#Matt Hannon

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Samurai Cop (1991)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Samurai Cop (1991)

In terms of movies that are so bad they're good, Samurai Cop has it all. The razor-thin plot is little more than an excuse to string together car chases, overly violent fights, ridiculous characters, equally bewildering dialogue, gratuitous sex scenes, laughable performances, unconvincing wigs, badly dubbed extras, befuddling editing choices and the kind of mistakes only a director drunken on their own power could make. It constantly surprises you despite a story devoid of any imagination.

To combat the Japanese gang that’s taken over Los Angeles' cocaine trade, “samurai” policeman Joe Marshall (Mathew Karedas) joins the force. With his partner Frank Washington (Mark Frazer), the two make a break in the case when Joe catches the eye of Jennifer (Janis Farley), a woman whom crime lord Fuj Fujiyama (Cranston Komuro) is attempting to romance.

You might’ve seen one of the film’s best scenes on YouTube at some point: the one where Joe talks to a flirty hospital nurse whose pickup lines you’d expect to hear coming from a drunken frat boy. Trust me, that’s just the beginning. This movie feels like it was conceived by a horny, bloodthirsty 13-year-old and written by aliens. While on a bust, Joe will say something to fellow officer Peggy (Melissa Moore) and you’ll think “That’s a weird line; you could probably take that one the wrong way without trying much…” only to realize the innuendo wasn’t accidental at all! You shouldn’t be surprised when it happens over and over, but you will be.

Eventually, you’ll realize this movie was shot most of the way, only for the production to run out of money and shooting to resume months later (it explains why Matthew Maredas has to wear a wig in his first scene). It's obvious, but you're taken aback. You’re not used to seeing movies this earnest made this badly. Samurai Cop has recurring jokes, the kind of recurring jokes that anyone with any kind of good sense would’ve thrown away and then burned out of shame. When writer/director Amir Shervan shoots a man emerging from a burning vehicle, he doesn’t think to ask the stunt guy to scream or act like he's in pain. All he sees is a man COVERED IN FLAMES, exactly as he’d envisioned it, which means it's a flawless take.

The plot of Samurai Cop is so basic it would’ve been as dull as a butter knife if it weren’t for the constant blunders. In one scene, the actors are clearly done delivering their lines and are waiting for the director to yell “CUT!” After he did, the editor (either Ruben Zadurian or Amir Shervan once more) didn’t go ahead and eliminate those extra few seconds of nothing; they kept them in. You’re as dumb-struck as the performers, wondering if there’s something you’re supposed to do to make this ordeal end… and then it does, so you breathe a sigh of relief. If Samurai Cop pulled that stunt on you, there's no telling what's next. Will it be two goons dubbed over by what has to be the director, using the same voice, in a row? How about someone going from 0 to 100 in one second, or some pointless nudity? You don’t know but every time, your response will be “Oh, well of course!”

The glory that is Samurai Cop cannot be contained in a few hundred words, and it can’t be summarized in a “best of video” either. If you have friends who don't understand why you like watching bad movies, show them this one. They'll be howling in no time. (September 1, 2021)

[schlock-luster-video]

On September 5, 2016, Samurai Cop was screened at the Paris International Fantastic Film Festival.

Here's a new drawing of Matt Hannon to celebrate!

[bob-the-movie-man-film-reviews]

Wonka (PG): A World of Pure Imagination.

#onemannsmovies #filmreview of "Wonka". #WonkaMovie. Superb family musical entertainment. A Christmas gift. Go and see it! 5/5.

A One Mann’s Movies review of “Wonka” (2023). I can’t say that I built up very big expectations for “Wonka” from the trailer. But when my illustrious daughter Jenn (follow her hilarious susiesecondhand on Instagram!) gave it 10/10 I thought “Hello… maybe this is something special after all”. And so it turned out to be! I don’t give out many top marks during the year. But in this case, I just had…

[coochiequeens]

There's something satisfying about when an abusive man is called out by other men. Or at least one man.

