My Love for Cast Away

***SPOILERS!***

I haven't seen this movie in a long time, so immediately hit the record button when I saw it was going to appear on BBC 1 the other night!
I find it so hard to believe that this movie was slammed by so many critics when I think it is arguably one of the best movies ever made ... probably in the top 500 (which, when you think about how many movies actually exist, is actually a pretty decent place for a movie to be).

For those who don't know the movie (and if you don't then I think you should watch it), it focuses around Chuck Noland (played by Tom Hanks), who is a FedEx executive who finds himself stranded on a Desert Island for four years (ish) after enduring a plane crash.

So basically, it's all about how he copes physically and emotionally with his isolation and new lifestyle (and I might add that the fact he doesn't die in the plane crash isn't a spoiler as it is about his life on the island...).

What I find very interesting about this movie is the fact that Hanks has very little dialogue throughout the movie, despite being the main character... I mean, there is some dialogue.. but not very much, and considering his conversations are mostly with himself and inanimate objects, I think it is fantastic that he somehow manages to keep an audience captivated and almost emotionally attached to Chuck Noland's character.

What I definitely see, (that most critics did not apparently...) is the change in Noland's character throughout his stay on the island. I think most people where looking to see him break down or go insane or whatever they think would usually happen if you found yourself alone on a desert island for four years.. but I really disagree! Here are my reasons:

• Firstly, we don't see every year that he is on the island. For all we know, and I'm assuming it probably happened nearer the beginning of his time there, he could have had so many breakdowns and emotional moments, as well as suicide attempts (which we do actually see that he considers).
• Okay, secondly, Just like every other human/animal/living organism he learns to adapt to his new environment over FOUR YEARS!
• Thirdly, if talking to and becoming emotionally attached to a ball that you have named "Wilson" is not what you would call "going insane" then I don't know what is.

One of my favourite things about this character is also his belief that he will deliver one of the FedEx packages (he leaves one unopened). I think he sees it as some sort of goal, and sees the opening of the package as admitting defeat. I also love that idea of him having a picture of his love interest/girlfriend (Helen Hunt) to look at.. but I don't think they meant to portray this in a cheesy "someday I will be reunited with my love" kind of way, but I think it is a way of keeping the character emotionally connected to the "real world", and to feeling something "real" to prevent him becoming less "human". (Sorry a lot of quotation marks going on today... )

Anyway, in case you haven't already got the picture, I love this movie. I think it is different and interesting and as always, Tom Hanks is brilliant. I definitely think that even if it is not in everyone else's top 500, it can be argued as one of the most underrated films in history...

.. In my opinion anyway ;)

10 Rubbish, Must-See Movies

Not in any particular order, here are 10 movies that, for various reasons, you should watch in your life time, even though, they are "rubbish"  in their own ways. (Though, might I add that you will probably still enjoy some of these though they are technically "bad" movies)

10. She's the Man.
Basically, A girl who wants to play football (or soccer if you prefer) can't because her school cut the girl's team... so she poses as her brother at his new boarding school while he goes to London to work on his music... (he has no idea she has done this).. and then basically it's all about how she wants to play football and then gets to hang around hot guys while pretending to be one.
This film is a typically Amanda Bynes comedy where a lot of stupid things happen and eventually she gets the guy. This shouldn't be a good movie...
But it is... and it is so so so so funny. I have seen this movie too many times, and yet every time I watch it, the jokes are just as hilarious as the previous times. Also, it's worth mentioning that Channing Tatum stars in it and is very hot. Very very hot. It is definitely a movie that will cheer you up and doesn't need much concentration... watch it with friends and a tub of Ben & Jerry's and you're good to go.

9. Carry On Movies
Anyone who knows the Carry On movies knows that they are very silly and immature... and absolutely hilarious.
Full of innuendo's and sleazy men lusting after girls with massive boobs... and full on British comedy.
Each Carry On film is set around a different time or theme (Carry On Henry- Tudor Times, Carry On Cruising - On a boat etc... ) but every single movie has a loose plot line... that usually involves Sid James' laughing... and Kenneth Williams trying to fight off Hattie Jacques.
If you haven't got time to see them all, then the ones i recommend are Carry On Doctor and Carry On Camping.

