Sorry you've had to wait!

I've been pretty busy (working, eating, sleeping, watching DVDs/Blurays etc) and haven't been reviewing as much as i hoped i could. Let's see what i've seen:

Miracle on 34th Street (1947). I really enjoyed this movie as everyone gives a stellar performance (including Edmund Gwenn who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Kris Kringle). In fact this was such a good Christmas movie that it almost makes you believe in Santa Clause. I saw the remake a while ago and found it... Well i just didn't get into it, maybe because the acting wasn't good or because the script wasn't. Maybe both.

Scream 2 (1997). Funny, fairly suspenseful, good death scenes and great to watch while enjoying some junk food. it's not as good as the first, but definitely a worthy successor, all of the principle cast return and we even get to see Sarah Michele Gellar get killed (i just found it very funny because i could just see Buffy kicking Ghost Face's ass).

Reefer Madness (2005). This is quite possibly my favourite musical of the last decade, it is hilariously over the top, deliciously camp and is home to wildly inventive songs, it is rare that a musical doesn't go by without at least one forgettable song (usually there just to fill in time) but this movie had none. It was brilliant. It stars Christian Campbell, Kristen Bell, Alan Cumming (Amazing), Amy Spanger, Ana Gasteyer and Steven Weber. Plus we get the added bonus of Neve Campbell (i say bonus because A: i didn't know she could sing or dance and B-  I just plain wasn't expecting to see her). Another great thing about this movie is that no other film in the history of the world has a list of characters that includes The Statue Of liberty, George Washington, Jesus, Uncle Sam and The Devil. None. At. All.

Heroes: Season 1. I enjoyed this show back when it was on but halfway through season 3 i just gave up on it, they kept the lame characters around too long (i wish they'd killed Claire slowly and painfully) and didn't spend enough time developing the more interesting ones. But Season 1 is astoundingly good and has what almost every other season lacked: a sense of humour. They didn't have one character that was there purely the comic relief, instead the comedy was a bi product of the characters and their personalities. Season 2 suffered due to the writers strike but it did hold good ideas, then in season 3 they just kind of lost it. I can't comment of season 4 as i haven't watched all of it yet.

The Descent (2007). A well shot suspense thriller (i don't really see it as a horror movie) that gives us a real sense of claustrophobia and fear for the characters who are trapped in a cave and then hunted by the (really gross) inhabitants. Unlike most of these kinds of movies this one got a genuine fright out of me (if only one). Recommended.

Halloween (1978). Enjoyable but very unscary movie that is everything that Scream satirizes, from the obligatory nude scene to the 'have sex and you will die' rule. The main score is chilling, Michael's mask is miles better than it was in the remake and PJ Soles says 'Totally' about ten times in one scene. Not even in exaggerating that one. Great popcorn flick with good direction but John Carpenter, however the acting is mediocre. Totally.

Now for a film i am very excited about: Les Miserables. I love the music, it's beautiful. I haven't seen the musical on stage and i know that I probably never will, so that is why i am excited for this movie. It is to star Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Aaron Tveit, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne and (i don't think it's official yet) Amanda Seyfried. I heard that director Tom Hooper wants to hire Tayor Swift for Eponine to which i say "NO!!!!!!!!!!!" I don't hate Taylor Swift, she's a good country/pop singer and seems like a nice person. But i don't think she could pull off the demanding score or the acting required. The rest of the cast i wont complain about because to be honest i'm happy with them (although i can understand the skepticism about Hathaway and Seyfried.) Seyfried isn't really known as a singer, i know she is trained as one (at least that's what i read somewhere) but the fact that she doesn't use her voice much - besides for Mama Mia which wasn't really that good of a film- is probably troubling people. Oh well, i just hope that it's a good movie. Because that's all i want.

"Like Montague! That's not even a real word i looked it up in two different dictionaries" Mary lane (Kristen Bell) Reefer Madness

Gypsy (1962)

I have to say that although it's no musical masterpiece it has been unfairly treated in the past.

