This is a little underused! Blogging is so 2010. ;-)
For the time being, a lot of my current thoughts are mainly film reviews which can be found here:
http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/author/dan-bullock
Monday, 2 January 2012
Saturday, 24 December 2011
The Muppet Christmas Carol
We have a bit of a countdown on TheHollywoodNews, our finale was The Muppet Christmas Carol and there's my little write-up:
So here it is! The finale, the big unveiling, the ultimate Christmas film and right here on the Eve, the…well, you’ve probably seen their splendid famous Muppet faces on the poster by now but it has been a whimsical and wonderful journey across December to THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL.
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL captures the life, love and spirit of Christmas. It is, of course, adapted from the timeless Charles Dickens novel and was originally intended to be directed by the genius of Jim Henson. However, Brian Henson – his son – took charge soon after the untimely death of his father and what a distinctive, timeless movie he created.
What makes this particular version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ extra special is how it appeals to children and adults alike. Keeping that Dickensian core of the importance of character and narrative, it’s told by Gonzo as Charles Dickens and proud, wise-cracking assistant Rizzo the Rat.
We are first introduced to Scrooge, a miserable and callous man, played impressively and imposingly by Michael Caine in true Muppet style by the medium of song. Scrooge is a gloomy soul who won’t even stretch to another shovel of coal for his frozen rat workers…cue the witty line “This is our island…in the sun!” and the visual treat of rats in Hawaiian gear as they don’t want to be fired.
Of course, this is very much the beginning of his journey. Over the course of the night he’ll be visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future and here’s where Henson’s talents come further into play. First up is the animated and eerie, ghost-like child showing Scrooge his past. What follows is a jolly and literally giant creation that shows him all the edges of good things at present but then his night is ended by the deathly, cloaked and extremely unnerving ghost of Christmas future, the latter really hitting home what Scrooge needs to change before his life is over.
All the Muppets involved are perfectly cast. The well-known theatre dwelling Statler and Wardorf are his ex-business partners Marley & Marley who literally scare him with the chains of regret. We’ve got singing vegetables, charming families of mice begging for more cheese, the annual Penguin Christmas skating party and the fantastic moment when Gonzo accidentally lights Rizzo instead of his lamp which leads to “Light the lamp, not the rat, light the lamp, not the rat!!” before he’s shoved off into a frozen bucket of ice. Don’t forget, very importantly, Kermit as Bob Cratchit married to Miss Piggy with all their –possibly bizarre- frog/pig offspring and the consequential good fortune that will eventually come their way for Scrooge changing his ways.
There’s also those additional, special Muppet touches like Sam the Eagle saying ‘It’s the American way…’ and getting a nudge to change it to “It’s the British way” plus Rizzo kissing Gonzo on the nose to apologise after he jumps off the top of the gate, when he could have walked through it on the ground.
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL is the epitome of a perfect family film that transcends that adult and child boundary in storytelling and film making. It also reminds us of the true meaning of this holiday season, which is about giving, charity, family and hope for coming year ahead. If you don’t love THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL and everything it has to offer then Bah Humbug!
Just before you go…It must be noted that every film we’ve covered here on The Hollywood News in our advent countdown holds a special place in this holiday season. From opening with Bruce Willis as John McClane in the classic DIE HARD to Dan Ackroyd losing sanity in TRADING PLACES. We saw more actors dressed as Santa than we can count, rejoiced over the still relevant MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET and didn’t stumble on our praise for the inventiveness and slapstick of HOME ALONE. We squeezed into the Christmas sock every genre including horror, animation plus the madness of CHRISTMAS VACATION and SCROOGED right up to the emotive humanity of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
We all hope you enjoyed the celebration of film as much as we have and here’s to even more in the future.
So here it is! The finale, the big unveiling, the ultimate Christmas film and right here on the Eve, the…well, you’ve probably seen their splendid famous Muppet faces on the poster by now but it has been a whimsical and wonderful journey across December to THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL.
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL captures the life, love and spirit of Christmas. It is, of course, adapted from the timeless Charles Dickens novel and was originally intended to be directed by the genius of Jim Henson. However, Brian Henson – his son – took charge soon after the untimely death of his father and what a distinctive, timeless movie he created.
