ROLL CREDITS!
November 2015 LIMITED EDITION
HEY, NAUGHTY ONES! LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? TAKE A PEEK INSIDE FOR MORE!
Pixar returns full of figurative and literal emotions
Today’s cartoons: have they gotten better or worse?
All you need to know about your favourite antihero
CONTENTS
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ABOVE: Ryan Reynolds in full Deadpool getup
REVIEWS: From 2015’s biggest downfalls to greatest successes
QUIZ: Put your knowledge of movies to the ultimate test!
DEADPOOL: Photos, facts and comic strips in favour of the upcoming film
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UPCOMING: A look at all the movies coming out in the next month
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NEWS: Six of the currently most popular entertainment stories
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DISCUSSION: From improved cartoons to Star Wars prequel hatred
November 2015 ÂŁ2.50
REVIEWS (2015) BAD
OKAY
GOOD
GREAT
Three strikes, you’re out
Adam, it’s time to grow up
FANTASTIC FOUR
PIXELS
EXCELLENT
DIRECTOR: Josh Trank RATED: 12 STARRING: Miles Teller, Jamie Bell
DIRECTOR: Chris Columbus RATED: 12 STARRING: Adam Sandler, Kevin James
One would think that after two previous adaptations that fantastically flopped, Josh Trank would be able to pull Marvel’s original heroes out of the ditch. What we sadly ended up with was a reimagining of how you never wanted to see these beloved characters: uncharismatic, moody, inept, and snore-inducing. Suffering from uninspired performances, bizarre changes to the source material, painful dialogue and unbearably slow pacing, this is the film that tragically killed all chances of any more Fantastic Four reboots.
After countless years of Adam Sandler spewing out nothing but immature drek, it’s almost insulting that he seems disinterested in improving his comedic style that only worked in the 90s. And if you’ve seen any of his recent movies, you’ve seen Pixels. A loser hero who gets with a bland girl while his perverted and idiotic comrades, obviously played by his best friends, help him come out on top by battling video game characters while partaking in childish dialogue, sexism and toilet humour. Interested? I thought not.
A franchise that continues to rust
Like recent Family Guy but for two hours
TERMINATOR GENISYS
TED 2
Yet another 12-rated sequel you never asked for, following in the footsteps of Die Hard, complete with a convoluted story we’ve seen done better in the first two movies. Not to mention one littered with plot holes, uncharismatic protagonists and almost every iconic Terminator line painfully shoehorned in. With all that in mind, this movie was doomed to fail. Not even Arnold could save this oxidized mess. If you’re in the mood for some two-hour entertainment with robots, do yourself a favor and watch the original.
To generate a film like this, all you need are the following: gratuitous cameos, product placement, endless cursing, outrageously insensitive and dragging jokes, unlikeable characters making idiotic decisions, references to popular things because they’re popular and finally, a juvenile plot an inebriate teenager could have created. Sound familiar? It’s because it’s basically the recent seasons of Family Guy, except two hours long and with a smoking teddy bear. CLOCKWISE: Adam’s ‘funny’ team. Ted with his sweetheart. T800’s goofy smile. The Fantastic Bore.
DIRECTOR: Alan Taylor RATED: 12 STARRING: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jai Courtney
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DIRECTOR: Seth MacFarlane RATED: 15 STARRING: Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg
Innocent but another bland live-action Disney
Should’ve ended it at Despicable Me 2
CINDERELLA
MINIONS
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh RATED: U STARRING: Lily James, Cate Blanchett
DIRECTOR: Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda RATED: U STARRING: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm
So we have yet another film to add to the growing list of pointless live action Disney remakes that, to be completely honest, I only went to see for the Frozen short. And sadly the positives in this movie weren’t enough to make me think “money well spent”. Now I’m assuming if you’re reading this, you pretty much know the story of Cinderella: an orphan girl lives with her horrible stepmother and stepsisters who make her do the housework until by magic, she goes to a ball, hits it off with a prince and gets her happily ever after. With reboots, you have to make changes so it’s not a direct carbon copy of the original source material. Some of the changes made here work, the rest shatter like glass. Thankfully, much like Kenneth Branagh’s other films, particularly Thor, the film looks amazing. From the sets to the costumes to the cinematography, the whole film oozes with saccharine beauty and really feels like a fairy tale. The updates to the side characters are also welcome additions, particularly Cate Blanchett as the Stepmother and especially the Prince. Rather than being speechless eye candy like the original, he’s much more fleshed out and personality-driven. When a scene comes where his father kicks the bucket, it’s legitimately heartbreaking. In fact, I wish the entire film was about him. But sadly, the biggest flaw of this movie lies in Cinderella herself. Say what you want about the original Disney version but she had her limits. She got angry, she got frustrated, she forced herself to keep pushing on. This version is every female stereotype merged into one; she smiles, looks pleasant, twirls around and sings to herself. In trying to make her ‘strong’ and ‘independant’, they instead make her doey-eyed, bland and submissive. In this version, the father dies when she’s an adult instead of an kid, so it makes no sense why she doesn’t just run away. If your kids are looking for a Disney movie with an interesting lead, emotional depth, broken “girly” stereotypes and a kindness lesson not jackhammered into your skull, they won’t find it here.
