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)

Out Of The Furnace

http://outofthefurnacemovie.tumblr.com/

The only problem I have with the cinema, and this is not limited to Cineworld, this is all cinemas, including the one I used to work at more than 10 years ago, is that they advertise films that are 'coming soon' that they then never show. 

This happened recently at Cineworld where they showed the trailer for August: Osage County for months leading up to it's release, and then they never got the damn film. The same thing happened with Out Of The Furnace. They showed the trailer, even had the poster up to signal the film's imminent release, and then lo and behold, they never showed the film. I found out a couple of weeks after it's scheduled release date that my local independent cinema, The Duke Of York's, was showing the film, and so my cinema buddy and I went to watch it.

The last film we saw at the Dukes was On The Road. Which was a pretty awful movie by any standards, but the fact that we paid £9+ for the privilege made the film that little bit more awful. I hoped Out Of The Furnace would not leave us with that same ache in our wallets.

The film tells the story of the Baze brothers; Rodney (Affleck), who between tours of Iraq looks after his ailing father, and Russell (Bale), who has a simple but fulfilling life with his girlfriend Lena (Saldana) and a good job at the local steel mill. Russell's life gets turned upside down due to bad decisions made by his brother, all starting with Rodney's involvement with a small time loan shark John (Dafoe), and leading up to him taking part in a shady underground boxing ring upon returning from Iraq. Rodney and John meet some very unsavory characters on the boxing circuit, but none more-so than Harlan (Harrelson). They soon find out they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

From the trailer I knew this was not going to be a fun film, but it looked worthy of seeing, and like the performances would pack a punch. In that respect the trailer definitely sold the film on the right merits. And I have to say that I wasn't especially disappointed with the film, I just didn't love it. 

The performances are all exemplary, and although this is definitely an ensemble piece, Christian Bale yet again shines out the brightest. Something I think everyone has become accustomed to. I don't think he knows how to give a bad performance these days, but it's a good thing because everyone else seems to step up their game around him. I certainly don't think I've seen Casey Affleck or Forest Whitaker give performances this good, maybe ever?  Woody Harrelson on the other hand is another actor who I just think gets better and better with time, and he is a wonderful adversary to Bale's protagonist. I don't think I've ever seen him be more unhinged, and he certainly played a character the likes of which I hope I never meet. 

*Spoiler Alert* I just wish there had been a better outcome for Russell in the movie so that it didn't feel as though you went through this horrible situation with him, and then for him to come out the other side with nothing but his freedom? *End Spoiler*

If you enjoy the darker side of cinema, and want to see some really great acting from some of the best Hollywood has, I would definitely recommend Out Of The Furnace if it's showing at a cinema near you. But as that's unlikely I would recommend you get the DVD when it's out. If you prefer something a little more fluffy with a happy ending then avoid, this one is not for you. 7.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 23rd February 2014

UK Release Date - 29th January 2014

Cast Overview:

Russell Baze ~ Christian Bale

Rodney Baze Jr ~ Casey Affleck

Harlan DeGroat ~ Woody Harrelson

Lena Warren ~ Zoe Saldana

Wesley Barnes ~ Forest Whitaker

John Petty ~ Willem Dafoe

Gerald "Red" Baze ~ Sam Shepard

Director ~ Scott Cooper

Writer(s) ~ Brad Ingelsby and Scott Cooper

Star Trek Into Darkness

http://www.startrekmovie.com/

The 2009 Star Trek reboot opened with a spectacular sequence which changed the Trek universe completely. Not only by giving the franchise a fresh cast and using the latest technology to take us into the twenty third century, but also by changing events that take place prior to Captain James T Kirk's birth. Events that changed the entire future of the Trek movies, and which moved me more than any Trek film that had gone before. 

I must confess that I'd never been a fan of the original series, or the original movies. I became a trekkie around the age of 12 when I developed a crush on Wil Wheaton (see here for the full scoop on that) and started watching Star Trek The Next Generation. And that's also where my interest piqued, as I never got into watching Deep Space Nine or Voyager. But there was something about J.J. Abrams reboot that made me want to see it, namely my affection for Simon Pegg who'd landed the role of Scotty, but it was more than that. And after seeing the film and loving it, I was amongst the millions of born again Trekkies who couldn't wait for the next installment. 

Warp 4 years into the future and here we are with Star Trek Into Darkness, a sequel to Star Trek, which changed history, so will it follow any of the story arcs of the previous Star Trek sequel - Star Trek The Wrath of Khan? *There may be spoilers ahead...*

We re-join the Captain and crew of the USS Enterprise as they attempt to save an indigenous race from extinction, from a volcano that is about to erupt on their home planet. Kirk (Chris Pine) and McCoy (Karl Urban) create a diversion that allows Spock (Zachary Quinto) to freeze the volcano's lava, before it can erupt and destroy the race's sacred temple. Unfortunately, the crew are unable to make their departure from the planet without being seen, which violates the prime directive of Starfleet. This leads Kirk to get stripped of his rank and sent back to the Academy. Or at least that's what we're intended to see. 

