absolutebadasses

Bill Paxton (1955 – 2017)

Posted by absolutebadasses on February 26, 2017

Posted in: Views. Tagged: aliens, apollo 13, arnie, Bill Paxton, bill paxton dies, bill paxton RIP, film, film star, game over man, geek, hicks, james cameron, legend, like, movie idol, movie nerd, movie star, movies, near dark, photo, severen, Terminator, terrible news, titanic movie, true lies, twister, vampire movie, weird science. Leave a comment

the loss of any movie star is a sad time but losing Bill Paxton an actor I have adored since the 80s, iconic, beautiful, crazy and delightfully funny is something I’m really struggling with – as I write this tears are welling, my heart is sinking and the memories of all my favorite Paxton movies are swimming round my head in what can only be described as delirious grief – I have lost count of the times since 1986 I have uttered that line from Aliens “Game Over Man!” and watched over and over his psychotic performance as vampire Severen in the fantastic horror movie Near Dark – to say he is one of my favorite movie idol’s is an understatement, his films have ignited my passion of the screen and for me he will be remembered as this infectious, ballsy movie star that owned the screen with his cowboy swagger, his mischievous grin and one of the most recognizable vocals in film – he was loved and will be missed by all – RIP #FilmLegend

“I’m gonna separate your head from your shoulders. Hope you don’t mind none”
Bill Paxton – Near Dark

John Wick is forced into returning to the criminal underworld after a former associate requires him to to repay a marker debt – whilst back in familiar territory he discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life and all shit is about to rain down on him and those in his path

Keanu Reeves reunites with director and former stunt man Chad Stahelski for their sequel to 2014’s explosive action thriller JOHN WICK – the exciting cast also includes Common, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, John Leguizamo and Laurence Fishburne….

The only way I can describe how I felt whilst watching John Wick: Chapter Two was like I was playing a shoot-em-up on my game console – the action is high intensity, brutal & relentless and contains countless scenes of close quarter kills, hand to hand combat, explosions and falling and fighting down stairs that make Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables look like a bunch of pussies – Common’s bodyguard Cassian adds spice to this sequel, his fight scenes with Wick are EPIC both characters not giving a quarter and that tube train moment is one to savour, Scamarcio’s crime lord D’Antonio is a well connected Italian mobster who will eliminate anyone who gets in his way and Laurence Fishburne plays the Bowery King reuniting him with his Matrix co-star Reeves for some intriguing albeit brief screen time – unlike many films before it this action packed sequel may be even better than it’s original, Stahelski gives the movie a more realistic feel than many others in it’s genre, yes it’s violent and yes it contains a hefty body count but it’s also a film that’s dripping with black humor, colorful interesting characters, blazing original soundtrack all set to a backdrop that not only looks fantastic but is well used in the context of each scene – from the Catacombs to the Enter the Dragon influenced Mirror Scene John Wick: Chapter Two is full of memorable blood soaked moments, it’s an enthralling, pulse racing action flick so if you enjoyed 2014’s original or you just love getting your ass nailed to a seat not wanting to leave in-case you miss something then you will eat this shit up and be hungry for desert afterwards – Keanu Reeves looks so f@ckin cool in action Full Stop!, his tall stature, angry facial hair and Kung-fu moves are totally bad-ass so if your looking to get high on that drug we call Badass Movie Watching then this sequel will blow your freaking mind….★★★★½

Two Mercenaries played by Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal get caught in the middle of an ancient war between Chinese Warrior’s guarding The Great Wall and an angry mob of Alien Monsters that appear to cause mayhem every 60yrs….

The Great Wall is the most expensive Chinese movie ever made, it stars Jing Tian, Andy Lau, Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal and is directed by the visual master Zhang Yimou known for his work on House of the Flying Daggers and Hero….

Before I get on with my thoughts on this movie I must address the fact that there is NO whitewashing in this movie AT ALL so any controversy regarding Matt Damon’s character that happens to be set in China is sadly an attempt for those with plenty of time on there hands to be negative towards a movie that they’ve probably not seen in the first place….

