TV Talk: Doctor Who 50th Anniversary etc

You've probably all seen the trailer. The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary trailer was released Saturday on BBC One. I've been a massive Whovian since Nu-Who (The term for Doctor Who since the re-boot) began in 2005. Frankly, I think the Russell T Davies era was the Golden time but I still watch every episode.
The 50th is special because it's sees the return of Doctor number 10, David Tennant.
Tennant is the fan favourite Doctor, and teams up with current Doctor, Matt Smith.
Also returning is Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper. Companion of the 9th and 10th Doctors, who seemingly left the programme for the second and last time in 2008.
Jenna Louise Coleman plays Matt's current companion, Clara Oswald, who also returns.
A new and talked about appearance is that of John Hurt, who is playing an incarnation of the Doctor who has been forgotten about because of the things he did wrong.
Now , the word on the internet id that Hurt's Doctor comes between 8 and 9. This is possible because there was a long gap (Which I can't completely remember in years) between 8's TV movie and 9's Debut in NuWho.
From the trailer and other news clippets, we can see that the 50th will take place simultaneously in Olden England, where 10 gets involved once again with Queen Elizabeth I, in modern day England, where 11 and Clara pick up the pieces in a museum. And also in Space, where the end of the time war is finally shown on series.
Rose's eyes appear to be glowing in one shot; could this be the return of the BAD WOLF?
So as well as that, we will see some Daleks, Zygons and hundreds more possibilities.
I think the 50th still has many surprises up it's sleeve, some that will not be released till the episode itself.

Other TV: Misfits Season 5
I've been watching Misfits for a while now, and have seen all episodes. While like most fans, I was upset when the gang changed numerous times. Now, none of the original cast are in it. But so far, Season 5 has surprised me. The longer episodes now have multiple stories going on at once, which gets you very immersed. Also , each episode focuses mainly on one of the characters, giving everyone even more depth. I love Greg the secret gay probation worker, and found myself laughing like hell as he admitted himself to a bewildered Finn in the last episode. The episodes of Season 5 have already beaten Season 4 for me.

What is Tarantino's Best Film?

What is Tarantino's Best Film?

Ahh Quentin Tarantino.
So, since my purchase of The Tarantino Blu-Ray collection, I can now safely say I have seen every Tarantino film all the way through (Including True Romance).
But I still can't make my mind up on which of his films is his best. I have a few in mind for the top places but I think your favourite Tarantino movie depends on who you are, it's all about your individual interpretations and personality. Those things are what make you attached to a particular thing.
So to investigate, I'm going to look at each of his films, and leave my verdict undecided, for you to explore yourself.

So first up:

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs put Tarantino on the map as a Directing force to be reckoned with.
Starring Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Chris Penn among others (Including Tarantino himself) it's about a heist gone wrong. No one really knows what's going on (Especially the audience) and that's what makes it interesting. It all takes place relatively in one location, with some flashbacks. Some say that certain bits drag on a bit, but there are certainly some scenes which stand out as extraordinary:


The Opening Scene in The Diner where the "Dogs" discuss the inner meanings of Madonna
The Opening Credits set to Little Green Bag.
The Scene where the code-names are given out ("Mr Brown sounds a little too much like Mr Shit to me!")
The Ending (I won't go into Spoilers)
And who can forget the torture scene where Madsen's Mr Blonde dances around to Steeler's Wheel before cutting the poor guys ear off.
Reservoir Dogs is certainly not forgettable. And that's why some would argue it's his greatest.

True Romance (1993)

Now this doesn't really count as it was only written by Tarantino, not directed. But I'll still say you can really sense his presence in the script. The characters are very deep, the dialogue is sharp and the story is immersive.

 

 

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Perhaps his most well known, Pulp Fiction is where Tarantino succeeded with the critics the most.
Featuring a great line-up (Samuel. L Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis etc)
Pulp Fiction is a story of the inter-twining tales of one city, where Marsellus Wallace rules the crime industry. We mainly follow Jules and Vincent, two of Wallace's hitmen. The story is done in non-chronological order, something Tarantino does frequently to interest his audience, almost like Bertolt Brecht did with theatre.
The memorable scenes are a many:
Jules and Vincent busting the house ("Say what again!")
The Dance between Uma and Travolta at Jack Rabbit Slim's
The needle
Christopher Walken's cameo
A certain scene involving Ving Rhames and some hill-billys
No matter who you are, you can't help but admire Pulp Fiction for it's global success as a film.

