Nine Animated Disney Characters Who May Be Stuck In The Closet

Homosexuality is more prominent in the mainstream than it has ever been before and now even Disney is getting in on the act. The studios latest animation Frozen featured Disney's first prince to be voiced by an openly gay man and the hit TV show Good Luck Charlie has recently announced that a lesbian couple will appear in an upcoming storyline. How scandalous!

It's refreshing to see one of the world's largest corporations finally relax their conservative views somewhat, although unfortunately, an openly gay Disney prince or princess still seems some way off. If only the Mickey Mouse crew could take a leaf out of Laika's page, the production company who featured a male character come out at the end of last year's Paranorman.

For now though, we'll just have to contend with the 'secretly' gay characters who regularly pop up in Disney animation. That's right guys. Some of your favourite cartoons from childhood may have batted for the other team. Why else do you think the Cave of Wonders only opened up for Aladdin? If you don't believe me, read on to find out which nine animated Disney characters may be stuck in the closet. Big emphasis on the 'may'. PS. I won't even insult your intelligence by including Ryan Evans from High School Musical on the list.

Be Careful! Your Hand! Top 10 Films of 2013

What's the best thing about Christmas? Mince pies are AWESOME but what I look forward to most in December is the end of year lists that you can find on every critic's site. My turn bitches!

Some people say 2013 was a poor year for cinema but I think that's an absurd thing to say. Sure there were some disappointing blockbusters out this summer, but with the sheer volume of movies created every month, it's impossible to ever claim one year is worse than another.

Before I count down my top 10 films of the year, it's worth noting that unfortunately, I missed some of the biggies. I'm still kicking myself every day for not seeing The World's End, Pacific Rim or Blue Is The Warmest Colour as I'm sure they would have had a fighting chance of making it into my top 10. Also, a couple of my choices may have been released in other territories the year before but I'm going with UK cinematic releases from 2013.

Finally, anyone who actually cares about this list may be surprised that Gravity hasn't been included and there's one simple reason for that; I didn't think it was good enough. I know that flies in the face of almost every other film critic out there but despite some impressive moments, Gravity left me feeling more disappointed than anything else. Don't hate and read on for my top 10 picks. 

The Five Worst Superhero Sequels of All Time

With the release of 'Iron Man 3', Marvel has begun Phase 2 of its cinematic release schedule. Robert Downey's return as Tony Stark has been extremely well received, but it was only the first of many superhero sequels scheduled to come our way this year, including 'Man of Steel', 'The Wolverine' and 'Thor: The Dark World' (Pointless subtitle anyone?). 

What I'm wondering though is whether any of these films will actually be any good. Last week, I honored the Five Best Superhero Sequels of All Time but everyone knows that not every sequel is bigger and better than the first. Let's take a look back at the five worst superhero sequels that have bored or frustrated cinema-goers in recent years. Trust me. There were plenty to choose from.

Five Reasons Why I Love Jason Reitman.

The other day, I finally got around to watching Young Adult, which I've been dying to see since its release last year and I wasn't disappointed. The film showcased a brilliant performance from Charlize Theron, a well crafted script from Diablo Cody and of course, the wonderful direction of Jason Reitman, who has never failed to disappoint me with any of his films. Reitman's next project, Labour Day, stars Kate Winslet and is due out at the end of the year. I have high expectations; maybe this could be the film to finally win Reitman a very well deserved Oscar. We'll just have to wait and see if he can keep up his successful run, but for now, I'm taking a look at what I think makes him such a brilliant film maker and why I love him so bloody much.

The Five Best Superhero Sequels of All Time

Hollywood is full of pointless cash-in sequels that ruin everything that was great about a series in the first place, but I think that superhero sequels can be the exception to this. Often, it is the first film in a superhero franchise that turns out to be the weakest because so much of the plot has to be devoted to introducing the character and their origin story. Once that's all out of the way though, the sequels are then given free reign to take the character's development to the next level. That's why 'The Avengers' worked so well; each of the heroes had already been introduced to audiences in each of their previous solo films.

To celebrate the fact that 'Iron Man 3' is a thousand times better than either of its predecessors  let's take a look back at the five best superhero sequels of all time. Just remind me to update this post when 'The Avengers 2' comes out ok?

Five Films To Change Your Mind About Anime

The other day, me and a friend were trying, with not much luck, to select a film to watch. When I asked her if she wanted to watch an anime she replied "no, I don't like anime films." So of course, I asked her which ones she had seen. "I haven't" was her reply. Now, how in the bloody hell can you say you don't like something unless you try it first? That's like saying you don't like films that are in black and white because they're not in colour, something someone else I know has said... fool! Well these people are simply missing out on some of the best movies ever made. So I challenged my friend to watch at least one anime film, to help change her opinion on this incredible genre, and if you haven't seen any anime then I challenge you to do the same. Here is a list of my five favourite anime that you need to see.

