Beyond The TARDIS The Dig by DJ Forrest

 

Starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes 

In 1939, at Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk, Edith Pretty, hired Basil Brown to excavate one of the large burial mounds at her rural estate. He unearthed, not Viking, but an Anglo-Saxon ship, complete with a treasure trove and gold coins. Soon, news of her dig reached Cambridge archaeologist Charles Phillips played by Eric Stott, who declared the site to be 'of national importance' and took over the dig by Order of the Office of Works. Basil Brown was retained only to keep the site in order, but Edith soon stepped in and as she had hired him, on her land, he was soon reinstated and allowed to dig. 

Going into the film blind, you’re given nothing at all about Mulligan’s character Edith Pretty, apart from the fact that she came from a wealthy family, living on an estate complete with household staff and she has a young son, Robert. Her son is highly imaginative and spends a lot of time with Basil, learning about ancient pasts, and archaeological digs, and Basil enjoys Robert’s company, as he and his wife were unable to have children of their own, and so Basil and Robert form a kind of close bond. 

You’re aware that Edith’s husband is no longer around, and that she tends to his grave, but you’re unsure what he died of. But given that era, you’re aware that he probably died in military service somewhere, or at least connected to something military, given the sad glances at the soldiers walking through her village where they’re billeted, as she heads towards the railway station for her private appointments in London. 

That being said, the film in general touched on a certain part of Edith's life, which was primarily about the Dig, and how much Basil meant to her son, and indeed her, during the whole excavation of the mound. At one point, you wonder if the two of them will actually get together. Set in the English countryside and with a moving soundtrack, it was a story without guns and without fighting, but it did have a tragic plane crash and a community working together to rescue the crashed pilot. 

Despite the setting, the house, and the lady of the manor, as it were, the story wasn’t really about Edith, but Basil, the man who came to work on three of the 18 mounds on her estate, and despite his earlier thoughts on one of the smaller mounds, her persistence that he digs the largest one, eventually happened. 

It was Edith’s determination regarding the unearthed ship, that kept Basil on the job when the Museum came begging for a piece of the action. With the ever-creeping War, the excavation of the burial mound would have to cease, so it was literally, as many hands-on decks as possible, to unearth the rest of the finds, and pack them away in a bunker somewhere safe, till after the War had ended. 

Edith insisted that Basil’s name be mentioned alongside everyone who was at the dig, reminding them, that he was the one who had unearthed the find in the first place. However, his name did not feature anywhere in the credits of the dig. It was only when the items were put together for an exhibition at the Royal Museum in London, many years later, that Basil's name was added, posthumously. Which seems terribly unfair, because if it hadn't been for Basil, who unearthed the find, the Museum would have nothing to show of a bygone era. 

The underdogs always go unnoticed. 

What you discover, when you do a little research. 

As much as I know that Carey Mulligan is a wonderful actress, and going in blind for this film, you see a woman completely in control of who she hires, and you see how much her health is debilitating her, and confining her to her bed more than out in the fields, watching over the dig, with her son, you’re fooled into thinking that Edith was a young woman when she was mother to son, Robert. Truth be known, Edith was 47 when she gave birth, which is quite an age really, and for there to be no complications either, as is often the way of the world nowadays. So, during the time of the dig, Edith would be in her 60^th year, as young Robert, as far as I could tell from the film was about thirteen. So, Carey was much too young, I feel to play such a role. 

Also, I was led to believe that her husband had been killed in battle. It turned out, that after the First World War, Frank Pretty, remained within the Suffolk regiment obtaining rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of the 4th Battalion, and died at the age of 56 from stomach cancer. 

If it’s the only quarrel I have with the film, it’s a small one. 

For everything else, this film, is a wonderful look back at a bygone era, where life seemed far less fraught as it is today. Summers seemed to stretch out for months, and the premise was relaxing and easy on the mind. I could rewatch this film countless times over and not be disappointed. Except perhaps only with the less than credible casting, and then only because I did my research. Curses! 

Carey Mulligan wasn’t the only Doctor Who actor in the film, Danny Webb (Impossible Planet) was the butler, Arsher Ali (Before the Flood/Under the Lake) also starred and Chris Wilson (Torchwood 2006 – 2011), who was involved with the Museum crowd – which means I’ll have to watch it again!!! 

The Dig was a 2021 film directed by Simon Stone and based on the novel by John Preston. The book was published in 2007, and I might just look that one out. The film is currently streaming on Netflix. Book yourself a seat on the sofa, with popcorn and maybe some ginger beer! 

Beyond The TARDIS Angel Has Fallen by Djak Forrest

In the third instalment of the ‘Fallen’ franchise, Gerard Butler returns as Special Agent Mike Banning, in the Angel Has Fallen. It’s been said, by many who have already seen the film, as the best of the three to date, and you know something, they’re not wrong.

