Shazam (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

Shazam (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Shazam is the best modern (post Nolan) DCEU film to date.  Okay so other than Wonder Woman that’s still a pretty low bar but regardless Shazam is a genuinely funny, genuinely charming and probably top 10 of the year film with loads to entertain kids and adults of all ages.  Of course it’s the cast that make this work and Zachary Levi especially nails the titular character, with Mark Strong once again laying it down thick and fast as the villain.  Okay so the last thirty minute plus smash-em-crash-em goes on too long (the film really shines in the smaller moments) but it, and you, are having so much fun you can pretty much forgive it. Shazam delivers.  See DC CAN make a good film.

Best Bit: Testing powers

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Cinema

If You Liked this Try: Wonder Woman, Deadpool, Aquaman 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Podcast: Captain Marvel (2019) – Phil’s InstaTake

Podcast: Captain Marvel (2019) – Phil’s InstaTake

by RossAndPhil Ross and Phil Talk Movies The Podcasts

On this (solo) episode of the podcast Phil delivers his InstaTake on the latest (and first female led) Marvel blockbuster – Captain Marvel.  Is this a Wonder Woman or a Catwoman (yes I know both DC films but come on there’s no Marvel ones to joke about yet!)

Hosted by Phil Hobden.

Films Discussed: Captain Marvel, Avengers, Wonder Woman

For more on Ross Boyask search @RossBoyask on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also check out @EvoFilmsUK online.

For more on Phil Hobden check out www.philhobden.co.uk , Twitter (@PhilQuickReview) and Instagram (RossAndPhilTalkMovies)

#RossAndPhil #RossAndPhilTalkMovies #MoviePodcasts #Podcasts

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Captain Marvel (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

Captain Marvel (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
From its awesome Stan Lee homages to its 90’s throw backs and references to 10 years plus of Marvel cinematic cannon, Captain Marvel knows exactly what film it wants to be from the start.  And that’s a good thing.  Marvel know how to create characters you care about and once again they nail it with Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel – one of the most likeable heroes yet.  She’s staring, smart and relatable.  Oh and she can seriously kick arse. Okay so the story is a touch predicable (If you can’t spot the real bad guy 5 minutes in or even from the trailer you’ve probably never watched a film before) and at times it may be trying too hard but any film that has a running Top Gun reference gets my vote.  So overall another must see Marvel film.

Best Bit: Goose

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Cinema

If You Liked this Try: Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Thor: Ragnarok, Top Gun

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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The Best & Worst Of 2017 – Motion Picture Maniac

The Best & Worst Of 2017 – Motion Picture Maniac

by Motion Picture Maniac A Blog Motion Picture Maniac Year In Review

Remember when the disappointment that was 2016 ended and we all toasted to 2017 hopefully proving to be better? Didn’t exactly meet expectations did it? Last year many of our favourite celebrities passed away, this year many of those left have turned out to be sex offenders – go team. But anyway, just like last year I’ve had to stretch my film lists out from top 10’s to top 20’s, which could be seen as a good thing, an indication that there were enough good films to warrant a longer list but then, you remember, the same goes for the bad list.

What can I say; this year was long and depressing, the year before it was long and depressing and, realistically, the next year will probably be long and depressing also; happy days! So here we go, the best films of the year and… the other list, along with some other fun considerations because why not? Of course there were some well-regarded films I was unable to see like Call Me By Your Name and Brigsby Bear and I do hate that I missed them but hey, what can I do?