The Five Best Scenes From 'Stoker' Director Park Chan-Wook

With all the excitement that surrounded the Oscars this February, it was easy to forget that something very special was about to occur in the realm of world cinema. Yes, that's right. The acclaimed director of 'Oldboy' and 'Thirst' is back with a new psychological thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode in his first English language film. The majority of Asian directors who have made the move to Hollywood have had little success so far, aside from Ang Lee of course, but the reviews for Park Chan-Wook's latest are in and 'Stoker' is as disturbing and beautifully shot as any of his South Korean offerings. If you're interested in the effects of violence and revenge on the human psyche then you're in the right place, as this list of Chan-Wook's five best scenes should provide some insight into the auteurs fascination with the limits of morality in contemporary society. Deep stuff. Let's get started with what is arguably Chan-Wook's signature film, Oldboy.

Be Careful! Your Hand! Top 10 Films of 2012: Sam's Picks

I was looking at some critics top ten list of the best films of the year and I realised, I haven't seen hardly any of these films. And this isn't because I chose not to go and see them but because most of them don't actually come out until late December or January, whats that about? Not to mention that my local cinema is about as likely to show Amour as they are to show a snuff film. But I have seen a lot of films this year, so this is my own personal top ten. Some may agree, most won't but I don't care. It was a hard job to pick ten from a year that's seen some amazing movies but here they are. 

Be Careful! Your Hand! Top 10 Films of 2012

Amidst all the generic sequels, prequels, reboots and Adam Sandler comedies, 2012 has been another fantastic year for cinema. As always, it's been tough to pick only ten favourite films and so some great movies had to fall by the wayside - sorry Magic Mike! - but after much deliberation, here is the final selection. There's a mix of arthouse cinema here alongside some blockbusting crowd pleasers but surprisingly, there is a noticeable lack of world cinema in the list. I'm not sure if this reflects poorly on the biggest foreign releases of the year or just whether English language cinema has been particularly strong in 2012. Finally, this list is part of a blogathon titled 'Best of the Best', which is hosted by the site 'A Potpourri of Vestiges'. Find out more about the blogathon by clicking here.

Anyway, let's get started with the film in the number ten slot.

Top 5 Alternative Christmas Films

 

It's Christmas and so it's the perfect time to crack out all the classics; 'Muppets Christmas Carol', 'It's A Wonderful Life'...'Deck The Halls'!? You see the problem is that once you've watched the Christmas greats, there aren't actually many good Christmas films left out there. And that's when the alternative choices come to the fore. Why watch 'Jingle All The Way' or 'Christmas With The Kranks' when there are so many other amazing Christmas films out there? You've just got to know where to look. Let's start with my first recommendation in the number 5 slot;

Top 20 Films in Gay Cinema: #10-1

So welcome to the second half of the countdown for my top 20 films in gay cinema. For #20-11, I chose a range of films, including British classic 'Beautiful Thing' and recent indie hits 'Keep The Lights On' and 'The Kids Are All Right'. For my top ten, the choices become even more diverse, with a mixture of British lesbians, vibrating eggs and cowboy lovers vying for the top spot. Let's see which film made it to the number ten.

From #10-1;

Top 20 Films in Gay Cinema: #20-11

With the release of Ira Sach's 'Keep The Lights On' and Xavier Dolan's transgender drama 'Lawrence Anyways', queer cinema is as popular as ever. While some ignorant people may just perceive these films as an excuse to show gay sex on screen, the truth is that cinema has made leaps and bounds in the past two decades, depicting homosexual relationships and transgender issues more realistically than ever. The films on this list have surprisingly little in common, except that they all explore the importance of gender and sexuality and how the relationship between the two helps to define us as people. I love every single film in this top 20 but there are more again that I just couldn't squeeze onto this list, so sorry 'Milk' and my apologies 'XXY' but here is my definitive Top 20 Films In Gay Cinema.

Starting from #20-11.  

The Wicker Man - Five Reasons Why You Shouldn't Visit Summerisle!

For anyone whose seen the classic British horror 'The Wicker Man', its obvious that the island of Summerisle will not top any lists for 'Best Holiday Destinations' anytime soon. However, if you still fancy a day excursion to the island, or even if you just happen to be a policeman searching for a missing girl, then I would strongly advise against it and here's five reasons why;

Tim Burton: Top Five Films.

