Category: Film
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FILM REVIEW | Life Of Pi
★★★★★ | Life Of Pi
An Indian boy (Suraj Sharma), the son of a zoo keeper, with the improbable name of Pi, short for the even more improbable Piscine (I’ll let you find out for yourself how he came by that name) is shipwrecked and finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, with a zebra, a hyena, an orang-utan and a Bengal tiger, called Richard Parker.
Sounds improbable? Well that’s kind of the point. This is David Magee’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s novel The Life of Pi, which, I should point out, I have never read, so I have no idea if it is a good adaptation or not. What I am quite sure of is that it is one of the best movies Ang Lee (director of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain) has ever given us.
The first thing to say is that, visually, this is a very beautiful film, and often a stunning one. The 3D effects and CGI are amazing, but the movie is so much more. Often these days, one feels that a movie is all about effects, but in Life of Pi, the effects are used to enhance what is already a compelling narrative. Lee’s use of 3G is almost poetic, immeasurably helped here by Claudio Miranda’s wonderful (in its true sense of full of wonder) cinematography.
Suraj Sharma gives an incredible performance, growing in stature as the movie progresses and Pi learns more about life and survival, all the more remarkable when you consider that for the most part he had to react to a beast that wasn’t actually there (Richard Parker, the tiger, is mostly depicted through the magic of CGI). His performance is matched by that of Irrfan Khan, who plays the older Pi, telling his story to a Canadian writer (Rafe Spall). Like the writer, we are drawn in by Khan’s magical storytelling, the pain behind his eyes hiding a truth that is never fully explained. Like Pi, Ang Lee knows how to tell a story, how to draw his audience in. He did it in Brokeback Mountain, and, in a completely different way, he does it here. His direction is never less than masterful, more than that, poetic, inspiring.
At the end of the movie, Pi tells us that when he was finally rescued, the story of how he survived was not believed by the authorities investigating the shipwreck, so he came up with another one, more prosaic, but even more brutal. Is the first story an allegory of the second? We are left to make our own minds up, but I know which one I choose. Definitely one of my movies of the year.
Available to buy / view on: Amazon | Amazon Prime | iTunes
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DVD REVIEW: Sarah Millican, Throughly Modern Millican
Well, where do I start with this one, pet? I’m no stranger to the comic genius that is Sarah Millican, I’ve seen her perform all over the North East, in various seedy back street comedy clubs that us Geordies love, and even in the City Hall. Our born and bred Sanddancer has now hit my DVD player.
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FILM REVIEW | Sarah Millican Throughly Modern Millican
Well, where do I start with this one, pet? I’m no stranger to the comic genius that is Sarah Millican, I’ve seen her perform all over the North East, in various seedy back street comedy clubs that us Geordies love, and even in the City Hall. Our born and bred Sanddancer has now hit my DVD player.
Not one for the feint hearted, or the easily offended. The latest offering, Thoroughly Modern Millican is filled with more f***s than a Dutch brothel! I guarantee that Sarah’s script will have your stomach muscles aching, like you’ve just done 500 sit ups!
Sarah tackles the trivial, daily happenings with hilarious revelations. My favourite part of the set sees Sarah enlist the help of her audience to discuss what can be used when we’ve run out of toilet paper! Or the equally hilarious section of the show Sarah spends discussing the usefulness of carrying spare pairs of pants.
Delivered with her renowned Geordie manner, class and tact – or lack thereof, Sarah spends 90 minutes commanding the audience into fits of laughter and side splitting roars of hilarity.
Not wishing to give too much away, Sarah looks so comfortable on the stage, even with a mouth filled with childhood favourite popping candy!
Admittedly, I am slightly biased as us Geordies tend to stick together, but trust me, if you’re looking for a last minute Christmas gift, a stocking filler or even a treat for yourself, this is one festive purchase I promise you won’t regret.
I urge you, if you haven’t yet seen, bought, borrowed or even stolen Sarah’s DVD, make it the first thing you do tomorrow!
As always, once you’ve seen it let me know! You can tweet me at @NKMackley.