These little guys are shaped like pills and rightfully so. A few doses is fine but if you take too many, you end up with a splitting headache. Following in the footsteps of The Cleveland Show, directors Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda decided to take characters from the beloved Despicable Me franchise and cram them into the foreground in hopes of getting more money. Oh, sorry, I meant more laughs. The Minions are sadly back in their very own origin movie that, now that I think about it, never answers any of the long-pondered questions about them such as the purpose of their goggles or their differing eye numbers. Scowering the globe for a master to serve, they eventually team up with Steve Carrell’s bland replacement Scarlett Overkill to steal 1960s Queen Victoria’s crown and earn her respect. Until she spontaneously chooses she wants them dead, in which case they instead have to defeat her. I think Jon Bailey described this film’s comedy best, in that it “makes Cars 2 look like the beginning of Up”. Aside from a few chuckle-worthy lines and gags, the rest of the jokes completely miss the bullseye. They mainly rely on either butt jokes, banana jokes, British stereotypes, obnoxious laughter, jokes about 1960s culture that neither kids nor their 30-something parents will understand or all of the above. And no amount of gorgeous animation is going to make me find these jokes funny. On top of that, walking out of the cinema, I had no clue what to take away from the film. Whether it was “saying banana repeatedly is funny”, “be a mindless follower” or “accidental murder is fine as long as you’re a cute gibberish-spouting mutant”. If I wanted to teach my own kids nonsensical morals, I’d let them watch Teen Titans Go. The comedy is harmless enough for your kids to watch for two hours while you check your phone. For all the adults reading this, just stick with the theory that Gru created these yellow twerps and give this grating excuse for humour a skip. TOP, L-R: Lily James (Cinderella) at the ball. Kevin, Stuart and Bob in all their irritating goofiness.
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A satisfying sequel to one of Sandler’s best
Entertaining if you can look past the silliness
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2
JURASSIC WORLD
DIRECTOR: Genndy Tartakovsky RATED: PG STARRING: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez As much of a cliché as it is to dump on Adam Sandler’s movies, I can proudly say that Hotel Transylvania was one of his best films in years. And the sequel, while not quite as spectacular as its predecessor, is still a lot of fun. Seven years after the first movie, Count Dracula has opened his hotel to both humans and monsters. Not only that, but his daughter Mavis has married her human ‘zing’ Johnny and had a child named Dennis, over whom Dracula debates with Mavis on whether he is human or has vampire genes. Devastated when Mavis informs him of her plans to move to California with Johnny and Dennis, Drac and his gang set out to help Dennis earn his fangs. Much like the Kung Fu Panda movies, I greatly admire that rather than simply rehashing the same storyline from the first film, this film instead decides to continue the story and expand upon new ideas given to it, like a good sequel should do. In many respects, the comedy is better than the first movie, with the animation being just as energetic as before and more opportunities for Dracula and the other memorable characters to play off of the human characters and their different ways. But like the first film, it never goes too over-the-top with its comedy and knows when to tone it down for the more dramatic and heartfelt moments. Regrettably, however, the humour is sucked out of some moments where it should be funny and replaced with unintentional awkwardness. Additionally, Mel Brooks as Dracula’s purist father is certainly enjoyable but is sort of thrown in at the last minute to add more conflict on top of the conflict already present. And the message, without giving anything away, is there but seems a little botched. Thankfully those flaws did nothing to dampen my enjoyment of this film. I laughed, “aww”ed and prayed for the DVD release to arrive. If you give this film a chance, you might too.
5
DIRECTOR: Colin Trevorrow RATED: 12 STARRING: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard
The nostalgic franchise once run into the ground by mediocre sequels rises once more as an intense yet ridiculous thrill-ride. Jurassic World, a fully-functional dinosaur park, is open to the public, where the manager Claire Dearing notices that the visitors are somehow bored of living breathing dinosaurs. Her solution: create a Franken-dino so powerful, nobody could stop it if it ever escaped. Which, big shock, it does. Thus raptor trainer Owen Grady, Claire and her nephews (because every Jurassic Park movie needs kids) must detain the beast, dubbed the Indominus Rex, before it lays waste to the park. Admittedly the “humans create an uncontrollable monster that escapes” plot has been done to death, once again relying eon human stupidity to happen. And the film sticks to the Jurassic Park formula of people running from and getting chomped by dinosaurs. But the new stuff brought to the table more than makes up for it, including a terrifying pterosaur attack, an unforgettable (albeit undeserving) character death, and an ending I shan’t dare spoil. Sadly the characters, while not bad, are no Ian Malcolm or Alan Grant. The actors do their best, bringing one-liners and likeability to the roles, but not enough memorability. And Vincent D’Onofrio’s character is so idiotic and obviously evil, you’ll be checking your watch impatiently for his inevitable demise. Being a Jurassic Park film, the visuals are highly entertaining. The park itself very much resembles a real theme park, the Indominus Rex herself is terrifying and the effects on the dinosaurs, while not spectacular or relying on animatronics like the other movies, is fairly well-done regardless. While not as amazing as the original or free of any silliness, this newest addition to the beloved franchise is welcome. Rectifying the wrongs of Jurassic Park 3, this sequel has dinosaurs, nostalgia, visual wonder, intensity, all things worthy of purchasing a ticket and checking it out for yourself. TOP, L-R: Dracula with daughter Mavis, her husband Johnny and their kid. Chris Pratt, the raptor god.
