Red Lights

'Truth is an illusion'

This paranormal thriller, by Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés, is full of suspense and ambition, yet will leave you sorely disappointed.

You can read my review below:

 http://www.tqsmagazine.co.uk/red-lights-film-review-truth-is-an-illusion/

Thanks, enjoy!!

A Fantastic Fear of Everything

You can find my latest review of A Fantastic Fear Of Everything at the website below:

http://www.tqsmagazine.co.uk/film-review-a-fantastic-fear-of-everything/

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Prometheus

‘Prometheus has landed’

After 33 years Ridley Scott returns to the Alien franchise to bring us a prequel to the terror filled Alien (1979) that stated ‘in space no-one can hear you scream.’

The film returns us to the planet where Alien first takes us. However, the film is not centred on the xenomorphs that the Alien quadrilogoy is based on, but, instead focuses on how they came about and the mysterious space jockey that is featured in Alien. Therefore, if you are expecting another instalment of chest bursting and terrifying xenomorphs then you will be greatly disappointed. There are, however, plenty of other aliens that should quench your thirst for horror. This is a film of paradoxes as it is about creation, yet at the same time destruction.

Prometheus follows, in 2089, archaeologist couple Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) who have discovered ancient pictograms on Earth that appear to them as an invitation to a distant planet. Shaw, Holloway and a team of scientists head to this planet, on a ship named Prometheus, on a trip that is funded by the Weyland Corporation, who has their own agenda for visiting this alien planet. After being cytogenetically frozen, the team arrives in 2093 and soon discover that they are not going to get the answers that they came looking for.

This prequel unravels the mystery surrounding the humanoid space jockey that is found by the crew in Alien and it appears that the space jockey, known to this team as an engineer, is answerable to a lot more than they could have ever imagined. This prequel, as promised by being a prequel, answers many of the questions raised in Alien. However, it would not be a Ridley Scott film if it did not leave us questioning more.

Prometheus takes an existentialist view on the world, as it questions our origins and our faith.  The crew are on a mission to uncover the formidable question of where we come from, a question that was avoided in the Alien Quadrilogy. The name Prometheus has its origins in Greek mythology as Prometheus was a Titan God who created man out of clay and stole fire from Zeus to give to humans, which lead him to be punished. In the film the ship Prometheus brings the humans to their creator which in turn unleashes fire upon them. Again, this film returns us to the great paradox of life, the fact that with life comes death and with creation comes destruction, sometimes without meaning.

It would seem however, that Michael Fassbender’s performance as David, a robot, steals the film. David appears to be one of the most interesting characters in the film, as his lack of empathy makes him eerily un-human despite his appearance. This is contrasted against Noomi Rapace, who questions her humanness as she is unable to procreate, well to a certain extent.... This film is embedded with philosophical, religiously challenging questions of where we come from and what determines us to be human. The abjection caused by the body horror, featured in all the Alien films and Prometheus, create this post-human body that raises these question of identity.

Prometheus is a film that will get you questioning your values and beliefs as it takes an existentialist view on our lives and purpose. The film may answer some of the questions raised in Alien, but it will definitely leave you asking more. What the film lacks in chest bursting alien action, it makes up in a well thought out plot, full of twists. This thrilling, suspense filled film will have you gripped from the start and is definitely worth watching. 

The Avengers Assemble

Joss Whedon, the director of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Cabin in the Woods, brings us the movie blockbuster that we have all been waiting for. The Avengers Assemble follows a group of superheroes, including Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), The Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow/Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), and Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), as they have to learn to work together and overcome their personal differences in order to save the world. It would seem though, that their world is not the only world that is in need of saving, as these Marvel characters were first introduced during the great depression in America, therefore their return signifies a time of need.

The Avengers are brought together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of S.H.I.E.L.D a peace keeping organisation, in order to track down the tesserat, a powerful energy source which acts as a gateway to the other side of space. The tesserat has been taken by Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s brother and he is using it to allow an alien army to rage a war and take over earth. This is where the Avengers come in. They have to learn to overcome their own egos in order to form an alliance and bring their strengths together if they stand a chance in defeating Loki and his army from space.

All the avengers, with the exception if Thor have dual identities and their essence lies in their alter egos, as it is who they become when they put on their costumes, or ‘suit up’ as Iron Man calls it, that defines who they really are. They are, however, considered to be vigilantes in society as they bring with them destruction and chaos. Set in an sub-urban landscape the avengers becomes signifiers of social anxieties, as they can be read to represent unruly adolescents, especially the Hulk who embodies the pubescent teenager as he gets big, hairy, angry and his voice deepens. These unruly adolescents are considered to be dangerous and volatile and the cause of the destruction to the city. Does this sound familiar, with all the recent riots that have occurred?

This unsettled environment is a breeding ground for anxiety and suggests that society today is in a volatile state, as recession takes hold and people are fighting to survive with rising unemployment. It feels like we are under attack and people, therefore, loose hope in the authorities. Therefore, people look to other places for answers and in The Avengers the people look to superheroes. This is a film about finding an identity, which is made pretty explicit by the costume of Captain America. He symbolises America and suggests a need to return to tradition. The actions of Captain America suggest that there are certain American-centric views surrounding this film.

Despite being an abstract fantasy film about superheroes and villains, The Avengers is fully grounded in our reality, as it deals with many of our social anxieties that we otherwise would not deal with. This genre of film is in constant play with social issues and anxieties, which make them even more interesting to watch.

The Avengers brings together some of comics greatest superheroes and creates a fantastic film that must not be missed. With action, suspense and even comedy this is definitely one of the best films released so far this year. It’s an awesome film that is enjoyable for all. 

Snow White and the Huntsman

‘Is the fairest of them all’

Snow White and the Huntsman’s first time director, Rupert Sanders, brings this fairytale into the 21^st Century as the film grounds this story evermore into our reality.

Check out the review below:

http://www.tqsmagazine.co.uk/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-film-review/

Thanks and Enjoy!

Moonrise Kingdom

You can find my review of Moonrise Kingdom at the web address below:

http://www.tqsmagazine.co.uk/moonrise-kingdom-film-review/

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