After all Rosalind Russell (who plays Mama Rose) while not physically suiting the part (the real Mama Rose wasn't as tall or slim, which is probably why Ethel Merman played her on stage to rousing applause- because she had the look) anyway she brought some emotion and depth to it, plus she's made worse movies.
Then there is Natalie Wood, (who gets to sing for herself in this!) now she has been one of my favourite actresses since i saw her in The Great Race (being funny) and in West Side Story (miming but acting the hell out of it), so i was looking forward to seeing this. While she plays the title role her part isn't that showy, at the start she is a sort of quiet and timid girl, but as the movie progresses she comes out of her shell much more. Thats character development. She too has made worse movies (Bombers B-52 anyone?).
Karl Malden isn't mentioned much so i thought i'd just mention that while he didn't give a groundbreaking performance it was solid and had some life.
Ann Jillian who played June Hovick (Gypsy's sister) embodied her character pretty fully and i have no complaints.

Now the music is a mixed batch but mainly entertaining, especially "let me entertain you" and "if mama was married."
Dances are fine, especially Tulsa's dance with Louise (AKA Gypsy, played by Natalie Wood), which is a highlight.

To be honest it ran a little long and some parts of it should have been cut, but this is not the fault of the actors. I have to say that it's funny, dramatic, light and overall uneven, but if you're a fan of the actors it's worth a watch. Personally i enjoyed it, i got a bit bored in some parts because almost any scene without Russell or Wood is unbearable (thankfully there are very, very few). And i still watch it occasionally, it's not the best musical comedy by a long shot but for an afternoon watch you could do a lot worse.

"Have a Goldstone Mr Eggroll!" Mama Rose (Rosalind Russell), Gypsy.

Credit where its due: High school Musical

Before the die hard haters of the HSM series go insane i just want to say that i don't really like the series, it is a phase that has since passed (thank goodness) but there are a few nice things i have to say about the HSM series.

The songs aren't excruciatingly terrible when you think about who they're aimed at, i'm not even going to say that the dances are generic, because they suit the music and have people who are at least capable of doing them. Sure the moves are cheesy and seem only to be there in the hope that they would catch on at birthday parties, but they do suit the music so i guess choreographer/director Kenny Ortega did what he was supposed to do.

The acting. The actors aren't Oscar worthy, they don't deserve any prestigious award based on their performances in these movies, BUT the characters are over the top and contrived, the actors pretty much just go through the motions and it's pretty noticeable. I blame the script for the actors shortcomings.

The movie is a musical, as we all know the musical genre has been flailing in favor of dance movies like 'Step Up' and 'You got served' (did anybody actually see that? anybody?) musicals like 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Chicago' were aimed at adults and the kids really didn't have many movie musicals. Well except maybe 'The Cheetah girls' which i haven't seen but i think it's a musical. Then HSM came along, with its stereotypes, its cheese and 'lets sing about it' teeny bopper style. It exposed the younger generation(myself included) to musicals. HSM "heartthrob" Zac Efron also appeared in sixties musical 'Hairspray' (which by the way is better) and so the musical saw a resurgence in popularity, seeing 2 sequels made of HSM and the god awful 'Camp Rock' which was made as as a simple cash in on The Jonas Brothers and HSM. this isn't new of course, it's showbiz, it's been happening  for years.

Kids look up musicals, ask their parents about musicals and Google musicals. What comes up? 'West Side Story', 'Singin in the rain', 'funny Girl' etc. All these musical greats, the children watch some of these, they think: 'hey this is nothing like HSM!' then they watch a bit further:
'hey she sings better than Gabriella!'
'He's hotter than Zac Efron!' and... you got them. The little girls want a cute guy (regardless if he can sing, dance or even act) and they want a pretty and talented girl for them to aspire to be like. Soon they've discovered these movies, the original 'Hairspray and 'Grease'. I'm pretty sure that 'Grease' has been viewed by almost everyone with a TV since it came out but the kids may have never taken any notice because "its old". I'll also give an honorable mention to 'Glee' because that show is great and exposes the younger generation to the classics.

What i'm trying to say is HSM isn't good but its effects and intentions are.
You don't have to agree with me, what I've said may not even make sense, but i'm not a professional writer so what do you expect?

"I got thirty-six expressions, sweet as pie and tough as leather and thats six expressions more than all them Barrymores put together" Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand), Funny Girl.