What makes this particular version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ extra special is how it appeals to children and adults alike. Keeping that Dickensian core of the importance of character and narrative, it’s told by Gonzo as Charles Dickens and proud, wise-cracking assistant Rizzo the Rat.
We are first introduced to Scrooge, a miserable and callous man, played impressively and imposingly by Michael Caine in true Muppet style by the medium of song. Scrooge is a gloomy soul who won’t even stretch to another shovel of coal for his frozen rat workers…cue the witty line “This is our island…in the sun!” and the visual treat of rats in Hawaiian gear as they don’t want to be fired.
Of course, this is very much the beginning of his journey. Over the course of the night he’ll be visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future and here’s where Henson’s talents come further into play. First up is the animated and eerie, ghost-like child showing Scrooge his past. What follows is a jolly and literally giant creation that shows him all the edges of good things at present but then his night is ended by the deathly, cloaked and extremely unnerving ghost of Christmas future, the latter really hitting home what Scrooge needs to change before his life is over.
All the Muppets involved are perfectly cast. The well-known theatre dwelling Statler and Wardorf are his ex-business partners Marley & Marley who literally scare him with the chains of regret. We’ve got singing vegetables, charming families of mice begging for more cheese, the annual Penguin Christmas skating party and the fantastic moment when Gonzo accidentally lights Rizzo instead of his lamp which leads to “Light the lamp, not the rat, light the lamp, not the rat!!” before he’s shoved off into a frozen bucket of ice. Don’t forget, very importantly, Kermit as Bob Cratchit married to Miss Piggy with all their –possibly bizarre- frog/pig offspring and the consequential good fortune that will eventually come their way for Scrooge changing his ways.
There’s also those additional, special Muppet touches like Sam the Eagle saying ‘It’s the American way…’ and getting a nudge to change it to “It’s the British way” plus Rizzo kissing Gonzo on the nose to apologise after he jumps off the top of the gate, when he could have walked through it on the ground.
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL is the epitome of a perfect family film that transcends that adult and child boundary in storytelling and film making. It also reminds us of the true meaning of this holiday season, which is about giving, charity, family and hope for coming year ahead. If you don’t love THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL and everything it has to offer then Bah Humbug!
Just before you go…It must be noted that every film we’ve covered here on The Hollywood News in our advent countdown holds a special place in this holiday season. From opening with Bruce Willis as John McClane in the classic DIE HARD to Dan Ackroyd losing sanity in TRADING PLACES. We saw more actors dressed as Santa than we can count, rejoiced over the still relevant MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET and didn’t stumble on our praise for the inventiveness and slapstick of HOME ALONE. We squeezed into the Christmas sock every genre including horror, animation plus the madness of CHRISTMAS VACATION and SCROOGED right up to the emotive humanity of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
We all hope you enjoyed the celebration of film as much as we have and here’s to even more in the future.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Religulous
After recently tracking down Religulous, I figured it was time for some views and relfections. It's a Bill Maher-led mission, primarily questioning mass organised religion, its mind-set and extremists in many forms. Although it definitely spurns from a comedy angle with a Michael Moore style editing process, it still comes across directly and doesn't let up. Maher asking those questions that people don't ask enough. When, we as human beings, we have every right to ask.
Bill Maher fundamentally believes that organised religion is a neurological disorder which prevents people from thinking rationally. His journey in this documentary is to explore his view of life and the 'I Don't Know' that many of us believe in.
It also encourages us to speak out and go...You know what, I don't believe and for many rational, historic, scientific reasons and to be proud of saying that. What was particularly scary was seeing the documented rise in the USA and the gathering pace of 'believers'.
Bill Maher fundamentally believes that organised religion is a neurological disorder which prevents people from thinking rationally. His journey in this documentary is to explore his view of life and the 'I Don't Know' that many of us believe in.
It also encourages us to speak out and go...You know what, I don't believe and for many rational, historic, scientific reasons and to be proud of saying that. What was particularly scary was seeing the documented rise in the USA and the gathering pace of 'believers'.