Rest In Infamy, You Haunted Castle

Why I believe the Neil Gaiman accusations

By GRAHAM LINEHAN JUL 19, 2024

I only met Neil Gaiman once, at an upscale dinner party where Derren Brown had been hired to do magic tricks like in the old-timey days. Between astonishments, Gaiman and I withdrew to a quiet corner where I pretended to be pleased that he was giving me a signed copy of ‘Sandman’. One of the unexpected advantages of being cancelled is telling people who took part in my harassment what I really think about their work, but this was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, so I said the right things and we went back to being bamboozled by Brown’s invisible craft.

To give credit where it’s due, I later read Gaiman’s ‘Coraline’ to my kids which had them simultaneously terrified and hooked, and thanked him for it. Whatever my feelings about his earlier work, he was a real writer, practising his own invisible craft. From the evidence of that book, I thought he was probably a decent person too, an impression that continued until 2022, when we started to get into it over The Issue.

I may have asked why he wasn’t speaking out on behalf of JK Rowling, who was undergoing one of her regular cancellations for refusing to pander to the spoilt brats who loved her books but missed their meaning. A big name like his might have shifted the conversation and given her some much-needed support. He might perhaps have persuaded some of his fans to give the matter another look. This was when I assumed people like him acknowledged biological reality but worried about ‘coming out of the closet’, as it were. It took me years to realise that almost every celebrity mate of mine believed, or was pretending to believe, in the fashionable, American mind-cancer of ’gender’.

But back then, I was still astonished to find that he was a carrier of the virus, the mass delusion that by sheer coincidence, turned up after the arrival of the Internet. Whether it was Bill Bailey or Neil Hannon, Robin Ince or Matt Lucas, Arthur Mathews or Jimmy Mulville, it was always the same story. A sudden cloud of amnesia would form around my celebrity mates, a real peasouper, from which they suddenly could not see why we need female-only spaces, or why unhappy teenage girls will not find a miraculous cure for their woes in a double mastectomy. Far from sharing any of my urgency in the need to stop children from being irreversibly harmed in gender clinics, they instead downplayed, deflected and dismissed. “I never ask you to join in with my animal activism” grumbled Neil Hannon on one of the occasions I begged for his support.

“Couldn’t you pretend women and children are animals?” I thought.

My usual trajectory during these conversations saw me shifting from gobsmacked disbelief to fury and despair. The disloyalty made me angry, but knowing my friends did not care about their own daughters, wives, sisters and mothers was, and continues to be, destabilising in the extreme.

Gaiman went one step further. I can’t find the tweet, so I may be paraphrasing, but he said

"I hope you're kinder if your daughter ever hopes to transition."

I can think of no uglier thing to say to a parent. For girls, ‘transition’ means double mastectomies in their teens, hysterectomies in their mid-twenties, early menopause and a four times greater chance of having a heart attack than males of the same age. To have this decaying goth wish that horror on my daughter was more than I could bear. I wanted to rip his throat out.

Like a pair of grappling cowboys falling off a rooftop, our fight spilled into email. I sent Gaiman this article about the Tavistock. It was clear when he wrote back that he hadn’t absorbed it Like most celebrities in this fight, he appeared to have lost the ability to read.

“As I said before Graham, I hope that you'd be kinder if it was one of your kids who wanted to transition. “

He actually said it again. The piece was right there, detailing exactly what was happening to the children unlucky enough to wander through the Tavistock’s doors, and he chose to repeat that disgusting thing. Why?

That same year, just months before Gaiman was advising me on the value of kindness, a 22-year-old woman (‘Scarlett’ in the podcast) arrived at his Waiheke Island home in New Zealand for a babysitting job. Upon her arrival, she discovered that Gaiman’s wife of the time, Amanda Palmer, had suddenly remembered a sleepover, an appointment the child was apparently eager to attend.

So she and junior drove out of view, leaving the 23 -year-old Scarlett alone with Gaiman for the night. Within a few hours the 61-year-old man, without warning or invitation, appeared fully naked and slipped into the other end of her bath. Scarlett alleges that over the next three weeks, they embarked on a semi-consensual relationship, where Gaiman routinely ignored the boundaries she set. She alleges that he became angry when she would refuse these demands, used a belt to beat her, insisted she call him ‘Master’ and once sexually assaulted her so violently that she lost consciousness.