Doesn’t quite trump the first movie but still incredibly action-packed, intense and funny
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
DIRECTOR: Joss Whedon RATED: 12 STARRING: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth After the ground-breaking success of the first Avengers movie, it seems only fair that Joss Whedon would choose to return with a sequel attempting to pack just as big of a punch. Our favourite superhero group returns to retrieve old nemesis Loki’s sceptre from a HYDRA organisation when Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) gets his mind manipulated by mysterious newcomer Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) into seeing all the Avengers dead. Convinced he didn’t do enough to protect them, he decides to create Ultron (James Spader), a T800-esque AI robot designed to bring about “peace in our time”. Unfortunately, Ultron’s interpretation of peace involves annihilating all of humanity. Whoops. Thus the Avengers must stop Ultron from destroying the Earth while also battling their inner demons and setting up future Marvel flicks. To aid in the battle, they’re joined by Scarlet Witch, her Flash-esque brother Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and an android version of Superman named Vision (Paul Bettany). While the plot may be a pretty standard “here’s your bad guy, go find him and shoot him” plot, keep in mind that was the case with the first movie too. And besides, even though it’s not as much the ‘age’ of Ultron as it is the ‘few days’ of Ultron. you know what we’re all here for: to see the Avengers doing what the Avengers do, such as pummelling bad guys, interacting with each other and cracking one-liners. And we get exactly that, even if some plot elements are repeated from the first movie such as hypnosis, a villain who doesn’t see what he’s doing as bad and the final battle in a big city. They’re done well but it’s still on repeat. This film, however, makes up for that by diving more into the Avengers’ psyche and development, even giving more character to Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) who didn’t get much character in the first film. There’s even a romance subplot involving the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) which, though spontaneous, is rather sweet nonetheless. While I won’t exactly be writing melodramatic Twitter posts if they break up, I still cared about how they would get through the conflicts of the story. The new additions to the team, while not massively fleshed out, are welcome additions nonetheless, Paul Bettany as Vision especially. Like the other Avengers, they too provide plenty of state-of-the-art action and hilarious moments. And after a long string of boring Marvel villains since Loki’s last appearance, the audience finally receives another great antagonist in the form of Ultron. James Spader takes a character that could have easily been another generic deep-voiced ‘doomsday bringer’ with no funny moments and instead transforms him into an evil version of Tony Stark with snarky one-liners but just enough intimidating moments to still make us fear his presence. In many respects, this film is better than the first one. Both the action and comedy are enhanced, the villain is amazing and I left the cinema knowing more about the characters. But I wouldn’t call it a film deserving of a standing ovation. Certainly not bad by any means but more like a sequel to an experience with a little more rather than an experience with a lot more. But if you’re in the mood for some really fun Avengers action, tone down your hype and see for yourself. TOP: Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) from left to right.
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An juvenile idea converted into a massively-entertaining flick, both in action and humour
ANT-MAN
DIRECTOR: Peyton Reed RATED: 12 STARRING: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly Marvel really seems to have a knack for taking ideas that sound completely ludicrous on paper and turning it into an awesome movie. An ex-thief named Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is released from prison and having trouble finding an honest job to be allowed back into his daughter Cassie’s life. Convinced he’ll never be seen as anything more than a criminal, he teams up with his tech-savvy amigos led by fast-talking Luis (Michael Peña) and steals what he thinks is a motorcycle suit in order to pay for child support. But this outfit turns out to be a suit that shrinks the user down to insect-size but gives them incredible strength as well as the ability to communicate with ants. The previous owner of the suit, a scientist called Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) along with his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lily), convinces him to sneak into his old company using the suit to destroy a deadlier version of it being created by the new boss, and Hank’s former protégé, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). It’s as awesomely silly as it sounds. What makes this film work is how the whole ‘superhero origin’ and ‘heist flick’ plot elements may have been done before, but they’re cleverly twisted around to suit the story here. For example, the main character doesn’t create his own suit, the previous superhero instead passes the torch to him and teaches him how to use it. Even the main villain, despite being yet another obviously evil ‘jerk in a business suit’, isn’t that bad. Unlike previous Marvel baddies like this, you get the feeling he was once a decent person, the suit he wears in the final battle is pretty cool and you can tell the actor playing him, Corey Stoll, is having a blast. Speaking of the actors, the others play their roles especially well too. Paul Rudd makes Scott extremely likeable in how affable and snarky he is when it comes to his sense of humour. But you also admire how dedicated he is in wanting to see his daughter again, as well as his desire to right any of his wrongs. The other actors also breathe new life into their characters we’ve truthfully seen before, including Michael Douglas as the cold, snarky mentor Hank Pym who also cares a great deal about his cynical but encouraging daughter Hope. Even Scott’s trio of friends Luis, Kurt (David Dastmalchian) and Dave (Tip “T.I.” Harris) get their fair share of laughs. Their stereotypical nationalites and personalties could throw some people off but throughout the film, I admired how intelligent they were as well as their capabilities when taking part in the action. In terms of the undoubtedly best aspect of the film, the filmmakers definitely took advantage of the shrinking suit idea. Once again, the whole ‘Honey, I Shrunk The Kids’ idea has been done to death but this film adds new elements on top to make it an incredibly fun experience. The visuals from Scott’s perspective when shrunken down are fantastic, aided by the fast-paced action and the comedic ridiculousness of each situation. I won’t dare spoil the final battle but I will say that it is a near-perfect combination of hilarity and intensity. Without a doubt, one of Marvel’s best action sequences. It’s always a delight when Marvel movies put a spin on a fairly standard idea and this one is no exception. With a great cast playing some entertaining characters in the midst of a hilarious yet engaging story, topped off with Marvel’s signature humour and action, Ant-Man is a small hero that packs a massive punch. TOP: The new Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) charges with his six-legged army
7
A non-stop adrenaline-fueled, powerfully acted and vis MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
DIRECTOR: George Miller RATED: 12 STARRING: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron You have not lived until you’ve witnessed this action masterpiece. Being a big fan of George Miller’s previous instalments in his iconic Mad Max movie franchise (well, okay, I enjoyed some parts of Beyond Thunderdome), you can imagine how curious yet worried I was when it was announced that filming on a new Mad Max movie was well underway. However, after thirty years of rusting in development hell, Miller manages to return to his signature franchise with undoubtedly the greatest entry in the series, as well as quite possibly one of the greatest action movies of all time. Set in a post-apocalyptic Australian desert wasteland where gas and water are extremely scarce, Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) is captured by the psychotic War Boys, minions to the tyrannical cult leader Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Burne). When one of Joe’s lieutenants, Furiosa (Charlize Theron), is sent to collect more gasoline, she instead drives out into the desert with Joe’s five sex slaves aboard her armoured tanker, hoping to bring them to a green land. When Joe and his connies pursue them in their own decked-out vehicles from hell, Max along with a glory-seeking War Boy named Nux (Nicholas Hault) to get their desired location and avoid the monstrous dictator, all while participating in a high octane Roadrunner-style chase across the desert. If you saw the trailers or have just heard of this plot, it seems like a very simplistic, idiotic action flick. But the simplicity is where the genius lies. If there’s one thing George Miller has mastered in his years when it comes to filmmaking, it’s the old rule of “show, don’t tell”. And the movie does just that. Throughout the first ten minutes, from Max’s short imprisonment in Joe’s citadel to Joe distributing to his starving subjects the water to Furiosa’s determined glares out of her truck window, you immediately understand everything you need to know about the story, the motivations and the world. There’s little to no explanation, it’s all up to the viewer to grasp and put the pieces together in their head. If there’s anything I adore more than an action-packed film, it’s an action-packed film that makes you think.
