Top 10 actors I wouldn't mind spending my Valentines Day with...

Authors note: this is a totally vain list. I'm really only doing it because I get to post pretty pictures of hot guys. And also because I have no life and I easily fall in love with men like following. Please forgive me. Though you'll be happy that there is none of that Twilight shit in here...or Justin Bieber.

10. Aaron Johnson

Aaron Johnson has changed quite a bit since he got involved with Sam Taylor-Wood, but I like to remember Aaron when he was in such films as Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and Nowhere Boy, and I like to think of him as having a similar personality to Dave Lizewski in Kick-Ass. I have the capacity to geek.

9. Ryan Reynolds

Reasons why The Proposal is a fantastic movie: Sandra Bullock dancing in the forest and RYAN REYNOLDS NAKED!!!! Hey, you don't get called the 'sexiest man alive' for nothing, right?

8. Cillian Murphy

Anyone remember my Cillian Murphy obsession back in August/September? It's all in those eyes. Those beautiful, amazing, stunning, coloured by angels blue eyes. And his amazing cheekbones. And the way he looks when he's a girl. That sounds weird, but Cillian is beautiful.

7. Armie Hammer

I swear Armie Hammer is perfect looking in The Social Network. Like, really beefy and really tall and really cute. Don't have much more to say there.

6. James Franco

He made at least half an hour of Eat Pray Love bearable. His face made 127 Hours a lot easier to go through. He's going to totally own with Anne Hathaway at this years Oscars. He is James Franco. Therefore, he is amazing.

5. Leonardo DiCaprio

In 2009 I was obsessed with Leonardo DiCaprio. It was like the equivalent to Leo-mania just by myself. He's my favourite actor, and unlike most people, I still think he's hot. He used to be cute, now he's sexy. Love it.

4. Jesse Eisenberg

There is something about Jesse Eisenberg's geekiness and awkwardness which I'm really attracted to. Dunno why that it is, but all I know is the more I see of Jesse, the more I fall in love with him. Especially after The Social Network. Even though I'm sure that movie was supposed to have the opposite effect.

3. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Who doesn't love a little Joseph Gordon-Levitt? He's just such a lovable guy, and a great actor to boot. Just watch (500) Days of Summer and tell me you don't love him. That's what I thought.

2. Nicholas Hoult

When I saw A Single Man, I instantly fell for Nicholas Hoult and that gorgeous sweater he wears. After perving on all the ads he did for Tom Ford and whatnot, I was pretty much in love with Mr. Hoult. I just recently started watching Skins, and while he plays a complete asshole, he is extremely easy on the eye. Perhaps a little too easy.

1. Andrew Garfield

Dear Andrew Garfield,

Why you have to be so good looking?

Yours sincerely,

Stevee.

Andrew Garfield is perfect. His hair, his face, his personality...Jesus Christ, his girlfriend is so lucky. Did I mention that he is an awesome actor? I'll finally get to watch Never Let Me Go in a month, and then comes the long wait until Spider-man comes out. What ever will I do until then?!

Who are some actor/actresses you'd like to spend Valentines with? And while we're at it, what are your plans for Valentines? 

AAN: Who could possibly win the BAFTA Rising Star award?

Gemma Arterton. Andrew Garfield. Tom Hardy. Aaron Johnson. Emma Stone. All actors who have been around for a little while, but have impressed in the past year. All actors who equally deserve this award, because they are amazing.

We're just over a week out from the BAFTAs, so why not start the chatter with trying to answer this impossible question: who deserves this award more? Let's look at each of the nominees and...try to decide.

Gemma Arterton

'Known For' on IMDb: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), Quantum of Solace (2008), Clash of the Titans (2010), Tamara Drewe (2010).

Movies released in the past year: St. Trinian's 2, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Clash of the Titans, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Tamara Drewe.

Coming up: Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Wrath of the Titans.

