-an OD of Toughts-

You know those overly sweet Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer , Frosty the Snowman , or anything that smells like cinnamon and regret? The ones where everyone sings about joy while looking like they’ve been mainlining sugar since November? Right. Now imagine tossing one of those into a blender with a haunted house, a corpse bride, and Tim Burton’s teenage sketchbook. Outcomes:  The Nightmare Before Christmas , a film where Christmas gets drunk, falls into a coffin, and decides to stay because the décor is nicer. It’s stop-motion animation, which means an army of lunatics spent two years moving puppets one blink at a time. You’d have to be either an artist or completely deranged to do that, and thankfully, they were both. Tim Burton dreamt it all up, slapped his name on it in giant gothic letters, and wandered off to film Batman Returns . The poor bloke who actually made it work was Henry Selick, the genius who turned Burton’s doodles into moving nightmares. It’...

Every now and then, a television show comes along that grabs you by the eyeballs and refuses to let go. Down Cemetery Road is that show. It’s smart, it’s moody, and it’s got enough twists to make a corkscrew dizzy. Based on Mick Herron’s novel, yes, the bloke behind Slow Horses, the show about alcoholic spies and terrible life choices, Down Cemetery Road swaps espionage for suburban secrets. There’s a house explosion, a missing girl, and more lies per minute than a politician in election season. Ruth Wilson plays Sarah Tucker, a woman whose curiosity is roughly the size of Jupiter. Emma Thompson, meanwhile, plays Zoë Boehm, a private investigator with the kind of haunted stare that suggests she’s seen things no one should ever Google. Together, they wander around Oxford digging up enough dirt to fill a quarry. And it’s brilliant. The writing is sharp, the acting flawless, and the whole thing hums with that slow, creeping dread the British do so well, the sort that makes you feel sli...

There are moments in life when you discover what you’re really made of. Some people lift cars off trapped children. Some stay calm in the face of danger. And others, like the dad in Force Majeure,  leg it faster than Lewis Hamilton when an avalanche heads for the lunch terrace. This Swedish film, directed by Ruben Östlund, begins like one of those glossy ski resort adverts, perfect family, perfect snow, perfect jawlines. You half expect a Volvo to glide past in slow motion. But then, boom, a wall of snow tumbles down the mountain, and in that split second, our hero Tomas reveals his true colours: he grabs his phone and sprints off, leaving his wife and kids behind. Not since the invention of the electric scooter has manhood looked so pathetic. Of course, the avalanche stops short. Nobody dies. The only thing buried is Tomas’s dignity. But that’s when the real disaster begins. His wife, Ebba, doesn’t let it go, oh no. She picks at the wound like a terrier with a sock, reminding him ...

If you’ve ever sat in traffic, fantasising about escaping modern life — the noise, the bills, the idiots on scooters — Eden is here to remind you exactly why that’s a stupid idea. Ron Howard’s latest film, Eden , drops us on a sun-bleached island in the Galápagos, where a collection of 1920s Europeans decide civilisation is overrated. Their grand plan? Build a paradise free of rules, taxes, and presumably deodorant. What they actually build is a human zoo — complete with hunger, jealousy, and a slow descent into madness. It’s Love Island , but with more sweat, fewer bikinis, and a shocking amount of teeth problems. A CAST STRANDED IN STYLE To be fair, the cast is exceptional. Jude Law scowls his way through the jungle like a man who’s just discovered his espresso machine doesn’t work on solar power. Ana de Armas, playing a seductive and unhinged baroness, slinks through the chaos with the confidence of someone who knows she’s the only one wearing silk. Sydney Sweeney, meanwhile, g...

   There I was, scrolling through Prime Video, expecting something light and easy for the evening. Maybe a cheerful rom-com, a bit of nonsense, something with a talking dog. Instead, I ended up watching The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, which is basically ten hours of small-town America losing its collective mind in glorious high definition. It begins innocently enough. A quiet town by the sea. Birds chirping. Everyone pretending to be normal. Then, within minutes, someone digs up the body of a teenage girl in the garden of a famous writer, and suddenly the whole place makes Broadchurch look like The Teletubbies. Patrick Dempsey, who we last saw charming nurses and melting hearts in Grey’s Anatomy, now plays Harry Quebert, a tortured author who wrote one great novel and has spent the rest of his life staring moodily at the ocean, probably waiting for inspiration or a decent sandwich. He’s accused of murdering a fifteen-year-old girl who was his so-called muse, which is...

