First lines are important. In some ways they’re the most important part of anything you’ll write or read. A great first line should invite the reader in, it should invite them to take a seat and want to hear more.
Not to get too base about it but if you’re the fish then the first line is the hook and the author just needs to reel you in. See, that was a metaphor. I might use a simile later too.
There’s bad, and then there’s bad. Once upon a time there was a film called The Room. Auteur/melted candle lookalike Tommy Wiseau wrote/directed/produced/acted in a melodrama that was meant to end in a crescendo of tragedy, but instead had audiences howling with laughter.
Yesterday, Philip Seymour Hoffman died. An extraordinary talent, he left behind an amazing body of work. Even before he was well known he was reliably entertaining, standing out in excellent movies like Hard Eight, and terrible ones like Twister. Watch his scenes in Almost Famous, watch The Master and Synecdoche, New York. Basically watch anything he put out and you’ll be given an acting masterclass. There’s no better way to mourn someone’s passing than by celebrating the things they did, and luckily for us Philip Seymour Hoffman left behind a lot to celebrate.
Three’s are all around us. The Holy Trinity, good Die Hard movies, Jonas Brothers. Dieters are no exception. Luckily I’ve managed to break them down to three, relatable, bite sized chunks for your reading pleasure.
The fifth time’s the charm for Martin Scorcesse (A Shark’s Tale) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Critters 4) as they reteam for the dramatisation of Jordan Belfort’s cock-manual/memoir The Wolf of Wall Street.
Hi, my name is James and I’m one of those people. You can usually see me eating leftovers for lunch and some strange concoction for breakfast. You may have noticed my drinking some sort of herbal tea, perhaps a Peppermint or if I’m feeling fancy then Liquorice. You may offer me a biscuit or even a finger of your Kit-Kat. I will nod apologetically and decline and you might ask “On a diet are you?”. I’ll answer that yes I am and that I eat Paleo now.
Directed By: John Carpenter
“Death has come to your little town, sheriff.”
I couldn’t resist. I tried viewing something else but the allure is too strong. So this year, again, I’ve watched Halloween. It’s appropriate after all, like watching A Christmas Carol or Die Hard over Christmas. There’s really nothing better for getting in the mood than a good movie. So even after all this time what can I say about it? Well nothing I’ve not said before and on numerous occasions. The movie just works. After countless viewings I’m always finding something to appreciate.
Directed By: Michael Dougherty
“Always check your candy.”
I guess it was the news that it was getting a sequel that made me want to watch it, but I couldn’t help diving into the world of Trick ‘R Treat again for Halloween. It seemed the most appropriate time of the year to watch it after all.
Directed By: Tommy Lee Wallace
” I do love a good joke and this is the best ever: a joke on the children.”
No, it’s not named after the fantastic Donovan track, it’s one of the most bizarre sequels in all of filmdom.
Directed By: Wes Craven (Hello again Wes!)
“Fuck Bruce Willis.”
“Almost there” is a pretty frustrating place to be in movie terms. An idea that’s not fully realised can sometimes be as bad as not having one at all. Such is the case with Scream 4. A movie that, despite its faults, is still better than Scream 3.
Is This Thing On? 