Gemma Arterton has become the sweet girl from Britain who divides her time between being in indie Brit flicks and huge Hollywood blockbusters. Surprisingly, she is brilliant at doing both, and there seems to be a new trend in blockbusters: 'must have Gemma Arterton'. Not bad for the girl who got her start in British teen comedy St. Trinian's. Gemma has had a good career, which has spanned just around four year, but even though her most famous role came in 2008's Quantum of Solace, 2010 has been her year to shine. She starred in two critical failures, though very successful Hollywood epics: Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia. But Gemma is never one to forget her roots. She came back for a second round of her debut St. Trinian's, which managed to go direct-to-DVD everywhere. She also starred in kidnapping thriller The Disappearance of Alice Creed, which was met with very good reviews and saw Gemma appear on screen looking less like the Hollywood version of herself. Many people outside of Britain aren't probably aware of her collaboration with director Stephen Frears on the comedy Tamara Drewe, which was released in select theaters and will be making it's way to our theatres on the 24th of this month. Gemma has been a busy girl of late, and probably one of the most profitable British stars, which could see her bagging the award.



Andrew Garfield

'Known For' on IMDb: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), The Social Network (2010), Never Let Me Go (2010), Boy A (2007)

Movies released in the past year: I'm Here, Never Let Me Go, The Social Network

Coming up: Untitled Spider-Man Reboot.

If I just went with an uneducated guess at this award, then of course I would pick Andrew Garfield. But then I would feel really bad for the others, because they all deserve it. That aside, Andrew Garfield is amazing. And extremely sexy. To be honest, he has made a huge mark on the film world over the past year. But what few people know is that Andy has already won a BAFTA, for an outstanding performance in TV-movie Boy A. That was back in 2008. Brits would have also become well acquainted with him thanks to his role in the Red Riding series in 2009. Not to mention he was also a part of Heath Ledger's last film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. 2010 was his year though, as he kicked it off playing a robot in Spike Jonze's fantastic short I'm Here. Several months later Andrew burst onto the scene with none other than The Social Network, where he played the emotional backbone of the movie Eduardo Saverin. His performance was acclaimed everywhere, and he only just fell short of an Oscar nomination, which should work in his favour. Riding on the success of The Social Network, and his casting as Spider-Man, came the British sci-fi drama Never Let Me Go, where he shone opposite Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley. Andy has proved to us not once, but several times that he could be the actor of the coming decade. Or, that could just be my opinion coming from my undying love for him at the moment.



Tom Hardy

'Known For' on IMDb: Inception (2010), Layer Cake (2004), RocknRolla (2008), Bronson (2008)

Movies released in the past year: Inception

Coming up: Warrior; This Means War; Tinker, Tinker, Soldier, Spy; The Wettest County in the World; The Dark Knight Rises

Tom Hardy is the only person who isn't in his 20s in this award, but then again, he has one of the better looking futures. He's been around since 2001, and has had parts in the acclaimed TV series Band of Brothers, and films like Black Hawk Down and Layer Cake. It seems the guy likes his period dramas to, starring in Marie Antoinette and as Heathcliff in a TV-movie of Wuthering Heights. While Tom is mostly resigned to taking supporting roles, his big break came when he took the lead role in Bronson, which saw him gain 42 pounds to play 'Britain's most violent criminal'. The movie has been making it's way around the world slowly, so it would be a good chance to see Hardy's star shine. But everyone knows Hardy from somewhere, and that's as the scene stealing Eames in Inception. Eames got all the best lines and squeezed a laugh out of the audience nearly every time he spoke. As soon as word got out about him, the casting calls came flooding in. It's simple: if you're a blockbuster and you have Tom Hardy, you have instant coolness. With all the projects he is tied to and his brilliant breakthrough in Inception, Hardy is a very worthy candidate. Not to mention that he is buddying up with Chris 'God' Nolan again for The Dark Knight Rises. If you are in more than one Nolan film, you must be really swell.

