I can't believe it, my blog has reached its first birthday. It all started after I spent the day on the set of 24: Live Another Day. I just wanted to share my experience and my love for all things film and TV. Thus, Silverscreen Snob was created. The name is a mixture of a place I actually loved working at (without the customers it would have been perfect) and the fact that my boyfriend thinks I can be a film snob (but that's not always a bad thing).
My initial goal was to reach 2000 views but I have well and truly beaten my target. For that I want to say thank you!
Thank you to everyone who has read and shared my posts and reviews. I am truly grateful for your help and I hope you continue to visit the blog.
And now it's onwards and upwards. My goal is now 3000 views for the coming year (5000 overall) and to get my name out there for more people to see.
With my degree almost finished, I will have more time to create new articles and review more films, both old and new.
To keep up to date with the latest film and TV news, visit and like my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
This one can certainly be filed under 'They don't make them like they used to'. Hard Target, John Woo's Hollywood directorial debut, is an action filled movie which pays homage to the Western genre, with the action displaced from the Wild West, into the deep south of Louisiana.
The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chance Boudreaux, an ex-military man (with a questionable hairstyle, but don't let that fool you), now drifting around New Orleans looking for work. It is here that he meets Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler) whom he has to rescue from some less than gentlemanly locals. She is looking for her father and needs a guide to help. During their search, they stumble across an evil organisation that hunt human prey.
If you're familiar with John Woo then you'll be happy to know that all his trademarks are here. Two guns, check. Flying doves, check. Plenty of slow motion, check. A back to back 'face off', check. Woo has an unmistakable style and Hard Target uses it to perfection, making a run of the mill action film all the more entertaining and visually stunning. It also helps that the star, Van Damme, was at the height of his athletic prowess (at least in movie terms) and all that slow motion makes the flying and roundhouse kicks look all the more impressive.
And then there are the bad guys. I said before that this is a modern western in all but name, where the good guys are good and the villains are evil. This is especially true of the main antagonist Emil Fouchon, played by the wonderfully wicked Lance Henriksen, and his right hand man, Pik van Cleef (Arnold Vosloo). Vosloo is the scariest he has ever been on screen. Forget that silly Mummy character, this is his defining role; a sociopath with a menacing smile and all the best lines.
The damsel in distress, Yancy Butler, doesn't have much to do except spend most of the movie looking concerned. However, by the end of the film she does manage to get involved in the action which nicely demonstrates her character's journey.
The film never pretends to be more than it is. Men aren't thrown against the glass, they're thrown through it. Explosions are three times bigger than they realistically should be. Personality traits are black and white, good or bad; there are no shades of grey. Everything is accompanied by a bluesy soundtrack (all sexy saxophone and guitars) that places the viewer deep into the streets of New Orleans.
The final shoot out of the movie, taking place in the Mardi Gras graveyard, is a fitting finale to an impressive action flick.
I thoroughly believe that there is a place for full on action pictures. I love cinema, but I don't want to see Citizen Kane every time I watch a film. Hard Target is a great example of an entertaining movie that doesn't need Oscar level performances to keep the audience's attention. It also demonstrates that John Woo's style translates well from Hong Kong to Hollywood (check out some of his earlier work such as Hard Boiled and A Better Tomorrow).
Let's face it, Jason Statham will probably never win an Oscar. If somehow, in the next few years, the Academy comes calling, I will gladly eat my words. Until then, I think we can at least agree that he is very entertaining to watch. His films are not normally overly cerebral, but what they lack in depth, they make up for in action sequences.
And thus we lead into The Mechanic, a 93 minute movie that showcases Statham's action man qualities. Here he plays an assassin (a well paid one by the look of his abode) who trains a young man (Ben Foster) in the art of killing, whilst also keeping a devastating secret from him.