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sually told ride What really needs to help drive a story, however, is good characters. And these are some extremely welldone characters. Tom Hardy, a replacement to Mel Gibson, plays Max in this film as very no-nonsense and cold when it comes to his goals. But the moment he begins working with Charlize Theron’s equally determined Furiosa, after so many years of prefering to do things alone, he allows her to work with him and give a link back to the humanity we thought he’d lost. And their interactions make for two great gun-weilding backto-back warriors. But they fortunately don’t overshadow the other characters, such as the terrifying Immortan Joe and his equally freaky mouthpiece and the ambitious yet vulnerable Nux who aids in Max and Furiosa’s adrenaline-fuelled quest. Even Joe’s five wives get their fair share of awesome moments. Rather than sit around in their skimpy white robes, look pretty and cower while Furiosa saves them, they too have determination, courage and great skills with firearms and weapons. Speaking of weaponry, the amount of effort they put into the movie’s action is astounding. I haven’t felt this much of a rush in an action flick for as long as I can remember. The entire time throughout the film, I was pressed up against my seat screaming internally with excitement. George Miller really has a knack for putting almost entirely practical effects in the Mad Max movies and here is no exception. What you see in the image above is not CGI. The stunts, the vehicles, the explosions, the actors including the elderly ones running and jumping over the tops of the trucks, it’s all real. But the best part about it is that it knows when to give the audience a breather after one of its intense chases. After a chase through a sandstorm that looks like a gateway into hell, it immediately cuts to the aftermath of Max slowly rising out of the sand that buried him. Unlike mindless action such as Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise, you care about the characters taking part in the action, there’s no vomit-inducing shaky camerawork, you can tell what’s happening onscreen and best of all, it only uses CGI when it needs to rather than transforming the entire film into a CG-fest of fake metal clashing into each other. If for whatever reason you haven’t seen or heard of the Mad Max movies including this newest addition, give them a watch. It’s not only one of the smartest action films I’ve ever seen. It’s not only one of the smartest films I’ve ever seen, it’s one of the smartest films of the year. With compelling characters, a storyline told nearly entirely through visuals and amazing set pieces, this is an action flick you can’t afford to miss. TOP: Max (Tom Hardy) witnesses the explosive carnage from atop his Cirque du Soleil pole.
10
After a slew of underwhelming films, Inside Out is Pixa INSIDE OUT
DIRECTOR: Pete Docter RATED: PG STARRING: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith
Oh, Pixar, I’ve missed you so. I’ve been infatuated with animation for many years, especially the works of Pixar. My brother and I can recite the entire script of Toy Story without fault. Unfortunately after Toy Story 3, the company got stuck in a rut. Cars 2 was Pixar’s first rotten egg, which I think everyone can agree on. Brave had even the most die-hard Pixar fans declaring it good but not spectacular. And Monsters University, while not hated, wasn’t loved either. So as you can imagine, many were afraid that the once-beloved company was finally losing its touch. Until the rejuvenating masterpiece that is Inside Out proved them wrong. What director Pete Docter gave us to make up for Pixar’s last three dissatisfactions was an outstandingly creative magnum opus centred on personified emotions. True, this idea of what goes on inside a human being has been dabbled with before, but this was the first film that focused that topic entirely on the human mind and in such an inventive manner. Eleven-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) has recently moved from Minnesota to San Francisco and inside her head are the five main emotions that make up a person: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust. Joy (Amy Poehler) is fixated on keeping Riley happy for her new life, Fear (Bill Hader) keeps Riley safe from any harm, Disgust (Mindy Kaling) strives to prevent any social or physical poison and Anger (Lewis Black) cares extremely about making things fair. Whether it’s steering clear of broccoli or playfully refusing to towel off after bathtime, Riley’s emotions are all devoted to making her function healthily. The only one whose purpose Joy is completely unsure of is Sadness (Phyllis Smith) whom she tries desperately to prevent from swaying Riley’s positive mood. All that changes when Joy, Sadness and the spherical core memories that make up Riley’s personality are accidently ejected from HQ and into Long Term Memory. With the other emotions trying to stop things from falling apart and Riley slowly slipping into depression over her family’s move, Joy and Sadness, joined by an amalgamated imaginary friend named Bing Bong (Richard Kind), must find their way back while Joy finally begins to realise Sadness’ true purpose. What I’m probably most impressed by with this film is its whole concept. The idea of personified emotions
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ar’s funniest, most touching project in years
