The Reluctant Blogger

If you haven't heard of ' Stranger Things' by now you must have been in the Upside Down with no wifi signal to tune into Netflix. One year ago the world was plunged into an epic 80's sci-fi thriller world where Dungeons and Dragons, VHS cassettes and BMX bikes were all the rage, and now, with the eruption of Season 2 hitting our tv and mobile screens, it seems fitting to look back on where this journey began... Since the late 1890's the imaginations of people all around the globe have been fascinated by the possibility of life on other planets and visitors from outer space. Thanks to the great early science-fiction authors such as H.G. Wells and John Wyndham, the books ' War of the Worlds ' and ' The Crysalids ' taught us that the scientifically impossible could be found perhaps not only amongst the stars, but amongst ourselves. From then on humanity looked upwards, wondering, researching, hypothesising about things that should be left untouched....

"Our life is like a single drop in the ocean." Sometimes the combination of beautiful cinematography and the raw flow of an honest narrative is enough to make the most effective, memorable and impactful film. ‘ Far Beyond the Waves’ is one such film. It tells the beautifully moving story of a couple who meet with perhaps the most unexpected fear any parent can face. “We sometimes never fully understand what we've lived through, or feel we've had enough time. Life doesn't always work out the way we thought it would, does it?” This story, lovingly and sensitively told, is written through metaphors: the waves that are sometimes calm, sometimes unpredictable, as life is. Charlotte Nall reveals her personal trauma in going through a stillbirth with her husband, and in doing so paints the bittersweet portrait of a precious, fleeting life. The charity they set up, Little Fingers, seeks to bring comfort and support to families who go through the same experience, ...

It's been nearly 50 years since the Planet of the Apes franchise first started, and although making sequels and prequels appears to be the norm nowadays, the prequel trilogy starring Andy Serkis in the role of Caesar may prove to be one of the most popular and successful reboots to date. Despite finally coming to the end of a brilliant new trilogy that tells the story of how the Planet of the Apes came to be, the third installment did in no way disappoint. War for the Planet of the Apes delivers an emotionally driven story that is accompanied by stunning cinematography, incredibly technical visual effects and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack composed by the amazing Michael Giacchino. Directed and co-written by Matt Reeves, the film delivers what everyone has been waiting for: the final battle between Apes and Humans. Having survived a disease that wiped out the majority of humankind in Rise of the Planet of the Apes , the remaining survivors are faced with a choice: to sp...

Finally, after what feels like decades of waiting, it is finally here... After the epicness of The Force Awakens , and then the Episode 4 prequel Rogue One, who knew that it was possible to get even more excited about Star Wars? Following on from Episode 7, The Last Jedi promises more adventure, more action, and could possibly (just like The Empire Strikes Back ) be overshadowed by the dark side of the force - hence the red typeface perhaps? There were so many unanswered questions left after the last film: Who are Rey's parents? Who is Snoke? Has Luke already turned to the dark side? Will Finn survive? What is Snoke planning next? Will Kylo Ren eventually turn to the light, and be reunited with his mother? Will Leia be reunited with Luke? Who knows? But the teaser trailer does offer enough sneak peeks to let the entire Star Wars fandom start speculating and anticipating the movie's plot.  Besides, we've all watched it a million times now, right? WARNING: TEAS...

Desirably jam-packed with delightful intrigue and unnerving suspense, Apple Tree Yard combines the best of a psychological thriller, a heartfelt romance and the worst of human nature. MILD SPOILERS AHEAD! Although many viewers may find steamy encounters in secret closets a little much for their Sunday night viewing, Apple Tree Yard does deliver much more of a plot-line than a couple of raunchy scenes that one would generally expect to hold little narrative. However, this is not the case. Thankfully the series, based on the novel of the same name by Louise Doughty,  provides its viewers with a multi-layered plot which digs deeper and deeper until it seems practically impossible to uncover any more dark and troubling secrets. This is no ordinary love affair; b it by bit the plot twists and turns as a one-off encounter in the heat of the moment evolves into a nerve-wrecking scramble to hide the truth, therefore  unraveling  consequences of a horrifying nature. ...

A few months ago I was presented with the opportunity to create the storyboards for a student project at the University I had graduated from. Having always storyboarded my own projects, and used to drawing what I could see inside my own mind, I jumped at the chance to help visualise someone else's film. Everybody sees things differently. We imagine, we visualise in different ways. Maybe because our brains are wired differently, maybe because we all rely on different experiences or the things we've read. A wide shot to one person might be a close to another; or someone might prefer a high-angled birds eye view, whilst another a fish-eye lens effect. There are endless ways to visualise a story and we are all unique when it comes to this. So being tasked with aiding in the visualisation of someone else's film is by no means an easy feat. One must be able to see inside the director's mind, understand their vision and translate that into something that will reach and ...