Mike Banning has been the hero of the hour for the past two films. His job – to protect the President of the United States of America is as great now as it was back in the previous two films. But now, his very honour is on the line. A terrorist threat looks set to remove the President and put the blame firmly at Banning’s door, with the usual undisclosed sum of money sitting in an off shore account, and DNA tying Banning to the attempted assassination on the President’s life, tied up neatly with a little red bow and a card with kisses.

In light of recent events regarding some very important leaders in our own world, this takes a deep stab at American politics and Russian involvement in vote rigging and dodgy Presidential sidekicks who are going to come under scrutiny. Who would you trust in the governments of your own country?

Morgan Freeman is back in the presidential seat, not as acting vice president any more, but sitting as the Head of the State. President Trumbull. He’s nothing I have to say like the current President – in fact, I’d love someone like Morgan Freeman to be in charge of the White House.

Digressing.

It’s a brilliant film, and it’s great to see some familiar faces from my childhood, especially Nick Nolte, who I’d not seen in a film since The Spiderwick Chronicles. But then, he wasn’t the only familiar face I saw.

Joseph Millson plays FBI Agent Ramirez alongside Jada Pinkett Smith. He’s come a long way since The Sarah Jane Adventures as Maria’s Dad. Plus, he was in the film a fair while, and higher up in the credit listing too.

It is an absolutely awesome film. So much to focus on that I may need to Vue it again!

I mean let’s be fair – who isn’t going to see a film with Gerard Butler kicking ass? There is explosive action. Fight scenes galore. And some silliness at the very end – but then why the hell not?

Enjoy the film. I did. Weevil, not so much!

Beyond the TARDIS The Circle film review by DJ Forrest

‘The Circle Must Be Broken’

Starring Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega and Karen Gillan.

Written by James Ponsoldt who also directed.

Imagine working as a telesales person, going nowhere. Imagine watching your Dad cope with the debilitating disease, MS and know that if he had the insurance, he could get specialist treatment to help him achieve the smallest of goals. Imagine a place, that held everything you would ever need on one campus. Where your social life, home life was dominated by a computer screen, and that everybody who worked there, would be on one massive friend group that you would need to add, to avoid being a cast out.

In a world dominated by social media, where Youtubers give you a blow by blow account of their day, where personal liberties are broken and where there is no such thing as personal space and anonymity, the Circle is a frightening look into a world where Everybody Knows Your Name. Knows your business and invades your private life.

We are all curious about our neighbour; the people we follow on social media and what they are doing in their daily lives. The Eye’s in the Sky are following your every move and even having sex is available for all to see through the use of the watch on your wrist, linked to the cameras in your home.

But that’s the price you pay for being ‘transparent’.

It may save your life if you fall out of your kayak, but its intrusiveness is draining on your time, your family and your friends.

When you become popular within the Circle and your friend who helped get you in, are pushed out of the limelight. When your family refuse to be filmed as they miss their privacy. When your best friend is killed because of the ‘hunt’ you agreed to in order to satisfy those you were converting to your idea. And to save face in front of the man who invented the intrusive little camera and who created The Circle who also put you on the spot.

When you introduce yourself to a mystery man interested in whatever is on his phone, even though it’s only sometime later when you realise who he really is, and he leads you into his world, explaining who he is, what he does, and what The Circle is really all about, do you discover some things about the Circle yourself that make you think.

But then you enter into the entirety of The Circle by making your world transparent – whereby you open yourself to the world, to comments about your physical being – where you’re judged by your actions, be it good or bad.

But, when you’re top of your game, and you turn the tables on the actual people running the show, in front of a live audience and right across the internet, globally – now that’s a game changer.

There’s no guns, no edge of the seat, jump scares. There’s no dramatic car chases – well maybe one, but not in the usual sense. Emma Watson plays Mae, the young telesales operative who through friend Karen Gillan, is given the opportunity of working in The Circle, so long as she passes the interview first.

The Circle was created by forward thinker Tom Hanks, who wanted to give his disabled son something to look at.

A few days ago, on the internet, a young mother was dying of cancer, and her wife asked random people to help complete a bucket list that covered a lot of places in a lot of different countries, and through the power of the internet, many hundreds of individuals added their photos and their stories, making the bucket list something memorable for the family.

That made me think of Hanks’ son in the film, because his father had asked people to add their stories, their photographs, their lives for his son to watch. I can’t remember what his son suffered from, but it was a debilitating disease, as far as I can recall.

The story itself reminded me of the countless nights of catching up with several Youtubers talking randomly about their day, from what they were doing to where they were going, and we’d sit through endless hours and for a while we’d be hooked on the lives of Zoella and Alfie and a pug named Alan!

Once you become transparent, you open your life up to the world. Just like Zoella, and Alfie, and Thatcher Joe, you invite complete strangers to see you from the moment you wake up, to when you clean your teeth before bed. The cameras would be on you throughout your life. They would be there when you visited the bathroom, took a walk in the park, paddled your kayak out in the open water. If you met with family or friends.

