So much to catch up

So I've not been writing much on here recently, but at least this time it's because I've been hella busy: between getting a new job, trying to write several thousand words of fiction a day and vlogging nearly every day last month, it's been pretty hectic since the end of February.

With that said, shall we get on with this? We've got a lot to catch up on...

Abrams brings a Franchise back to Form this December

I was surprised, even a week after it opened, that the cinema for The Force Awakens was not more crowded - it was almost empty, in fact. But I suppose that's what happens when it's just after Christmas, movies aren't exactly on people's minds.

But Star Wars. I remember as a kid being taken by the brightness and acrobatics of the prequel trilogies; as I grew older I saw through the colour and the extravagance to what was a pretty dull story, mired in politics and the science side of science-fiction, trying to explain what the original trilogy hadn't felt the need to. It's more or less a general consensus that the prequel trilogy isn't on par with the original, and it's clear that resident geek and nostalgia-artist J.J. Abrams feels the same way too.

And so the curtain rises, the screen lights up and, in total silence, the Lucasfilm logo sparkles across the scene, followed by those famous words: "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

And suddenly the music swells and you feel your heart catch in your throat as you see, superimposed over a starry background, the two words you've been waiting for: STAR WARS.

This is the entirely spoiler-free review; I'll be posting a spoiler article later tonight where I can examine my thoughts more in depth.

A Film to Make you Cry

Since my last review turned into a major cock-up with regards to research and stuff, I've decided to investigate Inside Out properly. So here goes nothing: Inside Out is a DreamWorks film about a group of emotions living inside...

A Magical Journey with a Realist Twist

I'm not much of a "musicals" person, I feel I should say that now. Not for any particular reason - I found the opening of Mamma Mia pretty boring, I didn't stick around for the rest of the film, and I have yet to see Les Mis because... well, for no reason in particular, that actually looks pretty good. But the only musicals I've seen are Disney movies and Pitch Perfect. And now Into the Woods has joined that list.

How to Break a Dragon's heart

I want to go on record here, right now, and say that at present I prefer Dreamworks to Disney Pixar. Yes, Pixar have had some great films, probably more than Dreamworks, but there's something about the way they handle themselves and the way they portray their characters that makes me wanna root for the guys at Dreamworks.

Oh, and in case you couldn't tell from the title and the opening, this is about How to Train Your Dragon 2.