The Meg Review
The Plot
A group of scientist uncover a deadly secret while exploring the very deepest recesses of the ocean. Now faced with a monster shark of unimaginable proportions they have to turn to the only man who has survived a past encounter with one and is just brave enough to get back in the water…
The Good
Jason Statham has the kind of rugged charm and self-aware swagger that wins over audiences quickly and allows them to largely suspend disbelief. It’s a valuable asset indeed with dealing with unashamedly silly action movie cliché’s. He clearly does his best to deliver predictably awful dialogue and to keep this film afloat. His presence certainly enhances the film considerably even if it might not be enough to save it overall.
For those most avid addicts of the guilty pleasure giant monster genre it will be nice to watch one on the big screen rather than on late night TV. Even if the quality is sadly much the same. The Meg at least has a significant budget and a few familiar faces on show.
The Meg offer some very occasional laughs and has at least a last minute flurry of action. Which thanks to the film’s 12 rating, can be watched by less discerning younger fans. At least the film is less likely to traumatise generations of people about going in the water like Jaws famously did.
The Bad
The Meg promised so much with a well cut trailer that worked miracles in projecting the film as a shamelessly silly and action packed monster thrill ride. Unfortunately those that flock to watch the actual film, hoping for big laughs and horrified gasps will find an embarrassingly short supply of both.
Aiming for a family friendly rating has largely neutered any potential horrific delights, robbing the film of the kind of genuine terror that makes Jaws such an undisputed classic. There’s very few moments in the film that will raise adrenalin levels much beyond abject boredom. Likewise for a ‘creature feature’ whose posters shamelessly boast of the gargantuan size of this prehistoric monster shark the film largely fails to deliver anything like that sense of scale. Poorly crafted and inconsistent effects work means that the shark never feels anywhere near as impressive or fun on screen as it does in single poster shots.
It’s also a shame to have to admit that the Meg gets surprisingly little screen time in a film that seems more preoccupied for large chunks with achingly dull family melodrama.
It’s also worth noting that the internationally co-financed production makes repeated use of Chinese locations, characters and language. The pandering for Chinese box office appeal feels a little distracting at times, particularly when it seemingly forces the film to focus on the dull human characters instead of the giant monster mayhem.
Even those most determined to enjoy the film thanks to its fun concept and appealing marketing campaign will find the slow paced, badly acted, lacklustre action and effects largely frustrates those efforts to take much pleasure from proceedings.
The Ugly Truth
The Meg had so much potential to be a perfect guilty pleasure, but sadly even Jason Statham’s gruff voiced charisma can’t distract from poor effects, non-existent plot and some truly atrocious acting. Even armed with a genuine blockbuster budget this film doesn’t offer any more than the typical forgettably awful monster movie that clogs up late night TV and the straight to DVD bargain bins.
Review by Russell Nelson
Ant Man and The Wasp Review
The Plot
Scott Lang serving the final days of his house arrest finds himself once again caught up in an adventure of both miniature and massive proportions as he joins forces with Dr Hank Pym and erstwhile love interest Hope Van Dyne to tackle a mysterious new foe and solve the dangerous mysteries of the quantum realm.
The Good
Ant Man and The Wasp is a solid sequel for one of Marvel’s less mainstream heroes that keeps much of what worked about his first solo outing. The film showcases a great array of action sequences that makes the absolute best of the unique opportunities afforded by both the miniature and massive proportions offered by the Dr Hank Pym’s technology. Those flawless effect and inventive set pieces combines effortlessly with the film’s playful comedic tone.
Paul Rudd is an ageless star blessed with an embarrassing abundance of natural charisma. His famously endless supply of charming one liners and innate likeability looks in no danger of dwindling any time soon. He is able to make Scott Lang the perfect mix of endearing buffoon and faultless hero. Having done such a good job establishing the character and transitioning to being a genuine action star in the first film, he seems even more at home in the superhero suit this time around.
Likewise Evangeline Lily and Michael Douglas are on typically stellar form as Dr Pym and titular new hero The Wasp. This film even further fleshes out the emotional layers to their relationship and past that the first film did such a good job in establishing. Evangeline Lily in particular is sensational in her super suit, given even more prominent action responsibilities this time round. Obviously having At Man and The Wasp working in tandem provides even more fun opportunities for action packed fun, which the film takes full advantage of.
Michael Pena as Scott’s swift talking comedic sidekick Luis was a scene stealing delight in the first film and he is yet another welcome feature of a sequel which matches and frequently surpasses the original. The addition of Michelle Pfeiffer, Hannah John-Kamen and Laurence Fishburne to the cast is just another example of the abundant embarrassment of riches the MCU has to offer.
