Guardians Of The Galaxy Premiere

After the disappointment of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Premiere earlier this month, I thought that now might be a good time to reflect on the Guardians Of The Galaxy Premiere, especially as I just got around to publishing my thoughts on the movie.

The premiere was held on 24th July. Two days before my 33rd Birthday. It was a beautiful sunny day, very different from the wet and cold November day for the recent Hunger Games premiere.

My photographer friend and I sat in Leicester Square with our usual premiere picnic and Ice Cream, and I got to open my presents from him a whole two days early. One of which was the Lego Hawkeye below. 

We were moved into the holding pens outside the Empire and waited patiently for the stars to arrive. We then heard the surprise news that two Avengers were also coming to the premiere, at which point I became ridiculously nervous thinking I might finally see Jeremy Renner and have nothing for him to sign. 

I had nothing to worry about as the two "Avengers" were actually one Avenger, Chris Hemsworth, and the director Joss Whedon. I would have loved to get something signed by Joss as I have long been a huge fan of his, but regrettably he spent little time with the crowd owing to the fact that he was recovering from knee surgery. I am still hopeful that one day I will get my chance to shake his hand or get his signature. Which was something I did manage to get from Mr Hemsworth for the second time. What can I say, he clearly just likes me. 

 

Next to arrive was another unexpected guest, Mark Hamill. Sadly, as neither myself or my friend knew he was due to make an appearance, neither of us had anything even remotely Star Wars related to get signed, so we had to make do with a photo of the legendary actor instead.

Before we knew it the stars of the movie had all started to arrive, and with only Bradley Cooper missing from the main cast of heroes, I had a pretty good shot at getting a good haul of signatures. Sadly, the only villain in attendance was former Doctor Who actress Karen Gillan, who despite my many attempts, just would not sign for me. 

My subscriber edition of Empire Magazine had only the villains on the cover, so from that point on I knew I wasn't going to be able to get anything for myself and made it my mission to get as many signatures for my buddy as possible.

 

Director James Gunn with host Alex Zane. 

Former Wrestler Dave Bautista, who at one point, the crowd was just chanting DAVE BAU-TISTA, DAVE BAU-TISTA at. Whenever I think of Drax I just hear that chant over and over again. 

 The very beautiful Zoe Saldana. Looking a lot less green here than in the movie.  

The man of the hour, Chris Pratt in his very tight trousers (I think my knack for spotting the men in tight pants is the thing I bring to premieres, in the same way that my photographer friend always manages to get a photo of an actress' behind).

 

Just when you thought things couldn't get more amazing, Vin Diesel showed up on stilts wearing an 'I AM GROOT' t'shirt!

Just before they all got back in their cars to leave, Chris Pratt took a moment to thank us all for being there. With all the camera crews packed up it was a genuine moment of thanks for us fans who had been standing out in the hot sun all afternoon. In all the premieres I've been to, I've never known an actor to do that and I hope it's something Chris continues to be grateful for as it was a lovely moment to witness. 

My only regret is that I didn't take my Star Trek: Into Darkness edition of Empire magazine as I probably could have gotten Zoe Saldana's signature for myself, rather than just for my friend, but I was still proud of the signatures I managed to get that day, even if they weren't for me.

All in all, a lovely day out, an impressive array of signatures and another round of cracking photos by Blair Holmes. Please do not use his photos without permission. Thanks for reading, and lets all hope the next premiere is more like this one than Hunger Games.
 

Guardians Of The Galaxy 3D Blu-Ray Review‏

 

http://marvel.com/guardians

If you missed Guardians Of The Galaxy in cinemas I really believe that the best way to make up for that is by watching it on 3D Blu-Ray. You get all of the high definition beauty but on a smaller scale.

Believe it or not, the first time I saw Guardians I came away feeling less than impressed. I couldn't really put my finger on why, it had all the hallmarks of a great Marvel movie, humor, inventive action scenes, a hero (or several) that you could get behind, a potential romance and aliens/creatures that make your jaw drop in awe. But it somehow wasn't the movie I was expecting it to be, and as such, I just didn't gel with it.

But it didn't leave me. I found that the soundtrack had buried it's way into my subconscious, making me dig out the tracks from various compilation albums. And then there was the adorable odd couple in the movie, Rocket and Groot, who I loved much more than I expected to.

So I saw the movie again. And on the second time around I loved it. And I could more easily put my finger on what hadn't worked for me. Now that I've seen it for a third time I'm pleased to say that I still love it, and everything that worked previously still impresses.

Regrettably, it's the performances of the villains that ultimately puts the chink in the Guardians armor. Lee Pace who I loved in Pushing Daisies comes off very hammy in his role of Ronan. I don't know if it's because I'm so used to seeing him play nice guys but I just don't find him believable as someone so ruthless who's supposed to have heartlessly killed thousands of people. Djimon Hounsou who is also usually impressive barely has anything to do. And Karen Gillen's performance of Nebula is little more than a head tilt and a swing of the hips. I'm not a Doctor Who fan so this is the first thing I've seen her in but I was expecting a lot more.

