movie

The 5th Wave – Badass Verdict

Posted by absolutebadasses on April 3, 2016

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Chloë Grace Moretz, cinema, films, hollywood, images, Jonathan Blakeson, like, love, maika monroe, Maria Bello, movie, movie reviews, movie stills, movies, poster, rick Yancey, scifi, the 5th wave, the fith wave review, young adult novels. Leave a comment

After being thrilled by Jonathan Blakeson’s excellent “The Disappearance of Alice Creed” I was intrigued to see how he dealt with an alien invasion movie with a slightly bigger budget and a cast of young upcoming Hollywood – sadly The 5th Wave was not what I hoped for, it lacked the grittiness, the devil of similar movies in its genre, the movie lacked energy and I felt considering it’s storyline was nowhere near dark enough – at times it felt like I was watching a really tame TV movie – the undoubted talents of Chloë Grace Moretz and Maika Monroe were wasted, with the latter being very underused having little screen time of which is a real shame as she steals every scene she’s part of – Overall as movies go The 5th Wave is a pretty average affair, it’s predictable, add’s nothing new to the apocalyptic world style of movie and most of all the reveal of the actual threat to earth is such a big let down – the film is watchable but only just ★★★

So finally the wait is over and I have returned from an exciting, exhausting double bill of Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol & the latest Spy Adventure in the series Rogue Nation

“Ethan and the IMF team light the fuse once more and take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating a rogue organisation known simply as The Syndicate”

Mission Impossible Rogue Nation is SEXY, INTELLIGENT & ELECTRIFYING Tom Cruise shows why at the age of 53 he’s still one of the greatest action stars of his generation, he not only looks the part of super spy Ethan Hunt, but he’s an actor who appears fearless, completing death defying stunts, making the whole experience more believable and enjoyable – in the movie he’s well supported by newcomer Rebecca Ferguson who totally owns her role, killing it in the frantic & exhilarating fight scenes, and giving her character Ilsa Faust a dynamic of mystery, flair and beauty, Ilsa’s fantastic opening scene not only illustrates her intentions in the movie but also sets the tone of what’s to come – Simon Pegg returns as annalist Benji and is on top form cracking some great one liners & taking on a more action orientated role in which he handles deliciously well – as a big fan it would be rude of me not to mention the bloody brilliant Sean Harris who nails the villainous Lane, according to director McQuarrie Harris wasn’t too keen on a role in the movie but I am so glad he changed his mind as he’s not only a superb actor but gives Rogue Nation one hell of a formidable foe for Hunt & the team to deal with.

Christopher McQuarrie who co-wrote & directed Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation deserves a lot of the credit, his script & direction is smart, exciting & barrels of fun & in my humble opinion it’s one of this years best experiences at the movies – other members of McQuarrie’s team on the movie should be applauded none more so than master cinematographer and Oscar Winner Robert Elswit who’s work on Rogue Nation is pretty impressive, he’s great vision, the films action scenes are insane, beautifully shot especially the car & bike chases, Hunt hanging from the plane and of course the underwater (don’t run out of oxygen) scene that had me biting my nails, labored breathing like I was actually in the tank with Cruise

Overall: Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation is exciting, pulse raising, rip roaring cinematic fun that had me screaming for the next chapter whilst leaving the cinema, Cruise is far from this washed up star some idiot critics declared a few years back and has produced his best work yet on this franchise – you will be hard pushed to find a better summer blockbuster ENJOY ★★★★½

The Last Survivors (2015) – Movie Review

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 30, 2015

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Adam Wingard, Barbara Crampton, bluray, cinema, dvd, film fan, films, Haley Lu Richardson, horror, horror movies, Leo Lee, love films, Michael Massee, movie, movies, post apocalyptic movies, scifi, The Last Survivors movie, the well movie, Thomas S Hammock, vlod. Leave a comment

I adore Post Apocalyptic movies, that sense of emptiness, them barren wastelands and characters that are usually infected, desperate or in some way void of humanity, these type of movies usually make for great movie escapism and Thomas S Hammock’s directorial debut THE LAST SURVIVORS aka: “The Well” is certainly one of the best of its type in recent years !