8.The Blue Lagoon
Starring a young Brooke Shields and some other guy, this film is the cringiest and weirdest movie I have ever seen in my life. Technically, it isn't a good movie really... but it is a must-see! just because it is painfully bad and so so so funny (for the wrong reasons).
It is effectively about a boy and a girl going through puberty on a desert island after they end up there when their boat crashes when they are younger. The whole film they are pretty much naked and just say cringey things.. a lot happens, but at the same time, nothing happens.
Definitely watch it all the way through, but remember... it will be shit all the way through.


7.Bring It On
A film about cheerleaders.
I'm pretty sure there are about 5 of them?
They are all about the same thing. They are completely rubbish and usually about occasionally bitchy girls who like cheerleading, but they are a "feel-good" type of movie and you should probably watch them before you die. The good team nearly always wins their competition.. and if they don't then they learn something valuable about friendship or love along the way. *sigh*




6. Pete's Dragon
A Disney movie about a kid with a dragon that is invisible to everyone else but him. They sing to each other and shit and the dragon is poorly animated (though it is kinda old).. but it's kind of a sweet movie. The kid has a bowel-cut which adds super-cuteness to the whole movie and then there are some weird adults but I'm not really sure how they are related to Pete as I never really paid attention enough when I watched it as a kid. All I do know is that there is a song at the beginning called "I love you too" which the kid and the dragon sing to each other and it will change your life. OK, I joke, the song is awful, but just like the movie, it's so bad it's good.


5. Monty Python
These movies aren't really bad at all, they are COMIC GENIUS!
... but they are very silly and strange with no real "plot" to them..

and they have to go on this list just so I can grab your attention.

If you cant handle too much weirdness then I wouldn't recommend The Meaning of Life.. perhaps start with the Life of Brian, which is incredibly funny and odd. All movies contain mostly the same cast.... Eric Idle, Michael Palin, John Cleese etc...  all are very very funny and very.. errrr... British?
Just watch them - you won't be sorry!



4. Grease 2
This has nothing on the first movie and it is absolutely awful but you have to watch it just because of the cheesy songs and because Michelle Pfeiffer is in it and probably regrets it.. so we can all laugh at her foolish decision ;)
The songs are poor, as is the story-line but I say you should watch it anyway.. because let's face it... we all want to know what happens in this one since in the last one the car randomly decided to fly at the end... anything could be possible for Grease 2, right?
Also, Frenchy is in it again so it just adds more awesome to a really really bad movie.





3. Twilight Films
First I need to say, I have nothing against the people that do like them, but I really HATE these movies (used to love the books when I was like.. 14?).
I blame Stephanie Meyer for part of this hate... but mostly I just have something about the way that Catherine Harwicke directs the first movie - in an incredibly awkward and weird design with a bad and cheesy script. Edward and Bella make me want to be physically sick... nonetheless you should probably see them all since they have become very very famous movies, though in my opinion are completely overrated....
If you can't bear all of them, then you only need to watch one, and if you are going to watch any of them then I suggest the third one as it is the most bearable..

2. Team America
I think this movie was purposely meant to be rubbish in order to be funny, which is why I have put it in this list ... but I actually think it is very clever.. in an odd way.
The whole film is done with puppets, in a Thunderbirds sort of way.... and in short, is about a group of people who are known as 'Team America' who are a kind of 'Super' team without the powers... I guess you could call them "agents" .. anyway, they basically save the world from terrorists and other bad people, but in doing so cause destruction to everything else. They then hire an actor to pose as a terrorist and he joins their team and then a bunch of stuff happens.
The movie is hilarious, but not for everyone... I would definitely say give it a try though! It is a MUST SEE MOVIE.

1. Beastly
This definitely goes in my list of top ten worst films ever... which I should probably make a separate list for...
Anyway, this is a relatively new movie starring Alex Pettyfer and that girl out of High School Musical (which is another movie that should have gone on this list..), Vanessa Hudgens. It's basically about a popular kid who turns ugly and then a nerdy girl from school comes to live with him and then nothing really happens.
This is a must-see movie because it is painfully bad. I mean, really cheesy (and not in the good cheese, guilty-pleasure kind of way...) and really really disjointed, poorly scripted and just laughable. Of all the movies on this list, this is the one that is on here for actually being an actually shit film....
just... awful.
Yeah, so you have to watch it because you wont be able to see how bad it is until you do :)



 ....Aaaaaaand that's it!
I probably have loads more but these are the 10 that I can think of right now :)

Review: Avengers Assemble

Star Rating: *****

That's right, 5 Stars from me!
I LOVED this movie. Everything about it.