Halloween is the perfect time of year to indulge in one of my favourite directors dark, atmospheric and quirky themed filmography.  Since the mid 80s, Tim Burton has been entertaining audiences with his unique vision of the world and in doing so, became one of the most successful film makers of all time. This week, his most recent film has hit the big screen, Frankenweenie.

 

Disney's Scariest Moments of All Time!

Classic scary films; 'The Exorcist', 'Halloween', 'The Little Mermaid'?! 

Forget what you thought you knew about horror and cast your mind back to those 'innocent' Disney films that warped your young fragile minds as a child. Sure Disney seems all cute and light but underneath the bright colours and catchy sing-a-longs, there are some darker moments that seem surprisingly messed up in retrospect. Damn you Walt!

I'll bet you money that the Mickey doll is possessed. Stay out of the Disney store kids!

Five Reasons Why You Should Love Resident Evil: Retribution!

Let’s get one thing straight; The Resident Evil films are terrible. I know it. You know it. Milia Jovovich knows it. Hell, the whole world knows it. But there’s just something about this film franchise that does it for me. And it’s not just because of the original games (which I love by the way). There’s something about the ridiculous fight scenes, wooden acting and barely-there plot which just combines into something awfully brilliant. And I can’t get enough of it.

My mission today is to basically persuade any snooty film fans out there to give Resident Evil: Retribution a chance, purely for entertainment value alone. Sure it’s bad on every level but that’s what makes it so good! So here are five reasons why you should throw away your preconceptions and buy yourself a Resident Evil: Retribution ticket. Right now. This very second. So let's get started.

Avengers Assemble - 5 Reasons Why It Kicks Ass!

The polls have closed for the final part of the 2012 Summer Blockbuster Stand-Off. It was close between the five nominees but in the end, the winner you voted in for Best Film was Avengers Assemble!

Well done guys! There they are accepting their award now!

Out of all the films released this summer, Avengers was the game changer, becoming one of the most successful blockbusters of all time. Who says comics are just for kids?! To celebrate its win, here are five reasons why I'm in love with this movie;
 
1) There is a serious amount of hotness in those 143 minutes!
 
Chris Evans. Liam Hemsworth. Scarlet Johansson. Mark Ruffalo. Jeremy Renner. That's all you need to know.

 

Back to school: Top 15 school movies

If you're a student or teacher you will be clawing onto those last few precious days before you head back into the classroom. To help make this experience a little less painful and to remind you that good things do come from these establishments I have compiled a list of my favourite school based movies. Even if you stopped being a student several years ago there will always be something about a teen film that will drag your memories back to your loyal circle of friends that you swore in blood you would be BBF only to avoid them on facebook ten years later, that inspirational teacher (come on, there must have been one) who helped you 'see the light' or that teacher who you all made cry and refused to teach again because of it and not forgetting that all important first love which dominated 99% of your thoughts and your life would never be complete without them - ahhh, I love a teen movie.  

Just to warm your brains up before the hard work begins next week, take a look at these pictures and see how many of them you can name. Answers will be revealed next week.

The Imposter and Other Documentaries That Mess With Your Head

Think all documentaries are boring BBC affairs narrated by David Attenborough? Think again. There are hundreds of incredible documentaries out there, examining subjects as diverse as American children competing in spelling bees, a British man struggling to understand why his girlfriends always leave him and the hikacking of a bus in Rio De Janeiro (Name each film and you get a sticker).

However, what I find particularly interesting about documentaries is how they are supposed to depict nothing but reality and yet, often show distorted views of the truth, manipulating the viewer (that's us!) into believing their version of reality. But is this such a bad thing?
With the release of The Imposter in cinemas, I wanted to take a look at some of the best documentaries out there that mess with your head but remain fascinating throughout. 

My Top 5 Favourite Studio Ghibli Characters... Who Aren't People

Spirited Away. Howl's Moving Castle. Arrietty. My Neighbour Totoro. Anyone who has watched a Studio Ghibli film knows just how incredible they are. Full of depth with stunning animation, most of these films are not just for kids but are really adult animations that children can also enjoy, so if you're one of those people who say they don't like 'cartoons', you obviously haven't watched a Ghibli film before. Watch this clip below, which is like a trailer for almost every Ghibli film that has been released so far, up to Howl's Moving Castle.

Many of my favourite Studio Ghibli films were created by Hayao Miyazaki, who co-founded the studio in Japan with Isao Takahata almost 30 years ago. Here is Miyazaki.