HI!

I hope you had a fabulous week, how about a film to round it off? GREAT IDEA. 

Today's film is The Guest (2014). I'd heard good things about the film when it was doing the festival rounds and was very excited to see it. Unfortunately, as with all small films, it got a limited release and wasn't in my local cinema for longer than a week. Which was a nightmare. And that's where the internet comes in. YAY FOR THE INTERNET. 
 The film begins with the Peterson family who are struggling after the loss of their eldest son in Afghanistan. They are a family who are slowly falling apart, as individuals and as a unit. Enter David Collins (Dan Stevens) who claims to have been their son's close friend whilst in the army. He is handsome, warm, courteous, friendly and ever so slightly creepy. But in a good way? The family welcome him him wholeheartedly and he serves as a kind of plaster for the cracks that had been appearing in their home. Soon though, events begin to unfold and the eldest daughter, Anna (Maika Monroe), begins to question who David really is and what he's up to. And that's when it descends into bloody mayhem, both literally and figuratively speaking. AND IT'S ACE. 

It's not strictly an unusual plot. The 'stranger shows up, family welcomes them in, all hell breaks loose' plot line has been played out in numerous films, but there's something special about this one. I read somewhere that this is a film for film lover's, and you can definitely see an element of that in how the film is put together and directed. Everything about the film is carefully thought out; from the directing to the soundtrack, nothing is accidental, and there is a glorious element of the 80's thrillers and horrors in the music, set and sheen of the film. There is a definite element of John Carpenter lovin' going on! Directed by Adam Wingard, who also directed the ace You're Next, he skips neatly between thrills, action, horror and comedy. It's a difficult film to pin down in terms of genre, but it's certainly enjoyable trying to. This is a mysterious and atmospheric film that will draw you in until the end. And the end is when it gets batshit crazy. I know there are some people who haven't enjoyed the ending, simply because it is so off-kilter and ridiculous, but I actually really enjoyed it. For a film so difficult to pin down and so very tongue-in-cheek about it's origins (those wonderfully bad and amazing 80's films), it made sense to me that the end would come so out-of-nowhere. 
Special mention has to go to the cast and the soundtrack, not since Drive, have I enjoyed the use of music so much. It is bloody perfect. The cast is also perfect, particularly David and Anna. David is played with the perfect amount of mystery, menace and charm, for the longest time you'll be convinced that he is who he says and that it's a double whammy, just because he is so difficult to read. The whole thing is made even more unnerving when you remember that Dan Stevens used to be in Downtown Abbey. He's definitely changed! Anna, as the detective-type who needs to know the truth, is a strong, capable, clever woman, which is a bloody joy to see in a 'horror' film! Even though she fancies the shit out of him (and who wouldn't?!) she doesn't do the oh-so-frustrating thing of ignoring the fact that he's hella weird for the sake of a smooching session. She actually acts as a reasonable, logical human being, which is fab.
I honestly, don't have enough words to say how enjoyable this film is. It's funny, brutal, outrageous, creepy, intense, bloody and batshit crazy. You'll have no idea by the end who you want to win and possibly slightly confused at how attracted you are to a super weird stranger. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, you'll love this! 
Alright, I'll leave it there for tonight. If you have any thoughts, leave them down below, or hit me up on my social media at the side. If you've seen the film, let me know what you made of it! Did you enjoy the ending, or did it leave you baffled? I hope you're all well, I will chat to you on Monday!

Be nice and be kind,
Becca xo

Hi!

I have mentioned before I have a teeny tiny addiction to Netflix. Like, miniscule. Or, okay, a huge massive addiction. Worryingly so. Currently I am happily working my way through pretty much everything that doesn't make me want to throw up. And a few that do. So welcome to a new feature on the blog! (I have to make use of the many, many, many films that I have now seen.) I am going to pop a review up of some of the gems (ha!) that I've seen.

