Old film review #7: Moon (Released 2009)

Ok so if you ladies and gentlemen want a tonal whiplash you've come to the right place!  Now I'm not saying this about the sci-fi mindbender of a film Moon.  Instead, I am saying this in regards to the comparison in tone of this week's old film review in the form of Moon and last weeks' feature, the 1992 zombie cult classic Braindead aka Dead Alive.  But enough dallying around, lets get into this shindig!

Thanks again to the Sussex Sci-Fi and Horror society as I saw this film during their most recent meeting.

Image source: https://superior-realities.com/2015/03/14/retro-reviews-in-time-and-moon/

So let me start off with what I believe is the best part of the movie.  The performance of Sam Rockwell as the film's main character Sam Bell.  Sam (the character not the actor obviously), is a maintenance and collection astronaut for an inter-global energy company called Lunar Industries.  When we start the film we see and hear him explain how Lunar Industries uses people such as himself to collect a newly-found fuel called Helium 3 from the moon and transport it in shuttles back to Earth to provide nearly three quarters of the Earth's renewable energy.  What makes Rockwell's performance so good here is that he portrays Sam as an everyday Joe who is waiting for his 3-year work contract on a moon base to end.  But while doing this, he  also displays concern and clear confusion when something unfamiliar happens to Sam at different points throughout the film.

What makes this particularly exceptional is not only that Rockwell performs this action well, but that he does it with minimal contact with other characters to work off of.  The only other major character in the film is a slightly unsettling but still friendly and likeable robot called GERTY (Voiced by Kevin Spacey).  Considering that GERTY is only able to portray emotion through different smiley face emoticons on its primary computer screen and that this is the only other major character that Sam interacts with, Rockwell's portrayal of clear and different emotions must be lauded.

However, in regards to the acting talent on display in this movie, I do feel that Kevin Spacey is somewhat underutilised.  Now this isn't to say he does a bad job as his performance as the robot GERTY is well-delivered.  This performance also helps to help give Rockwell deliver a suitably mysterious and at times both optimistic and cautious atmosphere through his acting and interaction with the environments around him.  And on top of this, Spacey has undeniably proven himself as a capable actor in numerous roles throughout his career in video games, movies and television.  But I still can't shake the feeling that his expressive and atmospheric voice is a tad underutilised or even wasted in portraying an emotionless robot who is a sporadic support character.  Still, two very solid performances from both Spacey and Rockwell.

Image source: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/182767-robots-that-sweat-breathe-and-get-goosebumps-to-manipulate-your-emotions

The other main pro of the film that I want to point out is the direction of the film and the camerawork, particularly in mood-setting.  With the film being set in just a few rooms and locations on and around the moon base that Sam works on, there is not a great variety of environments to build different atmospheres and moods upon.  Therefore, this task falls upon the shoulders of the actors, camerawork and directing in the case of Moon.  And while I would not say that the directing or camerawork are as proportionally good as the acting they are both still very well executed and realised.  The camerawork consists of a number of still shots albeit from differing angles when a change of mood is about.  Some spaces and familiar rooms around the set have consistent camera angles so when a change of camera angle or composition happens in one of the set areas you get the feeling that something unusual is afoot.  This is done very well in Moon towards the aim of amplifying the mood and atmosphere that the film is going for at a given moment.  In turn, the direction helps this camerawork and the actors perform to a high-level with minimal environment variety and budget size.

However, that all being said, I cannot deny that the contemporarily small budget for this film really shows in negative ways, especially in regards to the special effects.  Now to be fair, the film does look very well for a film made in 2009 on a even-then-very-small sci-fi film budget of just $5,000,000 USD(Approximately).  But despite this, the special effects are easily the worst part of the film and while Duncan Jones (Director and co-writer) efforts to stretch the budget economically are lauded and admirable, the film's budgetary strains clearly show in the end product.  Without going too far into spoilers, there is one moment where a buggy crashes into a pylon on the moon and the resulting effect of the pylon falling over and the sparks that come out looks like a pirated 4th-rate console game from the original Xbox or PS2.  This fortunately does not spread to every aspect of the film such as set design, costumes or the aforementioned camerawork but it is clearly there and noticeable.

