor. 

The legend of Robin Hood being a classic tale, it would not be right for Disney not to make his own version of it. Robin Hood was a great animated feature filled with action, songs, comedy, and romance. It’s sad that it is one of the often forgotten Disney classics. 

With King Richard away form home, England is in the hands of the greedy and cowardly Prince John, who is taking all the poor peoples’ money and keeping it for himself.  But there is hope for the poor, and his name is Robin Hood; a brave and witty outlaw who makes it his mission to take back what rightfully belongs to the people of Nottingham. 

What I particularly like about this movie was that it told the classic tale and adventures of Robin Hood, but it had animals as its characters. It was really interesting to see a sort of reverse-personification in the whole thing. Robin Hood was a fox, the maid Marion was a vixen, the Sheriff of Nottingham was a wolf, Prince John and King Richard were lions, and Friar Tuck was a badger. You can imagine them being those animals really. 

The film uses the same rough-drawn animation that was used in The Jungle Book, The Sword in the Stone, and The Aristocats and there is one particular scene, a song and dance number, where the exact same dance routines and animation from both The Arisotcats and The Jungle Book are used. I suppose you could look at that as a form of animation recycling. Whether it was Disney being subtly clever or a complete fluke and copy, I loved it either way. 

Featuring the voice talents of Brian Beford, Phil Harris, Andy Devine, Monica Evans, Carole Shelley, Terry-Thomas, Pat Buttram, Roger Miller, and Peter Ustinov, Robin Hood is a classic Disney take on the timeless legend and is filled with action, romance, comedy, songs, and memorable characters. I love it!

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves [M]

Robin of Loxley has returned to England to find his home burned and his father murdered. After killing some of the Sheriff of Nottingham’s men, he becomes an outlaw and valiantly leads a fellow troupe of outlaws into an epic struggle against oppression and tyranny. 

It’s an absolute legend. A timeless tale of bravery, justice, and faith. It has been done time and time again on screen, but never as rollicking and perfect a ride as Prince of Thieves. Filled with action, romance, bravery, comedy, and memorable characters, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a timeless classic that should be included in every film buff’s collection. 

With King Richard away at the crusades, England is falling apart with the tyrannical Sheriff of Nottingham taxing the poor and seeking to seize the throne. Robin of Loxley has returned to England to find a land of starvation and misery, his home burned, and his father murdered. After killing some of the Sheriff’s men, Robin becomes an outlaw with a bounty on his head and, after retreating into Sherwood Forest, he valiantly leads a group of fellow outlaws into an epic struggle against oppression and tyranny. Can Robin and his men ward off the Sheriff until the King’s return? 

This is the ultimate action-packed Saturday-night-in movie! It’s got absolutely everything! Adventure, romance, comedy, and action, it’s just perfect! 

The story is a timeless tale of adventure and bravery, so it’s got that going for it from the start. Backed by its fantastic soundtrack, and marvellously funny, albeit sometimes a little off script, every time I watch it, I find something new and wonderful. 

Kevin Costner stars as Robin Hood and he did well. I’m not going to lie, he was a little bit iffy really. I blame casting. I don’t see the logic behind casting an American to play a famous English outlaw. Maybe because it was an American production… Nevertheless, Kevin gave a performance that was brave, charming, liberating, and sometimes funny. 

Without a doubt though, the real stars of the show were Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman. I can’t decide whom I love more. They had all the best lines and delivered the more memorable performances. Rock on! 

Starring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater, Geraldine McEwan, Michael McShane, Nick Brimble, Soo Drouet, Michael Wincott, and featuring a brilliant cameo from Sean Connery, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a fantastic, rollicking movie, filled with adventure, romance, comedy, action, memorable lines, and even more memorable characters. It’s an absolute classic!

Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans. No more merciful beheadings... and call off Christmas!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides [M]

Captain Jack Sparrow is back and looking for a ship and a crew to sail him to the far reaches of the earth to the Fountain of Youth. But Jack is not the only one seeking the Fountain. A former flame, the British Navy, the Spanish Navy and the feared pirate Blackbeard also have their eyes on Jack’s prize. With the odds against him, can Jack counter his bad luck a fourth time?