OK now on to the good stuff – If like me you enjoy the fix of a well paced, epic scale action movie that’s jam packed with dazzling effects & inventive, colorful battle scenes then Zhang Yimou’s The Great Wall is just what your looking for – what the picture may lack in overall substance it certainly delivers in beauty & creativity – the film’s 3D adds a stunning depth and also gave me a sense of vertigo whist watching certain scenes, especially those where the Chinese Warriors would dive off the Great Wall attached to a rope (like a bungee) attempting to spear the attacking monsters, now that’s some crazy shit right there and was pulled off by Zhang in impressive style – when the hoards of these mean & nasty looking monsters start storming the Wall, snapping like crocodiles it reminded me so much of when the Orc Army attacked Minas Tirith in Peter Jackson’s epic Return of the King, the CGI in the movie is sensational & I felt submerged, part of the action whilst watching in IMAX – the screen is magnificent and it enhances everything in it’s path from the stunning effects, the beauty & tenacity of Jing Tian, Matt Damon’s archery & wild facial hair, the incredible battle scenes and it’s rousing atmospheric score….

From it’s lavish synchronized drummers, hair-raising action sequences and pulse-raising final quarter The Great Wall is a triumph in film entertainment – be honest with yourself if you pay to go and see this film then you must love your action right? and you know your not going to the cinema to watch Opera or Shakespeare right? HELL YEAH come on !! this is a Magnificent Monster Movie, one that’s loud, explosive and pretty awesome fun – so go on take a leap, immerse yourself & ENJOY…. ★★★★

The Beguiled adapted by film maker Sofia Coppola from Thomas Cullinan’s novel of the same name – the story unfolds in a girls’ school in the state of Virginia in 1864. As the Civil War rages, The Miss Martha Farnsworth Seminary for Young Ladies has been sheltered from the outside world— until the day a wounded Union soldier is discovered nearby and taken in

WOW that trailer gives me the goosebumps – and now you can see why I named this movie in My Top 10 to get psyched over in 2017 – with such a mouth watering cast including Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst and Angourie Rice, a film-maker and writer in Sofia Coppola that excites and seduces with each sumptuous picture she directs, I’m confident that THE BEGUILED this summer will be another slice of cinema magic that I can not wait for….

I am in complete and utter denial and refuse to listen to those who say that RESIDENT EVIL: The Final Chapter is Milla Jovovich’s final outing as Alice – I mean come on! the greatest female action star hanging up her guns? I simply can’t and won’t believe a word of it – In preparation for this the latest in the Resident Evil franchise I decided to watch the previous five installments over two days and I’m so pleased I did – not only was my weekend full of zombie mayhem, complete world meltdown & some of the most kick ass action in any film franchise it was also a timely reminder of how much I adore these movies, they’re all completely bonkers, non-stop escapism and re-watching the series was a great lead-in to finally seeing Number Six….

Film Maker Paul W S Anderson is one of them small budget visionaries that I admire greatly, yes he’s a made a few duds such as Pompeii and The Three Musketeers but with cult classics Mortal Kombat, the Kurt Russell driven Soldier, the scary as shit Even Horizon, the absolute crazy Alien Vs Predator and that’s before we even mention the Resident Evil movies you can see why he’s such a fan favorite – so minutes after finishing Retribution I was booking my seats for The Final Chapter and was pumped, I know we don’t all have the luxury but re-watching the other 5 made the experience 10 times better, you were in sync with the characters throughout this ravaged world you were about to revisit, the world of Umbrella, Red Queen, Dr Isaacs and that deadly T-virus were already embedded in your mind….

I watched the movie in 2D on the big screen as to be honest I’m never too happy with a movie being converted and 3D didn’t add greatly to the experience of watching Retribution so I thought what the hell – the cinema was only a quarter full when the intro blasted onto the screen, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and a huge grin engulfed my face, Alice was back and shit was about to get real – without saying too much about this latest dose of craziness from Paul W S Anderson some of the action scenes are mind blowing, some of my favorites include the horde of zombies racing after the armored vehicles with prisoners attached to chains running behind them, the chase scene involving the mutated guard dogs and that dragon-esque monster tangling with Alice in the early part of the movie are all pretty awesome – my thoughts overall are simple : if your a fan of the series then you will know what’s coming, you will be entertained and make no bones about it you will have an absolute f@cking blast BUT if on the other hand your a boring old fart, loathe video-game spinoff’s, can’t get up for movie make–believe or your just one of these movie goers who are uncomfortable with huge amounts of violence and destruction then please don’t bother watching (spoiler: this movie is not for you)…. ★★★★

Star Wars (Mondo Series) WOW !

Posted by absolutebadasses on February 6, 2017

Posted in: Views. Tagged: Carrie Fisher, film art, film nerd, films, like, love, mike mitchell, mondo, mondo screen prints, movie geek, movies, posters, scifi, star wars, star wars characters, star wars film addict, star wars film fan. Leave a comment

here’s two new screen prints from Mike Mitchell’s Star Wars Series – I hope you agree “Princess Leia” and “Wicket” are simply stunning – both so damn beautiful….