Today's 'gem' is LOL, and yes, that is the actual name. And I'll not lie, this film is bad. Like, really bad. What it should really be called is Why Miley Cyrus Should Stick To Twerking/Singing. And I'm not normally one to advocate anyone twerking, especially if it's Miley. 
The film is a remake of the French film of the same name and follows a teenage girl called Lola, whose nickname is 'Lol'. Which is just ridiculous because she has a face on her like a slapped arse THE ENTIRE FILM. Anyway, the film follows 'Lol' and her wild and wacky adventures as she tangles with boys and her mum. After apparently being MADLY in love with a boy, she is devastated when he tells her (in the most unintentionally hilarious scene I've seen in a while) that he has cheated. But not to worry! She's always had an uncomfortably close relationship to his bff who's also her bff so she just switches onto him instead. Which takes all of 5 minutes. Character development? Plot Development? Psshhh, who needs that when we have attractive teenagers talking about sex! While 'Lol' is dealing with these very important issues, her Mum is being 'hip' and 'cool' whilst also telling her daughter not to do everything that she herself is doing. This movie is baffling, hilarious and infuriating. And bad. Really, really bad. I might add it to my Hate-Watch list, the highest honour I can give to a terrible film. Miley will be so happy.

The main problem is obvious from the beginning of the film. Nobody can act. Literally everybody, with maybe the exception of the blonde bff whose name I can't remember (not a great sign), has forgotten how to act. Miley might have a great singing voice but her facial expressions are either 'This is as happy as I get' or 'Engage: Pout Mode'. Both of which get used excessively in this film. Miley isn't the only culprit though. Demi Moore, who's been doing the acting thing for a while, looks like she's completely forgotten how to move her face. 

No amount of Oscar-worthy acting could save the characters (or story) though. Everyone is very annoying and for a film trying to tell me that these lads were the bestest friends the world has ever seen, nobody seemed to really like each other. And Miley's 2nd bff just disappeared after about 2 minutes screentime. Everyone acts totally inexplicably and I'm not entirely sure why Miley was so in love with the first boyfriend, because he is a raging toolbag. And really, 'Lol' is far too annoying to be around for longer than 5 minutes. Basically, I hated pretty much everyone in this film. Especially 'Lol', who keeps the weirdest shit in her diary, which she hides under her bed wrapped up in her Mum's cardigan and then is confused when her Mum finds it. No teenager is that stupid. And I sincerely hope no teenager is sticking condom wrappers in their diary. Because that's really weird. 

This is a very confusing film to aim at teenagers. It is all about sex, drugs and boys--topics that are all increasingly relevant in a modern society, but pretty much the main message seems to be 'look! Miley's smoking weed and doing sex! Isn't she lovable and cool?! And Demi Moore has a joint too! We're so edgy'.  I'm not a prude by any stretch, but the film doesn't actually seem to have much of a social commentary other than...well, I don't actually know. One of the characters loses her virginity to another who is deemed 'uncool' therefore she is to be ashamed. But don't worry about it, she only did it as a practice run! And to gloss over this less than savoury note, she ends up going out with him and it is never mentioned again. If you're going to aim a film about sex at teenagers, at least give them something more to take away other than 'Douglas Booth is a babe' or 'Miley does drugs and has sex, she's my idol'. 

On the plus side, Miley does not once do that weird tongue thing she keeps doing. Plus 10 points for Miley!

Alright! I'll leave it there for tonight, I hope you enjoyed reading my rant about why Miley should staahhpppp it. If you want to keep up with any other ramblings, you can find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, links are all on the sidebar, I'd love to see you there! I hope you're all well and I will talk to you soon :).

Becca x

Hey!

I know, the title is eloquent and beautiful, please, try to hold back the tears at my elegance. It's a daily battle for me, so I feel your pain. 

So, yeah, writer's block sucks balls, that's about the entire basis of this bloggy blog post. SUCH INSPIRING. MUCH WISENESS. I think I may be delirious...

If you read my last post (which you can catch up on here, if you are that way inclined) you'll know I've had a pretty shitty time of it lately. And by shitty I do mean mind-blowingly awful. But I had every intention of just trying to get back into the swing of things, get back to finally writing again, back into trying to get somewhere. And every part of me was ready, except for the part that actually helps me come up with some sort of coherent anything. Basically, my brain has been listening to Russell Brand and is determined to stage a revolution against me and productivity. I've tried talking to it, but it just won't listen to reason, the little shit. 