The story line was kind of weak... you know, there's a bad guy... all the avengers are gathered together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and stop the bad guy called Loki, brother of Thor (played by Tom Hiddleston) who wants to cause destruction etc.

But I don't care about the weak storyline - It did not for a moment stop the movie from being entirely AWESOME!.

Okay so, the avengers include Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), The Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow/Natasha Raminoff (Scarlett Johansson).

This movie is full of action, clever one-liners and amazing graphics... and I definitely recommend it. I have already seen the other movies based around each of the avengers so every character was familiar to me, as well as their 'histories'. I definitely think everyone should watch the other films before seeing this movie.. not because you wont understand it, but because it's almost like seeing all your weird friends with super-abilities together (I know, I know.. very sad).

I definitely loved the use of comedy in the movie, as it wasn't OTT, but just enough to remind us that marvel isn't meant to be dark and all-serious. The script is fantastic, but not easy to follow. I think they definitely added the sci-fi lingo to make the storyline seem more confusing than it was, but even so, I did not care as I was kept entertained all the way through.

Mark Ruffalo filled a pair of extra large boots as the new alter-ego(ish) of THE HULK! and he really did an excellent job, in my ever-so-humble opinion. His voice and manner was just so so calm, which was an absolutely brilliant addition to the whole 'Bruce Banner turns into giant green monster' thing, as it kind of reminded you that they were two almost very different personalities, and that Banner was trying everything in his power not to get angry. LOVED IT!

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans resumed their roles as Iron Man and Captain America and did a brilliant job, introducing a kind of brotherly relationship - including all the bickering (which was hilarious)... And lets not forget Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson who starred as Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow and were also very brilliant and very very hot! (yes - Scarlett Johansson is hot.. even from my point of view!)

Okay, so it's only May and I can already say that this movie will be in my top 10 for this year. It's a definite must-see, especially for any marvel fans out there.. or just any massive nerds like me!
It's fast moving, comedic and extremely enjoyable

I only wish I had seen it in 3D...  ;)

Review: American Reunion

Star Rating: ***

I love the American Pie films, (specifically talking about 1, 2 and the wedding as we can pretty much ignore all of the others...) So I had high expectations for this movie and was completely aware that it was going to be ... well... an American Pie movie..

The fourth movie (and it is the fourth movie, don't argue) sees the 'team' reunite for their high-school reunion, and as per usual nothing goes smoothly.
I don't particularly want to tell you anything else about the story... because I don't want to give away the jokes or big plots, but I will say that if you did like the original movies and characters, then you will probably like this movie too.

If I'm honest, I wasn't disappointed, I laughed a lot and it was really nice seeing the cast back together and where all the characters were in their lives now.
It would be fair to say that we shouldn't expected too much from these movies, essentially they are all about sex, alcohol and embarrassment, but we still love them.

Jim's dad (Eugene Levy) is still probably my favourite character. Always awkward but trying to do good, we see him now a widower and ready to date again.... which leads to a number of funny situations at, you guessed it, Stifler's (Seann William Scott) party.

Of course we see our favourites, Oz (Chris Klein), Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), Heather (Mena Suvari), Vicky (Tara Reid), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Jim (Jason Biggs) and the one and only Stifler's Mom (Jennifer Coolidge).

To be honest, this movie was nothing new or spectacular, but I think that is what was nice about it - we never like too much change.

Just as much of a cringe and just as funny, this film is great for anyone who already loves these movies and wants to feel nostalgic for the evening. As a movie, it will never be great, but the characters and the bad jokes make up for it all.

Until we blog again,
x

Dealing With People

I have met a lot of people in my life so far.

The majority of them were lovely... perhaps they wound me up a little at points, but that happens with everyone as some point right?
Unfortunately there will always be the other people...
The people you want to scream at but know that nothing good will come of it.
The people that cause your hair to fall out.