Jackie Brown (1997)

What makes Jackie Brown feel different is that it's based on a book called Rum Punch. Jackie Brown follows the story of Jackie Brown (Obviously!), a flight attendant who gets involved with money hungry gangsters and the FBI, showing an interesting tale of morality in a 70s style Blaxploitation flick starring Pam Grier, Robert Forrester, Sam Jackson and Rob DeNiro. It's got some boring bits but it also has some memorable bits.
Most notably, the sequence with the money where Jackie tricks the gangsters and the FBI
Jackie Brown is a fun little experiment into making a book adaptation and a Blaxploitation flick that manages to pull both those traits off well.

Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)

Kill Bill is another one of Tarantino's big greats. A two-part tale of bloody revenge starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen, Vivica Fox, Daryl Hannah and many more)
A story developed by Quentin and Uma, it follows the un-named Bride, a woman screwed over by Bill and her old partners after she tried to leave her assassin life behind. The Bride awakes from a 4 Year coma with a hole in her head and the scars of a lost baby. She decides to go on her spree and kill the 5 people responsible. Once again, everything is done in a strange order, which only gets you more involved. It's a Japanese martial arts film, a revenge flick, an Italian horror, and pretty much everything Tarantino's always wanted to do put into one. Memorable scenes and music are endless.
In the first film, the Bride focuses on killing O-Ren Ishii and Vernita Green, two deadly women.
Kill Bill is so enjoyable and if your a fan of any of the fore-mentioned genres, you're bound to love it.

Kill Bill Vol 2 (2004)

The story continues as The Bride focuses on Budd; Bill's brother. As well as Elle Driver, and of course Bill. Now, this is very different to the first one and is more of a Western style revenge film rather than the Japanese martial arts film. Some argue it's a big disappointment. I have no comment. I looked at it as a separate film and realised that on its own its still a strong film. And there are definitely some moments:
The Coffin Scene
The Caravan Battle and many more

 

Death Proof (2007)

I've reviewed Death Proof very recently and can say again that it's not really his best, but its a big bit of fun with some stars spread around. It's stylized, funny and has some cool sequences such as the car surfing and the end "fight". (I'd call it a fight but it is very one-sided)
Also, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is in it as seen to the left and she's great so there's a point for you.

 

 

 

 

 

Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Tarantino began ideas for this back before Kill Bill but sort of forgot about it.
Well he made it. A World War 2 flick following a group of Jewish soldiers who hunt Nazis and collect their scalps. Sound awesome? Cause it is! The cast includes Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth and many more. It's a piece that takes place over a range of times in WW2 and shows an alternate version of how the war ended.
It's funny, violent and historically in-accurate
And that's why it's brilliant

Django Unchained (2012)

The Newest addition, Django Unchained is best described as a Western-Action-Rom-Black-Com Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leo DiCaprio, Sam Jackson and so on. Django is a black slave in the times of Black Slavery, separated from his wife Hilda, he teams up with Dr King Schultz to become a gun-slinging bounty hunter in order to eventually find his love again. The story gets you rootin' and with its witty humour and Tarantino violence it makes for one of the best films of the last year. Django is memorable for literally every little scene, from the Opening titles to the closing ones.
DJANGOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So there are the films.

Some other Tarantino involved films are:
From Dusk Till Dawn (Starring Quentin and Directed by his best friend, Mr Robert Rodriguez)
Sin City (Directed by Rodriguez, who let Quentin direct one scene in the film)
Planet Terror (Produced as a double feature with Death Proof. Rodriguez directed and Tarantino had a cameo role)
Hostel (Directed by Inglorious Basterds star Eli Roth and produced by Tarantino)
Tarantino also penned the script for Natural Born Killers but has since gone on to say he hates the final film.

So what is your favourite Tarantino film? Comment below!
I've been Teenage Film Buff, goodbye!