Aaron Johnson

'Known For' on IMDb: Kick-Ass (2010), The Illusionist (2006), Nowhere Boy (2009), Shanghai Knights (2003)

Movies released in 2010: The Greatest, Nowhere Boy, Kick-Ass, Chatroom

Coming up: Albert Nobbs, Jack the Giant Killer, Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall (rumoured?)

Aaron Johnson is probably more famed for his private life, as he is engaged and a parent with 43 year old Nowhere Boy director Sam Taylor-Wood. However, that has not tarnished his rise to fame. He was interestingly cast as John Lennon in a biopic searching into his younger life, Nowhere Boy. His performance was nothing short of amazing. However, while that may have been his artistic break, his Hollywood break came in the form of Dave Lizewski in action-comedy Kick-Ass. He donned an American accent and played the largely stereotyped sensitive/nerdy guy role with such confidence that the audiences couldn't help but fall in love with him. Those familiar with his early work will still see him as more of a teen idol, but those who has just caught the Aaron train will probably feel as if they are in the embrace of a true star on the rise. While he isn't tied to many projects of late, that probably comes with the fact that he is largely picky with roles and also has father duties to attend to. Either way, Aaron Johnson is a name which has been cemented in film world, finally.

Emma Stone

'Known For' on IMDb: Zombieland (2009), Easy A (2010), Superbad (2007), The House Bunny (2008)

Movie released in 2010: Paper Man, Marmaduke, Easy A

Coming up: Movie 43; Crazy, Stupid, Love.; Friends with Benefits; The Help; The Croods; Untitled Spider-Man Reboot

Emma Stone has always been the best thing about bad movies. She is naturally very funny. Her sense of humour and warmth just makes you fall for her. Unfortunately, it has taken until 2010 for everyone to see just how fantastic she really is, with her star turn in teen comedy Easy A. She was easily the best thing about this movie, but at least the rest of it was up to her standard. She got a well deserved Golden Globe nomination for her award, and if the Oscars liked comedies, she could have had potential where that is concerned. But even without that, she has potential with all her upcoming roles to be the next huge thing. It's was she deserves: a comedy just isn't a comedy movie without Emma Stone. Plus she's pairing up with fellow nominee Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man, which could see her serious side bloom. Think she's not versatile? See her in Paper Man, which has her in a pretty dramatic role. Emma Stone is the man.

So after all that 'research', who would I choose?

I'm liking on Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. I think they are the biggest rising stars out of the lot of them, even if Andy only has one project going. Don't ask me to choose between the two of them. It's impossible.

...but considering it's a peoples choice award...

And the fact that you have to be British to vote, I could see them going with Andrew Garfield, since he has become (well, I'm guessing) the 'next new hottie'. Mind you, Kristen Stewart won last year (over Nicholas Hoult and Jesse Eisenberg, plus the BAFTA Best Actress winner/Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan), so anything could happen. Not that there are any 'Kristen Stewart' type people in this category.

Over to you now: who do you want to win? And if you live in the great land of Britain, be sure to vote!

Top 10 actors and actresses who got their breakthrough in 2010

Looking back on 2010, we have seen lots of new faces shine through and out perform some of their older peers. Also, I have managed to get myself some new favourite actors during the year. Even though they have been in plenty of movies up until now, there has always been one which makes them a household name. And that's what they deserve.

10. Rooney Mara

Rooney Mara probably became more famous this year due to her casting as Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's 2012 edition of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. While Kristen Stewart, Carey Mulligan and other more well known actresses were in the running, Mara, whose previous claim to fame was the horrible remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, managed to beat them all to a coveted role which is sure to make her an international star. It wasn't just that, though. Mara appeared in three scenes of The Social Network, and managed to make sure those scenes counted. With a lack of girls in that movie, she sure knew how to rattleout Aaron Sorkin's words better than the rest, and deserves props for making the opening scene what it was.

