10 Times 'Rick and Morty' Pulled on Our Heart Strings

Rick and Morty is an adult animated series created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland that follows the continuing misadventures of the young Morty Smith and his alcoholic scientist grandfather Rick. Ever since the show began in 2013 it has reached high acclaim due to its clever writing, numerous cultural references and offbeat humour, gaining it a massive fanbase. However, among all of the bizarre situations and off-colour jokes, at times Rick and Morty can get really bloody emotional. Over the course of its two seasons there have been a number of moments where the show really pulled on our heart strings, so here are just ten of those moments that I feel have been the most tear-inducing. Warning, possible spoilers ahead.

10. Roy- Mortynight Run

While Rick and Morty stop at an intergalactic arcade called Blips & Chitz, Morty comes across a role playing game called Roy where the player takes control of a character named Roy and basically lives out the characters life. In a short sequence we see Morty playing as Roy where he becomes a football player, starts a family and even battles cancer before ultimately falling off a ladder and dying, leading to a Game Over. The sequence itself has nothing to do with the story but in such a short space of time we watch this character of Roy develop, and somehow we actually grow to like this fictional video game character. So when Roy does finally die just after receiving his 'Worlds Greatest Dad' trophy, it is surprisingly emotional. R.I.P. Roy.

9. Mr. Poopybutthole Gets Shot- Total Rickall

In this episode, the Smith family come under attack by mysterious brain parasites who alter memories and take the form of wacky characters in order to convince the host that they have been long time friends. The parasites manifest themselves as a number of wacky characters such as Pencilvester and Mr. Beauregard, but among all of these characters is a mysterious little yellow man named Mr. Poopybutthole. From the beginning the audience are led to believe that Mr. Poopybutthole was a parasite, despite claiming to be a longtime family friend. Towards the end, Morty's mother Beth suspects Mr. Poopybutthole to be a parasite and shoots him, only to reveal that he was in fact a longtime family friend. While the Smith family tend to Mr. Poopybutthole's wounds, a panicked Beth begins to drown her sorrows in a bottle of wine, it's pretty distressing to say the least. Luckily enough, the loveable yellow guy survived the gunshot, but seeing him learning to walk again at the end of the episode and Beth's sheer guilt is all pretty tragic. 

8. Snuffles- The Lawnmower Dog

In this episode Snuffles, the Smith family dog, gains increased intelligence thanks to a helmet built for him by Rick. However, Snuffles soon becomes annoyed at how the Smiths treat him and begins to rebel by building a robotic suit for himself and creating an army of other hyper intelligent dogs. He and his army then set about enslaving human kind and taking over the world, however he decides to keep Morty as his pet as he was the only one to ever show him kindness. However, it is soon revealed that the dogs taking over was in fact a dream 'incepted' by Rick in order to stop Snuffles. In the dream, Rick poisons Morty in order to show Snuffles that taking over the world would be a bad thing. In a touching scene, Snuffles fights for Morty's life until he can do no more, he wakes up and realises his errors before he and his army of dogs leave for another dimension. Seeing someone losing their dog is never easy to watch, even in this bizarre context.

7. Jerry and Doofus Rick- Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind

Morty's dad Jerry has always had a hard time finding acceptance, from his job, his wife, his family, nobody ever seems to have time for him. In this episode when a number of alternate Rick's arrive in the Smith families dimension, Jerry befriends the kindest, albeit least intelligent of them. The two share a close bond throughout the episode, both of them finding some sort of acceptance in each other and to be honest it's pretty nice to see something finally go right for Jerry. However, at the end of the episode when the conflict is resolved, all of the alternate Rick's must return to their respective dimensions and this includes Doofus Rick. Before he leaves, the two share a warm farewell before parting ways for good. Poor, poor Jerry.

6. Birdperson Dies- The Wedding Squanchers

Birdperson was introduced in the season one finale as a friend of Rick's from years ago. Like Rick, it is believed that Birdperson had committed crimes against the Galactic Federation, despite this he seems kind in nature and very wise. In the finale of season two the Smith family attend Birdperson's marriage to his fiance Tammy, but just as things are going well for the likeable Birdperson it is revealed that his bride was in fact and undercover agent for the Galactic Federation. A gunfight ensues and Birdperson is tragically killed in the crossfire on his own wedding day. While not a lot of time is spent dwelling on his death, one can't help feel sad for the humble Birdperson meeting his demise. In a later scene Rick looks at a photo of himself with Birdperson and their other friend Squanchy, he is clearly upset due to the loss of his friend. Birdperson will live on forever in our hearts.

5. Morty Comes Clean to Summer- Rixty Minutes

Ok so in an earlier episode a chain of events led Rick and Morty to leave their own dimension and move to a new one where the Rick and Morty of that dimension died in an accident. The duo bury their alternate dimension counterparts and take their place for the rest of the show, as this dimension is basically identical to their old one however, nothing has changed. So in this episode, Rick's sister Summer begins to blame herself for her parents unhappy marriage after discovering she was an unplanned pregnancy. As she packs, Morty reveals that every day he has to wake up knowing that his own mutilated corpse is buried in his back garden, explaining that 'nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody's going to die'. Not only is this the first time that Morty opens up about this clearly traumatic event, but it's the first time he really connects with Summer and marks their transition from bickering siblings to a more friendlier relationship. 

