Peppermint Friday Review #22: Misery

I have been watching quite alot of TV shows this week, hence the absence from Wednesday, but we're gonna talk about a story that has stuck with me for years and is so so good. The character is also one of the few characters that really made my blood boil. 

The story is about a writer called Paul Sheldon who writes a very successful crime series of books around a character called Misery Chastain. He is at the end of the series and goes for a drive and gets into a car crash because of the snowstorm. Annie Wilkes who lives nearby helps him to her home, it turns out she is his number one fan. The series of the books is at an end, this makes Annie Wilkes very unhappy, and she then keeps him there until he fixes it in her eyes.

I love how the plot goes from one extreme to the next, Misery was one of the first Stephen King books I ever read, and Annie Wilkes is one of the few villains who I truly hate, as with Villains you hate them like you're ideally supposed to but at the end you still love them, brilliant example the Joker you hate him, but love the excitement he brings to the story. I love that its a story that has the potential to happen in real life, with TV shows, Films, Books, Video Games, and even the internet, making a bigger impact on us all it can really nail you with the idea of Obsession. 

I've read the book, and they are pretty much identical which is very rare considering that doesn't happen very often. The language of Annie thats used is brilliant, both book and film she is a total sociopath but has that childish mentality that's so common in serial killers in fiction and in real life. Paul Sheldon is brilliant, as you're on his side in the whole story from start to finish and I actually jumped out of my seat in the end. 

Kathy Bates stars as Annie Wilkes and she does a brilliant job with portraying a domineering female, as she played a similar character in American Horror Story: Coven. James Caan is fantastic aswell being the writer Paul Sheldon, I liked that he fought back throughout the film, and in the end and its a great feeling watching a film and finally the villain gets what they deserved.

Its great that this story has been adapted to be a play, as there aren't many female villains that I've seen and have made me really angry or terrified or both even. So to have a character that other actresses can play and interpret is amazing, as its always nice to watch a domineering evil woman for a change. I've seen Shawshank Redemption as a stage play and it was brilliant, so it can work. Its an insight for Obsession and what it can do to you, for Paul Sheldon he didn't really have a clue for his audience in terms of his books, but it just shows you have no idea of people and who they are.

                                                           
You should definitely watch this film, if you are of age to watch of course. If you love Stephen King's writing, and need to see an evil, domineering villain. Then this is the film you need to watch, or read the book as they are identical. I'll see you all next week, with a lighter film hopefully and have a lovely weekend!

Review: Carrie

I'm aware on this blog each week, its sort of related to the last Film I did a review on, but you all know how varied I am with my Film taste and that I like to shake it up, and I haven't done a review on a Stephen King film on this blog I don't think, so why not. I'm gonna be talking about the 2013 version of the film, as its totally new to me and I've championed alot of the originals of films, so I thought why not.

 I have watched the 1976 version of the story, but have not yet read the book, its about a teenager called Carrie (played by Chloe Grace Moretz) who is very shy, reclusive and has telekinesis powers her mother (played by Julianne Moore) is very religious and really disturbed. Carrie has her period for the for first time, she doesn't what it is, and is bullied and made fun for it. Then the bullies at her school are banned from attending the prom.

I've heard some pretty bad stuff about this version of the film, that it was crap and it wasn't as good as the original film, or that it didn't go by the book word for word or whatever. But I liked it, and I maybe it didn't go by the book, but I don't think I've seen a film that has actually done that, used the book as a script rather drawing inspiration from it and using it as an obvious for the story and characters. Chloe Grace Moretz was just amazing, I already love her but she completely reinvented Carrie but still keeping the original character of who she was alive.

Julianne Moore was again just fantastic, she was so psychotic and in a Stephen King antagonist thats a very important and notable quality to have. Characters of the high school bullies and students are all brilliant, Tommy played by Ansel Elgort was charming and a really sweet guy. His girlfriend Sue Snell played Gabriella Wilde is again brilliant, but the character was a little too nice, as it was prom she could've been a little more selfish about it. She gave up her boyfriend so he can take Carrie to prom instead which is nice, as she felt guilty about it also she was banned as she did pick on Carrie but I don't know any teenager who was willing to do that.