“… (the sex) was so painful and so violent that I fainted. I passed out, lost consciousness, ringing in the ears, black vision, the pain was celestial, you know, which is a strange word to use, but I couldn't even describe it in language. And when I regained consciousness and I was on the ground, I looked up and he was watching the rehearsals from Scotland of whatever they were filming, I don't fucking know. And he didn't even notice that I was passed out. And you know…there was blood. It was so so, so traumatic, and I asked him to stop. I said it was too much.”

Scarlett is a compelling witness despite, or because of, her contradictions. Certain things paint a picture of consent—she sexted Gaiman, to which he would send careful replies—and she laughs nervously when she talks about the alleged abuse. But when Gaiman’s side of the story is put to her, she turns cold as a knife and shows flashes of fury that she—in her telling—young, inexperienced and dazzled by Palmer and Gaiman’s fame and lifestyle, was used so casually and so brutally.

A few years back, I wrote about becoming a sort of Jessica Fletcher figure on Twitter. ‘Murder, She Wrote” but with paedophiles and predators. “Just as murderers seemed drawn to any location Jessica presented herself, “ I said. “My opining about women's rights and safety on Twitter appeared to attract the kind of men who can't sit still during a spelling bee.”

Among my adversaries was Peter Bright, the Ars Technica writer now doing twelve years for trying to buy two children to abuse. Luckily the children didn’t exist and the parents were actually FBI agents. Our exchange was brief and concerned safeguarding. I’m sure you’re all astonished to discover that he was against it.

Then there was ex-Labour MP Eric Joyce, who argued with me about the safety of mixed-sex loos in schools and was done for possessing the worst kind of child abuse images. More recently, I tangled with ‘Lexi’, who is now serving time for rape.

They all had one thing in common. They couldn’t leave alone those of us who were actively opposing the trans movement's assault on safeguarding, an assault that chimed nicely with their plans for the future. Each was returning to the scene of a crime not yet committed, each picking at a scab on their own character.

In 2018, at the height of #MeToo, Gaiman tweeted “On a day like today it’s worth saying, I believe survivors. Men must not close their eyes and minds to what happens to women in this world. We must fight, alongside them, for them to be believed, at the ballot box, and with art, and by listening, and change this world for the better.”

Well said. I certainly believe the women in ‘Master’. During my Jessica Fletcher period (a period which continues) no-one except Gaiman ever mentioned my kids. I think he knew it would cause me distress, and the second time he said it was just a twisting of the knife. Many of my colleagues in the media joined in with the trashing of my reputation, but Gaiman went that extra mile. I believe this is because he is a sadist. I think he is a man who finds pleasure in the suffering of others, and a man who does not see women and girls as fully human.

This was my final letter to him.

Dear Neil

I notice you’re still pretending you can’t read the Tavistock story. If you ever try and lay that curse on my kids again I will certainly share our exchange. Your privileged beliefs are harming children so to paraphrase Will Smith, keep their names out of your fucking mouth.

Thank you for giving me one last chance to say that JK Rowling will be remembered as a hero and you as a traitor to the kids who loved your books.

Rest in infamy, you haunted castle.

All the best,

Graham.

[hellscupboards]

This was definitely made everyone’s desktop background in the office

[ ID The 1st picture from the show The Office. Erin Hannon is taking a selfie with a wide-mouth smile. Behind her Kelly Kapoor and Ryan Miller are kissing passionately unaware they are having their picture taken. The 2nd image is a redraw of the picture above with the Daredevil cast. Karen Page is taking a selfie with a wide-mouth smile. Behind her Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock are kissing passionately unaware they are having their picture taken. End ID ]

[prgayfootluvr77]

Patrick Beach #1

Michael Phelps #s 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8

Cory Williams #s 9, 10, 11, & 12

Dr. Mike Varshavski #13

Luke Hannon #14

Unknown (lemme know if you know) #15

Gus Kentworthy #16, 17, 18, & 19

Shawn Mendes #20

Shia LaBeouf #21

Tom Daley #22

Kirk Cameron #23 & 24

Ryan Serhant #25 & 26

Matt Rogers #27

Ben Robinson #28

Ashton Pienaar #29

Dean Kowalski #30

[bdzonthareel]

Wonka

Cynicism: a belief that ideas are motivated purely by self-interest; this was my thought process going to the origin story of Willy Wonka. I have more than my fair share of soulless cash grab backstories long before starting my career as a film critic, so I came in to this with a heavy amount of skepticism.