Another major criticism I have is that the directing, while good overall, is not flawless and some moments of character interaction and scene development feel forced especially towards the end of the film.  Again, without going too far into spoiler territory, Sam figures through a number of occurrences on the station where he works that something is afoot with Lunar Industries and his own posting on the moon.  He comes to figure out what this really is later on in the film but some of the moments where he realises and discovers secrets are either poorly-conveyed, stretched out way too long or are just reiterating pieces of information that the audience already know.  This isn't helped when a major plot reveal is told to us not through clever storytelling but by GERTY unloading a horrendous exposition dump that falls flat like West Ham United for a spot in the Europa League or Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

 

Image source: http://www.moviegno.me/review-moon-2009/

In conclusion, I think that Moon has a lot of issues in terms of how its third act is presented, its cheap look and its somewhat inconsistent character interaction and direction.  It seems a shame that the cheapness is a downside considering that last week's old film review subject Braindead/Dead Alive achieved a good look with a budget that was also small compared to its contemporaries of the time.  However, this is still a film worth giving a look if you're into introspective sci-fi films or movies with good plot twists and direction.  Even if these aren't necessarily high up on your priorities for enjoying a good movie, I would still recommend seeing it for the top-quality acting performances by Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey who really save this film along with the great camerawork.  Especially if this is on for cheap on a video service like Amazon or Netflix I would give Moon an admiring recommendation so enjoy and I'll see you lot next time!

Camerawork/cinematography: 10/10

Directing: 7/10

Acting: 9/10

Writing: 7/10

Effects: 3.5/10

Overall rating: 36.5/50

Uncle Ted's Recipes #9: Protein-packed vegan curry

Ok I know vegan recipes or even vegetarian ones aren't the most common sight on this blog but this is one cheap and reasonably healthy.  Its good for either keeping in the fridge for yourself for a few days or for a dinner party.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)

6-10 Tablespoons rapeseed oil

4 small, 3 medium or 2 large brown onions

250g fresh leave spinach washed and rinsed

600-800g chickpeas soaked and drained

300-450g green lentils soaked and drained

650g baby potatoes

4-6 teaspoons of chilli flakes

2-4 teaspoons of chilli powder

1-3 teaspoons of cumin seeds

1-3 teaspoons of ground cumin

4 teaspoons of graham masala

5 teaspoons of ground smoked paprika

Thyme or sage leaves

3-5 cloves of garlic

2-4 cups boiled water

Salt

EQUIPMENT/UTENSILS

1 large cutting knife

1 herb knife

1 cutting board

1 or 2 colanders or sieves

1 large or very large cooking pot or stove

1 heat or melting proof mixing spoon

Teaspoons for measuring spices

Ladle for dishing up curry

METHOD/PREPARATION (Time to prepare approximately 15-30 minutes)

 

Step 1: Dice up the potatoes and place them into a strainer and rinse in cold water for a couple of minutes over the sink then let them drain while you do the other initial preparations.

Step 2: Dice up the onions while pouring the oil into the pot and turning the hob onto a low-mid heat.  After a few minutes, hover your hand over the pan and if there is a mild heat coming off of it, then place the herbs except for the salt and thyme or sage into the pan and stir until the spices are mixed together in one mush.

Step 3: Place the potatoes and onions into the pan with a small extra bit of oil and stir until mixed in well with the spices.  Afterwards, begin crushing and dicing up the garlic and then place into the pan and stir again.

Step 4: After rinsing and draining the spinach, place into the pan and let the spinach wilt. then drain and rinse the lentils, chickpeas and thyme or sage then place into the pan then stir moderately.

Step 5: Add in the boiling water and a couple of pinches of salt and then stir.  Also, make sure that the spinach is mostly submerged so that it can wilt some more and get mixed in with the rest of the ingredients.  Afterwards, do a brief taste test to see if the balance of spices and herbs is to your liking and add more of one of the spices if you would like to.  Afterwards, place the lid onto the pot and turn down to a low heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes while you do the washing up.

Step 6: Serve the curry on a bed of either pilau or basmati rice with a coriander naan and served alongside either an icy cold beer such as Cobra or a yoghurt drink and a glass of tap water.