9. Mia Wasikowska

While many people hated Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland, there was no denying that the girl playing Alice, Australian actress Mia Wasikowska, was sweet and angelic, and one to watch in the future. Alice wasn't her mainstream debut, as she had previously starred in films like Defiance, but being one of the highest grossing films of the year, it sure made her known. Add in a star turn in comedy The Kid's Are All Right, and Wasikowska is the next big thing. Next year she is only furthering her talents by starring in another adaption of Charlotte Bronte's classic book Jane Eyre. Two adaptions of classic books...I smell success here, yes?

8. Aaron Johnson

Many may ponder my next choice, because he is more known as a teenage heart-throb, but hear me out. Aaron Johnson was once the boy of every British girls dreams, thanks to his role as 'Sex-God' Robbie in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. In 2010, however, he started the year with a role in Sam Taylor-Wood's John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, playing the singer in his early years. While watching this film, I forgot about the teen idol he used to be, and started focussing on the actor he is becoming. Also early in the year, he took the lead role in Kick-Ass, and managed to play the awkward nerd surprisingly well considering he is the complete opposite of that character. So do us all a favour and give Johnson some more roles, as he is more than just the cute British guy we all used to perceive him as.

7. Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence deserves a place on here because she is going all the way to an Oscar nomination for her turn in Winter's Bone, despite being just 20 years old. Leading up until her breakthrough in Winter's Bone, she starred in several direct-to-DVD releases like The Poker House, and also has a recurring role in The Bill Engvall Show. But her sole release for 2010 has been getting rave reviews from critics mainly because of her performance, which should give Natalie Portman a run for her money come Oscar time. And it doesn't look like Lawrence is going to be a one-movie wonder...she's got The Beaver and X-Men: First Class for 2011!

6. Gemma Arterton

I couldn't help but put Gemma Arterton on this list because she has been popping up everywhere lately. Even though she starred in 2008's Quantum of Solace, which got her some attention, it has really been this year which has made her a star. Not only did she star in two big blockbusters this year-Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time-but she alo found time to do three other projects. First, a sequel to her debut film, St. Trinians 2 & the Legend of Fritton's Gold. Second, an independent British thriller, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, which is probably the best she has starred in this year. And finally, a Stephen Frears British comedy, Tamara Drewe, based on the graphic novel by Posy Simmonds. One would say it has been a big year for Arterton, and we can expect much more from her in the future!

5. Tom Hardy

Anyone who has watched Inception could say that Tom Hardy was the stand out in the cast. Why? Because of his carefully timed and sarcastic sense of humour that would steal scenes off his fellow performers. Plus, he got the best lines. "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling" is quickly associated with this masterpiece, and that's all thanks to Hardy's quick improvisation. Throw in a DVD release of Hardy's starring role in Bronson for the year, and it's fair to say that he has made his mark in showbiz. Not to mention the fact that he has been given a role in Christopher Nolan's next masterpiece, The Dark Knight Rises. Who will he play? Anything will be good.



4. Jacki Weaver

In a list full of the young, it's only fair that we put at least one older actor in here. Having a breakthrough a little further on than most is a little hard, but Jacki Weaver got her turn in the spotlight this year with her stunning performance in Australian crime drama Animal Kingdom. Easily outshining the rest of the films great ensemble cast, Weaver played Smurf with a great amount of both good and bad; she cared about her children, but she wasn't willing to let go of this criminal thing they had set up. She has been receiving accolade upon accolade for her performance, and here's hoping she can make it all the way to the Oscars. Because, goodness knows, it's time an Australian got an award for playing an Australian.

3. Emma Stone

As I have said plenty of times before, Emma Stone has always been the best part of bad movies, and hasn't seemed to get enough credit for it. But finally, someone had the sense to cast her in the lead role of a great teen comedy, Easy A, and look what happened? A star was born, and now everyone loves her. Because it's hard not to fall for her charm and witty humour. And what could be better than a whole movie with her in the lead role? I don't know. All I know is that there should be more movies like Easy A, because she is a better actress to get obsessed with than Kristen Stewart.