 

Best Films Of 2017

  1. Dunkirk – (Film of the year, a perfectly shot single feature length action sequence rife with lethal intensity, brutal sound design and gargantuan production value; all of which transpire to do justice to real life heroes)
  2. Blade Runner 2049
  3. Wind River
  4. A Ghost Story
  5. Wonder Woman
  6. Loving Vincent
  7. Thor: Ragnarok
  8. Song To Song
  9. War For The Planet Of The Apes
  10. Mother
  11. American Made
  12. It Comes At Night
  13. Lego Batman
  14. John Wick Chapter 2
  15. Logan
  16. Battle Of The Sexes
  17. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  18. It
  19. The Disaster Artist
  20. Atomic Blonde

 

Honourable Mentions

The Beguiled

The Killing of a sacred deer

Detroit

Double date

Only the brave

T2 Trainspotting

Okja

Get Out

Baby driver

Spiderman homecoming

 

Special Sympathy Mention:

Justice League

 

Worst Films Of 2017

  1. The Shack – (Worst film of the year, one of the most morally bankrupt, self satisfied, arrogant and offensive pieces of propaganda garbage I have ever seen in my life, it’s not just bad, it’s hurtful and dangerous)
  2. The Bye-Bye Man
  3. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
  4. Unforgettable
  5. Everything, Everything
  6. Girl’s Trip
  7. The Snowman
  8. Flatliners
  9. The Zookeeper’s Wife
  10. The Sense Of An Ending
  11. Hampstead
  12. Unlocked
  13. The Emoji Movie
  14. The House
  15. Daddy’s Home 2
  16. CHiPS
  17. Bitter Harvest
  18. Overdrive
  19. Transformers: The Last Knight
  20. Fifty Shades Darker

 

Dis-Honourable Mentions

Geostorm

The Star

A Bad Mom’s Christmas

The Space Between Us

Wish Upon

Fist Fight

Table 19

The Book Of Henry

Snatched

Rings

 

 

15 Favourite Action Sequences

Pretty much everything in “The Air” – Dunkirk

Silo Hostage Rescue And Subsequent Battle – Justice League

No Man’s Land – Wonder Woman

Bifrost Bridge Battle – Thor: Ragnarok

Stairwell Fight – Atomic Blonde

Helicopter Swatting – Kong: Skull Island

Hocus Pocus – Baby Driver

The Battle Of Crate – Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Drill Sight Massacre – Wind River

Art Gallery Shootout – John Wick Chapter 2

Aero Baby Rescue – Fate Of The Furious

Throne Room Slaughter – Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Steppenwolf In Themyscira – Justice League

K VS Luv – Blade Runner 2049

Opening Sequence – John Wick Chapter 2

 

 

Favourite Villainous Performances

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren – Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf – Justice League

Jamie Foxx as Bats – Baby Driver

Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster – Thor: Ragnarok

Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise The Dancing Clown – It

Sylvia Hoeks as Luv – Blade Runner 2049

Will Poulter as Krauss – Detroit

Woody Harrelson as The Colonel – War For The Planet Of The Apes

Ruby Rose as Ares – John Wick Chapter 2

Robert Carlyle as Francis Begbie – T2 Trainspotting

 

 

Best On-Screen Couples (Romantic, Bromantic Or Otherwise)

David and Walter – Alien: Covenant

Thor and… his Hammer – Thor: Ragnarok

K and Joi – Blade Runner 2049

Hobbs and Deckard – Fate Of The Furious

Billie-Jean and Marilyn – Battle Of The Sexes

Greg and Tommy – The Disaster Artist

Rocket and Baby Groot – Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Wolverine and X23 – Logan

Batman and Superman – Justice League

Bryce and Kincaid – The Hitman’s Bodyguard

 

 

Special Awards

Best Opening Credit Sequence: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Best Use Of Music In Correlation To The Visuals: Blade Runner 2049 – “Sea Wall”

Pottymouth Of The Year: Robert Carlyle – T2 Trainspotting

Most Interesting Style: TIE – Loving Vincent/A Ghost Story

Best SFX: War For The Planet Of The Apes

Most Immersive Camera Movements: Justice League

Funniest Line (Intentional): “I’m gonna knock your teeth so far down your throat you’re gonna stick a toothbrush right up your ass to brush em” – Fate Of The Furious

Funniest Line (Unintentional): “Blow into the hole gently, I’ll do the fingering” – Alien: Covenant