In a gripping new BBC series, 'The Sixth Commandment,' the story of unconventional love and an intricate web of manipulation is brought to life. This harrowing true-crime drama sheds light on the chilling case of murderer Ben Field and the gas-lighting abuse he inflicted upon his vulnerable neighbors. With insights from the cast and creators, including renowned actors Timothy Spall and Anne Reid, this series takes viewers on a journey through the disturbing realities of this shocking case. Uncovering a Disturbing Love Story: 'The Sixth Commandment' explores the perplexing tale of cherished teacher Peter Farquhar (played by Timothy Spall) and the enigmatic student, Ben Field (played by Éanna Hardwicke). Set against the backdrop of their unlikely encounter, the drama delves into the strange and unsettling criminal events that unfolded. Field, a churchwarden, embarked on a campaign of harassment disguised as love, targeting Farquhar, a devoted Christian four decades his se...

Get ready to unravel the juicy secrets of the elite, dear readers! Settle in for a delightful six-part Australian tale that will have you hooked from the very first episode. "The Secrets She Keeps" is a guilty pleasure that combines the glitz and glamour of a wealthy cashmere-clad blogger with the envy-inducing life of a supermarket worker. Prepare for a collision of worlds like no other! Now, picture my wife, bless her soul—she's one of those telly-challenged creatures. Her mind is a nimble detective, always ten steps ahead, dissecting plots with lightning speed. The poor thing walked out of "The Sixth Sense" the moment she sniffed out Bruce Willis's coat wasn't going anywhere. And don't even get me started on "Gone Girl"—she was back home before the washing machine finished its spin cycle. Oh, the woes of an overactive mind! But me? Well, let's just say my brain resembles a bowl of wobbly pudding. I happily basked in the twists and tu...

In a delightful journey down memory lane, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" resurrects the beloved 80s original, capturing the hearts of fans from a bygone era. Helmed by Jason Reitman, who follows in the footsteps of his father, Ivan Reitman, the film inherits not only the familial connection but also a shared DNA with its iconic predecessor. With a mix of homage and creative borrowing, the story weaves together supernatural entities and key plot elements that pay tribute to the franchise's rich history, bolstered by an unmistakable Spielbergian touch. Setting the stage for a wave of nostalgia, Rob Simonsen's score, heavily influenced by the legendary John Williams, strikes a chord that resonates deep within the souls of viewers of a certain age. Adding to the film's allure is the casting of Finn Wolfhard, known for his role in the popular series "Stranger Things." His presence injects fresh energy into the narrative, connecting with a younger audience and brid...

I meant to write this a bit earlier since I saw this movie late last year but I had the time to watch it again and as the first time I saw it I realized again how much Bee Movie is a clever piece of first-rate entertainment. Though it doesn’t have quite the quality of some of Disney’s Pixar movies, it has plenty of glorious, colorful animation, exhilarating action, and a great story full of fresh, funny characters we haven’t seen before. There is plenty of comedy and action for children and teenagers, and there is also plenty of sharp wit for mature audiences, including parents and grandparents who want to share a day at the movies with their older children and grandchildren or watch it together on the small screen. Bee Movie has several positive messages. Barry’s parents have taught him that, when someone does something for you, you have to thank him. That’s what drives Barry to thank Vanessa for saving his life. Though Barry has a Romantic worldview (he wants to fulfill his personal ...

Whenever I see the name Peter Hedges printed on a movie poster as a director, I know that the movie will have a unique blend of humor and heartbreak, yet Dan in Real Life is also blissfully funny and touching. Good comedians who become Hollywood actors tend to follow a familiar pattern. Over time, they get soft, becoming all tender and ''humanized.'' Richard Pryor more or less set the template for this ritual and his example was followed by Robin ''I Love Me!'' Williams and Jim Carrey, who's had an on-again, off-again fling with taming his own made revolution. Steve Carell, after The 40 Year-Old Virgin , he already looked he was halfway in the same pattern I mentioned above and the way he played the yuppie Noah in Evan Almighty made me dread the worst when I went to see Dan in Real Life , in which Carell plays a family-values newspaper columnist, an advice column filled with the common sense he lacks himself, who is also the widowed father of thr...