First & Foremost is the emergence of the film’s star 20yr old Haley Lu Richardson – some talent right there !! She’s not only convincing in her given role but she is kick ass in the action scenes especially the movies bad-ass finale and the atmospheric interior shots where she attempts to hide & escape the big bad and his masked cronies – Haley Lu is a name for the now let alone the future, she revels in the role of Kendal a teenager fighting to save what’s left of her farm from the villainous & greedy water baron, she’s an actress who has tremendous screen presence, exciting to watch and one I hope continues to take risks with her film roles, not settling for the mundane romantic comedies – Secondly Is the great support cast & small cameos throughout the film including veteran beauty Barbara Crampton playing Grace, a cameo from filmmaker Adam Wingard as a soldier, the brilliant Michael Massee as the stranger & Leo Lee playing Judas all credit to Hammock for reaching out to this talent and getting them all on board – And finally no Apocalyptic movie would be complete without a location to suit the film’s storyline and some Stella cinematography to back it all up and this scifi gem comes up trumps on both counts !

Overall: Absolutely loved The Last Survivors – shot on a small budget this gritty horror from a debut director is a joy to watch – yes the storyline has a few holes, but the movie is never dull, it’s tense at times and it’s action sequences brisk and effective – if you enjoy this style of movie then you will struggle to find one better ★★★★

Kristen Stewart the Toast of France !!

Posted by absolutebadasses on February 21, 2015

Posted in: Stills. Tagged: actors, actress, adventureland, blog, celluloid, cesar 2015, cesar awards, Chloë Grace Moretz, cinema, Clouds of Sils Maria, film, filmmaker, french movies, french oscars, instafilms, Juliette Binoche, kristen stewart, Kstew, love films, movie, movie website, movies, Olivier Assayas, twilight. Leave a comment

CONGRATS to Kristen Stewart who has become the first US actress to win a Cesar award (the French equivalent of the Oscars) for her brilliant role in Clouds of Sils Maria – the film was directed by Olivier Assayas and also starred Juliette Binoche and Chloë Grace Moretz

Finally our first look at BIG GAME the latest feature from that wonderful Finnish filmmaker Jalmari Helander (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale) – Big Game has a great cast that includes: Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Stevenson, Jim Broadbent, Felicity Huffman, Ted Levine, Jorma Tommila and of course the wonderful Onni Tommila – after watching this teaser (four times) I am so excited… Enjoy

“The fate of the most powerful man in the world lies in the hands of a 13-year-old boy. Plunged into a deadly game of cat and mouse, Oskari and the president must team up to survive the most extraordinary night of their lives”

Rare Exports : A Christmas Tale (2010) – Movie Review ★★★★

“This Christmas Everyone Will Believe In Santa Clause”

Director: Jalmari Helander Cast: Onni Tommila, Jorma Tommila, Tommi Korpela, Rauno Juvonen, Jens Sivertsen & Risto Salmi Synopsis: In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, lies Christmas’s biggest secret – a sacred grave where the occupant is awaiting excavation – It’s Christmas Eve in the wintery depth’s of Finland, and an ‘archeological’ dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But this no ordinary white bearded, present baring Santa this is one nasty piece of work – and after the local children in their town begin mysteriously disappearing, a reindeer hunter’s son Pietari and his father Rauno set out to capture Santa, free the children and sell his ass to the evil, misguided boss of the corporation sponsoring the dig. But Santa has some helpers and his elves, will stop at nothing to free their master – Verdict: Based on the 2003 short, Rare Exports Inc., by Jalmari & Juuso Helander – Rare Exports : A Christmas Tale is one of them movies that until now has escaped my film watching radar, this is not a traditional festive movie so whilst eating your mince pies & your craving that slice of sentimentality, that warm feeling that the likes of It’s A Wonderful Life or White Christmas give you then stay well clear of Rare Exports – Jalmari Helander‘s movie is a well wrapped creepy Finnish Horror that succeeds in it’s cool & unique concept and delivers in it’s finale a festive message that’s of equal to the Christmas Classics of yesteryear – I must stress although the main star of the film is Onni Tommila who is absolutely brilliant like a throwback to them child star of the classic 80s movies Rare Exports is not really a movie for children as it contains a twisted, violent storyline that feature Slaughtered Reindeer and Naked Elves, it’s a much more evil, black humored take on our puffy faced, sleigh riding Saint Nick Overall: Rare Exports is one of the most delightful, enjoyable movies I’ve had the pleasure of watching over the holiday season for many a year, not since 74’s Black Christmas have I drooled over the screen, laughed and hid cowering behind my pillow – Rare Exports : A Christmas Tale is one film I shall no doubt add to my every growing list of Annual Festive viewings – it’s a truly brilliant, original and surprisingly fun movie !!