Hope you find plenty of use out of this recipe if you decide to make it like this or use my recipe as a base template to adapt your own curry recipe from.  Please feel free to make suggestions in the comment section below and let me know how you all get on with this nice, cheap and healthy curry recipe!

Old film review #6: Braindead aka Dead Alive (Released 1992)

Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome back to my very overdue film review series!  Not only have I not posted anything on this blog in several weeks which is bad enough in of itself, BUT, I haven't done a review of a film from many years past in almost 2 years here on Blogger. To rectify both of these heinous issues I though I might do a review of the film I saw when I went to attend the 2nd October 2017 meeting of the University of Sussex Horror & Sci-fi society.  This film in question is the cult classic legend of a zombie flick known to some as Braindead and others as Dead Alive.

Image source: http://horrorfreaknews.com/horrors-7-sinister-senior-citizens

Image source: http://www.horror-movies.ca/2011/07/dead-alive-bluray-release-date/

Despite its well earned status as a cult classic, one might think that Braindead/Dead Alive is some nasty schlock judging from its cheap-looking presentation in posters and trailers.  Something that is reinforced when looking at the film's small $3,000,000 budget, even small in a comparative sense for the early-1990s.  However, I would argue that the state of quality that the film turned out in despite these misgivings far outweighs most concerns some might have about the way the film was advertised and how it looks.  In fact, I would argue that the cheap look of the film ads to its darkly comedic nature and really highlights the top-notch quality of the practical effects which I would argue are the best parts about the film.

Although this is not to say that the practical effects are without some sort of downside.  While I do think these effects and make up throughout the film are fantastic, they are such good quality and in such surplus that when things get gruesome later into the film I can imagine some moviegoers getting a bit queasy.  However, if you're into plentiful butchery in your movies, this film will be an absolute treat.  I'd also say the same if you're not the type for these kind of films but are still interested in looking generally at filmmaking and practical effects as a whole as well as specifically in the horror & zombie genres.

Image source: http://theevileyeuk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/dead-alivebraindead-review.html

Easily the best example of these legendary practical effects is in the equally iconic lawnmower scene towards the end of the film.  What this features is Timothy Balme's initially timid Lionel mulching dozens of the undead in a row with a somewhat-not-very-sharp-looking lawnmower.  There was a point in time when this scene held the record for the most fake blood used in a single movie scene.  While this record was later broken you can really tell that it earned that record well and good.  Another good example of the film's glorious make up department and other effects is in the gradual collapse of Lionel's mother Vera (Played by Elizabeth Moody) after she is bitten and infected with the zombie virus of the Sumatran rat monkey.  This gruesome display of effects is not for the squeamish but it does have a kind of gruesome artistry to it that has to be desired for both the skill and creativity of it all.  Even more so considering the already mentioned small budget that the filmmakers had to work with.

Continuing on with the point about the nature of the characters, the acting and writing really helps the characters shine despite the directing and writing not being perfect.  Lionel has easily the best arc of any character in the film going from the timid doormat son to Vera to being a resourceful, brave and badass hero that steps up to the plate when the zombie outbreak gets out of hand.  What makes this arc truly great is how much of a clod Lionel is at the beginning of the film what with him not only being timid and not very bright but also making decisions that contribute to the zombie outbreak happening.  But when push comes to shove, he evolves from a weedy sod of a character into an admirable if still goofy hero.  Helped along by Balme's darkly comedic and likeable turn as the character, Lionel is easily my favourite character in the film.

Despite this, there are also several other well-written and acted characters such as the beautiful and equally resourceful Paquita (Played by Diana Penalver), the slimy and vile Uncle Les (Played by Ian Watkin) or the aforementioned Vera played superbly in an overbearing turn by Elizabeth Moody.  Linked together by a narrative that switches from slow-paced dark comedy to comedic butchery halfway through the film, these characters are all given plenty of time to develop and evolve.  All this helped along with a script that hits most of the notes in a deliciously dark comedic manner.

