Spice Girls 20th Anniversary Reunion Update
Melanie Chisholm aka Mel C spoke to Red Carpet News at the gala performance for The Rocky Horror Show in London in aid of Amnesty International. Mel cleared up he recent rumors surrounding plans for a Spice Girls reunion to celebrate 20 years of the band in 2016.
Mel confirmed that talks are ongoing and that while no firm plan have yet been put in place, they girls are very much hoping to do some kind of performance to celebrate the anniversary. Mel also told us a bit about what being in the band meant to her and the inspiring effect of their infamous Girl Power movement.
Check out the interview clip below:
Robert Englund talks Nightmare On Elm Street Reboot 2015
A Nightmare On Elm Street horror icon Robert Englund talks to Red Carpet News about recently announced plans for the latest franchise reboot while meeting fans at the Showmasters Bournemouth Comic Con 2015.
Robert indicates that it’s unlikely that he will be asked to reprise his role as glove handed villain Freddy Kreuger, but suggest he thinks the new film may possible be a remake or re-imagining of the successful third installment in the franchise A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Robert Englund also offered us his analysis of why the poorly received 2010 attempted reboot failed to please new and old fans of the series alike.
Miss You Already Review
The Plot
Life-long friends Jess and Milly find their relationship pushed to the limits as one battles cancer and the other struggles to start a family of her own.
The Good
Director Catherine Hardwicke and writer Morwenna Banks deliver a poignant and bittersweet exploration of friendship, love and loss. Largely avoiding saccharine clichés the film in particular deserves considerable credit for offering audiences an utterly sincere depiction of the unimaginable reality of facing up to a life threatening illness.
Toni Collette delivers arguably the performance of her career as Milly, a free spirited and high flying over achiever suddenly faced with a devastating diagnosis. Having a gorgeous husband, wonderful children, beautiful home and a successful job only gives her more to loose and little comfort. What’s most commendable is that neither Collette nor the script ever resorts to making Milly just a tragic and flawless victim. She faces her illness with fear and selfishness just as much as bravery and courage.
Collette subtly depicts the full gambit of emotional highs and lows as Milly’s disease dramatically transforms her appearance, friendships and marriage. Milly’s existing charms and less likeable flaws are both amplified by these changes. It’s a realistic exploration of how illness truly affects a complete person and the lives of those around them.
Speaking of which, while Collette deserves extensive praise for her portrayal, Drew Barrymore deserves equal commendation for her role Milly’s life-long partner in crime Jess. While Milly battles through treatment, Jess struggles to balance the exhausting impact of supporting someone at the expense of her own responsibilities and desires.
The consistently underrated Barrymore uses her innate charms and knack for stoic vulnerability to make Jess’s journey just as compelling and significant as Milly’s.
Though the film has a solid supporting cast and owes much to a solidly written script, without the chemistry and skill of its two leads it’s unlikely the film would have been anywhere near as effective and moving.
The Bad
Though Miss You Already is sincerely emotional it may prove difficult viewing for some because of this. In particular the film may be especially difficult for anyone who has had their own lives or those closest to them touched by terminal illness. Though the film does have moments of comedy and joy, they remain largely bittersweet. This won’t be for everyone’s taste and those looking for the easy laughs and uplifting effect of a standard comedy drama may be best placed to look elsewhere for their feel-good fix.
It’s also worth noting that the film feels a little long, mostly as it goes 15-20 minutes beyond a seemingly natural and satisfying end point to deliver a more drawn out and complete conclusion.
The Ugly Truth
Miss You Already is a moving story that tackles potentially somber subject matter in a delicate and poignant fashion. Propelled by brilliant performances by its two leads it grabs audience’s attention and heartstrings from start to finish.
Review by Russell Nelson
Angry Birds Movie Trailer
Angry Birds continues it’s meteoric rise from distracting smartphone game to global pop culture phenomenon with the first official trailer for their inevitable big screen animated adventure. Watch the trailer now if you want to see how they managed to turn a computer game about exploding birds into a feature film…
Life Review
The Plot
A young photographer eager to prove his own artistic skills latches onto actor James Dean who already seems poised to become a reluctant superstar. The pair strikes an uneasy friendship as they work on creating an intimate photo essay that would be regarded as iconic images of a true Hollywood icon.
The Good
Dane DeHaan manages to produce a convincing impersonation of a timeless silver screen icon with the help of some carefully managed makeup and hairstyling. Though lacking in Dean’s unique natural rugged charms, DeHaan worked hard to bulk up and pour his considerable acting talent into transforming himself. The effect is pretty successful and at times he bears a more than passing physical resemblance to the Rebel Without A Cause star.
Director Anton Corbijn likewise does a good job of crafting a look of costumes, locations and cinematography that captures both the elegance and emptiness of Hollywood’s golden era. The film’s bleak and stark visual style is particularly effective during Dean and Stock’s time in New York and at the Dean family farmhouse in rural Indiana.
Speaking of looking good, Robert Pattinson’s devoted army of fans will no doubt be pleased to see him once again brooding away as frustrated photographer Dennis Stock. Even if it’s a little unfortunate that his matinee idol looks at times too obviously eclipse DeHaan’s James Dean impersonation.
The Bad
Although DeHaan does his best to become Dean, in truth it’s a fairly tough challenge for any actor. Aside from the obvious physical differences, in truth there are few people capable of exuding the ageless charisma that exudes from Dean’s tragically brief screen credits and the rare images that survived of him off camera.
Robert Pattinson has worked hard to establish his acting credibility after being catapulted to leading man stardom by the commercially successful but critically mocked Twilight franchise. Unfortunately his determination to avoid trading on his handsome looks has led him to take a series of downbeat roles that eschews his potential charisma in favour of glum brooding.
Alongside DeHaan’s already overly awkward Dean, Pattinson’s desperate photographer is equally introverted. It makes for an uneasy and sterile relationship between the pair. With Pattinson’s character cast as a seemingly selfish absentee father while James Dean is mostly reduced to pretentious mumbling, the sad truth is neither remains particularly likeable throughout the film’s overly long run time.
Aside from a few rare moments of vulnerability for DeHaan’s Dean, the film mostly fails to inject any real personality or convincing depth into either lead.
The Ugly Truth
For those who relish in nostalgia for the golden era of Hollywood this will be a welcome celebration of a unique silver screen star. Those with less initial enthusiasm may find the film’s slow pace and downbeat tone strains patience a little.