Still Alice (2014) – Movie Review ★★★★

Director: Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland – Cast: Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth & Hunter Parrish – Synopsis: Julianne Moore plays Alice a happily married women living in New York, she has three children and is a well thought of linguistics professor at a local college – one day she starts to forget words, and then gets lost on her daily run – Alice seeks help from a doctor which leads to a devastating diagnosis – Verdict: Glatzer and Westmoreland’s Still Alice is an exceptional analysis of a women’s struggle with a rare illness, it’s an important film that opens your eyes & gives you a glimpse of what the many sufferers of Alzheimer’s go through, yes it’s a subject matter that’s tough to watch but Julianne Moore’s portrayal of Alice who’s suffering the early stages of a rare form of the illness is heartbreaking, unsettling & at times disturbing – as an actress she’s effortless in bringing real emotion to the role – as Alice slowly begins to unravel, you feel her pain, your distraught at her predicament and as her appearance slowly becomes disheveled & her memory deteriorates you kind of feel like one of her loved ones, helpless statue like & frozen in the moment watching and hoping things will improve or at the very least stabilize – one of the most painful scenes in the movie is when Alice is recording a video message for herself to re-watch when her illness finally grabs hold & gets too much & her ability to make simple decisions are made more difficult – Moore captures Alice’s pain, her anguish, and her obvious confusion – Its a remarkable, gutsy display and one of Julianne Moore’s finest to date – although Still Alice’s focal point is Moore’s character the movie also has an excellent turn from Twilight’s Kristen Stewart playing Alice’s daughter Lydia, I couldn’t imagine anyone more suited for this role than Stewart and she excels – Kate Bosworth, Alec Baldwin and Hunter Parrish also add great balance to the film playing members of Alice’s family – Overall: although I felt Still Alice could have done with an extra 30mins run time, the movie is excellent, from it’s droning, depressing score that adds to the films tragic nature, the realism captured by Denis Lenoir cinematography and the deeply moving performance from Julianne Moore – Still Alice is a picture of high intensity that pulls at the heart strings, it’s also a movie that I hope will highlight the illness Alzheimer’s and the struggles that people who has the illness go through….

OMG !! if this film trailer doesn’t whet your appetite for George Miller’s post-apocalyptic action film MAD MAX FURY ROAD then I don’t know what will – If like me you loved the original trilogy that starred Mel Gibson as Max then May 2015 can’t come quick enough, Miller’s back in the directors chair and he’s brought along a fabulous, mouth drooling cast that includes Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult and Hugh Keays-Byrne – hope you enjoy the trailer….

“An apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and almost everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order. There’s Max, a man of action and a man of few words, who seeks peace of mind following the loss of his wife and child in the aftermath of the chaos. And Furiosa, a woman of action and a woman who believes her path to survival may be achieved if she can make it across the desert back to her childhood homeland”

Mike Nichols (1931-2014)

Posted by absolutebadasses on November 21, 2014

Posted in: Views. Tagged: classic movies, dustin hoffman, film, filmmaker, golden globe, hollywood, like, love, meryl streep, mike nichols, movie, oscar, Robin Williams, the graduate, wolf. Leave a comment