2. Jesse Eisenberg

Yeah yeah, Jesse has been in Zombieland which was pretty big. But everyone thinks he is Michael Cera in that movie! The Social Network should prove all those non-believers wrong. Delivering what could have been the performance of the year, Eisenberg seemed to shrug off the awkward persona he gained from movies like Adventureland and became more narcissistic and scary as Mark Zuckerberg. Now tell me that wasn't the star making performance of the year? It's hard to believe that was the same person. Could he win an Oscar? If he can beat Colin Firth. Which is, in fact, very likely indeed.



1. Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield deserves the top of my list because he just is Andrew Garfield. I'm in love with him. Of course, that comes from his star making performance as Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network, for which he has been nominated for a Golden Globe and has won an 'Actor of the Year' award for a breakthrough performance from the Hollywood Film Festival. Leading up to this star role he had already won a BAFTA for his performance in TV film Boy A; had starred in such Hollywood films as The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and Lions for Lambs; and gained mass critical attention for his work in The Red Riding Trilogy. Everything he does has had the critics raving him, including his other 2010 release, Never Let Me Go. And it seems it will only get better as he nabbed the leading role in the Spiderman reboot. Is he taking the world by storm? Yes. Do I mind? Not one bit.

Thoughts I had while working in Blockbuster for a week...

Seriously, working a video store all week, it really gets your game up. Like, I had to clean every shelf in that shop, and I kept finding all these movies I had no idea existed. Same with the trailer loop disc...there were all these trailers for these movies which I once had no interest in seeing, but then the trailers made them look kinda interesting. So here are some things I noticed and things that happened in my week of labouring to pay my Dad back for all the money I spent on my holiday...

Aaron Johnson is frickin gorgeous.


There were two trailers of him on the loop disc: Nowhere Boy and Kick-Ass. I knew exactly when they were coming on, too (Nowhere Boy after New York, I Love You and Kick-Ass after Iron Man 2), so I would stop what I was doing and just watch them. Like one of those chicks who like to gawk at Robert Pattinson every time they see something mildly like him within a ten metre radius of them. Okay, so maybe I wasn't kissing the TV screen or anything...but Aaron Johnson is simply...perfection. Oh, and he has a really good Top 5 Favourite Movies too...check it out! He loves Tarantino and Fincher! I think I just fell in love with him...again.

Rob Schneider just...pops up...out of nowhere.


Particularly in teen movies, looking like a real perve. Just look at the posters for American Virgin and Wild Cherry. And while we are on the subject of American Virgin...well, I haven't seen it, but, by judging by it's DVD cover, there are three reasons why I don't want to see it:
1. Jenna Dewan, on that cover, looks strangely like Katie Price.
2. I'm pretty sure I have seen it all before in another movie.
3. Why is it called American Virgin? I mean, I get that the chick is a virgin, and she's American, but is that supposed to mean that she is the only American virgin? I just don't get it.

People still wanna watch Robin Hood.


It has been out for like, two weeks? And people still go up and grab it as soon as they walk into the shop. God knows why. I mean, surely that cover with Russell Crowe's face isn't that appealing, is it?

Sex and the City 2 looks like it has more CGI than Avatar.


Like, in some scenes, Sarah Jessica Parker's face looks like it is going to fall off, and she looks a little too old to be wearing whatever it is she wears in that movie. Kim Catrall, however, looks like a person who has been attacked by photoshop and is stuck like that. And seriously, did we need a movie about whiny middle aged woman in Abu Dhabi? No. But despite all this, I am looking forward to watching this movie upon it's DVD release next month. Coz, you know, I can RIP IT TO SHREDS!

The horror section is always a mess...


...but I make the time to dig up Let the Right One In and display it in the most prominent way. That movie has rented out a lot since we I got it. That movie wouldn't have been in the shop if it weren't for me. I ordered it for myself, got sick of waiting and found it elsewhere, and then it just turned up in the store so they had to put it out for rent. It gives me such pleasure when I see it isn't there.