And that's it to be honest. The plot is uncomplicated and the characters are never fully developed beyond a need for vengeance. Statham's Arthur Bishop kills people for a living and occasionally visits a beautiful prostitute. We are clueless to his background except knowing that at some point he met Henry McKenna (Donald Sutherland) who mentored him. How? Why? Director Simon West seems to think this information is unimportant, so chooses to divulge no further.
Foster's character Steve is just a big a mystery; an angry young man with daddy issues. Foster is convincing as a damaged man with a need to prove himself.
I also spent most of the film thinking how much Ben Foster reminded me of Aaron Paul. That's not a criticism, just an observation.
The film is extremely short by modern film standards. Although this means that the viewer has no time to get bored, an extra 15-20 minutes would have been useful for the audience to see a bit more of the relationship between teacher and student. As it is, the viewer only gets to see Bishop teach Steve to fire a few guns, yet a few scenes later they are both scaling the outside of a tall building with ease and fighting off several bodyguards.
For an action film, the mood is quite chilled until the final 30 minutes when everything kicks off. It's this final third that makes it all worth while. As I said earlier, Statham is an athletic entertainer, dispatching the bad guys with kick ass moves and a sneer on his face. Statham finally stops mumbling through the exposition scenes, looking concerned at everything, and does what the fans have been waiting to see.
Because of its run time and final half hour, The Mechanic is entertaining enough without over working the brain. A sequel is supposedly planned and I hope the film makers decide to delve into the characters' histories.
Today was a rare and momentous occasion as I willingly visited the cinema to watch a film based on a Young Adult novel. Whilst this might not sound like a massive event to most, the people who know me understand that this is huge. I have an aversion to anything based on YA novels. The reason? Twilight. I hated its portrayal of vampires and all things supernatural. Bella seemed like such a sap of a character that it put me off completely.
But, my sister raved about the first in the Divergent series which was released last year. She insisted that the sequel would be worth a watch. So, I decided to take a chance and see it on the big screen. But it wasn't just the ravings of my sibling which encouraged me. It was the opportunity to watch something with a strong female lead.
For the uninitiated, the film is set in a dystopian future where society splits people into factions according to their personality. However, the emergence of the divergent (people who fit into more than one society) threatens to cause a war. The divergents include Tris Prior, the heroine of the story, and Four, her boyfriend and protector.
Insurgent, based on the second book of the series, continues where the first left off, with the survivors of the first film seeking out their fellow Dauntless comrades and stop the Erudite faction from completely taking over. Meanwhile, Erudite leader, Jeanine has found a box which she believes contains a message from the founders of their society. However, she needs a strong divergent to open it and she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Having never read the books, I could just view the film as it is. Which is good as the film was entertaining with great action, excellent performances and a strong female lead.
Tris is a character who has all and nothing. She blames herself for the death of her parents and is full of anger. But she is also a girl who is in love and her feelings force her to carry on. With so much to convey, other actresses might have lost the audience, but Shailene Woodley puts in a tremendous performance and is engaging and believable throughout.
Another great performance comes from Kate Winslet as the evil Erudite leader, Jeanine. With her porcelain skin and her white blonde hair, she is the perfect ice queen.
The rest of the cast are fine enough, although my biggest gripe is that Four (Theo James) seems so much older than Tris. I admit this led to me feeling a little uncomfortable during the 'sex' scene (something that apparently was not in the book).
The film is just shy of 2 hours, but is well paced. Action and drama are intertwined in a way that allows the viewer neither time to be bored, nor overloaded.
My sister watched the film with me and she was a little disappointed by the changes that were made to the film. Fans of the book will probably have a few issues with certain deviations from the source material. However, as a film on its own, it is impressive and has given me a new fondness for YA adaptations... just don't expect Twilight reviews any time soon!
I was checking my local cinema listings, hoping to pick a few films and have a day out at the flicks. I was particularly looking forward to The Gunman and Run All Night. However, my plan was scuppered because of poor scheduling.
