Film School Friday Lesson #21 - How To Have An Awesome Birthday

Last week, Film School Friday taught loyal readers how to bring the dead back to life. How did that go for you? Did the newly resurrected thank you for disturbing their slumber? Were they grateful for being hurled back into a world of pain, misery and Adam Sandler films? I highly doubt it. And did we even stop to consider what condition these walking corpses would even be in? How are they going to enjoy the cinema if their eyeballs keep falling out? How are they going to eat popcorn with a hole in their stomach? Life is short but sweet and perhaps it should stay that way.

Seth MacFarlane's A Million Ways To Die In The West - 1st Trailer (Red-Band)

The first trailer for Seth MacFarlane's new live action comedy has just hit the internet only hours after the character posters debuted online. Our first glimpse of A Million Ways To Die In The West pushes the red-band warning to the max with sex, swearing and as the film's name would imply, a whole lot of dying. I'm not exaggerating here; MacFarlane's take on the Wild West seems to feature more deaths than 6 Feet Under, but don't worry Ted fans. In the trailer at least, the gore is balanced out with a constant string of gags to keep audiences laughing.

I Love The 90s: Robin Williams

Last weekend, I went round my sister's house and found my niece was watching Jumanji. A wave of nostalgia swept over me, and I was transported back to my youth. Robin Williams helped to define my childhood growing up the 90s. Yes, I know he may have been around since the 70s, and is still making films to this day, but despite those films being terrible, Robin Williams used to be a Cinema God! Coming out with classic after classic, year after year, he was hands down the biggest star of the decade. Join me as I take a trip down memory lane to revisit some of my favourite films of his.

Joshua Tree 1951: A Portrait of James Dean (2012): Mini Movie Review

A lot of things can get in the way of finding time to review films, including work, family and even moving to South Korea, but some movies still deserve a mention, so that’s where my Mini Movie Reviews come in. Each is less than 100 words long or your money back. That’s a promise people! Today it’s Joshua Tree 1951: A Portrait of James Dean. 

Film School Friday Lesson #20 - How To Bring The Dead Back To Life

Last time, Film School Friday taught loyal readers how to make a terrible superhero film. Essentially, just cast Ben Affleck in your movie. Job done. Why did I waste so much time writing that article? Anyway, now that you've made your money from the opening weekend, the reviews for your superhero film are out and audiences have cottoned on to how terrible your movie actually is. How do you please all the anorak wearing comic book lovers out there baying for your blood? I I were you, I'd kill off your main characters  so haters can rejoice and then bring them back to life  a few years later, classic comic book style. That way, you can start the whole vicious cycle all over again.

However, aside from being bitten by a zombie and getting your face ripped off, how do you actually resurrect people from the dead? Gandalf changed colour from grey to white and Jesus was kind of a big deal but that doesn't help us mere mortals, so power up the cloning machine, brush up on your rituals and jump on your broom as we read on for today's lesson.

Oscar 2014: The Mistakes

In late December, the Academy of Motion Arts and Science mail its ballots to all its 6,000 members. They then watch a hell of a lot of films and vote for the best in each branch; actors for actors, screenwriters for screenwriters, they are all eligible to select Best Picture. You would think that with nearly 6,000 members voting in their field of expertise, they wouldn't make mistakes right? Well, you're wrong, wrong! Every year, no matter what, the Academy always makes mistakes. Some are quite big, like leaving Ben Affleck out of the Best Director category last year, and some are smaller, like WALL.E not getting a Best Picture nod a few years back. This year is no exception.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteers Journey (2011): Mini Movie Review

A lot of things can get in the way of finding time to review films, including work, family and KFC, but some movies still deserve a mention, so that’s where my Mini Movie Reviews come in. Each is less than 100 words long or your money back. That’s a promise people! Today it’s Being Elmo: A Puppeteers Journey.

JJ Abrams: Star Wars Episode VII Script Complete

Actual news about Star Wars Episode VII has finally surfaced. That's right; ACTUAL NEWS and not just some old wives tales from the ever spinning rumor mill.

Oscars 2014: The Nominees.

After months of speculation, whispers and waiting, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science have announced this years contenders for the much coveted Oscars. Each year comes with some surprising nominees and some not so surprising nominees. This year is no exception. Where the bloody hell was Emma Thompson and Oprah Winfrey? What, no love for Tom Hanks? And what the hell is going on in the Best Original Song category? Lets take a look shall we?  

Michael Douglas is Hank Pym in Marvel's Ant-Man

When Marvel recently announced that Paul Rudd would play Ant-Man, comic fans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief. Speculation still remained however, as three separate characters have each donned the ant-controlling (!) cybernetic helmet at some point in the original comics.