After seeing the first trailer I groaned in a manner similar to an allergic reaction, I came into this movie prepared to be underwhelmed. Funny thing about expectations, sometimes they surprise you.

Wonka is the origin story of the future enigmatic candy mogul, Willy Wonka; he travels to the legendary Gourmet Gallery with only is suitcase and his dreams of making the world’s greatest chocolate in his very own shop.

This movie was a much needed shot of serotonin, and I don’t use that statement lightly.

I guess I should get the negatives out of the way first, because they were few but absolutely need to be pointed out.

I can’t stand the “white savior” trope, and there is a subplot where it’s used and I could have done without it.

Timothee’ Chalamet, is an amazing actor as the title character, but he’s a milquetoast singer. With the exception of “Pure Imagination” I was not impressed by the songs that he led.

His more emotional scenes felt disingenuous at times, the performance while trying to combine the energy of Johnny Depp and the late great Gene Wilder, leaned more towards the former which was a disservice to the character.

All that aside, everyone in this cast gave entertaining performances regardless of my complaints.

Chalamet’s Wonka performance while somewhat derivative was overall delightful, adding a level of charm and whimsy that the character is known for throughout every incarnation.

Hugh Grant brought his dry salty wit as Lofty the Oompah Loompah.

The trio of Patterson Joseph, Matt Lucas and Matthew Bayton were hilarious as the bumbling trio of antagonists Slugworth, Prodnose, and Ficklegruber respectively.

Callah Lane, was delightful in role as the precocious Noodle.

Olivia Colman and Tom Davis as Mrs. Scrubbit and Mr. Bleecher reminded me of characters from Annie and Les Miserables which is not a negative, but it definitely left an impression.

Keegan Michael Key brought his comedic charm and timing to the role of the chief of police. Some of the gags involving him could have been disastrous, but I was pleasantly surprised by how tasteful they were.

The visuals were as colorful as the sweets from Wonka’s factory, the settings were magnificent In their diversity, Director Paul King has an amazing eye for mood and setting.

The music composed by Joby Talbot and Neil Hannon, was a spectrum of emotion. The songs were all toe tappers, and I highly recommend copping the OST.

And the choreography is just as solid, sadly I could not find the credits for it as of this writing.

Most importantly Willy Wonka’s mystique is left fully in tact. Paul King and co-writer Simon Faranby, understood what a lot of prequel writers don’t, not every question needs an answer. Willy Wonka just is, and I love that they understand that.

I couldn’t stop smiling as the film continued, it’s warm cup of hot cocoa on a winter’s day and I highly recommend checking it out this holiday season.

Wonka gets a very solid 4 out of 5.

[dove-e-come-vedere-wonka-gratis]

Wonka il Film

✔️ 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐑𝐀 𝐐𝐔𝐈 ▶ https://megavids.online/movie/787699/wonka

:: Trama WONKA ::

Questo film racconta la storia delle origini di Willy Wonka, un personaggio del romanzo Charlie e la fabbrica di cioccolato di Roald Dahl, pubblicato nel 1964. Questo film descrive i primi giorni di Wonka come eccentrico cioccolatiere. Confezionato come "compagno" dell'adattamento cinematografico di Willy Wonka e la fabbrica di cioccolato, questo film ha come protagonista Timothée Chalamet. È supportato da Calah Lane e altri attori famosi come Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman e Hugh Grant.

