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Reviews
Skins (2007)
A Refreshing Piece Of British Drama
It's good to look to look over to Channel 4's sister channel E4 and find good quality British drama on our TV's. Skins is a fantastic and invigorating in-look in to the lives of modern day students.
The first two series had a fantastic cast, most of whom who had never acted before but some familiar faces including About A Boy's Nicholas Hoult and Slumdog Millioanire's Dev Patel who played Tony and Anwar respectively. The cast all worked really well together and it came across perfectly, especially in the second series. The characters they portray; the musical nerd, the lay about, the girl with the eating disorder, the religious one, the metro-sexual, etc. Characters that young people can identify with easily, in every day life, in their surroundings.
The third series was a risky strategy, in which they overhauled all their main characters from the first two series and got a new ensemble cast, or what has become to be referred to, as the ''second generation''. However the show has still been able to keep its sharp edge and shock factor, with some fantastic new characters and actors for the third and current fourth series. Some of the more entertaining and fascinating ones include naive Pandora Moon portrayed by Lisa Blackwell, bad boy 'Cook' portrayed by Jack O'Connel and individualistic twins Emily and Katie Finch.
The lifestyle the group has is glammed up slightly, especially in the early episodes and initial advertisements. Some may argue this is not 'real life', but its television, what is? Some of the party and group scenes are shot extremely well and capture the essence of the modern day lifestyles of the late 2000's perfectly. The show does boast some intriguing and dramatic story lines and selects its actors very well. Its admirable for the production team to encourage young actors (along with the amazing adult guest stars), writers, fashion designers, set designers, etc to join the show. The musical score is something that has to be mentioned, it's some of the best in today's television programmes. Even the opening credits, the music from Fat Seggal is fresh and inspirational.
As the ''second generation'' comes to an end this year (or so we assume) it will be interesting if the show will be revived again.
All in all Skins is something that we don't have a lot of on our screens. Channel 4 should be applauded and continue to invest in programmes such as Skins to appeal to today's generation of young adults.
Diary of the Dead (2007)
'There'll be more'...please no!
Never in all my life have I seen something as bad a this, utterly shocking. This movie is terrible and how its managing to scrape a 7.0, I don't know. This subtle message about the 'youtube generation' and alienation of the media from overthrown by a poor storyline, atrocious actors, appalling dialogue and the worst soundtrack ever. Half way through I actually thought it was a spoof movie, so many mixed messages. Is it a comedy, action, horror, documentary. I gather this was meant to be scary, it was not at all! The scariest part is when the camera man dies and the girl decides to go ''there'll be more'', I thought please let this torture end now.
In conclusion, a disgrace.
Danger Island (1992)
Like Lost? You'll love the 'uber' 90's Danger Island
I first watched this movie back in 1998, in a late night slot on the UK's Channel 5. I had never heard of the movie or read about it and just happened to start watching it. In the first few minutes, I assumed it would be a romantic drama on a tropical island. Swiss Family Robinson meets Blue Lagoon, maybe? Oh, how I was wrong.
After they arrive safely upon the island we get the view from under the water and the eerie music comes on. So its not a modern day Swiss Family Robinson after all. More like Demon Seed. I become even more intrigued in to what mysteries the island possesses, with references to the mutated fruit, 'fish like people' and hallucinations that Vic (Graham) has. I had to keep watching this movie, even though some of the acting was cringe worthy.
In to the latter part of the movie when they move in to the ''Habitat'', the group start to discover what truths there are behind the islands military past. A lot of the action takes place around this part of the movie, some it quite entertaining and exiting. When it came to an end I was shocked, I wanted more. Looking back though, there are painful reminders that Danger Island was not meant to end like this, but made to pave the way for a TV series, which never took off unfortunately (unless you can count Lost).
A good and entertaining film, with a relatively unknown cast and poor scripting, but good acting from Gary Graham and June Lockhart. In all though very intriguing characters and all work well together as a group. Would have been great to found out the answers that were never given especially if they were ever rescued. Oh well, a worthy 7/10
Mean Girls (2004)
How do we identify ourselves
When I first began watching this movie, I wasn't expecting much and I'm sure that went for thousands of others around the world as well. Reason being for the past ten years the classic high school formula had been experimented with over and over to produce mediocre results. Examples being She's All That, 10 Thing I Hate About You, Never Been Kissed, arguably unique in their own right. But, following the formula of romance and high school mixed in with the 'class system' of a high school.
One could say Mean Girls follows this exact formula, but cleverly enough Tina Fey was able to mutate this formula in to sheer brilliance. What sets this film aside from other high school movies, is how people identify themselves and other around them. The scene in which Janis (Caplan) is giving Cady (Lohan) the guide to North Shore she stereotypes the usual groups, ''You got your freshmen, ROTC guys, preps, J.V. jocks, Asian nerds, Cool Asians, Varsity jocks Unfriendly black hotties, Girls who eat their feelings, Girls who don't eat anything, Desperate wannabes, Burnouts, Sexually active band geeks''
and then in what is a stroke of genius Janis identifies herself and Damian as ''the greatest people you will ever meet''. While later on in the movie, Gretchen (Chabert) refers to them as ''art freaks''. The film itself centres on the three popular girls, whom acquire the name 'The Plastics'. However we never hear 'The Plastics' referring to themselves as that. Nor, does any other 'group' refer to themselves as a certain name. I think this is what made this movie so appealing, the fact that anyone could identify themselves with the characters and 'groups' of Mean Girls
The script is a stroke of genius from brilliant screenplay writer (and actor) Tina fey. The script is well structured, witty and intelligent, without being too overbearing. The amount of 'one-liners' that have worked their way in to every day use is unreal, how often do I hear people quote the infamous saying ''Boo, you whore!'' and ''fugly slut''
The Mean Girls cast is unforgettable probably Lindsay Lohan's best performance to date. Certain members of the cast stole the show though namely Rachel McAdams, who gives an impressive performance of 'queen bee' Regina George. The scene in which she does the high pitched scream in her frustration after the understanding of betrayal against her is magnificent. Lizzy Caplan also deserves a mention for a terrific performance of rocker, Janis Ian.
Mean Girls will be known as one of the classic high school movie in ten years time, it will be up there along side the Sixteen Candles, American Pie and the almighty Breakfast Club
Private Benjamin (1980)
Blonde to Green
Private Benjamin is one of those films you can come back to it years after watching it and still be cheered up by its cheer brilliance and Hawns excellent portray of a middle class 'blonde'. The film really displays excellent sense of friendship and discovery of ones self, which Hawn discovers after her husbands unexpected death and joins the an army camp in Boloxi unaware of what she has got herself into. During her inintital training we see great comical acting from Eileen Brennan who plays Capt, Doreen Lewis. Judy goes on to discover love in Paris with Henri, who is communist and must decide whether she is going to continue with her career or go back to the nothing life she had before. It must be said that Goldie Hawn is the Reese Witherspoon of the 1980's.