Image source: http://www.interrogatingideologywithachainsaw.com/2014/08/dead-alive-1992-lawn-mower-to-oedipus.html

However, if there are any aspects of the film that I could criticise about the film there are two that jump to mind.  The first of these is that the tonal shift halfway through the film is a bit jarring.  But, in all fairness, this is helped by the earlier-mentioned good acting, funny script and amazing action and practical effects.  I can imagine the slow pace being more of a problem in the first half of the film for some than it was for myself but there are worse issues for a film of such a small budget to have.

The other main issue I have with the film is more so to do with other reviews of this classic movie.  I've seen some people compare Lionel's relationship with his mother Vera to being a classic mirror of the Oedipus complex.  While this is possibly not entirely inaccurate I think this possibility is a bit overstated.  While there may be reason to argue this theory, I'd argue that the relationship between Lionel and Vera is more of an overbearing mother smothering her son well into maturity because of unfounded or overzealous fears.  This is something I believe that is reinforced by a plot twist regarding Vera that Lionel uncovers late into the film.  While the plot twist is not the best conveyed and kind of comes out of nowhere, it supports the idea that Vera is more single-minded, overbearing and moralising in her governance of Lionel's life than being romantic with him.

Regardless of either of these issues, the film is an undisputable classic.  As mentioned above, even if you do not enjoy the gore or the narrative, the writing and sheer skill of the practical effects is enough to at least appreciate the film and earn it a hearty cult classic status.  A cult classic status that it rightfully deserves on account of the film not having the best opening weekend in its three biggest countries in 1992 and 1993 in Spain, the UK and the USA.  So if you can grab a copy of this film or see a viewing of it at your local indie cinema then I definitely recommend it.  It isn't perfect but nothing is and besides, those practical effects are legendarily magnificent.

Camerawork/cinematography: 7/10

Directing: 8/10

Writing: 7.5/10

Acting:7.5/10

Special and practical effects: 10/10

Overall rating: 40/50

Lets show love to the people of Texas and Hong Kong

Its really no secret right now that the state of Texas in the USA is in a spot of bother right about now.  In the last week, the state of steakhouses was wracked by hurricane Harvey which swept through the state coming in from the gulf of Texas.  As of this post, much of the eastern half of Texas has been flooded in part and in regards to areas such as many streets in Houston and Interstate Highway 45 have been mostly if not entirely submerged under multiple meters of water.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4830364/Hurricane-Harvey-enhanced-climate-change.html

This kind of devastation, the likes of which has not been felt from a natural disaster in the USA for more than 10 years, has prompted much of the USA to band together and help their fellow men and women down south of the range.  What makes this remarkable is not only that police, army, navy and firefighter services and even just civilians have been helping their fellow countrymen in Texas to salvage their belongings and survive, but that many sympathetic people around the world have tried their best to replicate this kindness.

Donations to local services and amenities as well as charities have been flooding in to help out the people of Texas, Houston in particular, and thus far have allowed extensive outreach to not just those on the periphery of the disaster but those who are less able to move themselves.

Source: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/08/28/cincinnati-firefighters-assist-hurricane-harvey-rescues-texas/607880001/

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/846843/Hurricane-Harvey-path-2017-texas-dementia-patients-rescued-from-nursing-home

Unfortunately, Houston is not the only major city in a global economic superpower that has been hit by such a heavy storm.  The enigmatic city of Hong Kong has also recently been dealing with the aftermath of a similar storm wracking its streets and buildings.  Typhoon Hato, while less covered in the mainstream media has had a similar effect as Hurricane Harvey on the people of Southern China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-asia-storm-hongkong-idUSKCN1B22JL

However, as is somewhat similar to what has occurred in the USA, the public services in Southern China have been working day and night to drain away the water and then clear the debris from their streets and fields while accounting for the injured, dead and safe.

Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2108481/rescuers-hong-kong-save-11-sea-and-two-mountain

And while I have been less successful with finding links for donating to the recent tragedy in China, I would greatly welcome anyone coming forward with reliable and safe links and sources for donating to the victims and saviours of both events.

Fortunately, I saw this article from Forbes which recommends tips and directions for donating to the disaster in Texas and I urge you all to check it out: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2017/08/28/helping-out-after-hurricane-harvey-where-what-how-to-donate/#16b87e93c798

And as I said above, if anyone has any links or ideas for donating to the disaster in China any help would be greatly appreciated.