In all honesty, they should have left Pirates at one. Turning it into a trilogy, where only two of the movies are actually connected, and then continuing on to make a bloody fourth one, really was milking it. However, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was just as good as At World’s End although a little more supernatural and tyring to be as clever, but failing somewhat. 

Captain Jack Sparrow is back and looking for a ship and a crew to sail him to the far reaches of the earth to the Fountain of Youth. But Jack is not the only one with his eyes on this prize. Angelica, a former flame, plans to sail to the Fountain to regain some years that Jack stole from her. The British Navy, led by Captain Barbossa seek to get there before the Spanish do, although Barbossa has another plan in mind. The Spanish Navy aim to keep the Fountain safe from travellers who seek to use its powers, and Blackbeard, the most feared pirate to ever sail the seas seeks to use the Fountain to escape his grim fate of being killed by a one-legged man. With the odds against him, can Jack counter his bad luck a fourth time? 

I have to say right away that this movie is going into the collection, whether it deserved to or not. I mean, you can’t have Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End and not have the next Pirates instalment. Having said that, it must also be said that this is the worst Pirates of the four. Oh come on, someone always has to come last. The story was stable, the characters were intriguing, a handful of familiar faces are back playing their roles, and the script was quite clever in some parts. But ultimately, On Stranger Tides was just another pirate action movie, unable to successfully scale the lofty heights of its predecessors. 

As I mentioned before, the movie delves more along the supernatural and sea legends path, so we see all manner of creatures from mermaids to zombies to ships that take on a life of their own. I think actually, that my favourite moment in the film was when Jack and Barbossa are reunited on a decaying ship that is in danger of slipping over the edge of a cliff. That entire scene of them trying to maintain balance was something right out of Chaplin’s The Gold Rush. Classic. 

Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush. Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Kevin McNally, Sam Clafin, Stephen Graham, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Richard Griffiths, and Keith Richards, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was a fun and action packed movie that I did enjoy, but not as much as the others. Filled with comedy, swashbuckling action, memorable characters, and mythical creatures, it’ll make it into the collection when it comes out on DVD, but it’s nowhere near as good as the other films. 

Princess Mononoke [M]

When Ashitaka kills a ravenous boar-like monster, he discovers that the monster was really an infectious demon god that was transformed by rage. Now inflicted with this deadly curse, Ashitaka travels to the west in search of a cure. Whilst abroad, he becomes entangled in an epic feud between a proud race of humans, led by Lady Eboshi, and the animal gods that live in the forest, led by Princess Mononoke, a young woman raised by wolves.

I love all the films of Hayao Miyazaki, but without a doubt, Princess Mononoke has to be the most courageous, powerful, and visually stunning film he’s ever done. Packed with amazing creatures, stunning animation, action, romance, and a timeless story of human Vs nature, Princess Mononoke is a truly awesome film. And when I say awesome, I mean AWESOME!

When Ashitaka kills a ravenous boar-like monster to save his village, he realises that the beast was really an infectious demon god that was transformed by rage. Now inflicted with this deadly curse, Ashitaka journeys to the west to find a cure. Whilst abroad, he becomes entangled in an epic feud between a proud race of humans, led by the fearless and destructive Lady Eboshi, and the animals gods that live in the forest, let by the brave Princess Mononoke, a young human woman raised by wolves.

Like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, the central theme of Princess Mononoke is the ageless struggle between humanity and nature, destruction and rebirth, life and death. However, similar to Spirited Away the movie deals with supernatural themes as is evident by the gigantic animals and the amazing spirits that inhabit the forest.
To play against the visual beauty of the movie, the story harbours very poignant messages about love, bravery, and peace, which makes Princess Mononoke one of the most moving and enthralling anime movies that I have seen.
It also is one of Hayao Miyazaki’s more graphic films, as there is a fair amount of heart-stopping action and violence as well as the occasional bit of gore, for example, arms being shot off and decapitation. Sometimes you have to sit back and remind yourself that all this is really just a great film and not really happening, the movie is that impressive and powerful.
Featuring the voice talents of Billy Crudup, Billy Bob Thornton, Clare Danes, Minnie Driver, John DiMaggio, John DeMita, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Gillian Anderson, and Keith David, Princess Mononoke is a truly remarkable film filled with amazing animation, action, battles, dazzling creatures, and powerful messages. It’s absolutely stunning!