Sequels happen.


I, until last month, was totally unaware of three sequels which happened. The first one was Stomp the Yard: Homecoming (do we have to talk about how ridiculously stupid the cover looks?), a movie which they had ordered 14 copies of. And guess what?! The most I ever saw rented of it was one copy. One copy per day...loads of profit. The second was St. Trinians II: The Legend of Fritton's Gold. It features Rupert Everett making jokes about Lady Gaga, Colin Firth being 'sexy' with a soaked shirt, the guy off Doctor Who, Gemma Arterton with a longer version of the hairstyle she wore in the first film, Talulah Riley who was Eames in Inception, girls screaming, a big dance off somewhere in Britain, slutty outfits, and the annoying dumb chicks who have this 'oh my God' thing. Sounds like good fun. Not. And last, was Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. Looks like pure Disney crap and exactly like High School Musical 2...but in a camp! Unfortunately, I had the song off the trailer stuck in my head all day, which I'm pretty sure contributed to my agonizing migraine.

Nicholas Hoult is really cute.


Once, when I had come into work before the shop opened, the TV was turned on and the first thing that came up was Nicholas Hoult in the trailer for A Single Man. I felt so special. Then I had to explain the movie to one of the people who I work with what the movie was about. Which pretty much failed, because there isn't a right way to explain that movie. She told me that someone thought it was strange, and my happiness from starting work to the cute face of Nicholas Hoult was kinda deflated. Oh well...I guess A Single Man just really isn't Dannevirke's thing.

AAAAAAND...for the most exciting thing that has happened all week (apart from getting the Inception script, of course)!


So, I just read The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, and it's fair to say, I am obsessed with the Facebook story (that and I am writing an epic article all about Facebook for the local paper). I am also in love with Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield at the moment. I have been wanting to see The Social Network ever since I found out that David Fincher was directing it (because I couldn't quite process that thought). Even more so seeing all the rave reviews it's getting. But it wasn't set to be released here until November 25th, which would suck for me becuase I would be going on a stupid school camp then and wouldn't be able to see it until ages after. However, today, I found out, that the release date had been pushed up a couple of weeks and it will be here on November 11! Which means I don't have to wait so long! Trust me, the countdown has already started...
(Dear Movie God, if only Never Let Me Go's release date could be pushed up...maybe four months? I have to wait 10th February 2011 to see it...and I'm not sure my Andrew Garfield obsession can wait that long. Amen.)

Things I love about Kick-Ass...

Damon: Have you thought a little more about what you might like for your birthday?
Mindy: Can I get a puppy?
Damon: You want a dog?
Mindy: Yeah, a cuddly fluffy one! And a Bratz movie star makeover Sasha.
Damon: *amazed, confused look*
Mindy: I'm just fucking with you Daddy. Look, I'd love a Benchmade model 42 butterfly knife.
Damon: Oh child...you always knock me for a loop!
^if this scene doesn't make you fall in love with the movie, then I'm not sure what does.

I know quite a bit about Kick-Ass. Why? Because I have watched four times in the past week (well, I practically watched in once a day for four days). Trust me, even though most of the people I know hate this movie (no idea why), I find it insanely addictive. Must be time to roll out one of the Cinematic Paradox favourites: 'Things I love about...' (it's become a regular feature, in case you hadn't realized).


Realistic superheroes...so to speak.


Okay, so maybe Hit-Girl isn't exactly 'realistic'. I mean, the girl is about eleven years old, and can kick serious ass. I know she didn't go to school or anything, but if I ever met a girl who could do half of what she does in this movie, then I would be...shocked. Utterly shocked. On the subject of Hit-Girl, I still don't get why people get so angry about the fact that Chloe Grace Moretz spends most of this movie using *oh my goodness* profane language. Swear words are just another part of the English language, love them or hate them, and it's not like any little kids would be watching this movie. If they were, I would seriously have to question the mental state of their parents. And anyway, Hit-Girl mutilated at least ten people in this movie...isn't that worse than swearing??