Upcoming Posts, Planet Terror and Death Proof Reviews

So, I haven't posted on the blog in what feels like a long time!
This is mainly because I have't seen many new films recently
And I've been busy with the return to school , and playing Grand Theft Auto 5 (Which I recommend!)
All I have been watching is a few things on Netflix, mostly Torchwood (Which I recommend!)
But what I did watch was the Double Feature: PLANET TERROR and DEATH PROOF
Now, for those who don't know, this was a little project done by Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids, Machete) and one of my favourite Directors; Quentin Tarantino. They decided to both make a film based on the old Grindhouse Horror films of the 70's. Rodriguez made a vintage style zombie movie, whereas Tarantino did a film about a killer stunt-man who uses his menacing car to murder his victims.
Now, both films aren't done in all seriousness, they're a bit of fun with some artistic directing thrown in. But I found both of them thoroughly enjoyable.
Tarantino has said that Death Proof is his worst film, and in all fairness it is, but it was never meant to be the best.
They are both gory, funny and enjoyable action-horror flicks that make you feel like your watching an old 70s horror flick. They both have some great cast members (Josh Brolin, Kurt Russel and Bruce Willis to name a few). Personally, I enjoyed Planet Terror the most out of the two, as some scenes drag on a bit too long in Death Proof. I don't need to tell you much of the story at all, just to tell you it's an enjoyable couple of movies.
Don't expect to see an amazing film, expect to see a fun experiment into making an old horror flick. And if that was its goal, it did it well.

Planet Terror; Robert Rodriguez, 2007

 

 

Death Proof, Quentin Tarantino, 2007

 

 

Now, back to business;
I will be doing some more film reviews when I next see something new, and also you may see some TV Reviews soon as well. Let's just say there's a few good programmes starting soon.
Also look out for upcoming news and stuff.
I've been the teenage film buff. Goodbye

Warm Bodies Review

Finally something new

It feels refreshing to watch something original

And that's what makes Warm Bodies so enjoyable. They took the genre of the zombie flick and turned it on its head. Yes, this isn't the first zombie romantic-comedy, but it is the first film in history to have a zombie as the main protagonist. Its got so many original ideas that it feels like something completely new.
The idea of making the zombie a sympathetic character, and that zombies can turn human again through friendship is original and ambitious.
The idea of having it set years into the zombie pandemic, with people who have grown up in it is pretty original too.
Nicholas Hoult had a hell of a job to pull off and it really shows how skilled of an actor he is. To communicate and show emotion while maintaining a zombie state is probably one of the most challenging acting roles I've seen pulled off in a long time and as an actor myself I feel Hoult deserves recognition for pulling it off.
Now with such an actor as Hoult, it would be easy for the female protagonist to be upstaged but Teresa Palmer holds her own, and manages to stay a strong screen presence.
Malkovich is always a pleasant actor to watch. Now the role of over-protective father has been done a lot, especially in romantic films, but Malkovich and his character make an original interpretation of this idea.
The visual style of Warm Bodies is great. It takes a quite abandoned location and makes it feel like home through the direction, camera angles and retro soundtrack.
The most original zombie film in years, it takes a risky twist, and pulls it off.
A lot of horror films nowadays feel the same, like we've seen it all before.
But what made Warm Bodies so refreshing and enjoyable is that it was original, engaging and really made you root for the characters.
If a film can make you root for zombies, who have been shown as carnivorous creatures for about 50 years on screen, then it has done its job right.
Warm Bodies earns the Buff's approval!

NEWS: Cumberbatch in Star Wars? And 50 Shades Casting announced,

Movie News

Cumberbatch in Star Wars?

Now, this is a rumor, and no matter how cool it is, it's probably just a rumor, but with an official announcement regarding Star Wars Episode 7 on its way, one site has posted that it will be the casting announcement of Benedict Cumberbatch. Everyone loves Cumberbatch, and he's worked with Star Wars 7 director JJ Abrams very recently on Star Trek Into Darkness. He's also just about finished Sherlock Season 3, Which means it is possible. But for now we'll just have to wait and see...

50 Shades Casting Announced

Within the last couple of hours, the news that a lot of women were waiting for was announced. The actress and actor who would be taking on the main roles in the upcoming 50 Shades of Grey movie. Sam Taylor Wood (Who is married to Kick Ass star Aaron Taylor Johnson) is directing the film adaptation of the best selling erotic novel. First, it was announced that Dakota Johnson (the Social Network, 21 Jump Street) will play the protagonist, innocent journalist Anastasia Steel. Then, very recently it was announced that Charlie Hunnam (Queer as Folk, Sons of Anarchy) will play heart-throb bachelor Chrisitan Grey.
This is not necessarily, news I care for but it's important to some, and worth sharing.
Love it or hate it, The Fifty Shades movie will definitely sell, due to its fan base. So it looks like a trilogy is brewing...

