Author: Martyn

Review-Wake Up: Why the world has gone nuts

Whether you love him or loathe him, agree or disagree with him. You can’t ignore Piers Morgan. He’s on your TV. He’s been debated in Parliament. Even if you’ve got him blocked or muted, he’s on your Twitter timeline.

Through years of influential roles in journalism and broadcasting, Piers Morgan has positioned himself as a high-profile cultural commentator. He’s a divisive figure, best-known for his abrasive and combative interview style. For the past few years, he’s been the co-host of Good Morning Britain, an ITV show that boasts impressive viewing figures. It’s his experiences co-hosting this show, that provides the backdrop for his book. ‘Wake Up’ deals with issues of gender, Hollywood hypocrisy, identity politics and, free speech.



The book was originally intended to be a series of short essays, where Morgan would give his opinion on modern life. But then Covid 19 happened so the focus shifted. It’s told in diary form written between January-July 2020. Morgan examines all of the hot topic subjects one by one, as they occur. 2020 has been such a crazy ride, that I’d forgotten half the events Morgan talks about at the start of the book.

He makes some compelling arguments and he makes them well – for example when calling out Hollywood hypocrisy, he cites Natalie Portman’s speech at an awards show. Portman decried Hollywood’s lack of female directors, despite owning a production company that has only hired one female director, Natalie Portman.

At times, the book can come across as tabloid sensationalism and, I disagree with Piers Morgan on a lot of issues. However, I found Wake Up to be an interesting, engaging and entertaining read. Morgan argues that cancelling people isn’t the answer, instead, we should listen and find common ground. On that, I agree with him.

New Star Trek: Picard prequel book on the way

As a Star Trek fan, I loved seeing Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis appear as William Riker and Deanna Troi in Star Trek: Picard. In the series, we saw the two former Starfleet officers living a peaceful life on the planet of Nepenthe.

In a prequel book titled Star Trek: Picard: The Dark Veil, written by veteran Star Trek author James Swallow. We learn how they came to be on Nepenthe.

This is the second Star Trek: Picard prequel book. The first was Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope.

The synopsis reads:

The Alpha Quadrant is mired in crisis. Within the United Federation of Planets, a terrorist strike on the shipyards of Mars has led to the shutdown of all relief efforts for millions of Romulans facing certain doom from an impending super­nova. But when the USS Titan is drawn into a catastrophic incident on the Romulan-Federation border, Captain William Riker, his family, and his crew find themselves caught between the shocking secrets of an enigmatic alien species and the deadly agenda of a ruthless Tal Shiar operative. Forced into a wary alliance with a Romulan starship commander, Riker and the Titan crew must uncover the truth to stop a dev­astating attack—but one wrong move could plunge the entire sector into open conflict!

Star Trek: Picard: The Dark Veil goes on sale in January 2021.



David Tennant and Michael Sheen with more Staged for BBC One

After a tremendous first series, it’s been announced there will be a series 2 of Staged. The new series sees the pair attempt to navigate their ‘new normal’ at home with their increasingly exasperated families whilst simultaneously trying to tackle the world of ‘virtual Hollywood’ and their ever more fragile egos.

Also returning for the new series are Georgia Tennant, Anna Lundberg and Lucy Eaton alongside Nina Sosanya and Simon Evans with a new addition to the regular cast Primetime Emmy-winner Ben Schwartz, playing the assistant to Michael and David’s agent.

Following on from the surprise appearances in series one of Judi Dench and Samuel L Jackson this series sees the regulars joined in their virtual hell by a whole host of unexpected guests.

 

Michael Sheen said: “It’s been so great to see how much people enjoyed the first series. Seemed like the laughs were much appreciated. It made us really excited about taking it further and going in some surprising and hopefully enjoyable directions this time.”

Georgia Tennant added: “The prospect of getting my husband back into employment alongside the divine Ben Schwartz and the hairy, Welsh legend that is Michael Sheen all makes me very happy to be back for series two!”

Created by Simon Evans and Phin Glynn, Staged is written and directed by Evans and is an Infinity Hill/GCB Films/No Mystery production for BBC One. It was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer. The producers are Phin Glynn, Victor Glynn and Georgia Tennant. David Tennant and Michael Sheen are also executive producers of the series. Executive Producers for Infinity Hill are Axel Kuschevatzky and Cindy Teperman and for GCB, Geoff Iles.

Jared Leto returning as The Joker

Well, here’s something I didn’t see coming. THR has reported that Jared Leto will be reprising his role as The Joker for Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Leto is a part of the additional shooting that is being done, for the four-part HBO Max special.