I didn't really have anything succinct or opinionated to add to this recent topic unlike the post I made yesterday.  I just thought it made sense to raise awareness of the situation that some are facing in the South of the USA and China at this time.  Hopefully these people, like this blog, can get back to happier and simpler topics and times in the near future.

Punching people for their haircuts and political beliefs is a terrible idea

Sorry about not posting on here for quite some time.  Furthermore, sorry for bringing an end to my hiatus on this platform with a spicy bit of political commentary at an emotionally and politically charged time in the west.  However, given the considerably depressing reactions of some people to apparently "racist" haircuts and fashion choices in recent times, I thought that I should weigh in.  Especially considering the actions of some in this debate could hurt political discussion and discourse.

On August 15th 2017, twitter "comedian" Jon Hendren called out world-renowned music and rap artist Macklemore for sporting an apparently racist haircut which Macklemore responded to by pointing out that he hadn't sported said haircut for quite some time.

Image source: http://www.vladtv.com/images/size_fs/video_image-467718.jpg

Ignoring the fact that Hendren's twitter @ accurately describes the quality of his humour on twitter, you'd reasonably think he could look at a recent picture of Macklmore and rectify his simple mistake.  This moment of laxity in looking up public info implies to me that both Hendren's question and the intention behind it aren't particularly well founded.  The question itself is clearly poorly-informed but on top of that, asking someone to renounce and change their haircut implies that anyone wearing that haircut is inherently racist.  Macklemore's now former haircut, commonly called the 'undercut', was originally fashioned by western men in Europe and the Americas during the 1930s and 1940s.  This included men who fought on both sides during the Second World War (1939-45).

Really, the hairstyle originated as a general western fashion choice rather than a political statement as these German soldiers during the 2nd world war show...

Image source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-217-0465-32A%2C_Russland%2C_Soldaten_auf_dem_Marsch.jpg

...when paired up with this picture of a French resistance fighter during the latter stages of the 2nd world war in urban France sporting the same style of hairdo.

Image source: http://weeklyworker.co.uk/assets/_versions/images/archive/wwimages/ww942/sm-WWII-resistance2_art_full.jpg

Because of this, the idea that this one style of haircut, even down to its origins, is representative of racist political beliefs and fascism is not just overly-presumptuous but also historically inaccurate.  However, this hasn't stopped some overly-reactionary blowhards attacking people in recent weeks over having this particular haircut/hairstyle.  People in the currently tumultuous political climate of the USA have been wearing the haircut that some fascists both past and present have worn, this must mean that anyone who is sporting the undercut deigns to at some point take up the cause of fascism.  And certainly not that the hairstyle is a comfortable and easy-to-maintain fashion statement popular in both alternative and mainstream modern fashion scenes.

True, the undercut has been worn in recent times by undeniably fascistic political figures in the USA such as far-right political commentator, speaker and activist Richard Spencer.  But regardless of this point, this does not mean that one can just lump all members of a certain fashion group in with one socially unpalatable or maligned individual (depending on your political views).  This has not stopped people not only asking wearers of the undercut hairstyle to change their hairdo but also that members of far-left and progressive anti-fascist groups, particularly ANTIFA (Anti-fascist action) physically attacking people who wear the fashionable haircut.

The most notable case of this happening recently has of course been anarchistic anti-fascists recently mistaking some of their own group members for a neo-Nazi because they too wore undercuts.

Source: http://freebeacon.com/issues/boston-antifa-protester-attacked-fellow-activist-after-mistaken-neo-nazi/

Clearly, if this idea that the undercut being a statement of facism has become so insidious that it is affecting those on the right, left and centre of the political spectrum one must ask this: surely it is an issue of mistaken identity rather than promotion of a hateful ideology?

Subsequently, this prompted me to think about interjecting on the idea of attacking someone for their political beliefs and how irrational that seems to me.  I know I may be sounding like I am blowing my own political horn to the Nth degree but hear me out on this.  Attacking someone not in self-defence illegal in the USA and UK. And doing so on the basis of their political beliefs alone, especially in cases of mistaken identity, seems extremely harmful to not only people's physical safety but also the stability of reasonable political discussion and discourse in the free world.  