*What follows is all in the trailer so no real spoilers from here on out* What actually happens is that the baddie of the hour, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), hell bent on destroying Starfleet, blows up the commanding officer's meeting, just as they were discussing what to do about him. Kirk finally steps up to the plate over what happened and asks to be put in command of a secret mission to take Harrison down. Will Kirk do the right thing? Or will his emotions get the better of him. And will Spock ever allow his Vulcan side drop long enough for his human emotions to shine through?  

Well to find out you will have to see the film as I'm not giving that away! Those who are familiar with the story line from Wrath Of Khan will definitely see the similarities, and will either enjoy these nods or will hate them. I myself enjoyed them, but then I'm not precious about the original films so I can't speak for everyone. I thought the story moved at a good pace, and the action set pieces, as with the previous film, were outstanding. There were also some nice surprises, even if you are familiar with Wrath Of Khan, so if you're a fan of the original films don't write Into Darkness off before you see it.

Another successful Trek and I for one can't wait for the third installment. I just hope J.J.'s not too busy with Star Wars to take the helm for the third time. As I suspect, if he hands over to someone who'll use less lense flare than he would, it'll be a different experience entirely. 8 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 9th May 2013

UK Release Date - 9th May 2013

Cast Overview:

Chris Pine ~ Kirk

Zachary Quinto ~ Spock

Zoe Saldana ~ Uhura

Karl Urban ~ Bones

Simon Pegg ~ Scotty

John Cho ~ Sulu

Anton Yelchin ~ Chekov

Bruce Greenwood ~ Pike

Peter Weller ~ Marcus

Alice Eve ~ Carol

Benedict Cumberbatch ~ John Harrison

Noel Clarke ~ Thomas Harewood

Director ~ J.J. Abrams

Writer(s) ~ Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof

Based on the Television series Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry

Star Trek Into Darkness Premiere

The Empire Cinema in Leicester Square getting prepped to boldly go Into Darkness

After the date for the Iron Man 3 Premiere was moved, meaning my cinema buddy couldn't go, we decided to (boldly) go to the Star Trek Into Darkness Premiere. One of the girls I met at the Iron Man 3 Premiere had said she would try to come along in the afternoon, so all we had to do was sit in the sun in Leicester Square and wait for the stars to arrive.

The White Carpet for the Premiere

The first piece of bad luck happened on arrival as my cinema buddy realised he'd left his memory card in his laptop at home! D'oh! One warp speed dash to Boots later and a new memory card was purchased. Disaster averted. We sat down on the grass to eat our lunch when the second piece of bad luck happened. I got pooped on by a (Klingon War)bird. 

Spock quite rightly seems a little annoyed about this turn of events, and understandably so was I. However, this is not my first time at a Premiere and I was equipped with all sorts of anti-bacterial gels and wipes, and another warp speed dash (this time to Leicester Square's toilet facilities) later I was poop free and ready for my close up. 

But enough about me, you're here to hear about the stars! And stars there were! As with any Premiere there were minor celebrities galore, X-Factor Boyband Union J anyone? The Voice's Bo Bruce? Nah, we're not interested in them! We want the big names. Well don't say I don't give you big names!

The first guys from the Star Trek galaxy to walk the white carpet and be interviewed were the writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, followed by writer/producer Damon Lindelof

Next up was British Actor Noel Clarke who is new to the Star Trek franchise and who's role in the film was shrouded in mystery. He spent ages with the crowd, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.

He was followed by the man I had gone to the Premiere to see - Simon Pegg. He spent ages with the crowds too and signed for me and my buddy.

Next to breeze past the waiting fans were Zoe Saldana and Karl Urban. Regrettably neither came to sign for the fans waiting in the section I was standing in. Although my cinema buddy did manage to weave in and out of the crowd to get these shots of them

British Actress Alice Eve, who is new to the franchise, spent ages with the crowds and signed my Empire magazine (you can just see it under the thing she's signing in the second pic).

Captain Kirk himself Chris Pine was next to grace us with his presence, and not only did he sign for everyone waiting on the edge of the white carpet...

 ...after he was interviewed he leapt over the crowd to go and sign and take pictures with people standing in Leicester Square too. A true hero!

Here he is putting pen to my Empire magazine

Director J.J. Abrams also spent a long time with the crowds and even spent some time chatting to a lady behind me. Again he signed for me and my buddy and seemed like a really nice guy. My buddy managed to get a picture of him as he switched places with Chris Pine who was coming back down the line from his interview. They had a little giggling exchange and it was a lovely moment captured.

Regrettably Zachary Quinto who plays Spock did not have time to sign for us as he was rushed over to be interviewed and then whisked inside. But my cinema buddy did manage to get some snaps of him too 

Benedict Cumberbatch who plays villain John Harrison also had no time to sign for us and in fact we only managed to snap him on his way back out as the stars came out of the cinema for a cast photo, before they left for the after party, or in the case of Pine and Cumberbatch, as they headed to film The Graham Norton Show. 

We had a really great day at the Premiere. Again met some lovely people and got some impressive signatures to add to the collection.

All photos (with the exception of the first 3) are courtesy of Blair Holmes, photographer and sandwich maker extraordinaire. Image of Spock courtesy of Google images.