Trash Bin: THE ISLAND

Welcome to another installment of the TRASH BIN, where we watch the worst movies Hollywood has to offer, according to the critics, and give you our thoughts, good or bad. This week, I’ll be looking at the somewhat forgotten Michael Bay film, THE ISLAND.

Trash Bin: THE SPIRIT (2008)

Welcome to another installment of the TRASH BIN, where we watch the worst movies Hollywood has to offer (according to the critics), and give you our thoughts, good or bad. This week, we take a look at comic writer, artist, and now director, Frank Miller, and his film...THE SPIRIT!

The Spirit is a strange movie, as polarizing and as oddball as it can be, that much I think is safe to say. It's based on the Will Eisner comic strips of the same name, but doesn't resemble them in the slightest. It's got a big name in the director's chair, but they're not a big name because of anything related to film, Frank Miller. It resembles Sin City, but in reality is...well...I don't quite know what. It's dark and noir-ish, except when Sam Jackson starts going on about eggs, and dresses like a Nazi. The movie is full of these contradictions, and untangling what exactly I'm supposed to be looking at is like the Spirit himself untangling a good mystery. Except for here where it's hardly a mystery to begin with. Let me start over. Did I enjoy this movie? Oh, absolutely. Is it any good? Well...let me explain.

Movie Review: GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017) (Review #2)

After being victim of a terrible terrorist attack, Mina (Scarlet Johansson) wakes up in a body that doesn't belong to her (a "shell"). Her brain has been transplanted into a completely synthetic body, making her the first example in human history of her kind. She is then employed by the government to stop the world's most dangerous criminals, one of which starts to arouse an identity crisis in her.

Movie Review: GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017)

Ghost in the Shell (2017) is directed by Rupert Sanders and is the live-action remake of the 1995 Mamoru Oshii directed Ghost in the Shell (as well as the Masamune Shirow manga of the same name). This film once again follows a character named Major working for a clandestine government organization known as Section 9 trying to uncover who is behind the systematic killing and hacking of heads of a major cybernetic enhancement company whilst also learning more about herself and what it means to be human (or not). This film stars Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbœk, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt, and Peter Ferdinando.

EDITORIAL: Hollywood’s Other Glass Ceiling

There has been a lot of discussion in social media and news stories concerning the inequality in pay between men and women. It’s part of what’s known as the 'glass ceiling’.  The issue has been affecting actresses in the entertainment industry at all levels for years.

In an August 2016 article in the Washington Post, the author stated that the top ten highest paid actresses in Hollywood still made less than half of what the top actors earned.  While this is a hot topic of discussion that gets media and audience attention, there is another ‘Glass Ceiling’ in Hollywood movie making that rarely gets any kind of attention. Just like the one that does get attention, this other ‘Glass Ceiling’ has been created and controlled by money.

Trailer Review: GHOST IN THE SHELL (Super Bowl TV Spot)

Howdy fellow film freaks, Robert here. Whether you like it or not, the long-awaited (so they tell me) live-action version of Ghost in the Shell will finally be released this year, and a new TV spot was released during the Super Bowl. Check it out in all it's glorious brevity below.

Movie Review: LOST IN TRANSLATION

Lost In Translation tells the story of two people who have both lost themselves, in a literal sense and in an emotional sense. Playing Bob is Bill Murray, who delivers one of the most subtle performances of the 21st century, and playing Charlotte is Scarlett Johansson, who, just 17 at the time of filming, conveys such maturity, whilst also displaying a vulnerable innocence. That juxtaposition really is what makes, not only a great performance by Johansson, but with the perfect mix of Johansson's performance, and Sofia Coppola's writing, Charlotte becomes a fantastic character, who truly is the emotional centre of the film. And while Bob is the lead, and is going through a tough time, he is much more of a selfish character. We can sympathise with him, but ultimately, he is still just a rich actor moping about, clearly not happy with the state of his diminishing stardom and his marriage. He is likely just in a mid-life crisis, which leads him to his friendship with Charlotte, who ends up being the heart of the movie.

Movie Review: SING

Theater producer Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) owns the most glorious theater in town, but his many failures have brought the theater gradually down, to the point of almost falling apart. When the bank gives an ultimatum to Moon, he has one last chance to reestablish the theater to its former glory and he decides to assemble the greatest singing competition ever put to stage.

Trailer Review: GHOST IN THE SHELL (Trailer #1)

The official trailer for the highly anticipated, yet highly controversial film, Ghost In The Shell, has finally dropped.  Check it out below:

Movie Review: THE JUNGLE BOOK (Review #2)

One thing about me is the fact that I never, ever watch trailers, I believe in going in every movie totally blind and that was the same case here. Given that, I must admit I might have been one of the few people that was totally indifferent about the new Jungle Book, not even Jon Favreau’s involvement managed to get me really excited about this film, and I am a huge fan of his. I simply could not care less for one reason or another, now after having seen it I must admit I was pleasantly warmed up by the film which won me over in less than a minute, yet I still contend a little indifference about this story and I might have figured out why.

Movie Review: THE JUNGLE BOOK

Good luck, Andy Serkis.
I love you, but good luck...

For those waiting for the release of The Jungle Book I can assure you you're in an absolute treat. The battle for what’s the better Jungle Book adaptation has already finished before it even began, with Disney once again stepping up to the plate to show us what's what. Their version is an awesome adventure story, with some brief sparks of musical and comedy, and Jon Favreau directs the hell out of all of it. With last year's Cinderella and now this, The Jungle Book is easily Disney’s best animation to ‘live action” film to date.