Apparently, if you want to watch an action film (aimed predominantly at men over the age of 15) then you must only want to attend the cinema at night. Because the two films I want to see are not being shown until after 8pm.
Now, I know I'm no expert; I don't own a cinema and I have never run one. However, surely not everyone in my local area is a night owl. I'm a morning person (annoyingly so) and much prefer seeing my films in the day time when I am most alert.
At the grand old age of 34, I love nothing more than spending my evenings at home, in my PJs, spending time with my family. I know not everyone is like me, and I would never suggest anyone should be, so I don't begrudge late showings. But come on cinema gods, why not put on an early showing for the earlybirds such as myself.
Neil Blomkamp is big news right now after being named as director for the new Alien film. He first came to prominence in 2009 with his science fiction hit District 9. However, his follow up movie, Elysium, was regarded as inferior. Could he return to form and produce another hit with his sci-fi offering, Chappie?
The film is set in the very near future where the South African police use robots to help control a violent population. One such robot is kidnapped by his creator (Dev Patel) in order to secretly experiment with a new artificial intelligence. Unfortunately both man and machine are taken by three criminals hoping to pull off a massive heist. With the gang in possession of the A.I, it's up to them to 'raise' the robot and teach him about the world.
The film is never quite sure where it wants to place itself; is it drama, action, thought-provoking science fiction? Just when you think you have the movie figured out, it changes direction again leaving the viewer scratching their head in confusion.
The cast are just as chaotic as the story. Dev Patel puts in another fine performance as Chappie's maker, Deon. But the main star, although never actually seen on screen, is Sharlto Copley as the titular Chappie. His innocence, especially in the early part of the film, is astonishing; I found I had a lump in my throat during one particular scene when the robot is confronted by a gang of kids. He manages to convey so much emotion without the use of facial expressions.
Sadly the same cannot be said for the rest of the actors. The inclusion of rap duo Die Antwoord (Ninja and Yolandi Visser) is bizarre casting as neither of them are particularly likeable in their roles. Their music plays constantly in the background so if you're not a fan it can be quite distracting.
Then there is Hugh Jackman. His character is an ex-soldier with a grudge, but on screen he comes across as a petulant bully with khaki shorts and a bad haircut. Throughout the film I was torn between viewing him as the main antagonist or a comedy ruffian. Jackman is normally a decent actor but this role does not do him any justice.
This film could have been so much more. There are many questions about the use of artificial intelligence and its potential, but these seem to be sidelined for a visually remarkable, but otherwise messy, movie.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was a funny, heart warming tale of several retirees living in India. It was well received by audiences and critics alike so it should be no surprise that a sequel has now found its way to the big screen. But can it recapture the magic of the first film? In a word, no, but it's not all bad.
All the cast are back, this time to celebrate the marriage of Sonny (Dev Patel) and Sunaina (Tina Desai). Of course, nothing runs smoothly, with jealousy, indecision and a bizarre assassination plot all mixed in together.
Along for the ride this time around is Tamsin Greig and Richard Gere, who may or may not be who they say they are.
Everyone is in fine form, with stand out performances from Maggie Smith, as straight talking assistant manager Mrs Donnelly, and Bill Nighy as the bumbling, but lovable Douglas. Whilst the actors are good, the film is let down by the story. The movie is inconsistent; some parts were left open ended, some were overly confusing, while other sections were predictable. There are some comedic moments (mostly delivered by Smith's deadpan character) but it is not as uplifting and humorous as the original film.
The look of the film itself is utterly stunning. The sumptuous colours, the lavish costumes and the glimmering lights all brighten up the screen. The movie is a feast for the eyes.
There are also several dance scenes that all look well choreographed and everyone seems to be having a lot of fun. However, as grand as it looks, it can sometimes be just a distraction from the sub-standard story.
Although the story is left at a place that could lead to another film, I hope they decide against it. Wonderful actors and beautiful scenery are unfortunately not enough to save a poor story.