Captain Obvious Award: Josh Duhamel, Transformers: The Last Knight – “Look, it’s a big alien ship”

Guilty Pleasure Of The Year: TIE – xXx: Return Of Xander Cage/Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Notable Face-Palm Of The Year: Fakest Sneeze Of All Time – The Bye-Bye Man

Done and dusted, recalling and sifting through the stuff I liked about the year was great fun, doing the same for what I didn’t like bloody hurt. Oh I wonder what the next year will hold, not just regarding the movies but the politics, the sociology, the very backbone of public opinion… who am I kidding, it’s gonna suck, it’ll all suck and we should probably all just save time by taking turns gleefully leaping into a giant deadly shit hole to boil and desolve to death.

 

Happy New Year.

Motion Picture Maniac 

Phil’s 2018 Preview & Look Back At 2017 Predictions…

Phil’s 2018 Preview & Look Back At 2017 Predictions…

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Year In Review

Phil’s Quick look at what’s wetting his whistle for the upcoming year in films…

Well 2017 saw Marvel driver big and DC retain it’s patchy record.  Horror stood out overall as most of the big Blockbusters fell short.  2018 has the promise to be even more mixed… so here’s the films I’m most looking forward to in 2017. And a few that I’d be happy to miss.

 

 

 

Most Excited:  Avengers: Infinity War
Like it or not this is the biggest film of the year and whilst I have reservations (Age Of Ultron wasn’t great and the trailer did little for this latest instalment did little for me) BUT Marvel have been building to this for over 10 years and with the talent involved both on screen and off this could be a once in a life time film.  Or Justice League Mark 2. Time will tell.

 

 

2. Deadpool 2
The original Deadpool was brilliant and by all accounts if the trailer is anything to go by this could be as good if not better.  Enter Cable to the X-Men universe and with all the returning faces from part one Deadpool could be the last great 18 rated film Fox makes if the merger with Disney goes ahead.

 

 

 

3. Black Panther
Marvel bring a more unconventional Superhero tale to the screen, and with an excellent trailer and Marvel’s near flawless 2017 record this has the ability to be something quiet special indeed.

 

4. Bohemian Rhapsody
Yes it’s had production issues and yes Singer isn’t a nice guy but with Dexter Fletcher taking over and with Queens backing this could be the film about the great Freddie Mercury that we have ALL been wait for.

 

5.  The Incredibles 2
The Incredibles was, er, Incredible and this belated sequel looks like it could be another smash hit for Pixar.  Lets just hope its more Toy Story 2 than Cars 2.

 

Bubbling Under: Tomb Raider (Good Trailer, great cast), Ant Man & The Wasp (Ant Man was great fun), The Predator (Shane Black + Predator = Hell Yes!), Mission Impossible 6 (These films tend to always be fun), The Happytime Murders (Brian Henson + Muppets = Heaven), The Purge: Island (LOVE the Purge Films), The Irishman (Scorsese teams with DeNiro & Pacino), Halloween (New sequel that ignores previous. With Carpenter’s blessing AND music)

 

[divider]

 

 

Stinker Of The Year: Fifty Shades Freed
Yes I’ve watched BOTH Fifty Shades movies.  And yes BOTH have previously taken the WORST FILM of the year titles. Look this franchise has nothing.  Poor acting, poor direction and poor writing topped off with S&M so softcore you could see harder on Babestation. Thankfully this will bring this torrid series to an end and hopefully the careers of all involved.


Also Dreading: Solo – A Star Wars Story (fired directors, Ron Howard, total reshoots – this could be the first Disney Star Wars flop), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom  (Boring trailer and a sense of having done this before), Day of The Dead: Bloodline (please no), Ready Player One (Spielberg hasn’t made a truly interesting film for a while), X-Men: Dark Phoenix (X-Men films just don’t grab me anymore), Oceans 8 (Just WHY!), Scarface (Urban Scarface remake….a film NOBODY asked for), Pacific Rim: Uprising (God no)

 

[divider]


So how did I do last year?