Il processo di sviluppo del film è iniziato dopo che la Warner Bros. La Pictures, che aveva precedentemente pubblicato un adattamento del romanzo del 1964 nel 2005, ha acquisito i diritti sul personaggio di Wonka nell'ottobre 2016. Hanno annunciato che il film si sarebbe concentrato sulla storia delle origini di Wonka. Timothée Chalamet è stato confermato per interpretare Wonka nel maggio 2021 e il cast di supporto è stato annunciato nel settembre dello stesso anno. Le riprese principali sono iniziate nel Regno Unito nel settembre 2021. Le location delle riprese includono Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, Watford, così come a Oxford, Lyme Regis, Bath, St Albans e al Rivoli Ballroom di Crofton Park, Londra. Le canzoni originali del film sono state fornite da Neil Hannon, con la musica originale di Joby Talbot.

Wonka è stato presentato in anteprima alla Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Londra, il 28 novembre 2023. Il film è uscito nel Regno Unito l'8 dicembre e negli Stati Uniti il ​​15 dicembre 2023 dalla Warner Bros. Immagini. Il film ha ricevuto recensioni generalmente positive da parte della critica.

Lancio :

Timothée Chalamet nel ruolo di Willy Wonka, un aspirante inventore e cioccolatiere.

Calah Lane nel ruolo di Noodle, l'assistente di Willy

Keegan-Michael Key nel ruolo del capo della polizia

Paterson Joseph nei panni di Arthur Slugworth, un uomo d'affari corrotto e leader del cartello del cioccolato

Matt Lucas nel ruolo di Prodnose

Matthew Baynton nel ruolo di Fickelgruber

Sally Hawkins nel ruolo della madre di Willy Wonka

Rowan Atkinson nel ruolo di Padre Julius, un prete.

Jim Carter nel ruolo di Abacus Crunch,e altri

Wonka ha tenuto proiezioni speciali allo ShowEast il 24 ottobre 2023 e all'auditorium Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads il 19 novembre. Una première speciale a Tokyo si è tenuta il 20 novembre, alla presenza del regista Paul King, dei produttori David Heyman e Alexandra Derbyshire e delle star del cinema Timothée Chalamet e Hugh Grant. Il film è stato presentato in anteprima alla Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, il 28 novembre 2023. Distribuito nelle sale dalla Warner Bros. Immagini nel Regno Unito l'8 dicembre 2023, il film è stato seguito dall'uscita negli Stati Uniti il ​​15 dicembre 2023, nei cinema convenzionali, Dolby Cinema e IMAX.Inizialmente, l'uscita del film era prevista per il 17 marzo 2023.

Il film è un artefatto culturale creato da una specifica cultura, riflettendola e, al tempo stesso, influenzandola. È per questo motivo che il film viene considerato come un'importante forma d'arte, una fonte di intrattenimento popolare ed un potente mezzo per educare (o indottrinare) la popolazione. Il fatto che sia fruibile attraverso la vista rende questa forma d'arte una potente forma di comunicazione universale. Alcuni film sono diventati popolari in tutto il mondo grazie all'uso del doppiaggio o dei sottotitoli per tradurre i dialoghi del film stesso in lingue diverse da quella (o quelle) utilizzata nella sua produzione.

Le singole immagini che formano il film sono chiamate “fotogrammi”. Durante la proiezione delle tradizionali pellicole di celluloide, un otturatore rotante muove la pellicola per posizionare ogni fotogramma nella posizione giusta per essere proiettato. Durante il processo, fra un frammento e l'altro vengono creati degli intervalli scuri, di cui però lo spettatore non nota la loro presenza per via del cosiddetto effetto della persistenza della visione: per un breve periodo di tempo l'immagine permane a livello della retina. La percezione del movimento è dovuta ad un effetto psicologico definito come “fenomeno Phi”.

[nowwithgaypheromones]

hi! do you happen to know which video that gifset of mike looking at jay is from?

It's from their interview with Matt Hannon of Samurai Cop fame, although I wouldn't know which of the two parts.

[pop-culture-diary]

Dziesięć łyżeczek cukru i kropelka magii

"Wonka" Warner Bros

Premiera: 14 grudnia 2023

Reżyseria: Paul King 

Scenariusz: Paul King, Simon Farnaby 

Muzyka: Joby Talbot 

Piosenki: Neil Hannon 

Zdjęcia: Chung Chung-hoon 

Montaż: Mark Everson 

Występują: Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant i inni 

Dialogi polskie i tłumaczenie piosenek: Tomasz Robaczewski 

W wersji polskiej udział wzięli: Marcin Franc, Katarzyna Mogielnicka, Ewa Konstancja Bułhak, Artur Dziurman, Jacek Borkowski, Przemysław Bluszcz, Krzysztof Dracz, Jakub Szyperski, Tomasz Borkowski, Zbigniew Konopka, Anna Szymańczyk, Natalia Kujawa, Bartłomiej Nowosielski, Jarosław Boberek i inni.