4. Jerry and Beth Reconcile- Rixty Minutes

In that same episode, Jerry and Beth's ever declining marriage appears to be getting worse. Upon seeing alternate versions of themselves through interdimensional cable television where they are unmarried and successful, they begin to seriously question their marriage. In this alternate reality Beth is a successful heart surgeon while Jerry is a famous actor, leading the real Beth and Jerry to ponder whether or not their marriage was a mistake. However, when alternate Jerry has a mental breakdown he drives to alternate Beth's house where he confesses his love for her and reveals how leaving her was a mistake. As the alternate Beth and Jerry reconcile, the real Beth and Jerry realise that their marriage may not be a mistake and lovingly embrace each other. Although they do still fight consistently in the episodes that follow, it's nice to see the two finally showing each other some appreciation in this very poignant scene.  

3. Morty Buries Himself- Rick Potion #9

In this episode, as I mentioned before, Rick and Morty mess up their own dimension so bad that they must flee to another dimension where their alternate selves have died. Rick and Morty then bury their alternate counterparts and while Rick does so nonchalantly, Morty is clearly traumatised by it all. It's not only because he just buried his own mutilated corpse, but also because things in his old dimension weren't so bad. Sure, most of humanity had been transformed into mutated 'Cronenberg' creatures, but the Smith family seemed much happier and Beth and Jerry's marriage seemed to have been repaired. However, in this new dimension things are the way they were before the Cronenberg incident and Morty's parents are back to fighting incessantly among each other. Struggling with the trauma of burying himself and adjusting back to his unhappy life, Morty sits in silence as the world around him continues as normal. It was one of the first times where the show got really dark and left me feeling pretty shit after watching it.

2. Rick's Attempted Suicide- Auto Erotic Assimilation

But it only got darker from there. In this episode, Rick reunites with an old flame of his named unity, a collective hivemind entity who assimilates many different hosts used to communicate and carry out a number of functions. Rick, Morty and Summer arrive on the planet inhabited by Unity where she has assimilated the entire population, creating a utopian society. Rick and Unity rekindle their old love and the two proceed to party and indulge in a number of bizarre acts. However, this causes Unity to lose control of some of her citizens causing utter chaos, she soon realises that as much as she wants to be with Rick she simply cannot and the two separate. Upon arriving home, a heartbroken Rick sits alone in his garage where he sticks his head in a death ray in the hope of killing himself, however he passes out just before it hits him. This was an extremely dark moment in the show, Rick rarely ever displays genuine emotion so to see him in such a dark place where he would attempt to take his own life is extremely upsetting.

1. Rick Turns Himself In- The Wedding Squanchers

However, for me the most emotional moment on the show came at the finale of season 2. The episode sees the Smith family on the run from the Galactic Federation for Rick's crimes committed prior to the events of the show. The family are forced to live in hiding on a tiny planet and are unable to return to their home on Earth. Rick soon realises that if he turns himself in then his family would be free to return home, however he is reluctant to do so as he fears that he will upset his daughter Beth. In the end, he leaves after telling the Smiths that he was going to get ice cream. He then stops at a bar for one last drink before mourning the loss of Birdperson and finally turning himself in. He is taken to an intergalactic prison where he is forced to live out his sentence while the rest of the Smith family return to Earth, visibly upset. And all to the tune of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt'. It's a really emotional sequence, especially as it came at the end of the season, we are still waiting to find out what will happen to Rick and the Smith family. One can only hope that they will be reunited in the third season.

Surprisingly emotional stuff for such a hilarious cartoon, the writers have certainly found the balance between outlandish comedy and sheer emotion and it's nice to see this much care put into the show. Rick and Morty will return some time before the year ends (hopefully) so that's something to look forward to. If you've got some favourite Rick and Morty moments that made you laugh, cry or even vomit then let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!

'Lights Out' Review

About 3 years ago, the world was scared stiff by a little short film entitled Lights Out, written and directed by David F. Sandberg. The film went viral and Sandberg gained notable acclaim for putting together such a horrifying tale in merely two minutes. Now Sandberg has returned with a feature-length reimagining of his original short, Lights Out. The film is a supernatural horror film starring Teresa Palmer, Maria Bello and Gabriel Bateman as a family who become terrorised by a mysterious being called Diana who can only appear when the lights are out. While the film does have some flaws, altogether it is an enjoyable little horror film.

Sandberg uses familiar horror tropes in Lights Out in order to scare the audience, and although it is pretty heavy on the jumpscares, most of the time they are very well executed and there is this underlying feeling of suspense right from the get go. Sandberg makes excellent use of lighting and shadows, leaving us constantly anticipating where Diana, the films antagonist, will spring from next. The film soon becomes a fun game of sorts where every dark corner and shadowy hall is off limits and any sliver of light is sanctuary and for the most part it's a lot of fun. The protagonists constantly fight to keep the lights on while Diana takes advantage of any bit of darkness she can, it does get a bit tedious after a while and towards the end the whole lights on/lights off thing gets a bit repetitive, however its 81 minute run time stops it from getting too dragged out. Diana herself is a terrifying creation, a dark figure with long, spindly fingers and scraggy hair with two shining eyes peeping out from the darkness, she has the audience on edge whenever she springs out from the shadows. Diana is sure to join the long line of iconic movie monsters.

