A Little Tease of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

On April 18^th, Spider-Man will be web-slinging his way through New York City again. The Amazing Spider-Man was a reboot of the popular comic-book hero and, now they have placed the foundations of our awkward teenager into place, they can build upon the story. Repeating the beats on Raimi’s Spider-Man, the 2011 blockbuster showed us again how the arachnid bit the boy; the Uncle killed and a love-interest was turned down after a whirlwind romance. Thank God, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 can now go in whatever direction it wants, and indeed, after watching the first film I’m glad we are finally here.

Witnessing a thirty-minute show-reel screening, I can honestly say that I am excited about the next instalment. Marc Webb introduced the video by telling us how The Amazing Spider-Man 2 portrays Spider-Man at the “top of his game” while Peter Parker is trying to be a “regular kid”. The missing back-story of Peter Parker’s father, alluded to in the previous film, is expanded upon in the opening moments of the upcoming film with a rough and messy hand-to-hand fight set within a jet recalling the type of directing Paul Greengrass has shown us in The Bourne Supremacy. This flashback soon cuts to Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) saving the Big Apple as Rhino (Paul Giametti) ploughs through downtown, smashing cop cars and yellow cabs to the side of the road. Andrew Garfield is cheeky and cheerful, while retaining a certain amount of smug arrogance that immediately gains our attention. We like him, and for me, we like him more than Tobey Maguire’s slightly-too-awkward portrayal in the 2000-2008 series.

Lead-villain Electro is played by Jamie Foxx and, though showcasing some incredible special effects and strong, effective use of 3D, his one-liners (“It’s my birthday – it’s time to light my candles!” BOOM!) and blue make-up seems to recall our favourite Batman villain - Mr Freeze (from the critically-panned Batman and Robin). But this is Spider-Man! He’s our favourite guy! He is fun and games; a geek we can relate to; an optimistic lad who can’t quite believe how crazy-cool his supernatural powers are! The Avengers are building a universe that is epic in scale – reaching from earth to Asgard. Man of Steel seems to be so serious while X-Men: Days of Future Past is so political. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 looks like it will be fun – and pronounce f-u-u-u-un, with a huge grin on your face. Over the top villains, snarky heroes and gorgeous romantic interests (with perfectly-balanced chemistry between Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield) is what we want to see. While he may be limited to the Manhattan skyline, that’s not a bad thing. It means it looks like the comic book we know and feels like the gloss and shine of New York blockbusters. This doesn’t look like throw-away fun but maybe the fun you’ll revisit time and time again. April 18^th will answer out questions…

This post was originally written for TQS on March 25th 2014

A-Z #67: Dreamgirls

You can pick up hundreds of DVDs for a round-pound each - it doesn't matter. It's never about quantity, it's about quality. A-Z is my way of going through my collection, from A-Z, and understanding why I own the films ... or you can tell me why I should sell 'em

#67 - Dreamgirls 

Why did I buy it?

Don't blame me - it is Sarah's. But I was interested. At the time it was the come-down for musicals - Chicago, The Singing Detective - and at the same time the music-biopic was popular - Walk The Line, Ray - so this film seemed to balance out the two. A clear parrallel between the Dreamgirls and The Supremes and the rise of Diana Ross and Motown. I like Motown and we all like Beyonce so, yeah, though I wouldn't buy it myself, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested.

Why do I still own it?

Well, its not a bad story. Nothing spectacular and nothing incredibly new, but a good story nevertheless. I think Jamie Foxx and Danny Glover are great at what they do but, in fairness, the hat is off to Jennifer Hudson. I have always believed that the likes of American Idol or Pop Idol and X-Factor here in the Uk generally ruin the potential credibility of a musician and this proves otherwise. Hudson came 7th (Fantasia Barrino - who the hell is that? The winner...) in American Idol's 3rd season before embarking on her own pop career. Starring in Dreamgirls sent her worldwide. Recently, she played Winnie Mandela in a TV-biopic of the South-African politician. Credit to Beyonce too for taking a role that, lets be honest... could've drawn comparisons with her success and departure from Destiny's Child...

A-Z #49: Collateral

You can pick up hundreds of DVD's for a round-pound each - it doesn't matter. Its never about quantity, its about quality. A-Z is my way of going through my collection, from A-Z, and understanding why I own the films ... or you can tell me why I should sell 'em

#49 - Collateral 

Why did I buy it?

Michael Mann has always been deemed important. The fact that he brought together Pacino and De Niro, and directed the first scene they shared in Heat, is quite the achievement. But, if I am honest, at the time I had not seen Heat. Or Last of the Mohicans. Or Manhunter. In fact, the biggest pull for me to this film was Tom Cruise as a bad guy. I think that all the promotional material did showcase the style and image of the film - which is primarily down to Michael Mann and his cinematographers Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron. I watched the film at the cinema and I even ordered it for the day of release back in the hey-day of my University life.

Why do I still own it?

Because it is truly a great film. Small-scale story: Two guys in a taxi - one's a killer, one's not. Not only that, but Mark Ruffalo plays the 'hero'-cop who knows what-is-going-on and, in the same way, you watch him intently. Having said how much I love the film, it also plays an important role in my relationship with Sarah - as it was the first film we watched together. I won't get too goo-ey with this, but it replaced what should have been a viewing of Goodfellas at the last moment (because it arrived in the post that very day).

Is Cruise-as-killer a load of bull? Is Foxx-as-everyman ring untrue? I think not, but you may disagree... yay of nay?

A-Z #12: Any Given Sunday

You can pick up hundreds of DVD's for a buck each - it doesn't matter. Its never about quantity, its about quality. A-Z is my way of going through my collection, from A-Z, and justifying why I own the films...

#12 - Any Given Sunday

Why did I buy it?

Again, back in the DVD hey-day, Any Given Sunday  was a sweet edition. In the classic Warner Bros packaging, the second disc slid in behind chapter selection. It was a nightmare in the shop - so many staff forgetting about that all important second disc. I think I saw the DVD so often that I eventually cracked and bought it.

Why do I still own it?

Because of many factors - first off, it is a great example of fantastic editing and use of sound. The initial football match makes you feel like you are in the middle of the match itself. Secondly, I have a certain amount of respect for Oliver Stone and, though I wouldn't neccessarily want his entire collection the mix of Oliver Stone and Al Pacino is too epic to sell-off. Finally, the cast - Jamie Foxx in his break-out role, Cameron Diaz playing a role which shows her 'chops' as an actor whilst Al Pacino in that powerful, team-leader role gives him the opportunity to give multiple solo-dialogues to 'pump' up the team. LL Cool J, James Woods, etc, etc.

Since writing this and getting the screen-grab, I am really keen to watch the film again...

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