For me, Christmas movies tend to fall into two camps, both of which I’m pretty happy with. We’ve got the watch-a-billion-times classics such as The Holiday, Love Actually and Arthur Christmas that become part of the fabric of our Christmas traditions and then we have the overdosed-on-sugar, over-the-top schmaltzy gems that are so bad that…
Tag: 2019
Bombshell (2019) Film Review
Bombshell Definition (noun) An unexpected and surprising event, especially an unpleasant one. A very attractive woman The irony of the double meaning of the word ‘bombshell’ is not lost on the cast and crew of the 2019 biographical drama from director Jay Roach. A little over a year before the Harvey Weinstein scandal rocked Hollywood…
Midsommar (2019) Film Review
Considering Ari Aster’s feature length debut, Hereditary, won the not-so-coveted top spot on my worst films of 2018 list, I can’t say I was particularly enthusiastic heading into his Scandinavian follow up, Midsommar, especially considering the reviews were as similarly divided this time around. Not one to judge a book by its cover, or a…
Ford Vs Ferrari (2019) Film Review
No matter how many films I see, there always seems to be a few big blockbusters that I just don’t seem to catch on the big screen. Ford Vs Ferrari was one such film, and despite it taking the top spot on a lot of people’s favourite films of 2019 it still took a couple…
Detective Pikachu (2019) Film Review
Although I remember quite clearly when Pokémon took over the playground in the late 90’s, I was never really a fan – however when Pokémon Go was released in 2016 I quickly became hooked and embraced the ‘Gotta catch ’em all’ mentality. I’ll admit I was a little dubious about how successful a hyper-realistic, live…
Men In Black: International (2019) Film Review
After Will Smith’s surprisingly successful revival of the Men in Black franchise back in 2012 – oh, how time flies – it makes sense that they would want to capitalise on that success and continue the franchise with some younger, on-trend talent, and given their playful chemistry in Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson…
Booksmart (2019) Film Review
Often referred to as a female-centric Superbad, Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut is a modern and feminist take on the traditional high school ‘coming-of-age’ stories that are chock full of teenage shenanigans and raunchy comedy. Booksmart was one of those films that I had every intention of watching at the cinema but was always superseded by…
Ma (2019) Film Review
In the need of a new life and a fresh start, Erica and her sixteen year old daughter, Maggie, move from San Diego back to Erica’s home town in rural Mississippi. Maggie quickly makes friends with her fellow classmates Haley, Darrell, Chaz and Andy and they invite her to join them on a night out…
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019) Film Review
2019 feels like it was decades ago, but I do remember that Mark and I were quite keen to watch Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark when it was released but, for one reason or another, we never got round to it but when it got randomly pulled out of our lucky dip box…
Doctor Sleep (2019) Film Review
Almost 40 years after Stanley Kubrick’s horror The Shining thrilled fans and pissed off Stephen King, Mike Flanagan, of The Haunting of Hill House fame, took on the challenge of bringing us its sequel Doctor Sleep, adapted from King’s 2013 novel of the same name. Now I know I was a little late to the…
Escape Room (2019) Film Review
As someone who loves a good puzzle, and who has completed an escape room or two, I have to admit that the idea of turning the concept into a saw-inspired horror flick is something that really appealed to me, so when Adam Robitel’s Escape Room came out of our lucky dip box, I’ll admit, I…
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…
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…
Film Review: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
Quentin Tarantino is not one to shy away from controversy and his eagerly awaited ninth film (tenth by individual release) Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is no exception. From the inclusion of rising Hollywood star, Sharon Tate, who was murdered by the Manson Family to the extremely limited dialogue of the female lead; there…
Film Review: The Platform (2019)
If the recent successes of Roma and Parasite have opened your eyes to foreign cinema, then I would recommend hopping on to Netflix and giving Spanish film, The Platform a go. Admittedly, it doesn’t have the same star power or finesse that comes with the likes of Parasite but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an…
Parasite (2019) Film Review
One of the worst things about being a film fan in the UK is that we typically get theatrical releases some time after our American cousins. Thanks to my American blogger friends Parasite was on my must watch list long before it started making its landmark waves on the awards circuit. When it was finally…
Film Review: Parasite (2019)
One of the worst things about being a film fan in the UK is that we typically get theatrical releases some time after our American cousins. Thanks to my American blogger friends Parasite was on my must watch list long before it started making its landmark waves on the awards circuit. When it was finally…
Film Review: The Irishman (2019)
It’s fair to say that Netflix dominated this years Oscar nominations with a total of 24 nominations, beating the likes of Disney and Sony. Their biggest contender was Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman with ten nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. Unfortunately for Netflix though, they only walked away win 2 wins, none of which…
After Life (2019) Series Review
I think it is a bit of an understatement to say that Ricky Gervais is not everyone’s cup of tea. There’s something about him that is distinctly unlikeable but I think that is because he is not afraid to say what most of us are really thinking. If I am honest, it has taken me…
Don’t F**k With Cats (2019) Series Review
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: Jojo Rabbit (2019)
I honestly didn’t think we were ever going to get round to watching this film despite both of us being pretty excited about it. From me finishing work too late for us to get to the cinema on time, to one (or both) of us being too lazy to even leave the house, to the…
Oscars 2020 – Best Actress
The 2020 Oscar ceremony is just around the corner, it’s time to take a look at this years shortlist for Best Actress. And the nominees are… Cynthia Erivo – Harriet In this film from director Kasi Lemmons, Cynthia Erivo plays the titular character, Harriet Tubman, a woman who escapes from slavery and becomes an American…
Film Review: I Lost My Body (2019)
Despite being on Netflix, my current go-to for movies, I Lost My Body completely slipped under my radar until it was nominated for Best Animated Film at the 2020 Academy Awards. Wanting to watch as many of the Oscar films as I can, time and motivation permitting, we decided to check it out. The story…
Oscars 2020 – Best Actor
The 2020 Oscar ceremony is just over a week away! We’ve already had a little look at the nominees for Best Animated Film and Best Picture, now it’s time to have a gander at the shortlist for Best Actor. Antonio Banderas – Pain & Glory In Pain and Glory, Antonio Banderas plays a groundbreaking gay…
Film Review: Marriage Story (2019)
Despite Steven Spielberg’s attempts to limit Netflix’s success in Hollywood, they have steadily been making their stamp on the industry. In fact, if the 2020 Oscar nominations are anything to go by, they have quickly become a force to be reckoned with, having topped the nominations charts (24 nominations in total) beating the likes of…
Series Review: Sex Education (2019)
I first watched this Netflix series when it was originally released back in January of 2019 but never got around to actually writing up a review for it. With season two literally around the corner (available on Netflix from 17th Jan) I figured now was a perfect time for a full re-watch and review. Sex…
Film Review: Jumani – The Next Level (2019)
In an age of reboots, remakes and reimaginings, a slightly more understated trend is emerging: the Reboot Sequel. That is, of course, the attempt to reboot a franchise (or solo film) by continuing on where the originals left off. Where traditional reboots are met with a balanced amount of celebration and negativity, the reboot sequel…
Review: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
I’ll admit, when it comes to the Star Wars franchise, I am a relatively late bloomer. While I have come to appreciate the first six episodes more over the last few years, I can’t say that I became a fan of the franchise until 2015 with the release of Force Awakens. And I use to…
Top Ten… Worst Films of 2019
It may be a lack of cinema visits this year but I struggled a lot with this post, mainly with actually coming up with ten films that I didn’t like. Not that this year has been full of masterpieces but predominantly because my main consideration when reviewing a film is not necessarily the technical aspects…
Top Ten… Favourite Films of 2019
For someone who writes a movie blog, I have been woefully poor at watching films this year, missing out on some critically acclaimed films such as Ad Astra, Le’ Mans 66 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Even when I’ve turned to Netflix to get my movie fix, I’ve not watched the widely anticipated…
Goodbye 2019: End of an Era
Not only did the end of 2019 see us say goodbye to the 2010’s but also to a great many shows and film franchises, here’s a little round-up of some of those that we lost going into the new decade. I tell you something though, 2020 has got some big shoes to fill… Star Wars…
Film Review: Frozen 2 (2019)
It’s been six years since the release of Frozen and the world has only just managed to get that bloody song out of it’s head, which means it’s prime time for a sequel, but the real question will be whether Disney can pull off another smash-hit. Read on to find out… As with the original,…
Film Review: Klaus (2019)
Have you ever wondered where the legend of Santa Claus comes from? Why we write him letters? Or why we have all of our little Christmas Eve traditions? Well, Netflix have provided us with some answers in their heart warming new Christmas film, Klaus, which is perfect for the whole family. When Jesper’s (Jason Schwartzman)…
