behind the scenes

Director : Camille Griffin – Cast Includes : Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Sope Dirisu, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch and Rufus Jones

SOMETIMES you have to get into the festive spirit and dip your toes into a movie treat sprinkled with dark humor, christmas decor, children & friends and then slowly watch as it all implodes with impending helplessness and agonising dispair : Camille Griffin’s SILENT NIGHT is a real gem, it’s not your normal Christmas affair more of an examination of us humans and how some would react to the crazy scenario that this group of family and friends finds themselves in… with swirls of Melancholia mixed with The Mist I really found it facinating and rather upsetting in what transpires in the country home of Nell and Simon played delightfully by Knightley and Goode, who both appear to be good parents trying to do what’s right… Silent Night has a magnificent cast all of which turn in good performances, such as Annabelle Wallis who always makes me smile with her boundless energy taking on the role of Sandra, mum to the rather eccentric Kitty, the fastly growing talent of Lily-Rose Depp who’s character Sophie has other things on her mind and the impressive JoJo Rabbit star Roman Griffin Davis who delivers yet another unnerving turn as Art the son of Nell and Simon who keeps questioning as the night goes on… I would certainly class Silent Night as a horror film as it tackles fear brilliantly, especially when you throw into the mix the children and as the film progresses you can’t help but get caught up in it’s nervous & frightening drive : I LOVED the chaotic last 10 minutes of the film, admiring how Simon stays calm as the twins want the same amount of coke and then that final shot was just WOW and how about that scene when Art runs away and comes across an abandoned car and I so enjoyed watching Sandra purr over James throughout… SILENT NIGHT is a movie executed with a passion and thought provoking precision by a director making her feature debut from a story she had written… it’s one that I just connected with right from the off and has now been added it to my rather long list of annual December rewatches ★★★★½

Director : George Gallo – Cast Includes : Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Zach Braff

The Comeback Trail : from George Gallo the writer of Wise Guys and Midnight Run comes a remake of the 1982 comedy of the same name about two movie producers who need some money to make their dream project and pay of a local mobster before he comes a calling… as remakes go THE COMEBACK TRAIL is a hoot, full of delightful nods to the movie world of yesteryear, terrific acting by it’s ageing cast with Braff & De Niro sharing some wonderful chemistry and scenes of pure hollywood gold including De Niro getting kicked by buttercup the horse, that whole scene with Emile Hirsch’s Moore trying to buy De Niro’s Paradise script is soooo damn good and of course Duke Montana egging Walter to cross further along the rope bridge that’s been sabotaged by Max is hilarious and amongst the films madcap highlights… The Comeback Trail may not be perfect but I had so much fun with it’s well worked story, funny scenarios and anytime I get to see three movie legends share the same movie screen then COUNT ME IN ★★★★

Director : Justin Lee – Cast Includes : Scout Taylor-Compton, Stuart Townsend, Thomas Jane

Apache Junction : I love a good old cowboy and Justin Lee’s movie is reminiscent of the westerns of yesteryear with less focus on nudity & violence and more on it’s solid plotline that’s also written by it’s director known for his work on Badland & Big Legend… it’s story that follows a female reporter Annabelle Angel played by Halloween’s Scout Taylor-Compton who’s sent to an outpost at Apache Junction to write a new piece for her paper but gets mixed up with a local outlaw played by Stuart Townsend, Tomas Jane’s propreitor come barman, the calvary led by Trace Adkins Captain Hensley and Oslo Pike a villanious gunslinger with a name to match who’s after notoriety… although the film’s pace is sluggish at times, the musical score is great, the characters throughout are interesting and I found myself enjoying it’s satisfying and entertaining shoot out at it’s finish : ENJOYED !! ★★★