The film also boasts some very strong performances, Teresa Palmer plays Rebecca, the primary protagonists who fights to save her little brother Martin (Bateman) from the sinister Diana. Palmer gives a great performance and brings to life a rather likeable character who the audience roots for throughout. The stand out performance for me however, was Maria Bello as Sophie, the mother of Rebecca and Martin. She gives a powerful, almost harrowing performance as a woman struggling with inner demons both figurative and literal. Her and Palmer share a great mother/daughter chemistry onscreen and manage to bring a layer of emotion to the film. I also enjoyed Alexander DiPersia as Rebecca's boyfriend Bret, he acts as a comic relief of sorts throughout the film and his confrontation with Diana in the final act is quite funny despite teetering on being plain silly. While the acting is all very strong, the cast are let down by a poor script that's full of cringe-worthy dialogue that feels unnatural and at times out of place. They make some of the films most emotional moments laughable and really bring it down at some parts, luckily the acting manages to make some of the terrible dialogue bearable.

The films visuals are one of its strongest points, hats off to the cinematographer Marc Spicer for the incredible use of lighting throughout. Lighting and shadows are used very much as a storytelling device in Lights Out and it works very well. I particularly enjoyed the sinister red lighting in Rebecca's apartment from the tattoo parlour outside, fading on and off and giving Diana an advantage over her. The lighting and shadowing, along with a consistent atmosphere of tension allow for some pretty clever scares throughout. No scene feels safe in this film, each one feels like it has some purpose and that Diana could jump from the shadows at any time which is how the tension is kept so consistent. However this does cause the film to feel a little rushed at times, especially when Rebecca is investigating Diana's backstory, at times it feels as though the film could slow down just a bit to allow for a little more development. With such a short runtime it's hard not to feel like Lights Out was a little rushed, however I feel if it ran on for any longer the whole concept would have just gotten warn out.

Lights Out is a fun film with strong performances, clever scares and an a sense of emotion that allows us to care for our protagonist. However, even despite the short runtime, the scares do feel a little repetitive and at times it feels as though the filmmakers were trying to cram as much shocks into the 81 minutes as they could. It's because of this that the film feels so rushed, it spends every scene trying to scare us or at least fool us into thinking we'll be scared, that it never takes the time to just slow down and take a breather. It's a film with such a powerful emotional heart that could have been developed a lot more with even just a couple of scenes dedicated to it. However, it does finish just as the formula gets monotonous so I suppose it was right to end things there. The script does the film no favours either but thankfully it is redeemed by the excellent cast. Lights Out does have flaws and does suffer from familiarity now and again, but for the most part it is a clever and entertaining little film that sets up a promising career for director David F. Sandberg.

Upcoming Horror Films- 2016

So we're 8 months into 2016 and so far it's safe to say that it's been a good year for horror cinema. From the spine-chilling suspense horror The Witch, to Nicolas Winding Refn's stylishly profane The Neon Demon, 2016 has seen a number of terrifyingly entertaining, vastly different horror films that have done a wonderful job at keeping the genre alive. However, the year is not yet over and there are still a number of interesting looking horror films set to be released in the next 4 months. Here are some worth looking forward to.

Leatherface

When I first heard that yet another remake/reboot/whatever of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was in the works I was less than enthusiastic. However, when I later heard it was being helmed by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, the duo behind the twisted Inside, I found a little glimmer of hope. Instead of re-telling Tobe Hooper's classic tale of terror, Leatherface will focus on a young Leatherface (Sam Strike) as he escapes from a mental asylum and will supposedly tell the tale of how he came to wear the mask. Stephen Dorff has also been cast as a Texas Ranger in pursuit of Leatherface and co. something that echoes The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as well. By the looks of things it will be an original story that incorporates elements from past films, which really could go one way or the other. With Bustillo and Maury behind the camera it could be a really gritty and grizzly film, but is the story of young Leatherface really necessary? And could it work? Regardless, it is hard not to be excited to return to the world of Texas Chainsaw yet again. There have not been any trailers released yet so it's unsure whether or not the film will be released this year, the filmmakers however, are supposedly aiming for a 2016 release.

31

When it comes to Rob Zombie, his films and music, you either love him or hate him. Personally I enjoy his work (bar Halloween 2), and when news came that he had a new film in the works I couldn't help feel a shiver of excitement. 31 tells the tale of a group of carnies who are kidnapped on the night before Halloween and forced to play a twisted game of survival called '31'. Oh and they're also up against a group of fiendishly violent clowns led by the psychotic Doom Head (Richard Brake). It gained mixed reviews when it premiered at Sundance this year but that's to be expected from a Rob Zombie film to be fair. From the trailer it looks quite gritty and gruesome, it also retains that 1970's aesthetic that Zombie has utilised in his previous films as well. The cast is full of Zombie regulars such as Malcolm McDowell, Meg Foster and his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie while fellow bandmate John 5 is on soundtrack duty, nice to see him getting the old gang back together. So will 31 live up to Zombie's greatest success The Devil's Rejects or fall flat like his Halloween remakes? All will be revealed this September when 31 is released. Until then, you can watch the trailer here.