TheGayUK does not actually endorse you stealing a copy of the DVD, nor do we encourage you to practise
Available to buy / view on: Amazon | Amazon Prime
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FILM REVIEW: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” opens nationwide today.
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FILM REVIEW | Pam Ann Live From New York City
★★★★ | Pam Ann Live From New York City
When I moved to London as a pink faced, wide eyed young lad from the midlands, live cabaret was quite an alien concept to me. In those heady days I’d bounce from bars, where bar boys would be doing camp Steps routines, to club nights where the likes of Mariah and Madonna would play, all whilst supping on a bottle of hooch.
Way back then, Pam Ann was one of the first cabaret acts that I ever saw and even though I’d never even set foot in an airport, let alone on an aeroplane, at that point in my life, I still howled at every bit of her sharp observational humour and the garish persona she had invented.
Thirteen years on and whilst so many things have come and gone, Caroline Reid, the woman behind the potty-mouthed trolley dolly, is not only still commanding packed out venues in London, she has seemingly charted a meteoric rise to fame worldwide. With a world tour in 2011, sell-out performances at the esteemed London Palladium and the Hammersmith Apollo, Pam has set her sights firmly on breaking America and she’s doing a damn good job of it. In her latest DVD, Pam Ann Live from New York, Pam plays to her ‘gays’ at ‘Joes Pub’: a celebrated showcase venue that has seen the likes of Kiki and Herb, Amy Winehouse and Alicia Keys grace it’s stage.
Pam’s knowledge of her subject really is astounding. If you’re going to do stand up focussing on such a niche topic then you have to be on the ball and the devil really is in the detail. Pam gives a master class in it. Rolling off gags about every possible airline you know, and some you have never even heard of; mocking certain mannerisms and nuances that she has picked up and exaggerated for comic effect, whilst also working the audience into as much of the show as she can. The content is fresh and appealing and is mixed well with tried and tested older material; with references to recent aviation developments such as British Airways’ recent initiative, ‘what would Kate do’ and Ryanair threatening to introduce porn to their flights (shudders).
If you’ve never seen Pam before then you’d best buckle up because she doesn’t mince her words and it’s certainly not a DVD for you if you’re at all twee about swearing and sexual suggestiveness. She does love to go on about her appreciation of big black cock A LOT.
A highly entertaining show that will really put a smile on even the glummest of faces. Pam’s unique brand of stand up is as risible now as it ever was.
Available to buy / view on: Amazon
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Top 5 Films About Mental Health
Despite the sombre tone set by many movies with mental health at their core, they do tend to be the best and most memorable. What makes these movies so chilling is because unlike many other films, these events could in effect actually happen. (more…)
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FILM REVIEW | Hit So Hard, The Life and Near Death Story of Patty Schemel
P. David Ebersole’s documentary Hit So Hard tells the story of former Hole drummer Patty Schemel’s rise from working class kid in Marysville, Washington to drummer for one of the biggest grunge bands of the nineties.
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Top 10 Homoerotic Horror Movies
I’ve always felt that Horror movies were a bit gay. So I’ve decided to take a look at the top 10 homoerotic horror movies.
The way-to-good looking heartthrob, who incidentally always has great hair, teeth and wears Daz white Ts only to eventually get ripped and shredded by an ugly monster, it’s a bit like Saturday nights at The Black Cap.
10. Jeepers Creepers 2
First in our list of homoerotic horror movies is the 2005 flick Jeepers Creepers. The first time we see the winged monster from Jeepers Creepers (in the first movie) he’s preying after some boy in a cornfield, clearly, after tasting boy fear, he can’t help himself but go after an entire busload of jocks. It’s a bit like Bait Bus but messier, a bit like HazeHim.com but deadlier. So after the bus, they are all travelling on, suffers a flat tyre, the boys proceed to lie on top of the bus half naked basking in the sunshine as well as taking extended urinating breaks together.
After doing away with the grown-ups on the trip the Monster starts picking on the jocks, leaving the first victim half naked and provocatively draped on the ground for the remainder of the film. Hot and Homoerotic.
Prognosis Homoerotic 60% BUY DVD FROM AMAZON