C.A. Milson's Blog, page 233

Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013) – Movie Review

Nymphomaniac: Vol 1

Stars: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsg��rd, Stacy Martin

IMDB Rating: 7.1

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Plot: A self-diagnosed nymphomaniac recounts her erotic experiences to the man who saved her after a beating.

Review: Nymphomaniac – This film follows the tall tale of a woman who is taken in by a good Samaritan, and as a sign of her gratitude to him, she recounts every sexual experience that she ever had.

The story is simple. He (the good Samaritan, Seligman) tells her about his hobbies, which happen to be fly fishing, listening to organ music etc. While in turn she shares the graphic details of every sexual encounter she has had since she was a teenager.

This film has received both positive and negative reviews. And for good reason. What some define as “Art” others say is Porn. I for one would say that due to the graphic sex scenes which you are shown in full detail, this would be porn, without the “money shots”. Yes, you do see everything, such as:

Shia LaBeouf in pretty much hardcore porn action; Joe being double penetrated by two African guys; Joe giving a random guy on the train a BJ complete with C.I.M….

I think you get how graphic this is. I know “Art”, and to be frank, this is not “Art”, but glorified porn.

Verdict: Lars makes a Porno

My Rating: 1 out of 10

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Nymphomaniac: Vol. I, Shia LaBeouf, Stacy Martin, Stellan Skarsg��rd

Charlie’s Farm Official Theatrical Trailer

Charlie’s Farm (2014)

Stars: Tara Reid, Nathan Jones, Allira Jaques, Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder, Dean Kirkright

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Plot: In an effort to do something different, four friends head into Australia���s outback to explore Charlie���s Farm, the site where a violent family met their end at the hands of an angry mob. Despite all warnings, they persist in their horror-seeking adventure. Once there, the four friends meet other transients and find Charlie���s Farm to be anything but horror inspiring. They are unaware that they are being watched. While exploring the property to prove the myth, they encounter Charlie, who shows them that some legends never die.

Charlie’s Farm opens in cinemas in Australia Dec 4th and in the US, March 1 2015.

Filed under: Movie Trailers Tagged: Allira Jaques, Bill Moseley, Charlie's Farm, Charlie's Farm Official Theatrical Trailer, Dean Kirkright, Kane Hodder, Nathan Jones, Tara Reid

Two Days, One Night (2014)

Two Days, One Night

Stars: Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Pili Groyne

IMDB Rating: 7.5

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Plot: Sandra, a young Belgian mother, discovers that her workmates have opted for a significant pay bonus, in exchange for her dismissal. She has only one weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job.

Review: This film tells the story of Sandra, a young female employee who (after battling Depression) has to now struggle to keep her job after the decision from her manager to terminate her.

Sounds simple? Not so much as you would think. The same manager seems to have a personal issues against Sandra, as he then decides to offer a “bounty” of 1000 Euro to every employee (in her division) who votes against her remaining employed by the company.

Sandra is a character you have to admire. After all, she makes it her mission to talk to each one of her co-workers (she speaks to 13 of the 16 in all) to convince them to vote for her to remain employed by the company. To which, most of them have the reaction that they would prefer to cash in and get the “bounty’ for voting against her. (If she stays, no one gets the cash grab).

I can understand that if she lived in a very small town, she would fight for her rights to remain employed, but judging by the distance she travelled to go to the homes of some of these co-workers, it is obvious that she lives in a larger city, of which she could just start pounding the pavement and look for other work.

This film was well done, although I didn’t agree with some of the situations that were presented in this. Such as; If Sandra had been there for some time, she would certainly be entitled to Holiday Pay, Benefits, and so on. Second, any claim of “unfair dismissal” could be taken up with a Union, who would fight for her rights on her behalf.

Or it could well be the case that Sandra was just a “casual”, and if that was the case, she could have accepted the fact that the company didn’t have enough work for 17 staff, and move on.

Logic would dictate that the common sense thing to do would be get her CV up to date and start job hunting first thing Monday morning, rather than spend that precious time fighting a no-win situation.

And after all is said and done, the votes again Sandra took the majority, to which the manager of this company decides to tell her that she can come back to work in September when things pick up, and after the contract for one of the other employees finishes.

Some people would be thrilled here, but Sandra declines the offer and leaves.

I get the principal of the film. Sandra’s struggle to overcome depression, putting up with an idiot for a husband, and a moron for a boss, and the backstabbing co-workers she considered “friends”, but there were a few things (mentioned above) that stuck out to me like a sore thumb.

In saying, I did enjoy this film and would recommend to watch it so you can pass verdict for yourself.

Verdict: 3 Nights 2 Days to be exact…

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10

 

 

 

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Deux jours une nuit, Fabrizio Rongione, Marion Cotillard, Pili Groyne, Two Days One Night (2014)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Teaser

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – the new 88-second teaser.

