Rio

Well Saturday the household was bored, and I decided today was the day i would introduce my boy to the joys of the cinema. We decided we would go to see Rio, as our Local McDonalds had been giving out Rio toys with their kiddy meals and he was familiar with the blue parrot Blu who is the star of this fish out of water tale.
This is the latest Blue sky production and we chose to see the 2D version as I knew there was no chance my little man was going to keep a pair of 3D specs on his little face. The film is great, its a little slow in places and some of the action did skew for a older demographic but it was filled with enough eye candy to keep my boy entertained. He lasted the full hour before he got fidgity but as I was feeling the same way i could understand his discomfort.
Basically Blu its explained is the last of his kind or so he believes and as voiced by Jesse Eisenberg he is an endearing character. With his friend and owner Linda he ends up at a Rio bird sanctuary where he meets Jewel voiced by Ann Hathaway and after being kidnapped the fun and adventure kicks off. The colours and scenery are breathtaking.  Yes the story loses a little steam towards the end, but the final ten minutes quickly get it back on track. The musical numbers serve a function but aren't really memorable. But in all honesty I enjoyed it more than the last two pixar movies. Go see, for a happy 90 minutes of escapism that works on all ages.

Fast and Furious 5

Well Good Friday ment everything except for my local cinema was shut. After a morning enduring Toy Story's 1 and 2 with a dash of Thomas the Tank engine I decided that  once my little man was settled down for his afternoon siesta to sneek out of the domestic homestead and catch some Vin Diesel action. I will try to avoid spoilers but to start things off, the gang from Part 4 are all on the run, and end up in Rio. Through various plot twists and some adrenaline fueled action scenes they end up on the local Mr Big's hit list and with the Rock as a goverment bounty hunter on their backs. This is high octane action all the way and I am already planning a return trip to catch this movie again but with wifey at my side. She is a major Vin Diesel fan and the Rock for her is the icing on the cake.
This movie ticks all the boxes, Paul Waker is great and this very much plays out like a heist movie. I loved it more than 4 and its right up there with 1 and is now my new favourite of the series. As a heist movie it falls a little short in that the actual plan is not that involving and this is where the Rock comes into play. Dwayne Johnson is in full on hard ass mode and he delivers big time. If OTT action is your bag then this movie will not dissapoint. I loved it and so far 2011 is getting off to a good start. I cant wait for part 6 in the franchise it can only get better.

The Roxy , Wellington

Well Sunday was quiet in our household so drove to Mirimar from overcast Porirua to visit the California Garden centre. All went well and after a quick drive past the Weta Cave we decided to pop into the Roxy for a well deserved coffee. Wow what a stunning venue. We had a great coffee and my nearly three year old boy had a choclate fluffy and a complimentary mini chocolate egg.
The interior has a very art deco feel to it, with some stunning little touches such as the fish handles on the main door. The striking murial behind the main bar painted by the wonderful artists at Weta. We didnt get a chance to go upstairs, due to my boy being a little too energetic. But we did get to see the striking bronzed Gollum statue at the foot of the stairs. Here is a photo of the exterior

Little Darth Vader Volkswagon commecial

Little Thor

The Roxy and Wellington

Here is a link to a great article about Wellington over Easter with tips on places to visit, tours to take. I include it here due to it touching on Mirmars new cinema The Roxy. Take a look for a flavour of Wellington and for anyone viewing it locally for a few idea's of things to do over the Easter break.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10720085

Also if your are visiting over the break  The following events are taking place at the Weta Cave.


Friday 22 April 11am-12pm - Digital Painting Demo with Weta Concept Designer Paul Tobin

Saturday 23 April 11am-12pm - Make your own chainmaille with Weta Workshop Artist Philip Sharpe (Please note - there is a $7 charge for materials you will be using in this demonstration)

Sunday 24 April 11am-12pm - Digital Sculpting demo with Weta Workshop Designer and author Scott Spencer.

The Three and Four Musketeers

After seeing the new trailer for the latest incarnation of the Musketeers tale and having just purchased my favourite incarnation of the tale from Amazon I decided the time was right to remind myself as to why the 1973 version of this classic tale is my favourite  to date. Firstly it comes from the hands of Richard Lester a fantastic film maker who gave us a Hard days Night and introduced the cinematic landscape to my favourite pop group the Beatles.
Lester took Dumas tale and injected a healthy dose of ribald humour, and heaving bosoms.  Originally conceived as a single production producers Ilya Salkind and Alexander Michael saw an opportunity to split their production in two to increase their profits.

  It is arguable that the 1948 film is the most loyal to its source material, I love it, with its rich colour palette and Gene Kelly's impressive and acrobatic interpretation of D'Artagnan. But as a 7 year old visiting the Cardiff Odeon this was my first introduction to the tale and Michael York for a period until the arrival of Star Wars and Luke Skywalker was my swashbuckling hero of choice.  But the biggest impression was made by Oliver Reed as the Brooding Athos man of secrets and brawling prowess.
 Revisiting the tale this weekend I found it had aged well, sure it might lack urgency in the second film but Oliver Reed's brooding performance had me caught up in the tale yet again. From his messy fighting style part brawler and master swordsman, to the pained lover relating the sorry tale of his marriage to the evil Malady. Then there is York's  role a country bumpkin innocent to the ways of the world with a dream to be one of the Kings musketeers, and  dare I forget Frank Finlay and the late great Roy Kinnear as capable comic relief.
This is a film with rich villains ably played by Charlton Heston and Christopher Lee, with Faye Dunway memorable in her performance as the evil Milady.