“First there was an opportunity……then there was a betrayal – 20 Years later Mark Renton returns to Edinburgh to find a lot of change but also somethings that never change….”

From his gritty, raw beginnings with the uncompromising Shallow Grave to the exciting drug fueled Trainspotting, the quirky colorful A Life Less Ordinary, the post-apocalyptic horror 28 Days Later to his much acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire and Steve Jobs film maker Danny Boyle has been excelling & exciting movie goers for over 20yrs….

But for me, and some may disagree his early films are still his best work, small low budget, well acted, well written black humored slices of magic….

What an incredible, nostalgic, hilarious and momentous sequel TRAINSPOTTING 2 is – from it’s punchy soundtrack, quick snappy dialogue to the brilliance of Carlyle and it’s crack-a-jack visuals this is Danny Boyle direction at his best – yes it’s taken 20yrs to see this bunch of talent back on the big screen but can you just imagine just for one moment if this movie never happened? and the much publicized spat between McGregor & Boyle was never reconciled HOLY SHIT we would have missed out on so so much – like laughing in hysterics whilst watching Renton & Franco in the toilet cubical next to each other their faces a peach as the penny drops, or being stuffed up with emotion when Spud played by the amazing Ewan Bremner tried to kill himself and then being stunned with a mix of hilarity when he threw up in the bag that was suffocating him or watching once best friends Renton & Sickboy kick the crap out of each other in the pub and then you find yourself smiling like you were interacting with a puppy whilst watching them reconnect watching Georgie Best these moments make you feel alive as a film fan, pure cinematic indulgence….

TRAINSPOTTING 2 is everything I wished for and more, truly one helluva movie sequel that’s not only nostalgic but is equally as fun as it’s predecessor – from Danny Boyle’s vision, McGregor & Lee Miller’s chemistry to Ewen Bremner‘s sublimity and Carlyle‘s crazy this was a great night a the cinema and guys please don’t leave it another 20yrs to complete the trilogy ★★★★½

If you take D’J Caruso’s latest movie with a pinch of salt (remember when 80s action was cool?) then I guarantee two things you will have shit loads of fun & you will leave the cinema with a nice big smile…

This is the third movie in the spy franchise xXx: Return of Xander Cage “After returning from a self-imposed exile, Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) must recover an evil known only as Pandora’s Box before the bad guys uses this weapon for mass destruction “ – Alongside action star Vin Diesel the films mind blowingly awesome cast also includes Donnie Yen, Nina Dobrev, Toni Collette, Ruby Rose, Deppika Padukone and Samuel L Jackson….

You know what I really dug about this movie?…. the insane amount of action, high octane totally bonkers fight scenes and the films ability not to take itself too serious – it’s all about entertainment and from that stance it most certainly succeeds – I mean come on how on earth can you not enjoy watching Xander Cage ski down a hillside weaving through trees and shit followed by some incredible skate boarding whilst shooting bad guys? that incredible moment when Xander faces off against Donnie Yen’s Xiang in a “holy shit that just happened” wave tunnel? the many hand to hand combat scenes mostly too epic to discuss? the return of an old friend in a great warehouse shootout and so many more delicious, breathless, relentless moments that fulfill the movies ultimate quest in giving it’s audience such an unbelievable cinematic buzz….

OK so listen up – xXx: Return of Xander Cage is not going to sweep the Oscars anytime soon, it’s not even gonna reinvent the genre, and it’s script won’t be compared to Schindler’s List or the like so if that’s what your expecting when buying a ticket at the box office then please be warned this slice of action pie is not for you – going to see this movie is like attending a party you will be expected to have fun right, enjoy oneself and remember regardless of what Bond style shit goes down this is only a movie – along with it’s crazy action madness watching Vampire Diaries’s Nina Dobrev playing a ditzy “Q” type character with a sense of humor and that damn fine Aussie Ruby Rose hanging from a tree shooting bad guys didn’t half raise the pulse, two ladies having so much fun & both so bloody good in their respective roles….

xXx: Return of Xander Cage is movie escapism at it’s finest, a COOL as f@ck action movie that made me smile from the opening 5 minutes to it’s end credits – D’J Caruso should sign up for a fourth movie so let’s make it happen and the sooner the better…. ★★★★

