Category: reviews
Star Trek Into Darkness
| May 19, 2013 | Posted by Sep Gohardani under entertainment, reviews |
Film Information: Released in the UK 9th May 2013; Certificate 12A Cast: Chris Pine; Zachary Quinto; Karl Urban; Benedict Cumberbatch; Zoe Saldana; Simon Pegg; Anton Yelchin; John Cho; Alice Eve; Peter Weller; Bruce Greenwood Director: J.J. Abrams Screenwriters: Roberto Orci; Alex Kurtzman; Damon Lindelof Running Time: 133 Minutes Plot Captain James Kirk (Pine) and his crew are called back to Earth when Kirk violates the Prime Directive saving Spock whilst on a mission. As he is being disciplined by high-ranking Star Fleet officers it is discovered that one of their own, Commander John Harrison, (Cumberbatch) has attacked a secret compound in London, following this up with a fierce attack on a meeting of the high command and posing a serious threat to the Star… more
Words About Videos #2: Julian Smith
| May 15, 2013 | Posted by Sophie Wright under entertainment, reviews, Words About Videos |
My friends are currently making a racket as I try to desperately and actively revise for my upcoming exam, watching YouTube videos and giggling in the most annoying manner I can possibly dream up. I have been, therefore, dragged kicking and screaming off-course and back into the depths of the Internet, which reminded me: Julian Smith. This will make no sense to you if you’re not versed in the art of Julian Smith (it’s a valid thing; I Googled it), and I personally find this a travesty. Everyone should be versed in this noble art. And so, this is what I will attempt to do now. So, Julian Smith. Julian Smith started his channel in 2009, and rose to fame… more
Words About Videos #1 – The VlogBrothers
| May 5, 2013 | Posted by Sophie Wright under entertainment, reviews |
As a student currently procrastinating her exam revision time away, I spend a lot of time on the Internet. This is no surprise to anyone. In our modern era of computers and Apple nerds and shiny, shiny toys, so many people in our age bracket have Facebook and Tumblr and Twitter accounts. Some of you may even post YouTube videos. The majority of people who use YouTube are humble watchers of the great thrum of creativity that spews forth; on a site that has so many videos, it’s very hard to find the good ones. My aim is to try and introduce – or at the very least, compile a convenient list of videos, channels and playlists that are well… more
Iron Man 3
| May 2, 2013 | Posted by Sep Gohardani under entertainment, reviews |
Film Information: Released in the UK April 25th 2013; Certificate 12A Cast: Robert Downey Jr; Gwyneth Paltrow; Ben Kingsley; Don Cheadle; Guy Pearce; Jon Favreau; Rebecca Hall; James Bridge Dale Director: Shane Black Screenwriter: Drew Pearce; Shane Black Running Time: 130 Minutes Plot In 1999, Tony Stark (Downey Jr) is approached by Aldrich Killian (Pearce) while at a New Years Eve party to become a partner in his new think tank/company named Advanced Idea Mechanics. Stark, in his usual manner, casually rebuffs him unaware of the consequences this would have in the future. Having put the party and his date, Maya Hansen (Hall) long behind him, Stark has returned to building Iron Man suits, which have vastly increased in numbers since he uses the… more
Dark Skies
| April 21, 2013 | Posted by Emily Grieve under entertainment, reviews |
Film Information: Released in the UK April 3rd 2013; Certificate 15 Cast: Keri Russell; Josh Hamilton; Dakota Goyo; Kaden Rockett Director: Scott Stewart Screenwriter: Scott Stewart Running Time: 97 Minutes Plot As the Barret family’s peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to learn that a terrifying and deadly force is after them. Review From the producers of Paranormal Activity and Insidious, the disappointingly generic Dark Skies can’t decide whether it’s a low budget sci-fi movie or another psychological ‘creepy’ horror. Either way, once you are faced another round of typical American Suburbia and typical non-descript family with ‘issues’, you don’t particularly care, and are left drumming your fingers waiting for the tension to build rather than gripping your… more
