The King Of Comedy: King For A Night

The King Of Comedy is a satirical black comedy film directed by Martin Scorsese. The plot follows Rupert Pupkin (Robert DeNiro), a man who is by all means a failure in his life, but dreams of being a big-time late-night host. When it looks like Rupert is going to get that chance, only for it to be taken away from him, he decides to take drastic action and kidnap a late-night host to try and blackmail people into giving him is big break.

*I had never watched this film before, but as I was watching it I couldn’t help but think of Joker the plots of these two films are very similar, the director of Joker supposedly said it was a homage to The King Of Comedy, but it feels more than that to me. Watching this made me like Joker less.

I believe this film deserves more praise than it gets, is it Scorsese’s best? No, it isn’t. Is it in his top 5? Again no, but I still think this is an above average good film.

One of the things I liked most about it was how the world Rupert saw and the actual world around him seemed to be constantly at odds. The TV producers would entirely ignore him and not give him the time of day, but in his head Rupert see them inviting him to their house as an old friend. What’s more I like how Rupert is slowly shown to be more and more crazy over the course of the film, this is handled in a subtle way which I appreciated.

DeNiro gives a good performance, as he always did before 2010, he plays Rupert will a sort of tragic presence that can’t help but make us emote with the character despite him being a bad person on multiple levels. He also imbues Rupert with a quiet sense of dread, he makes him into a ticking time bomb, as you are fully aware, he could slip into fully manic insanity at any minute.

The comedy in this film, as this is after all a comedy film even if it doesn’t feel like one a lot of the time, is well done especially Rupert’s set when he actually gets to go up on stage and deliver it. There are a good number of chuckles peppered in here and there.

My two main issues with this film are the fact that it goes on for two long and that other than Rupert I didn’t care about a single other character on screen; though maybe that was intentional. I believe these two issues go hand in hand, as the film devotes time to some of these supporting characters you just don’t care about; they feel like an unwanted distraction away from the A Plot.

Overall a very solid picture, and not one I can hugely fault. I think it could be edited down to a more bearable length, one in which my mind won’t wonder as a result of boredom and the long runtime, but other than that this is another interesting DeNiro Scorsese project.

Pros.

Interesting story.

DeNiro.

Good dark comedy.

Cons.

Pacing issues.

Boring side characters.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Good Place: In Memoriam

The Good Place is a fantasy comedy series created by Michael Schur, of The Office, Parks And Recreation And Brooklyn 99 fame. The series follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), a woman who awakes in the Good Place/Heaven even though she doesn’t deserve to be there. The first series sees her try to blend in and not be discovered, taking ethics lessons from her assigned soulmate Chidi (William Harper Jackson), who eventually finds out that she does not belong in the Good Place as well. Then there is a masterful reveal at the end of the first season that they are in the Bad Place/ Hell and the events of the first season have been an elaborate form of torture. The following seasons see Eleanor and the others try and earn entry into Good Place, become better people and reform the afterlife system in general.

The reason why this series became such a successful phenomenon is because it is so well written, it has it’s finger on the pulse of pop culture and has characters that you can see grow on screen. The Good Place works because it is such a novel take on the sitcom genre, the show’s approach to morality and ethics make for some great laughs and also some scenes and decisions that really make you think.

What’s more just like Parks And Recreation before it The Good Place has an incredibly loveable main cast of characters. Along with Chidi and Elanor who I have already mentioned, we have Tahani (Jameela Jamil), Jason (Manny Jacinto), Janet (D’Arcy Carden) and Michael (Ted Danson), all of these characters are unique and interesting, they have distinct types of personality and comedy styles. For me either Michael or Eleanor are the funniest and consistently make me laugh across all the series.

Overall, The Good Place was a landmark for comedy and sitcoms in general, it was consistently funny across its run and had some of the best characters on TV. It will be a shame to see it go, but hopefully the ending will live up to the rest of the series and it will go out on a high note. As of the time of writing I have not yet seen the final episode, so these are just my thoughts on the series so far, but unless the ending is terrible this series will always be 4.5/5 for me. Some of the seasons are stronger than others but, overall it is a hell of a show!

*Edit, I loved the ending it was terrific.

Pros.

Strong characters.

Interesting ways of storytelling.

Characters that you can see grow.

Very Funny.

Cons.

A few weaker moments across the seasons.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Bling Ring: Crime, Fashion And Celebrity

The Bling Ring is a satirical crime film, written directed and produced by Sofia Coppola. The film tells the tale of the real-life Bling Ring a group of teenagers who robbed the homes of famous Hollywood celebrities when they were out of town, their victims included Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and Orlando Bloom.

I have to say for years I had no interest in this film, but when someone told me recently that it was directed by Sofia Coppola, the person behind Lost In Translation and The Beguiled, I decided to give it a go. To describe this film in a sentence, it is the very definition of style over substance. I understand that might have been an intentional choice on the part of the director, but it works to the film’s detriment.