What I mean by this is that the way that we have traditionally discussed politics and rooted out bad ideas in politics in modern free-democracies is by giving an equal platform of opportunity to all to discuss their beliefs and manifestos.  Reason dictates that we should do this to people on both the left and right as well as the centre.  That includes groups I and others would find unlikable such as neo-Nazis and ANTIFA, again, depending on your political views.  In discussing political ideas, even offensive and unpalatable ones, on a level playing field, we are able to root out inflexible, offensive and irrational ideas by reasonably seeing the weaknesses of these ideas and beliefs for what they are. Punching someone, whether it be because you do or do not know their political ideology, is a terrible idea; because it not only promotes civil violence but invalidates the great boon that free speech and political discourse gives us.

By punching someone for their political beliefs not in self-defence, whether they be right or left-wing, only validates your political enemies cause and poisons the well of political discourse.

So I issue a plea to anyone, be they far-left or far-right; if you have an inkling that someone is a political opponent to you then talk it out like a human being and do not punch them.  Because if you resort to violence as the first response to someone's opinions, then you clearly don't really care about discussion, peace or your fellow man and woman.

Editor's note: This post has been amended and edited post-publishing because I was made aware of information  about the story of the alleged stabbing of Joshua Witt that compelled me to amend my article.

New film review #24: Gold (released 3rd Feb 2017)

Image source:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800302/?ref_=nv_sr_3

I know, I know.   I haven't posted on here in like what?   7-8 months?  Good lord do I suck at being consistent with uploading.   Hell, it even happens on my 3 YouTube channels (CHECK THEM OUT PLEASE #SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION).  However, while I may have fallen back on uploading as frequently as I personally feel I should that doesn't mean I can never return!  I hope.  To be fair I do tend to be a bit lax so I should really take note to tackle that. 

In any case, with the disappointing return of a hopeful maverick must also come the review of something with a similar background and underlying ethos.  And in this case I am talking about the recent film release of Gold starring Matthew McConaughuey, directed by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman.  I should mention beforehand prior to going into this review that I feel bad about slagging it off as it contains a lot of talent in the cast most notably McConaughuey who himself most of all has been in considerably better productions than this droll and slow-paced trek of a film. 

So then, how does the plot of the film add up?  Well it starts off in 1981 with McConaughuey's Kenny Wells accepting an offer of more prestigious and higher-earning work in his father's gold pioneering company.  Fast-forward 7 years and not only is Wells's father long dead, but his company is on its last ropes with something drastic needing to be done in order to save Wells junior and his friends jobs.  Then, as if by some magical prompting (or by the magic of an arbitrary script), young Wells receives a vision in his brandy-induced dreams that he must call up an old friend and search for gold in the jungles of Indonesia.  The rest of the film after this point then follows the misadventures of Wells himself and his swarthy Hispanic compatriot Michael Acosta (played by Edgar Ramirez) try their best to keep their gold company afloat amidst a sea of hungry wall-street vultures and some shady activities on their own hands.

On paper this sounds like the plot for a good if not very good film.  Furthermore, the potential for the story in terms of its quasi-historiographical and dark/seedy underlying theme is fuel enough for any talented filmmaker to make, at the very least, an engaging film about the greed and folly of man.  However, it seems as if the film focuses almost entirely on this underlying theme of seediness and as a result, Wells, Acosta and the other main protagonists and antiheroes we see emerge throughout the story come across as slimy and greedy rather than down on their luck hopefuls working towards their big break.  And like I said before, this feels a bit tragic because in combination with a deluge of talent working on the film, the interesting and unique story really should have ensured that this was going to be one of the films of the year or at least of early-2017.  Instead, we get an overly-slow-paced bore of a film with unlikeable characters, wall upon wall of exposition and all this encompassed in a terribly paced 1st act and a horrendously boring and overly-long 3rd act.