Behind the Scenes

Posted by absolutebadasses on January 26, 2017

Posted in: Views. Tagged: behind the scenes, david fincher, essential jodie foster, essential kristen stewart, film fan, jodie foster, kristen stewart, movie blog, movie stills, panic room. Leave a comment

Written by David Koepp (Spider-man, Jurassic Park, Toy Soldiers and Inferno) – Here’s two fabulous Behind the Scene Shots of Kristen Stewart, Jodie Foster and film-maker David Fincher at work on 2002’s incredible PANIC ROOM

Jodie Foster replaced Nicole Kidman in the movie who had to leave due to a knee injury – Panic Room became Jodie Foster’s longest shoot on a movie set of 120 days

Recent Watch: Split (2017)

Posted by absolutebadasses on January 24, 2017

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Anya Taylor-Joy, James McAvoy, M. Night Shyamalan. Leave a comment

From the master of the psychological insane M. Night Shyamalan comes SPLIT a creepy thriller that involves kidnapping, multiple personalities (23 of them – yep you heard me right) and a bunch of whacked out scenes that only Shyamalan can provide – SPLIT stars the terrific James McAvoy & that delicious little Witch the phenomenal Anya Taylor-Joy….

Along with being an extremely tense, edge of the seat ride M. Night Shyamalan’s SPLIT is also lots of fun – the psychotic personalities are delivered with seamless precision by McAvoy and throughout the movies seriousness nature & utter madness you can’t help but smile at some of the Scot’s transformations – one of my favorite scenes in the movie (and there are many) involves Taylor-Joy’s character Casey trying to befriend Hedwig one of the personalities in an attempt to escape, Hedwig even takes Casey to her room where there is a window – it’s pure brilliance by both actors, both igniting this movie with their energy and passion & Shyamalan’s scary ass narrative is not too shabby either – the least I say about that rumored 24th personality the “The Beast” and the typical wacky Shyamalan finale the better, just enjoy the surprises they certainly keep coming….

Although it may fall slightly short of the brilliance of Shyamalan’s previous triumphs in The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs – SPLIT is a wonderfully bonkers slice of film-making that I thoroughly enjoyed getting down with – from the terrifying, mesmeric McAvoy to the damaged yet vulnerable Taylor-Joy, from it’s claustrophobic & overall feel to it’s sharp, surprisingly witty narrative this is one popcorn munching, heart thumping movie experience that’s worthy of your time and most certainly it’s price of admission….★★★★½

Recent Watch: Live By Night (2017)

Posted by absolutebadasses on January 20, 2017

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Ben Affleck, boston, brenden gleason, Chris Cooper, chris messina, cinema, cinematographer, elle fanning, film blog, gangsters, live by night, live by night review, movie night, movie stills, movie time, movies, outlaws, Robert Richardson, stills. Leave a comment

Since his directorial debut with 2007’s Gone Baby Gone actor/director Ben Affleck has gone from strength to strength, behind the camera he’s quite the visionary demonstrating flare and confidence in the style of pictures he brings to the screen, usually gritty no nonsense affairs packed with actors who can act and stories that connect….

Affleck’s latest sees him re team with author Dennis Lehane who not only wrote Affleck’s first Gone Baby Gone but also Eastwood’s Mystic River and Scorsese’s Shutter Island….

During the prohibition era in the 1920s a couple of Boston Gangsters travel down to Florida and attempt to take down the competition….

OK so here’s what I think – LIVE BY NIGHT may not be as polished as Argo or as intriguing as The Town but it’s certainly a more exciting, good looking character driven movie than both – it’s story is riveting, sprawling at times, it’s cast is nearly as beautiful as Robert Richardson’s stunning cinematography and it’s action scene’s especially the car chase scenes and the hotel’s shoot out toward the film’s finale is pretty slick and makes for exciting viewing on the big screen – Elle Fanning gives yet another star turn, Chris Cooper is the dogs bollocks and Chris Messina turns in a career best as Dion Bartolo partner and friend to Affleck’s Joe Coughlin….

LIVE BY NIGHT is another example of why one should never listen to those so called movie critics or how a film performs at the box office – get your ass to the cinema and see for yourself – Ben Affleck once again has crafted another fine slice of cinema, truly wonderful stuff….★★★★½

Recent Watch: Moonlight (2017)

Posted by absolutebadasses on January 18, 2017

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, barry jenkins, cinema, crack dealer, drug scene, film, film nerd, Janelle Monae, love films, Mahershala Ali, miami, moonlight 2016, moonlight movie, moonlight review, movie blog, Trevante Rhodes. Leave a comment

Having seen some great movies towards the end of 2016 and the early part of 2017 I was expecting something so much more from Barry Jenkins much acclaimed MOONLIGHT a film that spans the early life of Chiron an African American living and growing up in Miami….