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind [PG]

A thousand years after a great war, a seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind is one of the last remaining areas that are populated. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaa, the people of the Valley are engaged in a constant struggle with giant and powerful insects that guard a toxic jungle that is spreading across the Earth and threatening to destroy the human race. 

What an amazing mind Hayao Miyazaki has! The creatures that inhabit his films are amazing creations, and his stories are gripping and heart warming. Like Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Castle of Cagliostro, and Ponyo, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was a stunning visual treat with a strong message about the relationship between humanity and the Earth. 

A thousand years after a great war, a seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last populated areas. Led by the courageous princess Nausicaa, the people of the Valley are engaged in a constant struggle with giant and powerful insects that guard a toxic jungle that is fast-spreading across the Earth and threatens to destroy the human race. When other surviving kingdoms start fighting fire with fire, Nausicaa’s valley is caught in the middle of a doomed battle and it falls to her and her brave companions to restore the peaceful bond between humanity and the Earth. 

These anime films are really more about the visual beauty and wonder. What grabbed me most about this film was the amazing creatures that dominated the screen. 

Like The Dark Crystal, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was filled with remarkable creatures that completely blew my mind. 

The animation is amazingly sharp and very realistic, particularly when you’re looking at the toxic jungle or the airships. It’s almost like it’s not animated at all. There is no way to put into words the awesome power that these movies have; the power to keep you completely captivated. 

Featuring the voice talents of Alison Lohman, Shia LeBeouf, Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, Tress MacNeille, Chris Sarandon, Jodi Benson, and Mark Hamill, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was a stunning visual treat filled with action, amazing creatures, beautiful landscapes, struggle, bravery, and a heart warming reunion between man and nature. It’s utterly unique and just amazing cinema. 

Gremlins 2: The New Batch [PG]

When Gizmo’s former owner dies, poor Gizmo finds himself in the research lab of New York’s most prestigious do-all company. As luck would have it, Billy is working in the same building and when he discovers Gizmo, he’s eager to get him to safety. However, when Gizmo gets in the way of a malfunctioning tap, New York soon feels the wrath of the Gremlins. 

Not as good as the first one. With Gremlins there was suspense and the occasional bit of humour, in Gremlins 2 everything was a little more over the top and seemed to try a little too hard. Many of the puppets and the computer effects were very different and I felt there were one too many film samples crammed into the entire thing. Having said that, Gremlins 2 was another fun filled movie with more action, more violence, and more Gremlins. 

When Gizmo’s former owner dies, poor Gizmo finds himself in the research lab of New York’s most prestigious do-all company. As luck would have it, Billy is working in the same building and when he discovers Gizmo, he’s eager to get him to safety. However, when Gizmo gets in the way of a malfunctioning tap, New York soon suffers the wrath of the Gremlins. 

The puppets in this film were much more sharper and more sophisticated that those used in the first and quite a few of them even had their own unique faces, something that you didn’t see in the first film. As I mentioned before, I do feel that the movie tried to be a little too clever. 

For one thing, the Gremlins stop the film halfway through and then it’s up to Hulk Hogan to resume to film, physically saying to the audience “it won’t happen again.” Didn’t like that. Then there were the numerous references to Gremlins, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Rambo and even The Wizard of Oz. It all got a little overwhelming. 

Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Protsky, Robert Picardo, Haviland Morris, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, and Christopher Lee, Gremlins 2: The New Batch was a fun movie, but ultimately not as good as the first one. Filled with action, violence, macabre, science potions, comedy, and suspense. It was good, but not as good as the first one. 

Gremlins [PG]

When Billy is given a new cuddly pet, he is given three very important instructions: 1) don’t ever get it wet. 2) Keep it away from bright light. And 3) no matter how much it cries, no matter how much it begs, never never feed it after midnight. 