Director : Antoine Fuqua – Cast Includes : Jake Gyllenhaal, Adrian Martinez

The Guilty : from Training Day director Antoine Fuqua comes a remake of the Danish thriller Den skyldige… the film follows a police detective played by Gyllenhaal who’s been demoted to a 911 operator whilst under investigation for possible misconduct… The Guilty is GRIPPING from start to finish, the acting from Jake Gyllenhaal is off the charts, he’s an excellent actor and in Joe he submerges himself into this emotional trainwreck of a guy and takes us along for this chaotic bumpy ride… it’s script by True Detective’s Nic Pizzolatto is smart, quick paced and packs a punch with it’s suspense and hard hitting final act and it’s nice seeing Adrian Martinez getting some screen time, such an underrated actor… The Guilty is top notch filmmaking and is just as much about what you can’t see as to what you can, the sounds of the sirens, the voices on the other end of the phone stir the atmosphere pot to boiling and like Steven Knight’s Locke and Schumacher’s Phone Booth both of which are recent examples of this claustrophobic meltdown The Guilty is compelling, nail biting and entirely brilliant to watch ★★★★½

One day on vacation with his wife Scott Carey gets exposed to a mysterious cloud of radiation and insecticide, six months later he starts to shrink, the doctors are helpless and Scott finds himself spiriling downwards into a world of unthinkable madness : Every year I submerge myself in the classic scifi of yester-year, and in my opinion they don’t come much bigger or better than the 1957 Universal Picture The Incredible Shrinking Man : the movie is a tremendous adaption of Richard Matheson’s 1956 novel The Shrinking Man and is brought to the screen by the master of 50s science fiction Jack Arnold who previously directed three gems of the era 1953’s It Came from Outer Space, 1954’s atmospheric Creature from the Black Lagoon & the scary 1955 gem that is Tarantula : although each of these are classics in their own right I just felt The Incredible Shrinking Man has this captivating aura surrounding it, a quite stunning movie with mind boggling & creative effects that are unbelievable, I can only imagine what it was like to sit in a movie theatre in 1957 watching Scott start to shrink into his new world of danger and uncertainty, it must have been watched with wide eyed terror : the acting in the movie is top notch too with Randy Stuart & April Kent catching the eye but it’s a terrific, athletic turn by Grant Williams that makes you believe, reminding me of a young Burt Lancaster with those scenes in the basement which were shot on Stage 12 of Universal Studios being quite unforgettable as Scott fights off floods, starvation and a deadly black widow spider : the end to the movie left me cold, it’s one of those scenes you want more from, your left saddened by what transpires but are ultimately in agreeance that it could not of ended any other way : rewatching some of the CLASSIC universal stock from the 50’s makes me wish I was from that time, an era full of ICONIC science fiction horror that opens up your imagination & consumes you with excitement and wonder : so if you’ve never delved into the past for your movie fix then what are you waiting for? start with Arnold’s The Incredible Shrinking Man and you can thank me later….. ★★★★★

Kelly Preston (1962-2020) RIP

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 13, 2020

Posted in: Views. Tagged: actor, actress, behind the scenes, films, films on set, for the love of the game, gorgeous, jerry maguire, john travolta, kelly preston, kelly preston RIP, like, love films, movie star, movies, photo, twins. Leave a comment

Devistating news the wonderful actress Kelly Preston has died aged 57 : Kelly was know for her work in the movies such as Twins, For the Love of the Game, Nothing to Loose, Spacecamp, Jerry Maguire, Jack Frost & so many more : she is the shining light in those movies and I will always remember her for that beautiful radiant smile x

Here’s 3 great Behind the Scene shots from 1968’s Once Upon a Time in the West – Directed by Sergio Leone and stars : Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards & Woody Strode : A mysterious stranger with a harmonica teams up with a notorious gunslinger to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad in the old west : The late great Ennio Morricone composed the musical score and it’s one his finest in my opinion.

Jonathan Demme (1944-2017)

Posted by absolutebadasses on April 26, 2017

Posted in: Views. Tagged: Anthony Hopkins, behind the scenes, bluray, cinema, dvd, filmmaker, films, jodie foster, Jonathan Demme, like, love films, Married to the Mob, movies, new york, Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the silence of the lambs, thrillers. Leave a comment

