You Should Be Reading: The Woman In The Window

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all my time working with children, if I could whittle those years down to a single revelation, it’s this: They are extraordinarily resilient. They can withstand neglect; they can survive abuse; they can endure, even thrive, where adults would collapse like umbrellas.”

Written by A.J. Finn and published in 2018, The Woman In The Window follows Anna Fox who lives alone in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine, watching old movies, recalling happier times, and spying on her neighbours. When the Russells move into the house across the street, Anna thinks they look like the perfect family: a father, a mother, and their teenage son. But when Anna sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble. What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? Nothing is what it seems.

TV Review: Black Mirror (Netflix) – Season Five

Written and created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror returns to Netflix with a fifth series compromising of three episodes – Striking Vipers, Smithereens, and Rachel Jack and Ashley Too.

With a series like Black Mirror, you expect to be thrown in at the deep end with a warning of how technology is advancing, but this is definitely a much more stripped back series. Technology and advances aren’t pushed in your face to make you fearful of the future. Instead, this series uses concepts which we already have – social media platforms, VR gaming, and simple AIs – to show you their everyday dangers (or possible benefits).

Film Review: Avengers – Infinity War

The third Avengers ensemble film and the nineteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Infinity War sees The Avengers – Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Vision (Paul Bettany), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) – and The Guardians of the Galaxy – Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) – come together for the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time.

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, these new superhero allies have to sacrifice everything in an attempt to prevent the powerful Thanos (Josh Brolin) from amassing the all-powerful Infinity Stones before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

Film Review: Captain America 3 – Civil War

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The 13th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Captain America: Civil War follows on from the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron as a rift forms in the Avengers team after political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability when another incident results in collateral damage. When the new status quo fractures the team, the Avengers split into two camps – one led by Captain America (Chris Evans) and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other led by Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), following his surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability – causing an epic battle between former allies.

Film Review: Ant-Man

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The 12th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, bringing an end to Phase Two, Ant-Man is directed by Peyton Reed, with a screenplay by Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, and Paul Rudd. Armed with a suit with the enables the ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and begin to live a life that his daughter will look up to. With the help of his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and toughened up by Pym’s daughter, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Scott must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world from a new generation of towering threats.

Film Review: Avengers – Age of Ultron

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Sequel to 2012’s Avengers Assemble and the eleventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Age of Ultron, directed by Joss Whedon, picks up with our favourite superhero team. When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) jumpstarts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry, calling for the need of The Avengers once again, bringing back together Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). To save the planet from destruction at the hands of the villainous Ultron (voiced by James Spader), The Avengers are put to the ultimate test.

Film Review: Captain America – The Winter Soldier

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Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe picks up with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) a.k.a. Captain America, as he struggles to embrace his role in the modern world. Under the authority of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Captain America is forced to face a new threat from old history – the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier – as S.H.I.E.L.D. is subverted by its enemies. But when Rogers acts on Fury’s warning to trust no one there, he is branded as a traitor by the organisation. Now a fugitive, Captain America must get to the bottom of this deadly mystery with the help of the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and his new friend, The Falcon (Anthony Mackie).

Film Review: Pain & Gain

Based on an unbelievably true story and directed by Michael Bay, Pain and Gain follows a trio of bodybuilders (Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie) affiliated with Sun Gym in 1990s Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in an extortion ring, compromising of the kidnapping, extortion, torture, and murder of several victims, that goes terribly wrong.

Film Review: Gangster Squad

Directed by Ruben Fleischer and loosely based on Paul Lieberman‘s seven-part series based on true events, Gangster Squad is set in Los Angeles in 1949 and follows a special task force known as the Gangster Squad – consisting of Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin), Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie), Conway Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi), and Max Kennard (Robert Patrick) – who have been recruited to dismantle the crime empire of the ruthless gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) and force him out of LA.

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The International Trailer For Gangster Squad Blasts Your Screen To Smithereens

(Written for Lost In The Multiplex)

Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad has a new international trailer this week, giving us a couple more seconds of footage for the Zombieland-director’s upcoming crime drama.

Starring Sean Penn as the ruthless New York gangster Mickey Cohen, the film is set in Los Angeles in 1949 and is a colourful retelling of events surrounding a special task force known as the Gangster Squad, focusing on their efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.