Today, Marvel have confirmed that multiple Oscar winner Michael Douglas will play Hank Pym in Edgar Wright's upcoming Ant-Man film. The announcement came just a day after Douglas won the Golden Globe for his stellar performance in Behind The Candelabra and clearly, Marvel are keen to maintain the buzz. In addition to this news, the studio also revealed that Rudd will play Scott Lang, the second comic book incarnation of the miniature super hero.

The Blind Side (2009): Mini Movie Review

A lot of things can get in the way of finding time to review films, including work, family and alcohol, but some movies still deserve a mention, so that’s where my Mini Movie Reviews come in. Each is less than 100 words long or your money back. That’s a promise people! Today it’s The Blind Side.

Eyes Wide Open (2009): Mini Movie Review

A lot of things can get in the way of finding time to review films, including work, family and even sunshine, but some movies still deserve a mention, so that’s where my Mini Movie Reviews come in. Each is less than 100 words long or your money back. That’s a promise people! Today it’s Eyes Wide Open. 

John Dies At The End (2012): Mini Movie Review

A lot of things can get in the way of finding time to review films, including work, family and even genetic laziness, but some movies still deserve a mention, so that’s where my Mini Movie Reviews come in. Each is less than 100 words long or your money back. That’s a promise people! Today it’s John Dies At The End.

Film School Friday Lesson #19 - How To Make A Terrible Superhero Film

Last week, Film School Friday held an acting masterclass in honor of Nicolas Cage, King of the Nutters (I used capitals because that's really a thing you know). If you took my advice then thank you. I'm honored you'd use up your 15 minutes of allotted internet time to read this week's lesson. Just remember to log off once you've finished and slip that straitjacket back on right away. I don't want to be responsible for anyone catching their death of cold. That's not how we do things here.

Now onto the learning. Yay learning! This week's lesson was inspired by Cage's restrained, under-stated performance in Ghost Rider and its even better follow up Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Terrible, terrible films I'm sure you agree but they didn't do too badly at the box office. Comic book movies make big bucks but as Ghost Rider proves, it takes a lot to actually pull them off successfully. My point then is why bother trying to make them good? Even a horrendous comic book movie will make you money in the short term so if you want to make a superhero film, just put minimum effort in. You'll make a mint, so pick a random comic book character, ring up the studios and put the charm on as we read today's lesson.

A Haunted House 2 Will Scare The #2 Out Of You!

Brace yourselves! Marlon Wayans is back in the hilarious comedy sequel A Haunted House 2, spoofing The Conjuring and Sinister alongside a host of other recent horrors.

Gravity May Not Be the Feminist Film You Think It Is

Who would have thought that Sandra Bullock, Queen of the chick flicks and star of such revolutionary films as Miss Congeniality and The Proposal would have ever landed the role of Dr Ryan Stone, the female star of Alfonso Cuaron’s space set thriller Gravity?

Bullock claims the critically lauded movie should be celebrated as a “human action film” yet it’s hard to deny the cultural impact that such a powerful female performance will have at the awards season and beyond. Aside from The Hunger Games, it’s hard to think of a mainstream Hollywood film that positions an actress of Bullock’s calibre within a predominantly male genre. Whether Gravity is a science fiction film or a space set thriller is irrelevant; critics and feminists worldwide are getting excited about Dr Ryan Stone’s refusal to be objectified or masculinised like the majority of female characters in Hollywood today.

FSF Lesson #18 - Acting Masterclass: Nicolas Cage

Last week, Film School Friday taught readers how to welcome in the New Year by throwing a party like Gatsby. How was that for you? Did you feel let down by the huge build up that inevitably disappoints on the big night? If so, then you know how I felt watching The Great Gatsby this year in cinemas. I'm not bitter though. Sure, I threw all my VHS copies of Titanic in the fire and have since created a petition begging studios to stop Carey Mulligan from ever appearing on our screens again but no, I'm not bitter...

Winter blues may be setting in now during the cold month of January but I am nothing if not caring, so as the writer of Film School Friday, purveyor of all things pure and wholesome, I feel that it's my sworn duty to lift your spirits with today's lesson. Who better to amuse us during these long nights than the ultimate clown of acting, the jester of Hollywood, the mental patient that is Nicolas Cage? With a career spanning over three decades and eighty-something films, you must admit that Cage is obviously doing something right - shame it's not the acting - so let's bring on the intensity, thicken out those eyebrows and get our crazy on as we learn how to emulate his success in today's lesson.