Blair Witch

Initially marketed under the pseudonym The Woods, the film was revealed at San Diego Comic Con this year as a quasi-sequel to the acclaimed found footage horror film The Blair Witch Project. Directed by Adam Wingard of You're Next fame, the film is set to follow the brother of Heather from the original film, and his friends, as they set out to uncover the truth about the legend of The Blair Witch. While the plot details have been kept heavily under wraps, the film has been praised so far for it's clever twist and has been compared to other horror films such as The Cabin in the Woods, that's enough to get me excited for this one. Judging by how Wingard and writer Simon Barrett breathed new life into home invasion films with You're Next, it will be interesting to see how they handle the somewhat overdone fund footage genre by essentially taking it back to its roots. The reviews have all been positive so far and the juicy plot details have still been kept under wraps so we will have to wait until September to see what happens in Blair Witch. You can watch the trailer here.

Don't Breathe

Two years ago, Fede Alvarez surprised us all with his fantastic remake of The Evil Dead, now he returns with his leading lady Jane Levy in his suspenseful looking horror film Don't Breathe. The film sees Levy playing a teenage delinquent named Rocky who, along with her friends, breaks into the home of an old blind man (Stephen Lang) in order to steal from a safe that supposedly lies in his basement. However, things take an unexpected turn when the blind man is revealed to be a little less helpless and a lot more ruthless than he seems. Alvarez seems to be relying more on tension than gore with this one, but from the trailer it seems as though it works very well. The film looks extremely suspenseful and Lang's mysterious blind man looks utterly terrifying, he's like a cross between Stick from Daredevil and an older, more unhinged Kevin MacAllister. Alvarez may be taking a completely different route from Evil Dead but it looks as if Don't Breathe will be equally, if not more horrifying. The film is set to be released at the end of this month, here's the trailer  to get you in the mood.

Lights Out

Not too long ago a little short film entitled Lights Out went viral, being dubbed as one of the scariest short films ever made. Now David Sandberg, the man behind Lights Out has turned his short film into a feature length one that looks equally as terrifying. Expanding on the concept of the original, Lights Out follows a malevolent spirit that only appears in the dark and who begins to terrorize a young woman named Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) and her family. Lights Out looks like it's set to be an instant classic, already it has been met with acclaim upon being released in America and it's only a few more days until it hits theaters here in Ireland and the UK. I love the concept and from the trailer the film looks pretty terrifying, and although I'm a bit skeptical that what made the original so great won't work in feature length, I have faith in Sandberg and that he has a few more tricks up his sleeve. Sandberg has already displayed his skills for executing jumpscares so if it can remain as consistently scary as the original short film then Lights Out is sure to be one to remember. The film is out at the end of the week so to get you in the mood, here's the original short and the trailer.

So that's just a taste of what the horror genre has to offer in the coming months, it's already been a brilliant year for the genre so lets hope that these films will maintain that consistency.

'Southbound' Review

Anthology films have been around for decades, from Dead of Night to V/H/S, they have proven to be a popular genre of horror even today. One of the most recent of these anthology horrors is a little film called Southbound which follows 5 intertwining tales of terror all set around the same mysterious desert road. After having heard many good things about Southbound, I decided to finally give it a watch today and I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh and entertaining it was. While the film is oozing with tension and atmosphere, along with having some very bloody moments, it also takes a completely new route in terms of story which makes it all the more unpredictable and exciting.

The film is split up into 5 very different segments that are carefully woven together, the first segment 'The Way Out' directed by Radio Silence follows 2 men on the run from mysterious floating demons. 'Siren', directed by Roxanne Benjamin then follows 3 girls who spend the night at a mysterious couples home after their van breaks down, this runs directly into David Bruckner's 'The Accident' where a man must put his skills to the test in order to save a young girls life. The fourth, and weakest segment 'Jailbreak' directed by Patrick Horvath sees a man desperately searching for his lost sister while the fifth and final segment 'The Way In', also by Radio Silence, sees a family come under attack by a trio of masked men. The segments are all very different in terms of plot however, they all share the same gritty style and dark tone which adds a sense of consistency to the film. Along with that, the transitions between the segments are all quite clever and each segment flows seamlessly into the next. It's a very well structured film that differs a lot from most anthologies and works extremely well.

It is a very suspenseful film and although it's an anthology, it is paced much like any other horror film. The first segment sets the tone and the atmosphere, the second (and my personal favourite) sees tension slowly build before flowing into the third segment that is incredibly suspenseful and blood soaked. Sadly the film slacks a bit in the fourth segment which is a bit disappointing considering how well it had been doing until then, but thankfully the climax makes up for it with an unexpected plot twist of sorts. All of the directors do a superb job at building suspense which is only amplified by the chilling synthy score by The Gifted, the whole film has this The Hitcher meets Carnival of Souls vibe that works really well (the latter even appears a couple of times on tele throughout the film). The cast all do wonderful jobs in their respective roles, I particularly enjoyed the eeriely eccentric couple Betty and Dale (Susan Burke and Davey Johnson respectively), and Mather Zickel's Lucas who finds himself being pushed to both his physical and psychological limits while attempting to save a young woman's life. Oh and of course I must give a mention to the husky-voiced radio DJ voiced by Larry Fessenden, he provides some truly memorable and clever dialogue throughout.

