Posts

Showing posts from June, 2017

#movies - Review - King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Image
#KingArthurLegendOfTheSword was NOT as bad as I'd heard it was. It wasn't WOOHOO...*runs around doing the helicopter t-shirt thing*...but it also wasn't *cries into cornflakes* This is one of those movies you start one Saturday afternoon, take a well deserved nap, and don't feel in the least bit upset at missing any of it. You'll catch the bits you missed the next time you need a Saturday afternoon nap. The downsides Guy Richie's choppy writing/directing ticks can be annoying in places. He borrows from himself, having Arthur carry out both sides of a conversation to show how far ahead he can think, much like Sherlock planning out his Holmes-Fu in a pair of better Richie movies. This occasionally feels like Richie is trying to do the same with the audience, handling both sides of the "movie conversation", never letting a scene land without jarring cuts back and forth, until eventually you just want to step out of the experience to let

#Music - Songs you didn't know were covers - 002 - "Blame it on the boogie"

Image
This is a tale of two Jacksons. Michael and Mick. Michael and his brothers had a hit called "Blame it on the Boogie." However, the song was actually written by another Jackson: Mick Jackson, a white dude from England. Unbeknownst to Mick, his publisher sold the rights to his song to Joe Jackson (not the "Stepping Out" Joe Jackson, but the father of the Jackson Five.) Confused yet? What followed was The Jacksons and Mick Jackson releasing their own versions of the same song within a week of each other in the UK. And, contrary to what you might think, Mick did okay with his version, both in the UK and US. Sadly though, he never saw any royalties for the song because of his publisher's shenanigans. At least we still have his funky white version to enjoy. :D GSY

#movies - Wonder Woman - spoiler free review

Image
A quick, spoiler-free #WonderWoman review... I went to see this movie fearing the worst. DC have not had the best track record of late and there seemed to be seventy years of expectation resting on Gal Gadot's shoulders. Turns out, my fears were misplaced. DC have finally found a better balance in tone for one of their movies, and, in Gal Gadot, they have an excellent Wonder Woman. Director Patty Jenkins has made no secret of the fact she's a fan of 1978's Superman, and there are a couple of visual nods to the classic Christopher Reeve movie. However, the spirit of Superman is most obvious in the chemistry between Diana and Steve Trevor, something that's been sadly lacking from the other DCEU movies. And most notably absent from the newer Superman movies. Gadot owns the role and gives us much of what DC/WarnerBros missed the mark on with their "grim dark" superhero universe so far: optimism, charm, kindness, and humor - despite the wartime setting.