The Bad
Those waiting agonisingly to see the resolution of the Infinity War story arc will no doubt feel a little impatient to get to that conclusion and may have a little less initial enthusiasm for this film because of that. While perfectly crafted and self-contained it’s fair to say this is a sequel that in a wider sense very much represents treading water for the MCU. After years of seeing major character introductions and pieces of a much larger puzzle being laid in place fans may have come to merely expect those moments. That is perhaps the only film this film fails to deliver though and it is undeniably brilliant in its own right.
The Ugly Truth
After the dark and emotionally devastating climax of Avengers Infinity War this fun spirited standalone adventure serves as a welcome pallet cleanser for Marvel fans. Armed with impressive and original action, a well-crafted plot and a very likeable cast this is a perfect second outing for Marvel’s most diminutive hero.
Review by Russell Nelson
TIFF 2018 Line Up Announced
Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF , and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF , today unveiled the first round of titles premiering in the Gala and Special Presentation programmes of the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival. Of the 17 Galas and 30 Special Presentations, this first announcement includes 21 World Premieres, 7 International Premieres, 8 North American Premieres and 11 Canadian Premieres. The selection announced today includes 13 features directed by women.
Piers Handling commented to say
“We have an exceptional selection of films this year that will excite Festival audiences from all walks of life. Today’s lineup showcases beloved auteurs alongside fresh voices in filmmaking, including numerous female powerhouses. The sweeping range in cinematic storytelling from around the world is a testament to the uniqueness of the films that are being made. Every September we invite the whole film world to Toronto, one of the most diverse, movie-mad cities in the world. I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to put together a lineup of Galas and Special Presentations that reflects Toronto’s spirit of inclusive, passionate engagement with film. We can’t wait to unveil these films for our audience.”
The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018. List of announced Galas and special presentations below:
GALAS 2018
Beautiful Boy Felix van Groeningen, USA World Premiere Everybody Knows Asghar Farhadi, Spain/France/Italy North American Premiere First Man Damien Chazelle, USA Canadian Premiere Galveston Mélanie Laurent, USA Canadian Premiere The Hate U Give George Tillman, Jr., USA World Premiere Hidden Man Jiang Wen, China International Premiere High Life Claire Denis, Germany/France/Poland/United Kingdom World Premiere Husband Material Anurag Kashyap, India World Premiere The Kindergarten Teacher Sara Colangelo, USA Canadian Premiere The Land of Steady Habits Nicole Holofcener, USA World Premiere Life Itself Dan Fogelman, USA World Premiere The Public Emilio Estevez, USA World Premiere Red Joan Sir Trevor Nunn, United Kingdom World Premiere Shadow Zhang Yimou, China North American Premiere A Star is Born Bradley Cooper, USA North American Premiere What They Had Elizabeth Chomko, USA International Premiere Widows Steve M c Queen, United Kingdom/USA World Premiere
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2018
Ben is Back Peter Hedges, USA World Premiere Burning Lee Chang-dong, South Korea North American Premiere Can You Ever Forgive Me? Marielle Heller, USA International Premiere Capernaum Nadine Labaki, Lebanon North American Premiere Cold War Paweł Pawlikowski, Poland/United Kingdom/France Canadian Premiere Colette Wash Westmoreland, United Kingdom Canadian Premiere Dogman Matteo Garrone, Italy/France Canadian Premiere The Front Runner Jason Reitman, USA International Premiere Giant Little Ones Keith Behrman, Canada World Premiere Girls of the Sun ( Les filles du soleil) Eva Husson, France International Premiere Hotel Mumbai Anthony Maras, Australia World Premiere The Hummingbird Project Kim Nguyen, Canada World Premiere If Beale Street Could Talk Barry Jenkins, USA World Premiere Manto Nandita Das, India North American Premiere Maya Mia Hansen-Løve, France World Premiere Monsters and Men Reinaldo Marcus Green, USA Canadian Premiere *Special Presentations Opening Film* MOUTHPIECE Patricia Rozema, Canada World Premiere Non-Fiction Olivier Assayas, France Canadian Premiere The Old Man & The Gun David Lowery, USA International Premiere Papi Chulo John Butler, Ireland World Premiere Roma Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico/USA Canadian Premiere *Special Presentations Closing Film* Shoplifters Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan Canadian Premiere The Sisters Brothers Jacques Audiard, USA/France/Romania/Spain North American Premiere Sunset László Nemes, Hungary/France North American Premiere Through Black Spruce Don McKellar, Canada World Premiere The Wedding Guest Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom World Premiere The Weekend Stella Meghie, USA World Premiere Where Hands Touch Amma Asante, United Kingdom World Premiere White Boy Rick Yann Demange, USA International Premiere Wildlife Paul Dano, USA Canadian Premiere
Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards 2018 Details Announced
Ozzy Osbourne – The Prince Of Darkness and one of the most iconic names in rock music – is to be honoured as the Golden God at The Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards 2018 in association with Monster Energy. This is the evening’s most prestigious accolade that honours the most inspirational, important and groundbreaking artists in rock and metal.