America is shown as the country that has taken to Christianity with a mass consumerism and capitalism approach. What's bizarre is that in history, America didn't have these same beliefs earlier in the 20th century. The likes of Thomas Jefferson had even condemned it as being irrational.
As an example: People voted for George Bush because he believed in God. Not because of his policy or what he might stand for but simply because he believed something that is on the edge of psychological eccentricity, for me anyway.
I sometimes believe that Christianity is one of the most worrying forms of religion, even if we temporarily take a side step to the vast alarming growth of extremist Muslims and the obvious connotations of saying anything in that vein. Remember, ‘extreme’ is word I use very purposefully. I don’t believe every Muslim or anyone who believes in anything beyond Science is, or will be, a problem for society. Extremism is another sect of its own, a very troubled one at that.
Christianity stole gods, dates and added extra stories with some seemingly random drug-induced writing sessions. The scary part in this modern era of this thing we have named ‘belief’ is the adamant denial of such things, the absolute stoic front and the inability to question.
What I find interesting is that I really support faith and belief, I absolutely do. I just think that if you take out the angry placards of confused religion and concentrate on human spirit itself, I am positive that people would work out right and wrong for themselves. If people are so happy in their beliefs, why do they feel the utter urge to change other people or to kill other humans? Surely they should be content in their lives, knowing that when they die, they will live in that somewhat fictional 'better place.'
There appears to just be more and more people going around saying 'I'm Right, this is all about Science’ and that's all there is to it. If you ask a religious soul 'What if you're wrong and I'm right?', they can be bewildered by it, like they've been brainwashed and let go of every opinionated thought beyond what they’ve learned or read over the years.
I think Carl Jung pointed out that we're so scared of God because we're scared of the darkness that we cannot fathom. Jung continued with the belief that darkness is creativity, possibility and that this unknown is a positive thing. Underneath that cloak of darkness is a side of our minds or our existence that can actually inspire us and create something completely unexpected and that this discovery is a good thing, something that should be harnessed further and expanded upon.
Somehow, however, through a growing modern era of (government?) religious-based fear – and maybe even the last century and the explosion of mass media- it has become part of the human psyche.
The world might well possibly end, not because of angry Gods or second comings but for the simple, frightening thought that we created it through our own process of thought. I guess the only way to try and stop this from happening is to speak up and say 'You know what, I don't believe and here the irrefutable facts why.'
However, I fear this time has already passed and not because we didn't see it coming but because of some of the biggest world powers in the world have the leading brand in their baskets and they are looking to use that product to their advertising advantage.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Hot Dub Bikini Party - The Fever - Album Review
Exeter-based Hot Dub Bikini Party’s debut album evokes the optimism of a summer waiting to happen. They take us effortlessly through an exploration of dub Reggae and some beautiful echelons of indie-rock.
The album kicks off with the smooth rhythm of ‘When The Sun Comes Up’, stretching and contemplating before energetically jumping into the musical ocean. It is safe to say that there are echoes of Vampire Weekend in tracks such as ‘Crazy Days’ where the melodies from Phill Kirk’s talented fingers float into the ether.
The west coast of North America has filtered through to the South-West of England and Hot Dub will unquestionably inspire you to drift off with their sunbeam sounds. ‘Lose Your Crown’ slips you into slow, soft reggae beats and before you know it the pace has changed and you’ll be dancing wherever you are.
‘Fever’ is the album title and is an exciting example of how a great song can grow in four and a half minutes. The rock element screams out before you know what has hit you, Mark Lee’s RHCP-like bass line and Ben Camp’s exciting drumming are a major part of the expansion of the song as the whole band imposingly explores every musical avenue. Lead-singer Harry Birch effortlessly catches that gap between dub reggae and rock and the band explodes vivaciously as Fever expands and takes over.
‘Julia’ slows down proceedings for a short time, a seemingly Madness-inspired track when they were at their contemplative best, this song is a memory wrapped in positivity and hopefulness.
The big finale is ‘All You Can Be’ with the harmonising, smooth voice of Stephanie Ould filtering through the palm trees and onto the track. It is another worthy example of their all-rounded sound when they really get stuck into the music.