Here's a list of the things I have done whilst trying to get over my Writer's Block/ things I have done whilst procrastinating like a motherflucker;

1) Watch everything on Netflix.
Whilst trying to do research for the Halloween piece I was going to write (hope you had a good one) I was steadily working my way through the good, the bad and the ugly on Netflix. It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it. You are welcome for my sacrifice. Only problem was, when it came to actually writing about the damn films I had no words. I typed the same thing over and over and it made no sense and then I just lost any words. I did continue to watch the films though, I am very dedicated. Maybe I'll do some reviews on the Netflix good, bad and ugly. Because I have seen a lot of ugly. 

2) No, seriously, I am watching everything on Netflix.
It is both a curse and a gift. And it is painfully addictive. And I should be watching it now.

3) Creep over attractive men on Suits.
Has anyone else watched this show?! It is AMAZING. And everyone dresses like a bloody model. And they all look like models. Holy crap. I just don't understand how everyone is that attractive. Shout out to Louis Litt (the only non-model type) for being my favourite character of life. My boyfriend is deeply in love with him. 

Look at them!

4) Rearrange all the furniture in the house.
I got a desk to inspire/ force me to do some damn writing and what it led to was me moving all the furniture I could and being unable to sit down until my study looked like Pinterest threw up on it. I have so many candles burning, I'm causing a small hole in the ozone layer, but it's all so Tumblr I could cry tears of happiness. 

So Tumblr. So Pinterest. So pretty. And you bet your ass I Instagrammed that shit!

5) Obsessively clean the flat.
I'm already a bit of nightmare on this front. I can't let a plate or rubbish sit for longer than 10 minutes without having to get up and put it away, whilst complaining loudly. I think such tidiness is admirable, according to the boy it is 'obsessive and annoying and can you please stop shouting at me?!'. Honestly. 

6) Watch 4,000,000 YouTube videos.
I am already borderline obsessed (totally not borderline, totally obsessed) with YouTube, but when I'm meant to be doing anything else it becomes like crack to me. I may not have written anything BUT I can do an excellent smokey eye makeup, I've seen a baby monkey ride a pig AND I've seen the trailers for all the films coming out in the foreseeable future. And also trailers for films that were released over the past 10 years. And the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer about 2,000,000 times. It is bloody beautiful!

7) Stare at the ceiling moodily whilst listening to meaningful songs on Spotify.
I disgust myself.

8) Dance like a total asshole around the flat before realising that I live on the bottom floor and people can see me.
Everyone's just jealous of my mad skillz and flawless Kanye rapping. 

9) Sleep. A LOT.
My bed just loves me and I love it and DON'T JUDGE ME.

10) Did I mention Netflix?
Netflix is life.

I've just accepted that I cannot force my brain to write sentences that don't make me cry tears of pain, so I've just given the little bastard time to work it's shit out. And I think it's working. For the first time in a while, I've been able to write something and finish it. I mean, it's just me rambling on about writer's block, but it's something! And if anything, the massive amounts of Netflix and the YouTube trailer watching have inspired me a bit. Largely I'm thinking, if half that shit can get made then I'm bound to strike it lucky at some point. Here's to positive thinking! So yeah, I did just ramble on about writer's block, but it was therapeutic, so thanks for listening/reading. 

I'll leave it there tonight and I WILL (I hope you heard how forcefully I typed that) talk to you soon! This will happen! In the meantime, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, links all over in the sidebar, I would love to see you there. And if you have any tips to help stop writer's block sucking so many balls, I would be eternally grateful. I hope you're all well, and I'll talk to you soon (yes I will!).

Byeeeeeeeee!

Becca x

Hi!

Currently I am watching Snowpiercer. Holy spaceballs, it is BRILLIANT, also brutal. Expect a review/discussion soon! 
Today's FOTD, is not technically from today. Today, I am stuck in a binge watch of EPIC proportions with Veronica Mars. I'm not sure if it's a fictional character I want to be my best friend, or Kristen Bell, but either way, I want one! Also, Logan Echolls yo, Logan. Echolls.

Alright! Today's film is How to Train Your Dragon 2, which is just fricking ace. 

Film of the Day! I WANT A DRAGON.