It’s been 4 years since we last saw Leto in the role. The character didn’t appear at all in the theatrical release of Justice League and, only appeared as a caricature drawn by Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey. In that time, we’ve also seen Joaquin Phoenix bring his own Oscar-winning take on the iconic villain, in Todd Phillips’ Joker. How exactly Joker will be integrated into Snyder’s brand new cut of Justice League remains to be seen. However, fans are speculating that he’ll appear in a flashback scene involving the death of Jason Todd’s Robin.

Director Zack Snyder is currently shooting additional footage, with Ben Affleck, Ray Fisher, and Amber Heard. Henry Cavill has previously stated that he isn’t part of these re-shoots but fully supports the project.

It’s no secret that Leto’s incarnation as well as, Suicide Squad didn’t go down well with critics. But personally, I didn’t think Jared Leto was bad as The Joker. I just think he was badly used. I’m very interested to see what his role will be.

Review-Borat: subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

It’s hard to believe it’s been 14 years since ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’ took the world by storm. In a time when things have changed so much, Borat’s return in the sequel ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’ might be just what we need to cut through the noise and see ourselves for who we really are.

The film begins with Kazakhstan’s fourth most celebrity, Borat Sagdiyev, doing hard labour in a gulag. After the first film, his fame brought shame and ridicule to his country, causing exports of potassium and pubis to plummet. Borat became a pariah, with all but one of his children despising him. Premier Nazarbayev offers him one last chance to redeem himself by travelling to America and delivering a gift to Vice President Mike Pence: Johnny the monkey.

But how does a sequel mockumentary work when the entire world knows the character? Spectacularly, it turns out. The film mostly follows the same plot structure as the first, with Borat and his daughter Tutar travelling together, having a falling out, and then reuniting. Cohen plays Borat in disguise for most of the film, with newcomer Maria Bakalova delivering an excellent performance as Tutar.

Cohen’s dedication to method acting is evident in his staying in character for five days straight while filming. He’s easily the Peter Sellers of our time, and his chemistry with Bakalova makes their father-daughter relationship completely believable. What follows is a cutting satire of our modern-day lives mixed with a heartwarming family narrative.

Borat and Tutar’s antics get people to reveal they’re true colours in hilarious and disturbing ways. When Borat casually asks a store owner if a can of propane would gas 20 Gypsies, the store owner replies with “maybe the bigger one.” He also happily puts Tutar in a cage. However, because Borat is in disguise so much, certain scenes can feel more like Cohen’s ‘Who is America?’ than a straight-up Borat sequel.

Like the first film, this sequel gleefully basks in its very un-PC humour, but that’s part of what makes it work so well. It’s a serious work of social criticism that might just get us all reevaluating how we think about racism, bigotry, and sexism. Is it offensive? Yes. But if you’re easily offended, maybe this film isn’t for you.

Exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, October 23, 2020




Mandip Gill stars in Five Dates

Wales Interactive and Good Gate Media have announced that FIVE DATES – a completely live-action, interactive rom-com film about the unpredictable world of digital dating will be released worldwide for digital download.

Entirely conceptualised, filmed and developed during lockdown – Vinny, a millennial from London, joins a dating app for the first time while living in lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. With five potential female matches, Vinny explores whether compatibility, chemistry and connections are still possible in a world where a physical touch is no longer an option. He must pluck up the courage to video date with wildly different personalities.

The viewer’s choices will define Vinny’s interactions with each date and their interest in seeing him again. Vinny is faced with digital game dates, awkward scenarios and unexpected truths.

Five Dates is an exploration of the unpredictable modern dating experience. Through his journey, the decisions the viewer makes for him will challenge their own conceptions of attraction and compatibility. Throughout the game, your choices and your interactions will either strengthen or weaken your relationship with your date. The relationship scores are calculated from the start right through to the very end and will affect certain scenarios as well as having consequences in the concluding scenes.

Following Black Mirror’s ‘Bandersnatch’ and the award-winning The Complex written by Lynn Renee Maxcy (The Handmaid’s Tale)and by the same writer/director Paul Raschid, FIVE DATES is directed by visionary new talent Paul Raschid (The Complex, White Chamber) and stars Taheen Modak (Two Weeks To Live), Demmy Ladipo (The Last Tree, Enterprise), Mandip Gill (Doctor Who, Suspicion, The Flood), Georgia Hirst (Vikings, Ravers), Georgia Small, Marisa Abela (Lena Dunham’s Industry, Cobra) and Sinéad Harnett (UK singer/influencer).

The interactive film is highly unique in that it offers multi-optional storytelling with 10 different outcomes and a real-time Relationship Status Tracking that influences the story as you play.

  • Over 7 hours of filmed footage
  • Real-time Relationship Status Tracking that influences the story as you play
  • Multi-optional storytelling with 10 different outcomes

FIVE DATES is Produced by John Giwa-Amu (The Machine, The Silent Storm, The Party, The Complex) of Good Gate Media, Executive Produced by David Banner MBE and Richard Pring of Wales Interactive and shot by DoP Haridas Stewart (The Conversations, Dark Signal). The multi-award-winning video games company Wales Interactive is the technology developer and publisher of the interactive film.