I must first say I did actually enjoy MOONLIGHT some of the movies visuals and photography was a delight, especially the school fight scene, the beach and restaurant shots were impressive, I even thought some of the performances are worth a mention specifically the three actors who played the same character growing up through the years, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes all three were top notch as was the delightful Janelle Monae and Naomi Harris but in fairness as a movie MOONLIGHT did nothing too excite, it’s certainly a good movie but not a great one is “it’s play it safe narrative” is nothing we haven’t seen before, the topic of sexuality was not conclusive, I felt here was a kid growing up damaged by his drug and drink addicted mum who just wanted to be loved by whom ever (whether that be Juan played by Mahershala Ali a local drug dealer or Kevin played by André Holland) so yes it was a little bit about self discovery, and maybe confusion but that was all I felt it was – I felt the way Jenkins handled the transition of Chiron growing up was not great, too many questions were left unanswered which was a shame – what did happen to Juan? and how did his mum suddenly appear in a drug treatment facility these were small things but big in the context of the story….

Sadly there is no sugar coating here, although I enjoyed MOONLIGHT the movie has been used by the Academy and others as a political tool for Award Season, the lack of black representation at last years OSCARS was highlighted so this year MOONLIGHT and other movies of similar ilk have been way OVER praised and given more credit than necessary – Barry Jenkins MOONLIGHT is a decent picture but nothing more…. ★★★½

The film follows an aspiring actress Mia played by the charming Emma Stone who falls in love with Sebastian an out of work Jazz Musician played by the accomplished Ryan Gosling – the film is set in LA and pays homage to the movies & music of a bygone age….

Damien Chazelle’s romantic musical LA LA LAND is everything I hoped for and so much more….

as I sat in the cinema mouth agape watching the words “Presented in CinemaScope” and the camera expertly panning over the cars of a packed LA freeway I quickly realized that I was in for a magical ride down the cinematic highway – a voice through a car’s open window started singing, her voice raw with emotion and suddenly without thinking I found myself tapping my feet to it’s catchy beat, chills started dancing across my spine, my face lit up at the explosion of color and what happened next was pretty special….

throughout it’s 2hrs I felt like I was transported back to Old Hollywood reminiscing of them musical stars of yesteryear, images flooding my mind of Fred, Ginger, Rooney & Garland all singing, dancing before me as I sat transfixed, seduced by LA LA LAND’s heart melting musical numbers, the films colorful sets and dreamy, infectious pairing of two of Hollywood’s brightest young stars in Gosling & Stone….

I have so many favorite scenes in the movie – the song & dance number at the Griffith Observatory, the lovely moment with Gosling’s Sebastian singing the beautiful “City of Stars” on the pier and that amusing moment at the party where Stone’s Mia asks a band to play the 80s track “I Ran” by one hit wonder band A Flock of Seagulls and then dances manically whilst lip syncing the lyrics – the performances by it’s cast and music by Justin Hurwitz is complete PERFECTION….

if 2014’s Whiplash that starred Miles Teller & J.K Simmons stunned you with it’s brilliance then Damien Chazelle’s LA LA LAND will overwhelm you, make you smile from ear to ear and allow you to dream that little bit longer – From it’s magical, entertaining & insanely eye popping opening number to it’s bitter sweet, emotionally draining finale LA LA LAND is cinema at it’s most potent, electrifying best…. ★★★★½

No.10 : Transformers: The Last Knight
Directed: by Michael Bay and Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Isabela Moner
Why the Excitement?: If you can’t get jumped up for a big screen action movie directed by one of cinema’s finest visual directors then all is lost – Michael Bay is the master of entertaining and regardless of it’s acting and narrative his movies have always given me that slice of escapism and shit loads of fun and this fifth in the franchise looks the most explosive of the bunch !!

No.9 : Baby Driver
Directed: by Edgar Wright and Stars: Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jamie Foxx
Why the Excitement?: Well if you’ve seen Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim then you can understand why this bad boy makes my Top 10 Baby Driver looks all sorts of fun, expect the Edgar Wright Stamp that will include a delirious soundtrack with a side dose of side splitting action scenes and a fair amount of talented actors making appearances throughout

No.8 : The Dark Tower
Directed: by Nikolaj Arcel and Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba
Why the Excitement?: Having read the books by Stephen King I’m intrigued to see how this adapts to the big screen – the movie will be more of a new take on the series that follows frontiersman Roland Deschain (Idris Elba) on a quest to reach The Dark Tower – licking my lips with excitement !!

