REVIEWS: MOVIES TO SEE THIS MONTH

1. A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a 2009 film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 story of the same name, as it stars Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn and Cary Elwes.

A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey), who undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one night. Mr. Scrooge is a financier/money-changer who has devoted his life to the accumulation of wealth. He holds anything other than money in contempt, including friendship, love and the Christmas season. But an encounter with the ghostly figure of Jacob Marley (Gary Oldman) sets the stage for a mysterious and magical encounter with three phantasmic beings to help him realize the true magic of Christmas itself; as they help to bring kindness to his otherwise cold heart. The Ghosts remind him of the man he used to be, the hard truth of what the world is today, and what will happen if he does not strive to be a better man.

The movie was directed by Academy Award winner, Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express; Beowulf). Opens: November 6, 2009 Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min. Rated: PG

REVIEWS – THE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

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This review will comprise of the 8 recent scariest movies of the year, and but it would also appeal to those who are not really into gory movies. So if aren’t cut out for the whole Halloween craze (Pumpkin cut-outs and costumes) or you don’t celebrate it (like me), but you don’t want to feel left out then here are some movies which can make up for a thrilling night (either at home, DVDs, or the theatres).

1.      PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

The first thing that should come to your mind before you see this movie is that it was shot for a meagre $15,000, and last weekend’s box office it was No.1, having grossed $61,580,588 in the U.S and Canada alone. The movie which was released in 2007 was shot in a documentary style like The Blair Witch Project and The Last Broadcast.

The movie centres on a young couple, Katie and Micah, who are hunted by a supernatural presence in their home. Micah, a day trader, and Katie, who claims that since her youth that she has been haunted by a ghost, suggests that the ghost has followed her to two storey house in suburban San Diego, California. This development causes Micah to buy a video camera, to record the paranormal activity, a project that will ultimately last for three weeks. The movie also sees the couple attempt to communicate with ghost through an Ouija board, a psychic and eventually a demonologist; I think that a call to the Winchester boys (Supernatural) could have saved them from all the drama they had to put up with. Also there are moving objects, sounds ranging from voices to growls, lights and televisions switching on and off and finally the ultimate, demonic possession.

This is a surprising movie given the fact that its director Oren Peli has been afraid of ghosts his entire life, including Ghostbusters. Although the movie was previously released to limited screenings but it was after its success that Paramount pictures announced that it would release the movie nationwide if the demands for the movie hit 1,000,000; which saw the movie title as a regular trending topic on the social site, Twitter, for weeks. On Saturday 10 October the counter had already hit over a million requests, and on the 27 of November, in the UK.

Already a sequel has been announced, Paranormal Activity 2 anyone?

REVIEWS.

The Figurine – ‘Araromire’ 
‘Araromire’ is a story about two buddies and a girl...... all down on their luck have their lives changed when one of them discovers ‘Araromire’ a mysterious figurine in an abandoned shrine which, according to legend bestows seven years of good luck. But no one told them about the next seven years (of Misfortune! – spoiler alert).

The (New) Kings Of Comedy (Part 3)

Jonah Hill (Actor & Writer)

 
Hill, I will regard as the last of these kings, began writing and performing his own plays while was still in college, in New York. Through his plays, he got to meet Dustin Hoffman, who later got him his first movie role in I Heart Huckabees (2004). He later starred in The 40-Year-Old-Virgin (2005), where he played a minor role, this was followed by a larger supporting role in Apatow’s next feature, Knocked Up. Hill, 25, lead role eventually in Superbad (2005), he has also starred in Evan Almighty, Horton Hears a Who!, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Recently he has starred in Night at the Museum; Battle of the Smithsonian, Funny People and the newly released The Invention of Lying.

The (New) Kings Of Comedy (Part 2)

Seth Rogen (Actor, Writer & Producer)

Rogen, 27, falls next in line as he is known for his deadpan humour. He started out very early (age 13) signing up for a comedy class and co-wrote his first screenplay ‘Superbad’ the following year, with Evan Goldberg, reflecting pieces of their childhood.

The (New) Kings Of Comedy (Part 1)

This is not a new or an upcoming movie, but a look at the new guys in comedy. These new brand of comedians have also led the emergence of the ‘Bromance’. Their unique talent and style of creating comedies has indeed shaken up the movie world. These guys are responsible for hits like Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Pineapple Express and more recently Funny People. They are:

District 9(ja)

The movie 'District 9' is one of the year’s Sci-Fi’s blockbusters, set up in South Africa. It reflects the problems facing the South African society (i.e. Racism, Apartheid, and Xenophobia). Yet the Nigerian Government has sought to pull the plug on the movie airing in the country (though you can’t blame them ..... Obesandjo as the Nigerian warlord). But what this set of people (“rebranding the country”) don’t know is that they have helped in promoting this movie even further, amongst the non – movie enthusiasts; because this would prompt the average man/person/individual to see the movie even though the movie wouldn’t appeal to them. Hence the sales of pirated DVDs (in Nigeria) should & would experience a decent rise in the sales of any DVD bearing the “District 9” poster on its cover. Also, Nigerians living abroad would also try to see the movie, to see what the fuss is all about; which invariably makes more money for Peter Jackson (Wingnut Films).