Dave Lizewski, played by my latest guy crush Aaron Johnson, is a very believable super hero. He starts all the madness, only with a pre-concieved idea from his childhood and a dream that he may be able to fight crime. Sure, he has the advantage of being made out metal and having 'fucked up nerve endings', but he can't really 'kick ass' like all the other superheroes. Aaron Johnson does a great job of playing a loveable nerd, not unlike Jesse Eisenberg, and clearly needs some more roles. The guy is a hero.


As for the other two, Big Daddy and Red Mist, well, the former is definitely trained but not the sort of hero one would expect, and the latter isn't a hero at all. I think I may have liked Nic Cage in this movie, but the way he spoke when he was being Big Daddy sure did piss me off. Christopher Mintz-Plasse was equally great as the kind of misunderstood child. Look at it this way: Chris D'Amico is like Harvey Dent. Harvey lost Rachel, he went nutso. Chris lost his dad, and he looked well on the way to becoming a nut job. "You either die a hero, or live long enough too see yourself become a villain" definitely applies to Chris D'Amico.



Mark Strong


Mark Strong gets his own little section because I really respect this guy. He is in what seems like every single movie that comes out, yet still hasn't gained the accolades he deserves. His performance as the evil guy Frank D'Amico is a far cry from his previous days in films like Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. He just oozes with this tough guy exterior and totally has fun with the archetypal villain character. Who didn't wanna kill him? And the line he has: "Mummy, I wanna Kick-Ass party. Dumb little fucks." stays in my mind for some reason. Maybe because I wouldn't mind a Kick-Ass party.

Superhero spoof movie...is it?


I'm not talking those stupid spoof movies like Vampires Suck and that kind of crap. This movie very quietly takes the piss out of other superhero movies, or it has taken something from one and used it. Like, I'm pretty sure in one scene, you can here a piece of music that was used in The Dark Knight. The movie is all about being a superhero without superpowers or money, just a bit of naivety, and therefore it takes the superhero genre and turns it on it's side. Which I thought was pretty clever. And I got it all because I am a self confessed superhero movie geek...which I'm told is strange for a 15 year old girl.

The soundtrack...
...is totally rocking my world at the moment. So I'll just share some tunes from the movie which I really like.

This track, incidentally, was also on the soundtrack of 28 Days Later...which I am yet to review. There's another track in the movie, which is also composed by John Murphy, which was used in Sunshine, another movie directed by Danny Boyle.

Lastly, Matthew Vaughn's direction
He started with Layer Cake, which was a pretty standard British gangster flick which wasn't too memorable. Then he directed some schmaltzy fantasy flick Stardust, which wasn't really that great. I can hardly believe that Kick-Ass is by the same person. He's really studied what other action directors have done, and has added his own thing into there. I mean, watching this, I could definitely see similarities in his work to works of Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan. He knows how to set up an action sequence, slow mo in all the right places, capture emotions and keeps a good comic book feel to it. Matthew Vaughn is clearly at home making action and comic book movies. Let's see more of these as opposed to fantasy slice-and-dice (ahem, Stardust).

^ Beautifully set up scene, probably made all the better because of the music.

Five things I love about Kick-Ass. I am going to try not to watch it again for a week...which I can tell will be pretty hard. Can't wait for Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall in 2012!

Rewatch--Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

or: The movie with the worst title ever.

One word to sum it up: Ahhhhhhhh (not a word, in fact, that only really sums up Aaron Johnson)

Here in New Zealand, the 'Georgia Nicholson' book series by Louise Rennison are pretty much more popular than the Twilight saga. And fair enough too, at least these books are intentionally funny. It was always going to be a hard task adapting two of the books (or, as I like to see them as, a teenage girls bible) into a movie. Welcome to one of the most truthful and the easiest to relate to teen movie a teenage girl could ever see.