This is a film that is full of mystery and intrigue, right from the get go we are plunged into this bizarre story without any context or information. This is a continuing trend throughout the film, as we slip into each segment we find ourselves smack bang in the middle of a story that is already in motion and before we can get any explanation or resolve we find ourselves slipping out of that segment and into the next like some twisted dream. It is this sense of uncertainty and fear of the unknown that the film thrives off, it leaves viewers pondering and forming their own conclusions instead of providing each segment with traditional narrative closure. 'Less is more' as the old saying goes. If you're expecting to get some sort of final resolve at the end of it all as you may be disappointed, the film doesn't exactly end in the traditional sense (I don't want to give away too much), but it works and keeps in line with the rest of the films narrative. If you're the type of person who insists on a traditional ending and narrative then I'd skip this one, but if you're open to something completely different then this is the film for you.

Southbound is a stylish and fresh film that teases the senses and stimulates the mind. While it does occasionally get caught in the pitfalls of typical horror tropes and slacks a bit in the final act, it brings something new to the table and manages to keep a consistent atmosphere of dread for the most part. Its score and cinematography give it a distinctive 80's style that makes it aesthetically pleasing as well. The narrative is a bit out there and will not appeal to everybody, but if you go into Southbound with an open mind then you may find yourself feeling pleasantly surprised by the results. Another brilliantly original horror anthology.

My Favourite Film

Everybody has a favourite film, some may find it hard to pick just one but we all have at least one film that really stands out to us above the rest. Last week I asked the people of Twitter to tell me about their favourite films, their thoughts on it, why they liked it etc. And while the response was minimal I was delighted to see that those who did respond all showed sheer passion for their respective films, each looking at them from different angles and perspectives. It was a pleasure reading peoples thoughts on their own favourite films and writing about my own and now I am lucky enough to present them all to you, so here it is: People talking about films.

A Clockwork Orange
(By Yours Truly)

Without a doubt my favourite film would have to be A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the novel by Anthony Burgess. Set against the backdrop of a dystopian future, the film follows bowler-hat-wearing teenage delinquent Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) as he begins to face the consequences for his violent and horrific actions. While the plot, characters and unique nadsat dialogue arel Burgesses work, the distinctive style and memorable visuals are all Kubrick’s doing. Through a combination of the outlandish sets, colourful costumes and his own masterful direction, Kubrick creates this very distinctive universe in which the film takes place. He takes familiar locations like a council estate or a local record shop and distorts or exaggerates them to create a twisted version of our own world. And that's exactly what this film is, twisted beyond belief. The novel deals with many sensitive subjects such as ultraviolence and sexual abuse, yet somehow Kubrick manages to bring these to the screen with a sense of class. Many of the film’s most violent scenes are juxtaposed by the classical music that plays during them. As Alex and his Droogs beat up a rival gang to the tune of ‘the thieving magpie’, we forget how brutally violent it really is because the scene just looks so elegant. Through music and brilliantly choreographed fight scenes, Kubrick manages to turn violence into something beautiful, an art form almost, and that's something that I feel no other filmmaker has accomplished to such an extent since.

Of course the film would not be complete without its leading man and Malcolm McDowell does a fantastic job of bringing to life the nasty Alex DeLarge. Many people criticise his acting abilities but I find McDowells performance hard to fault, the scene where he prepares to rape a young woman while performing his own rendition of Singing in the Rain is heavily unsettling because of McDowell. Singing in the Rain wasn't even in the script, it was all improvised by him. Along with that, McDowell takes a character who is the very embodiment of scum yet manages to make him sympathetic. Despite all of his wicked deeds in the film’s first act, we genuinely want Alex to prevail when things begin to go downhill. Never has such an evil little bollocks been so likeable. A Clockwork Orange is a film with style, it's a film with social commentary, it's a film with tremendous attention to detail and wonderful performances all around. It's evident that Kubrick put immense effort into this film, every frame highlights his skills and sheer devotion to his craft, you can tell that he was a man who really cared about the films he made. Kubrick was the master and A Clockwork Orange is his masterpiece.

Man of Steel

(By Sam Comrie/ @ALittleResolve)

Man of Steel is a polarizing reinvention of the Boy Scout superhero we all know and love. Snyder, using an approach of intricate and beautifully personal single cam cinematography, exploits Kal-El’s perfections to show us just how vulnerable a man with god tier power really is. We’ve seen Christopher Reeve and many others in the role of Superman, but other than Smallville, we’ve never seen where the moral compass of Kal-El begins and how a being with enormous responsibility experiences emotions. The final act is one of immense controversy but necessary to show us just how inexperienced Superman is at this point.
He has only been “Superman” for about 6 days after all by the end of Man of Steel. As a lifelong fan of this character, I always found that this character was compelling for most of the reasons some would call him “boring”. His initial disconnect from humanity and seeming perfection make Kal-El incredibly compelling as we see him figure what it means to be a part of society long after his world has perished. We all feel like we’re distant from the crowd at some point in our life but we are all unified by a force for good: Hope.
The first flight sequence in this movie, masterfully scored by Hans Zimmer, is a poignant examination of potential, will and hope. “You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun, Kal. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”

If you’d like to hear more from Sam, check out his YouTube channel here.

