The Conjuring (2013) Film Review

Roger (Ron Livingston) and his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) have moved, with their five daughters, to a rickety farmhouse. What the do not know is that it is terribly haunted, and soon they are getting no sleep and experiencing lots of unpleasantness. They turn to paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) who come to the house to try to find a way to deal with this.

This is one of those films that, even watching in a well-lit house during the day with company, still scares me to pieces. There is no way I can watch this type of thing in the cinema because I am totally unable to stop myself screaming at the screen. I found the first half totally freaking out, but once the Warrens had arrived, things got better. I mean, they got worse, but I was just less scared. In the end, I felt as though I had actually achieved getting through this whole film.

The A-Team (2010) Film Review

If you don’t know what The A-Team is (and I’m talking old school – the TV show) then you are not from my generation. Here, watch this.

If you need to know, Hannibal is the brains. Face is the, well, face (handsome charmer). Murdoch is crazy, but good with planes and stuff, and BA Baracus is scary and good with mechanics. That’s the A-Team.It was awesome. Then, in 2010, a film version was made, starring Liam Neeson as Hannibal and Bradley Cooper as Face (the other guys aren’t that well-known yet). I was fearful, but when I discovered that I’d accidently recorded it off telly recently, I figured I may as well give it a shot.

The film is a modern take on the original. The A-Team are Rangers, and the film tells their origin story; working on real missions, until they are framed for a crime and locked up. They need to break free and prove their innocence. I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed it. Lots of running and explosions (my favs) plus comedy and a pretty darn good interpretation of both the characters and the concept. Nice one.

 

Angels In America (2003) Television Miniseries Review

Angels in America was a six-part mini-series made by HBO in 2003 based on lives affected by the AIDS epidemic of the mid-eighties. Prior Walter (Justin Kirk) is a young, gay man who has started showing symptoms of AIDS. His partner, Lou (Ben Shenkman), is unable to emotionally deal with Prior’s demise and leaves him. Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson) is a Mormon, Republican attorney who is in denial about being gay. His wife, Harper (Mary-Louise Parker), is a Valium addict who veers in and out of reality. Pitt’s boss is Roy Cohn (Al Pacino), an extremely powerful and influential lawyer who is also gay, although keeps it to himself. He also has AIDS.  During his hallucinations Prior sees an angel who urges him to become a prophet.

The mini-series was based on a two-part play written by Tony Kushner. The adaptation of the play to the screen has kept all of the poetry of the play, giving it a feeling of a very-much heightened reality. The cast is absolutely amazing, with additional roles played by Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson and Jeffrey Wright. The AIDS epidemic is something that needs to be remembered, especially as (at least in Western society) people can live a long time with HIV or AIDS. Everything about this series is extremely beautiful and magnificent. Watch it. I urge you, watch it.