Richard Pring, Executive Producer/Co-Founder, Wales Interactive said: “During these trying times, we are really excited to be collaborating with Good Gate Media to bring a modern British rom-com to PC and consoles. Building on our extensive experience of interactive movies and video game development, we’re proud to be introducing FMV to a brand-new genre! We’re once again using our WIST scripting tool, bringing choice-based mechanics alongside our signature relationship-tracking system — this coupled with a diverse cast and top talent in acting, promises to be a unique and exciting experience for all to enjoy.”

John Giwa-Amu of Good Gate Media said: “Five Dates is the world’s first live-action interactive rom-com aimed at Millennials and Gen-Z. The world needs a dose of warm and funny right now and we hope it’ll spark some new ideas for romance for those who play.”

FIVE DATES is released worldwide for digital download on Windows & Mac via Steam on 17 November and closely followed by PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Trailer-Borat:Subsequent moviefilm

Below is the trailer for the upcoming sequel to the 2006 hit, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

In the sequel, Borat again travels to America seeking redemption for the shame he brought Kazakhstan with the last film.

The sequel was shot in secret over the summer. Fans wondered what was happening, when Cohen was seen driving as Borat in June.

The original “Borat” was a box office smash in 2006, grossing over $260 million worldwide. Sacha Baron Cohen won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.

Film to Launch Globally on October 23rd Exclusively on Amazon Prime Video

Lion King 2 confirmed

After the success of the “live-action” Lion King remake, it’s no surprise that Disney is moving forward with a sequel. However, Jon Favreau is out and Barry Jenkins will take over directing duties.

Writer Jeff Nathanson is returning to pen the script.

Jenkins said:

“Helping my sister raise two young boys during the ’90s, I grew up with these characters. Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love, and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true.”

No plot details have been revealed yet, but according to Deadline, the “story will further explore the mythology of the characters, including Mufasa’s origin story. Moving the story forward while looking back conjures memories of The Godfather: Part II, set on the African plain with a continuation of the tradition of music that was a key part of the 1994 animated classic, the 2019 film, and the blockbuster Broadway stage transfer.”

Casting and release date have yet to be set.

Nicholas Cage rumoured to play Superman in The Flash

The Flash is shaping up to be one hell of a film. Not only are Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton set to reprise their roles as Batman, but it’s also been rumoured that Christian Bale, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney are set to don the cowl again, to co-star alongside Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen.

FandomWire claims not only has Chris O’Donnell been approached to reprise his role as Robin, but Nicholas Cage has also been approached to play Superman, from the cancelled Tim Burton ‘Superman Lives’.

What’s interesting, is Warner Bros has stopped calling the film series ‘The DCEU’ and the TV stuff ‘The Arrowverse’. It’s all now just part of the ‘DC Multiverse’.



With everything that’s been rumoured about this film so far, I’d say that anything is possible. I’ve always wondered just how Cage would’ve played Kal-El, we got a slight glimpse in Jon Schnepp’s excellent documentary ‘The Death of Superman Lives: What happened?’. Cage even voiced the character in ‘Teen Titans Go to the movies’.

Even if all those actors didn’t want to appear, I’m sure they could repurpose some archive/unused/test footage to tell a compelling story.

Here’s what director Andy Muschietti had to say about the multiverse:

“This movie is a bit of a hinge in the sense that it presents a story that implies a unified universe where all the cinematic iterations that we’ve seen before are valid. It’s inclusive in the sense that it is saying all that you’ve seen exists, and everything that you will see exists, in the same unified multiverse.”

 

Review-Mulan

Except The Jungle Book, Disney’s live-action remakes have failed to capture the magic of their animated predecessors. Mulan, however, had the potential to break this trend with a cast full of martial arts experts and breathtaking sets. Unfortunately, the film fails to deliver on its promise, despite having many promising parts.

One of the biggest deviations from the 1998 source material is the absence of musical numbers and the romantic subplot. In addition, the wisecracking dragon, Mushu, has been replaced with a less effective soaring phoenix. While the film is visually stunning, with impeccably designed costumes and sets, the CGI and green screen work are sometimes dodgy, which detracts from the overall experience.

Liu Yifei’s performance as Mulan is great, but she fails to convince as a man. Her feminine appearance throughout the film makes it difficult to suspend disbelief. The action set pieces, which should be spectacular given the cast of renowned martial arts experts, are either bad or mediocre, which is a real shame.

In the end, Mulan 2020 is just Mulan 1998 with the fun taken out. Despite having all the necessary ingredients for success, the film fails to bring them together in a satisfying way. My advice would be to wait until it’s free to stream on Disney+ rather than spend money on a disappointing cinematic experience.