'Films to See' 3 Moulin Rouge! (2001) by Kim J. Osborne

As a girl, if there was a film that I had to recommend for a quiet night in with that significant other or to have the girls round to watch; making popcorn, passing the champagne bottle around too etc etc, it would definitely and undeniably have to be the film ‘Moulin Rouge!’

‘Moulin Rouge!’ (2001) is a wild and zany musical set in Paris during the time of the French revolution and I must say, it has to be one of my all-time favourite films.

The film tells the story of a fresh and innocent writer named Christian (Ewan McGregor). He has travelled from London to experience Paris and all that comes with it in hopes that it shall enflame his passion to write as it has so many others. While he is there he gets tangled with a failing stage company run by Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo) who persuades him to pitch a play to the devious, circus ringleader Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent), the manager of the famed night-club The Moulin Rouge. Along the way Christian falls in love with the young and gorgeous courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman) who, as we find out has been promised by Zidler to the perverse, high-class nobleman who we only know as ‘The Duke’ (Richard Roxburgh). The film tells the story of Christian and Satine’s ‘Forbidden Love’ as they produce the Moulin Rouge’s first ever stage play.

I’ll be honest, I J’adore this story. It’s first and foremost a musical-comedy-drama and deserves to be watched by everyone whether young or old. The story is told in such a way that it is easy to get totally sucked in and feel personally involved with the beautifully written characters. The writer has done an amazing job to keep the audience hooked throughout the film and, I think has portrayed the Moulin Rouge, the REAL nightclub in the perfect way, especially for the time that  it is set in.

On first impressions the film can simply be said to be an explosion of wild colour and music, look closer however and it is obvious to see that it is so much more than that. The striking scenes are complimented by a running theme similar to that of the 1996 Romeo+Juliet also a Baz Luhrmann film. He seems to be fond of the effect which draws an audience into the zone, bringing a unique buzz to the experience and leaving the viewer feeling wholly satisfied

Being a musical, before I watched it, I wasn’t exactly sure what to think about it. Reading about the story before, I wasn’t sure how the writer would put across the seriousness of the plot without taking the proper Michael out of it. With my doubts still intact I watched it.

The first thing to strike me was the use of old film grain at the beginning to introduce the film, this is complimented with the first song introducing the main character. If I can be honest it was a tiny bit cheesy but then made up for it when the camera zooms towards Christian sitting at his typewriter. The use of lighting in this scene is simply beautiful and really makes the audience feel the emotion that is going through Christians head as he talks about his loss (Spoilers!) I found I could really connect with him as he tells his story about coming to Paris.

I won’t talk that much about what happens as I really do not want to spoil it for the rest of you although I will say this; the ending is expected but also at the same time unexpected. You get so involved with the story that you will forget about the inevitable which makes the ending as hard-hitting as it can be.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I fully enjoyed this film. It will play with your emotions, drawing you up one moment and then dragging you down the next. I would recommend it to absolutely everyone who can appreciate the beauty of theatre combined with a love of cinematography and then sprinkled with a delightful amount of the 'Green Fairy'. The sheer effort that must have gone into this film is staggering and I hope those who haven’t seen it have the chance to watch it as soon as possible.

              With love,

                         Kim J. Osborne

                         www.twitter.com/KimJOsborne

'Films to Forget' 1: The Human Centipede (2009) by Matthew Battles

While there are some truly God-awful films out there, I think I'm safe to say that this film takes the top prize in my book as a film worthy to forget.

The feature length film (barely making it that far as it just barely crosses the 90minute line) 'stars' Dieter Laser - as the demented Dr Hieter I'll talk about him a little later, Ashley C. Williams and Ashlynn Yennie as *Insert horror movie cliché alert here* two hopelessly shallow, lost, blonde American tourists travelling through the German Backwoods *sigh*, and Akhihiro Kitamura another tourist but from Japan who doesn't speak a word of English and guess where the good Doctor decides to place him in his horrible scheme?

Oh, the film also 'stars' Andreas Leupold and Peter Blankenstein (real surname on imdb) as two of the most ridiculous movie detectives I've ever seen... Bernard Kostrau also puts in an appearance in the film as, and I'm quoting his imdb character here - Dirty Man in Car - a character who appears for little more than a minute, and makes obscene sexual comments to our two plastic female stars.

Barely five minutes into the film, our two female characters are lost in the German forest. They spend the next few minutes bickering, they're supposed to be best friends but have less Chemistry than a GSCE science project, before they come to the house of Dr Hieter - the only house around for miles.

If that's not bad enough the obviously creepy doctor invites them in and offers them drug spiked drinks...

The Gormless girls in the house of Heinous Hieter

After explaining his ingenious plan to his horrified three captives - I'd just like to take a second and say that this scene carries the best acting in the entire film - but lets face it - who wouldn't be repulsed as someone tells you that he is intending to cut your cheeks off and stitch you permanently to the arse of another human being? One of the female characters decides to make a run for it and gets caught in the pool by the doctor who then delivers the only line worth quoting in the film; "You are going to regret your little escape, in fact I'm thankful for it, because now I know definitely you are the middle piece!"

While the film is said to be 100% medically accurate, I would take this with a pinch of salt - the simple fact that a single doctor could not carry out this operation; three sedated people would need constant monitoring as the operation is carried out to make sure that none of them dies is bad enough, but to even pretend that a person could survive being attached to another person's arse is simply ridiculous - a little juvenile here but - a single fart would actually kill the person behind them!

So once you've gotten over the shock of these three people permanently stitched together you then remember that these characters are about as three-dimensional as a Pancake! They came out of nowhere, have no personality and don't seem to have any redeeming or sympathetic qualities, you simply don't care. In fact by the end of the film you simply wish they'd all shut up because you've spent the last 45 minutes (at least) listening to them moan!

Now onto the main character Dr Hieter. Hieter is actually based upon a real person; Doctor Eduard Wirths - A Nazi (surprise, surprise) surgeon who was obsessed with the thoughts of attaching organs and limbs onto the body of another (usually this was done with twins) to see if they could make a better soldier.. Hieter is - like the rest of the cast - two dimensional. He has no personality, no history, no motivation for his crimes and no redeeming features.

I have no idea how this film was even funded, though I will say this for the film - it does provide horror fans with a slightly horrible ending; after a daring escape attempt by 'The Human Centipede' the Japanese front piece randomly gives a monologue about how horrible a person he is and how he deserves to be in his agony before delving a piece of glass into his throat and dying. Dr Hieter then returns to his pool and kills the two police officers and somehow taking a bullet to the forehead in the process and dying. The two remaining members of the centipede then clasp hands as the back piece sobs her last breath and the 'middle piece' is then left to scream and moan and cry as the camera pans upwards.

However, despite all of the characters deaths in the film - it has been announced that the director of this trainwreck is releasing a sequel; 'The Human Centipede - Full Sequence' featuring a 25 person centipede. Cue my suicide.

By Matthew Battles 

http://stages-and-pages.blogspot.com/

'Films to See' 2: Juno (2007)

So I'm going to kick off our second of many films to own with the often overlooked, but beautifully made film about growing up too quickly. 

Juno is about an unusual teenage girl, Juno (Ellen Page) who finds herself pregnant by her best friend (Michael Cera) after their first and only time. Unlike most in her position, Juno makes the brave decision to have the child and give it up for adoption, after finding a seemingly perfect couple as the baby's new parents.

Enter Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) the seemingly perfect couple looking to adopt Juno's child.  One of my favourite things about this film, is how natural the relationships feel, it's like watching real friendships developing before your very eye's, and this is due, in no small part, to the high class acting throughout. Juno's friendship with Nostalgic Mark is not only an important plot-point, but more so, one of the most convincing relationships I've seen in a film.

Probably the best performance however, is Jennifer Garner's performance as Vanessa. Desperate after several failed pregnancy attempts, we watch Vanessa's change from an broody control freak, to a loving parent, sympathising with her every concern. One touching (pardon the pun?) scene in particular takes place between Vanessa and Juno in a shopping mall, where Vanessa touches (see what I did there...) Juno's baby bump. We sit in suspense, watching Vanessa nearly break down at the baby's lack of response to her, before finally feeling her elation as she feels her future child kick for the first time.

There are so many features of Juno that stand out it is difficult to concentrate on any one thing. For me, one of the best things was the soundtrack. Apart from sporting a wide variety of music, the film also features some quirky pieces from almost unknown Singer/Songwriter Kimya Dawson, which compliment the nature of the film perfectly with their Indy style, care-free outlook on life. The optimistic attitude towards the situation and indeed life is also reflected in the cartoon titles, with comic-book style animations giving us an insight into the quaint way Juno perceives the world around her.

SPOILER ALERT

Without a doubt, one of the most heartfelt moments in the entire film is when Paulie (Cera) arrives moments after the baby's birth. Juno's father (JK Simmons) approaches the boy, and simply places his hands on his shoulder, nods with a small, respectful smile, and leaves the room. Despite the lack of dialogue, this scene speaks thousands of words. It is so important in symbolising the idea of a boy growing up, and earning his place in the world, and the acceptance from a man who has every reason to dislike him.

Juno deserves it's place on our list, as it is, like so many others to come, a unique masterpiece. A beautiful combination of comedy, romance and drama, brought together to create a film everyone can, and should enjoy. It's no wonder there are three copies out house alone.

Will :-D

P.S: I'll be uploading the first of my 'Films everyone should forget about' list tomorrow evening (whoo very exciting) so I really hope you enjoy that. For those who are interested in film, Please Please Please tune in to 'Wake up with Tea and Toast' on Tequila Radio at 9am Monday morning.    Jenny Drewett and Megan Talbot host a brilliant morning show, giving you the latest news and movie reviews, with great discussions and options for listeners to get involved. Here is a link to the site: http://www.tequilaradio.co.uk You can listen live from 9am on Monday, I highly recommend it!

All Pictures Courtesy of Google

Hello All!

Hello everyone,

Just a quick post to say thank you very much to my new followers, and I hope you're enjoying my stuff so far. Please remember to comment on my reviews as feedback is incredibly important to me.

I'll be uploading two reviews this weekend, the second of the film's everyone should own, which will be Juno, and the first of the films everyone should forget about. I hope you enjoy them, and if anyone has an suggestions for more films to add to my extensive list, e-mail me at 'williamjohn08uk@gmail.com'.

Thanks guys and gals, speak soon,

Will :-D

'Films to See' 1: Back to the Future (1985)

Back to the Future is, lets face it, one of the best films ever made. It has suspense, intrigue, romance, and a bloody great story. So when I found out that one of my house mates hadn't seen it, I was more than a little shocked. After the flood of exasperated noises, I finally managed to give him a slap and tell him that we're watching the DVD! I got to thinking what that'd be like to see it for the first time again, how it would've been in a cinema in 1985. I logged on to my computer and I get an e-mail. 25th Anniversary re-release of Back to the Future...at the Cinema!!! Thank you Odeon.

Come Monday, we're sat in the cinema, with the film, one of the best films...ever...about to start, and my friend turns to me (in his unique, lucky position, imaging being able to see BTTF in a Cinema for the first time) and says "It's a bit empty, if this is so good, I'd have thought there'd be more people"! I nearly slapped him again, although he did have a point, aside from the two of us, there were only two others in the room. I shook is off when the music began. 

Back to the Future, for those poor, sheltered people who don't know, is about a teenager (Marty McFly - Michael J Fox) who accidentally travels back in time to 1955 in DeLorean made into a Time Machine by an eccentric Scientist, the Doc (Christopher Lloyd). In 1955, he meets his parents (Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson) and sets about a chain of events that could erase him from time completely. He has to set History straight, and get back to the future with the help of the younger, even more eccentric Doc from 1955. 

"Why is 'Back to the Future' such an important film?" Well, I'm glad you ask that, I'll tell you. A GOOD Time Travel film is hard to come by, mainly because it's tough to find a concept that works, and also because it is such a head trip for writers to work their way through paradoxes, like for instance: 

SPOILER ALERT 

With BTTF. Marty McFly travels back in time and accidentally stops his parents from falling in love, nearly erasing his whole existence...but, if he never existed, he wouldn't have been able to go back in time to stop himself from existing...but if he hadn't gone back, he'd still be around, to keep going back... but if...AHHH it's too much... 

Well, like I said, Paradoxes confuse a writer, but they make great films, and I'm pleased to say that my friend loved it. To quote him "I forgot that I was watching a 25-year-old film, it felt as new and exciting as modern films". One thing he continually noted, to my slight annoyance, is that he'd seen a lot of the 'clichés' before. He had to remind himself that this film came first, it made the cliché. 

That is the important thing about Back to the Future, and the reason that it kicks off our Epic Journey, because it is somewhat of an archetype. There were Time Travel Stories before BTTF, but it was this film which set the premise for all subsequent Time Travel stories, the unique storytelling, and comical moments, the heart warming relationships, and indeed the light-hearted yet tense danger posed to our hero make for an marvellously entertaining film, and subsequent series which everyone should own.


Will :-D


All Pictures Courtesy of Google

Time to hit the Play Button!

Hello everyone, welcome to Hit the Play Button. 

I'm Will, I'm a writer and actor with Phoenix Productionz, and a Student at the University of Greenwich.

Quite recently I moved in with some friends who share my interests in film and TV. We've sat late into the night, discussing the literal thousands of films we've collectively seen, and it got me thinking. 

I wanted to share these conversations with as many people as I could, and It struck me that the best way to do so would be to open a blog, and continually review the films that I believe every household...every person should own.

The list was supposed to be a list of 30 films...but that went out of the window fairly quickly. So now, each week, probably Friday's, I'll up load reviews (sometimes one, sometimes more) of the
crème de la crème that the film industry has to offer, why it deserves it's place on our list, what makes it something special.

Oh, and then there's the other list, the films we should all really...forget. I'll be talking about those as well, to warn the readers who haven't seen them, and to mock them with the unfortunate ones.

They'll be guest reviewers along the way, random snippets of film news, and updates on all the latest Phoenix Productionz news, so please check back every week, and I hope you really enjoy yourselves.

Will :-D

P.S: In next week's blog, to coincide with the Cinema Re-Release, I'll be beginning our awesome journey with 'Back to the Future'. Hope you enjoy.