It would work against you. It had access to private data. It could track people anywhere, at any time.

It was Big Brother.

It was frightening to think that beyond the CIA and the FBI, that a social interactive media platform could have that much power to do what it wanted, and nobody could stop it. Except when you are able to turn the tables on those who created it.

Karen Gillan’s role was more of a supportive role but she played a fairly rounded character. She was integral to the story and the character played by Watson.

It was one of those films that I’d been toying with watching but wasn’t sure if it was going to be another ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower’ style film, but I’m glad I stuck with it.

The pace never let up once, there were no dips or pauses. Although I’d had the film on in the background while I worked on a 1000 piece cardboard procrastination, I soon put it aside to focus on the film.

It’s currently on Netflix, it’s well worth a watch, even if you do have it on in the background for the first half of the film.

    

Beyond The Hub Film Review: Extinction by DJ Forrest

Film Review: Extinction

By DJ Forrest

Director Adam Spinks

Writers Ben Loyd-Holmes and Adam Spinks

Reviewed by DJ Forrest

15 rating

 ‘Deep in the Amazon jungle a research team lead by a respected Professor strive to protect vulnerable and endangered species, but when their guides abandon them they soon realise they are in the hunting ground of prehistoric apex predators.’

I am a massive fan of dinosaurs, and in Extinction’s defence, I knew that I wouldn’t be seeing the same level of technology and film wonders that the big Universal studios had to offer, I also knew that this was another film by Ben Loyd-Holmes and because of the involvement of dinosaurs, given the film cover; I was really hoping it would deliver more thrills and spills than The Hike.

The film began with the cameraman James, I think, filming from the moment his co-worker opened her front door and continued right the way through the film till almost the very end.

I wanted to see the fuller picture. I wanted to take in the breathtaking views and marvel at the dinosaurs, see the cast in their glory, fully and not badly edited, or cut at the most inopportune moments. I wanted to see more of the dinosaur eggs captured briefly in the cave where they slept in and the herd of wild beasts running for all they were worth in the background.

I wanted to see more of what was outside of the tent each evening, and so on. I didn’t want to spend the whole film staring at the arse of the person in front of me and miss half of what was happening because of a roar from a creature that distracts them, or they’re running after being spotted by a carnivore, so all we see are feet, ground and blurred images.

I didn’t like the cameraman James. He was annoying. But then I think he was meant to be.

There was no soundtrack with the film. No dramatic pauses. No edge of the seat fear factors. It was just a film with random conversations cut short by poor editing, and lots of running through vegetation creating blurred images thanks to lots of camera waving.

This is where found footage films on a low budget let down the suspense, because the level of filming is lost to quick shots of shoes and bums and the ground you’re running along. And when there’s no soundtrack to jolly things along, it’s just a film with random speech, caught through snaps of heavy panting.

Ben’s films aren’t as straightforward as you’d like to think though. The Hike wasn’t just about two groups of people meeting and getting drunk and having sex. It was about who we, as people seem to put our trust and faith in. From celebrities to complete strangers, we only see what they want us to see.

So the missed opportunities were all part of the plan to confuse us. So that we’d write the negative reviews because we clearly didn’t understand what the film was really about. The noises we heard outside of the tent were for all intents and purposes, sounds of the jungle. Why would any of the intrepid explorers consider the possibilities of dinosaurs as these are after all, extinct!

So, as much as we knew, having seen the Jurassic franchise, that the roar outside of the tent was most likely a T-Rex or Velociraptor, it was far from the minds of those at the campsite.

The raptor eggs in the nest caught briefly in a flash of light from the camera were for our eyes only. The whole film was just about a group of explorers striving to protect the endangered species of the Amazon. Nobody other than us was aware of the likelihood of dinosaurs.

The dinosaur from a distance looked a majestic creature. It was a little more mechanical close up and failed to deliver on the horror of the situation when three of the team had their backs against the wall.

It didn’t raise any excitement for me other than seeing the large carnivore walking through the undergrowth. I felt nothing for the cast and the ending made no sense.

But then, this wasn’t meant to be a dinosaur movie, it was a group of people looking to save the planet, and wound up trying to save themselves.

Photos courtesy of Extinction Film

Ben Loyd-Holmes 

Beyond The Hub Film Review: Everest by Jann Tarrant

A good while ago now Naoko Mori posted a couple of pics from location while she was filming for Everest.  We exchanged a couple of messages, which was awesome because I adore her and I love mountains..... I sent her a couple of pics from New Zealand.  Needless to say she was very excited to be there at 'Base-camp' and who wouldn't be.

So months later I knew I had to see this film.  Now I am not really into the whole 'True Story' thing, but to be honest no one could have made up a better tale of man against nature, heroism and sheer dumb stupidity.  It was a beautiful story, telling of an ill fated journey up to the world's highest point.  A cast was clearly chosen for their fitness as well ability to act in what must have been challenging conditions.  The stunt/climbing teams, well honestly magnificent. 