 

This is the time of the year when I look back at my picks of the good, the bad and the ugly from 2017 and see how close I was (or as it often is the case, how far!)…

 

For best: I tipped  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Star Wars The Last Jedi, War For The Planet Of The Apes, T2: Trainspotting and John Wick Chapter 2 as my most anticipated of 2017.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was good but eclipsed by both Spiderman Homecoming and Thor Ragnorok.   War For The Planet Of The Apes was good but fell a bit short of the rave reviews it was given. T2: Trainspotting was one of my top 5 films of the year (and film of the year for almost half of 2017) whilst John Wick 2 was a bit shit. Star Wars The last Jedi meanwhile.  As for the rest?  Silence, Spiderman: Homecoming, Alien: Covenant and Baywatch were all either great or enjoyable.

 

As for the Stinkers? Transformers: The Last Knight was picked as the stinker of the year but eventually was pipped by Fifty Shades Darker. Both were appalling. Wonder Woman was actually mostly excellent, Blade Runner 2049 ended up as one of teh years best and Logan knocked it out the park. XXX: Return Of Xander Cage was dumb fun but The Mummy, Power Rangers and Cars 3 all were in the worst of the year.

 

So here’s to 2017… see you again next year!

Phil’s End Of Year Awards 2017

Phil’s End Of Year Awards 2017

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Year In Review

So 2017 is almost over and it’s that time a year again where everyone reflects back on their best and worst films of the year.  So we’ve covered our best and our worst films of 2016, so before we look at the films coming up in 2017 here’s my ‘Alternative’ End of Year Awards for 2017…

 

The Most Entertainingly Bad Film Of The Year Award…
Geostorm

 

The Gerard Butler Award For Consistently Making Entertainingly Terrible Films
Gerard Butler (Geostorm)

 

Surprise of The Year Award…
That Any one’s left standing in Hollywood after the year of deaths and scandals…

 

Performance Of The Year Award…
Mark Kermode AGAIN… for his still oddly favourable reviews for his friends movies (see Murder On The Orient Express)

 

Just Fuck Off and Die Award…
Michael Bay & Transformers. Just stop. Now.

 

Least Deserving Commercial Bomb of The Year (Maybe EVER) Award…
Blade Runner 2049

 

Shit so I still can enjoy these films right, even though their lead/producer/co-star was a pervert/bully/ sex offender/Insert Crime Here Award
Baby Driver, Swimming With Sharks, Pulp Fiction, X-Men 2, Toy Story… agh almost ALL my favourite films.  God damn you Hollywood.

 

Come In Your time is Up Award…
Zack Snider. You made two good films. EVERYTHING else has been deeply average. TIED with Harvey Weinstein – your a cunt Harvey pure and simple.

 

Trailer Of The Year Award…
Logan Redband Trailer

 

Let Down of The Year Award…
Hollywood.  A seething industry of low lives and scum.

 

Yes it’s Good. But come on people its also a bit Emperors new clothes…
Get Out

 

Low Budget Straight To DVD Surprise of the Year!
Shot Caller

 

The ‘YES!  See We don’t Always Fuck Up Award’
DC/Warner Brothers. They Made a Good Film! (Wonder Woman)

 

Fuck! We Spoke Too Soon Award
DC/Warner Brothers for Justice League

 

Let Down of The Year Award Part 2….
George Romero NOT coming back as a Zombie when he died.

 

Cameo of The Year Award…
Tim Curry’s original Pennywise The Clown in the 2017 version of IT.

 

The Prove That ‘You Can Come Back from Horrible Shit’ Award (Aka The Future Kevin Spacey Award)
Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge, Daddy’s Home 2)

 

The Oscars only like REALLY famous dead people award for missing out other stars who died Award…
 Garry Shandling, Florence Henderson, Alexis Arquette, Doris Roberts and Robert Vaughn

 

The Proof That Award Shows Suck Award…
Snubs (Didn’t wins or Not Nominated) for I Daniel Blake,  Hunt for The Wilder People, Sing Street, Hell Or High Water,  Jake Gyllenhaal, Kubo And The Two Strings, Silence, Amy Adams and many more

 

The Poof That Award Shows DONT Suck Award…
It’s La La Land… No Moonlight… No Titanic… No it’s me. The awards themselves offered few surprises, The Oscars even less, but the best picture cock up at the Academy Awards was pure gold!