has truthfully been dabbled with before in cartoons, even spawning a sitcom named Herman’s Head. But this is the first film that decided ‘Hey, maybe we can do something clever and heartfelt with this concept that everybody can understand’. And they do exactly that. All the hardships of moving, adapting to change and growing up are shown here and you can relate to everything Riley and her emotions are going through. And yes, there are plenty of moments that got me get teary-eyed. But through it all, the filmmakers perfectly balance out the drama with plenty of gorgeous colours, creative designs and sidesplitting humour, particularly with the emotions interacting with one another and the depths of how Riley’s maturing mind works. Speaking of the emotions themselves, they’re all wonderful in their own unique way. Joy may be a control freak and unintentionally mean to Sadness, but it’s never out of spite; it’s simply a big misunderstanding of her true purpose. At the same time, you still can’t help but fall in love with her optimism and desire for Riley to be happy. Sadness is also very likeable, never intending to cause any trouble and always trying to remain upbeat despite failing. And the others get their fair share of shining moments and hilarity, especially the perfect casting choice for Lewis Black as Anger. The best thing about this movie, however, is the message it gets across. Be honest, how many times have you heard your friends or family members advise you to ‘never let sadness get you down’ and ‘always be happy’? Inside Out, however, completely shoots that nonsense down. Children need to experience all their emotions equally in order to grow up healthily, sadness especially. This film shows audiences that there is no shame in feeling sad, angry or scared and that there are no ‘negative’ emotions; they’re all in your head for an important purpose to help you grow. And by bottling them up inside, you’re not helping yourself. I won’t dare give anything away, but I will say that the film’s events all build up to an amazing climax that teaches everyone watching how sadness is sometimes the only way for you to feel happiness. My choices for my absolute favourite Pixar film have been, for years, viciously battling for dominance. Well I can finally bring that battle to rest as Inside Out is now my favourite movie from Pixar. It’s intelligent and vibrantly coloured with just the right amount of memorable characters, entertaining humour and, for lack of a better word, emotional moments. This is undoubtedly the best film for parents hoping to teach their kids about their emotions in a way they can understand. Buy a ticket, bring some tissues and see for yourself. TOP: L-R Anger (Lewis Black, Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith)
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KNOW YOUR MOVIES? 1)
Complete this quote from Dirty Dancing: “Nobody puts ______ in a corner.”
2)
Which 2002 thriller stared Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart?
3)
Who played the character George Dillon from Predator?
4)
In The Big Lebowski, what object does Walter Sobchak say “really tied the room together”?
5) Who was originally considered for playing reporter Vicki Vale in Tim Burton’s Batman but dropped out due to a horse-riding injury? 6)
What is the name of the fictional black and white movie made for Home Alone?
7) When teaching the T800 about human phrases in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, what does John Connor teach him to say instead of “affirmative”? 8)
The item in Vision’s head from Avengers: Age of Ultron is one of the ________ Stones?
9)
Which 1982 sci-fi horror had the tagline “The ultimate in alien terror”?
10) Texas Chainsaw Massacre was inspired by the crimes of real-life murderer Ed Gein. TRUE or FALSE? 11) In the 2007 post-apocalyptic film I Am Legend, Will Smith’s character recites the lines from which DreamWorks film? 12) Which African-American actor was chosen for the role of Winston in the 1984 comedy Ghostbusters instead of Eddie Murphy? 13)
Which is the highest grossing instalment in Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise?
14) What colour did Samuel L. Jackson request his lightsaber to be in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones? What was animator and director Don Bluth’s very first movie?
1-2
You might want to catch up on your research…
3-5
Don’t feel bad, you have some movie smarts.
1) Baby 2) Panic Room 3) Carl Weathers 4) That rug 5) Sean Young 6) Angels with Filthy Souls 7) No problem 8) Infinity 9) The Thing 10) True 11) Shrek 12) Ernie Hudson 13) Transformers: Dark of the Moon 14) Purple 15) The Secret of NIMH
15)
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V
DEADPOOL
- Also known as “Weapon XI”, “terrible” and “nothing like Deadpool” - Healing factor (at least they got that down) - No firearms - Baraka’s arm blades from Mortal Kombat -Laser eyes complete with magic eye shadow - Teleportation - Controlled like a puppet through technopathy - Despised by women and Deadpool fans everywhere - No witty dialogue thanks to his mouth being sewn shut for whatever reason - Or fourth-wall-breaking jokes
VS
DEADPOOL
- Also known as “Wade Wilson”, “Deathstroke ripoff”, “the Regenerating Degenerate” and “the Merc with a Mouth” - Healing factor - Arsenal of random objects and weaponry he can pull out of nowhere - Twin katanas - Duel machine guns - Teleportation belt (depending on which version) - Former mercenary skilled in martial arts - Adored by women and Deadpool fans everywhere - Buckets of witty dialogue - And even more fourth-wall-breaking jokes
WINNER
Yeah, like I was gonna give the win to the schmuck who ruined X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Set photos of
DEADPOOL
Now filming a movie (especially one revolving entirely around me) may sound fun. But trust me, pal: it’s noooo walk in the park... Or in this case, walk across the Georgia Viaduct in Vancouver.
of hurt d l r o w a down apture actor, n i a r o t “Aboutossus’ motion c on Col Tricoteux!” Andre
“Physical pefecti on, thy name is R Reynolds.” yan
“I don’t see why I need motion capture around my eyes? They’re dreamy just the way they are.”
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“No autographs please.”
“Go on. Lay one on me, Brianna Hildebrand, a.k.a. Negasonic Teenage Warhead. You know you want to.”