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
| April 19, 2013 | Posted by Lauren Tolley under culture, reviews |
Firstly, I feel that I must apologise for my absence from The Student Review; I found my time suddenly filled with A-Level coursework, novels and revision based around Nazi Germany and assorted timelines of British Prime Ministers since 1903. While I had started to write this article a few weeks ago, I have only just found the time to finish it. With my exams so close, I dare say that you are quite lucky to be reading this review at all, as I hadn’t planned to post it until late May. On another note, if any of you have seen the movie adaption of this novel, or have even read the book, please feel free to drop me a line… more
Seven Psychopaths
| April 10, 2013 | Posted by Sep Gohardani under entertainment, reviews |
Film Information: Released on DVD in the UK April 15th 2013; Certificate 15 Cast: Colin Farrell; Sam Rockwell; Christopher Walken; Woody Harrelson; Olga Kurylenko; Tom Waits Director: Martin McDonagh Screenwriter: Martin McDonagh Running Time: 109 Minutes Plot Marty (Farrell) is a screenwriter who is having a lot of trouble writing his latest picture titled Seven Psychopaths, but his best friend Billy (Rockwell) who is an unemployed actor and professional dog kidnapper is eager to help. Billy’s way of helping, however, is unconventional to say the least and soon lands Marty in with people he doesn’t really want to be with and situations he doesn’t want to be in. Billy does seem to be right, however. Among his new acquaintances, there’s Hans (Walken), Billy’s partner in… more
Trance
| April 4, 2013 | Posted by Sep Gohardani under entertainment, reviews |
Film Information: Released in the UK March 27th 2013; Certificate 15 Cast: James McAvoy; Rosario Dawson; Vincent Cassel; Tuppence Middleton; Danny Sapani; Matt Cross; Wahab Sheikh Director: Danny Boyle Screenwriter: John Hodge (Originally by Joe Ahearne) Running Time: 101 Minutes Plot Simon (McAvoy) is a fine art auctioneer. When a heist is carried out at his auction house, he follows protocol and attempts to remove the most valuable art in question and get it to a safe house. He is, however, apprehended by the leader of the robbers, Franck (Cassel) who orders him to hand the picture over, and hits him when he resists. This blow has severe repercussions for all involved when the painting turns out to have been pre-emptively stolen, with Simon the only possible… more
Side Effects
| March 28, 2013 | Posted by Sep Gohardani under entertainment, reviews |
Film Information: Released in the UK March 15th 2013; Certificate 15 Cast: Jude Law; Rooney Mara; Catherine Zeta-Jones; Channing Tatum; Vinessa Shaw Director: Steven Soderbergh Screenwriter: Scott Z. Burns Running Time: 106 Minutes Plot When Emily Taylor’s (Mara) husband Martin (Tatum) is released from jail after four years of imprisonment for insider trading, things are supposed to be looking up for her. Instead, Emily continues to struggle with a depression that has dogged her life for vast periods. Having tried extensive therapy, she finally turns to Dr Jonathan Banks (Law) who is more than happy to help her through. After trying various drugs, Banks finally settles on a new antidepressant called Ablixa but rather than helping, it seems this drug sets in to motion a… more
Book Review: The Bell Jar
| March 22, 2013 | Posted by Oscar Mealia under culture, reviews |
Fifty years ago a semi-autobiographical novel was published by a young woman called Victoria Lucas. Set back in the cold war years, a sexual war ensued; its legacy still endures today. Of course Victoria Lucas only turned out to be pseudonym used by Sylvia Plath until 1967, only adding to the mystique which still surrounds both Plath and her work today. Whilst discussing the novel with a friend I was told that it’s readership is predominantly depressed girls in Nirvana tees, crying along to the dissonant tones of Joy Division’s Disorder or Meg types from Family Guy. I myself never knew this was a thing, this was a stereotype I wished to dispel. The Bell Jar Plath’s only novel remains as haunting since my first reading five years… more