Hot Dub Bikini Party are a rare breed because of their assured ability to connect varied genres. This debut is passionate, energy-fuelled and inventive. With a devoted fan base that is growing fast, they are certainly a band to watch and discover this summer and even if it’s raining, they’ll definitely bring the sunshine…and the funk!
Buy the album here!!
The album kicks off with the smooth rhythm of ‘When The Sun Comes Up’, stretching and contemplating before energetically jumping into the musical ocean. It is safe to say that there are echoes of Vampire Weekend in tracks such as ‘Crazy Days’ where the melodies from Phill Kirk’s talented fingers float into the ether.
The west coast of North America has filtered through to the South-West of England and Hot Dub will unquestionably inspire you to drift off with their sunbeam sounds. ‘Lose Your Crown’ slips you into slow, soft reggae beats and before you know it the pace has changed and you’ll be dancing wherever you are.
‘Fever’ is the album title and is an exciting example of how a great song can grow in four and a half minutes. The rock element screams out before you know what has hit you, Mark Lee’s RHCP-like bass line and Ben Camp’s exciting drumming are a major part of the expansion of the song as the whole band imposingly explores every musical avenue. Lead-singer Harry Birch effortlessly catches that gap between dub reggae and rock and the band explodes vivaciously as Fever expands and takes over.
‘Julia’ slows down proceedings for a short time, a seemingly Madness-inspired track when they were at their contemplative best, this song is a memory wrapped in positivity and hopefulness.
The big finale is ‘All You Can Be’ with the harmonising, smooth voice of Stephanie Ould filtering through the palm trees and onto the track. It is another worthy example of their all-rounded sound when they really get stuck into the music.
Hot Dub Bikini Party are a rare breed because of their assured ability to connect varied genres. This debut is passionate, energy-fuelled and inventive. With a devoted fan base that is growing fast, they are certainly a band to watch and discover this summer and even if it’s raining, they’ll definitely bring the sunshine…and the funk!
Buy the album here!!
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Normal thoughts on Normal moments! Paul, Elbow and Sucker Punch
Press Screen of 'Paul'
Loved this! Free pizza, beer and wine and we even saw Mr Mark Kermode just behind us at the first screening in the UK of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's first foray away from Edgar Wright and a usual UK base.
Set in and around the Comic Con in San Diego, they stumble upon an Alien - with the voice of Seth Rogen - and everything that ensues around it. It's not stacked in originality but it is a homage to many, many sci-fi movies but done very well. Those two do have a particular gift and where it could falter, I found it very entertaining!
Elbow - Tuesday 29th April, 2011 - O2 Arena
WOW. I'm happy to report that the O2 arena is no-way as large as I thought. Having done various arenas around the country including Manchester, Belfast, Dublin and Birmingham...I was worried. BUT, it's actually quite small! The sound is impressive but I'd recommend either standing or the two section either side of the stage.
Elbow were fantastic! Guy Garvey is a top class front man, sing-alongs, chats and perfect renditions of their back-catalogue but not just a copy across from the records. They took those and made them even bigger and more special. I had a lot of shivery moments, that's what Elbow do and that's what makes them so special.
Tweet: Ooh, the Setlist from Elbow at the #O2 last night: http://ow.ly/4pp3h #geeky #elbow
There's some photos due up on FB veeery soon! =)
IMAX Screening of Sucker Punch with Zack Snyder, Waterloo, Thursday 31st March, 2011.
Right. Sucker Punch. Yeah. Firstly, the director of Sucker Punch, Watchmen and 300 did a little talk before it started. My god, that man can ramble. Jen summed it up well by saying that he's very Californian/LA. I think the ability to ramble on...but not exactly excitingly...makes him what he is but by god man, get on with it!
Anyway, he's a nice chap really and signed lots of things at work and also took the shop lot out for a pint, so I hear!
The film? Yeesh. I think visually that Snyder does do something very special but he can't write a script to save his 'awesome' film. He also went on about how he makes 'genre films' an awful lot or that people say he does. I'm not sure he knows what genre means or that it means something particular OR maybe that was the point, it's everything in one.