 

The Audience Wins! Award.  2017 Sees LESS remakes/Reboots than ever before. Some still sucked.
Flatliners, The Mummy

 

Not ALL remakes & reboots suck Award…
IT 2017. Just awesome.

 

Yup we just made it for the money award (aka The Sequels Suck) Award…
Transformers Age Of Extinction

 

Films That SHOULD have been on my 2016 List’s but I Hadn’t Seen…
The Edge Of Seventeen, The Girl With All The Gifts, Train To Busan, Deepwater Horizon, Kubo & The Two Strings, Sing Street, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, 13th,  I Daniel Blake

 

 

Next time: Phil’s Look at 2018 and a look back at my 2017 predictions… 

Grosse Pointe Geek’s Round Up of 2017

Grosse Pointe Geek’s Round Up of 2017

by Will Strong A Blog Grosse Point Geek
Another year goes by and like very much like 2016 its been a mighty disappointing one for us film geeks.

The blockbuster season (which started in about April) was without doubt the worst i have ever known – littered with remakes, sequels and reboots that proved there is a total lack of any new ideas flowing through Hollywood at the moment. Time and again it seemed that millions of dollars had been simply thrown away on the likes of utter rubbish such The Dark Tower, Valerian, King Arthur and that awful Transformers sequel, with nary a single  passing thought to investing in creating proper stories, decent scripts or even a hint at actual risk taking.  Instead, for the most part  we got nothing more than good looking dross aimed at the 12A moron crowd who wouldn’t know a proper film if it came up and bit them on the arse.

What  is painfully obvious is that the film industry as a whole needs to completely take stock, cease trying to create the next expanded universe or indulging talentless idiots like Roland Emmerich, Michael Bay and (whisper it) Luc Besson and start delivering edgy, daring material that at least has a go at being original, thought provoking and dare i say it  – not solely aimed at the average 12 year old boy, then maybe we would have a chance of far more satisfying years at the cinema than this one turned out to be.

I will concede that it wasn’t all bad as there were a few shining lights. Logan proved to be the best X-Men film since X2, Dunkirk solidified Christopher Nolan as one of the greatest directors working in Hollywood today, Thor Ragnarok was utterly insane and turned out to be the funniest and most enjoyable standalone film of the MCU universe, Fast 8 was great fun and Star Wars The Last Jedi was fantastic, in addition some smaller more independent films also managed to impress  – the likes of Wind River, Manchester By The Sea, Molly’s Game, Lion and A Monster Calls were all top notch. Plus there were some great performances  –  Chris Evans, Andy Serkis, Adam Driver, Jessica Chastain, Mark Rylance  and many others all did very well in challenging and memorable roles that impressed critics and audiences alike.

However, despite this i still have to say that over all this year was sadly a massive let down and one can only hope that 2018 is a significant improvement……we live in hope.

So without further ado please see below my personal list of the good, bad and in many cases very ugly films of 2017.

Top Ten Best

  1. Dunkirk
  2. Thor Ragnarok
  3. Star Wars The Last Jedi
  4. A Monster Calls
  5. Manchester By The Sea
  6. Lion
  7. Spiderman Homecoming
  8. Blade Runner 2049
  9. Logan
  10. War For The Planet of The Apes

Top Ten Honorary Mentions  

  1. Wind River
  2. Molly’s Game
  3. Gifted
  4. Wheelman (catch it on Netflix  – its great)
  5. Fast 8
  6. Hacksaw Ridge
  7. John Wick Chapter 2
  8. Wonder Woman
  9. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2
  10. The Hitman’s Bodyguard

