Review paradise, covering the latest and greatest releases in cinemas and living rooms, with a detailed look at the newest graphic novels/comic books, music and video games. If it came out this year, we've probably reviewed it...
Recalling back to my childhood and watching films with the family, a safe bet would always be the latest offering by Disney. They offered imagination and great storytelling; using intriguing characters in crazy outlandish worlds. Places where i wanted to visit for real and become friends with the protagonists whilst on their journeys. As i became older, these views changed. I watched wrestling, action films, more adult themed television, and i lost my interest in childish adventures with talking animals. I’ve now got to the age where I’m officially an adult. I’m not meant to enjoy Disney and things of that nature. Cute animals and little children. I’m meant to tell it to fuck off. But alas, i don’t. I’ve had a soft spot for anime and animation in general. I’m a whore for it. And i especially love the revolutionary film company that is Pixar. I can stand here and say that Pixar have never made a bad film. It’s one of the only film companies to proudly exclaim it. That all of their releases have had critical success along with the numbers to prove it. I loved Toy Story, Monsters Inc, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and absolutely adored Wall E. And here, in 2009, another Pixar masterpiece was released. One that maybe is their best yet. It’s called UP.
I knew from the opening scenes that UP would use the same system as past Pixar films, but have a new twist, bring something new to the genre. And it did. Even from the opening montage, showing the age change of the main couple, it was frightening sad and genuinely funny. I was moved. And this was only the first five minutes. I was captured. And not a single second did i drop my interest. I was there throughout. Now the film centres around two characters, Carl and Russell, two unlikely heroes, who band together to make their dreams come true. Carl wanting to move his house to Paradise Falls to live out a dream that Carl and his now deceased Wife wanted, he meets Russell, who wants an elderly helper badge and must do anything he can to help Carl. They find an extinct bird that helps them on the journey and the adventure begins. It’s wonderful. Pixar has the knack of having a perfect pace. Not too quick into the action but at the same time, allowing a steady build up for when it explodes.
Some day, when I’m older, I’m gonna show Pixar films to my kids, to give them morals and spark their imagination. I’m not gonna show them television shows that are harmful or make them play violent video games. Children who are brought up on Pixar films are, in my view, better people for it. They learn right and wrong in a safer setting. Pixar films are the bases for so many adults of the generation, who want to change the world, who want to help people and who want to make a difference. Pixar expects the audience to understand on so many levels. Not just entertainment. The films always hit every audience group, from small children to elderly people. It’s not ageist. So please, i beg you, if you haven’t seen UP yet, and think that it won’t be better than Finding Nemo or Toy Story, it might just blow your mind. It’s like The Dark Knight of the animation world. It needs to be seen!
Looking into the types of films that have been released this year so far, well mostly January and February, the common occurrence of big action films are released around January where most people are off, children from school, adults because of snow or fake illness. It makes sense, and now we are coming into March, Paper Heart is released on DVD, a perfect present for a loved one, maybe if you missed Valentine’s Day or was sleeping with her sister/his brother. It’s a fake documentary mixed with real content, it’s hard to describe, it starts off as a documentary, containing real interviews, but also mixed animations with acting from the main characters in a fake relationship. Charlyne Yi is its main star, the obviously nervous and shy musician and comedian who doesn’t believe in love and wants to find out more, travels across the US to find tales of real love, from gay relationships, 50 year marriages to divorces and Harley riders, Charlyne has some great chemistry with these people, where they describe their vision of true love and when you know you’ve found it.
The film begins to twist a little when Charlyne meets Michael Cera, played by Michael Cera, at a party, and Michael is interested in Charlyne, over the course of the film, by both beginning to see more of each other, in the end resulting in them becoming a couple. Along with this buding romance, various interviews with real people are shown to represent different relationship types, from long marriages, to gay romances, to single people looking for their "one". It's all very sad and a bit soppy! As well as seemingless random animations from Charlyne that are quite quirky and funny. Overall, i thought i would hate it, i thought the romance aspect would make me angry, make me want to smash something and disapprove of this romance bullshit and the idea of love. But i was wrong. I found it likeable. It's something different. It's something that you could take a loved one to see and you would enjoy it as much as her. It's a real surprise. I would recommend it to others just to show more of Michael Cera. And please if you haven't seen Arrested Development, go watch it or just die.
With Valentine's Day been and gone, maybe next year, surprise them with this DVD. Really, do it, you would easily get some lovin' that night! YEAHHHHH!
The sequel (kinda) to Paris, I Love you, ten short films are constructed together along with transitions focusing on various aspects of New York, with the setting and the people who inhabit it. It's certainly different to Paris, some of the abstract elements have been taken away and more interested in different cultures and nationality, which looking at New York, it thrives on. The variety is not the same though as Paris, where each story had maybe a different style or different techniques of telling stories with a twist, well most of the time. Here, the twists are not that twisty at all, except for the piece starring Shia LaBeouf and John Hurt, which is one of my favourites, most of the stories do not have their own story and you'll only realise that they are different when the actors change and sometimes the actors will change but the short film carries on (watch out for the Chris Cooper, prostitute, wife storyline!)
As there are many short films, i can't describe all of them, but my highlights were, from start to finish, the Orlando Bloom and Christina Ricci short about a writer who meets his boss and kinda falls in love, along with the Anton Yelchin and James Caan short about a prom date with a disabled girl, turns into a good night for Anton (wink wink, nudge nudge) and with a great twist too! As mentioned above the Shia LaBeouf and Julie Christie short is shot far differently to the others and has a certain flair which stands out as the best of the bunch, it's hard to describe and i don't want to give away the plot, so go watch it to find out. The rest talk about different cultures, including being Jewish, along with immigrants in New York and how anything is possible.
The film overall does give the impression of New York really well, it gives it that dream feeling, where New York is the best city in the world, where anybody can "make" it. Comparing New York to Paris, i like New York, the city better, but the stories and creativity with Paris is unflappable! I can't wait for the next one, which should easily be London, i bloody love you! Starring Ray Winstone, Danny Dyer and the cast of Eastenders...oh wait, that doesn't sound like a good idea at all!
Two whole weeks have passed since the last editon of Trailer Watch, so we've thrown in two more extras trailers for you. we feel sorry and this is our whole of apologising. we hope you enjoy...
Another exclusive today, a new feature, here at Popcorn Paradise 2010, we like to show people the future, the films and people that in years to come will be big. We bring the latest reviews straight to you, in a down-to-earth, non dickhead fashion (to put it bluntly)...so something new to gaze at is this short film made by Rehan Alexander Mudannayake. It's called Transmission and it caught our eye straight away. So if you would please peep it out, here is the link, you may need facebook to view, but im sure you have!
Today marks a new frontier for the site, a new reviewer along with a new format of reviewing, we have finally gone video! So for the first time, let us introduce, the lovely and calm RANTBOX REVIEW! these reviews turn up when they want to, so expect a pattern! They are made by the legend that is Michael Leroi, who one day will be a massive internet sensation, check out his other videos too, so im happy to report that we snapped him up as soon as we saw his reviews of the Zelda series. Here is the first: Watchmen
A quick message from the team behind Popcorn Paradise 2010...
We apologise for the recent lack of writings, but big things have been happening behind closed doors, people getting touted to write and new exclusive content that could be emerging any day now! so please, stay tuned and watch out for more reviews and stuff coming in March, it's going to be a big month for the site, so everyone on facebook, everyone on the internet, everyone around the World, this is the time for Popcorn Paradise to have an army! Which all of you a part of, The Popcorn Paradise Posse! We have a few new tricks which we would like to show you very soon...
UP - Pete Docter
