June Hit, Miss or Maybe

1. Byzantium - HIT

I would describe this film, not about vampires but about a mother and daughter on the run, which is technically right. The fact that they are immortal beings that live on blood is just an added detail. I though this film was so refreshing, especially if you compare this to other vampire genre films. The two leads are brilliant, playing the whore mother and the mysterious writer daughter. The way they have survived for years is intriguing but lightly touched upon which makes them more mysterious and in some part intimidating. The story of the brotherhood is well played out too, making the men the evil ones, which I liked, nice touch. The location which most of the film is set, a seaside town that seems a dead end but in fact begins a new chapter in the runaways lives. The daughter befriending a sick young man worked well too, this character has a reason to believe her story and has no fear of dying. The dying guy in question, Caleb Landry Jones. He was in X-Men First Class, Contraband and Antiviral, I've said it before but he is one to watch. Great cast, plenty of excellent British actors, story is good and not stereotypical. People should have given this film more of a chance and not just assumed, oh its a vampire film, its not. It is about survival.

2. Hyde Park on Hudson - MISS

I love all the actors in this film, especially Bill Murray and the underrated Samuel West, but the film was dull. Had to say it. The only good scenes were with the King and Queen (West and Olivia Colman), they were actually hilarious. The film, I thought was about the visit, when the King and Queen of England came to visit Roosevelt (Murray) to ask for help with WW2 but it wasn't. That part of the story was only a quarter of the time. The rest was so dull revolving around Daisy and her affair the President and how she discovers that he actually had affairs with loads of other women and how she was eventually ok with it. Terrible story basically. The rest was just making fun of English people which is always tedious. I waited for DVD for this and I'm glad. Very disappointing.

3. Much Ado About Nothing - HIT

Words are not enough to describe how perfect this film is. Shot in black and white in one (amazing wish I lived there) loaction, Weadon's house, the cast is just utter perfection and the play, well it's one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. I couldn't ask for more! The cast, mostly from Weadon's past shows, used to gather at his house and read Shakespeare plays. So when there was a break between the end of Avengers shoot and post production, Joss Weadon shot this film on a very low budget and in a 12 days. There are a few stories going on but the one everyone knows is between Benedict and Beatrice who are are at war with each other but eventually fall in love as they are made for each other. Another main attraction to this film was obviously seeing Fran Kranz in a main role again, he plays the lovesick Claudio. I think I just love Shakespeare plays told in a contemporary setting that works.

4. The Aryan Couple - MAYBE

I saw a trailer for this film years ago and waited for the cinema release and then DVD release that never came. I found it on ebay eventually and watched it. It is a familiar setting, Germany, Nazi's are exchanging safe passage out of Germany to wealthy Jewish families in exchange or all their money. The story is based on fact which makes this film more terrifying to watch. The treatment of the people was hideous, as well as the non Nazi German people. The couple in question are working for the resistance and are servants to a wealthy Jewish family are being shipped to Switzerland. The couple are in fact Jewish themselves and try to escape. The isn't bad, it's well done but ultimately it is so-so. There are a few typical war story elements that don't make it stand out. Such as the one crazy Nazi officer who, for no valid reason, becomes obsessed with the couple. Things like that.

5. Behind the Candelabra - HIT

I don't know much about Liberace, just that line from that song 'Mr Sandman'. Steven Soderbergh's last film, and its a definite high end. Matt Damon and Micheal Douglas are a very convincing couple, so effortless, and very well played. I did think half the film was creepy but that just shows how good the acting was, then I was told, Liberace was actually even more creepy than that. The story is heartbreaking in places, such as when Liberace wants to change Scott's face to look like him. Scott later has a breakdown saying he has nothing, not even his own face. The film is carried by the two leads as it seems they are the only two in the film, this isn't a bad thing at all. It is a great biopic of sorts even though its seen from Scott' point of view.

6. Mean Girls Quote Along

Written by Tina Fey, who could ask for anything more. Apart from the above event!! I have only been to one quote along and that was the Labyrinth Masquerade Ball and that event was amazing. This one was a bit more low key. It was in the screen up stairs at The Prince Charles Cinema, which is smaller but on the plus side more intimate. We were greeted by a fabulous host, complete with pink shirt just like Damien from the film. He interviewed Mark Waters the director and he gave some details about the film that I, personally wasn't aware of. For example, Lindsay Lohan was originally going to play Regina and Amanda Seyfried was going to play Cady. The original script was also R rated and the director shot takes with Regina swearing like Joe Pesci in Casino. Classic. Being in a room with other die hard Mean Girls fans was great. We all laughed ridiculously at everything, the Pimms helped, and we all quoted together. Bliss. A fantastic event! No, a Fetch event. #FetchEvent