love films

Capone (2020) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on May 13, 2020

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: al capone, capone 2020, capone movie, cinema, film collection, gangsters in the movies, hollywood, josh trank, josh trank capone, Linda Cardellini, love films, Matt Dillon, movie, movie love, tom hardy. Leave a comment

After serving time in prison a 47-year old Al Capone starts suffering from dementia and is haunted by his violent past – Blurring his past with the present comes a facinating character study into one of the most evil gangsters of all time – Josh Trank’s CAPONE is an absorbing watch, with flashes of violence & brilliance that shows once again the might of Tom Hardy and the formidable work of Linda Cardellini – along with the film’s injection of black humor such as Capone’s fishing meltdown alongside Matt Dillon and the brilliant Tommy Gun scene you also get to feel quite sad for this monster as you watch his final moments decend into lunacy, incontinence and utter mayhem – My only criticism is that CAPONE felt 30mins too short, Trank could have delved further into Capone’s fascinating backstory, more carnage and maybe let the viewer discover a little more about his wife and best friend Mae Coughlin (maybe a prequel Josh?) but that being said the film is outstanding, well written and almost Kubrick in style and I for one can’t wait to revisit Capone many more times ★★★★½

Kirk Douglas (1916-2020)

Posted by absolutebadasses on February 6, 2020

Posted in: Views. Tagged: bluray, collector, dvd, film geek, hollywood, im spartacus, kirk douglas, kirk douglas fan, love films, love movies, movies, spartacus, the vikings. Leave a comment

The Irishman (2019) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on November 30, 2019

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: al pacino, film, film fan, frank the irishman, gangster movie, Harvey Keitel, hitman, jimmy hoffa, Joe Pesci, like, love, love films, martin scorsese, mob, movie, movie geek, netflix, ray romano, Robert De Niro, stephen graham, the irishman, the irishman netflix, tony pro. Leave a comment

A mob hitman tells the story of his possible involvement with the hit on Jimmy Hoffa – THE IRISHMAN is Martin Scorsese’s 25th feature film and is now on Netflix (and showing at limited cinema’s throughout the country) – the movie starts in beautiful, typical Scorsese fashion, with the camera creeping effortlessly along some corridors and into a small room where Robert De Niro’s character Frank aka: The Irishman who looks old and life beaten starts to tell his story….. due to the quality of storytelling the film’s 209min run-time flies by, you get so engrossed by it all, I mean this is one of cinema’s greatest directors with a bunch of actors who are LEGENDS of the screen in a gangster movie no less what’s not to piss your movie loving pants over – THE IRISHMAN is a towering movie experience that shows more restraint, is more personal & certainly more tragic than Scorsese’s recent films – the de-aging of it’s cast is sublime and actually mind blowing if you’ve followed these actors since their early days, De Niro, Pacino and Pesci roll back the years giving outstanding performances with the likes of Stephen Graham & Ray Romano joining the big boys league in fine fashion, Graham’s character Tony Pro has some riveting and funny exchanges with Pacino’s Hoffa that are certainly amongst the film’s highlights – Overall The Irishman may not be Scorsese’s best work but a love letter to the genre & a tribute to Four Giants of the screen it most certainly is ★★★★½

Cosmos (2019) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on November 14, 2019

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Arjun Singh Panam, blog, Cosmos, Cosmos 2019, Elliander Pictures, Elliot Weaver, film website, filmmaking, films, Joshua Ford, love films, movie review, movies, story, Tom England, Zander Weaver, zero budget movie. Leave a comment

Three astronomers intercept what they believe to be a signal from a distant alien civilization, but the truth is even more incredible than any of them could have imagined – COSMOS is one of those rare breed of movies that I knew very little about, I had not even seen a trailer, poster or movie still for this movie so to say I was blown away was putting it mildly – the film is fascinating as the main bulk of Cosmos is set mainly inside a car and some creepy woods that surround the area, with this in mind the three actors (Tom England, Arjun Singh Panam & Joshua Ford) do an immense job in keeping you invested in the movies story line as the atmosphere slowly builds to a frenetic crescendo – the friendship between Roy & Harry and their backstory was well written and integral to their overall story arc and a few of my favorite bits in the movie included the Jaws like sing-along moment, Mike falling asleep and then waking up to find the car empty and those moments when the guys are out in the woods attempting to triangulate the signal (genuine edge of the bloody seat moment) – Elliot & Zander Weaver have crafted a tense and incredibly entertaining movie that captivates you from minute one – the film’s score is dramatic and quite sublime, the writing is top notch and it’s cast are pure quality – I can’t think of a better Indie Movie this year so if you get the chance watch COSMOS it’s brilliant ★★★★½