Sucker Punch is too much, disarray, random plot lines and generally everything in his head on a MASSIVE screen. It made me angry during it but only because it's a big load of bollocks. I didn't hate it but essentially it's nothing, there's nothing there that makes me want to praise it beyond the visuals of girls in cool costumes fighting random scenarios. Effectively it's about 6-7 music videos. Which is where he began he career.
Anyway....
Loved this! Free pizza, beer and wine and we even saw Mr Mark Kermode just behind us at the first screening in the UK of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's first foray away from Edgar Wright and a usual UK base.
Set in and around the Comic Con in San Diego, they stumble upon an Alien - with the voice of Seth Rogen - and everything that ensues around it. It's not stacked in originality but it is a homage to many, many sci-fi movies but done very well. Those two do have a particular gift and where it could falter, I found it very entertaining!
Elbow - Tuesday 29th April, 2011 - O2 Arena
WOW. I'm happy to report that the O2 arena is no-way as large as I thought. Having done various arenas around the country including Manchester, Belfast, Dublin and Birmingham...I was worried. BUT, it's actually quite small! The sound is impressive but I'd recommend either standing or the two section either side of the stage.
Elbow were fantastic! Guy Garvey is a top class front man, sing-alongs, chats and perfect renditions of their back-catalogue but not just a copy across from the records. They took those and made them even bigger and more special. I had a lot of shivery moments, that's what Elbow do and that's what makes them so special.
Tweet: Ooh, the Setlist from Elbow at the #O2 last night: http://ow.ly/4pp3h #geeky #elbow
There's some photos due up on FB veeery soon! =)
IMAX Screening of Sucker Punch with Zack Snyder, Waterloo, Thursday 31st March, 2011.
Right. Sucker Punch. Yeah. Firstly, the director of Sucker Punch, Watchmen and 300 did a little talk before it started. My god, that man can ramble. Jen summed it up well by saying that he's very Californian/LA. I think the ability to ramble on...but not exactly excitingly...makes him what he is but by god man, get on with it!
Anyway, he's a nice chap really and signed lots of things at work and also took the shop lot out for a pint, so I hear!
The film? Yeesh. I think visually that Snyder does do something very special but he can't write a script to save his 'awesome' film. He also went on about how he makes 'genre films' an awful lot or that people say he does. I'm not sure he knows what genre means or that it means something particular OR maybe that was the point, it's everything in one.
Sucker Punch is too much, disarray, random plot lines and generally everything in his head on a MASSIVE screen. It made me angry during it but only because it's a big load of bollocks. I didn't hate it but essentially it's nothing, there's nothing there that makes me want to praise it beyond the visuals of girls in cool costumes fighting random scenarios. Effectively it's about 6-7 music videos. Which is where he began he career.
Anyway....
Sunday, 6 February 2011
The Kings Speech. Black Swan. Paul. Never Let Me Go. Short, snappy movie reviews!
Quick, to the point thoughts on recent movies. All recommended:
The Kings Speech. Rather brilliant. Amusing and also the whole ensemble are quite fantastic. Have gone rather posh, what ho! Firth deserves his plaudits and him and Rush are a brilliant pair, playing off each other in character and factually.
Black Swan. Intensity defined. Obsession. Passion. Astonishing. Portman mind-fuck-trip and Aronofsky continuing his themes of obsession and the levels of reality/of the mind.
Paul. What makes Paul different is its depth of Britishness. Not glossy but it doesn't need to be. It's very funny, genuine and different. It has those edges of the big American/Apatow movies but there are certain charm that Pegg and Frost bring to the screen. I think they miss Edgar Wright a little though, as his direction is special to this pair.
Never Let Me Go. Poignant, encased yet somehow accessible, interesting and not to be overlooked. An astute adaptation. Carey Mulligan is a unique talent, somehow bordering the line between innocence and adult awareness, she's a special talent. Knightley and Garfield offer an encapsulating supporting cast, displaying impressively their triangle of life through three decades.
The Kings Speech and Black Swan out now, Paul and Never Let Me Go are released in the UK on the 14th February and 11th respectively.