Thankfully, the heroes are where Guardians really shines, and between Chris Pratt's Peter.. sorry, Star Lord, who is bang on with his comic timing and dance moves, the literal Drax (wrestler Dave Bautista) and Rocket and Groot who completely monopolise every scene they're in, it's a joy to watch these characters gain their traction with each other.

Of course you need a woman to balance out all of the testosterone here, and Zoe Saldana brings a beautiful elegance to her character of Gamora. She just needs more of a story arc next time. Kevin Feige I'm looking at you. Stop limiting your amazing actresses to just being there A) as eye candy or B) to stop it from being a sausage fest. The women in your movies are an asset, their characters are interesting and strong, show that to your audience please.

As this is my first DVD/Blu-Ray review I suppose I should also talk about the extras. I didn't get chance to watch them all but there is director commentary, a gag reel, deleted scenes and a minuscule featurette on Avengers: Age of Ultron. It's so short it's not really even worth mentioning. Compared with extras on other Marvel movies I'm not that impressed with these if I'm honest. Where was the Marvel one shot? Where was the cast commentary? Where were the featurettes, behind the scenes etc? This movie had some fantastic sets, costumes, make up, where were the featurettes man?

That aside, as I said at the start, the film looks amazing in 3D with various objects popping out of the screen from time to time, and the HD quality of the Blu-Ray is really beautiful. Don't ask me to get more technical than that as you're asking the wrong person.

If you missed Guardians first time around, make sure it's on your Christmas wish list (along with the soundtrack). 9 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 31st July 2014

UK Release Date - 31st July 2014

UK DVD/Blu-Ray Release Date - 24th November 2014

Cast Overview:

Chris Pratt ~ Peter Quill aka Star Lord

Zoe Saldana ~ Gamora

Dave Bautista ~ Drax

Lee Pace ~ Ronan

Michael Rooker ~ Yondu Udonta

Karen Gillen ~ Nebula

Djimon Hounsou ~ Korath

John C Reilly ~ Corpsman Dev

Glenn Close ~ Nova Prime

Benico Del Toro ~ The Collector

(don't scroll past this point if you don't want to see who voices Rocket and Groot)

Vin Diesel ~ Groot 

Bradley Cooper ~ Rocket

Director ~ James Gunn

Writer ~ James Gunn (written by) and Nicole Perlman (written by), Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (comic book)

What We Do In The Shadows

http://www.whatwedointheshadows.com/

I was lucky enough to see What We Do In The Shadows a few months ago as part of a film reviewers accreditation course I am taking in association with See Film First.

In my humble opinion I think the distributors Madman Films missed an absolute trick by not releasing this on Halloween. Instead it's got to compete with what will surely be one of the years biggest films, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.

However, having said that, I would like my readers to actively seek out this total gem of a movie. And failing that, I believe you can already purchase it from the website above as the movie was made in New Zealand, which means some of you can probably buy it now. Do it. You won't regret it.

I'm sure I have said many times that I am quite fussy when it comes to comedy. It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud, but this film did it in abundance. Think Tucker and Dale but about Vampires. 

The premise is simple, a documentary film crew go into a shared house of vampires to find out how the modern day vampire lives. That's it. But what follows is genuinely hilarious. 

Just do me, and yourself, a favour, watch the trailer, and if it's not for you, don't see it. But if you're even a little bit curious, take my advice and watch this movie. I am so very glad I did. 9 out of 10.

 

 Viewing Date - 27th September 2014

UK Release Date - 21st November 2014

Cast Overview:

Jermaine Clement ~ Vladislav

Taika Waititi ~ Viago

Jonathan Brugh ~ Deacon

Cori Gonzalez-Macuer ~ Nick

Stuart Rutherford ~ Stu

Ben Fransham ~ Petyr

Jackie Van Beek ~ Jackie

Written and Directed by Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

http://www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/gb/epk/mockingjay-part1-gb-en/

You can find my previous reviews for The Hunger Games here and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire here.

Despite my blog post last week about my less than pleasant experience at the Mockingjay Premiere, I was still excited to see the first part of the final two movies in this series. Especially as I had actually managed to read the book entirely before seeing this film - which was not the case with the previous two films. 

For those who have not read the book I will keep my synopsis short and sweet. Following Katniss' (Jennifer Lawrence) exit from the quarter quell, she has been hidden by Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in the underground District 13. Although her family and best friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth) managed to make it out of District 12 before the Capitol destroyed her home, she is still grieving over the loss of Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), and unforgiving to Plutarch and the president of District 13, Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) for not rescuing him from the games arena. Their plan is to make Katniss the Mockingjay, the face of the revolution against the Capitol. At first Katniss is completely unwilling to even discuss the proposition, but when she discovers Peeta is alive, and being used by the Capitol as their pawn, she knows she has to join the fight. But Katniss has conditions, the first of which is that Peeta and the other victors are rescued and pardoned for their involvement with the Capitol.

