Articles + Quotes on Film & TV

 The first ever vampire production I watched was courtesy of Mel Brooks, Dracula: dead and loving it. It was scary but it was also very funny and made fun of the vampire tropes that were to come in abundance over the coming years. It remains one of my favourites, with classic lines and Leslie Nielsen's comedic genius shining through. In hindsight, probably the best way to be introduced to the genre, with a film that did not take itself seriously and laying the groundwork for the other undead creatures I would discover. Some time later, I watched the film Interview with the vampire and experienced the same sense of "not now, but hopefully later" that I did with the film Daredevil. Both productions had the impression of holding down and keeping out of the way elements that the world didn't seem to be ready for. And I think it wasn't just me who watched them (more than once) knowing that at some point in the future, someone would come along and give these adaptations...

 There are a few films that stand out from my childhood. One of the favourites was and still is Addams Family Values. Christina Ricci's portrayal of Wednesday Addams was something special and one of those characters that could be said to carry the film and the other characters along. Her sense of the world and her dark sense of humour is refreshing. To say I was overjoyed then to see the torch pass along smoothly to Jenna Ortega is the understatement of the year. Even in the pilot it was clear that the character of Wednesday was in good hands, the signature smile was perfect as the rest of her. And it's safe to say the rest of the show is just as brilliant. Tim Burton has a good grip of the reins on this one and the overall story is paced well and moves along nicely for a series that thrives on the mystery and the supernatural.  It's a darkly beautiful mix of the new and the old, with many nods to the original stories and characters and you can rest assured that they are al...

 Historical adaptations can break new ground in two ways. They can peel back the curtain and tell us the story from a point of view or character that is usually sidelined, or they can focus on a period that usually gets skipped over. Becoming Elizabeth has chosen the latter course and it is a masterstroke that seemingly reveals a new seam of gold in the caves of history. Of course, it was always there, those eleven years in which so much happened, and so much that Princess Elizabeth had to be either clever or just lucky to live through.  Her nine year old brother, Edward is now king, her sister Mary (Romola Garai,) is on the other side on religion (at a very dangerous time to do so) and has that chip on her shoulder from being the daughter that Henry VIII pushed aside more than once. Ms Garai's performance is perfect and I must say it's a delight to see her on the screen again in such a multilayered character as Mary. She may be the adult in the room, but  she still must ...

 There is a special kind of joy when an adaptation of something you love, is done so well. It doesn't happen often, a good example was when the film adaptation was released. It wasn't bad (mostly), it just missed the point of what the book was saying. Thankfully, for this one we had Steven Moffatt at the helm and he is someone who knows what it means to adapt a book he loved - just look at what he accomplished for the Sherlock series, another passion project for him and Mark Gatiss. They were both real fans of those books and their excitement in bringing it to life shows in every frame. And so too with this series, Mr Moffatt has most definitely captured the spirit of what Audrey Niffenegger wrote in what he has brought to the screen. It's not the usual love story by any means, so having it adapted as a mini series works wonders and allows for the story to include all the parts that delight but also the parts that sting and bring a tear to your eye. Theo James and Rose Lesl...

Properly portraying conditions of the mind is very difficult. And as we've seen recently, autism spectrum disorder is definitely one of them. It is real and as varied and affects so many people around the world. A world that is not very kind to those who are different and see that world in a different way than others do. I think this might be the first production (that I've seen) that actually does portray people with autism properly, not just autistic people. Not only that, it's a seriously good detective series set in Paris with a twisting and turning plot for each episode with the overarching friendship between the title character, Astrid and Commander Coste that starts a little shakily in the pilot and keeps on growing from there. There are moments of difficulty for both characters, each battling the world and trying to understand the other's needs and differences, not just solving a crime, which often takes a back step to their very real drama.  But each persist, r...

 I think it is only fair to begin by stating, quite categorically, that I have been an avid admirer of Kristen Stewart's work since I was sixteen. The first film I saw her in was Speak. It was already different from all the other high school themed films at the time (and since, if I'm being honest) as it was not about a nerdy kid who took off her glasses and went to the prom and fell in love with the most popular guy at the school. It was about a girl on the outside, with a hidden trauma and struggling to just survive what a nightmare high school is. For me, I both empathised with the character and was singularly impressed by Ms Stewart's performance. Seventeen years later, I am still impressed and I'm still an admirer of Ms Stewart's growing body of work, both independent and big studio productions.  Especially and including this most recent addition to the list, where Ms Stewart completely disappears from the screen for nearly two hours and we are presented with D...

 Well, it took its time, but finally we have a Ghostbusters film that honours the original and manages to stand on its own two feet as a pretty damn good film. The main impression I got, was that of respect. They had fun, yes, but they were careful and polite with the source material and it definitely shows.  The writing is solid, and takes a honest step forward with the ideas of the first, while introducing some fun new characters. While the special effects have definitely taken quite a few (hundred) steps forward, they haven't gone overboard. They've retained the feel of the original - same car, just with a more advanced engine.  It's a special little story, with a whole lot of heart and it definitely tugs at the heartstrings - I definitely got a little teary at some parts. I won't spoil it for you, go and see the magic for yourself.