From classic Spielberg comes a fun-filled science fiction horror filled with violence, mischief, action, and suspense. 

When Billy is given a new cuddly pet, he is given three very important instructions: 1) don’t ever get it wet. 2) Keep it away from bright lights. And 3) no matter how much it cries, no matter how much it begs, never never feed it after midnight. When a series of little mistakes causes these rules to be broken, Billy and his entire hometown becomes the victims of an onslaught of mischief and mayhem carried out by little green horrors known as Gremlins. 

Well it has to be said that, like Jurassic Park, the puppets were the true stars of the movie. Gizmo is the cutest little thing you’ve ever seen and the nasty little Gremlins were freaky-looking, but at the same time very funny. 

That’s what was really nice about this movie. It had a somewhat horrific setting and story, but there was a lot of comedy blended into the film to make it less scary and keep it PG. The most memorable example of this is the Gremlins watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and singing along with the Dwarfs’ song. Without a doubt, my favourite scene. I also liked the bar scene where the army of Gremlins are all their own characters. Some are hustlers, gangsters, drunks, gamblers, there is even a Gremlin imitating Flashdance. It was all really clever and rather funny. 

The story itself is simple and easy to follow, aside from the somewhat vague ending, and although there was a fair bit of the macabre involved, the humour of the screenplay helped to alleviate the potential horror of it all. 

Starring Hoyt Axton, Keye Luke, Scott Brady, Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Polly Holliday, Dick Miller, and Corey Feldman, Gremlins was a fun filled movie packed with suspense, violence, cute critters, nasty critters, violence, mischief, and suspense. I just love it. 

The Stepford Wives [M]

The town of Stepford has a secret. All the wives are too perfect and the all the husbands are too happy. When Joanna has a nervous breakdown after losing her job, she and her husband, Walter and their children move to the town of Stepford to save their marriage. But, shortly after arriving, Joanna becomes determined to leave because the place “does something to people.” 

A comedic remake of the 1975 thriller, The Stepford Wives is a fantastic film filled with comedy, suspense, romance, a clever script, memorable characters, a great story, and heaps of familiar faces. I absolutely LOVE this movie! 

The town of Stepford has a secret. All the wives are too perfect and all the husbands are too happy. When headstrong and high-powered career woman, Joanna has a nervous breakdown after losing her job, she, her husband Walter, and their children move to the town of Stepford to start a new life and rebuild their marriage. But shortly after arriving, Joanna notices that there is something not right about the whole town. Her new friends Bobby and Roger share her unease, and as a series of sinister changes take place in the people around them, they become desperate to escape because “this place does something to people.” 

It must first be said that I’m not the biggest Nicole Kidman fan. I’m not going to lie. I do think she’s a fabulous actress, versatile, and whatnot, but just because she’s in a film does not make me immediately want to see it. The only reason I first decided to watch this movie was because it had Matthew Broderick, Glenn Close, and Christopher Walken in it. 

Initially, I had no idea it was a remake or even any clue as to what the movie was about, but that’s the way to see a film isn’t it? With no expectations at all. You’re never disappointed that way. This movie was simply perfect. It had a strong and engaging story as its base, it was held together by a very clever and witty script, and the performances from all the actors were absolutely memorable. It’s a brilliant piece of work from Frank Oz. 

Nicole Kidman stars as Joanna and she was brilliant! Without a doubt my favourite scene from her is when she is being fired and you can see the cogs slowly turning in her head as she slowly realizes what she’s being told. That scene gets me every time! Her performance was driven, snide, suspicious, trying, and occasionally a little but psycho. She was just brilliant! 

Without wanting to rave and rave and rave forever, I have to quickly say something about the other memorable performances. Matthew Broderick was supportive, romantic, and adorable. Bette Midler was frumpy, artistic, course, and wonderfully funny. Roger Bart was flamboyant, camp, and just charming. And Glenn Close, bless her, is the ultimate dramatic diva that would give Bette Davis a run for her money. 