First, I just want to say that nobody is perfect, and chances are, you are probably a difficult person to someone else in the world.
I could never assume that I am a person that waltzes through life without pissing anyone off, and I am completely aware that I am very opinionated amoungst many of my other flaws... which probably makes a lot of people dislike me, but unfortunately a lot of people don't think like this...

which brings me to...
Type 1 - The people in denial
I find these people one of the most difficult, because they completely assume that they have no flaws.. or very few atleast... And I don't mean appearance-wise, because obviously most people have something they dislike about themselves, but I mean that they are completely dillisional about what their true flaws actually are.
For instance you may often hear 'I'm too nice' or 'too generous' or 'I let people walk all over me'.
PLEASE.
That's not a flaw and you know it!
When it comes to their actual flaws (perhaps they are bossy or snobbish or just rude), they just cannot see the truth.
I think sometimes we can all be a 'Type 1', - I mean, it's not your fault if you can't see how you are behaving...but it is when this denial becomes constant that you almost want to scream 'YOU'RE A DICK!!!' into their faces :)
The only way I can suggest dealing with these people is to either leave it, and accept they are a twat and wont admit it... or you can sit them down and talk about the issue you have with them (if it is constructive and you think they are likely to change - which they probably wont as they have no flaws, right?)... If it was me then I would just leave it because they probably wont understand what you're on about and tell you that you're being a big bully (see Type 3).

Type 2- The Compulsive Liars
My pet hate. PLEASE JUST TELL THE TRUTH YOU FOOLS.
Not necessarily big lies.. maybe just little fibs? but still fucking annoying.
It can be anything from an exaggeration of their life to 'I swear I didn't take the last biscuit'.
But you know they did ;)
The frustration is that you know they are lying, but you have no way of proving it and you just sit there, listening to their lie and smiling.... saying nothing.
Within the Type 2 categrory is the people I call 'the ones that lie to get out of trouble'. By 'trouble' I do mean little things... like breaking an object, for instance, and then just trying to hide it until someone else breaks it so they can take the blame.. or if like me you live in a shared house and someone uses your washing tablets and when asked about it (just to find out where they have gone) lie about it (quite obviously).!!!!
(Sorry, a bit of personal venting right there.... )
Okay, so the best thing to do with these people is to just ask them for the truth. They will soon learn that telling the truth is easier than stringing along some lies. Either that, or just make a suttle implication that you know the truth about them and let them SUFFFFFFERRR ;)

Type 3- The people who like to victimise themselves
I have no time for these people. Everyone has days where they feel like everyone is ganging up on them, but people who believe they have done nothing wrong in an argument and that they are the innocent ones are just as dilluded as the 'Type 1' people.
There are two sides to every argument and usually both sides are to blame (unless... you know... one cheated with the other ones partner, for instance.. ).
I have no way of dealing with these people... don't try and talk to them about it... you'll probably just be really mean to them or something.

Type 4 - The spoilt brats and high-maintainence princesses
This is usually only for girls... but with an occassional guy here and there.
They value money. They have a boyfriend, probably. Their boyfriend buys them A LOT.
I'm not saying that being bought stuff is a bad thing... but when you being to realise that most of your conversations revolve around money... when you return the £80 bracelet your boyfriend bought you because you think it's ugly... that is when you should know.. YOU'RE FAR TOO SPOILT.
I may fall into Type 1-3 at some point... but I steer clear of Type 4. Always.
Type 4 people often try and make it look like they have no money or are struggling (so may fall into type 3) ... they may say things like 'my family is really struggling with money right now' while you're thinking .. perhaps you could sell one of your 3 houses?...
I don't think these people are particularly bad as they perhaps don't realise they have more money than the people in their company.. but sometimes you just think 'SHUT UP'.

Type 5 - the 'I don't care' People
You know the people.
The ones who just don't care about anything.
They really frustrate me, because I really do care, and I can never see things from their perspective.
What annoys me further is that they probably do care, they just don't want to seem like they do.
But it does make it difficult when people get offended or hurt... or they go out looking like complete dicks and say they don't care when you politely tell them they have a strange hair sticking out the top of their head.
At the end of the day, it's only going to make them look stupid.. and usually they will slyly slip to a mirror to fix their stray hair... but they people that offend others and society with their 'I don't care' attitude (I'm looking at you - rioters!!!) are the pricks we need to look out for.



Okay.... so there are 5 for you to look out for now ;)
Got any other ideas? message me on twitter or write in the comment beeeelow ;)
Love
xoxo