September Film of the Month

It's been a busy month - not with seeing a huge amount of films unfortunately - so this will be a brief Film of the Month post. October is looking particularly exciting though, with plenty of widely anticipated films being released. I'm quickly reading Gone Girl before it's out in cinemas next week - check out this Trailer Tuesday to find out more!

Looking at the month gone by, it hasn't been the most outstanding. However, hopefully now autumn leaves are falling and the dark nights are drawing in, awards and Oscar buzz will start to build. This all means we'll be watching some epic and thrilling films for the remainder of the year.

As always, here is the all important rating system:

* = Poor. Why did I even bother?!

** = OK. Could have done better.

*** = Good. Recommended though don’t feel bad you don’t get to see this one.

**** = Excellent. Not quite perfect but highly recommended.

***** = Masterpiece. You’d be a fool not to see this film.

All movie titles will link to their relevant IMDB pages so you can find out more about plot, cast and crew. 

Do you agree with the ratings? Let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.

Sex Tape

Image: beyondhollywood.com

I knew this movie was going to be awful before it began. With low exceptions, I was therefore slightly surprised at how I laughed a few times. But only a few. There isn't really much to say about the movie. (Great for a reviews section! Well done, Helena). What I mean by that is, you can pretty much get the gist of it by the trailer.

The thing I found most funny about the film is how it has coincidentally mirrored real life in recent weeks -  with celebrity sex tapes and pictures being leaked online because of The Cloud.

 'And you can't get it down from The Cloud?' says Diaz. 'Nobody understands The Cloud. It's a fucking mystery!' exclaims Segel. (You can see this dialogue in the trailer - like I said, just watch that and you've seen the film).

The product placement is also ridiculous. Apple must be having a field day with the amount of products taking up the precious screen time. It is pretty much an advert for Apple all the way through.

With only a few laughs, it is embarrassingly silly and underwhelming. Don't bother.

Rating: *

If I Stay

Image: en.wikipedia.org

Since The Fault in Our Stars was released, it seems that the dramatic and tragic teen love stories are becoming increasingly popular. If I Stay falls into this category. It is rather soppy and romantic, so I'm sure it will appeal to the target audience of young teenage girls. The acting and plot is very dramatic. With Mia between life and death, the scenes in the hospital become very melodramatic - especially in one instance where Mia is crying and falls to the ground in a OTT fashion looking straight down the lens of the camera.

Despite this, the soundtrack is brilliant. It is actually a huge element of the film, Mia is a cello player so Saint-Saens, Bach and Beethoven are heavily featured. Not only good for dramatic effect, this is also great for introducing young audiences to classical music. Mia's boyfriend, Adam, is in a band and is drawn to Mia's love of the cello. It is what brings them together. So along side the classical strings, are Ben Howard with his song Promise and a beautiful cover of Beyonce's Halo by Ane Brun. The indie-rock tunes are probably influenced by Mia's parents' taste in music too. The soundtrack is available on Spotify and is well worth the listen.

A few good parts, but too dramatic and soppy for my liking. Great for young teens though. 

Rating: ***

Night Will Fall

Image: bfi.org.uk

This has got to be up there with one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. On Sunday, my sister and I went to see Night Will Fall at the British Film Institute (BFI). This is a documentary about the cameramen from the Allied Forces, who were making their own documentary, headed by Sidney Bernstein, about the discovery of the concentration camps in Germany between 1944-45. 

The filming of German Concentration Camps Factual Survey was left unfinished until the Imperial War Museum London recently restored and completed the documentary with the notes left by the filmmakers. Alfred Hitchcock also worked on the film as a supervising director.

Alongside excerpts of the film's raw footage, are interviews with those individuals who were liberated from the camps and the soldiers who discovered the unimaginable atrocity. The interviews are heart breaking and incredibly moving. Especially so, when their descriptions are matched with the visually shocking images. I had seen photographs before from the camps, but no reel footage like this. The images are hard to describe as they are truly horrific: corpses being thrown into pits, men, women and children being left to rot and freeze in the snow. As one of the veterans describes, 'I had peered into Hell'. Watching this film only gives you a glimpse of what they saw, but my word, it is exactly as he says: Hell.