Also starring Christopher Walken, Faith Hill, and Jon Lovitz, The Stepford Wives was a wonderful comedic thriller that was filled with glamour, comedy, romance, technological breakthroughs, suspense, and memorable characters. It’s absolutely brilliant and a film that I can always come back to! 

Confessions of a Shopaholic [PG]

Living in New York is living in Heaven for Rebecca Bloomwood, who loves nothing more than to spend hour after hour getting lost amongst the high fashion label sales. But living fashionable totals up a credit card bill that she just can’t afford. With her sights set on getting a job at the most prestigious fashion magazine, Rebecca gets her foot in the door by taking a job at a sister magazine; Successful Savings. But how can you advise people about debt when you’re up to your eyeballs in it? 

When I first watched this film, I thought it was cute but pointless. It wasn’t until after the second go that it managed to get under my skin and into my collection. It’s a wonderfully cute and heart warming little story filled with amazing costumes, memorable characters, romance, and financial advice. I just love it. 

Living in New York is living in Heaven for Rebecca Bloomwood who loves nothing more than to spend hour after hour getting lost amongst the high fashion label sales. But living a life of fashion totals up a credit card bill that Rebecca simply cannot afford to pay. With her sights set on working in New York’s most prestigious fashion magazine, Rebecca gets her foot in the door my taking a job at a sister magazine and writing a financial advice column under the alias; the Girl In the Green Scarf. However, as her column becomes more and more popular, Rebecca’s little secret threatens to ruin her future. After all, how can you advise people about debt when you’re up to your eyeballs in it? 

Based on the book by Sophie Kinsella, Confessions of a Shopaholic was your classic, heart warming romantic comedy about learning lessons, overcoming obstacles, and paying dues. 

One thing about the film that I particularly loved was the personification of the mannequins. Having them actually speaking to Rebecca and convincing her of the necessity of their products was really clever and really funny. It was a great way to bring an internal struggle to visual life. Loved it. 

Isla Fisher stars as Rebecca Bloomwood and she was just gorgeous. She delivered a performance that was cute, creative, and she actually pulled off some of the bizarre fashions. Kudos. 

Starring Hugh Dancy, Lesley Bibb, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Kristen Scott Thomas, and John Lithgow, Confessions of a Shopaholic was a fresh, warm, and funny comedy that was filled with memorable characters, fantastic outfits, excuses, a funky soundtrack, and financial advice. I really do love it. 

You speak Prada?

There's Something About Mary [MA]

Ted Stroehmann, after a rather embarrassing incident at senior prom, still nurtures fond memories of his prom date and love of his life, Mary. For thirteen years, he has been unable to get her off his mind so he finally hires a shady private detective to find her. But whilst on the job, the detective falls for Mary himself. As the plot thickens, it becomes clear that there is just something about Mary. 

It’s an original story, it has its minstrels and funny moments, but ultimately, I found There’s Something About Mary just strange. I’m at that stage where I know I don’t like it, but at the same time I didn’t find it all that bad. Going for a cheap or non-existent laugh, there is something about There’s Something About Mary. 

Ted Stroehmann, after a rather embarrassing incident at senior prom, still nurtures fond memories of Mary, his prom date and love of his life. Thirteen years later, he still has not been able to get her out of his mind, so he hires a shady private detective to find her. But whilst on the job, the private eye falls for Mary himself and, as the plot thickens, it becomes apparent that there is just something about Mary. 

Alright, the humour is not all that crude, at least not as crude as the films of nowadays, but there is crude and then there is silly. Mary’s roommate’s boobs was silly! The psycho dog was silly! But the story itself was actually original and almost heart-warming. 

From the moment the minstrels open the film singing and playing guitar and drums in a tree, you know that you’re going to enjoy this film on some level. For me, really, it was the story and being rather jealous of Cameron Diaz’s annoyingly long and gorgeous legs that made this film endurable. I didn’t mind Ben Stiller, some of the characters were a little on the weirder side of the tracks, and the moments where the movie tried to make you squirm just ended up being stupid and pointless. That’s not to say that it was a bad movie though. 