However the most important cast member has to be mountain itself.

I am not going to go into details about who did what, because truly I don't want to drown you with spoilers, if you haven't seen this, go, or rent the DVD, better still Blu-Ray and find the biggest TV you can.  What you will see will surprise you and delight you and humble you.

I had no idea that Base-camp became such a zoo in the very short yearly climbing window.  I could not believe the sums of money people paid to make that journey happen and finally I was astounded to see that people took it on, knowing that there was a good chance they were not capable of doing it.  I am reminded of man's hubris... and the word Titanic.

You will be on the edge of your seat.

One last thing, I saw this in 3D and for once this format came into its own.  You felt the distance and height in a way that completely took me aback.  If they had turned the air con to cold and cut the O2 supply by 50%, I could easily have been there.  The photography was stunning, for that alone it is worth seeing. My highest praise would have to go to the camera guys and the people who got their gear where it needed to be in order to film this.

So finally, the cast were natural, honest in their performances.  You couldn't say one was better than the other, but they were all really good and most importantly, believable. Obviously it was a real treat to see Naoko on the big screen playing Yasuka Namba.

I loved this film and will be buying the Blu Ray when it comes out.

5 Stars

Beyond The Hub The Inbetweeners 2 Movie Review by DJ Forrest

If you’ve watched any of the Inbetweeners episodes or seen the last Inbetweeners movie, you’ll know the characters, how completely inane they are and how incredibly funny the show is.  The Inbetweeners 2 movie tops both the series and the first movie completely, but sadly, there will be no more movies or episodes of the show as the cast say they are too old to play the roles now.

The story picks up during the Easter holidays, the lads Simon and Will are at University and having a really crap time, Simon’s girlfriend is a complete nut job and is not only obsessive but extremely destructive, mostly with Simon’s belongings, which is different to how she came across in the last film, but then given how Simon treated her in the last film, yeah can see how she might have become a distrusting girlfriend.  Neil is working in a bank which is interesting mostly from the fact that Neil didn’t look clever enough to work anywhere, and Jay is in Australia taking a gap year.  What’s surprising about Jay is that even after he sends Neil an email telling him about all the fit birds, the daily sex with multiple partners, the size of the mansion, the fact he’s ditched his girlfriend, that the three lads still want to travel half way across the world to check it out, even though deep down they know it will be another of Jay’s complete and utterly bogus tales, but let’s face it, it is still a holiday to Australia…

Once in Australia, Simon plans on ditching his girlfriend, Will meets Katie, a school friend he never expected to meet again and they both hit it off, and Neil…well Neil hits it off with an older woman, but more about that shortly. 

As you can imagine, Jay’s lifestyle is different to how he portrayed it to Neil.  It’s really a 2 man tent in the front garden of his Uncle’s home.  His Uncle is a…well…a, he’s the Australian version of Jay’s dad.  He’s the sort of bloke you’d want to avoid in lifts, or entering bathrooms after he’d exited, and he’s definitely not the kind of guy you want to see making lewd tongue actions while you’re Skyping your girlfriend.

After this first night, all four lads decide to leave on a backpacking holiday and experience some of the culture of Australia, a more spiritual journey as far as Will is concerned, whereas the lads want to head to Byron Bay where Neil plans to swim with dolphins, Jay wants to go to the holiday resort, Simon never wants to return to England again and Will meets back up with Katie, after following her bus in the Peter Andre Mysterious Girl car belonging to Jay.

From the off you know that things will never go to plan and it does take some time before things escalate into chaos.  Of course, the laughs are there from the off, it’s a steady pace of laughs and chuckles and hands clapped over the mouth that such a thing could happen.  But apparently these things did really happen, as the story of the 4 lads are really about the exploits of the two writers Damon Beesley and Iain Morris when they were teenagers – those poor boys!

My favourite scene has to be in the water flumes, I don’t think I stopped laughing for some time after it, my sides positively ached.  The acting is pure class and the timing was perfect. 

Now back to Neil and why this review goes into Beyond the Hub.  When I sat and viewed the Blu-ray I never for one minute thought I’d see anyone from either Torchwood or Doctor Who.  I thought for once I might be able to sit through an entire film and not say, ‘OMFG, it’s….’, so you can imagine my surprise when watching mid way through the film, when the backpackers are sitting around the camp fire, the music is playing, the spliff is being shared around that one familiar woman made an appearance.

Neil’s older woman is LUCY COHU!

Lucy’s character was there with her husband, they were going through a rough patch on account of someone’s infidelity.  She was rolling her own smokes and dancing around the camp fire while Will sang ‘The First Time, ever I saw your face’ as if he’d just trapped his crown jewels in the desk drawer!  She wasn’t in the story all that much, but she was there long enough for me to grin, shake my head, at the sheer, omg it’s Lucy Cohu…Jack’s daughter…Torchwood…Broadchurch…. Before feeling the force of several cushions hurled in my general direction.