Top Fifteen Worst:

  1. Transformers:The Last Knight (the cinematic equivalent of being disemboweled with a blunt spoon then slowly and choked to death with ones own entrails – I HATED this film)
  2. Underworld 5 (god-awful rubbish)
  3. XXX3: The Return of Xander Cage (at least 15 years out of date, bereft of entertainment value and utterly juvenile to boot)
  4. Kingsman: The Golden Circle (horribly crass, overlong and an insult to the brilliant original)
  5. The Discovery (torpor inducing nonsense)
  6. The Snowman (considering the talent in front and behind the camera it beggared belief as to how rotten this film was)
  7. Ghost In The Shell (boring and bland in the extreme)
  8. Free Fire (crap)
  9. Unlocked (mega crap)
  10. King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (a misfire and a complete mess of gargantuan proportions)
  11. Silence (Scorsese’s $40 million dollar vanity project that was, without a shadow of a doubt THE most boring cinematic experience I have ever had in my entire life)
  12. The Bye Bye Man (just bad bad bad)
  13. The Dark Tower (a catastrophic waste of time and money  – how this version of Stephen King’s classic novels managed to get the green light from the studio I will never know)
  14. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge (Johnny was good value as always but this moribund franchise needs to end with immediate effect)
  15. Assassins Creed (good looking film but could have been so much better)

Top Fifteen Favorite Performances:

  1. Chris Evans  – Gifted
  2. Mckenna Grace  – Gifted
  3. Hugh Jackman  – Logan
  4. Mark Rylance  – Dunkirk
  5. Ryan Reynolds  – The Hitman’s Bodyguard
  6. Frank Grillo – Wheelman
  7. Jessica Chastain  –  Molly’s Game
  8. Adam Driver  – Star Wars The Last Jedi
  9. Mark Hamill – Star Wars The Last Jedi
  10. Chris Hemsworth – Thor Ragnarok
  11. Jeff Goldblum – Thor Ragnarok
  12. Dwayne Johnson  – Fast 8
  13. Chris Pine – Wonder Woman
  14. Andy Serkis – War For The Planet Of The Apes
  15. Tom Holland – Spiderman Homecoming

Top Ten Best Action Scenes:

1.Star Wars The Last Jedi: The final battle – Chewie and Rey arrive in the Falcon in the nick of time

2.Thor Ragnarok – That god almighty scrap on the Bifrost Bridge – all brilliantly played out to Led Zepellin’s classic Immigrant Song

3.Star Wars The Last Jedi – The Throne Room Lightsabre duel

4.Dunkirk: Tom Hardy’s RAF spitfire pilot desperately tries to bring down a German Bomber before it kills scores of soldiers who are stranded the water plus pleasure boat captain Mr Dawson (Mark Rylance) and his son Peter -total edge of the seat, nail biting stuff –  all together now “Come on Farrier!”

5. Fast 8  – Jason Statham (plus very cute baby) vs an entire plane load of baddies

6. Fast 8 – Dwayne Johnson vs speeding torpedo

7. Wonder Woman – The No Man’s Land dash

8. Spiderman Homecoming  – The Washington Monument rescue sequence

9. Justice League – The League’s first proper battle with Steppenwolf and the Para Demons

10. Thor Ragnarok  – Thor vs The Hulk


Best One liners:

  1. “Im gonna shove your teeth so far down your throat that your gonna have to shove a toothbrush up your ass to clean ’em!”  – Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) – Fast 8
  2. “Im gonna beat you like a Cherokee drum!” Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson – again) – Fast 8
  3. “By the beard of Odin you will not cut my hair!”  Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – Thor Ragnarok
  4. “Please kind sir do not cut my hair!”  – Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – Thor Ragnarok
  5. “I have legendarily huge turds”  – Drax (Dave Bautista) – Guardians of The Galaxy Vol 2
  6. “What the F….!!!!!” Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) Spiderman: Homecoming

Right, there we have it – my work here is done for another year  – as ever i would like to thank my dear friend Phil Hobden for letting me contribute to this fantastic website  (despite the fact that he is still remains to be utterly wrong about Paul WS Anderson and The Hobbit Trilogy!) and finally my heartfelt thanks go out to all our loyal readers  (whoever the hell you are)

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

My name is Will Strong and i’ve been Grosse Pointe Geek.

