"I'm the daddy now!"- Scum

Hello my lovelies,

Hope you're all enjoying your week wherever you may be. Weather in the UK can't seem to make up its mind as usual making it perfect for film watching writing reviews for you guys. Today's post will be quite a brief one as I didn't have a lot to say about Scum as I found it quite difficult to get into.

Originally made for the BBC, Scum is a 1979 British crime drama film directed by Alan Clarke representing how brutal life was inside a British borstal (an institution for young offenders).

Three young men get arrive at the borstal, and everything is just straight downhill from there getting themselves mixed in with all sorts of nasty characters inside.

Before watching I was warned about this being a brutal film, but I was not expecting to see scenes of suicide. Scum is definitely not a film that you can just watch easily, its not one that's been made to be entertaining but instead almost educating viewers on how things used to be within institutions such as these.

There is so much violence and most of it is carried out just for the fun of it because they could, as well as rape and so much racism. Obviously its easy to be oblivious to these situations in reality as the saying goes 'out of sight, out of mind', but when you're watching it on a screen it really makes you think about how people actually get treated within young offenders institutions and prisons, but then almost as soon as its over its easy to tune out again and not give it a second thought.

Scum was a very different film to anything I would normally watch, and I know I say that a lot but it really was. It didn't feature any soundtrack at all, in fact the only form of music comes from a scene involving the use of a radio. Due to the lack of soundtrack it makes the film feel a lot longer and I think this is another reason for why it felt so difficult to get into.

Although I sometimes like watching films or programmes about life in prison, I didn't enjoy this one because I think it was too brutal for me, and even though that is a true fact of how prison life was in those times, I found it uncomfortable to watch and see how these men were treated by each other and also the wardens.

For once this is a film I wouldn't recommend to others. Its not that I hated it as I did find it slightly interesting, it just wasn't my sort of thing and I wouldn't watch it again. However I did find that there was another version made and released in 1982 called Scrubbers inspired by Scum, about life in a female borstal that I would give a watch to see how the two compare.

If life in prison is interesting to you and films about prison are your sort of thing then give it a go, but otherwise its not one I'll suggest to you.

Until next time, thanks for reading :) x  

'Don't ever do that again, or I'll break your head!' - Leon

 Hello my lovelies,

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Sunday included the start of something new to be coming to my blog soon, and I'm excited to share it with you guys and girls.

Working through my list of films still to watch and I saw Leon. It was another suggestion to me and I had been told that it was a good film and worth a watch. Well, I can now say that it really is! Word of warning, I think this could be a long post.

Leon, also known as Leon: the Professional (I'm still unsure as to which is the right name for it), is a 1994 English language French crime thriller which was written and directed by Luc Besson. It starts Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman as three of the main characters, however when I looked it up beforehand this casting didn't excite me, needless to say it does now.

From the beginning of the film I wasn't sure if I'd like it or if it would be my sort of thing, but it didn't take long for the film to win me over. Something I had noticed at the beginning was a close up shot of a reflection in Leon's glasses, and there was something about it that just gives you that impression that Leon isn't the type of guy you want to mess with and should certainly stay on his good side. It doesn't take long to get into the action as we see Leon on a job trying to scare a guy away. Leon, played by Jean Reno, is certainly an interesting characters with his quirks such as sleeping in his arm chair each night prepared for anything that could happen but you soon warm up to him.

To try to summarise the storyline without spoilers Leon is a hit man and when Mathilda's family are shot dead by a corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield (played by Gary Oldman), he takes Mathilda in and reluctantly helps her with her revenge.

Mathilda (played by Natalie Portman) is a 12 year old girl that lives in the same building as Leon that luckily escapes an attack from agents who her father was holding drugs for. Although Leon seems to have a hard barrier up when it comes to looking after Mathilda, he gives in and she's able to break through the wall he's built up between him and other people, and he starts to take care of her and cares about helping her.

At times this film actually has its amusing moments and its a nice way to break up having so much drama just continuing non stop through the storyline. Some of the funny moments include Leon's love for his house plant that he cares for almost like a child, using his pig oven glove to cheer up Mathilda and also when they each dress up as film characters, although that scene is also a little cringey at times.

Leon and Mathilda have an odd relationship but it works well in a strange way. Some may say it seems as if Leon could be a paedophile, but he never does anything to Mathilda however much she tries to make him. Mathilda went through a tough situation for anyone to go through, so when Leon takes her in and takes care of her she feels what she thinks is real love for him, when in fact she's probably just grateful and feeling safe and looked after. I did find it slightly uncomfortable watching Mathilda trying to persuade Leon into doing things with her, she's a bit of a strange character but its obvious to see that she had a hard childhood and has felt like she's needed to grow up too soon. They have a strange bond and towards the end of the film it starts to really tug on your heartstrings.

I really liked this film and it even made me cry at the end. I now love Jean Reno and think that he is a brilliant actor. Although the film was long it was worth watching through to the end, even if it quite sad. I think it is definitely worth a watch and I'm glad I took the suggestion to watch it, so I now recommend it to all of you. It has a little bit of everything, action, drama, humour, what more do you need in a film?! Take a look and I hope you see why I now love this film.

Until next time, thanks for reading :) x 

A Clockwork Orange

 Hello my lovelies,

How is everyone doing today? Got another film from my ever growing list to share with you again. I've been told by multiple people to watch this, and well now I have and I'm not sure what to think of it. I liked it but its quite weird.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick, A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian crime film that was released in 1971. It's difficult to try to sum up this film and explain it properly, but its basically about a teenager, Alex, who enjoys Beethoven and rape, amongst the other forms of trouble he causes which he refers to as 'ultra violence'. Things take a wrong turn for him when he gets arrested and becomes a guinea pig for an experiment that could change prisoners views on violence forever.

Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) and his group of friends which he refers to as his 'droogs' are constantly out every night seeing what trouble they can cause next. They're a very strange group of friends and Alex actually creeps me out a little bit. During the film Alex narrates what's happening in slang formed from Slavic English and Cockney rhyming slang. At times I found it quite strange and didn't know what he was going on about, but I think that's just Alex in general. He is very much the type of person that likes to be in the spotlight, and likes to be the leader.

From the start of the film I could tell it was going to be an odd one. It opens to them sat in a milk bar, yes I said milk, milk mixed with drugs. Surrounded by mannequins that seemed to have names, and some of them even formed pieces of furniture. Very odd.

Leading up to Alex becoming part of an experimental treatment that are some things he does that I didn't like at all, but at the same time its not comfortable to watch him get strapped to a chair and forced to watch something that is making him ill and causing him pain, even if that is the doctors and prison guards idea of 'curing' him of his violent thoughts towards specific people such as women. They eventually decide that Alex is cured and now a reformed criminal, and allow him to be released from prison. Well lets just say he was probably safer inside, as would everyone else be.

On the outside Alex is found and recognised by people he had once caused harm to, resulting in them trying to get their own back, including his friends nearly killing him. When he thinks he's safe he's locked in a room and forced to listen to Beethoven which now causes him so much pain due to it being used during his treatment. In agonising pain he decides the only way to escape that feeling is by jumping out the window hoping it would kill him, however he is just knocked unconscious from the fall and later wakes up in hospital with several broken bones.

The treatment Alex was put through was meant to last forever and not allow him to have the violent thoughts again, however something about the fall must have reversed what they did to him. Much to Alex's delight he is no longer 'cured', and enjoys his violent thoughts once again.

A Clockwork Orange is quite a long film and once again I'm still undecided about whether I like it or not, although at times I was wanting to help Alex especially during that torturous treatment. I think at some point I might have to re-watch it at some point to properly decide if I like it.

I think its worth a watch just because its so different from most films now, and the language used is quite interesting to listen to as well, so if you fancy something different then look it up.

Until next time, thanks for reading :) x 

Trainspotting

 Hello my lovelies,

Hope you've had a good week whatever you've been doing. Another review today of a film I probably should have seen a while ago as its a film from 1996. As the title says, this film is of course Danny Boyle's Trainspotting which is based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. Before watching I had at least heard of it but didn't know anything about it, so looked it up as I usually do. I didn't know but about the cast but as a Grey's Anatomy lover I was surprised to see that Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt in Grey's Anatomy) played Tommy.

I'll try to keep it short and sweet today as I'm sure a lot of people have probably actually seen it, and although I thought I might need some explaining at first, it's actually easily summarised. I also think I'll be able to keep this spoiler free so you'll definitely have to look this one up for yourselves to understand.

Trainspotting is a comedy, crime drama film that is basically about life on drugs and the effects that they have on friendships, family, relationships and life in general. The main character Mark Renton, or just Renton as he's referred to a lot throughout the film, is played by Ewan McGregor and we see him on what I can only describe as a long path between wanting drugs and wanting to be clean. The storyline seems to almost rely on the idea that most young people take drugs or try them at least once, and is focused on Renton's struggle of being almost surrounded by Edinburgh's drug scene and his difficulty to escape it. Throughout the whole film we have a voice over by Renton discussing the choices he made and his thought process behind taking drugs.

All of the characters are slightly strange in their own ways, but one that was particularly annoying to me was Francis Begbie, although he is played by Robert Carlyle who also plays Rumpelstiltskin in Once Upon a Time. No matter what the situation he always finds, or rather creates, a reason to pick a fight with someone. This just got so irritating throughout the film, it was almost predictable at times.

It's almost one of those films that tugs at nearly every emotion going. There are scenes where it can be slightly amusing, but then others when it gets dark and depressive. I know its a cliché but I guess it can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster throughout, however no tears were shed whilst viewing this one. Makes a change for me!

This film was good and I did enjoy it, but there were times where although I understood it all, I did think it was slightly odd and at times slightly gross. But I would recommend it to others. If you're like me and have a never ending list of films to watch then add it and give it a go at some point.

Until next time, thanks for reading :) x  

'Just Had to Kill a lot of People!' - American Psycho

Hello my lovelies,

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. When I've not been at work I've been working my way through a long list of films I have building up, and writing these posts for you lovelies to read. Today's is another that was suggested to me, and although its fifteen years old now, I had still never seen it. It is of course American Psycho. Based of the novel by Bret Easton Ellis under the same name, American Psycho is a comedy psychological thriller directed by Mary Harron and it was released in 2000. I really enjoyed the film so I can't promise that this will be a spoiler free post but I'll try.

I did look this up before I watched and loved the look of the cast so I was excited to watch it and see how they worked together, and how Christian Bale played a bit of a crazy character.

The film is set in Manhattan during the Wall Street boom of the 1980s and from the start of the film there is a voice over that continues throughout by the main character Patrick Bateman. Bateman spends his days with the elite of Wall Street but then by night his activities couldn't be much different. One of the first scenes we see (and hear) how Patrick takes care of himself as he has a very specific routine for doing things, and it was during this that made me love this character a little bit, lets just say there's a very nice shower scene (need I say more, I think not).

Throughout the film its very clear that Patrick Bateman isn't the type of guy to show emotion unless he's talking about his love for music, however he mentions that the only emotion he feels is greed. Although if someone mentions business cards to him as he doesn't hide his jealousy very well, and his anger about it actually results in the first of his killings we say when he attacks a homeless guy and his dog for no reason. From this point on it was clear that he isn't all there in the head. Christian Bale himself even said in an interview last year for Sabotage Times that 'the whole movie's a strange experience'.

When I looked up the cast I noticed that Jared Leto played a character called Paul Allen, but I didn't even recognise him at all first! He played his part well though so it was a bit sad when Bateman had his way with him, and that never ends well. Another actor who plays a bit of a key role within the film is Willem Defoe as the character Detective Donald Kimball. I'm not sure what it is but there is always something creepy about Willem Defoe's characters, or maybe its him, either way he gives me the creeps. I think that Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman was an amazing casting choice as he played it perfectly, and although Bateman is quite crazy I kinda love him a little bit. Before filming Johnny Depp had actually shown an interest in playing the part of Patrick Bateman but I don't think that would've worked quite as well as having Christian Bale.

Throughout the film there doesn't even seem to be any reason why Patrick is killing these people, he's just not all there in the head and it seems to be that he gets pleasure from torturing and murdering people. Towards the end of the film after taking the lives of so many is various ways, it seems that Bateman goes slightly crazy as he loses it and leaves a confession on his lawyers answering machine, however that is taken as a joke and Patrick accepts that he'll never get the punishment he deserves for his actions and that having confessed meant nothing.

So much happened in this film, and I actually found it quite amusing at times, not sure if that's a good or bad thing. I really enjoyed it and would happily watch it again as well. As Patrick Bateman has a love of music it also has a pretty good soundtrack that worked well, and nearly always featured during his crazy killing sprees.

I think it is definitely worth a watch so go and find it right now. You'll thank me just for the shower scene at the beginning ;)

Until next time, that's all for now folks.

Thanks for reading :) x  

Weirdest Film Ever! - Filth

Hello my lovelies, hope you're doing well.

I've been watching some very different films recently compared to the ones I'd normally go for, and well different is just an understatement really.

The first film from my ever growing list of films to see was Filth, and simply put, it's not normal. It's so odd that I'm stuck knowing what to write about about it, so I'll keep it brief.

Filth is a Scottish crime comedy drama film released in 2013 directed by Jon S. Baird based on Irvine Welsh's novel of the same name.

I didn't know anything about it or even who was in it but I gave it a go anyway. Seeing that it starred James McAvoy as the main actor I figured it would be a good film but I found it to be a very hard film to follow and I'm still not sure if I actually understood anything about it. Simply put, Filth is a very strange film and I struggled to figure out what was going on due to that. I probably should have read up about the film prior to watching it, however now having done so I still don't think it helps understand very much. Although it clears up some of the confusion about James McAvoy's character Bruce.

The main plot throughout the film is that Bruce is trying to get a promotion to become detective inspector, however things take a bit of a turn for the worse as he's working on a murder case. He suffers from borderline personality disorder which just gets worse and he starts to hallucinate more and more.

Even though it was a very strange film I still think the cast did a great job at playing their characters. They were all a bit weird but one I found particularly creepy is Dr Rossi played by Jim Broadbent. I would certainly never go to a doctor like him as I'm pretty certain he needs to see a doctor himself! No matter how odd Bruce may be, events towards the end of the film just made me want to be able to help him.

I still can't decide whether I liked this film or not but I do think that its a good one as it gets you thinking and makes you want to keep watching just to try to understand what's happening. There are moments when it's slightly amusing but, mostly confusing. It's so different to anything I would normally watch and I liked that as a lot of films can feel like they're very repetitive. To be honest I'm unsure whether I'd recommend this film, although if I knew someone liked strange films that they have to think about to work out, then I'd suggest it to them.

Give it a go and maybe you'll be surprised.

Until next time, thanks for reading :) x  

September Favourites 2015

Hello my lovelies,

Hope everyone's doing well and enjoyed September, it went by so fast, I can't believe its October already! Before we know it it'll be Christmas and that seems really crazy!

During September the things I watched didn't changed up too much but there is some new changes to add that became my favourites.

Don't Tell The Bride 
Always loved this show no matter how cheesy and cringey the weddings turn out to be. I think its very brave of these women to give all control of the wedding over to the men with no say whatsoever. What girl doesn't dream of what her perfect wedding would be like, so when they're unable to do anything to make it possible it must feel heartbreaking at times. I love watching the crazy plans the husbands-to-be come up with, and then its so lovely when it all comes together at the end and the bride is pleasantly surprised.

The Big Bang Theory 
I've only just started watching this properly so I'm still on season one, but from what I have seen it is hilarious! Sheldon is by far my favourite with Leonard closely behind him. I love their strange group of friends and how Penny fits into the mix. Its so easy to watch with each episode being not much longer than 20 minutes. I'd definitely recommend it as something to watch to relax to.

Rocky Horror Picture Show Live
(See my previous post).
I've dedicated a whole post to this so I'll keep it short and simple. It was incredible, go and watch it right now!

Gotham
I don't know a lot about Batman so watching this from when Bruce Wayne was a child was quite interesting. I know of some characters from Batman so when I could tell who would be who, that was fun. I'm enjoying following the stories and the different events of each episode. Detective Jim Gordon is my favourite so far, he's a bit of a bad ass cop really but hides it well when he's trying to do the right thing. I'm still only on season one but I'd already recommend checking it out.

I'm looking forward to what October has to bring, and I already know that Once Upon A Time will be making another appearance on my screen with season five being released onto netflix. Would love to know what your favourites have been this month and if there's anything you think I should try watching.

Until next time my lovelies, thanks for reading :) x