We’ve already taken a look at the Best Picture and Best Animated Feature Film nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards, so I figured we would take a look at the nominees in the acting categories. First up – Best Actor. Anthony Hopkins – The Father In Florian Zeller’s The Father, Anthony Hopkins portrays an elderly…
Ten Great Animated Films That Aren’t Disney or Pixar
Whilst I don’t mind the odd Disney film or two, when it comes to animation I naturally veer towards Pixar and who can blame me, they have produced some phenomenal films over the past 25 years but even I have to admit that both production studios together have garnered something of a monopoly over the…
Oscars 2021 – Best Animated Feature Film
As the world finally starts to get back to normal and the prospect of returning to the hallowed halls of a cinema complex becomes more of a reality, the awards season comes to its end on the 26th April, with the 2021 Oscars. We’ve previously had a little look at the Best Picture nominees, and…
Sentinelle (2021) Film Review
Klara, a highly trained interpreter for the French military, is transferred back home to Nice following a traumatic combat mission in Syria, where she is assigned to Operation Sentinel – an anti-terror programme that patrols the streets of France. After her sister Tania is savagely raped and beaten following a night out, Klara goes rogue…
Oscars 2021 – Best Picture
It’s something of an understatement to say that the last 12 months have been rather unorthodox for the world of cinema but as things slowly start to return to some form of normality, the 93rd Academy Awards are just around the corner. So let’s take a little look at the 2021 nominations for the highly…
Seaspiracy (2021) Film Review
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard some chatter about Seaspiracy, the new documentary from the team who produced the award winning documentary Cowspiracy. So, what with all the noise surrounding it, Mark and I figured this should be our next watch. Inspired by the likes of Sir David Attenborough…
What Happened To Monday (2017) Film Review
With the world projected to have 8.5 billion people by the end of the decade, I don’t think anybody can argue the fact that our planet has a massive population problem. The idea of restricting the number of children born to reduce humanity’s impact on the planet’s resources is not exactly new, China implemented a…
The ‘Criminal Minds’ Profilers Ranked From Worst To Best
After what feels like forever, I have finally finished watching Criminal Minds in its entirety but rather than attempt to write a review on a series that is 323 episodes long, I figured it would be easier to do something a little different and rank my favourite members of the BAU team from worst to…
The Imitation Game (2014) Film Review
Way back in 2018, the Bank of England announced the shortlist for the new £50 note, consisting of great scientific minds such as Stephen Hawking, Ada Lovelace and Alexander Graham Bell, all deserving nominees in their own right but both Mark and I were rooting for Alan Turing, the father of modern computing. So, when…
The Last Dance (2020) Series Review
After finally getting Mark to watch Coach Carter, we got the basketball bug and decided to revisit the 2020 Netflix series The Last Dance, a ten-part docu-series which charts the rise of Michael Jordan and the 1990’s Chicago Bulls team as they cement their place as one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. You…
Escape From Pretoria (2020) Film Review
Prison escape movies are not exactly few and far between but, as far as I am aware (and I am probably wrong lol), not many of them are inspired by real events. If they are, then I think the prison system as a whole might have a serious security problem. Our latest randomly selected watch,…
Yes Day (2021) Film Review
The idea of being a ‘Bad Guy’ as a parent is a rather common trope in many coming-of-age movies. Netflix takes that concept and runs with it in their new family comedy Yes Day starring Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez and Jenna Ortega. Allison Torres was never afraid of saying yes to new experiences. Travelling alone…
Bigfoot Family (2021) Film Review
Currently streaming on Netflix, Bigfoot Family is the sequel to the 2017 film The Son of Bigfoot but don’t worry if you missed it, you can still follow the story with ease. As a quick recap, The Son of Bigfoot sees teenager Adam go on an adventure searching for his long-lost father, eventually finding him…
WandaVision (2021) Series Review
Us poor Marvel fans barely had enough time to reflect on the events of Endgame and Far From Home before the next three years of our cinematic lives were neatly planned out with new release dates acting as mini milestones to mark in our diaries. If there was one good thing to come out of…
Murder Among The Mormons (2021) Series Review
Netflix have been churning out the goods at a surprising rate this year, with something new dropping pretty much every week. Following on from the rather lacklustre The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, their latest true crime docu-series Murder Among The Mormons delivers in a way that The Vanishing just didn’t. Using a combination of…
Modern Classic: Moulin Rouge (2001)
I know my original plan for my ‘Modern Classics‘ feature was to celebrate my first time viewings of recent classics but with Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge available on the new Disney+ Star channel, I couldn’t resist. Director: Baz Luhrmann Starring: Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, John Leguizamo Awards: Oscar Winner – Best…
Ten Films You Didn’t Know Were Based On Comic Books
Superheroes and comic books have long held a stigma for being ‘nerdy’ or ‘geeky’ but thanks to franchises such as the Batman trilogy, X-Men and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they have become more mainstream than ever. Despite a growing billion dollar popularity, there are some people who still shy away from the genre, perhaps believing…
Moneyball (2011) Film Review
With reviews of his films Molly’s Game and The Trial of the Chicago 7, February had turned into a bit of an Aaron Sorkin appreciation month so for my last review of the month we decided to check out the 2011 film Moneyball, which Sorkin co-wrote the script for. Based on real events, Moneyball tells…
Hidden Gem: Zack And Miri Make A Porno (2008)
Zack and Miri has been one of my favourite comedies since it was first released in 2008 but in my opinion it doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves so when it was recently added to Netflix I figured it was the perfect time to review it as my next Hidden Gem. Director: Kevin Smith Starring:…
Late Night (2019) Film Review
I think it’s fair to say that representation in Hollywood has been something of a hot button topic over the last however many years, and whilst I certainly believe that it’s a conversation that needs to be had it’s not something that I am particularly vocal about myself, in part for fear of incurring the…
Songbird (2020) Film Review
I have to say I am loving the whole lucky dip idea for movie nights, it really takes the pressure off of having to pick a film and you have the added benefit of not knowing what to expect. The latest film to be drawn was the 2020 Amazon exclusive film, Songbird. In the not…
Ten Great Animated Shows For Adults
When we think of animation we typically think of sugary sweet feel good movies that are perfect for a family night in but this post is all about celebrating those animated shows that are definitely NOT suitable for children. Animated shows for adults aren’t exactly new with the likes of South Park, Family Guy and…
Tag (2018) Film Review
During what turned out to be a rather stressful week, including an impromptu visit to A&E, Mark and I decided to chill out with a movie, and out came our new lucky dip box. This time the movie drawn was Jeff Tomsic’s 2018 buddy comedy Tag starring Jeremy Renner, Ed Nelms and Jon Hamm. “We…
Below Zero (2021) Film Review
To take the stress out of deciding what movie to watch, and save a certain someone from getting the blame if the film turns out to be sh*t, I decided to create a lucky dip and the first test of our new system was the new Spanish drama film Bajocero aka Below Zero. Set over…
Film Review: Peppermint (2018)
Despite the unfortunate experience that Outside The Wire turned out to be, this weekend we once again decided to go with an easy watch, with the 2018 action thriller film, Peppermint from Taken director Pierre Morel. With money a little tight, Chris North considers helping a friend rob powerful drug lord Diego Garcia but ultimately…
Film Review: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
Hot on the heels of my review of Molly’s Game, we decided to check out Aaron Sorkin’s second venture in the director’s chair with his Netflix film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, which tells the true story of seven people on trial for conspiracy to incite a riot whilst protesting the Vietnam War. The…
Hidden Gem: Molly’s Game (2017)
I am a big fan of Jessica Chastain but I don’t feel she gets as much love as she deserves so I thought I would use my next ‘Hidden Gem‘ review to help rectify this injustice, looking at the 2017 film Molly’s Game, based on the incredible biographical book of the same name. Director: Aaron…
Series Review: The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
In a year that started with the bizarre true story of an eccentric redneck with a penchant for big cats, country music and assassination plots, ending 2020 with a drama series about chess seems like a dramatic and foolish change of pace but, yet again, Netflix managed to pull it out of the bag with…
Film Review: Outside The Wire (2021)
Originally I was planning to have Pieces of a Woman as my next watch but instead I opted for something a little less emotional and with Outside The Wire currently sitting at number three in Netflix’s top ten, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a good old action flick…. It’s the not too distant…
Ten Great Documentaries To Watch On Netflix
As Covid-19 continues to dictate where we can go and who we can, it’s probably getting to a point where you are starting to feel like you have watched everything on Netflix, but documentaries tend to get overlooked, probably because we are looking for a bit of escapism from real life, however there is a…
Film Review: Enola Holmes (2020)
I don’t really buy into the whole ‘New Year, New Me’ mentality but as January rolled around it seemed as though my desire to watch new content came back, along with my motivation for writing. Now, Sherlock Holmes is a name that everybody knows but the world famous detective is taking a bit of a…
Film Review: Death To 2020 (2020)
If anyone can put a humerous spin on the rollercoaster year that was 2020 it’s Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, and I have to say his satirical mockumentary Death to 2020 definitely delivers. Given the sheer volume of unbelievable shit that happened last year, Death to 2020 ran the risk of becoming too crowded and…
Film Review: Soul (2020)
From the realisation that sometimes Joy and Sadness go hand in hand, to Boo’s softly spoken “Kitty?” and to the total gut punch that was Andy’s final goodbye, Pixar have been delivering emotional rollercoasters for nigh on 25 years. Personally, my opinion on the success of a Pixar film is largely determined by its ability…
Goodbye 2020
Usually this is the time of year where I would take a look back on my best and worst films of the last twelve months but with the craziness of 2020 and my complete lack of motivation, I’ve only watched a handful of new releases, and in all honesty I think I’ve already forgotten half…
