I've Been Thinking... - What I Saw at the Cinema in January: Rogue One and La La land.

Hi!!!

I've said this a lot recently, but last year I really got back into going to the cinema. I really want to continue that this year, because I really enjoy it, and I made a good start by going twice in January. Here's my thoughts on the movies I saw last month, both of which are still running at most cinemas.

The first film I saw at the cinema in 2017 was Rogue One: A Star Wars Story which is set shortly before the events of ‘A New Hope’, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ and reveals how the Rebellion got their hands on the designs for the Death Star with the help of former criminal Jyn Erso.
 I went with my Uncle B - we hadn't been to the cinema together in about a million years so it was lovely to spend that time together.

I love Star Wars, and this is one of my favourite films in the franchise.

I find that during most of the Star Wars films, I get bored for at least fifteen minutes or so in the middle, but that didn't happen with Rogue One. I found it engaging, entertaining and I really liked the plot and I think they have the pacing for this one spot on,

The characters were all interesting and individual and I'm really glad I went to see it. I was concerned it would take away from the actual main Star Wars films, but I think it just adds to them - its nice to see more of that universe.

When I first saw the trailer for La La Land, I very excitedly told my best friend Elf Girl about it because she loves musicals just as much as me. It follows the lives of Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a jazz pianist, and the romance that begins between the two of them, which is threatened when they finally find success.

 I enjoyed the film a lot. I think the characters are great, I really like the songs and the score in general and I like that it features dance routines like those from old school Hollywood musicals. There are gorgeous moments in this movie.

 I wasn't keen on some elements of the cinematography -  namely the ridiculously fast, makes-your-eyes-go-out-of-focus panning - but other aspects of it I found to be really beautiful. I'm not mad about the structure - its split into seasons - and in some ways I don't think it is quite all that certain reviewers, critics and people in general say it is, but I did like it all the same and would recommend you go and see it.

There are links here and here to screening times for Rogue One and links here and here to screening times for La La Land.

I hope you enjoyed these mini reviews of two of January's biggest films.

Have you seen these movies? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future content? Please leave a comment below and I'll get back to you.

Thanks for reading, and if you go and see either of these films, I hope you enjoy them.

I hope you have an incredible day!

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - Why You Should Go And See Suicide Squad.

Hi!!!

I've been to the cinema more this year than any other year that I can remember - there have been so many new releases that I've wanted to go and see. My friends and I went to see Suicide Squad last Saturday and I thought you might like to here my thoughts on it.

There's been a lot riding on Suicide Squad, the 'movie event of the year'. This is for a number of reasons, one being the huge fan bases the character's in this film have, even though they've never been featured on film before.

 

I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE THIS FILM (sorry for the loud shouting, I just really do).

I think Margot Robbie gives a perfect performance as Harley Quinn, one of the greatest characters in film this year - she's out there, she's crazy, she's fearless and funny and all that kind of stuff. I also loved Will Smith as Deadshot - he played the super cool hitman brilliantly. Jared Leto's Joker is very impressive and great to watch. The other character's are very good, too. They may well be the 'worst heroes ever' but they some of the most interesting, daring and entertaining characters in cinema. Someone tell Taylor Swift that I've found different squad goals.

The plot is engaging and entertaining - I didn't look at my watch once, I didn't want it to end, really. It's not often that I'll think about a film for days after, it happens when I'm very impressed. This film and it's characters have cropped up in my head so often these past few days. I'll certainly buy the DVD release when it comes out.

 

I'd recommend it to you all. It's funny, sharp and unique and I really enjoyed it.

 

You can see the trailer here.

 

Well, thanks for reading.

Have you seen Suicide Squad? Do you have any cinema recommendations for me? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed. Speak soon.

 

Have an awesome day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - My Thoughts On The New Ghostbusters Film and The Public Response.

Hi!!!

If you've a movie fan, you've probably heard about the new 'Ghostbusters' film, a reboot of the classic from the 80s. The trailer for this film is one of the most disliked videos in all of YouTube's history. Its cast is lead by four women. Here are my views.



I am a huge fan of the original 'Ghostbusters' film, just for your information. I enjoy it, it's staple viewing at Halloween and it always makes me laugh.

 

I love the new 'Ghostbusters' movie.
It's funny, it's spooky, it features some great characters and it has a very strong plot. My favourite characters are Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) and Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). They're interesting, unique, funny and smart. I mean, the other lead characters are, too, but Patty and Holtzmann are far more up my street.
 All the actresses are great with comedy and work as a group really well. The film kept me engaged throughout - sometimes at the cinema, I do have a sneaky look at my watch... - and it made me jump at times, too.
It shows the strength of female friendships like the original showed the strength of male friendships, which is so good to see.
I loved that the costumes for the film are like clothes that actual women wear - not everything is on show, not everything is ridiculously glamorous and they don't fight ghosts while wearing high heeled shoes.
 I think the character Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) could be improved, especially given the all-female group of Ghostbusters. I think its a shame that, in a film that makes a lot of progress in terms of casting and characterisation of female characters, Kevin is 'the stupid cute guy' who is 'hired because he's cute'.
Other than that, I personally think the film is great and would recommend it to you.

I'm sure at least some of you know about the criticism this movie faced before it was even released. The trailer is one of the most disliked videos on YouTube.
I appreciate that some people are not keen on the idea of the new film because they love the old one so much and don't want to see a film of less quality become part of its legacy. That, to me, is fine - I understand your worry (but I don't think you don't need to feel that way because it isn't a scene by scene remake and it is good).
However, there are some people who are totally against the film because of the all female cast, although these people often try to suggest that it is more to do with their love for the original. I think it's disgraceful.
  Let's get a few things straight, shall we? Women can be amazing actresses. Women can be hilarious. Women can inspire other women. Women deserve the opportunity to showcase their abilities and encourage others to do the same. Women have worth. Women deserve respect.

Another awfully shocking response to the film has been the racism Leslie Jones has had to face. Black actresses can be amazing and hilarious. They deserve the chance to show off their abilities and inspire people. Black people have worth. Black people deserve respect.

One thing I can say, is that the four women in this film have handled all of this so well, even though they should never have had to. I respect them all so much.
I don't mind at all if you don't like the film because you think it has a weak plot or poor characterisation or lacks development of key themes. I don't share those views but that's alright because you are entitled to an informed opinion. But for people to dislike a film, simply because the cast are mostly female and feature more than one ethnicity is absurd to me. That's just unfair to everyone involved.
Everyone has rights and talents, and I look forward to the day that everyone recognises this.

Thank you so much for reading.

Have you seen the new Ghostbusters film? What did you think? What are your thoughts on the public response? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Be sure to tell me in the comments.

I hope you have a great weekend. I'll be celebrating my birthday on Sunday, so I'll speak to you after that.

Have a totally marvellous day!

GingerSnaps xxx