TV Review: The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) – Season One

Developed for Netflix by Steve Blackman and Jeremy Slater and an adaptation of the Dark Horse Comics comic book series of the same name, created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy aired in February 2019. The series follows oddball billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) whose death brings together his adopted children – Number One/Luther (Tom Hopper), Number Two/Diego (David Castaneda), Number Three/Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Number Four/Klaus (Robert Sheehan), Number Five (Aidan Gallagher), and Number Seven/Vanya (Ellen Page) – who are collectively known in their childhood as The Umbrella Academy, for the first time in years.

Film Review: X-Men – Days of Future Past

From the director of X-Men 1 and 2, Bryan Singer, X-Men: Days of Future Past sees the ultimate X-Men ensemble fight a war for the survival of the species across two time periods. As the characters that began our X-Men infatuation from the original trilogy of films – Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Storm (Halle Berry), Kitty (Ellen Page), and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) – join forces with their younger selves from the excellent prequel X-Men: First Class – Professor X (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), and Beast (Nicholas Hoult) – when Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is sent back in time, they must change a major historical event and fight in an epic battle that could save both humans and mutants.

DVD Review: To Rome With Love

Rating:

Woody Allen‘s latest, To Rome With Love is told in four separate vignettes and tells the stories of a clerk (Roberto Benigni) who wakes up to find himself a celebrity, an architect (Alec Baldwin) who takes a trip back to the street he lived on as a student and the couple he meets (Ellen Page and Jesse Eisenberg), a young couple (Alessandro Tiberi and Alessandra Mastronardi) on their honeymoon that is interrupted by an escort (Penélope Cruz), and a funeral director (Fabio Armiliato) who has a talent for singing in the shower.

First, Fairly Boring, US Poster For Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love

(Written for HeyUGuys)

The first US poster has been released for Woody Allen‘s latest film To Rome With Love this week.

Directed and written by Allen, the film tells the story of a number of people in Italy – some American, some Italian, some residents, and some visitors – and the romances, adventures and predicaments they get into.

Film Review: Whip It

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine)

Rating:

Whip It is Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, based on Sue Cross’s novel, Derby Girl. The story follows Bliss Cavendar, played by Ellen Page (Juno), an unpopular teen from a boring town who doesn’t know where her life is going.

The film opens by introducing Bliss as an out-of-place character straight away. She walks onto the stage of a beauty pageant with dyed, bright blue hair as her mother stares in disappointment from the crowd. Her mother, Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden), is one of those American Mom’s who forces her “psychotic idea of 50’s womanhood” down her children’s throats. When she takes Bliss shopping, she refuses to buy her a pair of boots when she realises that the pretty vases she has been admiring around the shop are actually bongs. This is when a group of tattooed women with brightly coloured hair and ‘alternative’ clothing skate into the shop. Bliss’ mind fills with excitement as she discovers the roller derby team.