Taxi Driver

(By Adam Edgeworth/ @wh0a_nelly)

Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. I seen it at a younger more impressionable age when I was only starting to truly appreciate cinema and it was absolutely fascinating. The opening shot of the taxi slowly making it's way through the fog of the New York street accompanied by Bernard Hermann's beautifully unsettling score will forever be embedded in my mind. Paul Schrader's screenplay is raw and foreboding, portraying a man who's fed up with how the world is around him and will do anything to try and "wash all this scum off the streets". It's De Niro's best performance and one of the best character portrayals in all of cinema.

If you’d like to read more from Mr. Edgeworth, you can check out his blog here.

Drive

(By Stephanie Greene/ @disco_veryy)

'Drive' is a stylish art house film directed by Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn. The film sees Ryan Gosling take on the role of a loner stunt driver who gets wrapped up in a series of dangerous situations. The film follows Driver(Gosling) a Hollywood stunt racer who moonlights as a getaway driver. Gosling is superb in the role, silent and radiating mystery. The Driver forms a close bond with his neighbour Irene(Carey Mulligan) and her young son. Unaware of Irene's ex con husband(Oscar Isaac) the driver develops feelings for his neighbour, but when her husband is released from prison the loner stunt driver gets wrapped up in trouble involving Irene's husband and dangerous criminals. Drive' was once intended as a fast and furious type blockbuster, but when Refn got involved with the film he created something completely different. Refn's directorial style, with his attention to framing, lighting and camera angles, is a perfect match for Gosling's performance as the Driver. Refn is very good with actors, paring down the dialogue in the script by Hossein Amini(adapted from James Sallis' novel) so that the backstory must play out on the actors faces. With Refn's fantastic directorial skills, mesmerising cinematography from Newton Thomas Sigel, and an 80's synthy score from Cliff Martinez, Drive is a film that is so visually pleasing and also oozes with great style and substance

Donnie Darko

(By Michael McCreary/ @MickMccreary)

Donnie Darko is a film with so many different  characters. Take the main character Donnie played the the incredible Jake Gyllenhaal, he's not your average teenage boy he suffers from emotional problems, sleepwalks and sees imaginary bunnies. But somewhere in all that madness is a loveable character that says how we feel sometimes. Example in the scene when they are giving the exercise on Fear and Love he questions the exercise and argues that there is more to life and every situation than 2 emotions. He’s standing up for something he believes is right while all the other students were doing what they were told without hesitation. In a way of looking at that with most school experiences is fairly accurate as he gets told not to question it and if he does he'll "get a zero for the day". He's not the popular kid at school so he didn't do it to impress his friends he did it cause he felt he needed to or that he feels all these emotions of any teenage boy such as anger frustration etc... Or when he argues in class that a human life is more important than the life of a Bunnie because bunnies have no fear of death.
The film is set in the late 80’s and captures the style of the 80’s brilliantly. Especially on Patrick Swayze's character. His clothes and suits have a very 80’s retro look that looks authentic and genuinely 80’s. There's even the way the sets are decorated from the older model cars just lying around the background to the shrinks office filled with all these big fancy thick books to the big awkwardly designed carpet in the middle of the room.
Then there's the overall film itself which even if a person doesn't like the movie it still holds up for great conversation and debates and isn't that the idea of media to get people to interact with one another. The narrative of the film isn't as straightforward like most movies it’s a time travel movie that barely talks about time travel and doesn't even have any time travel in it until the last 15 minutes. It’s a story that was written in such a way that requires multiple viewings and attention to detail along with discussions to nearly uncover and while doing so you learn a lot about the topic at hand. Each viewing is almost like watching a different movie as you piece more things together and notice things you've never noticed before. Once you uncover that the story line in set in a tangent universe the film starts to make sense of itself even though it’s never mentioned it requires you to look further into the film and theories of time travel to discover that which is amazing it’s requiring you to use your own brain and think about things. No matter how you feel about the movie you'll always remember it or have something to say on it weather it be for the demonic like Bunnie, the confusion of the story or maybe it was even that film that introduced you to Mad World in its closing scene. Everybody takes something away from Donnie Darko. That’s the beauty of Donnie Darko. The film also may even share some similarities to Hamlet. In a way that there's quite a few similarities in the story and characters. Being in hamlet he is visited by a ghost, who tells the antagonist to do certain things to move the story along. Donnie is visited by a Bunnie who does almost the same thing. Donnie has 2 close friends in the movie who aren't really the most intelligent and they add a bit of comedy to the storyline. They can be compared to Rosencrantz and Guikdenstern from Hamlet. Hamlet’s girlfriend dies. Donnie's Girlfriend Gretchen also Dies in the final act. Finally the hero we've grown to love of these 2 different stories both suffer fatal endings in the final moments.
Donnie Darko’s ending is open to a lot more discussion though on what it all meant and stuff seeing as he went back in time to a previous event that takes place in the first half of the movie. A lot of people think he done it to save his girlfriend others think he was chosen by Frank and all those random events that happen throughout the movie aren't random but are all essential to the ending of the movie. I believe the great thing about Donnie Darko is that is was intended to be that way so the audience each have their own opinion and that the film can be whatever it needs them to be.

So there you have it folks, five very different films being discussed by five different people. I'd like to thank Sam, Edge, Stephanie and Michael for their contributions to this post, it's been a pleasure guys. I'd also like to thank those of you who read this blog, it means a lot to me so thank you very much. If you like any of these films and have your own opinion or even an opinion on your favourite film then let me know in the comments! Until next time folks.