Podcast: The Smoking Lamb #079 – Justice League (Non-Spoiler + Spoiler)

Podcast: The Smoking Lamb #079 – Justice League (Non-Spoiler + Spoiler)

by The Smoking Lamb The Podcasts The Smoking Lamb Podcast

It’s The Smoking Lamb Movie Podcast. A weekly, no-holds-baa-aa-arred, and R-rated look at the world of movies.

On this episode: After ages and ages of waiting, bringing with it a whole load of baggage in its wake, it’s finally here at last. Episode 79 of The Smoking Lamb.

By which I mean of course Justice League has finally reached the cinemas, dragging behind it a weight of expectations and a whole tea shop’s worth of gossip and rumours.

We delve into all of that with our review, split into a non-spoiler and spoiler section (which you can find after the end credits of the podcast). In addition we have our top five Sidekicks to discuss, both Josh AND Steve get a dose of education and then go head-to-head in Address the Lamb!

Check it out and BLEAT THE WORLD and don’t forget to follow up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

#TheSmokingLamb #MoviePodcasts #Podcasts #FilmPodcast

 

Phil’s Top 5… 2017’s Superhero Films! 

Phil’s Top 5… 2017’s Superhero Films! 

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five.  This time out: 2017’s Superhero Films!

 

Close but no cigar: Wonder Woman, Justice League

 

5 – The LEGO Batman Movie 
The LEGO Batman Movie isn’t quite as good as the original LEGO movie but in terms of jokes per second it pretty much delivers more than any film I’ve seen this year.  Smart, funny and very knowing.

4 – Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2
GOTG2 was great fun that, on reflection, wasn’t quite as good as most of us originally thought falling apart somewhat in the final act.  BUT the journey to get there was damn good fun!

3 – Logan
Logan finally gave us the Wolverine movie we’ve been waiting for.  Violent, sweary and brutal it takes the Old Man Logan story and brilliantly puts it on screen.

2 – Thor Ragnorok 
Damn Thor Ragnorok was good.  In the long run it may even pip Spiderman to the top spot here.  With an unusual choice of director, added Hulk and a witty script this was a Marvel film from left field that actually massively out delivered expectation.

1 – Spiderman: Homecoming
It’s been a long time coming but Spiderman: Homecoming gave us one of our best Spiderman films since, arguably, Spiderman 2.  Marvel delivered a charming coming of age Spiderman which was much closer to the original comic book.

 

 

Phil’s Top 5… DC Live Action Superhero Films

Phil’s Top 5… DC Live Action Superhero Films

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five.  This time out: DC’s Live Action Superhero Films

 

Close but no cigar: Batman The Movie, Batman, Wonder Woman


5 –  Superman
It’s aged badly for sure but Christopher Reeve is just the quintessential superhero in an age where superhero didn’t exist.  And don’t undersell how much Reeve MAKES this film.


4 – Batman Begins
Another Batman, but unlike any other origin movie Batman Begins takes the character right back to the start  in a brilliant way.


3 – Superman 2
Superman 2 is great.  It mostly holds up well, it’s got greta villains and the central relationship between Clark and Lois holds the film together well.

2 – Batman Returns
Controversial maybe but for me the second best Batman film and the BEST of the two Tim Burton films.  Its dark, brutal and unlike any other film produced in that era.  Mainstream comic book films will NEVER be like this again.


1 – The Dark Knight
The best film of the 2000’s with an iconic performance by Ledger, a cracking story and a “real world” fee that recent DC films have lacked.  In short: The Dark Knight Rises is near perfect