Ahhh, you gotta love memoirs. 19
“If you say y be there... liou love me madly, I’l l g dly ke a puppet on a stringla ...”
All you need to know about DEADPOOL I was created by Rob Leifeld in 1991.
I was an ex-mercenary with a hot babe...
But then I got cancer.
So I was offered a “cure” by Dr Killbrew of the Weapon X program.
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It gave me a bad makeover...
But also a sweet healing factor!
I also have a hankering for chimichangas...
As well as breaking the fourth wall while the other characters look at me like I’m crazy.
Oh, and hanging with my good pal, Wolverine.
Pretty awesome, huh? Please, ladies, hold your applause. 22
Crossword puzzle on
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UPCOMING FILMS All you need to know about some exciting movies coming up in the next month! THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2 (12) - 137 minutes Katniss Everdeen teams up with her closest friends Peeta, Gale and Finnick to leave District 13, travel to the capitol and assassinate President Snow. Meanwhile, President Coin hides an agenda that could put Katniss’ life and the entire nation of Panem in danger. STARRING: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Phillip Seymour Hoffman RELEASE DATE: 5th November 2015 STEVE JOBS (12) - 122 minutes Spanning over fourteen years, Apple Inc co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve “Woz” Wozniak must prepare to unveil the very first Apple Macintosh to the world in 1984. All the while, Jobs must also deal with his own personal issues related to his ex-girlfriend Chrisann Brennan and their young daughter Lisa. STARRING: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston, Michael Stuhlberg RELEASE DATE: 13th November 2015 THE GOOD DINOSAUR(PG) - 93 minutes In an alternate world where the dinosaurs never went extinct, a pantophobic young Apatosaurus named Arlo is separated from his family and must trek through the dangers of Mother Nature in order to get home, all while helped by a feral dog-like caveboy named Spot. STARRING: Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Sam Elliot, Anna Paquin, A.J. Buckley, Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Steve Zahn RELEASE DATE: 27th November 2015 VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN (12) - 110 minutes While scavenging for animal body parts at a circus, scientist Doctor Victor Frankenstein meets gifted surgeon Igor and offers him a chance to come work for him on something that could change the world. When their experiments get them into trouble with the authorities, the two end up as fugitives. STARRING: James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe, Jessica Brown Findlay, Andrew Scott, Charles Dance, Freddie Fox, Mark Gatiss RELEASE DATE: 3rd December 2015
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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
All entertainment and media news reports for all your entertainment and media needs!
BACKLASH FROM POLICE PUTS PRESSURE ON TARANTINO’S NEW FILM Tonnes of pressure is being placed on director Quentin Tarantino’s shoulders and his upcoming latest film The Hateful Eight as LA police forces have called for a boycott of his movies. Tarantino attended a Brooklyn rally against police brutality on the 24th of October, claiming: “I’m a human being with a conscience. And if you believe there’s murder going on then you need to rise up and stand up against it. I’m here to say I’m on the side of the murdered.” The director’s comments draw the anger of Patrolmen’s Benevolent Assosiation President Patrick Lynch, who stated: “It’s no surprise that someone who makes a living glorifying crime and violence is a cop-hater too... The police officers Tarantino calls ‘murderers’ aren’t living in one of his depraved big screen fantasies; they’re risking and sometimes sacrificing their lives to protect communities from real crime and mayhem.” Provided it doesn’t get censored or banned, The Hateful Eight will be released in the UK on the 8th of January, 2016.
NEW STAR TREK TV SHOW PLANNED FOR 2017 It may not be the same without the great Leonard Nimoy, but that won’t stop a new Star Trek TV series from being created for 2017. Film writer Alex Kurtzman, writer and producer for JJ Abram’s Star Trek reboot, will be executively producing the series. It will introduce new characters exploring new worlds with the same dramatic themes associated with the franchise since its introduction in 1966. This new Star Trek series will officially premiere in January 2017 with a “special preview” episode shown on the CBS network, which will then be shown on CBS All Access. Acknowledging that Star Trek will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016, David Stapf, president of CBS Television Studios, has stated that “everyone here has great respect for this storied franchise, and we’re excited to launch its next television chapter in the creative mind and skilled hands of Alex Kurtzman, someone who knows this world and its audience intimately.” Abram’s next addition to his franchise, Star Trek: Beyond, will be released next year but will have no connection to this new series.
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DISNEY POSSIBLY RETIRING SLAVE LEIA FROM ALL STAR WARS MERCHANDISE Disney is rumoured to be discontinuing all Slave Leia merchandise from their Star Wars toyline. Given how much the costume has been exploited to death, I can’t said I blame them for wanting to tone down the attention. Carrie Fisher, who played the iconic role of Princess Leia Organa, advised new Star Wars lead Daisy Ridley: “don’t be a slave like I was”. She had reviled her infamous Return of the Jedi slave outfit in occasion, referring to it as “what supermodels will eventually wear in the seventh ring of hell”. Apparently those words seem to have struck a chord with Disney. Admittedly, this could be considered nothing more than a rumour until some interesting comments were made by Marvel comics artist J. Scott Campbell on Facebook, stating there is apparently a mandate to avoid posing Leia in over-sexualised position or even using that costume when depicting her in their artwork. Hopefully, if this rumour turns out to be true, this could mean the Star Wars fans will finally gets some Princess Leia merchandise that doesn’t depict her in that metal bikini for once. Over the years, there have been very little Leia toys of her wearing anything but her famous slave outfit, so to finally get a Leia action figure in her trademark white robes would be a nice change.