Some actors make other actors and the films they appear in look better than they actually are Robert Forster was one of those, an honest hard working pro that no matter how big a part he had in that particular movie he always stood out and made that scene memorable – many knew him for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown but this New Yorker has been around since the late 60’s appearing in hidden gems throughout his career such as: 1978’s Avalanche, 1980’s monster movie Alligator, William Lustig’s brilliant Vigilante, one of my favourites Walking the Edge, Renny Harlin’s Cleaner and so many more – his latest film had just aired on Netflix where he played Ed in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie he only had limited screen time in the film but what he did with it mattered and that basically sums up the screen career of Robert Forster…… may you rest in peace !!

Aquaman (2018) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on December 13, 2018

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: 3D, Amber Heard, aquaman, aquaman movie, atlantis, australia, beautiful, black manta, comicbook, comics, fan of the movies, film blog, film night, hollywood, imax, imax movie, insane, james wan, Jason Momoa, love films, mera, movie thoughts, nicole kidman, ocean master, orm, Patrick Wilson, queen of atlantis, underwater, yahya abdul. Leave a comment

Having raved these last few years to anyone and everyone over James Wan and his ability to scare one half to death with his sublime horror movies The Conjuring, Insidious and Saw it’s actually quite satisfying to see him take on a huge comicbook adapation and completely and utterly destroy it – So I’ve just come out of AQUAMAN on Imax 3D and the first thing I have to say is what an incredible ride the movie is, it’s 143mins of mouth watering, adrenaline fueled action that’s looks totally insane on the big screen – If you take splashes of Pirates of the Caribbean, little drops of Phantom Menace and a tidle wave of Raiders of the Lost Ark then you get a comicbook adaption unlike anything you will have ever seen. I really dug the casting too from Amber Heard’s kickass warrior Mera who has an absolute ball alongside Jason Momoa’s hero, Nicole Kidman is great in everything and her role as the Queen of Atlantis was sublime, Patrick Wilson reuniting once more with Wan for a villanous turn as Orm the half-brother of Aquaman and I really enjoyed watching Yahya Abdul get his teeth into the role of Black Manta and boy doesn’t he do a great job. It never ceases to amaze me what they can produce in movies these days and James Wan’s Aquaman has so many WOW HOLY SHIT how on EARTH did they do THAT moments so do yourself a favour and grab a ticket as this movie REQUIRES some serious BIG SCREEN viewing….. ★★★★½

Overlord (2018) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on November 15, 2018

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: cinema, d-day, film blog, film night, film poster, fun, germans, Iain De Caestecker, insane, insane action movie, Jovan Adepo, Julius Avery, love films, Mathilde Ollivier, movie blog, overlord movie, overlord review, Pilou Asbaek, war, Wyatt Russell. Leave a comment

OVERLORD : Julius Avery
Wyatt Russell, Jovan Adepo & Mathilde Ollivier

“A small group of soldiers find horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day” Let me start by thanking Julius Avery and his team for a cinematic treat – the films starts with one hell of a bang, an exciting claustrophobic movie moment with the soldiers on-board a war plane flying into hell fire, bullets flying everywhere, explosions and the views of what’s below giving your a heart a jolt to get you really ready for what’s to come – the first thing I need to mention about Overlord is it’s LOUD I mean Rob Zombie Front Row LOUD and that’s make you feel even more part of the movie, it’s pace relentless the scene in the attic involving Chase played by Iain De Caestecker is quite terrifying and crazy to boot and Chloe’s flame throwing scene is not only one of the film’s best scene’s but it’s cool as f@ck, the effects are jaw-dropping especially those involving Wafner played by the villainous Pilou Asbaek, and there’s one helluva viciously insane finale that will have your pulse racing and your finger nails gnawed to the bone – do yourself a favour and watch this one on the big screen it’s worth every dollar and it will be one of my favourite movies of 2018 for sure ★★★★½

SUMMER OF 84 : François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell
Tiera Skovbye, Rich Sommer, Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Gruter-Andrew