No.7 : Alien: Covenant
Directed: by Ridley Scott and Stars: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride
Why the Excitement?: I was not a fan of Prometheus but believe, I have too right? that the Ridley Scott of Alien and Blade Runner fame will turn this franchise on it’s head and return to former glories – the trailer looks incredibly creepy and with the cast including Fassbender and Waterston I have high hopes

No.6 : Star Wars: Episode VIII
Directed: by Rian Johnson and Stars: Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega
Why the Excitement?: Are you kidding right now? Star Wars? I love these movies and this latest directed by Rian Looper Johnson will be much different to Abrams in tone and style and maybe just maybe we will get to see more of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker involved too?

No.5 : Okja
Directed: by Joon-Ho Bong and Stars: Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lilly Collins
Why the Excitement?: I’m a huge fan of this South Korean Filmmaker and his unique, exciting style of bold movie making – 2006’s The Host, 2009’s Mother and 2013’s Snow Piercer all blew me away – the cast is exceptional and it’s story by Bong and Jon Ronson (Frank) looks delightfully quirky and wildly entertaining !!

No.4 : The Beguiled
Directed: by Sofia Coppola and Stars: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst
Why the Excitement?: Loved the 1971 Clint Eastwood version and boy what an impressive cast !! Pretty big fan of Coppola The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette are three impressive, well written & beautifully shot movies so I think The Beguiled will continue this trend – might even read the novel A Painted Devil by Thomas P. Cullinan in preperation

No.3 : Hostiles
Directed: by Scott Cooper and Stars: Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Ben Foster
Why the Excitement?: Reuniting Cooper and Bale after their epic Out of the Furnace this promises to be all sorts of dark, violent shit – love it’s premise reminds me slightly of Peckinpah’s Major Dundee and I do enjoy a good western

No.2 : Wonder Woman
Directed: by Patty Jenkins and Stars: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen
Why the Excitement?: Big comic film geek, love Wonder Woman as a character and Gal Gadot is sensational in pretty much everything she appears in – and Wonder Woman’s film trailer was easily the Best of 2016 – excited HELL YEAH !!

No.1 : Blade Runner 2049
Directed: by Denis Villeneuve and Stars: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto
Why the Excitement?: two reasons: the first it’s original movie the 1982 Ridley Scott master piece sits comfortably in My Top 10 of all time so being able to revisit these characters and world excites the holy hell out of me and second it’s director Denis Villeneuve is easily the most exciting filmmaker since Tarantino, with films such as Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario and Arrival who could argue?

Recent Watch – Hidden Figures (2017)

Posted by absolutebadasses on January 11, 2017

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: cinema, Dorothy Vaughan, film, film review, Glen Powell, hidden figures, Janelle Monae, john glen, Katherine G Johnson, kevin costner, like, love, Mary Jackson, movie, NASA, Octavia Spencer, Pharrell Williams, Taraji P Henson. Leave a comment

ok…. so if you’ve not heard of Theodore Melfi the writer, director behind HIDDEN FIGURES that’s possibly because he’s not done a great deal (in the directing department that is) – apart from some early shorts, a couple of producing credits & in 2014 directing a certain Bill Murray in the wonderful St Vincent Melfi is pretty much an unknown quantity – Hidden Figures is his second feature behind the camera and stars Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner & Glen Powell….

To my absolute shame I did not know anything about the brilliant minds of these courageous, smart NASA ladies Katherine G Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson so firstly a big thank you Theodore Melfi for enlightening me – secondly Taraji, Octavia, Janelle take a bow, you are all goddesses in this movie, your performances not only honors these heroic women but you also stole a tear and made this guys heart melt in telling their story and finally a thank you to Pharrell Williams for that majestic little song “Running” that is not only a superb tune but also fits the scene in the movie perfectly….

WHAT AN INSPIRING MOVIE !! without sounding condescending HIDDEN FIGURES is a true story on how three African-American ladies competed with the prejudice of the times to achieve almost the impossible, not only helping to get astronaut John Glen into Space but also in achieving their own personal goals at NASA in the early 60s – this is one hell of a movie that deserves to be watched by the masses…. ★★★★½