RALPH FIENNES CAST AS BATMAN’S BUTLER IN THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE
What’s a Batman without his loyal butler by his side to cook him exquisite meals and give inspiring speeches? Jeremy Irons had better watch his back in the upcoming Batman v Superman movie because there’s another Alfred coming to the big screen. In LEGO form, that is. Be excited, Brits and comic fans, because Academy Award-winning actor Ralph Fiennes has officially been cast in the role as Bruce Wayne’s faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth. You may also know him as M from Skyfall or Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter franchise, along with his upcoming role in the Coen Brothers’ Hail Caesar!. Given how Chris McKay, the same animation supervisor for Warner Brothers’ successful The Lego Movie, will be returning for this spinoff and joining forces with the original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller returning as producers, it’s safe to say this film is in good hands. As of now, Ralph Fiennes is currently scheduled to appear alongside the hilarious Will Arnett returning as Batman, Michael Cera as Robin and Rosario Dawson as Batgirl. Zach Galifianakis, meanwhile is still in talks to voice the Joker. Who knows; maybe an Adam West cameo would be welcome? The LEGO Batman Movie will officially hit UK cinemas on February the 10th, 2017.
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“E.T.” SCREENWRITER MELISSA MATHISON DEAD AT 65 Tis a sad day for Steven Spielberg fans, for the screenwriter for our beloved Oscar-nominated E.T. sadly passed away on Wednesday the 4th of November. She was 65 when she passed on in Los Angeles after a battle with neuroendocrine cancer. Mathison was married to Harrison Ford (Star Wars) in 1983, having met him on the set of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film Apocalypse Now where she was working as an assistant. During their time together, they had two children, Malcolm and Georgia. Their divorce in 2004 was one of the most costly celebrity split-ups ever. Director Steven Spielberg himself paid tribute to her by stating “‘Melissa had a heart that shined with generosity and love and burned as bright as the heart she gave E.T.”. Mathison’s screenwriting career officially began with the 1979 adaptation of The Black Stallion, starring Mickey Rooney. Her screenplay for E.T. was nominated for an Oscar but lost to the screenplay for Gandhi written by John Briley. Her final film and collaboration with Spielberg, The BFG based on Roald Dahl’s famous book, will be dedicated in her memory. It was her first screenplay she had written in almost twenty years.
NICOLE KIDMAN IN TALKS FOR A ROLE IN THE UPCOMING WONDER WOMAN MOVIE Australian actress Nicole Kidman is currently in negotiations to star in the upcoming Wonder Woman movie as a “high-ranking Amazonian warrior”. While the 48-year-old’s possible role is unconfirmed as of yet, she may be starring alongside the film’s two lead stars, Wonder Woman herself played by Israeli actress Gal Gadot and her love interest, US military officer Steve Trevor played by Star Trek’s Chris Pine. A Warner Brothers representative had no comment on the subject. Patty Jenkins is directing what will be the fourth addition to the new DC Extended Universe, while Zack Snyder and his wife Deborah are producing. If the film stays true to Wonder Woman’s origin story, it’s fairly possible Kidman’s role could be Diana Prince’s mother Queen Hippolyta. Kidman herself is no stranger to comic book movies, having previously played Val Kilmer’s love interest Doctor Chase Meridian in the 1995 movie Batman Forever. Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman will debut in next year’s highly anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, before the Amazonian warrior herself appears in her own movie to be released in the UK in the summer of 2017.
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Are the Star Wars prequels really that bad? In celebration of JJ Abrams’ newest addition to one of the most beloved space opera franchises of all time, I think it’s only fair to talk about something not many fans like talking about: the Star Wars prequels. Up to this point, it’s practically a cliché to poke fun at them. It’s fair to say that they’re not very good and pale in comparison to the original trilogy. In short, it feels like there’s nothing left to talk about. Except for one thing: the good things. A statement that is bound to have you eviscerated by the rabid fans. But just because a movie or a franchise is bad doesn’t mean it can’t have some good elements about it. True, there are more bad things than good. But when a trilogy this bad has this much (dare I say it) effort and money put into it, it’s only fair to not ignore the positives that came out of it and acknowledge when it did something right. When George Lucas was announced to return to cinema with a brand new Star Wars trilogy to direct, fans were ecstatic despite Lucas not having directed anything in years. You can imagine the disappointed groans when the end credits for The Phantom Menace began rolling. Followed by the end credits for Attack of the Clones. And Revenge of the Sith, which was arguably the best though that’s not saying much. “I’ve been a fan of the franchise since Attack of the Clones came out,” James Lonergan, an Exeter College student stated, “I personally think the prequels are overhated, but at the same time, they do have a lot of flaws like the CGI, the script and how bad Hayden Christensen was. Though Anakin turning to the dark side in Episode 3 was pretty great. So I think the prequels deserve hate but not to the extent a lot of people go. And besides, I have faith that the cast and the directors they have lined up for the new trilogy will deliver high-quality films”. One of the most obvious reasons fans were quick to rage about the prequels was a cast of amazing actors being subjected to heinous writing and misguided direction. Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson and many others had no choice but to try and make George Lucas’ childish dialogue sound good. And need I mention Jar Jar Binks? With the exception of Ewan McGregor, the fans were quick to accuse these people, especially Hayden Christensen, of being terrible actors without considering that a poor director can easily mislead a good actor, much like M. Night Shyamalan did to Mark Wahlberg in The Happening. Besides I highly doubt Samuel L. Jackson would be walking around his house speaking like a monotonous drone. Another target of hatred lies in the effects, particularly on the poor CGI. Any old coot will tell you “hey, these effects were amazing back in 2002” and honestly, they’re right. The original trilogy mainly kept their locations
