Film Review: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Based on Ted Bundy‘s former girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall‘s memoir, The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, and directed by Joe Berlinger, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is told from Kendall’s point of view as she refused for years to acknowledge that her boyfriend was a serial killer. Following the courtroom frenzy that ensued in 1970s America, headed by Judge Edward Cowart (John Malkovich), the film tells the story of when Kendall, then a young single mother (Lily Collins), met Bundy (Zac Efron) whilst he was studying law. Bundy soon became famous for committing several heinous crimes against women, despite her disbelief.

Film Review: The Greatest Showman

Directed by Michael Gracey, The Greatest Showman celebrates the birth of show business, inspired by the life of P.T.Barnum and the creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. The film tells the story of a visionary, Barnum (Hugh Jackman) who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation. Alongside his wife, Charity (Michelle Williams), and children, Barnum works with playwright Carlyle (Zac Efron) to bring together a cast of live stars, including a bearded lady (Keala Settle), a trapeze artist (Zendaya) and Tom Thumb (Sam Humphrey).

Top 5 Most Romantic Nicholas Sparks Moments

(Written for Filmoria)

In anticipation for the upcoming adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, we’ve decided to take a look at five of the most romantic moments in the film versions of his work so far.

Directed by George Tillman Jr., with screenplay by Craig Bolotin, The Longest Ride is an adaptation of Sparks’ 17th romance novel of the same name, which was originally published in 2013. The film, set to be released on 19th June, stars Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood in the leads, and follows a young couple who witness a car crash involving an older man, whose lives intertwine as he reflects back on a past love.

DVD Review: That Awkward Moment

Written and directed by Tom Gormican and serving as his directorial debut, That Awkward Moment is about three best friends – Jason (Zac Efron), Daniel (Miles Teller) and Mikey (Michael B. Jordan) – who find themselves all too often in that confusingly awkward moment when you’re forced to decide “So… where is this going?” Jason has just been dumped, even though he didn’t even realise they were going out, Mikey’s wife has Vera (Jessica Lucas) just asked him for a divorce, and perpetually single Daniel is… well, single. In a bid to stay single together, will these three young philanderers be able to resist the temptations of romantic entanglements and cope with their realisations of growing up?

Film Review: The Paperboy

Directed and co-written by Lee Daniels and based on Peter Dexter‘s 1995 best-selling novel of the same name, The Paperboy is set in 1960’s Florida and follows a reporter (Matthew McConaughey) and his partner Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) who return home to investigate a career-making story involving a death row inmate (John Cusack). With the help of his younger brother (Zac Efron) and a death-row groupie (Nicole Kidman), the pair try to prove the violent swamp-dweller was framed for the murder of a corrupt local sheriff.

Film Review: The Lucky One

(Published on Lost In The Multiplex and in Issue 10 of my publication In Retrospect)

Rating:

Directed by Scott Hicks with screenplay by Will Fetters, The Lucky One is an adaptation of the 2008 novel of the same name written by Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook.

Starring Zac Efron in the lead role as an ex-Marine, the film follows Sergeant Logan Thibault who, whilst fighting in Iraq, finds a photograph a woman, Beth Clayton (Taylor Schilling), whom he credits for keeping him alive. Wanting to thank the woman he believes to have kept him alive during his time in the war, Logan travels to Louisiana where he finds single-mother Beth and ends up taking a job at her family-run kennels with her grandmother (Blythe Danner). As Logan gets to know Beth, however, the secret of why he turned up at her door in the first place becomes deeper and deeper buried. Whilst Beth’s ex-husband Keith (Jay R. Ferguson) becomes determined to find out for himself, a romance begins to blossom between Logan and Beth, but has the secret been kept for too long?

New Trailer for ‘The Lucky One’ Starring Zac Efron

(Written for HeyUGuys)

A new trailer for The Lucky One has been released this week. Starring heart-throb Zac Efron, it’s sure to get the girls swooning over his war hero character.

Adapted from the 2008 bestselling novel of the same name, written by Nicholas Sparks, The Lucky One follows US Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) who, whilst fighting in Iraq, finds a photograph a woman whom he credits for keeping him alive, believing she was a good luck charm during his time in the war.

Book v Film: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud

“Most of all, I miss that feeling when you go to sleep at night and when you wake up in the morning. It’s that feeling that everything is all right in the world. You know, that amazing feeling that you’re whole, that you’ve got everything you want, that you aren’t missing anything. Sometimes when I wake up, I get it for just a moment. It lasts a few seconds, but then I remember what happened, and how nothing has been the same since.”

Directed by Burr Steers, Charlie St. Cloud is based on Ben Sherwood‘s book, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, which revolves around the character of Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron), an accomplished sailor and devoted family member who promises to play baseball with his younger brother, Sam (Charlie Tahan), every single day. But when Charlie and Sam are the victims of a car crash, Sam sadly dies and Charlie is resuscitated to find that he has the gift to interact with the dead. Years later, still atoning for his loss and guilt, Charlie is determined to keep his promise and still plays baseball with Sam’s memory in the depths of the forest. But when he meets Tess (Amanda Crew), Charlie must choose between the past and present; between living with the memory of his dead brother or saving the life of another.

Film Review: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud

Directed by Burr Steers, Charlie St. Cloud is based on Ben Sherwood‘s book, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, which revolves around the character of Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron), an accomplished sailor and devoted family member who promises to play baseball with his younger brother, Sam (Charlie Tahan), every single day. But when Charlie and Sam are the victims of a car crash, Sam sadly dies and Charlie is resuscitated to find that he has the gift to interact with the dead. Years later, still atoning for his loss and guilt, Charlie is determined to keep his promise and still plays baseball with Sam’s memory in the depths of the forest. But when he meets Tess (Amanda Crew), Charlie must choose between the past and present; between living with the memory of his dead brother or saving the life of another.