If you read my previous Hunger Games reviews you will know that it took the book to really make me appreciate the first film, and that reading the second book went a long way to my enjoyment of the second film. I read Mockingjay last Christmas so it wasn't exactly fresh in my mind going into this movie. However, I think that actually added to my experience, as it was nice to have little surprises when certain events happened that I'd forgotten about. 

Katniss' song for example, the hanging tree, I had completely forgotten about, and then when it appeared in the film it actually brought a tear to my eye. The moment is beautifully done, highly emotional, and Jennifer Lawrence has a very raspy childlike singing voice which fitted the song perfectly. The way the song is interwoven into another scene is equally brilliant and I thought it fused the book and the film together in a way I hadn't yet imagined. 

Fans of the book are definitely not going to be disappointed by this installment, and if you've not read the books but are enjoying the films so far I think you will continue to be impressed. I don't know about you guys but I can't wait for Part 2! 8.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 21st November 2014

UK Release Date - 20th November 2014

Cast Overview:

Jennifer Lawrence ~ Katniss Everdeen 

Josh Hutcherson ~ Peeta Mellark 

Liam Hemsworth ~ Gale Hawthorne 

Woody Harrelson ~ Haymitch Abernathy 

Donald Sutherland ~ President Coriolanus Snow 

Philip Seymour Hoffman ~ Plutarch Heavensbee

Julianne Moore ~ President Alma Coin

Willow Shields ~ Primrose "Prim" Everdeen

Sam Claflin ~ Finnick Odair

Elizabeth Banks ~ Effie Trinket 

Mahershala Ali ~ Boggs

Jena Malone ~ Johanna Mason

Jeffrey Wright ~ Beetee Latier 

Paula Malcolmson ~ Mrs Everdeen

Stanley Tucci ~ Caesar Flickerman 

Natalie Dormer ~ Cressida

Evan Ross ~ Messalia

Elden Henson ~ Pollux

Wes Chatham ~ Castor

Director ~ Francis Lawrence 

Writer(s) ~ Peter Craig (Screenplay), Danny Strong (Screenplay) and Suzanne Collins (Adaptation of her novel Mockingjay)

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Premiere - A Lament

 

It's 11.18pm and I have to be up for work in approximately 8 hours. I'm also cold and in dire need of a bath, and yet instead of running myself some hot bubbles, I am sitting at my laptop writing. Or rather outpouring my absolute hatred for the people who ruined The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 Premiere for me and countless others. 

You know them. The "dealers" or autograph hunters. Those people, ususally massive, brick shithouse type guys, who's sole purpose at a premiere is to get one of the items from their huge portfolio stuffed full of glossy 10 x 8's signed by whoever is there. They don't care as long as they get something to sell. And by being there, on the barrier spot of a premiere, they are taking the place, and the cherished picture that a fan should be in, and robbing them of the chance of an autograph of their favourite star.

Yes this rant is because I only got one signature tonight, and not of anyone I was there for. This despite standing in the cold and wet for a good 8 hours. But this rant is also on behalf of the young girl who must only have been about 10. The girl who's only wish today was to have her moment with Katniss. And who the giant moron in front of us promised he would move to the front when Jennifer arrived and then didn't, because he wanted her signature for himself. This rant is also for the very sweet teenager who just wanted to see Liam Hemsworth, and who the same man again promised he would move aside for, only to elbow the poor girl in the ribs when Liam did arrive, and cause her to be in floods of tears.

I really think it's about time the premiere organisers stopped letting these arseholes into events like this. Events which are supposed to be for the fans of these people and these films. Not people who are only there to make money out of it. 

These people are always unpleasant nasty bastards who would rather elbow people half their size out of the way when most people would gladly let you hold something between them at an event like this so that everyone can go away happy.

Of course sometimes the stars are in a rush or ushered through the crowds quickly, so you're not always going to be able to get that autograph or photo, but at least not having these creeps there would give the genuine fans a fighting chance. 

If they're not banned from these events then I think the least the organisers could do is to let them into the enclosures last. So all the fans will have their places on the front or first few rows of the pens, and then let the "dealers" in and see how they like being at the back. 

For me, it has made the whole day feel worthless and upsetting and left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth. This despite meeting some absolutely lovely people there.

I'm also gutted there was no cosplay contest to win tickets as I was the only Katniss there. Oh well, there's always Avengers: Age of Ultron. I swear that if an autograph hunter even tries to get in my way there, the Black Widow will be taking them down into a whole world of hurt.

Rant over. Be good to each other.