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close and intimate with a lot of personality but never explored them in great depth. The prequels, however, created vast landscapes and entire cities from CGI in a time period where CGI was mainly used for monsters and special effects. Although they undoubtedly look fake today, the prequels were some of the first films to take advantage of the capabilities of CGI. Even the lightsaber battles took more risks rather than being limited to two people tapping their weapons together, especially the Darth Maul battle in The Phantom Menace. And arguably, the biggest hate factor for the prequels is the stories. Whether it’s the messing around with continuity, overcomplicated war talks, space politics you never watched the originals for, the painful romance or Anakin’s rushed turn to the Dark Side, it’s safe to say that this is the easiest element of the prequels to make fun of or get angry over. Surprisingly though, the prequels aren’t without their defenders, whether it’s those who say that George’s Lucas’ direction in fact makes this trilogy triumph over the original or those who plead others to cut the prequels some slack. Danl Tetley, author and teacher, had said “I remember the original films coming out around forty years ago. And so far, I think the prequels have been good, though I can’t remember them that well. Personally, I believe prequels only deserve hate if they are poor. The Star Wars ones aren’t hideous though I do prefer the originals.” In addition, many Star Wars fans hold onto their love for the original movies so tightly, they forget that the first trilogy isn’t exactly perfect either. In fact, they have many of the same problems they accuse the prequels of having: silly acting, cheesy dialogue, bad effects at times, etc. The originals still hold a place in my heart but I am capable of acknowledging the same silliness of those films that also came out of the prequels. So we all know the problems with the prequels and poke fun of them without mercy. But it’s still worth drawing attention to something standing out, and acknowledging which one of George Lucas’ decisions was closer to the right direction. You can do the same with your favourite movie or TV show: point out all the things wrong with it but acknowledge that you still love it regardless of its flaws, even the giant ones. Maybe one or two decent moments from the prequels could bring you a little bit of joy. Or just anger you more. Either way, to quote the great Doug Walker, it’s still worth the effort to see if you can find a little bit of goodness in a whole lot of Jar Jar. TOP: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker duke it out on Mustafar
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Why are today’s cartoons better than the ones of I’m a huge fan of classic nostalgic cartoons from Transformers to Looney Tunes to Animaniacs and plenty of awesome shows. But as much I adore those shows that still hold a place in my heart, cartoons are much better today than the ones of the past. When you look at cartoons today like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Steven Universe or Transformers: Prime, there’s no denying that they’re pushing the boundaries of what was normally expected out of children’s shows. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of mindless drivel out there, but these shows are going out of their way to not only engage children but adults too. And in an intelligent, funny and thought-provoking way that was never done in past cartoons. But I know what you’re thinking: but hasn’t animation always been just kid’s stuff? Not always. When the art of animation first started, it was for all audiences but as it became more common, we decided to aim it more towards children because you could be more exaggerated and comedic. But even then, Warner Brothers didn’t just lazily slap together their cartoons hence why we got timeless shows like Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry whose humour was inspired by Vaudeville. In addition, we were given the classic Disney films with dark atmosphere but bright colours. They became so popular, they’re still watched today. I can’t imagine living in my home without a few Disney films. This led companies to the conclusions that big cartoons equalled big money. Thus they capitalised on animation to make them more profitable. However they focused in the wrong area. Anyone who grew up in the 80s can admit that kid’s shows around that time focused more on selling toys rather than good stories or character. I remember hordes of new characters randomly popping up in Transformers episodes and wondering “where did they come from”? Shows like My Little Pony and He-Man ran for a while before ending and being seen as “only for children”. Companies then began to realise that Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry were good because of the timeless writing and comedy. Because we can enjoy them as both kids and adults. So the cartoons from the 90s took a few more chances, now exploring more jokes, themes and styles not done before. The downside was that they still had limits and didn’t know what they could get away with. Thus they all had to stick to a certain formula; Batman still had to fight somebody and Animaniacs still had to
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f the past? keep their episodes to a half-hour format. The good news, however, was that the people who watched those shows were inspired to make their own shows that we now expect to entertain all audiences. And wouldn’t you know it, they turned out amazingly well. So why are these cartoons better than before? For one thing, unlike the 90s shows, the limits have been stripped away completely. Comedic shows don’t always have to be funny and dramatic shows don’t always have to be dramatic. Animaniacs may still be great but they wouldn’t have dove into psychological issues like Adventure Time would. Another reason: technology. Many of today’s shows look beautiful, much like a painting in motion rather than a rough sketch just coloured in, and that’s because our computers have improved and the character designs are simpler, thus giving way to better animation. Plus feedback nowadays is instant. We may still have focus groups but the Internet is the quickest way to see peoples’ reactions to any new shows they watch, thus expanding the audience. But the biggest reason is that people finally see the possibilities. Shows like Gravity Falls can have complex mysteries for the audience to figure out, but the draw lies in their characters, comedy and stories. By keeping the characters simple, much like the Coyote wanting to catch the Roadrunner, but also having their journeys complex and engaging, it makes the show all the more enjoyable. They even teach morals you’d never see in past cartoons, including issues like abandonment, same-sex couples, colonialism, East Asian philosophy, xenophobia, depression and even politics. There’s no simple “good vs evil” stories, both sides have very deep reasons for their actions. But they’re all done in a way that kids can understand. A five year old can watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and be entertained by it. But when they grow up and look back on it years later, they can appreciate it for different reasons. Unlike the past where we used cartoons to distract and entertain while also educating, we can use todays’ cartoons to educate, entertain and expand mind-sets. Parents who complain that children should be challenged and given their best are finally having their voices heard and dropping their bias of “animation is just for kids”. We’re introducing our children to a new generation of shows that they’ll remember years later and for excellent reason.
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