I have been waiting for this for a while now, and seeing it has left me feeling high and dry. Action? Not much.

Lets hope that they release a second trailer soon and we get treated to what we love best…. Lightsaber duels :)

 

Episode VII in the Star Wars Saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters December 18, 2015.

Filed under: Movie Trailers Tagged: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Teaser

Terror At The Mall – Movie Review

Terror At The Mall (2014)

Documentary

IMDB Rating: 8.2

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Plot: A documentary detailing an indiscriminate terrorist attack that left 71 dead in Kenya.

Review: On September 21st, 2013 a group of young men from a radical Somali outfit related to Al Qaeda known as Al Shabaab, stormed an upmarket mall in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi and went on a killing spree that left an estimated 71 people dead.

The film follow the heart-wrenching stories of the survivors of this terrorist attack as they narrate the accounts of that Saturday afternoon.

Terror At The Mall is a masterpiece for any documentary. Thanks to the compiling of CCTV footage from inside the mall and the narration of the survivors, the film is brilliantly constructed to recount the events that took place that fateful Saturday.

I for one cannot imagine going to a shopping center and then having to fight to stay alive, while idiots who profess to be part of a cult go on a rampage and kill innocent people, including women and children. It just goes to show you what the world is coming to, when extremists commit senseless acts of violence. I have some very strong feelings on the subject of Al Qaeda and ISIS Extremists, but those I will not share publicly.

It should be noted that some of the footage you will see is very graphic, and it does show bloodied people struggling to stay alive only to get shot over and over again by these cowards.

If you have a strong stomach, then by all means you need to watch this film.

Verdict: Riveting film-making.

My Rating: 9 out of 10.

 

 

 

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Al Qaeda, Al Shabaab, Documentary Drama, ISIS Extremists, Terror At The Mall, Terror At The Mall (2014), terrorist attack, Torrorism, Westgate Shopping mall

Forever – TV Series Review

Forever (TV Series) 2014 –

Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Alana De La Garza, Joel David Moore

IMDB Rating: 8.3

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Plot: A 200-year-old man works in the New York City Morgue trying to find a key to unlock the curse of his immortality.

Review: I will admit it. I had been putting off watching this show, but once I got started, I was hooked.

Forever tells the long tale of one Dr. Henry Morgan. A man who cannot die… In a manner of speaking. First off, he can die, but comes back to life in the river, to continue the process of living out his immortal existence.

There are some similarities here to Highlander, quite a few actually…. McCloud (AKA: Russell Nash) owned an antique store in NYC. Here, Dr. Henry Morgan owns an antique store in NYC… The Highlander couldn’t die (unless his head was cut off), in this show, he can die, only to be resurrected some minutes later, naked and in the river. An orphaned child rescued and raised by an immortal…

Throw into the mix that he is a medical examiner and spends a lot of his time (most of it infact) helping Det Jo Martinez (Alana De La Garza) solve crimes, and reminiscing about the many loves of his past.

Just how Dr Harry Morgan got this gift (or curse) of immortality has yet to be explained. The chemistry between the Ioan Gruffudd and Judd Hirsch is brilliant. You can see that the characters don’t take themselves too seriously, unlike other repetitive TV Cop shows :)

If you have not seen Forever, then you don’t know what you’re missing.

Verdict: It’s better to burn out than fade away.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

 

 

 

 

Filed under: TV Show Reviews Tagged: #Forever, Alana De La Garza, Forever (2014), Ioan Gruffudd, Joel David Moore, Judd Hirsch, TV review, TV series, TV Series Review

Jurassic World – Official Trailer

Jurassic World – Official Trailer

In June 2015, the long wait is over!

Jurassic World hits cinemas June 12th, 2015. I for one will be there with bells on :)

Watch the trailer and enjoy :)

 

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: #JurassicWorld, Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Jurassic World, Official Trailer, Upcoming Film

Guardians Of The Galaxy – Movie Review

Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

Stars: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan

IMDB Rating: 8.4

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Plot: A group of space criminals must work together to stop the fanatical villain Ronan the Accuser from destroying the galaxy.

Review: If you’re looking for a fun action movie with some extremely colorful characters, then this is the movie for you :)

The film starts off with introducing us to Peter Quill (Pratt), a human abducted from Earth as a child. Years later, Peter becomes an intergalactic thief who has no idea what he’s getting into when he takes possession of a mysterious Orb. Little does he know that Ronan (Pace) will do just about anything to get his hands on the Orb, including sending alien assassin Gamora (Saldana) after it.

There are twists and turns aplenty in this film, and stars an incredible line-up of talent from such actors as Bradley Cooper (Voice of Rocket), Vin Diesel (Voice of Groot), Karen Gillian (as Nebula), Dave Bautista (as Drax the Destroyer), Lee Pace (as Ronan The Accuser), and Michael Rooker (as Yondu Udonta).