The awards ceremony will take place at Indigo at The O2, London, on Monday, June 11, capping off what is always the UK’s biggest weekend in rock and metal. This is an awards ceremony all about the fans, and tickets are on sale now for just £11.25. As well as the awards presentations, there will be live performances from Baroness, Meshuggah, Carpenter Brut and Myrkur, with an incredible headliner to be announced imminently. Tickets are available at https://goldengods.eventbrite.
With a career dating back almost five decades, Ozzy Osbourne’s status sees him rightly revered as one of the most important – and, at times, infamous – figureheads in all of rock and metal.
In 1969 he founded the legendary Black Sabbath alongside Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, with the four men inventing and going on to popularise the genre of music that would come to be known as heavy metal. Ozzy’s original tenure with the band produced some of the greatest albums in metal’s long history, initially fronting the band for 10 years and eight albums.
After his departure from Sabbath in 1978, he released his debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, which was met with global critical and commercial acclaim. In all, Ozzy has released 11 solo records and nine with Black Sabbath – including the band’s 2013 reunion album, 13 – resulting in sales of more than 100 million. His touring schedule has been unrelenting, playing sold-out shows in stadiums and arenas around the world for almost 50 years solid, and it shows no signs of waning – he’s currently in the middle of the No More Tours 2 Tour that will see him headline Download festival on June 10.
Ozzy Osbourne reacting to the news said
“What an immense honour it is to be getting a second Golden God Award after Sabbath picked one up last year. The fans who have supported me and this music mean everything to me, which is why getting this award is so special. I will see you all down there.”
Previous recipients of the Golden God Award include Motörhead legend Lemmy, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and Rob Zombie amongst others. Metal Hammer Editor, Merlin Alderslade added
“It just doesn’t get any bigger than this. The Prince Of Darkness, the most iconic name in heavy metal, a man without whom these very awards, this very magazine – hell, our very culture – would quite simply not exist. Seeing Ozzy walk out on that stage at the Indigo on June 11 is going to be unmissable. We can’t wait to share what will be a very special moment with you all. All aboard!”
Metal Hammer is the biggest and best heavy metal magazine on the planet, and Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta will host this year’s ceremony. This is the 16th annual Metal Hammer Golden God Awards.
Metal Hammer put on this show for the people who truly matter: the fans. As well as the awards, which are a combination of reader-voted and editorially chosen, there will be live music from the aforementioned Baroness, Meshuggah, Carpenter Brut and Myrkur, plus the show’s headliners, who will be announced on June 1. In previous years, there have been headline sets from Motörhead, Mastodon, Anthrax, Steel Panther and many more.
Confidence Southwark Playhouse Review
The Plot
The scheming young inhabitants of a rundown British seaside resort in the 1990s plot increasingly ill-advised pathways to quick cash and eventual escape. A heady mix of boredom, betrayal and bad behaviour combining to create frequently hilarious consequences.
The Good
Confidence perfectly captures the spirit of a young generation trapped between delusional self-confidence and more depressing realities. As illustrated by iconic audience favourites like Only Fools and Horses, clueless optimism and hapless aspiration are a particularly potent source of endearing comedy.
The production’s compact neon drenched set provides an imaginatively versatile and effective backdrop for the story. Combined with the quirky costumes it efficiently illustrates the amusing contradictions between the youthful hyper optimism of the 1990s and the languid depression of once popular seaside towns stuck in a pattern of terminable decline.
At the centre of this world Tanya Burr gives a truly great performance as Ella, the brazenly ambitious and ruthless teenage temptress determined to improve her own good fortunes at any cost. Burr’s performance has a convincingly sneering swagger far removed from her own familiar sweet nature. Ella is consistently crude and selfishly cynical with occasional flashes of desperate vulnerability. It’s an impressively foul mouthed and fragile transformation from the popular YouTube beauty blogging superstar. This bravely uninhibited performance alone should be more than enough to silence any detractors that question the commitment or talent of Tanya Burr based solely on her distracting social media success.
Around Burr’s provocative character the rest of a fantastic cast populate the seaside wasteland Ella struts around with people who are equally clueless and complicit in her dubious entrepreneurial schemes. The ensemble do a fine job of maintaining a consistent darkly comedic tone throughout. A dead hamster and a most unlikely use for a Cadbury’s Flake are just a few examples of the play’s deliciously silly and sharp edged running punchlines.
The Bad
Overly unsympathetic audiences may find the predictably disastrous consequences of the character’s deluded antics a little less endearing. While many people gleefully enjoy watching the inevitable failings of the self-deluded, for some it’s can be more of an ordeal than amusing. For those people it’s only fair to warn that Confidence offers up cringe inducing comedic moments with shameless frequency.
The Ugly Truth
Confidence delivers plenty of laughs and scheming plot twists, propelled by a brilliant cast and Tanya Burr’s ferociously charismatic performance. The play is arguably more fun than an actual trip to the seaside.
Review by Russell Nelson