Quentin Tarantino’s top five films
| January 19, 2013 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under entertainment |
So Tarantino’s back with his new film Django Unchained, which is unleashed in cinemas on January 18, 2013. But before you go see the multi-award-winning Django we should go back through Tarantino’s body of work to see the five top films that made Tarantino the Auteur (literal translation of author) that he is within cinema today. 5. Inglorious Basterds (2003) Tarantino’s most recent film prior to Django, this film has all the elements of action-packed explosive adventure in Nazi Germany. Inglorious Basterds is Tarantino’s highest grossing film to date and picked up an impressive eight Academy Award nominations. This includes Tarantino’s casting of Christopher Waltz as a frighteningly realistic SS Colonel Hans Landa, which won for best supporting actor and which… more
Missing People skydive: Why should I donate?
| December 1, 2012 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under lifestyle, national |
Why should I donate? After being heckled by the donation bucket for the millionth time, or after being chased down the street by someone wanting you to sign up to their latest scheme, this is what we ask ourselves. So why should you donate to Missing People? We won’t force you to donate, or hassle you. We only ask for you to support a cause that you personally would appreciate if anything were to happen to you. When we envisage a person’s disappearance, we immediately question what happened to them, and ask where they are. But, importantly, Missing People helps those that are often ignored in these situations: the families. They provide support not only to those who have gone… more
Don’t judge a book by its cover
| July 13, 2012 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under creative writing |
“I am in darkness now,” I muttered to myself. A crazy old man, that’s what I was – crazy. My hands were covered in blood, and like Lady Macbeth I felt doomed and powerless to a vicious fate. I looked at her body lying there half-tainted in shadow, the other half purified by the sun. The dagger was in my hands as I stumbled, astounded by my sin. I took a long drag from the cigarette, hoping it would relieve my pain, but it didn’t. I knelt down to check her pulse: nonexistent. She was a burden weighing me down, I contemplated as the darkness crept into my mind. She held me back; I wanted to fly but she had… more
The Artist
| March 15, 2012 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under entertainment, reviews |
Film Information: Released December 30, 2011; Certificate PG Cast: Jean Dujardin; Berenice Bejo; James Cromwell; John Goodman; Malcolm McDowell; Penelope Ann Miller Director: Michel Hazanavicius Screenwriter: Michel Hazanavicius Running Time: 100 Minutes Plot George Valetin (Dujardin) is a silent film star struggling to come to terms with the emergence of “talkies”. Valetin is an actor at the top of his game, but when he accidentally bumps into Peppy Miller (Bejo) everything changes. The emerging talkies make him a wash-out, but meanwhile audiences utterly adore Peppy Milller’s voice – though we never get to hear her speak. Review: I’m sure many of you have heard of The Artist, if not from seeing it then from the sheer number of nominations and awards it has won. But… more
On the run
| February 4, 2012 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under creative writing |
The wind whistled coldly through the trees. As Alex lay whimpering in the dark, she screamed silently with liberation. “Freedom,” she thought. Barely alive, she clung to the remaining life that she had. She felt like a caged animal finally allowed to return to its home. The breeze felt fresh and soothing. Snap: a branch crunched in the distance. At first she thought it could be a bird or a squirrel. However it was followed by a quick succession of movements, heavier than a bird; much heavier. Worst of all, there were more than one of them. Alex had no choice, no time to think. She had to move. She couldn’t be caught again. She sprinted swiftly out of the forest.… more
Cowboys and Aliens (DVD)
| January 12, 2012 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under entertainment, reviews |
Film information: Released on DVD December 26 2011; Certificate (UK) 12A Cast: Daniel Craig; Harrison Ford; Keith Carradine; Noah Ringer; Olivia Wilde; Sam Rockwell; Adam Beach; Paul Dano Director: Jon Favreau Running time: 118 mins Plot Cowboys and Aliens is a film set in the midwest and, as subtly suggested by the title, is about cowboys and aliens. The film opens with Jake Lonergan (Craig) waking up in the desert having no idea who he is or where he came from. In fact, all that he has is a weird device attached to his wrist. Lonergan goes searching for his memory, but when he goes to the small town of Absolution things only get worse. The town is attacked by aliens and Lonergan’s device activates. What is the… more
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
| December 8, 2011 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under reviews, technology |
Duh. Duh. Duh-duh. Duh-duh duh… No, that’s not the “duh duh duh” response, it’s an attempt to replicate the beginning of the E3 Assassin’s Creed: Revelations trailer with WoodKid Iron as the backing song. When the trailer was first released it caused (at least for me) jaw dropping anticipation for the final episode of the saga. But does the game live up to the anticipation? This long-awaited Assassin’s Creed is the most anticipated game of the year as far as I’m concerned. The game takes place within the mind of Desmond Miles, who is comatose after the events of Brotherhood (I’ll try not to reveal any spoilers so you’ll have play it to find out). Stuck in the Animus, a computer… more
Batman: Arkham Sh**ty
| October 27, 2011 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under lifestyle, reviews |
You may be asking yourself why I have chosen the title I have for this article. Well, it aptly fits the new Batman game. Though well advertised for its award-winning quality, Warner Brothers has completely messed up the release of Batman all over the world. How? I will inform you below. Firstly, this article has to begin with a short anecdote. I recently received Batman as a gift for my birthday (the release date in the UK was the day prior to my birthday) and though the game was amicable and played on my console I was annoyed because I was promised something with my purchase I didn’t receive: Catwoman. I am one of the unfortunate 0.5% (which is a… more
Crazy, Stupid, Love
| October 23, 2011 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under entertainment, reviews |
Production year: 2011 Cert (UK): 12A Runtime: 118 mins Directors: Glenn Ficarra; John Requa Cast: Emma Stone; Jonah Bobo; Julianne Moore; Kevin Bacon; Liza Lapira; Marisa Tomei; Ryan Gosling; Steve Carell Summary The film opens with Cal Weaver (Carell) getting the surprise of his life when his wife Emily (Moore) wants a divorce after cheating on him with David Lindhagen (Bacon). This causes Cal’s family life to go into disarray; he moves and declares his story to everyone, making a complete embarrassment of himself. Jacob Palmer (Gosling) sees Cal making a fool of himself and so teaches him how to be a ladies’ man, but is this really what makes Cal happy? Or is he destined for a life of… more
Drive
| September 30, 2011 | Posted by Joanna Starzynski under entertainment, reviews |
Production year: 2011 Cert (UK): 18 Runtime: 95 mins Directors: Nicolas Winding Refn Cast: Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Kaden Leos, Oscar Isaac, Ryan Gosling Summary Ryan Gosling plays a solitary stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for robberies. His lone-wolf existence begins to change after meeting Irene (Carey Mulligan) and forming a maternal bond with her son Benicio (Kaden Leos). Her husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), is a convicted criminal due to be released from prison soon, and Driver offers his services so that he can cut his ties completely from the criminal world by doing one last job. Little does he know that his enemies are spread much higher than he thought. Is the driver out of… more