Didn’t know a great deal about Summer of 84 until I watched it and WOW now I wana watch it again and come on guys get a sequel rolling – Young kids riding bikes, walkie talkies, insane atmospheric soundtrack and nonstop 80’s nostalga dripping from each scene like a personal trip down memory- lane this movie has the lot and is so much fun to watch – I mean what can I say about the kids in the movie apart from HOLY SHIT you guys rock every SINGLE scene, Tiera Skovbye is a fabulous young actresses and as CUTE as a button playing the kids crush Nikki and what about Mad Men’s Rich Sommer isn’t he just perfect as the creepy neighbor – I really did enjoy this movie so much and as for those last 20 minutes… sheeeeet me what a brilliant dark turn it all takes, my finger nails took a battering and now I’m looking a little more closely at those around me – SUPERB MOVIE ★★★★

Hotel Artemis (2018) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 22, 2018

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: blog, cinema, criminal, Dave Bautista, Drew Pearce, film blog, film geek, film night, follow, hotel artemis, hotel artemis movie, hotel artemis review, jodie foster, like, love, love films, movie nerd, movie review, movie trailer, movie website, poster, sofia boutella, Sterling K Brown. Leave a comment

HOTEL ARTEMIS : Drew Pearce
Jodie Foster, Sterling K Brown, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista

Had an absolute blast watching Drew Pearce’s directorial debut Hotel Artemis – if I’m honest it’s a movie that went right under my radar but I’m so glad I caught up with it on the big screen – would you believe it’s been 5yrs since the legend Jodie Foster graced our screens with Elysium so watching this legend of our screens trade acting blows with Sterling K. Brown & Dave Bautista in this futuristic setting is worth more than double the ticket price – Pearce’s first attempt behind the camera follows writing work on Iron Man 3 and MI : Rogue Nation so he’s no beginner when it comes to classy, stylish story arcs with intriguing characters and some insane action thrown in – Hotel Artemis combines the lot, it has a great story at it’s core, a devilishly good ensemble, sublime cinematography and is executed better than most – don’t miss this one ★★★★

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)

“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

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

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?

I first came across the name Mario Van Peebles when he starred alongside Clint Eastwood in 1986’s Heartbreak Ridge and then watched his rather enjoyable directorial debut New Jack City about Drugs and Crime Lords in Harlem at the end of the 80’s that starred Wesley Snipes – since 1991 Van Peebles has built up an impressive CV behind the camera, directing many episodes of popular TV shows including 21 Jump Street, Damages & Lost, he has also directed numerous films and starred in many too – his latest film behind the camera is USS Indianapolis that stars Nicolas Cage and is the true, heartbreaking story about the US battle ship that was on a secret mission when sunk by the Japanese in World War II, the sinking of the ship was the least of the crews worries as they tried to overcome the cold, shark infested waters in an attempt to survive….

I’m no historian, I just enjoy movies and Mario Van Peebles latest about the USS Indianapolis hooked me from it’s onset – with cinematography by Pulp Fiction’s Andrzej Sekuła who does a grand job keeping things real especially those interior shots on-board the ship as it’s sinking and the battle the crew encounter on the rafts in the Philippine Sea is dramatic and well shot – the films cast including Cage, Sizemore, Tate and Lanter do a superb job, managing to capture those Men of Courage with their performances, Sizemore especially some small but terrific scenes in the movie

USS INDIANAPOLIS is not a polished Hollywood epic, it’s special effect could have been slightly better BUT overall it’s an excellent, heart driven picture that not only honors the memories of those fallen but makes you think about the perils of War and it’s consequences ★★★★

as a teenager growing up in the 80s I was in awe of this bad-ass Princess that lived through the medium of the movies, she was my first movie crush, a total and utter rebel who gave me hope that the evil scum of the empire would be toppled and the rebellion would win out the day – she was of course Princess Leia aka: Carrie Frances Fisher – born to the wonderful screen star Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher Carrie was like Hollywood royalty and with the help of George Lucas, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill she would soon become a movie idol cherished and loved by legions of movie fans that were not only struck by her immense beauty but also with her humor & intelligence – Carrie not only appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy and 2015’s The Force Awakens but she also wrote novels that included her 1987 autobiographical Postcards from the Edge that would later become a movie starring Meryl Streep and just before her death Carrie was promoting her latest autobiography The Princess Diarist – but to me Carrie will always be that fearless Princess that ignited the Star Wars trilogy and thankfully due to film we all can at any time take a trip to a galaxy far, far away and keep her memory alive, onscreen of course that is…….