Hocus Pocus (1993)

With all the remakes being churned out lately (because apparently Hollywood has run out of fresh ideas) I sincerely hope they leave Disney’s Hocus Pocus alone. It doesn’t need a remake, a prequel, a sequel or any other kind of reboot whatsoever. It’s cheesy and extremely over the top with special effects that scream “made in the 90s!” but that’s what makes it so Continue reading

Introducing the Von Trapp Children

When: 1st March 2016
What: The Sound of Music Victorian Cast Announcement
Show commencement:  13th May 2016
Where: Regent Theatre, Melbourne

Meet the 18 young cast members alternating for the roles of the six youngest Von Trapp children: Friedrick, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl. Marina Prior (Baroness Schraeder) lead the introductions in order from second eldest Von Trapp to youngest and the enthusiasm and energy from the cast was heart warming to see: Continue reading

Thoughts on Deadpool

From the opening credits this movie will grab your attention and make you smile with an “honest” description of its stars and creators (my favourite was “Written by: The real heroes here”). Then you will laugh, cringe, smile, eye roll, feel sad, laugh, cringe again and keep going on in this manner right until the final credits roll. If Ryan Reynolds’s sass and one liners don’t linger with you well after the movie has finished then you will at least get “shoop, shoop, ba doop” stuck in your head on repeat… which is both a cool and annoying Deadpool side effect. Continue reading

Thoughts on The Point Break Remake

If you’re a loyal Keanu Reeves fan or extremely attached to the original Point Break you will be notably bugged by this extreme sport focused remake. If, however, you’re a new generation or have absolutely no attachment to the original then you might just get a kick out of it. If the hair raising daredevil scenes don’t appeal to you then at the very least you’ll get to enjoy the view as blonde Johnny Utah and brunette Bodhi tackle pretty mountains and CGI looking waves while they show off their bad ass tattoos and sparkly blue eyes every chance they get. Continue reading

Thoughts on Goosebumps The Movie

Like a lot of people, I grew up as a teenager reading the Goosebumps series. I don’t recall if I managed to read them all and I’d be at a loss to rattle off the whole list of titles for you (without the help of Google) but I do know I went through a stage where they were pretty much all I read. And I visited the library a lot. There was something addictive about the characters and the plot twists that as a young reader I never quite saw coming. And the best part? There was always another adventure I could turn to when the last one drew to an end.

While I may no longer remember the storylines and characters vividly I still acknowledge that Goosebumps were a great part of my childhood. So when I saw the previews for the Goosebumps movie, my eyes of course lit up and my curiosity was ignited. Would they do the books great homage? Would I recognise any of the characters or has my imagination and memory distorted them some time ago?

Here are my thoughts (I will try to avoid spoilers wherever possible but I can’t help but make mention to some of the characters that appeared so consider this a “SPOILER ALERT” just in case). Continue reading

My Favourite Five: Zombie Themed Comedies

Sometimes all you need is a little comedy and some zombie mayhem to get you through the day. Here are five movies that gel the comedy and gore quite nicely:

5.) Fido (2006)

Thanks to radiation from space no one who dies stays dead in this 1950s  universe and headless funerals are the only way to make sure your relatives don’t come back as zombies. The good news? If they do rise again you can domesticate them with a collar and have them serve you. How creepy. While Fido has subtle humour it is more of a sentimental zombie movie that sees Billy Connolly relying heavily on body language for his non speaking role as a boy’s pet zombie/only friend Fido. Continue reading

Thoughts on the movie People Like Us (2012)

The very beginning of this movie feels disconnected and a bit empty as we follow our main character Sam (Chris Pine) while he tries to overcome a business deal gone bad. Even though Pine plays the fast talking businessman well, Sam is not a character that you will fall in love with at first sight, he is self centred, greedy and takes his family and girlfriend for granted. He takes risks for his job without thinking of the consequences and as a result lands himself in debt.

While trying to deal with a potential law suit from his business mistake Sam learns his father has died. Following the news Sam begrudgingly returns home (with a little push from his caring girlfriend) and tries to be there for his mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) only to learn his father had a secret daughter named Frankie (Elizabeth Banks). Continue reading