The film comes 5 years after the events of the first film. Hiccup and his dragon Toothless have ensured that their village live in peace with dragons and everything looks AWESOME. Hiccup's dad, Stoick, wants him to take over as Chief of the village, but Hiccup would rather fly around with Toothless and discover new land. On one of these adventures with Astrid, they discover a mysterious ice formation that has marooned a boat full of dragon trappers. Only a figure from Hiccup's past can help him defeat the danger of a ruthless dragon army.

Hi!

I am a weirdly obsessive person by nature (please don't run away from me) so when I start being interested in something I am REALLY SUPER DUPER INTERESTED!! It's creepy buuuut I will never stop. Creep 4eva. On this topic, (promise I didn't confess to being a creeper for no reason) when I was about 15, I discovered classic Hollywood. I discovered the glitz, the glamour, the class. More importantly, I discovered Marlon Brando, James Dean, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, the list could go on. I mentioned before in my post about Johnny Depp here that the mystery and magic of classic Hollywood is something that has always fascinated me. The notion of celebrities being mythical and untouchable is something that seemed so far removed from the celebrity-soaked culture of modern society. And I loved that, I loved wanting to know more but never quite getting to glimpse beneath the veil. That is, until the tell-all biographies were released after their deaths. 

Today's film, A Streetcar Named Desire, is one my my favourites and is one that sparked a total obsession with Marlon Brando. Even I'm a little embarrassed by how much I went all out in trying to watch all his films, find out everything about him. I was just the coolest 15 year old ever. 

Film of the Day! Marlon, so beautiful.

The film, based on the very famous Tennesse Williams play, follows the fading Southern Belle, Blanche DuBois. Blanche comes to stay with her sister Stella and husband Stanley, following the loss of the family plantation. She quickly riles up Stanley with her superior attitude and her news of the loss of the family fortune. Blanche clings to her beauty and possessions, as though it's all she has, and hopes to win a suitor to look after her. She carries an air of mystery and desperation. Everything is a dramatic tale; she is an innocent victim and the truth is something to be moulded to suit her. This attitude and half-truths soon wears thin with Stanley who seeks to discover the reality behind the story, and soon her tales come crumbling around her ears. 

Look at him. Look.

Hi!

So, continuing with my Johnny Depp theme that I seem to have going on, I watched Transcendence last night. Someone on Facebook reminded me of it and I immediately had to watch. I had wanted to see it in the cinema because Johnny, but have to say, kind of delighted I didn't spend the money. It is disappointing to the max. I have my sad face on.

So disappointing.

The film follows Will and Evelyn Caster (Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall), two mega-geniuses who want to save the world and shit. They are madly in love (apparently) and just want to help move the world forward. This forward thinking only leads to bad things though, and Will is shot by extremists called 'Revolutionary Independence from Technology' (catchy, I know) or R.I.F.T short. He's given a month to live and Evelyn becomes desperate to save him, or his consciousness in some way. With their friend Max (Paul Bettany) they work to create a code to upload Will to a computer, because why not? They succeed but Max is no longer sure that this memory is Will, or if it is something more sinister. Evelyn is convinced it is, but as Will needs more and more power and becomes more ambitious, is she wrong?

HI!

You know that moment when you see someone and just know that they are something special? Your eyes meet across the room, and bam. That's it, you're done. They're all you can think about, dream about, you talk about them endlessly (much to the concern of family and friends). It's such a great, overwhelming feeling. Aaannnnnd that is exactly how I felt about Johnny Depp. I mean, also my boyfriend, but largely Johnny. He was my first true (and unfortunately, unreciprocated) love. 

The beginning of a lifelong love.