Starring Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Jeffrey Tambor, Lee Evans, Chris Elliott, Lin Shaye, W. Earl Brown, and Sara Silverman, There’s Something About Mary was an original story, but a silly and close-to pointless film. Filled with crude/silly sex humour, violence, “romance” and the occasional song from minstrels in a tree, it’s one that you have to watch, but once is quite enough.  

Sex and the City the Movie [MA]

As girls, they came to New York to find love. Now, as women, they face the challenge of holding onto it. As Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte juggle relationships, careers, and motherhood, they realise that friendship never goes out of style. 

To be fair, I have never seen an episode of the show in my life, so what I say here may come across as being a little bias or misunderstanding. The whole Sex and the City thing just never interested me and, to be honest, I I’m not the biggest fan of Sarah Jessica Parker either. This was a real girls’ movie. It was filled with glamorous shoes and costumes, friendship, drama, and romance. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s probably enjoyable, but for me it was just complete sap. 

As girls, they came to New York to find love. Now, as women, they face the challenge of holding onto it. As Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte struggle through the strain and dramas of relationships, marriage, careers, and motherhood, they realise that friendship never goes out of style. 

For me, the highlight of the movie was the costumes and the shoes. Oh my, they were so pretty. But the rest of the movie was the longest hallmark fashion and phone advertisement I’ve ever seen. 

I’ll admit that the movie had a good little script, that was charming and occasionally witty, but the characters and the content I just don’t find interesting. 

Sarah Jessica Parker’s voice-over narration dominates the movie, but fair play, that’s how it transitions from scene to scene, and the slow-motion shots of dropping the phone and then throwing it into the ocean were cheesy and really not necessary. Maybe that’s just following the style of the show, you have to keep in mind that I don’t know having never seen an episode. 

Starring Sarah Jessica Parker. Cynthia Nixon, Kim Catrall, Kristin Davis, Chris North, Jennifer Hudson, and Candice Bergen, Sex and the City the Movie was a real chick flick, one that I just really didn’t see the point of. Filled with glamour, break-ups, sex, romance, comedy, friendship, and drama, at least I can say “yes I have seen the Sex and the City movie”, but I have no desires to watch it again thank you very much. 

Burlesque [M]

Small town singer, Ali leaves her hometown of Iowa and goes to LA for her chance at stardom. Whilst looking for a job, she is enchanted by Burlesque, a nightclub filled with glamour, sizzling jazz, and the best view. 

Oh I loved this movie. It’s dazzling, it’s sexy, and it’s just great. A simple story armed with glamour, sequins, and brilliant makeup and music, Burlesque was a great film. One that I feel I must add to the collection. 

Small town singer, Ali leaves her hometown of Iowa and goes to La for her chance at stardom. Whilst looking for a job, she is enchanted by Burlesque, a nightclub that’s filled with glamour, sizzling music, and the best view in town. Tess, the club owner who is desperately trying to save her club from the greedy clutches of the bank, is intrigued when she discovers that she has a potential star on her hands. But amidst praise, spoiling, glamour, and jealousy, Ali is going to find that keeping her head is much harder than being a star. 

Well, it first must be said that the costumes and the makeup in this movie were the true stars. All the designers should be congratulating themselves. The stage outfits were sexy, tantalising, and wonderfully glamorous, and the makeup was simply dazzling! Oh how I wish I could do that. 

I think what I really liked about this movie was the simplicity of it. The story itself and the messages within it are as old as the hills, but what kept the film fresh was the modern take on the classic burlesque of the Jazz Age. You know, stuff you’d find in Chicago or even Nine. Providing a subtle clash to the seductive costumes was the modern soundtrack that featured original songs for the film as well as a little bit of Boston and Neon Trees. The mixture of jazz and pop was actually rather refreshing and worked quite nicely together. Good on you sound people! 

Armed with brilliant performances from Christina Aguilera, Cher, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Julianne Hough, Peter Gallagher, and Alan Cumming, Burlesque was a great film filled with glamour, razzle dazzle, hot songs, memorable characters, and great dance routines. I absolutely loved it!