Georgia Nicholson (Georgia Groome) is just an average teenager living in a small town in England. She has her best friends there for her whenever she needs them, just as any average teenager would. Her Dad is moving to New Zealand, so she has her mum there too. Georgia's life turns around when she meets Robbie (Aaron Johnson), a 'Sex-God' who has moved from London, and Georgia instantly falls in love with him. She has to try everything to get him to like her, even if that means that she loses some things close to her in the process.

Even though this movie might seem a little weird to those who aren't 'in the know' with the source material, it's actually genuinely funny, just like Mean Girls was. Georgia Nicholson is the perfect teenage herione, who the younger audience can both relate to but find hopelessly funny at the same time. It's so great that they found Georgia Groome to play her, as she makes a convincing performance and really brings life to the character. Though it isn't the bible just like the books, it's still a worthy movie that has no trouble in keeping your attention for 100 minutes.

The movie is filled with a particularly unknown British cast, but luckily doesn't come across quite as annoying as the cast of St. Trinians. Georgia Groome lead the pack, and it really just felt like a polished documentary on a teenagers life. I can't go through a review without mentioning the gorgeousness of Aaron Johnson. I see why he was a Sex-God. Even if he was a little wooden in some places, how could you not fall in love with this guy? Hmmmmmmmmm?



THE VERDICT: Really good for the teen crowd, as for once the film doesn't alienate us teenage girls. Georgia Nicholson is my new hero, and a hero for all us misunderstood young people.

7/10

DVD--Nowhere Boy

or: How John Lennon became John Lennon.

One word to sum it up: Insightful.

Usually, I wouldn't be interested in a biopic on John Lennon. I mean, we learnt a bit about The Beatles in Music class, but I wasn't really that interested. However, I thought Nowhere Boy looked like a good time, as it had been getting some rave reviews. And I guess the fact that Aaron Johnson was in the lead role and had been getting critical applause for it aided in my decision to watch it. John Lennon's story actually looked pretty interesting.

This is the story of a teenage John Lennon (Aaron Johnson), who has been living his life under his strict Aunt Mimi's (Kristin Scott Thomas) care. But Lennon wants to know where his real parents are, and ends up finding his free-wheeling mother Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), who introduces him to a world of fun and music, much to Aunt Mimi's dismay. Lennon starts up a band called The Quarrymen with a few of his friends, and catches the eye of Paul McCartney (Thomas Sangster), who joins the band on their journey to becoming The Beatles.

If you were expecting a real musical insight, then you will be sorely disappointed. However, this film is definitely quite interesting, whether it's about John Lennon or not. It's kind of a funny story, which I really didn't believe was true, let alone believe that it was the early life of one of the world's biggest icons. It sometimes comes across as a pretty standard British biopic, but it has so much elevating it from that kind of status. First is the remarkably artsy direction from first time director Sam Taylor-Wood (who, yes, happens to be 20-year-old Aaron Johnson's 43-year-old fiancee). Then comes the groundbreaking performances from a charming ensemble cast.

Aaron Johnson is perfectly cast as Lennon, and really makes the whole film worthwhile. He has studied every aspect of Lennon's character and is more believable than he should be, considering his two most recognized roles are that of a Sex-God in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and a nerd trying to fight crime in comic book movie Kick-Ass. Nowhere Boy proves that Johnson is much more than his teen-idol status allows him to be, and he will be the next big Oscar winner in the future. He is joined by two well-experienced actresses who give commanding performances. Kristin Scott Thomas is fierce and cold as Mimi and Anne-Marie Duff lights up the screen as Julia. Thomas Sangster, too, in his supporting role as Paul McCartney, makes the most of the opportunity and is well prepared to take on more roles worthy of his talents.

All in all, Nowhere Boy is run by amazing performances and great direction, which the story tends to take a backseat to.


THE VERDICT: Sometimes a little standard, but an inspired performance from Aaron Johnson makes the movie a little more than an insight on a star.

8/10