The last Misfire was the 2001 edition produced by Disney which with a star studded cast of Kiefer Suntherland , Charlie Sheen , Oliver Platt deserved to be better than it was.
 No my favourite version in my mind has yet to be bettered. I will see the new version but I Paul W.S Anderson has yet to produce a film I can call great and satisfying. Most of his films though visually great lack something in the execution. My god I love Predator and he managed to take a great Stan Winston creation and screw  up its design in AVP . If you wonder why I am uncomfortable with the idea of him being at the helm of this latest incarnation then take a look at the trailer which is online at http://www.three-musketeers-3d.com/

Scream 4

This will be a short and sweet review, no spoilers. I enjoyed Scream 4 I didn't love it, its not the greatest in the series , It doesn't bring anything new to the table and its not the reboot they try to suggest it to be. Its a competent addition to the franchise, its not a game changer and its predictable, the opener is clever and fun but not the brilliant opener some reviews have suggested. I can't really say its scary, its too confined to the preceding films structures. But for this viewer its nice to be in the company of some familiar faces but I seriously hope it is not the start of a new trilogy because its more of the same I think its time to put this franchise to rest.

Rise of the Apes and The Hobbit video diaries

Well in a week of computer problems the end of the week was a goody bag of supprises courtesy of facebook.
First off Weta held an event on the Avatar facebook page that allowed a little peak at the work they have done for the new planet of the Apes movie. I have to admit I'm officially excited, their work looks to be promising and visiually exciting. The final ape design is good, but being only a taster of things to come promises a lot wether they can deliver on the final product I await with anticipation. I have to be honest as an Apes fan, I was taken aback when I learnt that the Apes would be digital. Tim Burtons take may have been a cinematic misfire but Rick Baker's makeup work was faultless. But I'm feeling much better about the whole proposition now I have seen the trailer but the final test will be on its release and whether they deliver on that early promise.

Closing off the week and again courtesy of facebook the first production video for the Hobbit and to truly spoil us it was available in HD. It was great to see old and new faces and some familiar locations. I can hardly call myself a Hobbit fan. I cannot quote names or events but Jackson has led the way with production diaries since Kong and the extra's on Lovely Bones. He is a master at drawing you into the production and leaving you feeling satisfied and at the same time not revealing too much that would spoil your enjoyment of the final film. A well produced opener emontional and revealing without spoiling. I await future postings on Peter Jacksons facebook page.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes | Official Movie Website | In Theaters August 5th, 2011

Rise of the Planet of the Apes | Official Movie Website | In Theaters August 5th, 2011

Concept art world - Paul Gerrard

http://conceptartworld.com/?p=6172 this website is a Pandora's box of concept art for both the video game industry and film world. I discovered this site when looking for the artist responsible for the alien designs in Battle :Los Angeles. Paul Gerrard is the artisit responsible, he's british and this web site has some great examples of his style. The Doctor Who concept designs are particularly eye catching. Have a look around as this is just a taster of the artists whose work can be found there. There are some examples of Greg Broadmore of Doctor Grordborts"s fame. But if you like what you see and want to find out more about Mr Gerrard's work then take a look at his blog http://pgerrard.blogspot.com/ There is an almost Gigeresque quality to his work but its a hint Gerrard is deffinately his own visual stylist.

Sinbad will return.

Now as a Harryhausen Sinbad fan, this had me excited. This promo image just grabbed me when I first saw it on Aint it Cool. I just hope it all comes together and puts the Sailor back on the map.
Love the image of the Ship in the desert. If you want to learn more then go to Aint It Cool for the whole story.

Purchases from Amazon

Well here's the list of recent films I have added to my Bu ray collection. No doubt my reviews will appear in between my cinema reviews.
Sherlock BBC TV series.
Alien anthology blu ray.
Serenity Blu Ray and Zulu Blu ray.
The Three and Four Musketeer's DVD.
Minority report
So watch this space.

A White Rabbit and a Tug boat

Believe it or not these were produced after attending an exhibition at a friends gallery. Every now and then I come accross a piece of art or photograph that makes me want to grab a pencil and practice. Usually cartoonish in style, nearly always fantastical or movie related. I've lost count at how many times I've drawn predators, aliens etc. But these were purely from the imagination and I guess for my little boy.

A little taster of my art work

Well this week has been all quiet on the cinema front. However this weekend promises so much more and with Scream 4 and Thor due out by the end of the month, I should have a lot more to write about. But this weekend weather permitting I hope to take a look at Wellington's Newest cinema the Roxy and failing that I hope to take my nearly 3 year old boy to see his first movie. A big event in my household and his first movie will be Rio. Fingers crossed we will make it through the whole presentation.
I have also been viewing my recent purchases from Amazon, a mix of Brit TV, classic action movie s and one or two special box sets. So I will be adding to my reviews.

I have also been catching up with the concept art scene, made a few interesting discoveries worth viewing so I will be posting their links. But to tide you over I have posted some of my art. Non film related but a taster of what I like to do in my spare time when not entertaining my boy or hiding in some darkened cinema.
I love the creative process that is part of modern movie making. Since moving to New Zealand I have had the opportunity to attend a couple of Weta exhibitions at both Tepapa and The Dowse, and also at the Weta cave. Its amazing to see some of their craftsmanship up close and personal.
But there is also the likes of Brian Froud, Doug Chang, Stan Winston, Rick Baker all specialists in their field and masters who have created some memorable works of art, and creatures that even now have yet to be bettered.
So I will highlight some of the books I am fortunate to own, and maybe direct you to some nice little gems awaiting discovery.