How do we know when to leave a Franchise alone?

How do we know when to leave a Franchise alone?

The big dilemma of cinema is that the studios always want to make sequels, prequels etc

But how do we know when enough is enough. It's always a bad idea to mess with a classic.
Some film franchises can last a long time. Some end in their prime.
The truth is that the more you milk a franchise, the worse it gets.
Take for instance, horror franchises such as the slasher films of the 70s and 80s.
Franchises like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. They were given so many sequels that eventually they just got ridiculous. Luckily there were some different things thrown in there as well such as New Nightmare and Freddy Vs Jason to keep the interest.
Now in some circumstances, a franchise can never die, and more is better. Although the only franchise this has ever been the case for is 007. Which gets stronger the longer it lives because it's updated and fit with the new times and technology. The Roger Moore Bond's were very new in the 70's yet now, we can't compare the visual wow of Daniel Craig's Bond to the older ones.
Nowadays, any more than a trilogy and you're bound to get sloppy. Sometimes, even after a crap sequel, you get a surprisingly good one.
But more than often you get well loved movie franchises that get a disappointing sequel (Such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Terminator etc)
What are your thoughts on this topic? What should be the cut off point for movie sequels? Comment below!

 

Reboots. Do we need them?

Reboots. Do we need them?

Since recent years, there has been a growing number of these "reboots" hitting our screens. But what are they and do we need them?

The term reboot in fiction (mostly film) means to restart a franchise from scratch by re-starting the story-line and changing it.
The first big reboot was Batman Begins in 2005. This is an example of a good reboot. 1997's Batman and Robin had completely destroyed the batman franchise and left it a film pariah. No-one wanted to clear up the mess cause by Schumacher's camp turd-fest. But then Christopher Nolan came along with the complete opposite. Batman Begins took Batman back to his roots, re-told his origin and re-started the franchise with a dark and gritty realism.
But then there came the horror reboot. Where a classic horror film would be pointlessly re-booted to appeal to the new generation. This began with Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which was rebooted unsuccessfully in 2003. Then again in 2013. It still hasn't worked.
Halloween was rebooted in 2007 but made a huge mistake in that it gave Michael Myers a backstory. But the reason Halloween was so successful was because Myers was a mysterious character. He had no apparent reason to be doing these horrific things. That's what made a lot of 70s and 80s slashers the works of art they are regarded as today. Halloween wasn't alone. Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, all failed to live up to their predecessors. Because they tried to improved on something that was already great.
There are more and more reboots hitting our cinema screens every-year. We find ourselves constantly watching films we've pretty much already seen.
There is a Robocop reboot, a Godzilla reboot and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot all coming in the next year or so. But the truth is they will never beat our much loved originals. Don't fix it if it ain't broken.
That's the moral of today.
What do you think of Hollywood reboots? What are the best and what are the worst? Comment below!

Dissappointing Sequels

Now there have been a lot of these

In this article, I'll be selecting 5 big disappointing sequels of the recent cinema. Yes RECENT . So nothing more than a few years old, like Terminator 3.

