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.

Thor - Trailer 2 (OFFICIAL)

Battlefield Los Angeles

What do you have if you take a popular genre of computer game, add an alien menace and stir up with some extremely dodgy dialogue. This is not a bad film, but then its not a great film. Its  Independence day meets Black Hawk down. A noisy two hour diversion from your troubles. Aaron Eckhart  plays the films main hero tasked with saving some civilians caught in the midst of the invasion. The action scenes are loud , brash and confusing and the plot very derivative of other alien invasion films and more importantly games. This movie very much owes its existence to the gamer culture, and judging by the audience I saw it with it has hit their sweet spot.
I could wax on but hey its a war movie , it delivers what the poster's and trailers promise and does it well. But compared to your basic three act structure movie, its just okay. This movie makes Independence Day read like Shakespeare.

Limitless

Based on the novel The Dark Fields by the writer Alan Glynn, Limitless tells us the story of young Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper).  Morra is a couch potato not getting far in his life and whom the world is passing by. He's a writer unable to write, a man who contributes nothing to relationships, out of sorts with the world and making excuses for his lack of achievement. Then post breakup he bumps into his former brother in-law who offers him a little white pill and a business card. His intentions are clear.
NZT is a wonder drug designed to allow a users brain to realize its full potential, his first trial of the drug results in a cleaned up apartment and one completed manuscript. He is hooked, not addicted in the pure sense of the word but hooked to the power it provides and the potential benefits he had can envision.
But once bitten the shadows begin to close in.  With his gains through manipulation of the stock market he comes to the attention of bigger fish in the form of Robert De Niro’s character of Van Loon in a barely sketched out role that allows him to phone in his by the numbers performance. Added to this mix are a Russian moneylender and a mysterious figure that seems anxious to get hold of the pills that Morra has in his possession.
This is a pleasant diversion; it doesn’t leave a bad taste in the mouth. Bradley Cooper proves he has the acting chops to pull off an interesting role but this isn’t really the great thriller that the trailer promises. Neil Burger directs with style, but at the end of the day this is an okay film. It’s not the great thriller it promised to be, and there are area’s hinted at that this film had it chosen to explore would have made for a much more exciting feature.