Although harrowing to watch, this documentary is incredibly important for every human being to see. Night Will Fall also reminds us of the significant importance of documentary film in revealing truth and creating a historic record. The original documentary, German Concentration Camps Factual Survey, will be shown at the BFI London Film Festival on October 13th 2014.

Rating: ****

As you can see, there is a clear winner for

September Film of the Month...

Night Will Fall

Take a look at the trailer below:

What is the best film you've seen this month?

Comment below or tweet @TicketStubBlog

Best Tennis Scenes

Image: clothesonfilm.cm

My favourite time of year is upon us! Yes, Wimbledon starts today with Andy Murray coming on Centre Court as the defending champion. Sounds good doesn't it? Fingers crossed for him this year.

I'm super excited to watch lots of tennis over the next two weeks, so I thought Ticket Stub should look at the best tennis scenes in film.

Can you think of any more to add to this list? Comment below or tweet @TicketStubBlog

Strangers on a Train (1951)

"I beg your pardon, but aren't you Guy Haines?"

Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense and this sport lends itself to tension. Bruno and Guy are strangers who meet on a train (clue's in the title). Bruno persuades Guy, a professional tennis player, to swap murders. Bruno goes ahead but Guy is reluctant to his side of the bargain. Here, Bruno wants to plant Guy's lighter on the scene of his crime so he will get away with it before the police turn up. However, Bruno is delayed as he accidentally drops the lighter down the drain whilst we see Guy who is desperate to finish his match so he can stop Bruno. The tension of the two moments is excruciating and one of the most memorable tennis scenes ever.

Match Point (2005)

"I'd rather be lucky than good"

Chris is a former tennis professional turned instructor. In Woody Allen's film set in London, we see Chris and his wealthy pupil, Tom, start a friendship which changes Chris's life forever after he meets Tom's beautiful fiancee, Nola. This opening shot of the film shows the nature of luck in life and tennis - a theme explored throughout the movie. All the beginning tennis scenes were shot at Queen's Club, London.

Bridesmaids (2011)

"GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER, CAROL!"

Tennis is the best way to show rivalry between characters so this works perfectly between head bridesmaid Annie and Little-Miss-Perfect Helen. Plenty of hilarious body shots and Annie getting angry at Carol - makes me laugh every time.

Wimbledon (2004)

"We all start off in life with a dream, don't we? For a tennis player, it's being in the final of a Grand Slam, Centre Court, a high lob... a smash. Game, set and match. You're a champion. You're number one. But for most tennis players, that's all it ever is: a dream. 

The reality is another story."

Of course, there are a bunch of tennis scenes in this romantic comedy. It also shows the tournament's grounds in all its glory. I will link to the match where Peter starts to turn things around with Lizzie looking on.

Annie Hall (1977)

"La-di-da"

This is where it all begins for Annie and Alvy. They meet when playing doubles with their friends at the local tennis club. After the match is the adorably awkward small talk between the two characters. However, this leads to Alvy catching a ride in Annie's car and having a glass of wine on the balcony. The film then sees the blossoming and demise of their relationship. 

To find out more about Annie Hall click on the link to see the Sunday Classic post or have a look at the When Harry Met Annie post where I compare the brilliant romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally, with Allen's film.

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

"It's Mom and me versus you and Dad"

 This tennis match is the opening of the movie. It is the perfect setting to show the eventual separation, tension and anger between parents Bernard and Joan. The rest of the film sees the couple going through their divorce and the impact it has on their two sons. A highly recommended film starring Laura Linney, Jeff Daniels and Jesse Eisenberg.

Can you think of any more?

Comment below or tweet @TicketStubBlog

Top Ten Animals in Film

Clockwise from top: Babe (1995), Free Willy (1993), Bambi (1942), Jaws (1975), War Horse (2011), Life of Pi (2012), Finding Nemo (2003) & 101 Dalmatians (1996) 

Animals in film often provide comedy and comfort but also danger and destruction to characters and cinema audiences. With the epic trailer for the new Godzilla (2014) featured as this week's Trailer Thursday, I want to ask: who stands out as your favourite on screen animal?

From sweet little Bambi to the terrifying Jaws, there are tonnes that I have missed out in my Top Ten (including some in the picture above) so tweet me your favourites @TicketStubBlog and YOU could be featured in my next post. 