1. The Mummy- Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)-Now, this one really got to me. The Mummy was one of my favourite films as a kid. Now, looking back at it, it's not a work of art. But I still have a nostalgic connection to it. The Mummy Returns was not as good as the original but it still held its own. When I heard there was going to be a third I was very excited. But this was not a mummy film. It featured Brendan Fraser character but that was where it's similarities ended. There were no mummies. There was a resurrected Chinese emperor and a terracotta army that came to life. PROS- Brendan Fraser was there, and it had the same humour as the originals. CONS- No Mummy, No Egypt, Un-enjoyable, Evie's actress changed, No Arnold Vosloo
2. Spiderman 3 (2007) - Okay this is six years old but it's still in recent memory. After the brilliant Spiderman 2, it really went downhill. It's like there were numerous ideas for sequels that were all packed into one. The Harry Osborn revenge story could have easily been one film, The Sandman story could have easily been one film and the Venom story really should have been one film. Top that off with the ridiculous sequence of Peter going emo and you have a bad sequel that managed to result in a reboot. PROS- Continuity, J Jonah Jameson is awesome as always. CONS- Numerous rushed storylines, Bad narrative, Emo Peter, Murder of Venom
3. Quantum of Solace (2008)- Yes this counts. Considering it continued on from Casino Royale which was a brilliant modern Bond reboot. We get a boring plot about oil prices. A boring new bond girl, an undeveloped villain and a terrible underuse of Judi Dench. PROS- Daniel Craig carries his own as Bond again. Gema Arterton's small appearance is great. Some good sequences. CONS- Boring plot, Un-interesting villain and Bond girl, Not enough M
4. The Bourne Legacy (2012)- Here's something recent. I don't even know if this counts as a sequel. They show Jason Bourne's picture and mention his name a couple times but that's about it. Considering it was action packed, I found myself falling asleep it was so bland. PROS- Jeremy Renner is a good actor but fails to save this film, It was nice to Rachel Weisz after a few years of absence, Jason Bourne's picture did some good acting. CONS- Boring, bland and no Bourne. Nearly fell asleep.
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)- The three previous Pirates films were very enjoyable. But this wasn't. They got rid of all the characters we loved and replaced them with Penelope Cruz, and a sailor who falls in love with a "Nice Mermaid". It's offensive to even write down. Geoffrey Rush's return was pleasant. PROS- Johnny Depp is the same Jack Sparrow we know and love. Geoffrey Rush was great. The late Richard Griffiths made a pleasant appearance, as did Judi Dench. CONS- a "Meh" plot, Boring new characters and the absence of some fan favourites

Well, there are definitely more, but these are my picks. Comment below with some of your worst sequels

Ben Affleck Batman, James Spader as Ultron and Kick Ass 2 reviews

So, three big things to tackle. Let's get on with it.

Ben Affleck as Batman

So as literally everyone knows by now, Ben Affleck has been cast to play the Dark Knight in Man of Steel 2. Now he has signed on to do the role in multiple films. There has been a lot of outrage but now it's my turn. I think it can work. He can look like Batman, he can brood like batman. And he certainly has the acting ability. Now I get the comments that Affleck can't pull off the duality of Bruce Wayne and Batman as well as Bale did but I'm sure he can. Besides, the film-makers must have seen some potential in him to actually cast him.

James Spader cast as Avengers Villain Ultron

Who is James Spader you may ask? Who is Ultron you may ask?
Now I'm going to be honest, I don't really know James Spader very well. All I know is that he does a lot of TV work and was in Lincoln..
Ultron on the other hand, I know more about. Ultron was a robot AI built by Ant-Man as his personal assistant. However Ultron turned out to have a mind of his own, and turned on the Avengers, becoming one of their biggest adversaries. At Comic-Con it was announced that the Avengers 2 would be sub-titled; Age of Ultron. Now, early this week there were rumors that rather than going with the comic book storyline, the film would have JARVIS, Iron Man's AI assistant, turn into Ultron. But now it appears this won't happen. Which means will Ant-Man make an appearance in Avengers 2? It's possible.

Kick Ass 2 Review

On Monday, I took the girlfriend to see Kick Ass 2, having re-watched the first one in preparation the night before. So I was ready to see the sequel.
Now first off, I am probably going to get slack for this reviews but why not. I'll now paste my Rotten Tomatoes review of Kick Ass 2:

The bad reviews are puzzling. Kick Ass 2 is easily one of the most enjoyable films of the year. There have been a couple big disappointments but this sure isn't one of them. Kick Ass 2 has the same brilliant ultra-violence of the first. It's also incredibly funny.
Aaron Johnson still has the same likability that he did in the first kick ass and gets to deal with some character dilemmas this time round.
Chloe Grace Moretz really shines in the second. They've given her more this time and it's worked. She steals many a scene.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse really steals the show. Every scene he is in is lit up by his hilarious performance as the Mother-F**ker .
Jim Carrey may only appear in the film for about 8 minutes but it's a great 8 minutes.
Kick Ass 2 was brilliant, and I was surprised at just how awesome of a film it was.
Other shiners of the film include the monstrous Mother Russia and John Leguizamo.
Kick Ass 2 was brill!
And with that, I conclude my first proper post.
This is Elliott Griffiths , Teenage Film Buff, signing off

TBF. First Post

Well here I am.

First of all I'll start off by saying that this is just a bit of fun for now

But if it gets serious I'll go along with it. On my blog I will be reviewing films, doing other film related articles and commentating on film news.