'Suicide Squad' Review

After Dawn of Justice proved to be less than popular among critics, David Ayer's Suicide Squad found a new responsibility fall on its shoulders. Along with further expanding the DCEU, introducing new characters and setting things up for Justice League, it also had to fix the mistakes of Dawn of Justice and ultimately save the DCEU. And while it doesn't exactly redeem things, Suicide Squad is highly entertaining and humourous film that leaves fans wanting more. The film follows a team of supervillains called 'Task Force X' who are forced into participating in suicide missions which in return, will reduce the length of their prison sentence.
I'm going to start with this films flaws, and while I hoped there would be very little of these, there were unfortunately quite a few that really bring down the film. One of the main flaws is the plot, a pretty integral part of any film. While the first act does a brilliant job of setting up the squad and introducing its members, the second and third provide a mere rehash of previous superhero movies. An underdeveloped villain with unclear motivations, a couple of plot holes and, that's right, a giant energy beam shooting into the sky. Because at this stage every comic book film needs to climax with the baddie shooting a giant energy beam into the sky. The editing doesn't do the film any favour's either and simply makes the film look messy and uneven.
Apart from a couple of minutes of background info on Cara Delevingne's Enchantress there's not a lot of development given to the films antagonists or their evil scheme, it involves a giant beam though obviously. Delevingne does a decent job of portraying both Enchantress and her alter ego June Moone but isn't really given enough to do here, she is essentially just a reimagined version of Gozer from Ghostbusters. The secondary antagonist, Incubus, gets even less development and is literally a walking mess of amateur CGI, like honestly the worst CGI I've ever seen. Jared Leto on the other hand, does a great job as the Joker and brings his own unique flare to the character instead of mimicking the performances of Heath Ledger or Jack Nicholson. However there just isn't really enough of him to have any lasting impact, he's very imposing and looks pretty frightening but there isn't much he can do with his 15 minutes of screentime. That's right, after being practically plastered over this films marketing Leto's Joker gets that amount of screentime. Also the whole idea of him being 'in love' with Harley was a bit..eh, different. I'm still not quite sure if it worked or not as it completely changes their chemistry.
Perhaps the films saving grace is it's fantastic ensemble cast who all shine in their respective roles. Will Smith brings his signature wit and sass to the character of Deadshot while also managing to give him some emotional heart, a lot of focus is placed on him in the film. Margot Robbie does a wonderful job of bringing Harley Quinn to life, the voice, the attitude, the ability to be annoying yet likeable at the same time, I can't think of anybody who could have done a better job on Harley. Viola Davis is perfect as Amanda Waller, the woman who assembles the squad, stern and no-nonesense, she's just as ruthless as the 'bad guys' in the squad. Joel Kinnaman gives a strong performance as Rick Flag, the teams supervisor, while Jay Hernandez is excellent as El Diablo, a moral compass of sorts for the team which works in some ways but at times we question why a pacifist is even on the squad. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is brilliant as the Silent Bob type Killer Croc, not saying much but making an impact when he does, I am delighted that this character has finally made it to the big screen. The biggest revelation however, Jai Courtney can act?? The man who reduced Kyle Reese to a dull, lifeless character is arguably one of the funniest things about Suicide Squad as the beer drinking, pink unicorn-loving Captain Boomerang. They all do a fantastic job of bringing to life the Squad members despite being a little less villainous than they should have been.
It's a pretty stylish film all the same, bringing to life that distinct comic book aesthetic that I feel not many superhero movies have done. It's not afraid to break away from the restraints of reality and be a bit camp and colourful at times. It's visually distinctive from other superhero films, courtesy of Ayer's direction and the impressive cinematography, and this really works in the films favour. Not everything translates from comic to screen so well however, El Diablo's final form or the aforementioned Incubus for example are pretty ridiculous looking thanks to the woeful CGI. As part of its unique style the film retains a sense of humour, something Batman vs Superman was criticised for lacking. And although some jokes fall flat, generally they make for a really fun and enjoyable film. Another improvement on BvS is that it really picks up the pace, its intense and well choreographed action sequences at times make this film a thrilling experience. Everyone in this film just looks like they're having an absolute blast doing what they're doing.
Suicide Squad is a fun and stylish film that fixes some of the flaws of BvS such as humour and pacing, however its thin plot and sloppy editing inhibit it from doing anything really groundbreaking. The cast are all wonderful in their roles and bring a sense of humour to the film while the direction and cinematography create a unique style that suits the film really well. It's enjoyable for the most part and had a lot of potential, but unfortunately Suicide Squad falls into the trap of comic book movie cliché's. However, it is a step in the right direction for DC, if they can get their act together after this then maybe they can still stand a chance.

'Preacher', What to Expect From Season 2

After a relatively slow build, the first season of AMC's Preacher came to an explosive finish on Sunday night, leaving many viewers shocked yet excited for what's to come. Preacher is based off the comics by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and follows smalltown preacher, Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper) who gains mysterious powers after bonding with an entity called Genesis.Showrunners Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Sam Catlin did a great job of bringing to life the world of the comics, from the characters to the general tone it felt like it was doing Ennis and Dillon's comics great justice. However, they also put their own spin on things to keep it more interesting and unpredictable even for those familiar with the comics. The pace was slowed way down, characters like Odin Quinncannon (Jackie Earle Haley) and Hugo Root (W. Earl Brown) were more human than their comic book counterparts and in general things felt a lot more developed. This makes the future of the show a bit unclear even for those who have read the comics, but judging from the events of the show and what happens in the comics I have put together a couple of predictions for the second season of Preacher. Mild spoilers ahead.