The cinematography and editing of the film of the film is all very flashy and looks pretty, but overall it feels incredibly dated. There is a slow-motion sequence of the gang walking down the street to the song Power by Kayne West and it feels incredibly 2013. However, some of the film’s elements like the random inclusion of interviews here and there do a lot to breakup the film and keep it engaging.

The story itself is interesting, we are invited into the world of these selfish self-absorbed teenagers who think there is nothing more important than being rich and famous, they are the epitome of the words vapid and vain. We root against these characters and want to see them fail, though the film makes you think is it really the characters fault or is it the culture they have been raised in?

The social commentary elements add some depth to this film, but not as much as you would like. It still feels very shallow.

The cast is fine and serviceable, but they are nothing special. The main characters, I can’t remember their names, are entirely eclipsed by Emma Watson’s character who is a supporting character at best. Watson is basically playing herself, if a slightly bad version, because as I often say she can’t act. Her character is very hateable, and the ending really hits that home.

Overall, this film feels like it has ideas of grandeur, of being an art house film that has something to say about society, but instead it feels hollow and lacking, which is a shame as this film had potential.

Pros.

Interesting story.

Social commentary.

Sofia’s style.

Cons.

Emma Watson can’t act.

It feels dated.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Part 3: Abandon All Hope Of A Good Season

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 3 is a supernatural horror TV Series. The show revolves around a young witch called Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka), she is half witch and half human and is unlike her peers on both sides on the supernatural vial. The series sees her learn more about her powers and herself and go on various adventures with her friends. Part 3 sees Sabrina go to hell to get her boyfriend back, thereby becoming the new Queen of hell, as well as battling against a horde of pagans that worship the Old Gods and want to see the destruction of Sabrina’s coven.

Before I get into this review I just want to say I genuinely enjoyed the first 2 parts of this series, there were plenty of great horror moments to keep me interested, despite being linked to the Archie comics and therefore to Riverdale this show had avoided most of the terrible pit falls of that show. At least it did for a time.

Part 3 is by far the worst so far, The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina always had a distinct sense of identity, but it loses it this season. It basically becomes a more out there slightly scarier Riverdale which is the worst thing I could ever possibly say. The supernatural horror takes a back seat to relationship drama and teenage angst, I understand this is the main market for the show, but the other parts still had good horror elements mixed in to make these moments bearable. What’s more there is a musical interlude every 5 seconds, which feels very Riverdale, these songs feel like they have no natural place in the show instead feeling like plot padding and a chance to show off their licensed music.

Another thing that makes this part the worst for me is Sabrina herself. She has always been brash and impulsive following her heart rather than her head, but this season is ridiculous. She repeatedly does things that put everyone she cares about in danger just because it is what she wants to do. When she is trying to become The Queen Of Hell, she won’t take souls unless she thinks they deserve it, which is baffling as they sold their souls to the devil in the first place. What’s more her whole holier than thou attitude quickly becomes grating as she seems to think she knows better than everyone else on screen; proving her to be the embodiment of every self-entitled, self-important arsehole ever; what makes this almost comical is that she is near always wrong.

Don’t even get me started on her friends, they literally exist to further the plot and fill-out the near hour runtime of an episode. In a supernatural horror show, I don’t want to watch a 10-minute cheer leading sequence. This series is going down the toilet fast.

Pros.

A few good horror sequences.

Lilith continues to be great.

Cons.

Sabrina is hateable.

It feels pandering and Riverdale esque.

It’s vapid and self-involved.

1.5/5

Reviewed By Luke

Colour Out Of Space: Nicolas Cage And H.P Lovecraft, Terror And Mania

Colour Out Of Space is a horror film directed by Richard Stanley. It is an adaption of the H.P Lovecraft story of the same name and marks the start of a Lovecraft trilogy that Stanley wants to direct. The plot follows a family of farmers whose life starts to take a sinister turn when a meteor crashes in their front garden; said meteor and the things that come out of it interfere with time and space and create monstrosities.

This film is everything you would expect from a Lovecraft horror film, monsters from a hellish other plane, grotesque mutated humans that make your skin crawl and a deep and unrelenting sense of existential dread and terror. Straight from the beginning when we are introduced to Lavinia (Madeleine Arthur), we see the mystical elements that make up this story and the wider Lovecraft universe.

Adding to this sense of madness Nicholas Cage plays Nathan, Lavinia’s father, he is just a humble farmer and family man. As the film progress we see Nathan become more and more insane as his life slowly falls apart and he is forced to kill his Alpacas and his Wife and Son. Cage as we all know is fantastic when it comes to playing manic characters, he has great energy and is able to flip out on a dime. Cage’s performance in this film is just as insane as we would expect; his casting was a touch of genius.

The ending of this film is also great as it ends with this sense of calm, but also heavily implied ideas of post-apocalypse. It has a looming sense of hopelessness that I find perfectly embodies the Lovecraftian spirit.