This 3rd act in particular for me was the most boring part of the film to sit through.  By this point I had just sat through about 90 minutes of droll storytelling and characters I didn't care about only to be met with a series of scenes that kept hinting at the film nearing its end but never delivering until after the point at which I was tired of sitting on my arse.  This went on for nearly 30 minutes at the end of the film with minor and even some major story points being introduced or continued from early on in the film with little to no eventual conclusion to many if not all of them.  Because of this drawn-out final act, I not only felt bored by the end of the film but also somewhat annoyed as the final few scenes bizarrely explained very little while featuring a truckload of exposition and talking.  This was at the same time as the conclusion of all the major character's personal stories meeting either unsatisfying or incomplete resolutions.  Even the ones where their character arcs were completed, (that being Acosta and Wells), the conclusions in these cases came to either contradict the theme and narrative of the film or not correlate realistically to the development that character had made throughout the film.

I suppose the most prominent thing that contributed to this being the case is probably the direction in part but that would be somewhat unfair.  I did actually like a fair few scenes at least in terms of how they were shot such as Wells vision scene early on in the film (as daft as it was in practical senses).  If it isn't the directing that is the main source of this film's issues then I would probably say it has to be the writing.  I genuinely can't remember any of the dialogue or notable lines from the film.  Although saying that there is notable lines when I can't remember any is a bit of dichotomy so I could just be talking out of my arse again.

So in conclusion, this film had a lot of promise but really failed to deliver and as a result ends up being either forgettable or just a bit unappealing and unpleasant.  I would recommend this film if you are a fan of the work of the people who made and starred in it but even then I would just recommend rummaging through their other works and projects. 

Camerawork/cinematography: 6.5/10
Directing: 5/10
Writing: 4/10
Acting: 6.75/10
Other: 5/10
OVERALL RATING: 27.25/50

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Uncle Ted's recipes #8: Post-workout pasta (includes prawns)

Again I know I really haven't been uploading a lot recently on this blog but whenever has punctuality been an aspect of my character on any form of social media?  Really the main reason for this being the case is that I haven't been making any new recipes or seen any new films recently but with this inspired dinner I thought up of recently I figured that now was as good a time as any.

I thought up of this healthy and tasty pasta dish recently a few days before I went to the gym as I needed a good dish that would be a great balance of all the essentials one may need after having a good work out and I think I've thought up a right winner as even if you don't work out its a deliciously healthy dish that ticks all boxes (that is if you do not eat fish).

INGREDIENTS (Serves 3-4 big portions):

300-350g king prawns (pre-marinated tofu if you do not eat fish)

175-250g ricotta

2 bunched handfuls fresh spinach leaves

1 large white onion

2 cloves of garlic

350-400g spaghetti (uncooked weight)

4-6 tablespoons white wine

olive oil

salt and pepper

dried basil

UTENSILS:

1 medium saucepan

1 large frying pan

1 vegetable knife

1 wooden spoon

1 fork

1 cutting board

1 colander

METHOD/PROCESS:

1 - Place some cold water into the saucepan to about just over halfway then add in some couple splashes of olive oil and turn onto boil.  Dice up the onion and place in an extremely low heat frying pan with a few splashes of oil in it and add a dash of salt before stirring.

2 - When the water is boiling, put the spaghetti in, make sure it is submerged for the most part then cook for 9 mins while stirring with the fork every 2 or 3 mins while it cooks so as to not let it become all clumped and starchy.

3 - When the onion starts  to soften after 5 mins of frying add in the crushed garlic and simmer for another 5 mins before adding in the white wine and simmer for another 5.

4 - When the spaghetti is cooked, drain it in the colander over a drain or sink then place the colander over the saucepan after the pasta is dried to get as much water drained away.

5 - After the white wine has had a few mins to simmer then add in the prawns and spinach and stir around for about 4-5 mins until the spinach has wilted before lumping the drained spaghetti on top.

6 - using a teaspoon, spoon the ricotta in several bits onto the spaghetti then stir around until most or almost all of the ricotta is nicely mixed in and all of the ingredients have been mixed around in a balanced way.

7 - Serve onto plates alongside toasted pitta with garlic oil and carrot salad with a glass of white wine (I'd recommend something like La Vielle Ferme) or if you don't drink alcohol then something like lemon or blood orange tea.

Hopefully you'll all enjoy this one as I kind of just thought up of it off the top of my head but it really is a winner if you need a perfectly balanced meal and don't have a huge amount of funds or time so give it a shot as you really can't go wrong with it!

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