1. Baloo in The Jungle Book (1967)

Baloo is the lovable bear who becomes Mowgli's guide and adoptive parent through the depths of the jungle as Mowgli returns to the man-village.

Best Moment? Baloo singing Bare Necessities

2. King Kong in King Kong (1933)

From a lovable bear to a frightening giant gorilla: King Kong. The stop animation and effects in this film are remarkable for 1933 and King Kong is still rather scary - made even more so by Fay Wray's shrill scream in the scene above.

Did You Know? Kong's roar was in fact a lion and a tiger's roar combined together and run backwards at a low speed.

3. Dory in Finding Nemo (2003)

The forgetful fish, Dory, who helps Marlin try and find his son Nemo is one of the most comical animal characters on screen. The adorably optimistic regal blue tang fish, voiced by the hilarious Ellen DeGeneres, will return in Pixar's 2016 sequel: Finding Dory.

Best Dory Quote? "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim!"

4. The Birds in The Birds (1963)

Another scary choice, this time a collective mass of birds. The Hitchcock film sees the birds descend on Bodega Bay and attack all those who live there. The other day, a mass of black birds gathered, as they do in the scene above, when I left for work. Needless to say, I was quite on edge!

The birds gather outside my house!

Did You Know? When audiences left the premiere at Leicester Square's Odeon cinema, they were scared even further by the sound of screeching and flapping birds from loudspeakers hidden in the trees.


5. Dug in Up (2009)

You wouldn't expect a golden retriever in the tropical landscape of South America. And I guess you wouldn't expect to hear its thoughts either. Well, this is what happens in Pixar's Up. Though he may not be the most intelligent dog, and is often distracted by squirrels, Dug has a big heart and is a comforting pet to Russell and eventually Carl.

Want to Know More? I wrote a blog post on ZooScope about all the animals in the film and how they are represented. If you fancy reading, just click here.

6. Jack the Dog in The Artist (2011)

The Artist is a modern take on the silent black and white films of the 1920s. Jack the Dog provides great visual comedy, particularly in the scene with Oscar winner Jean Dujardin at the breakfast table.

Did You Know? Jack the Dog was played by three Jack Russell Terriers: Uggie, Dash and Dude

7. Richard Parker in Life of Pi (2012)

An unlikely environment for a tiger - on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with a boy named Pi. The ferocious tiger is beautifully digitally animated and a real tiger was used in some scenes. However, recent stories have emerged that the tiger 'nearly drowned' on set.

Did you know? The film won for Best Director, Visual Effects, Score and Best Cinematography at last year's Oscars and is adapted from the best selling novel by Yann Martel.

8. Mr. Fox in Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

George Clooney plays the title role in Wes Anderson's adaptation of Roald Dahl's book. The sly and wild yet urbane fox steals food from three farmers every night. Fed up with Mr. Fox, the farmers seek revenge in destroying the fox's home. Mr. Fox leads the escape for his family and woodland creature friends.

Did you know? It took seven months to complete the very first Mr. Fox puppet

9. Kermit the Frog in The Muppets (2011)

He may be made of felt but he is still an animal - clue is in the name Kermit the Frog. The TV and film star will return in the sequel Muppets Most Wanted (2014) which was featured as a Trailer Tuesday last month.

Did You Know? Kermit the Frog has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

10. Timon and Pumbaa in The Lion King (1994)

I cannot pick one - they come as a pair! Timon, the clever meerkat, and his smelly warthog friend, Pumbaa, take care of Simba as he grows up in the jungle after Scar tells the lion cub to 'run away and never return'. The two animals even had their own TV series.

Best Timon and Pumbaa Quote? 
Timon: Gee, he looks blue
Pumbaa: I'd say brownish-gold
Timon: No, no, no. I mean he's depressed
Pumbaa: Oh.


Who is your favourite animal in film?

Comment below or tweet your suggestions to
 @TicketStubBlog

Quote of the Day #3

"I hear the expression 'eats like a bird' it, it's really a fals-fals-fals-falsity. Because birds really eat a tremendous lot. But I -I don’t really know anything about birds. My hobby is stuffing things. You know - taxidermy."

Psycho (1960)

Image: awesomewithasideofsweet.blogspot.com