Szczerze powiedziawszy nie zamierzałam pisać recenzji „Wonki”. Idąc do kina spodziewałam się uroczego filmu, przy którym będę się dobrze bawić, ale który nie wywoła u mnie żadnych większych odczuć. Niestety, myliłam się i z seansu wyszłam bardziej zirytowana niż oczarowana. 

„Wonka” opowiada o młodości tytułowego bohatera, którego większość odbiorców zna z książki Roalda Dahla i licznych adaptacji takich jak chociażby „Willy Wonka i fabryka czekolady” z 1971 roku czy „Charlie i fabryka czekolady” z 2005 roku, gdzie wcielali się w niego Gene Wilder i Johnny Depp. Wonka dał się tam poznać jako tajemniczy, nieco niepokojący oryginał, który niespecjalnie przejmuje się losem odwiedzających jego fabrykę dzieci. Nic więc dziwnego, że ciężko mi było sobie wyobrazić jak z antypatycznego samotnika można zrobić głównego bohatera wesołego musicalu. 

Może nie byłoby to tak rażące, gdyby “Wonka” nie nawiązywał do swoich poprzedników. Wykorzystano wygląd Umpa Lumpasa z filmu z Gene Wilderem, choć to jak się ubiera i zachowuje bardziej przywodzi na myśl angielskiego dżentelmana, co nie dziwi biorą pod uwagę, że wciela się w niego Hugh Grant. W filmie pojawia się też najsłynniejsza piosenka z kojarzona z Wonką, czyli “Pure Imagination”. 

Ale od początku. Poznajemy Willy’ego (Timothée Chalamet), gdy przybywa do miasta słynącego z najlepszej czekolady na świecie, z zamiarem dołączenia do grona słynnych czekoladników i spełnienia marzeń, które dzielił ze swoją kochającą matką. Już to przeczy wizji przeszłości Wonki zaprezentowanej widzom w filmie z 2005 roku, który dla wielu ludzi w moim wieku był pierwszym spotkaniem z tą postacią. W każdym razie, Willy pojawia się w mieście bogaty w doświadczenie zebrane podczas wieloletnich podróży, talent, marzenia, entuzjazm i 12 suwerenów, które natychmiast na różne sposoby traci. Jest też po prostu miłym, czułym człowiekiem, którzy przejmuje się losem innych i potrafi oddać ostatnie pieniądze potrzebującym, choć przez to sam nie ma czym zapłacić za nocleg. 

I tu pojawia się pierwszy problem. Willy jest wprost niewyobrażalnie naiwny i to do tego stopnia, że ciężko mu kibicować. Nawet nie przychodzi mu do głowy, że para zakapiorów, która chce mu wynająć kwaterę za śmiesznie niską cenę, może mieć złe zamiary. Mimo ostrzeżenia podpisuje umowę bez czytania i podaje ciężkie narzędzie komuś, kto w oczywisty sposób źle mu życzy. Patrzenie jak raz po raz na własne życzenie pakuje się w kłopoty po jakimś czasie staje się uciążliwe. 

Ale szczerze powiedziawszy nie to powoduje mój gniew. Stworzenie postaci, która jest tak chorobliwie dobrotliwa, że nie może uwierzyć, że ktoś może chcieć ją skrzywdzić to całkiem ciekawy zabieg narracyjny. Willy to w końcu świetny fachowiec, genialny wynalazca i charyzmatyczny businessman, musi więc mieć jakieś wady. Tyle tylko, że mówimy o postaci, która w popkulturze dała się już poznać od zupełnie innej strony. I gdyby jeszcze film choć zasugerował wydarzenia, które zrobią z niego samotnika z fabryki, wybaczyłabym mu wszystko.  