The character of Chris was allow me to put it bluntly was a bitch. Then again she was the ringleader of bullying Carrie which you need in a teen film. So she did the part fantastically, and as Carrie is a nice girl just with a crazy mum and telekinetic powers, which noone knows about in the school, pouring pigs blood on her because she didn't know it was her period was a horrific way to go about it, again she missed her prom which is the most important time for a teenager but thats good character as it made me feel something.

One thing that I loved about this film and it sets it apart from the original is the technology development, with its time. Like the video the bullies made of Carrie crying over her period that was posted over the internet, as something like that would happen in the modern world. It also made the bullies even meaner and gave more of a reason for the teachers to punish them. The effects of the film were unbelievable, the killings in the film all happen in a matter of 5 minutes or so. For me I love that as it even the balance out instead of some horrors where its just 'blood, killing, and death' everywhere. 

I mean I loved this film, did I like it more than the original? For the reasons of the actors, the effects and the modern age of technology I'd say yes, and I had much more stronger feelings for the characters. Whereas in the original film I related to them and liked them, but I guess I just hated the bullies in this one for some reason. Definitely give this film a go as, I loved it and its not as scary as some people think the real villain is the teenage girls, as Carrie's mother is so broken she snap. Even if you didn't watch the original or read the book like I did you will still like it. 

Films I'm Looking Forward To In 2017!

I didn't want to do a round up of all the films I've loved this year because I'm way too excited for the films coming out! and I'm sure these films will be on here.

Beauty & The Beast

I'm so excited for this film! I love Disney and Emma Watson, and Musicals so oh my god. I can't wait, I've seen some promotional pictures and the trailer for the film, the film already looks gorgeous. I cannot wait my excitement for this film is just out of this world, I love Beauty & The Beast anyway, but the musical is one of my favorites, and Belle ahhh.

Wonder Woman

Again, beyond excited Gal Gadot just looks amazing in this role. Its about time that film about Wonder Woman came out, because she is needed now more than ever. The costume of Wonder Woman is so brilliant and modern, the story of how Wonder Woman became Wonder Woman is abit different in this one. We're seeing a much more modern Wonder Woman already, I can't wait.

Dunkirk 

I'm ecstatic for this film, as its a story I've never seen told on this level before. I love period drama films, and disaster films already so this is right up my street. Plus it Chrisopher Nolan directed it and its gonna be good, I can feel it already. I don't know that much about the battle at Dunkirk, but I'm very excited about this film. I'm also interested to see Harry Styles's performance in the film, because I don't think I've seen him act before.  


Murder on the Orient Express

I only found out they were doing a film of this last week, but oh god I'm intrigued already. I mean its an Agatha Christie story with really good actors, like Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Daisy Ridley and Michelle Pfeiffer. Its gonna be interesting and enjoyable to watch, there are no production pictures at the moment but here's a gif from one of the first adaptations of the film.  

Spider-Man: Homecoming

If you read my favorite Comic Book Characters post then you will all know my love for the Human Spider. I'm so looking forward to seeing Tom Holland as Spider-Man, well he was in Captain America: Civil War but this is his first full film as Spider-Man. I can't wait as his Spider-Man looks so unique and different from any I've seen before. His costume is much more vibrant than it usually is, and its a different story of Spider-Man than we've seen before its Spider-Man when he meets Tony Stark, so I'm looking to that. 

The Dark Tower

I already love Stephen King, so a film on one of his books is just perfect. It also had Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba, so its gonna be good. I've also never read The Dark Tower series, so its already made me more excited. I'm not sure if they're gonna make one film or turn it into a film series like Harry Potter. But they're making the last book into a film, but hey they can do anything, but it looks amazing.

So thats it for me in 2016! I will speak to you all very very soon. I hope you all are excited about these film releases as much as I am, have a good new year and a brilliant 2017!