The celebrity culture of the modern age, whilst was certainly a factor in the success of the movie business, wasn't as overwhelming then as it is today. The constant paparazzi pictures of the mythical celebrity out in their normal habitat, being informed every time someone goes to the shop, means that we as an audience are more aware than ever of who the actor is. I'm more than guilty of it myself, I love knowing what my favourite actors are doing, what film they're in the process of filming, but I'm preeeeetttyyy sure I don't need to know that they are popping out to buy more milk. And I do feel it's starting to ruin a little bit of the movie magic. It's getting increasingly hard to think of Brad Pitt as an 'actor' rather than 'A-List celebrity', just because I feel like I was personally involved in his break-up with Jennifer Aniston and his relationship with Angelina (I wish). 
Johnny was my original love, my one and only. That 'one and only' thing has now spread to James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence and an alarming amount of other actors. I obviously have difficulty with the notion of 'one'. The problem I'm having now though, is that Johnny has become more and more of a presence in the media. He's taking on bigger blockbusters (he's just signed on for ANOTHER Pirates of the Caribbean) and has had a very public split with Vanessa Paradis and now an engagement to Amber Heard. And herein lies my problem. The Johnny I knew (sorta) and loved actively avoided public events and courting relationships in the public eye, he enjoyed taking the obscure films with the weird characters that nobody else would risk. Now, he's become a bit of a parody of himself. Yeah, he still dresses up like a mad bastard for a film, but I'm so distracted by Johnny the 'A-List celebrity', it's getting damn hard to see Johnny the 'actor'. Also, his film choice has been less than stellar for the past few years. Like, really terrible. Still, so disappointed by The Tourist. 

SO BAD.

So, Johnny, if you're reading this (and you totally are) I've a few things to say; 
1) I love you,
2) Nobody needs that many scarves, 
3) Make better films,
4) Put a bit of soul into your performance, man!,
5) I really hope you're not having a mid-life crisis,
6) Seriously, better films,
7) NO MORE PIRATES!,
8) I still love you, for better and worse. 

Alright! I'll leave it for tonight and I'll chat to you all soon! Let me know, who's your ULTIMATE MOVIE CRUSH!? Drop me a comment down below, or hit me up on my social media! Hope you're all well.

Becca.

Hi!

Y'know when you have that moment when you realise you maaayyyy have taken on a little bit too much? I have that feeling. I have some essays to do and a film a day might (definitely) won't be possible. Sorry! I'm annoyed at myself, if that helps. I was doing so well! So, I'll carry on posting more regularly than I was, which admittedly, was not very often, but it won't be daily. Hopefully weekly or twice weekly! I still love you all dearly OBVIOUSLY and I hope to be back daily blogging asap :). I have big plans for this blog and it's going to be getting a makeover soon which I am VERY excited about. It's going to be beauuuuuutiful :).

Anywho, now I have my emotional confession out of the way, onto the film! Today I watched the cult classic The Crow, and I had forgotten just how good this film is!

Film of the Day!

The film follows the tragic story of Eric Draven (Brandon Lee, son of Bruce), a lovely chap who was brutally murdered after a gang broke into his home and tortured and raped his finance, Shelley. It really kicks off on a light note, as you can see. On the anniversary of their deaths, a mysterious crow raises him from the dead to seek his revenge. And he goes alllll out on the revenge front. Helped by Sergeant Albrecht (Ernie Hudson) and Sarah, a young girl who he and Shelley cared for, he seeks to find the vengeance that will grant him peace. It is bloody as frig. 

Hi!

I am currently stuck in a binge-watch of EPIC proportions with True Blood. It is painfully addictive, even though I'm pretty sure it's the most insane thing I've ever seen and I don't actually care about 1/2 of the characters. But still, Eric. Oh Eric.

Onto the film! In celebration of the 4th of July (Happy Celebration, y'all! I'm sorry for saying y'all. But still!) what better film to whip out than the bombastic, fantastically cheesy Independence Day. 

Film of the Day! 'Merica!

The film follows an alien attack on Earth, and in New York a techno genius called David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) who discovers a secret satellite transmission that contains what he believes is a countdown. Because, obviously. With the help of his estranged wife, he manages to warn the President (Bill Pullman) on the impending danger and an evacuation is enacted, but not before the aliens attack the cities and kill a shit-ton of people. They organise a special Marine squad to try attack the main ship, but they are all attacked and Steve Hiller (Will Smith) is the only survivor. He manages to lure away a single ship and they crash land in the desert. He's then rescued by Russell Casse (Randy Quaid), a man who has been mocked for believing aliens are real. And yes, he is feeling very smug right now. Together, they must figure out a way to save the fate of the entire world. Because even though everyone is in danger, only 'Murica can do a damn thing to stop it. INDEPENDENCE Y'ALL! (I know I said wouldn't say it again, I'm sorry).

Hi!

I was meant to have a super productive day today. I could not say 1 thing that I fully finished today. Mare. Except this! I'll finish this! Yasss. Today's film is the super-cute Enchanted because we all need a bit more Disney in our lives. 

Film of the Day!

The film is about the impossibly adorable Gisele (Amy Adams) who meets her one true love, the gorgeous Prince Edward (James Marsden). Everything seems to be going splendidly well, and after about 5 minutes together, they decide to get married. Yay! Except his step-mother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) can't bear the thought of losing her throne so schemes and plans to get rid of Gisele, with the help of her minion Nathaniel (Timothy Spall). She ends up in a cruel and terrible place called 'New York', where everyone is very mean. Gisele meets Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter, who take her in and give her a place to stay. Slowly, she thaws Robert's heart and cynicism to love, and he wins her over by being super hot. All the while Prince Edward searches for her and Narissa seeks to get rid of her, once and for all. Also, there's some big song and dance numbers, which is always a good thing.



I know, I've followed up one super sweet film with another one. Obviously I'm trying to cause a diabetic coma, apologies for that. But it is such an adorable film, and on the news that they are working on a sequel (YAY) I thought that it was only fitting to watch it. Again, this is an acquired taste, although I can't imagine anyone not loving this film, but that's just because I like it so much. I am an eternal Disney girl at heart. This is a film that aims to entertain. It doesn't care about cliches or any of that carry on, it just wants to put a smile on your face. And it does! Amy Adams as Gisele is just so perfect, she's sweet without being overwhelming and is so immediately loveable. The entire cast does such a great job of selling what is, essentially, a live-action Disney. Whilst the songs aren't of the classic Disney calibre that you'll sing along to for the rest of your life, they are still very well done and the production is impressive. Adams and Dempsey have fantastic chemistry, and do a great job of convincing that a Disney fairytale romance in 'reality' isn't inconceivable. That, and Dempsey is just a total dreamboat. I have a long-running obsession with Grey's Anatomy based largely on his face... 

Alright, I'll leave it there for tonight, I have many things to finish doing before I inevitably fall asleep on my laptop. I hope you enjoyed and found a new film to watch. If you've seen it and have any thoughts drop me a comment below, or hit me up on my social media. Hope you're all well!


Becca. 

P.S. Look at his face. Look!

You're welcome.

HI!

I'm watching one of the films I had recorded on my Sky box. It is proving to be a harsh lesson that perhaps I shouldn't record all the horror films, just because they are horror. It is a brutally bad, horrifically ugly film. I'm not expecting a happy film if I watch a horror, but a film that doesn't make me want to claw out my eyeballs would be nice. There aren't many films that I turn off, but I am seriously considering it. And I haven't even been paying attention for the past 30 minutes. If you're interested to see why I hate it so much, the film is called The Divide. What I'm most upset about is that it has totally ruined my crush in Milo Ventimiglia for life. Gutted. 

Onto a film I did not hate! I film that I, in fact, loved an awful lot! Today's film is the ADORABLE About Time, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy and my fave, Rachel McAdams. 

Film of the Day! Yay for Rachel McAdams!

The film follows the lovely Tim (Gleeson) as he tries to navigate life. Particularly his love life, because this is a Richard Curtis film and what kind of sham would it be if there wasn't love. Anywho, on his 21st birthday, Tim finds out from his father (Nighy) that all the males in their family can time travel backwards in their timeline. So, of course, Tim decides to use this gift to sort out his love life. He moves to London and meets the beautiful Mary (McAdams) and manages to win her over, largely thanks to his wonderful time-travelling ability to fix the stupid shit he says/does. With his gift, and the guidance of his father, Tim learns not to be discouraged by a bad day, but to appreciate all the little things that might pass him by. Basically, it's fecking adorable.

First things first. if you are not a fan of Richard Curtis films (Notting Hill, Love Actually etc) then you'll want to skip this one. Same goes for if you can't stand films that aim to be life-affirming and land in sickly sweet. Make no mistake, this is so sweet it could induce diabetes, but it is so well made that it's almost easy to overlook. It is beautifully shot, the characters are all kind and lovely and fabulously English, and there are some brilliantly funny and heartwarming moments to appreciate. Whilst the time-travelling element isn't especially well thought out, it is used well to advance the story. It's not a story about time-travel, it's a story that uses time-travel to make a point, if you get me. It's used to make a point, that too often we let a day fly by and focus on all the bad shit, instead of the little moments that make it better. We wait so long for the big, in-your-face moments of greatness, that we fail to see the little bits that all add up to something incredible. And, yeah, it's all very OTT in the film, and it's so sweet you can taste it, but who could begrudge a film with such a lovely message!? Have to say though, whilst that's all very lovely, my favourite part of the film are the relationships, particularly Tim and his Dad. It is just the loveliest relationship and the moments of real poignance are when they are together, just playing table tennis and talking. Gleeson and Nighy have such great chemistry together, you really feel the bond between them and it makes the events in the film all the more meaningful. 

Alright! I'll leave it there for tonight, I hope you enjoyed and I hope you give the film a watch :). If you've seen it, let me know what you think down below or hit me up on any of my social media. Hope you're all well! I'll talk to (at) you tomorrow :).

Becca.

HI!

D'you ever get so tired you feel like your eyeballs might pop/melt/fall out of your head? That is how I feel right now. The urge to nap is strong with this one. Yet I prevail! So brave, I know.
ONTO THE FILM! So, when I was about 15/16 I began to have an unnatural obsession with Joaquin Phoenix. I'm not entirely sure what sparked it, but I'm pretty sure it was Buffalo Soldiers (such a great film). Basically what it lead to, was me obsessively watching my way through his back catalogue, I am a very dedicated obsessive after all. Today's film comes from this search and is the brilliant To Die For.                               

Film of the Day!

The film, directed by Gus Van Sant, follows the ambitious (to a fault) aspiring newsreader Suzanne Stone who is played by Nicole Kidman and is bloody awesome in this film. In her desire to climb her way up the social ladder she marries Larry (Matt Dillion) believing that his family 'connections' (aka Mafia, yo!) and family business will help fund and bolster her attempt to become successful. Larry's genuine love for her leads to him suggesting that she put her career on hold so they can start a family together. Given that Suzanne has shown at this point that she is incapable of loving anyone but herself, this is an intolerable idea to her. So, obviously, she begins to plot a way to get rid of him. Her idea comes to a head when she meets Jimmy (Phoenix) and his friends when she is filming a news segment in the high school. Jimmy and his friends (played by Casey Affleck and Alison Folland) aren't exactly the brightest bulbs (probably due to excessive drug use) they are easily won over by the charismatic and seductive Suzanne. What happens is shown in this mockumentary style film that offers a dark look at ambition and the media.

I feel like I should emphasise just how great Nicole Kidman is in this. She is cold, beautiful, and manipulative to a terrifying point. Hell, if I hadn't seen that fact that she was a total sociopath earlier in the film, she totally coulda convinced me to do anything. She is utterly magnetic. The story itself is fascinating and is so brilliantly told. The mockumentary style is perfect for offering a look at the ruthless nature of media and how it can be manipulated in what is, or isn't shown. We see Suzanne's story as told by her, as told by the news and we see what actually happens. The variations in the version of events and the justifications of actions are what makes the film so satisfying. Here, beauty becomes something to use and exploit, it excuses people in the eyes of the media. This is a darkly funny film in how it views society and the desire to become famous for anything. It invites us to watch and judge these people and their quest to be 'somebody', whilst also reminding us that we actively participate in this quest in our own day-to-day life (think Kardashian). To cut what could turn into a very long discussion short; it's SO GOOD.

Alright! I'll leave the rambling there for tonight, I hope you enjoyed and found a new film to maybe watch. If you've seen it and have any thoughts, drop me a comment down below or on any of my social media. If you haven't seen it, you can still drop me a comment anywhere haha. And don't forget, I am open to any and all suggestions! I hope you're all well. Talk to (at) you tomorrow! :)

Becca.

P.S. As is now becoming an odd tradition, have a picture of an attractive man. Have to say, that social experiment thing Joaquin Phoenix did when he pretended to retire and become a rapper and grew a mental beard, makes it quite hard to fancy him anymore. I'll console myself with this lovely picture of when he was less weird. Or at least, when I wasn't aware he was weird. 

Dem eyes.

Hi!

Does anyone else have 3 hour naps, or is that just me? I was supposed to post this post about 4 hours ago. Whyyyyy am I so incapable of staying awake!? Also, I just started re-watching/catching up on True Blood, it really went properly batshit mental and kind of terrible! Productive use of my time as always.
Speaking of batshit mental and kind of terrible, today's film of the day is a gloriously bad treat. Like, so bad it's good. Well, not good, but it's certainly enjoyable! In the sense where it's massively fun to laugh at. Film of the Day is the awesomely bad Van Helsing!

Film of the Day! Hugh Jackman is so beautiful.

As I've mentioned before here, hate-watching films is one of my favourite past times. It's weird, I know. So when my boyf popped this bad boy on my automatic reaction was 'YAASSSS!'. Let's get into the film!
The film follows Van Helsing, a hunter of sorts, who fights the forces of evil. He is sent to protect/help the last of the Valerious family, who have vowed to kill Dracula and (for some reason) cannot enter Heaven until they have done so. Anywho, as bad luck would have it, there only remains one human member of the Valerious family, Anna, after a werewolf attack wounds the eldest brother. Dracula is trying to make some baby Dracula's (obviously) but after his betrayal and murder of Dr.Frankenstein and the loss of his Monster, he is unable get the spell/science right and they keep dying. Van Helsing and Anna must band together to keep Dracula from succeeding or finding Frankenstein's Monster, and find a way to destroy him. This is all further complicated by Van Helsing's amnesia and the fact that Dracula seems to know who he is and what he's done in the past. 

Guys, this is such a bad film. It is a fabulously camp old-school, B-movie and absolutely everything is over-the-top. Especially the acting, oh my days the acting is HILARIOUS. Dracula, played by Richard Roxburgh, is one of the most ridiculous villains I've seen in a film in a loooong time. It's amazing. Another issue is that the 'history' between Van Helsing and Dracula is baffling and there isn't even an attempt made to try and create a believable past. Or even a past at all. When there's a slight hint made that they may reveal the truth, they swerve past it with all the style and grace of a 10 car pile-up. Not to mention, the CGI is bloody awful, the storyline is shite,  and the 'chemistry' between Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale is not exactly sparkling (despite the fact they are both hideously attractive). And yet, for some reason, I love watching this film. I mean, it's almost offensively bad, but the acceptance and glorifying of the B-movie roots make it hard to dislike it. It just looks like they are having a blast, especially Dracula who is loving life. Also, it has the beautiful Hugh Jackman.

I'll leave it there tonight! I hope you enjoyed, if you've seen the film drop me a comment below or on any of my social media, I'd love to hear from you. It's definitely not a film everyone will like, but if you watch it in the OTT spirit intended, you may just find your new favourite film to Hate-Watch! Hope you're all well :). 

Becca.


P.S. Seriously though, look at him.

BABE.

Hi!

I have been very distracted by the World Cup and Wimbledon, it is not helping my film-watching abilities one bit. Today's film is one that was on T.V. between my sporting events. Apologies for the lacklustre efforts! In my defence though, I do distinctly remember this film being a big 'thing' when I was a baby teenager. So there's that, at least. Today's film is the cheerfully bad Honey.

Film of the Day! Remember when Jessica Alba was a thing?

The film follows Honey Daniels (Jessica Alba) as she seeks to prove herself as a dancer and dreams of making a career of it. She's spotted one day by a music director, who inevitably ends up being a big creeper, and is put on her path to becoming a backup dancer and choreographer. She lives in a less than savoury area with all sorts of street violence lurking around the corner. Working in her Mum's community centre teaching dance, she tries to encourage kids off the street and into a dance studio. Trying to negotiate her friends, career, creeper boss, boyfriend, family and the kids, all sorts of trials and tribulations arise as she fights to achieve her dreams and open up her own studio. And there's a rousing dance number at the end to wrap it all up.