It is great to see Dave Bautista get more of a speaking role this time around, and as I think I may have mentioned before, he is a WWE actor to keep an eye on. I have no doubt that he will climb the ranks of Hollywood, and become a powerhouse action film star like Dwayne Johnson (The Rock).

This time around, Bautista take on more of a hero-in-waiting role, and has a few hilarious one-liners to boot :)

Marvel have really outdone themselves this time with a film that will appeal to the old and young alike. Although Avengers and Thor was good in their own right, GOTG was by far, a better release. The acting was nicely timed, the mix of action and comedy was just right, and not to forget Karen Gillan who showed another side to her acting abilities, and why she will probably never be forgotten as the one of the better companions of The Doctor (Dr Who).

The casting team has brought together just the right mix of talented actors in this film, and who could forget the antics of Michael Rooker (You may remember him as Merle from The Walking Dead). :)

This is one my personal favorite films for 2014.

Verdict: A Sequel Is Needed :)

My Rating: 8 out 10.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Film Review, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014), Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Movie Review, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana

Dracula Untold (2014) – Movie Review

Dracula Untold (2014)

Stars: Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon

IMDB Rating: 6.3

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Plot: As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own kingdom in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom.

Review: When I watched this, my first thought was “finally, a vampire flick without the nonsense“.

What can I say about this film? The action was great. The acting by Luke Evans (Vlad), Sarah Gadon (Mirena), and Charles Dance (Master Vampire), was outstanding. Dracula Untold certainly did not disappoint with all the cool vampire abilities you would expect to see without the glitterati :)

In every Dracula movie, there are things you expect from the legend. Drinking of blood, the ability to transform into bats, the sense of a human trapped inside a dark prince, wrestling with his own convictions to keep his people free…..

Of course, if you know your history, you will know that Dracula Untold is very loosely based on the real life accounts of Vlad The Impaler. For those who don’t want a history lesson, you can scroll down to the trailer now…..

If you’re on the same page as me, you will know that the real Dracula did drink blood, but in a different manner. It is told that he dipped chunks of bread into buckets of blood that were drained from the people he killed. He was also known to invite guests to his mansion on occasions, provide them with a feast, then have them impaled right there at the dinner table. With the bodies still draped over the stakes, he would finish his own dinner at leisure.

From a historic POV, you may pull this film to pieces and point out all the inaccuracies, but if you are looking for a well told action film, with a ton of SPX and blood-gushing, and getting back to good old Vampire story-telling the way Vampires are meant to be, then this is one film you have to watch.

Verdict: Since your teeth into this one!

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Charles Dance, Dracula, Dracula Untold (2014), film critic, Film Review, Luke Evans, Movie Review, Sarah Gadon, Vlad The Impaler

Meet My Character: Laura from Not So Ordinary Girl

Laura

Is he/she fictional or a historic person? Fictional

When and where is the story set? She’s Not So Ordinary is set in Melbourne Western suburbs.

What should we know about her? Laura is the girl you would never expect to meet. Highly intelligent, perceptive, and has a dark side to her persona that not many people see. Laura had a sheltered upbringing to a point. Her mother, Cathy, used to be one of the most popular girls in school, until one event changed her life and she became a recluse and fled her hometown of Gympie to try and hide from the demons that stalked her. Not much is known of Laura’s father. Either he was dead or was a dead-beat loser who knocked up Cathy and dumped her. Cathy never really spoke of the man who impregnated her. Whenever the subject was brought up, Cathy would break down and cry, and the subject was avoided.

Cathy died when Laura was around thirteen years old. Laura never found out who her father was.

The storyline starts with Laura, a 20-something year old woman who works for a small business in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Laura’s first and only boyfriend (Tony) served in the army and went off to war in Iraq, never heard from again.

We first see Laura celebrating with other workers at the home-office of her boss, they are celebrating the success of getting a new large client, which means that the business will be finally stepping up in the world with moving to a real office in the area. For Laura, and another person, Garratt, that means that they are being considered for a promotion at work to be made assistant manager. The promotion comes with a small increase in salary and more time out of the office, meeting new clients. But Garratt is smooth, charismatic, and down-right dirty when it comes to getting any kind of advancement.

Before long, things begin to happen, and demons from Laura’s part start to surface. But is it all an illusion or is the charade just a part of a larger plot?

What is the main conflict? Her main conflict is the love of her life, Tony, who is deployed in Iraq. She yearns for him to come home safely to her.

What is the personal goal of the character?To find true love. Or at least, an aspect of it to find happiness.

Can we read more about it? She’s Not So Ordinary is available as paperback and Ebook on GooglePlay, Amazon, Kindle, and soon as Audiobook. The film version of the novella is scheduled to be filmed in late 2015. Find out about the film HERE.

Filed under: Book Tour, Guest Authors Tagged: C.A.Milson, film, film in development, Horror Australia, Indie Film, indie horror, low budget film, Movie, She's Not So Ordinary