Tak się jednak nie dzieje. Nie będzie wielkim spoilerem powiedzenie, że Willy kończy film szczęśliwy i spełniony, otoczony rodziną, którą sam sobie wybrał. Bez kolejnej części pokazującej zmianę tego radosnego, miłego chłopaka w wyrachowanego kierownika fabryki, który nie wychodził z niej od lat, „Wonka” po prostu nie ma sensu. 

A szkoda, bo to naprawdę uroczy film, stworzony specjalnie dla fanów musicali. Łączy w sobie chwytliwe piosenki, oszałamiającą choreografię prosto z teatru muzycznego, łatwe do polubienia postaci, szalone przygody i czekoladę nie z tego świata. Całkiem nieźle zarysowuje też relacje między bohaterami, szczególnie więź między Wonką, a Nitką. A fabuła bywa naprawdę szalona. Coś co rozpoczyna się jako film familijny, szybko staje się sensacyjną opowieścią o walce z bezdusznymi kartelami z wątkiem przekupnej policji, by po jakimś czasie przerodzić się w kryminał o napadzie. Może odrobinę przesadzono z ogólną słodyczą filmu, ale w lekkim musicalu nie przeszkadza to zbytnio. 

To wszystko w gwiazdorskiej obsadzie, bo oprócz Timothée Chalameta i Hugh Granta zobaczymy też Olivię Coleman w roli pani Skrobicz, Jima Cartera jako Abakusa Całkę czy Rowana Atkinsona w roli księdza. Fani musicali rozpoznają też Matta Lucasa w roli Wściubnosa czy Keegana-Miachaela Keya jako szefa policji. Co warto dodać, wszyscy świetnie radzą sobie wokalnie, co wcale nie jest takie pewne w przypadku musicali kręconych przez Hollywood. 

A jest co śpiewać, bo oprócz “Pure Imagination” w filmie pojawia się dziewięć innych piosenek, napisanych przez Neila Hannona, które stanowią kolejny atut “Wonki”. Wszystkie wpadają w ucho (choć żadna nie może się równać z utworem Umpa Lumpasa) i bardzo dobrze spełniają się jako piosenki musicalowe, jak i samodzielny soundtrack. 

Nie będzie więc zaskoczeniem, że obsada polskiego dubbingu także wywodzi się z teatru i składa się z samych gwiazd branży. Błyszczy Marcin Franc jako Wonka (choć mam wrażenie, że aranżacja trochę go ogranicza i nie może w pełni wykorzystać swoich umiejętności wokalnych), Katarzyna Mogielnicka jest uroczą Nitką, Ewa Konstancja Bułhak świetnie sprawdza się jako okropna pani Skrobicz, a Artur Dziurman perfekcyjnie oddaje opryskliwego, ale głęboko zakochanego Bielarza. A to tylko kilka przykładów, polski dubbing nie ma żadnego słabego punktu. Zarówno teksty mówione, jak i przetłumaczone przez Tomasza Robaczewskiego piosenki świetnie wybrzmiewają po polsku. 

Podsumowując, po wielu dobrych recenzjach spodziewałam się, że Wonka mnie zachwyci. I pewnie by tak było, bo to bardzo dobrze zrobiony film, który ratuje honor musicali filmowych... gdyby tylko główny bohater nazywał się inaczej, a historia nie miała nic wspólnego z książką Dahla. A tak będę teraz czekać na thriller psychologiczny ze szpiegostwem przemysłowym w tle, który wytłumaczy mi przemianę Willy’ego Chalameta w Wildera. I słuchać piosenek z filmu, bo brzmią naprawdę wspaniale, szczególnie po polsku. 

Ale to tylko moja opinia, a ja nie jestem obiektywna. 

