5 Live Octoberfest

Last week, between the 11th and 13th October, BBC Radio 5 Live put on a number of live shows in Sheffield.  Until a week before, I knew nothing about it, when a friend from work announced he had a spare ticket and would I like to go.  The ticket in question was for Kermode and Mayo's Film Review show, it was like Christmas had come early.

The event took place at the Crucible Theatre, of which I had only seen during televised footage of the snooker.  It was a simple set up, and whilst I don't know what I expected to happen, it quickly became apparent that they were doing their usual radio spot live in front of us.  Part of that included the Top 10 Review, so to make use of the live audience they asked for volunteers to provide their thoughts on any of the Top 10 they had seen.  Some did their contribution as part of a pair, and I felt very sorry for the gentleman who followed the first lady to speak reviewing Looper.  It was a fantastic one line review, that I personally wouldn't have tried to follow.

I was really taken aback by the relaxed approach to the whole event.  I never imagined live radio broadcasting to be the most stressful of activities, but Kermode and Mayo were amiable and talkative between segments, with Kermode even taking the time to sign autographs and pose for photographs.

The best part of the event had to be the interview with Mark Herbert of Warp Films.  Ever since watching Dead Man's Shoes, I have been a fan of Paddy Considine and Shane Meadows.  Only later to find that Warp Films played a huge part in a great many projects involving the two.  For those unfamiliar with the work of any of the above, check out:

www.warpfilms10.com

It gives a great overview of what these guys have achieved and created, as well as details of Warp Films 10th anniversary celebratory event.  They are screening Dead Man's Shoes at the Magna Centre in Rotherham, with those involved in the original score, and guests, re-imagining the soundtrack live whilst the screening takes place.  Along with a host of other screenings and music events, £20 is a steal.  It's an early bird price, and with the event taking place on November 17th they probably won't be around much longer.

Check out the podcast of Kermode and Mayo's live event here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/kermode

Looper packs a punch...

Heading in to see Looper, I had made an effort to not look further than the theatrical trailers for information about what was in store for me.  Undoubtedly there was not much more to find out at that point, but I had a good feeling about Looper being something special, so I didn't want to take any chances.

One thing I was aware of, was the talk surrounding Joseph Gordon Levitt's prosthetics and attempt to mimic Bruce Willis.  The talk seemed to turn to ridicule in some instances.  I fully believe it enhances JGL's performance, and really adds that 'younger Bruce Willis' element.  JGL does a great job of his expressions and speech patterns as well.

Whilst they have great material to go on with the story, Bruce, JGL, and Emily play brilliant parts (Emily's character Sara has a fabulously dirty mouth).  But the performance that had me on the edge of my seat was that of Pierce Gagnon, the child playing Cid, Son of Emily's character Sara.  He has great comedy timing, is freakishly natural in front of the camera, and really nails some emotionally charged scenes.

The film starts, sets the scene, introducing the Loopers in a near future world, who act on behalf of those in a future 30 years further on.  There are some great touches to this not so distant future, solar powered cars (where cars are used and battered with solar panels crudely attached to them), and over crowding from increased population to name a few.  But the best thing it does here is not dwell on, or over think, time travel.  You know the bare minimum, even during dialogue between the 2 Joes (JGL and Bruce), this way it doesn't become a thread to pick at, distracting you from the main story.  It's illegal, and used only by criminals for the purposes of getting rid of people, this is then where the Loopers come in.

Then, once the stage is set, and the film gets in to it's rhythm, I thought for a brief moment that it was going to end by the numbers and predictable.  All this Twitter hype for the few days previous would have been just that...hype.

Then something quite remarkable happened, and it was like being punched in the face by the fist of awesomeness.

To start with, I thought the film had come to a rather abrupt and premature end.  Then, I realised that I'd been hit with the twist.  But even after that, after the credits, walking out of the cinema, and even on the drive home, the sheer brilliance of what I'd just seen was still sinking in.  So many different aspects of the relationships between people are examined during the course of the film, not least between the different incarnations of Joe, and it's only with the final twist that it all gets brought together.

A great tonic to the fast paced, explosion fest, blockbusters of the summer, Looper is a film that I will enjoy watching the second time just as much as I did the first.

It's Judgement time!...

On July 21st 1995, a dark shadow was cast across the world, a vile taint in the form of Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone.  Many people have spent many an hour lamenting the many failings of this film, for me it saw the ruination of a comic book legend.

The removal of Dredd's helmet has to be by far the biggest error in the film.  The reasoning that they wanted to humanise the character is laughable.  Dredd is the law, unyielding, unsympathetic, hard.  He doesn't do sentiment or romance.
Rob Schneider creates 'the sidekick'.  A character we will have to endure forever more.  For those who haven't seen it, think Shia LaBeouf in I, Robot or Constantine.  Thanks Rob....thanks a lot.

17 years, 1 month and 17 days later.....

(that's a long time by the way)

Dredd is back on our screens, under the guise of Karl Urban.  Needless to say I was very excited about this, and whilst for previous big releases (Avengers Assemble for example) I have been nervous about how good a job will have been done, this time I was not.  Nothing could be worse than the Dredd of 1995, and the wait was finally over to have something to replace it.

The film is spectacular.  Action packed, dark, gruesome, unapologetically brutal, and fun throughout.  When leaving the cinema my first thought was how well it worked as a complete and self contained film.  Whilst Alex Garland (screen writer) has gone on record saying that they have worked on, and would like to do multiple films, nothing was left in reserve.  No 'you're going to have to wait until next time' bits.  That is the stand out point of this film that makes it not just good, but great.

***Here come the SPOILERS***

They do this with the angle of it just being another day in Mega City One.  Just a day on patrol for the Judges.  It just so happens on this day they run in to Ma Ma Madrigal and a Mega Block full of drug crazed cronies.  The main elements are introduced, The Cursed Earth, Mega City One, The Hall of Justice, Dredd, Anderson, and then their day unfolds.  There is no drawn out attempt to give needless back story to try and score points with the fans, they just get down to business.

Then they walk away.  Maybe for another day, maybe not.  I hope they do, but that's because I'm a huge fan.  But not because I need a sequel to explain some part of the film, or fill in any blanks.

Then there's Dredd the character.  First of all, bravo Karl Urban.  The man is a hero and a legend.  Through his portrayal of Dredd, we get one of the best realisations of a comic book that has ever been released.  The biggest compliment that I could pay to Karl is that he does such a good job, it could be anyone under that helmet.  You get 100% Dredd.  No bullshit, no softening of the edges, no sentiment, and definitely no romance.  Karl Urban's Dredd kicks ass, dispenses justice, and delivers great one liners.  All with the signature grimace.

Even walking out of Peach Trees at the end of the film, ragged, shot and bloody, all Dredd has to say about the experience is "the perps were uncooperative".

Bad....ass.....

Dredd was always going to get a small fanfare in the UK cinemas.  When I went to see it on opening weekend it was only on one of the cinema's smaller screens.  Unfortunately, it has had an equally poor reception in the US.  Having only has a modest $50 Million budget, it has only grossed $10 Million (ish) worldwide at the cinema so far.  I sincerely hope that things pick up, and it also has a surge once it gets it's DVD/BluRay release.  We need more films like this.

Whether you have seen Dredd yet or not.  Spread the word.  This is a great film, a type of which you very rarely see at the cinema anymore.  Great, solid, action packed and fun throughout, and aimed unapologetically at adults.  We need to get behind it.

WATCH IT....THEN TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW ABOUT IT!

The curse of 2 step verification...

Like millions of others last weekend, I was like a kid at Christmas with my new iPhone.  Due to my complete lack of patience, I started a new number, abandoning my previous number of several years.  I'd only just stopped getting phone calls for someone named Pete!  From what I could gather from my many conversations he was an electrician who worked in and around the South Yorkshire area.

So I get my new phone up and running, and I start using my email app to find I'm prompted for my email password to my Gmail account.  I enter it.  Nothing.  I go online and try to log in from the website, and I'm informed that a verification code has been text to my old number.

Oh yeah, I set up 2 step verification.....bugger.

Not a problem, I'll just put my old sim into my new phone, and....ah....nano sim, not micro sim.

Still no problem, 6 years in the mobile industry, sim cards are easy to change.  Go into the shop, buy a sim, and I'm told all it takes is a phone call to connect it.  That seems reasonable, no sense in the advisor wasting their time when I can make the phone call myself.  15 minutes on hold, give them all my details, and....we can't change your sim like that.  We have to send you a sim in the post, ok, I'll roll with it.  Get them sim in the post, now it's time to rock and roll.  Nope, I have to activate online....then wait up to 48 hours.

2 step verification....removed.

I wouldn't mind so much, but during this time, I've seen Dredd and by god do I want to blog about it!

So now I'm back in the land of the technological living, I think it goes without saying that my next post will be about Dredd.

What's next after Dredd?

Judgement is coming....(again)

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of Stallone's outing as Dredd in '95.  So for me, there is a real possibility of a great, new beginning for this amazing character on the big screen.
A number of plot details are available, still a month away from it's theatrical release, and much has been made of it's unrelenting, brutal visual styling.  All that remains is how it's received by audiences.

Alex Garland, writer and producer of Dredd, has already said there's more to come.  If Dredd takes enough at the box office, what might we have to look forward to?

Judge Death:


Undoubtedly the most anticipated character from the 200AD universe, Judge Death is a character who originated from the alternate universe 'Deadworld' which he himself created.  Son of a psychopathic dentist, he began killing at a young age, starting with 3 school bullies.  He became a Judge so he was able to kill people legally.  His enthusiasm for which earning him the nickname of Judge Death.  His psychosis lead him to believe that as all crime was committed by the living, life itself was a crime.  Spawning his vision of 'total justice' (the extermination of all life), and catchphrase "The crime is life, the sentence death!".
Once finished extinguishing all life in his world, Judge Death made crossed over to Mega City One and made several attempts to do the same there.  There is even crossover with Gotham City.

There are so many great stories and characters surrounding Judge Death, that it almost seems impossible that a studio would not want to go there.

Necropolis:

Having been saved from Ma-Ma in Dredd, could this be the next peril to befall Mega City One?  The Necropolis story arc sees Mega City One captured by Judge Death and his fellow Dark Judges.  It also sees Dredd fall from grace, making for a perfect third act triumphant return that equates to box office gold.  If you want a great introduction to Dredd and 2000AD, check this story out (progs 674-699).

The Dark Judges:

Judge Death is just one of four Dark Judges, all of who are seriously bad ass (the others being Judge Mortis, Judge Fear, and Judge Fire).  Themselves Judges from an alternate universe, the other Dark Judges are all devoted to Death's ideals and cause.  Whilst Death makes the dimensional jump to Mega City One first, his subsequent defeat means the others shortly follow.  A formidable adversary of Dredd and all life in Mega City One, there's also ample opportunity for a Dark Judges origins story.

Cynics might call it money making tactics, I call it exciting times ahead.  Who knows, Dredd's popularity could see The Dark Knight and Dredd join forces to save Gotham? (see Judgement on Gotham)

Come on Karl, Alex and crew, do Dredd proud!

Maybe I need to see TDKR again?...

There will be spoilers...

Filling cinema seats by the thousand up and down the UK, The Dark Knight Rises opened on Friday.  After lots of scheduling clashes, and rearranging, I managed to be one of the faithful who went along on the opening day.

My wife and I had watched Batman Begins a few nights before, during which she made a great point.  It's the first time we see on screen what goes into making Batman so kick ass.  I get that's the point of an 'origins' film, but in all the other films Bruce Wayne just puts on a Bat Suit and takes on a slightly super human quality.  In Batman Begins, we see what goes into it, and it makes it more believable once the suit goes on.

Then we were treated to The Dark Knight.  I will very shortly be watching it again, as it sits waiting in my iTunes library.  As action films go, it's a corker, and Heath Ledger's performance has ensured The Dark Knight's place as a timeless classic.  The kind of film that I will sit down and watch 20 years from now and enjoy just as much (a great example of this I watched just last night in Aliens).

So then we have TDKR:

What a mouth watering prospect.  Bane, Batman and closure.  3 things that were, in my opinion, heavily touted by all involved.  That rare thing, a compelling and well told story, allowed to run it's course and then end.  All things pointed to modern day greatness in the making.

I left the film on Friday, and for a good hour I felt frustrated and disappointed.  My wife and I spoke at length about the ending, which she loved, and I tried to reconcile my differences with it.  I will undoubtedly see the film again at the cinema, in a final attempt.  I didn't know quite what to expect from the ending, but whatever it was, I didn't get it.

You know how for some films, when they release the DVD or Blu-Ray, they include alternate endings?  Well I think in a bid to save everyone's time from having to watch several different endings to TDKR, they just cut them all together.  First Batman/Bruce Wayne dies, then he doesn't.  Then Gotham is saved, but wait, let's hand over the mantle of protector to someone else just in case (which in itself ruins the whole closure aspect).  Then you have the scene in the café...

Whilst TDKR is a great film, it's not the triumphant sign off I was hoping for.

Marvel unveils upcoming line up....

Now that Comic Con has now finished, and I'm able to pull myself away from my Twitter feed for longer than 30 minutes, it's time to see what SDCC has served up for us.

All of my attention was, without doubt, focused on what Marvel brought to the table.  To be expected, Robert Downey Jr. made waves during the Iron Man 3 panel.  From what I have read and seen, there was a beautifully orchestrated piece of theatre.  With Downey Jr. making a typically Stark-esque entrance, before making the introduction to the show reel.  Complete with Iron Man hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra_jGGe9BHg

So as well as looking forward to the show reel footage making it's way into the public domain over the coming months, Marvel has unveiled a power house line up for the next 2 years.  With some titles we knew about, and some rumoured titles being confirmed:

Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor we knew were on the way, with shooting having started on the later 2 already.  Whilst Ant Man has very much been unveiled, with Edgar Wright showing his test reel, Marvel studios have only said it will happen, rather than when.  Guardians of the Galaxy is the much rumoured title that has been confirmed and given a release date.  Whilst Marvel is no stranger to the more mystical side of it's comic book universe on the big screen with the outing of Thor (I also can't wait to see how they tackle The Mandarin), I think The Guardians of the Galaxy presents an altogether different challenge.  I don't think the subject matter will lend itself to the more classical feel of Branagh's Thor.  So far, no details about who is involved have surfaced.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I remain most excited about Iron Man 3, and only hope that they go all out with the Extremis story arc.  Although I'm not ready to see the back of Downey Jr. and Tony Stark, so let's hope they don't leave it too long before announcing a sequel to Avengers Assemble.