If you haven’t seen the film already, buy it and watch it.  It’s out on Blu-ray and it’s absolutely worth the money. 

My favourite character is Neil, I don’t know what it is about him, perhaps it’s his pure innocence, his complete lack of knowledge or the fact that he just doesn’t let anything faze him.

Simon and Will clearly may have a level of knowledge between them academically but it’s clear that neither of them should or will have a relationship with the opposite sex and Jay clearly is a sexual predator who should never have a relationship. 

Yet having said that, the humour that comes from the four boys as we follow them through school to Uni, you just can’t help but watch them, like them, laugh at them, laugh with them.  So if you’re stuck for something to watch of an evening and you have Netflix, go and settle down for a series or two of The Inbetweeners and see how many people you recognise from the Whoniverse. 

And while you’re still thinking about that, go check out our Connections Page and read our ‘Inbetweeners 2+’ article. 

Beyond The Hub Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY by Tom Clarke

Writer: Based off the book of the same name by Judith Viorst,

Screenplay: Rob Lieber

Director: Miguel Arteta

Date of release: October 10^th 2014

So, this film sort of surprised me. I assumed it would be a family film that appeals to kids more than adults, but no. I saw the trailer and Steve Carell was in it (I like Steve Carell) and I thought “Meh, that might be OK.” So I went to see it when there weren’t any other good films out.

So what exactly is this film about? The film follows a young, eleven year old boy, the titular Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) and the worst day ever that he shares with his family; his Mum, Kelly (Jennifer Garner), his Dad, Ben (Steve Carell), his older brother, Anthony (Dylan Minnette), his older sister, Emily (Kerris Dorsey) and his younger brother, Trevor (Elise and Zoey Vargas). The film starts the day before Alexander's twelfth birthday, he wakes up and finds gum in his hair and clips it off with a pair of scissors. Kelly is working for a publication company that is currently publishing a new children's book, Anthony is trying to earn his driver's license so he can drive his girlfriend (Bella Thorne), to the school prom, Emily is rehearsing for the title role in her school play of Peter Pan, and Ben, who has been unemployed for several months, has got a job interview as a game designer for a video game company.

Then everything goes wrong. Alexander wishes on his birthday cake that everyone would have a bad day, like him. And, spoiler alert, they do. I’m not going far into detail with this film with the story. But anyway, what did I like about it? The humour. It wasn’t like, rolling around the floor trying to stop laughing, but I did laugh a lot in this film. The film had a lot of adult humour and innuendos, a lot more than you would expect from a PG family film, so I have to congratulate it for trying to reach out to the parents who are probably watching this with their kids. Another thing I liked in this film was the way the characters interacted with others. Mainly Alexander. There was a lot of social awkwardness and I found that really, relatable and it makes you feel for the character. My favourite film of all time is Scott Pilgrim VS The World, and that film has a lot of social awkwardness (from Scott). So maybe I can just relate to that sort of thing. I guess the things I didn’t like about the film was probably the story, it didn’t feel rushed, but it just sort of jumped from one scene to another. Some of the dialogue was pretty cheesy, but the film isn’t all that terrible. It’s not the film I would rush out to buy on DVD, or watch on Sky Movies. It could have been a lot worse, but it could have been better as well.

But wait! This review is not finished. As the thing that surprised me with this film was one of the guest stars. Torchwood’s own Burn Gorman (Owen Harper) plays the straight faced drama teacher in the film. He’s only in a few scenes about 45-60 minutes into it, but he is really good in the film. I’d like to see him in a few more big screen things.

And thus ending the review. The film is great for kids, teenagers can relate to it and it has some sort of charm in it (and some of the humour) to appeal to adults.

6.5/10

Beyond the TARDIS Not Another Happy Ending by DJ Forrest

Writer David Solomons

Director Ian McKay

Released 30 June 2013 (Edinburgh Film Festival)

11^th October 2013 UK

8^th August 2014 US

Having already seen Karen Gillan’s performance as Jean Shrimpton in ‘We’ll Take Manhattan’ written and directed by Ian McKay, and already a fan of Amy Pond in Doctor Who, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed by Gillan’s performance in ‘Not Another Happy Ending’.  Filmed mostly in Glasgow, plus a few surprisingly familiar local areas to me, I settled down to watch the film.  One thing I can say about this film, is that it’s bright and colourful, and even when Gillan’s character Jane Lockhart is going through a bout of writer’s block, everything is still brightly coloured, unlike the usual run of the mill Scottish films that show a starker, bleaker outlook on the city.  So this was a total breath of fresh air. 

The story is a romantic comedy about a writer Jane Lockhart played by Karen Gillan who develops writers block as she can’t write when she’s happy, and a publisher Tom Duvall played by Stanley Weber who has to invent ways of keeping her unhappy so that she will finish the book.  But the more he tries to make her unhappy, the more he finds he can’t get her out of his head and ultimately falls in love with her, but it’s not all plain sailing, love never is – apparently! 