Sad news – the Oscar Winning director of one of my favorite movies The Silence of the Lambs Jonathan Demme has died aged 73 – Demme also directed several other superb movies including the epic Something Wild that stars Melanie Griffith & Ray Liotta, Rachel Getting Married, Married to the Mob and Philadelphia but it will always be the brilliant and chilling 1991 classic that the movie world will remember him for – those who worked with him called him one of the most enthusiastic and kind filmmakers in the business, he always had a story to tell and was devilishly smart in bringing that story to the screen, his films changed the course of an actors life, Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Tom Hanks and Mary Steenburgen all won Oscars and much acclaim for their roles in his movies and all became better actors because of it – through the medium of film Jonathan Demme has left behind a cinematic legacy, a treasure trove of funny, gripping, haunting movies that will continue to entertain and live on forever – he was a passionate filmmaker who loved his craft, so when your next watching one of his movies take a moment to smile and fondly remember this talented New Yorker and the joy he breathed into the cinematic world we all love so much…

“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti”
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

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

Top Right: 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and Sean Connery – Top Left: 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial with Steven Spielberg & Henry Thomas – Bottom Right: 1976’s Taxi Driver with Martin Scorsese, Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro – Bottom Left: filming 1939’s Gone with the Wind

Behind the Scenes – Blade Runner

Posted by absolutebadasses on September 27, 2016

Posted in: Views. Tagged: behind the scenes, blade runner, harrison ford, movies, ridley scott, roy batty, scifi. 1 Comment

here’s a great shot of Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) on Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner set

Behind the Scenes – Week 1

Posted by absolutebadasses on August 21, 2015

Posted in: Stills. Tagged: actors, actress, antman, badasses, behind the scenes, camera, Charlize Theron, cinema, director, film blog, filmmaker, films, halle berry, hollywood, Hugh Jackman, king kong, mad max, movie blog, movie set, movie website, movie world, movies, on set, planet of the movies, xmen. Leave a comment

Paul Rudd on the Set of 2015’s Superhero Movie ANT-MAN

Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry on the Movie set of 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand

Filmmaker Peter Jackson and Naomi Watts on the Movie set of 2005’s King Kong

Charlize Theron and George Miller on the Movie set of Mad Max: Fury Road

Suicide Squad (2016) – First Look !!

Posted by absolutebadasses on May 4, 2015

Posted in: Stills. Tagged: behind the scenes, camera, cinema, comic, comicbook universe, David Ayer, dc comic universe, deadly, deadshot, filming, films, harley quinn, Jared Leto, like, love, love comics, Margot Robbie, movies, new movies, on set, photos, scifi, scifi geek, sexy, Suicide Squad, task force x, the joker, the suicide squad, villain, will smith. Leave a comment

here’s our first exciting look at David Ayer’s SUICIDE SQUAD that stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Will Smith as Deadshot and Jared Leto as The Joker – The Suicide Squad who are also known as Task Force X is part of the DC Comics Universe – David Ayer’s movie based around this comic universe will hit the big screen next year – excited? HELL YEA

Money Monster (2015) – Behind The Scenes

Posted by absolutebadasses on April 12, 2015

Posted in: Views. Tagged: behind the scenes, caitriona balfe, celluloid, cinema, director, filmmaker, films, george clooney, hostage, into movies, jack o'connell, jodie foster, Julia Roberts, love films, money monster, money monster movie, movies, new movie, on movie set, on set, outlander. Leave a comment

A Badass Behind the Scenes Movie Still

Posted by absolutebadasses on January 27, 2015

Posted in: Stills. Tagged: behind the scenes, disaster movie, film blog, images, james cameron, kate, kate winselt, king of the world, leo, leonardo di caprio, like, love, love films, movie blog, movie image, movies, on set, oscar winning movie, titanic, titanic movie. Leave a comment

Badass Behind the Scenes – Iron Man

Posted by absolutebadasses on February 8, 2014

Posted in: Stills. Tagged: behind the scenes, comic, comic book, comic geek, film, film geek, Gwyneth Paltrow, iron man, Jeff Bridges, Jon Favreau, love movies, love scifi, marvel, marvel universe, movie still, Robert Downey Jr, science fiction, scifi, superhero, superhero movie. Leave a comment

Here’s four delicious Behind the Scenes photos of Jon Favreau’s 2008 superhero movie IRON MAN that stars Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow & Jeff Bridges – the movie is easily the best in the series so far and one of my favorite superhero movies of all time…. Enjoy!