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Showing posts from January, 2017

Assassin's Creed: Average Guy Movie Review

Well, it has finally happened! Hollywood has actually managed to make a decent adaptation of a video game. It's only taken 24 years! Assassin's Creed sticks fairly close to the story of the first game, to which they've added some tweaks.  Cal Lynch (Michael Fassbender) - a descendent of a secret order of Assassins - is saved from death row by a mysterious corporation known as Abstergo. Their goal, is to find the Apple of Eden, an ancient artefact said to hold the genetic code for free will. Using a machine called the Animus, they plan to unlock the memories of Cal's ancestor, Aguilar - one of the protectors of the Apple - who is believed to know the artefact's location. Much like the video game series, this movie is intended to be the first in a series. It opens up multiple timelines to explore plus the ongoing modern day storyline. The movie is beautifully shot with the sophisticated, sleek present day contrasting with 15th Century Spain (shot

Oscars 2017: Sound Mixing

As part of The Lamb Devours the Oscars I'm looking at the Sound Mixing category. The sound mixers go to work after the all of the movie's sounds have been edited together. It's their job to decide the levels of all the sounds, so whether you hear the score over the top of everything else or quietly in the background.  Understandably, it's common for war movies and musicals to get nominated. The award is usually given to the Sound Mixers themselves.   Erik Aadahl - Sound Editing nominee for Argo in 2013 - described the roles of Sound Editor and Sound Mixer in an interview with Deadline: "One way of thinking about it is kind of like an orchestra, where you'll have the composer composing the symphony and then a conductor saying, 'More flutes here,' and that's very much like what mixing is - it's like conducting."   Previous winners include: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudolph and Ben Osmo Les Miserables (2012)

Live by Night: Average Guy Movie Review

Ben Affleck's latest project sees the actor/director donning a fedora rather than a cowl. Live by Night - based on the novel by Dennis Lehane - is a story about crime, corruption, greed, hate, revenge and most of all...booze. Set during prohibition, Affleck's Joe Coughlin is a war veteran and an outlaw who gets in deep with members of organised crime and their illegal rum trade. The gangster movie seems to have in recent years gone out of fashion, much like the western. But can Live by Night do for gangster movies what Bone Tomahawk and The Magnificent Seven remake are doing for the western? The movie starts strong with a brilliant car chase through Boston, reminiscent of Affleck's previous movie, The Town. Everything that happens is building towards this revenge story. In seeking his revenge, Coughlin must make alliances with people he would otherwise avoid. These people live in a world of greed, where everyone hates everyone else, and for a multitude of differen

Sunshine Blogger Award

Thank you to Film Carnage ( @Film_Carnage ) for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. Check out their blog here: https://filmcarnage.wordpress.com/ Where we go from here is the interesting part: 1. Post the award on your blog 2. Thank whoever nominated you 3. Answer 11 questions 4. Pick 11 bloggers to receive the award 5. Send those bloggers 11 new questions Film Carnage here are my answers to your questions (hope you like them)... What is the next film you'll see at the cinema? I plan to see Hacksaw Ridge next. You know what they say about well laid plans! If not watch Die Hard with a Vengeance and see what Samuel L. Jackson has to say. What is your favourite book to film adaptation? Jurassic Park. This came out when I was a kid, dinosaurs brought back to life and running round an island, what kid wouldn't love that? The movie does it's own thing while remaining faithful to the book and it looks incredible even today. They just

Hunt for the Wilderpeople: Average Guy Movie Review

This year Marvel's God of Thunder is getting his third solo adventure, helming the project is New Zealand director Taika Waititi. This is the man responsible for what Empire Magazine called the number one movie of 2016; Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The story of Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), a foster child who along with his foster 'Uncle', Hec (Sam Neill) are the subject of a nationwide manhunt when they disappear into the bush. If you like quirky comedy dramas that have real heart, look no further!  The only way I can think to describe this movie is Crocodile Dundee meets Smokey and the Bandit. Although Uncle Hec makes Crocodile Dundee look civilised! There is definitely an element of 'what the fuck am I watching' but it just adds to the laughs, at no point did I want to watch something else. Neil and Dennison are brilliant together, this pairing should become one of legend, up there with C-3PO and R2-D2, Kuryakin and Solo, Holmes and Watson. Watching De

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage: Average Guy Movie Review

In 1945 the Americans dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Components and uranium for the bomb were delivered to Tinian, the island airfield where the bombers were based by the USS Indianapolis. The Indianapolis - a Portland class heavy cruiser - usually travelled with an escort of destroyers in order to protect against enemy submarines. But due to the secret nature of the mission it was decided that this journey should be completed unescorted. The journey to Tinian was completed in record time, after making their delivery they headed for Leyte. At 00:14 hours on 30th July Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine, she sank in twelve minutes. Approximately three hundred men went down with the ship, the rest faced dehydration, starvation, exposure and shark attacks as they awaited rescue. USS Indianapolis If you've seen Jaws this story may sound familiar, Quint (Robert Shaw) describes the incident in detail ha

Passengers: Average Guy Movie Review

The Avalon is a starship on a 120 year journey to a new planet called Homestead II. There are over 5000 passengers and crew on board, all in hibernation pods. Due to a malfunction, two passengers - Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jim (Chris Pratt) - are woken up 90 years early and face a journey in which they will never see their destination and the only company they have besides each other is an android bartender named Arthur (Michael Sheen). Passengers has definitely been getting a lot of criticism, yes it's not a perfect movie but I really think they're being a bit harsh. The two leads both deliver great performances, they have real chemistry and the way they react to their situation feels believable. Michael Sheen may steal the show a little with his whimsical bartender philosophy. The movie has an incredible look,  Director Morten Tyldum found the right balance of practical sets and CGI.  The Avalon and its interiors look very advanced. Not to mention outside th

Our Kind of Traitor: Average Guy Movie Review

For Christmas, a member of the family often gets a dvd or blu-ray. In my family it's usually me, I know...you're shocked! Last Christmas (it already seems so far away) my sister got me Our Kind of Traitor, a movie I really wanted to see when it first came out but never got the chance. Well I can say it was well worth the wait! While on holiday in Morocco, Perry (Ewan McGregor) and Gail (Naomie Harris) meet Dima (Stellan Skarsgard) who unbeknownst to them is a high ranking accountant for the Russian mafia. After inviting them to his teenage daughter's outlandish birthday party, Dima gives Perry a memory stick which he asks him to deliver to MI6. The memory stick contains information linking British politicians to corruption, Dima wants to use the information and his testimony as a bargaining chip for asylum   for his family  in the UK. With the mafia closing in and corrupt politicians attempting to block the deal, Perry and Gail have to work with Hector (Damian

War Dogs: Average Guy Movie Review

Have you ever wondered what Lord of War would look like if you combined it with The Hangover? Watch War Dogs! This is a movie that you have to approach in the right way to enjoy. If you're looking for an accurate and serious take on a major scandal involving guns, the US military and the George W. Bush administration look elsewhere. However, if you want to watch a comedy-drama inspired by true events (including the aforementioned scandal) then this is a movie for you. The major inspiration for the story is that of Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz which was the subject of an article in Rolling Stone and a book called "Arms and the Dudes". These two school friends would bid for contracts to supply munitions to the US military, with the simple goal of making themselves rich, all of which they did whilst smoking a lot of pot. The events of the movie have been described as "heavily fictionalised and dramatised", some of which are based on screenwriter Stephen