Tom Duvall has another reason for pushing Lockhart to finish the novel.  Jane is his only client and he needs her in order to not become bankrupt.  But Jane, disliking the way that Tom operates, and he does come across as a very arrogant Frenchman decides that she would be better off with a more reputable publishing firm. 

Desperate in a way to put a wedge between her and Duvall, Lockhart writes the final chapter and destroys the one character in the story who meant anything to her, and that’s where it starts becoming an all too familiar picture for me.  I’ve been in exactly the same situation as Lockhart and felt the wrath of the character as I conveniently threw a curve ball, in other words, you do something so completely different to how that character should react, just so you can end that chapter. Bad idea.

Enter Darsie.  Now this in itself is when I got excited as I whooped at the screen, much to the annoyance of others watching the film with me.  I should really watch films on my own!

Darsie is the character that Lockhart creates in the novel.  She is only seen by the writer and because of that it’s often mind blowing when they’re having a conversation, or sharing chocolate.  I’ve never shared chocolate with my character, perhaps I should start that!

I could see myself a lot in the times when Lockhart spoke with her fictitious character Darsie.  It’s that moment that you know you’re on a level par with your character, when they’re that real you could almost touch them and feel their physical presence. 

But why I whooped is that the character is played by Amy Manson, and being the geek that I am and knowing in a way I should really have classed this as a Connection rather than a Beyond the TARDIS review, Amy Manson played Alice Guppy in Torchwood – ‘Fragments’. 

The film was partly funded through a crowd funding project on Indiegogo website, and raised over $22,000.  I remember reading about it in the local newspaper as a few scenes were filmed around Moffat area, as Gillan was reported to have stayed in one of the local hotels in the town.  I’m not sure if they were looking for Extra’s too for the film or whether they were only looking for funding. 

So of course during the portion of the film where Jane Lockhart fled Glasgow for some quiet time in an empty cottage in the middle of nowhere, the location looked awfully familiar, so familiar that it took another family member to have me pause the film and go frame by frame to see if he recognised the buildings in the background.  (So if you’re reading this Ian McKay I’d really love to know whereabouts in Dumfries & Galloway you filmed the white cottage).

The film is available on Netflix but I’d like to own it on DVD as I’d like my own personal copy.  It’s a wonderful, light-hearted comedy with down to earth characters including Gary Lewis who plays Jane’s Dad Benny.  I have to say I didn’t like Henry Ian Cusick’s character Willie Scott, but then I think you weren’t meant to like him much really.

If you’re tired of the ‘shoot em up’ films or the sci fi and just want an afternoon film which is light viewing and doesn’t require too much of a CSI whodunit kind of story, then watch ‘Not Another Happy Ending’ you won’t be disappointed.  I wasn’t.

Beyond The TARDIS The Maze Runner by "Witch's Cat"

Book written by James Dashner

Screenplay written by Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers

T.S. Nowlin

Directed by Wes Ball

Age Rating: 12A

I only gave the book two stars and wasn't particularly impressed with it. I did, however, hold high hopes for the film. I feel that the story was written to become a film, the descriptions in the book are perfectly translated to the big screen.

I will say, right away, that I thoroughly enjoyed The Maze Runner film.

“When Thomas wakes us trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organisation known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape. Based upon the best-selling novel by James Dashner.”

~IMDB

The critics gave The Maze Runner 63%.  “With strong acting, a solid premise, and refreshingly dark approach to its dystopian setting, The Maze Runner stands out from the crowded field of YA sci-fi adventures.”

The Maze Runner throws you into the world of Thomas – a confused teenage boy – from the outset you only know what he knows. The movie begins in a dark lift, Thomas doesn't know where he is and he has no memory of who he is or how he got there, immediately throwing the viewer into the confusion and action. Unlike the book, the film clings to the action throughout, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Gone are the boring, unexciting and unnecessary parts from the book and the result is an exciting, compelling film that follows the action and urgency of the Gladers in the Maze.

The grotesque creatures that live in the maze, known as Grievers, have been wonderfully created. Faithful to the descriptions Dashner gives in the book, they are disgusting and dangerous. I don't doubt for a second their ability to kill.

I was excited by the casting choices in The Maze Runner. I loved that the lesser known actors like Dylan O'Brien (Thomas) and Will Poulter (Gally) were used among some of the better known actors such as Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt). The casting for Newt was fantastic, I think Thomas Brodie-Sangster is brilliant in every role he takes on. He played Newt perfectly, just how I saw him in the book. Kaya Scodelario (Theresa) is an actress that I love to watch in all her roles, her casting is interesting to me because I didn't like the character of Theresa in the books but I think Kaya Scodelario's acting may change my opinion.

