Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Hunger Games (2012)





Before I begin this review, I'd like to make it clear that I had read all 3 books in the Hunger Games trilogy before I saw the movie. I do not believe that an adaptation should try to mirror whatever it is based on. It can be as identical or loosely-based or somewhere in-between as it likes, as long as it can be understood without any knowledge of the original material. However, I generally believe that the adaptation should not be exactly the same as the original, as a change in medium almost always requires changes in the text for consistent quality to exist. I ask you to read this review with this in mind, as I will be criticising the film with this perspective. This will be the case with any future reviews of adaptations also. So, let's review The Hunger Games!

I came into The Hunger Games expecting a mediocre film. I saw it a few weeks after it was released, and had heard a lot of things that didn't sound promising. Having said that, I was still excited to some degree, being a fan of the books (the first one in particular), and was interested in seeing the story come to life in a new format.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Melancholia (2011)



Melancholia is a special film, to say the least. It is a difficult film to review, primarily due to its story structure, because the generally accepted and unspoken rule that the reviewer may not spoil anything that happens after the 1st act cannot apply to such a film. Luckily, I’m writing this review almost a full year after its release, so I can simply follow the method of the reviewers before me.

The film opens with a sequence of extremely slo-mo shots depicting the end of the world, and the film (don’t worry, not a spoiler), through the collision of two planets. There are around 16 shots altogether, and they are all some of the most beautiful images I have ever seen in my life. They really are. The only quarrel I have is that one or two of them lean slightly too much towards photography, rather than cinematography. They just don’t really have enough movement to be considered actual cinematography. But this really the most minor of minor complaints.

Monday, May 7, 2012

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)




The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a British-made comedy-drama by director John Madden, famous for the largely adored Shakespeare in Love. We follow seven British retirees as they travel to India for one reason or another, headed to the hotel that gives the film its title. Upon arrival, they discover that the hotel is far less luxurious than advertised, and their experiences transform them all in one way or another.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

An Introduction.



Greetings, internet! It's a pleasure meeting you all. On this blog, I will be reviewing games and films of many varieties. I will mainly review whatever it is I have recently experienced that I find would be interesting to review, be it old or new. If I, out of some beautiful miracle, find myself receiving requests, I will try to review those too. I primarily play games on my PC, but I also have a PS3, 3DS and PSP (all three of which I hardly ever use), so I will be limited to reviewing games on these particular platforms. I go to the cinema moderately frequently (it really just depends on how much I actually care about what's coming out) and see most of my movies on DVD. Due to this, I will be limited by my sub-atomic budget when it comes to how many things I can review. I suppose I could always go and re-watch a movie I own and haven't seen for a while if I ever feel I'm running short on material.I look forward to releasing content and hope to get more than 10 hits!