Articles + Quotes on Film & TV

Very rarely nowadays, is a film sequel released that is just as good or better than the original. Considering how excellent the first Sherlock Holmes film was, the stakes were definitely high for Guy Ritchie and his team. Of course, Mr Ritchie didn't make the rookie error of casting different actors for the main roles, everyone important returns to reprise their roles from the first film. And to add a bit more humour, to an already humourous film, Stephen Fry had a few very memorable scenes, as Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's brother. This film, the sequel, made Lord Blackwood from the first film look harmless, compared to the villains of this one. Professor James Moriarty. Sebastian Moran. Two real pieces of work. Not just evil, but ruthless. Not only that, this film was just as fast paced, the action scenes just as exciting and well shot, the dialogue scenes there and understandable. The same people who were in charge of production design and music returned once more, so...

Not only is this show seriously entertaining in each episode from start to finish, a second season has been confirmed and will more than likely premiere in the new year of 2012. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/11/abc-2012-highlights.html Richard Roxburgh effortlessly leads the cast as the criminal defence attorney - Cleaver Greene who's personal and professional life is hanging by threads, and that's shown pretty quickly from the pilot onwards and gets steadily worse from there. Despite his character's numerous faults, he is good at what he does, both inside and outside the courtroom and throughout it all, keeps his sense of humour and despite what is shown, a small sense of morals. Its set in Sydney, New South Wales, but thankfully, not all is set in the Sydney that's most often described in the guidebooks. They also show the dark side, but with Mr Roxburgh's character right in the middle, it doesn't scare off the audience too quickly. I recommend thi...

On a lot of DVDs nowadays, there is something under special features, listed as the feature audio commentary. These run for the length of the film, or in the case of the one for Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl, for certain scenes that feature the two actors that are narrating. In this case, Keira Knightley and Jack Davenport. Audio commentaries range from the mind numbingly boring, Lemony Snicket and a series of Unfortunate Events, The A Team, come to mind, or just lovely and just as entertaining as the film itself, see the list below. Below is a list of my top eleven favourite audio commentaries, all of them worth listening/watching. If the DVD has more than one commentary, I've listed the commentators by name. If not, I've left it with just the title. 11. Eclipse: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart. 10. The Runaways. 9. The Boat that Rocked. 8. Wimbledon. 7. Two Weeks Notice. 6. Van Helsing: Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley and Will Kemp. 5. Lo...

If I had to pick, teen dramas as TV shows and remakes are usually two things that I try to avoid, unless I know the quality will be excellent. So, I was quite surprised when a TV show episode combining those two things intrigued me and was actually worth watching. Thanks to the rise of fantasy themes, werewolves have been simplified and made to look a lot cuter than usual. In this, not only are the normal teen angst themes studiously avoided, they've also made sure that the werewolves are properly scary looking and out of control monsters, that most sane people would avoid. The other plus point, is the main actor, Tyler Posey. After his appearance in the romantic comedy, Maid in Manhattan, where he manages to present a solid character with Stanley Tucci, Ralph Fiennes and Jennifer Lopez with him, I guess I shouldn't be that surprised to find that he carries this series with the same maturity.

One thought that was at the forefront when I was watching this film: Bill Condon, you are a genius. After reading the books and watching the last three films, you think you know what to expect. This one broke the rules and blew my mind away. For starters, one thing I've been used to, is that the lines you most love from the books, usually are changed or removed. With this one, it seemed like they were all in there. And each time, one was said out loud, I got a little shiver down my spine, it was truly wonderful. Also, things were added in or changed in this film, it wasn't a complete carbon copy of the first half of the book, but it added to the overall experience, it didn't detract one bit. All the actors in this film are talented people, the majority of which have been with us from the very beginning of the series, who make you care about the characters they are portraying. Lastly, Carter Burwell, a brilliant composer, who wrote the score for the first film r...

Derek Jacobi, Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, David Thewlis, Jamie Campbell Bower, Xavier Samuel and of course Rhys Ifans, all come together to present a superbly acted historical thriller, that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first moment to the start of the closing credits. Historically inaccurate yes, but exceptionally well written. It shows an idea, a "What if?" sort of theory and then proceeds to illustrate it with three dimensional characters that you care about. That takes skill, not just from the screenwriter, but also from the actors. And considering Mr Ifan's performance, it makes you wonder why on earth he doesn't get more attention from his dramatic roles as he does his comedic ones. For most, he is remembered most as the Welshman, Spike, in Notting Hill. In much the same way as Mr Samuel is known more as Riley in the Twilight Saga Eclipse, than in more detailed roles and in more diverse films. September, 2.37 are a couple that come to mi...

Considering the long running trend of UK TV series being remade by American companies, I thought I would write and post this review of this truly superb series before a remake was made and then there was much confusion over which version I mean. Misfits, currently with two seasons finished so far, is set in an unnamed part of England, with the Wertham  community centre as its starting point. Six teenagers, all punished for various misdeeds with community service are on their first day, when a freak storm happens and the five still outside then start to develop powers. Its an interesting premise and thanks to some clever writing, the characters are well developed and seem quite real. Each episode is tense and they all flow into the next seamlessly. The main actors, Robert Sheehan, Iwan Rheon, Lauren Socha, Antonia Thomas and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett all portray their characters well, especially Mr Sheehan, and you wonder just how much of his lines are scripted and how much is pure...