[lightsinadarkworld]

Sandcastle Inn by Irene Hannon—Book Review

Back Cover Copy Vienna Price never intended to return for more than a passing visit to Oregon and all the bad memories she’d left behind. But when your career tanks, home is where you go to nurse your wounds and chart a new course. Only temporarily, of course–because as much as she loves her quirky mom, anything more than a short stay would drive them both crazy.  A trip to Oregon isn’t in Matt…

[thejacksmit]

First Take: Wonka - the unexpected prequel that gets the Dahl style perfect

SYNOPSIS: With dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

The last time I seen the name Paul King attached to a film, it was when a certain Peruvian bear won over the hearts of British cinemagoers (and Nicolas Cage) with his sequel back in 2017 and becoming a mainstay of the BBC Christmas schedule ever since. Fast forward six years, and now the entire creative team who made the iconic Paddington films for StudioCanal have been entrusted with a biggie: the prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Any fears the purists had about this project went away instantly, as this is a worthy spritual successor/prequel to the beloved book.

King continues to make the style of film he's known for, even with Warner and the Dahl company keeping a close eye on him - wholesome family adventures that have heart, soul, and elements of darkness which feel editorially justified, and much like Roald Dahl's source material, there is plenty of that in the 1 hour 56 minutes, especially as it blends ideas and imagery from the 1971 Mel Stuart/Gene Wilder film and Tim Burton's 2005 reboot, while at the same time creating an origin story that feels truthful to the style of the original book, which King and co-writer Simon Farnaby absolutely nail. Chung-hoon Chung acts as the film's DOP (with Seamus McGarvey beginning the shoot and leaving halfway through) and does an incredible job behind the camera for a musical film of this nature, and speaking of the music, Joby Talbot's score hits all the right places, with his former bandmate - Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy - writing the original songs (and a few new bits for an iconic number which closes the film) to create a musical which could easily do Greatest Showman kinds of numbers if this opening week is anything to go by.

With the performances, everyone wrote him off when he was cast - but my god, Timothee Chalamet is inspired casting. He can sing, he can dance, he can carry a film, and with his next project being Dune: Part 2, is there anything that Twitter (sorry, X)'s favourite actor can't do? He is ably supported by a frankly immense cast - Olivia Colman, Tom Davis, Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Lucas, Paterson Joseph, Matthew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, and the breakout talent Calah Lane rounding it all out. But just as he did the last time he worked with Paul King, one actor is a complete scenestealer- Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa. Sounds so wrong but it is so well justified. A word to the wise though - don't leave until the very end, as there is one little moment he sets up during the credit roll - one which potentially teases more Dahl projects getting the Hollywood treatment.

THE VERDICT

This film's been described as a warm hug by many, and much like King's previous work, Wonka will go down incredibly well with the mainstream audiences. It's a nice and safe PG that caters to all, and on top of that, it packs an emotional punch for fans of the 71 version, the 2005 version or the musical - it is truly Wonka for this generation.

RATING: 4.5/5

[geekcavepodcast]

Wonka Trailer 2

Wonka is inspired by the characters from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The film follows a young Willy Wonka, "chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible." (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Wonka stars Timotheé Chalamet, Calah Lane, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, Natasha Rothwell, Rich Fulcher, Rakhee Thakrar, Tom Davis , and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Paul King directs from a screenplay by Simon Farnaby and King. Neil Hannon wrote the original songs and Joby Talbot is the composer on the film.

Wonka hits theaters on December 15, 2023.

[theultimateflix]

Wonka is a 2023 musical fantasy film directed by Paul King, who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby. It tells the origin story of the titular Willy Wonka, a character in Roald Dahl's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, featuring his early days as an eccentric chocolatier.

The film stars Timothée Chalamet in the title role, along with newcomer Calah Lane and an ensemble cast including Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.

Development began after Warner Bros. Pictures, which previously released its own adaptation of the novel in 2005, acquired the rights to the titular character in October 2016 and revealed the film would serve as an origin story for Wonka. In May 2021, Chalamet was confirmed to be playing Wonka and the supporting cast were announced in September of that year. Principal photography began in the United Kingdom in September 2021. Filming took place in Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Watford, as well as Lyme Regis, Bath, St Albans and at the Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton Park, London. Scenes were shot in Oxford in December and February. The original songs for the film were contributed by Neil Hannon, while its original score was provided by Joby Talbot.

Wonka had a special screening at ShowEast on 24 October 2023, and is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on 8 December 2023, and in the United States on 15 December 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures.