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Hit Play: Stand By Me

6/26/2014

by Liam McMillen

Stand By Me is yet another one of the stories made into a movie from the author who has had more stories made into movies than any other author in history, Stephen King. I'd like to argue that this is the definitive Stephen King adaptation.

This movie is literally filled with actors who have achieved varying degrees of success over the years. River Phoenix, who was on course to be the greatest actor of all time, is in there. Corey Feldman, one of the biggest child actors of all time, who has grown into an unenviable but visible existence has a great role to play. And, who could forget Kiefer Sutherland, who is the biggest dick of all time? Even John Cusack can be seen in a small role as Gordie's late brother.

Hit Play: Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

6/23/2014

by Cookie N Screen

I can’t find anyone who disagrees with this, but kids movies of the 80s and early 90s were amazing. In fact, I don't want to know anyone who disagrees. Because the 80s brought us imagination beyond our years, it shaped our curiosity and family fun films became crucially important and wonderfully enigmatic in this period. I mean, The Goonies, The NeverEnding Story, E.T., Back to the Future and The Princess Bride all encapsulated adventure and fantasy. But nothing ever came close to accomplishing that scientific knowledge, crazy mad-cap inventors, beasts and adventure all in your own back garden. Yes, it’s Honey, I Shrunk The Kids... right in your back garden.

Hit Play: Her

6/23/2014

by Cookie N Screen

If you’ve been on the internet for more than five minutes (insert laugh here), you’ll find that a lot of videos or memes are bouncing around about humanity's reliance of technology. The irony is not lost here. After all, people whose noses are permanently stuck next to the screen are the ones who are re-blogging, ignoring that the advancement of digital items have become a gateway to limitless knowledge, human connection and, despite the rudeness, pulling out several smartphones during dinnertime (do not ever do it!), for the most part, it is great.

While many movies depict our reliance on technology to be a bad thing, Her is a poetic love song and a rightful winner of Best Original Screenplay.

Hit Play: 21 Jump Street

6/19/2014

by Melissa Haggar

2012 saw the unlikely unison of two actors, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, whose bromance blossomed in the undeniably funny and incredibly self-deprecating film, 21 Jump Street. Based off the television series of the same name (you know, the one starring Johnny Depp!) and with Lord and Miller at the helm of the production, 21 Jump Street raised the bar for action comedies, packing plenty of punch in an affectionate, self-mocking manner. With the release of the sequel, 22 Jump Street, recently we have enjoyed copious amounts of the original, going back to the place it started.

Hit Play: Drop Dead Fred

6/9/2014

by Liam McMillen

What a terrible shame. The genius that is Rik Mayall has been taken from us. Mayall will be known for his TV roles in The Young Ones, Bottom and Blackadder to most, but to me, his excellent work in Drop Dead Fred reigns supreme. For this reason, I say Hit-Play on the manic movie...

Isn't it funny how this film, whilst massively dismissed as rubbish by critics when it was first released, has attracted a very loyal following of people who hold it very dear to their hearts - isn't that basically the definition of a cult film? Why? The special effects are terrible, it's basically a "breaking into the USA market" vehicle for Rik Mayall, and Marsha Mason looks exactly the same in the "21 years ago" flashbacks as she does in the current time-line.

Hit Play: Cuban Fury

6/9/2014

by Gloria Daniels-Moss

Silk shirts, skirts flying and heels of fire is Nick Frost’s new salsa infested comedy – Cuban Fury. Nick Frost and salsa you say? Well, I am sure the man is partial to said dip with his nachos, but dancing the Latin dance, we weren’t so sure until we witnessed Cuban Fury.

Hit Play: Ghostbusters

6/7/2014

by Liam McMillen

Ghostbusters is possibly the funniest film ever. There, I've said it. It's quite a bold statement to make, but with good cause. This film is the epitome of the 80s, but unlike most of the films around it, this film holds up. In fact, it probably holds up more than any other comedy in existence. You know how there are those movies that you see that are hysterical the first few times you see them? This one just keeps on coming. I remember when I was a kid, I wore our copy of Ghostbusters out. At the time, I thought it was a horror movie (I wasn't the brightest bulb) so I watched it constantly never realizing what it truly was. I hadn't yet caught on to a lot of the humour. A few years later in my early teenage years, I popped it in and, oh my God, I just about died with laughter. Revisiting it for its thirty-year anniversary and it's still just as funny and just as revolutionary.

Hit Play: Saving Private Ryan

6/6/2014

by Cookie N Screen

History has always toiled with the lives of men women. As countries and politicians advance verbally across boardrooms and secrets, thousands (and sometimes millions) are cut down for the sake of 'progress'. In the end, is the waste of life really so important? Soldiers are admirable and strong men, who give their lives for a cause they believe in. Though you may hate the war and it’s gritty nature, it is important to support the troops that still sacrifice themselves in the line of duty. Today is D-Day, marking the anniversary of that bloody battle on the beaches of Normandy. Heralded as a movie that captures vehemence and often credited as one of the best War films of all time, we hit the play button on Saving Private Ryan.

Hit Play: Dallas Buyers Club

6/3/2014

by Gloria Daniels-Moss

Matthew McConaughey is an actor that until recently really wasn’t anything to write home about. The fact that he was plastered all over the marketing for this one, kind of put me off initially. An actor well known for always getting his shirt off and only ever taking stock character roles in romantic comedies, it seems the majority of us have never held a high opinion of him – until now. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (C.R.A.Z.Y, The Young Victoria), Dallas Buyers Club certainly deserved every bit of attention it received.

Hit Play: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

5/25/2014

by Cookie N Screen

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the phenomenal science fiction drama book series from excellent author Douglas Adams. It conveyed a very British sarcastic look at an ordinary man swept up into the surreal world of space travel. Later translated into a Radio 4 radio series in the 1970s, it then became a brilliant television series, teaching the world that if you are going to write about science fiction, then the British have the most entertaining and earnest way of looking at it. I remember picking up the books as a child, loving them throughout teenage life and that passion resonated loudly today. So you’d think the 2005 cinematic version, like so many, would leave me disappointed.

When in fact, I loved it.

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Hit Play: Stand By Me

Hit Play: Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

Hit Play: Her

Hit Play: 21 Jump Street

Hit Play: Drop Dead Fred

Hit Play: Cuban Fury

Hit Play: Ghostbusters

Hit Play: Saving Private Ryan

Hit Play: Dallas Buyers Club

Hit Play: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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