Peppermint Friday Review #20: Brazil

This film is actually in my top 10 of all my favorite films, at the moment as the list will no doubt change. Not because I hate them but different films will effect you at different times, and suddenly they become your favorite of that time. This film is actually really funny, because someone told me to watch this film and I didn't the first time and now I feel really bad because Its really good. So I'm sorry for not listening to you the first time, its great.

The story takes place in a dystopian future, and its about a man called Lawry who is at the bottom of working in the government, he daydreams and has dreams of him saving a woman and they are very frequent and abstract. One day while he's at work something gets jammed in his printer someone called Tuttle played by Robert De Niro who is an outlaw in a way and helps him. Lawry gets swooped in to Tuttle's world, and starts to work his way to a higher position. Safe to say Lawry gets in a boat load of trouble very quickly, and his dreams effect that.

From the pictures and the outlook from someone who's never seen this film, will think that this film is weird you wouldn't like, but seriously watch it because you'll be surprised. One thing that I loved about this film was that the world that they created. Its just ridiculous and I love that, one of the characters who really stands out for me is Ida Lawry who is Lawry's mother and she is obsessed with plastic surgery and its hilarious and the stuff she comes out with is just crackers.

The comedy in this film is what really does it for me, a favorite moment is when Lawry is with Jil and he sees his mother and she picks up these thongs and goes 'Do you think I'll look nice in these?' its just crackers and fantastic comedy. For a Sci-Fi its very good, I love the use of plastic surgery and the idea of being perfect being important in the film. The inventions of the shower, and computers, cars are just brilliant. As this film was made in the 80s I guess they must of thought we're gonna have these in 2017 or something obviously we don't yet...

I get a very 1984 feeling from this film, if you've read 1984 or watched the film you'll know what I'm talking about. I say that as its the future, its a different world and different people with different attitudes on things. The pressure of things and dictatorship of it all is just brilliant for the flavour of the film and what it all means. The dreams Lawry has are just crackers again, like all dreams are they make no sense but make sense all together. I love that there is a theme of the dreams he is consistently having, of him being chivalrous and saving a woman. Then he meets her in real life, and its like fate.

I must admit I was abit like 'whatever' about Jill at first, then in the ride with Lawry thats when I liked her. She was just brilliant, and so individual in terms of how she was and she was very neutral as a character and Lawry wasn't he was seen as quite weak even in his dreams he wants to be the man. Even by his own mother she encourages him to go bigger for work and he is very 'in in' and he does but for him it isn't enough. The actors in this film are brilliant, Robert De Niro was amazing as Tuttle although I personally would've love to see more of him. 

                                                              
Johnathan Pryce and Kim Gresist have such brilliant chemistry and are fantastic it was very naturalistic approach to an absurd dystopian world. Love Ian Richardson and Michael Palin as Lawry's new boss and co-worker particularly Ian as he did the part of the busy, quick talking boss amazingly. He reminded me of the reporter for the Daily Bugle in Spiderman. Overall this film was brilliant too watch its so unique in its stylising and comic timing, and wonderful script. 

Favourite Fantasy Films

Everyone loves Fantasy I mean who doesn't? Its amazing we all love the worlds of Fantasy, as we all go into that Fantasy world much more deep than we do with a Drama or a Romance. 

The Princess Bride

I had to put in an 80s film, as they are my one of my favourites. Love it so much, its a comedy as well as a fantasy and a kids film, it also has abit of romance in aswell. I don't need to say what the story is as everyone knows, but I love Cary Elwes in this. I mean lets face it I feel like we all had a bit of a crush on him. Loved it, the grandson hating every kissing scene, I mean I hated that when I was that age. Wallace Shawn and his posse in this film was just hilarious, and everyone wants and loves Robin Wright Wright? 

Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

Obviously going to include this, yes the LOTR trilogy is very long but its wonderful if you indulge yourself in the world, and just embrace it. Whether you read the books or not, but the Hobbit is something I'm a abit more into, its got abit more humour to it I reckon, LOTR is much more serious. Love the world, and the people who like it in the fandom, its a wonderful world. The Hobbit is amazing and I prefer the book because for me its the world I imagine thats different from the film version. I recommend you read the books because you create your own version of the world, even though they're very long and wordy. Fun fact I've read the Hobbit every year since I first read it when I was 13. 

The Neverending Story

Another 80s film, gotta love 'em! I honestly feel like the 80s started the whole 'quest world' with relatable character with something they need to find. This film was the first to make me cry over an animal, I watched alot of these films when I was about 10. I was heartbroken with the 'Swamp of Sadness' and Artax. Just harrowing, but its an amazing story and does end, full of unfunny jokes me. 

Harry Potter

Love, love it love it. The books are better than the film gonna be honest, and like 80% of the world would agree. The characters are amazing the story, back stories of everyone, I was obessed (still am) with Harry Potter and I have watched every documentary, and TV thing or Film, interview about JK Rowling or Harry Potter you can imagine. I even went to the Studio Tour in London, which is amazing and worth every penny, and if theres money invovled for a theme park in America and the Studio tour where they made it and you can visit, that must be sign of success. 

Edward Scissorhands

A Tim Burton film total must in a film person's life. With fantasies that usually are a relatable character on a journey to a mystical world, but this story as I'm sure everyone knows its a man with scissorhands from a different world trying to make sense of it all. Its just so sweet to watch and I love that Vincent Price was in it, which we all know how I feel about Vincent Price. I love,

The Chronicles of Narnia

Yes I know another series of films and books, but this again is a world that I love so so much! the books are much more interesting they are for me at the beginning amazing then they just go down hill, as they are abit more religious. I mean I know they do have a religious undertone to them, which is fine just not my cup of tea. Another fun fact is that in the book of The Lion The Witch and Wardrobe the old man that the Pevensive children stay with during WWII is basically J.R.R Tolkien because C.S Lewis and him were best friends in College I think. Wheather it'd be the cringe 80s version on the BBC or the 2005 version its a great story.