Hidden Gem: Coach Carter (2005)
I’m not sure whether Coach Carter counts as a ‘hidden’ gem but in my opinion it is definitely underrated which is justification enough to make it the next instalment in my Hidden Gem feature. In the late nineties, Ken Carter accepts the job as the basketball coach for his old high school in a poor…
Series Review: Emily in Paris (2020)
One of the things about having too much choice on the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime is deciding what to watch. A quick ‘let’s have a look’ turned into a binge watch and a midnight bedtime. When her boss’ unexpected pregnancy presents an opportunity, Emily, a smart young American woman takes her place in…
Retro Review: Halloween (1978)
Now correct me if I’m wrong but for me there is one particular genre that just really doesn’t age very well and that is horror. Maybe it’s because we become desensitised over time, maybe it’s because good horrors are often parodied, or maybe its because special effects evolve to such a point that to revisit…
David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (2020)
The term ‘National Treasure’ gets thrown around far too often for my liking but even I have to admit that it is perfectly apt as a description for Sir David Attenborough, who at 93 years old has been exploring, documentary and sharing the living world for over 60 years. His latest film A Life On…
Series Review: The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
In this crazy year that has both dragged and flown by, there has been very little that I have been looking forward to entertainment wise but one exception to that is the release of the next instalment of Netflix’ horror anthology series – The Haunting of Bly Manor. As a group of guests gather the…
Film Review: The Devil All The Time (2020)
I’ll admit that I’ve been going through a bit of a movie slump at the moment but if there was anything to help entice me out of that slump it was the fantastic line up of Netflix’s latest film, The Devil All The Time, directed by Antonio Campos. If Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson is…
Hidden Gem: Colombiana (2011)
Hey Folks!! It’s been a little while but I figured that it’s once again time to celebrate a hidden gem so if you are looking for something to watch with the other half this weekend, then grab the popcorn and check out action flick, Colombiana. Director: Olivier Megaton Starring: Zoe Saldana, Jordi Molla, Beto Benites,…
Film Review: 13th (2016)
I think it is fair to say that 2020 has been one hell of a year so far, from the bush fires that decimated Australia to the pandemic that forced the entire world into isolation. In amongst all the chaos and noise, one voice that has risen up above the rest is that of the…
Retro Review: Scarface (1983)
Hey Folks! It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these so I thought I would kick start it off again with one of the ultimate classic gangster films, Scarface. “Say Hello to my little friend!” Scarface (1983) Director: Brian De Palma Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer Awards: Golden Globe Nominee (Best…
Film Review: Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
As someone who dislikes both Will Ferrell and the Eurovision Song Contest something akin to a passion, I went into Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga fully expecting to hate this film, the only saving grace being that I think Rachel McAdams is a great comedic actress. Thankfully, this film delivered so much more than…
Modern Classic: Spirited Away (2001)
Although I have heard a lot of good things about Japanese Anime I’ll be honest, I am woefully ignorant about the genre as a whole, having only ever seen one anime film before. Even in my ignorance I had, of course, heard of Studio Ghibli, the world renowned Japanese film studio, and I even knew…
Film Review: Free Solo (2018)
After much anticipation and a rather long wait, the UK has finally got Disney Plus!! In between re-watches of Pixar favourites, a guilty pleasure viewing of High School Musical and, thanks to the hubby, a seemingly endless stream of The Simpsons, we did catch something new – the Oscar winning documentary, Free Solo, directed by husband and wife team,…
Film Review: Knives Out (2019)
As a self-proclaimed UNsocial butterfly, I was honestly looking forward to the lockdown a little bit. We may not have been able to watch any new releases at the cinema but with Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ all available at the click of a button, I thought my days would be filled with films and…
Series Review: Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer (2019)
Cinema does a fantastic job of creatively highlighting all the horrible things that humans are capable of doing to each other but if there is one fundamental truth about the human race, it is that nothing unites us more than its intolerance to those who cause harm to animals. And, let’s be honest, regardless of…
Film Review: X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
I have always enjoyed the X-Men movies, they were my gateway into the world of superheroes, and considering X-Men: Apocalypse is my favourite of them all (unpopular opinion, I know), I was really looking forward to seeing where they went next. However, despite Dark Phoenix being one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2019 for one reason or…
New Feature: Modern Classics
Following on from the success of my ‘Retro Review‘ feature, I’ve decided to start another new feature that opens up my eyes to those classics that are a little more recent. Once again, I’ve set myself a few little ground rules My first Modern Classic review will be up next month but if you have…