The set of The Maze Runner is phenomenal; the designers have truly captured the enormity of it. The sounds, the walls, and life in the Maze combine to create the Maze I saw in my mind as I read the book.

I was captivated from the beginning to the end. Although having read the book I already knew what to expect, everything was executed excellently allowing me to enjoy every aspect of the film. It was certainly faster paced than the book which can only be a good thing allowing to keep my attention throughout. The ending leaves you ready for the sequel, when all are released I think a marathon would work wonderfully.

Trivia: To prepare for shooting, director Wes Ball had the cast spend a night in the Glade set during boot camp.

The Maze Runner gets four stars from me.

It kept me on the edge of my seat and I felt involved with the characters. I do feel that there could have been more depth to the characters though.

I would recommend this to teens and young adults. Some parts could be considered frightening for children and adults may find the film somewhat 'childish' or perhaps predictable in places.

If you enjoyed 'The Hunger Games' (2012) or 'Divergent' (2014) you'll like this.

The Maze Runner is not yet available to buy, but you can see it in your local cinema.

The DVD should be available between January-April 2015.

You can find out more about The Maze Runner here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790864/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwwbhhjQ9Xk

You can read more of Bekah's book reviews by visiting her website
www.bekahcat.wordpress.com (~Jack~)

Beyond The Hub Film Review: Swelter by "Spooky" Stanton

Written and Directed by Keith Parmer

Keith Parmer's latest movie Swelter is a tale of a classic heist gone wrong. Told from the point of view of initial flashbacks, back to the botched casino robbery. Ten years on the criminals involved, many of who served time for the crime, are now free from prison and seeking revenge on the one member of the group who evaded arrest and escaped with $10,000,000.

In the vein of Reservoir Dogs, Swelter is very Tarantino esq, from the way the moment is shot down to the way the modern take on a western plays out with the action. Swelter is very arty and is very much an ensemble cast piece. With the likes of Jean Claude Van Damme, Alfred Molina and Josh Henderson taking more of a backseat to the film's leads of Lennie James and Grant Bowler.

Though some of the characters are overshadowed by the core members of the crew, and the more well known members of the cast, they are often more engaging than the protagonists and leave you wanting to know more about them.

Lennie James plays Bishop, Baker's sheriff and the sole member of the gang who got away, although he doesn't remember the crime nor where he's hidden the cash. This puts not only him but those he love's and the whole town at risk from the greed and revenge the rest of the gang crave.

Some of which have more reason to hate him than the others, especially in the case of Grant Bowler's character Cole, the leader of the rag tag bunch of criminals. Having served time for the heist, he has lost the most of all of them. Now he wants what he's entitled to and he's willing to risk it all in order to get it.

As the leader of the gang, Cole is the only one that is able to control the others especially when it comes to the loose cannons of the group, his half brother Kane, played superbly by Daniele Favilli.

While not developed as much as some of the others, Kane is decidedly unhinged and has a penchant for going in all guns blazing in order to get what he wants, rather than taking on the more peaceful approach of Jean Claude Van Damme's character Stillman. Kane undoubtedly gets to see most of the action and also some of the more memorable scenes of the movie.

Swelter is a good reinvention of the classic western, with a modern day take. With enough action to drive the movie on its journey of greed and revenge. Although Swelter never reaches the fast pace of some other movies, the desire to know what happened to the cash and the need to know just who will survive keeps the viewers captivated until the end.

Overall I give Swelter an 8/10

Beyond The TARDIS Doghouse by DJ Forrest

Written by Dan Schaffer

Released 12 June 2009

Directed by Jake West

Produced by Michael Loveday &

Terry Stone

Available on Netflix

Vince – Stephen Graham

Neil – Danny Dyer

Mikey – Noel Clarke

Graham – Emil Marwa

Matt – Lee Ingleby

Patrick – Keith-Lee Castle

Banksy – Neil Maskell

Candy – Christina Cole

Vince is going through a divorce, so the lads decide to take him for a boozy weekend to the middle of nowhere to get absolutely slaughtered!!!

It’s a lad’s film definitely and there are women, tons of them in fact and they all want the boys, except not in the way you’d think. 

The film tells the story of Vince and his mates who decide to hire a mini bus driven by Ruth ‘Candy’ played by Christina Cole, to take them into the English countryside to a place called Moodley, a village where women outnumber the blokes 4 to 1for a weekender they’ll never forget.  When they arrive in Moodley ‘Candy’ stays on the bus and puts drops in her eyes while the lads go and explore.  She tells them she’ll stay for half an hour then she’s going.

The village looks deserted but there’s evidence around that something sinister is going on.  The lads split up, Neil goes to the pub, visits the gents and hears someone really struggling to get something out, in the cubicle beside him, he quickly leaves and goes to the bar but there are no barmen, as that poor sod lies dead beside the pumps, unbeknown to Neil. 