The Kings Speech. Rather brilliant. Amusing and also the whole ensemble are quite fantastic. Have gone rather posh, what ho! Firth deserves his plaudits and him and Rush are a brilliant pair, playing off each other in character and factually.
Black Swan. Intensity defined. Obsession. Passion. Astonishing. Portman mind-fuck-trip and Aronofsky continuing his themes of obsession and the levels of reality/of the mind.
Paul. What makes Paul different is its depth of Britishness. Not glossy but it doesn't need to be. It's very funny, genuine and different. It has those edges of the big American/Apatow movies but there are certain charm that Pegg and Frost bring to the screen. I think they miss Edgar Wright a little though, as his direction is special to this pair.
Never Let Me Go. Poignant, encased yet somehow accessible, interesting and not to be overlooked. An astute adaptation. Carey Mulligan is a unique talent, somehow bordering the line between innocence and adult awareness, she's a special talent. Knightley and Garfield offer an encapsulating supporting cast, displaying impressively their triangle of life through three decades.
The Kings Speech and Black Swan out now, Paul and Never Let Me Go are released in the UK on the 14th February and 11th respectively.
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Doth! They protest too much....
I've been thinking a lot about what's been going on in central London the past couple of weeks. The student 'protests' and all that jazz.
I think what frustrates me the most is, once again, a lot of facts have been completely ignored. Not EVERY University is going to charge £9,000 a year, it's all very dependent on the types they are, what they offer and if they want to be more exclusive.
There appears to be this belief that University is a given right, it's a compulsory way to succeed in life and to make your career...or whatever...when the truth is, all it really does is delay growing up, taking responsibility for some, not for all and I've been there but we live in a world where people stay at home into their mid 20s and expect a lot of things to come running when they call.
There's a bizarre expectation from the younger generation, where they appear to believe that they 'deserve' something without ever having to work for it.
I went back to Uni at 25 because I wanted to, because I worked two jobs for it and studied full-time, because I wanted to achieve something to make myself more proud of what I'd done. I felt LUCKY for having done it, I felt like something came along and I was lucky to have got through it, have the opportunity and the chance to succeed.
The riots in London were a disgrace, don't even get me started attacking on the Cenotaph, the war memorial to people who died for us in order to give us the lives we live today. To top it all off, it's been revealed that it was Dave Gilmore's son who's studying History at Cambridge and didn't know what the f*** it stood for. Disgusting, damn right stupidity and almost the equivalent of graffiti with no passion, sense or meaning.
An absolute mirror of how out of touch this whole 'protest' was.
If you want some facts and truth about the whole scenario, this BBC page sums it all up pretty perfectly, with the joy of facts and reality:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-1148
Opinion, temporarily, over.
I think what frustrates me the most is, once again, a lot of facts have been completely ignored. Not EVERY University is going to charge £9,000 a year, it's all very dependent on the types they are, what they offer and if they want to be more exclusive.
There appears to be this belief that University is a given right, it's a compulsory way to succeed in life and to make your career...or whatever...when the truth is, all it really does is delay growing up, taking responsibility for some, not for all and I've been there but we live in a world where people stay at home into their mid 20s and expect a lot of things to come running when they call.
There's a bizarre expectation from the younger generation, where they appear to believe that they 'deserve' something without ever having to work for it.
I went back to Uni at 25 because I wanted to, because I worked two jobs for it and studied full-time, because I wanted to achieve something to make myself more proud of what I'd done. I felt LUCKY for having done it, I felt like something came along and I was lucky to have got through it, have the opportunity and the chance to succeed.
The riots in London were a disgrace, don't even get me started attacking on the Cenotaph, the war memorial to people who died for us in order to give us the lives we live today. To top it all off, it's been revealed that it was Dave Gilmore's son who's studying History at Cambridge and didn't know what the f*** it stood for. Disgusting, damn right stupidity and almost the equivalent of graffiti with no passion, sense or meaning.
An absolute mirror of how out of touch this whole 'protest' was.
If you want some facts and truth about the whole scenario, this BBC page sums it all up pretty perfectly, with the joy of facts and reality:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-1148
Opinion, temporarily, over.
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