My only issue with the film is that they could have spent more time showing us the other plane that would have been really cool, the little taster we get is great, but I would like more. Furthermore, the wider Gardner family outside of the two I have already mentioned are all fairly one note and feel paper thin; I would have liked them to have more to do.

Overall, this is a perfect Lovecraftian horror film, it has everything you would want it and boasts a fantastic Nicolas cage performance, it is slightly let down by some of the less developed characters, but it is a hell of a start to a trilogy. Overall, if you like Lovecraft, Nicolas Cage or just horror in general then this is a must see!

Pros.

A near perfect Lovecraft adaption.

A great ending.

Nicolas Cage.

The unrelenting horror.

Cons.

Slightly underdeveloped in parts.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Rocketman:A New Blockbuster Star Is Born

Rocketman is a musical biopic directed by Dexter Fletcher. The film shows the troubled life of world- famous musician Elton John (Taron Egerton), his rise to fame and the trouble he had once everyone new his name.

This film is one of those films that came out in the middle of the Musical Biopic fad, that saw the likes of The Dirt and Bohemian Rhapsody be released to various levels of success. What’s more it also marks a return for Egerton to working with Fletcher as his director; after they worked together on another biopic Eddie The Eagle.

Egerton has proven himself over the last decade to be one of the best up and coming actors. He possesses not only an easy-going charm that makes him near impossible to root against, but also a great versatility of emotional range. He brings all of these considerable talents to his take on John. No punches are pulled here, John is shown as a broken and self-destructive character, but also the victim of a hard life and a cruel family. John’s desire to entertain and be loved bleeds through into every scene and it is all thanks to a magnificent performance from Egerton.

Not only can Egerton act, he can also sing. Unlike Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody Egerton is actually singing and performing all of the songs and he does a really good job of it; if the acting doesn’t work out, which it will, he always has a back up career in music, which he proves here.

This film also strikes a nice balance between comedy and tragedy, as there are good laughs to be had, but also real emotional stakes. Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton John’s mum is haunting, her toxic relationship with her son can’t help but make you feel uncomfortable.

My one criticism with this film is that some of the songs and more fantastical elements feel forced in. With many musicals the songs are the highlight and to an extent that is true here, but there were a few times when I was like “another song really” because I felt like the scene didn’t need it. This is especially true in the beginning of the film where it feels like they have a musical number every 5 seconds. Moreover, the fantasy elements like when John converse with a younger version of himself at the bottom of his swimming pool feel strangely out of sync with the rest of the film, which for the most part feels like a grounded realistic affair.

Overall, this is a very entertaining musical biopic that has heart and laughs. Taron Egerton once again delivers a masterful performance that was deserving of wider acclaim.

Pros.

Laughs.

Heart.

A Great Elton John.

Cons.

Some Of The Songs Feel Forced In.

As Do The Fantasy Sequences.

4/5

Reviewed By Luke

Dracula: How To Destroy Potential In One Episode

Dracula is a three-part horror TV series developed by Sherlock creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. The story is yet another retelling of Bram Stoker’s seminal novel Dracula this time with a twist. This time around the Harker family take up a new position in the narrative, and the struggle between Dracula and Van Helsing is shown to exist across multiple lifetimes and members of the Van Helsing family.

This series left a bitter taste in my mouth. I love Dracula and I’ve read the book several times and consumed most media related to it and my issue with this iteration of the story wasn’t the changes or the fresh take, but how they chose to end it. That third episode was woeful, and that seems to be near universally accepted. Not only do they have Lucy Westenra, and the rest of the characters as 20 something club goers, which is painful to see, and informs me that Moffat and Gatiss haven’t ever actually talked to a young person in their lives. It is beyond cringey. Worse so, they decide to have Van Helsing and Dracula die together almost as lovers, which is not only a slap to the face, but also a kick in the balls.

It is such a shame that the third episode is as bad as it is, as the other two episodes were nothing sort of terrific. I liked the changes to the established story in the first few episodes as they made sense, and the direction the story took was fresh and interesting. I liked most of the stuff they were putting down, it had just the right amount of good horror mixed in as well. What’s more the new Dracula Claes Bang is magnificent; he is my favourite on-screen iteration of the character so far. He plays the character with just enough humour to be likeable and just enough menace that you never want to let your guard down. I would love to see more of his interpretation of the character, but sadly we will never get that.

Overall, the first two episodes of this show had it set to be something special, but the horrific, cringey mess that was the third episode not only shot the series in the foot, but also put a stake through its heart and set it on fire. The first two episodes would have been 5/5, but that third episode ruins it all.

Pros.

Claes Bang Is Great.

The First Two Episodes Are Magnificent.

Some Of The Changes Work.

Cons.

The Cringe Inducing, Lore Destroying, Baffling Third Episode.

The Idea Of Having Dracula and Van Helsing Romantically Linked.

3/5 and that’s being generous.

Reviewed By Luke