Mikey goes to his nans, locates the key finally, under a gnome, on the way to the back garden, and stares at the bloodstained handprint on the garden fence.  Venturing further in he spies a woman in her wedding dress, tucking into the intestines of a dead bloke on her lawn. 

When the lads decide to make it back to the mini bus they’re stopped in their tracks by a young woman in a black hoodie who has jerky movements as she walks.  Unaware of the situation, the lads see a man in a military uniform lunge himself at the hooded woman and begin punching her.  They lunge at the man and pull him away from the girl and beat seven bells out of him.  The girl pulls the knife from the soldier and attacks Neil.  The lads then realise that the girl isn’t like other girls and make their way back to the minibus but dear old ‘Candy’ is now in the same condition as the woman in the wedding dress, and the hooded teenager.  The lads scatter into various shops and hide out while trying to think what they can do next. 

Eventually the boys all make it back into the village bar Patrick who climbs the billboard while being chased by a mad woman with an axe, who also tries to chop his leg off with the sharp implement.  But Patrick unperturbed manages to help his fellow man in their hour of need by driving home a few golf balls into the lustful women who are all armed with something dangerous. 

Yes I think you’ve guessed it, this is another zombie style cannibalistic film.  It’s funny, has a lot of ewww moments, actually quite a few ewww moments but it’s not terrifying in the sense that you’re going to have to spend most of the film behind a large cushion and you most definitely won’t have nightmares.  Least I didn’t!

Neil played by Danny Dyer does a lot of swearing, no change there, Mikey played by Noel Clarke, spends half the film in a different costume but he carries it off well.  It’s worth a viewing, and it’s got a storyline which makes a fair bit of sense to the animalistic aggression by the women involved in the film. 

Mikey reminds me a lot of Mickey, as in Mickey Smith from Doctor Who.  Acts tough around his mates but on his own is just like the rest of us and would rather be somewhere else, where women weren’t trying to make mincemeat out of him.  If you love British made films, then you’re going to enjoy this immensely.  I was probably laughing a lot more than I should have been, but then I love the British humour in the face of adversity. 

Research source

©Doghouse 2009

Beyond The Hub All Stars by DJ Forrest

Barrowman stubbles up for his role in the street dance movie!

One of the wonderful things about Netflix is that I actually get to watch more television, dramas and shows and serials I may never watch any other time, and also gives me the opportunity to sit down and watch a wide selection of movies I’d normally have to save up a massive fortune for on Blu-Ray.

All Stars is about a youth centre called the ‘Garage’ run by Gina (Ashley Jensen).  It’s a place where kids can go to feel safe and have fun which is something Jensen’s character says at the Council meeting, when she begs the officials to have a change of heart over the demolition proposal on the centre.  An unscrupulous council official wants to flatten the ‘Garage in order to build a car park that will generate more income for the council.

Ethan (Theo Stephenson) wants to impress a girl who is completely out of his league, and suggests to Jayden (Akai) that they put a dance group together. Two ballroom dancers from a posh school Tim (Dominic Herman-Day) and Amy (Fleur Houdijk) who learn to loosen up and mix ballroom with street dance, Brian (Gamal Toseafa) who find a way of breaking the cycle of junk food at his local drive in (on pushbike) and orders salad only who teaches the rest of the group how to rap and Lucy (Hanae Atkins) who lives with her dad (John Barrowman) and incorporates her kick boxing skills into the dance moves.

It’s D-Day for the ‘garage’ and Gina puts her points across to the members of the council board about why it is so important for it to remain open.  Mid way into her speech raised voices can be heard out in the hallway.  A ruckus breaks out between Kurt (Keiran Lai) and Ethan which seals the fate of the ‘Garage’.

Both Ethan and Jayden also have a background which centres on the story.  Jayden is a dancer but his parents want him to focus on his education and try and crush his dreams by sending him to another school, where dancing is definitely not on the curriculum. 

Ethan looks up to his dad, Andy (Kevin Bishop) a small time dealer in dodgy gear and knock off chocolate, but is always let down by his lack of commitment. 

The day of the talent show and the centre is packed with men women and children, the stage is set, and the acts are ready, the digger is outside waiting but where is Jayden? 

It’s an upbeat, entertaining, get up and dance, feel good movie that doesn’t dip once during the entire film.  When I first saw the trailer, I have to admit that it was seeing Barrowman dance with a young girl in a black and white clip that drew me to the film initially.  What I can say is that Barrowman only plays a small part in the film.  The well played black and white video clip of him dancing was awesome to watch but wasn’t my favourite part of the film.  He plays Lucy’s Dad, who sits in an orange Tropical tee-shirt and a pair of shorts, or boxers, is unshaven and gives the look of someone who has given up on everything since his wife left. This to me is something of a role I want to see John more in and I hope we do.

The film was released in 2013 and available on Netflix for me to view at Christmas.  It was written by Paul Gerstenberger and directed by Ben Gregor.

Photo source

©All Stars 2013