One of cinemas finest filmmakers MIKE NICHOLS has died aged 83 – alongside his acclaimed stage career Mike Nichols work behind the movie camera include pictures such as The Graduate, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Fortune, Carnal Knowledge, Silkwood, Heartburn, Wolf & Closer – he directed 17 different actors in Oscar-nominated roles and is one of 7 directors to win the Golden Globe, Director’s Guild, BAFTA, and Oscar for the same movie “The Graduate”

Camp X-Ray (2014) – Movie Trailer

Posted by absolutebadasses on August 8, 2014

Posted in: Trailers. Tagged: camp x-ray, films, Guantanamo Bay, indie, indie film, J.J. Soria, jihadists, John Carroll Lynch, kristen stewart, Lane Garrison, like, love, love films, movie, movie stills, movies, Payman Maadi, Peter Sattler, trailer, twilight. Leave a comment

Here’s the latest trailer for CAMP X-RAY – Camp X-Ray was a detention center at Guantanamo Bay before closing in 2002 – The movie is Peter Sattler’s debut behind the camera & looks pretty special – the story follows Amy Cole (Stewart) a young soldier who’s assigned to Guantanamo as a guard, whilst their she has to deal with hostile jihadists, macho & aggressive squadmates and an inmate who she befriends and connects with forming an unlikely bond that changes them both – the film also stars Payman Maadi, Lane Garrison, J.J. Soria & John Carroll Lynch & hits our screens in October take a look at the trailer and Enjoy!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Movie Banners

Posted by absolutebadasses on August 5, 2014

Posted in: Stills. Tagged: coming soon, film, film still, like, love, Megan Fox, michael bay, movie, movie banners, movies, photo, remake, scifi, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, turtles in a half shell. Leave a comment

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) – Movie Review ★★★★

“Apes Together Strong !”

Director: Matt Reeves – Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, and Kodi Smit-McPhee – Synopsis: After a global disaster wipes out a huge chunk of the population a group of genetically evolving apes led by Caesar and a pocket of human survivors in San Francisco battle for supremacy and out & out survival – Verdict: Being a huge fan of the original franchise back in the 60’s and thoroughly enjoying Rupert Wyatt’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes back in 2011, I was excited to see if Matt Reeves (director of Cloverfield) could continue where Wyatt left off and produce something memorable and Reeves did not disappoint – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a well balanced action flick that’s not all about the incredible motion capture and mind blowing effects, it’s a film with an emotional spine, a storyline that’s dark and gripping and one that is powerfully played out by it’s great cast including Lord of the Ring’s Andy Serkis as Caesar, Zero Dark Thirty’s Jason Clarke as Malcolm and the veteran Gary Oldman who like a good wine gets better with age playing Dreyfus the leader of the human colony – but one of the standout characters in the film is Koba the bitter and terrifying Ape that resents the humans and goes against Caesar to start a war, his character is brutal but you can sympathize with his plight as he’s been tortured for years by the humans and his character has become entangled with rage and hate – Koba is played motion capture by Toby Kebbell – Matt Reeves handles all the action scenes with aplomb whilst giving several nods to the classic Ape movies of yesteryear in the process – two of my favorite scenes in the film has to be the tower raid by the apes on horseback with guns OMG and the fantastic, breathtaking and moving showdown between Caesar’s & Koba towards the movies climax – Overall: please revisit Rise of the Planet of the Apes and then treat yourself to it’s sequel Dawn of the Apes an exhilarating, cinematic triumph that’s every bit as good as the first and a fabulous addition to the Apes growing franchise….

Dawn of Justice

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 25, 2014

Posted in: Stills. Tagged: bat cave, bat suit, Batman, Batman vs Superman : Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck, cape crusader, comic, comicbook, dawn of justice, dc, dccomics, dcuniverse, gotham city, henry cavill, images, like, love, love films, movie, movie still, robin, scifi, superhero, Superman, zack snyder. Leave a comment

Here’s a close up of Ben Affleck as BATMAN in Zack Snyder’s Superman sequel Batman vs Superman : Dawn of Justice that also stars Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons & Holly Hunter