Review: Let It Snow (2019)
The Christmas spirit is still going strong here at Love Popcorn with another Christmas review for you, this time we’re looking at another Netflix original, Let it Snow. It’s Christmas Eve, and a small rural town in America is hit by a snow storm. Whilst the adults are all probably using the snow as a…
Review: The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
Deck the halls with boughs of holly, ’tis the season to be jolly. That’s right, December is here and Love Popcorn is feeling Christmassy. Throughout December I am hoping to share a few festive reviews so if you are looking for something to watch this month be sure to keep checking out my blog. I’m…
Film Review: Falling Inn Love (2019)
In my opinion there is nothing better than a good romantic comedy, I know that’s probably not allowed in this day and age, but I don’t care, stick me in front of a screen with a rom-com and I am one happy damsel. Although I am quite content watching the same soppy film over and…
Film Review: Secret Obsession (2019)
One of the best things about streaming services like Netflix and Amazon is that you have so many new films and TV programmes literally at your fingertips. It is the perfect place to simply wile away an afternoon when really you should be hoovering up the cat hair and clearing the mound of washing up…
Film Review: Eli (2019)
Although my cinema slump is still in full flow, Netflix continues to provide enough original content to completely justify a cosy night in on the sofa, snuggled under a blanket with a bag of popcorn in our laps. Our latest watch was the horror Eli, starring Charlie Shotwell (All the Money in the World –…
Series Review: Unbelievable (2019)
One afternoon, I was bored and just flicking through Netflix looking for something to watch when I stumbled across this limited series, Unbelievable, which turned out to be one of those shows that you just can’t stop watching, and with only eight episodes, it’s the perfect length for a weekend binge-watch. Based on true events,…
Film Review: Joker (2019)
One of the things I enjoy most about cinema is that it goes through phases, with interesting trends developing over time. Where some drag on far too long (I’m talking about you – unnecessary remakes), others are a little more fleeting, and over the last eighteen months or so, some great trends have started to…
Film Review: Ready Or Not (2019)
I first watched this film back in early September at an advanced screening but my blogging slump meant that it’s been sitting, half-written, in my drafts for a month! So better late than never, here is my thoughts on the comedy-horror, Ready Or Not. The film sees young bride, Grace, (Samara Weaving) about to marry…
Review: I Used To Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story (2019)
Last month I was lucky enough to have been asked to write an independent review for the film ‘Woodstock Or Bust’, you can check out my review here. This month, I’ve been asked to review the documentary I Used To Be Normal which I actually really enjoyed and would totally recommend. The documentary from director…
Film Review: Woodstock Or Bust (2019)
It’s the summer of 1969 and two aspiring teenage singer-songwriters Meryl (Meg DeLacy) and Lorian (Willow Shields) are frustrated by their lack of prospects, tired of playing at retirement homes and birthday parties, the two best friends are looking to get some bigger gigs. An advert for Woodstock Music Festival inspires a road trip to…
Film Review: The Great Hack (2019)
At risk of making myself sound like an old Grandma on her rocking chair, I am of an age where I can remember how new the internet was. That awful dialling tone when I wanted to do research for homework, chatting to school friends on MSN, and waiting FOREVER if you wanted to download or…
Film Review: The Lion King (2019)
In the past I have moaned a lot about the sheer number of remakes, reboots and unnecessary sequels that are being churned out at the moment, and it seems that Disney are one of the worst culprits. The thing is, as frustrated as I am by this fact, I, along with everyone else, will trudge…
Film Review: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Who could have possibly imagined that a simple film about street racing would lead to a franchise spanning eighteen years, and counting! Admittedly, there was a rocky patch following the third film, Tokyo Drift, but the F&F franchise shifted gear (eh!!) and came back stronger than ever. I can’t immediately recall the last film to…
Review – Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Marvel Studios are the modern-day Pavlov, they ring their new release bell and the masses come running, myself included. After being both underwhelmed and rather disappointed with Avengers: Endgame I really fancied a bit of a break from the MCU but Far From Home is the final installment of both Phase 3, and the ‘Infinity…
Blogger Recognition Award 2019
Forget the Oscars, it feels as though awards season has come early! Over the last few weeks, I have been lucky enough to receive nominations for three different blogging awards, which is incredibly humbling. It’s amazing to know that people read and like my stuff enough to consider me, especially when there are SO MANY…