Road Trip!

With God declared missing and Annville reduced to smithereens, the season finale saw Jesse, Tulip (Ruth Negga) and Cassidy (Joe Gilgun) hit the road in search of the big man himself. This is essentially where the comics begin so it's safe to assume that from here on out the show will follow the source material more closely. If that's true then it's possible that we'll see our trio of heroes travelling all over America, encountering a variety of strange characters. From New York and the deranged serial killer known as the Reaver Cleaver to San Francisco and the perverted hedonist Jesus DeSade, the possibilities are endless for Jesse and co. in season 2 if the writers decide to follow the plot of the comics. One thing is for certain though and that is the pace will be sped up a fair bit now that the gang are out on the road.

Family Matters

We have already been given a brief insight into Jesse's past in season one, his relationship with his father, his father's death etc. But that merely scratched the surface of Jesse Custer's troubled childhood. In the comics we learn that he was raised by his nasty, bible thumping grandmother Marie L'Angelle and her duo of sadistic henchmen, Jody and T.C. who were also responsible for the death of his father. We have seen a number of hints at these characters, Jesse mentioning a 'mean old lady', his tattoo, his father's death, these cannot simply be mere throwaway lines. Most likely season 2 will delve deeper into Jesse's past and his miserable time at Angelville, giving more details on his horrible grandmother and the men who killed his father. They could even be introduced to the main story like in the comics, going after Jesse and taking him back home, I think it would be a great storyline to explore but at the end of the day I don't write the show. Only time will tell how exactly these characters will be introduced but from what's happened so far on the show I can only assume that they will at least appear in flashbacks and hopefully in a larger role at a later point.

When the Saints Go Marching In

Season one saw a number of mysterious flashbacks regarding a figure known only as The Cowboy (Graham McTavish), a mysterious gunslinger from the Old West who resided in hell until being called upon by Adephi angels Fiore (Tom Brooke) and DeBlanc (Anatol Yusef). In the final scene of the finale, The Cowboy stands in the remains of Annville after leaving hell, looking into the distance and plotting to kill Jesse and complete his mission. Fans of Ennis and Dillon's comics will know that this 'cowboy' is in fact The Saint of Killers, an immortal bounty hunter with supernatural abilities who is tasked with killing Jesse. The Saint is a prominent baddie in the Preacher comics and acts as a constant threat to Jesse and co. who is always on their trail. Now that he has finally made his way out of hell in the show, it looks as though The Saint of Killers is set to begin his mission to kill Jesse Custer. McTavish has already been fantastic as The Saint in his brief appearances this season so I look forward to seeing more of him in season 2 where he will inevitably cross paths with our heroes.

Arseface Returns

One of the most shocking parts of the first season, even for those who have read the comics, was Arseface (Ian Colletti) being accidentally sent to hell by a frustrated Jesse. The fact that this never happened in the comics makes Arsefaces story all the more unpredictable, but to write such an interesting character out of the show so soon would be a big mistake and even Jesse admitted in the finale that he hasn't forgotten about him. So what's next for poor old Arseface then? Well he is absent from the comics for quite a while and when he does reappear he is out for vengeance against Jesse for killing his father. In the show, Arseface is in a similar position: his dad presumably was killed in the Annville explosion and although Jesse was not responsible for this, Arseface could very well be holding a grudge after being sent to hell of all places by him. So if Arseface was to return sometime in the next season not only would he be angry at Jesse, but also grieving over the loss of his parents and everyone else in Annville, we can see why he would want revenge on our hero. So I'm pretty certain that Arseface will return and hopefully in season 2, it's just a matter of how that puzzles me.

The Holy Grail of Baddies

In the third episode of Preacher, a reference was made to a certain 'Grail Industries' before the appearance of a mysterious bald man in a white suit. His appearance was brief and his face was never seen, in fact this whole subplot was never referred to again which left a lot of people feeling a bit puzzled. Those who have read, or are familiar with the comics will know that Grail Industries is a reference to The Grail, a powerful religious organisation whose main goal is to preserve the bloodline of Jesus Christ in order to produce a Messiah for the impending Apocalypse. They serve as the main antagonists in the Preacher comics and have a strong presence throughout. As for the man in the white suit this can only be Herr Starr, a high ranking member of The Grail who becomes obsessed with Jesse Custer. Starr is a brutal sadist who cares about nothing but his own personal goals, he is violent and cunning and stops at nothing to achieve said goals. He acts as an overarching bad guy during the course of Preacher and has a storyline just as interesting as our heroes. Due to this brief appearance in episode 3 and the strong prominence of The Grail in the comics, it seems like a no brainer that they will appear in the next season. Showrunner Sam Catlin has even expressed interest in introducing Starr in season 2. It would be wonderful seeing such a fierce baddie coming to the show so hopefully he'll be making a much greater appearance in the next season.

So those are just a few speculations as to what will happen next season, some may come true and others may never happen at all but we will find out for certain when Preacher returns next year. I hope you've enjoyed the show and this post, I'll be making an announcement regarding my blog very soon so stay tuned for that, until next time!