I know that half of this was series of book adaptations to films, and the other half was 80s films. But I mean this is what Fantasy films I like, and to be honest to enjoy a world thoroughly and getting deep in the film of fantasy its easier for me to like it as a series or saga. All these films are films that I watched when I was young, fantasy was a thing back when I was a kid, like most people I assume. 

Peppermint Friday Film Review #10: The Dark Crystal

This coming week shall be all about Fantasy, I'm gonna start off with the beginning of Fantasy films, and thats back in the 80s where it became something for people to be obsessed with, now its normal to dress up as a fantasy character to a convention. Back then you were a nerd, well its still nerdy I guess, but its okay now.                                                                                                                                                       
If you like or heard of Labyrinth then you'll like this film, as its very similar in terms of the world its set in, and the characters. Its also directed by the same director of the Labyrinth, and he also made the Muppets. I decided to watch and review this film rather than Labyrinth is that its the much more unknown film than Labyrinth as that film has David Bowie, its much more popular, as this is different, but similar.

The film centres around two races of species called Skeksis which are based of the Seven deadly sins, and the Wizards called Mystics. The story mainly goes round an Gelfling called Jen who was taken by the Mystics when his race was destroyed he is told that he must heal the Crystal with the shard, which is with Aughra. But the Skeksis race wants the Crystal so they can become god like beings. Jen meets another Gelfling called Kira who can talk to animals, and they go on this wonderful adventure together. 

This film is so magical, I adore it so much. Jim Henson's puppets are brilliant, its very Thunderbirdsy the way the puppets are, and I love it so much, its so charming and adorable. I love Jen and Kira, and even Aughra the characters are so animated and bursting with life. I love Kira who can talk to animals, I automatically warm to her. The relationship between Jen and Kira is so lovely and heartwarming, its uplifting and just brilliant. Aughra is also amazing, she is just crazy, the only way I can describe her is like a mixture of Merlin and Proffessor Trelawney. 

It is the typical Fantasy quest film, a boy is on a journey to find something he meets a girl, a crazy but clever Wizard or Soothsayer or whatever, the bad guys want to become gods or destroy the world. I mean it can be predicable, but its done brilliantly. The message at the end is so amazing, it just leaves a lump in your throat. If you like 80s Fantasy Films, like Princess Bride or Labyrinth then this film is right up your street.

I'll leave you all with one of my favourite quotes, from the film and all time❤🎥

Peppermint Friday Review #4: Sid & Nancy

This week is all about Period Dramas, and not gonna lie I really struggled as with this. Because a typical Period Drama is beautiful accurate costumes, 18th century romance, preferably with Keira Knightly in. I personally see a Period Drama for me as something that you watch and you instantly want to be a part of, weather it be a 1920s, 80s, 70s, or even 18th century. Although I have wrote about allot about biopics, which I don't know if its a good thing or a bad thing, its just something I've done. 

So anyway this week, I gonna talk about Sid & Nancy for those of you who don't know Sid and Nancy were a real couple in the 1970s, Sid was in a band called The Sex Pistols who were the biggest thing ever, and pretty much summed up the whole Punk Era, I mean it affected everyone, particularly my Dad.  Nancy was Sid's girlfriend who was a groupie, and drug addict, they both fell in love, and this film is there story. 

It stars Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious who is just, I'm gonna say is one of the best Actors ever. I found out fairly recently he didn't like Sid & Nancy the film and at the time couldn't see why it should be made, and he said something like whenever he sees, it on TV he wants to throw the TV out the window, and thats very Punk gotta admit. I watched a documentary called 'Filth and The Fury' which is such good documentary if you're into Punk, 70s Sex Pistols, and that kinda world, then watch it because its fantastic. I watched it and there are clips of Nancy and Sid and everyone in the Sex Pistols basically, and they talked about how they wore black bin bags because they couldn't afford a\ real leather jacket, and why they had safety pins in, because they didn't buy a new one because they couldn't afford it, so they put it back together. It's funny because we see the 70s, Sex Pistols as this 'fuck this' attitude, when in actual fact they were from the poor area of London, and just made do. 

The film is obviously about Sid Vicious and Nancy, who had such an intense relationship, kinda like a Romeo and Juliet one, I mean they were totally destructive to each other. Chloe Webb who played Nancy did a very good job, because she really got the accent right. That nasal, bit whinny, and naggy voice was spot on. One thing I was annoyed with was Johnny Rotten wasn't mention that much in the film. I mean I get that this film is called 'Sid & Nancy' and its about Sid and Nancy obviously! but Johnny Rotten did play a big part in this, in real life he hated Nancy and was Sid's best mate. Also he had a very interesting life, but going back to the point its called Sid and Nancy.  I read somewhere aswell that John Lydon, Johnny Rotten's real name. That he didn't like his representation of him in the film he said that he acted like he was jealous of Sid, and liked Nancy. 

Overall I loved this film regardless of what Gary Oldman thinks, or John Lydon. I think its a wonderful representation of a love story, beautifully written and acted. The period is just absorbing, as you kinda wanna be apart of that, which is what I mention at the beginning. One of my favorite bits of the film is when Sid is singing 'My way' in a drug dream I guess you could call it.  You have Nancy in the audience, and the audience is a very well to do audience and he starts shooting everyone with a pistol in the end. I just found that really entertaining and interesting and I don't know why. 

Honestly watch this film, because it is good, and such a Cult Classic film. I mean Gary Oldman and John Lydon weren't a big fan of this film, doesn't mean you won't be just means its much more of a true Cult Classic.