As most of my readers know I tend to have a soft spot with anything which is usually designed to be enjoyed mostly by children. Could it be that a (small :)) part of me never accepted the idea of growing up or the reason might be that when I think of getting older, I just get rid of the idea and that helps me feel younger at heart. Well as you might have read earlier one of the best film in my opinion of 2007 was Ratatouille and after the massive success made from Pixar thanks to the little character of Remy, on the 17th of June and that means that probably we will be seeing it in Malta around October if not for the Christmas season, we will have a new contender to soften our heart. Its/His name is Wall-E and so is the name of the new animated film by Disney-Pixar. Wall-E is a tiny robot, with sweet eyes very clumsy but otherwise a fantastic little thing. Here is the latest teaser/trailer and I recommend you watch this precious new gem, which I’m sure will have the same repeated succe...

RATATOUILLE "Ratatouille" is, quite simply, the perfect family film ... and so much more. It tells the charming story of a rat who wants to be a chef but can't because, well, he's a health-code violation. And they say originality is dead in Hollywood. No, this computer-generated masterpiece from Pixar Animation Studios is the best so far and more specifically, writer/director/oh, or the living genius Brad Bird. When Disney said no one could make a family movie about creatures as disgusting as rats (let alone one involving cooking), with a difficult to pronounce French title no less, he did it anyway. Bless him. Bird also directed the criminally unsuccessful The Iron Giant as well as Pixar's The Incredibles and with Ratatouille, we can start calling him the new king of animation. The film connects on many levels. For kids, it teaches an important lesson of acceptance through cute and appealing characters. For adults, it wrestles with far deeper concerns: Is the act...

I’ve been meaning to post these couple of reviews ages ago, but I had to finish some assignments before I had some free time to dot down a couple of lines. The first one is about a movie I saw a couple of months ago called Hairspray. At last we have a new movie musical that really is a movie musical – a bold, unapologetic movie musical that nearly jumps off the screen and challenges all of your silly hang-ups about movie musicals. In the days when Hollywood lost its way when it attempts to make film musicals for people who don't like film musicals. It is pointless because these audiences would draw back no matter how cautiously on-screen singing was presented. In the meantime, the studios alienated those fans who do like musicals. With Hairspray, it found its way back and, for once, gets it right. The people who made this film instinctively know that the best way to introduce a song on screen is to jump right into it. And that's what "Hairspray" does; it immediately ...

Well I’m back to my lovely country Malta after a much considered necessary, holiday and given that I don’t have a tendency to go to cinemas when I’m abroad and I was looking for a relaxing friday evening, my choice fell on what I thought at first an easy romantic comedy by the name of No Reservations at my favorite movie complex in Valetta. In a couple of words the reason why I really loved this movie is because it made me feel sorry for not persisting my career as a chef and then again the reason why thank God I quit doing it. The reason being that some people think that they can instruct someone so passionate about his job the way he or she should do their dishes. Mind you it did at sometimes made me remember how good it feels during the service hours when one is just pushed to the limit to get the dishes to the customers fast. Another reason why I enjoyed watching it is that it is sumptuous celebration of the most important things in life, succulent food, fine wine, fantastic music ...

No good or bad review for an avid fan like me of the now made it to the 18 th series that is 10 long years cartoons show (which took the world by storm wherever it has been transmitted) will stop me from making it to the cinema to finally see the new stretched to 80 minutes episode which is called simply The Simpsons Movie J ...from the trailer alone I can see that this is a film that's so funny it could endanger your health , the problem is that the jokes come so thick and fast, you almost need an interval to recover from them...well what can a humble men like me say more...I’m definitely going to see it for at least once..(Friends know why I said for at least once...). It takes a wide screen to fully capture Homer’s stupidity and the movie does it...this particular guy has to save the world from a catastrophe that he has created himself

I made yesterday a cinema night and it was funny how all films showing at my favourite complex were all sequels. Once a movie makes it big at the box office, the film makers tendency is to extract as much money as possible from the series or trilogy proposed. I was in a fairytale mood (if one can figure out what that is) so my choice and my date’s fell on Shrek the Tired, sorry I meant the Third. I settled in my seat, enjoying the good sight lines and the excited anticipation of the children, when a little voice behind me said, “Have to turn off the mobile now, it's gonna start" to the guy next to her, who being my age was probably her dad.”The child, a girl, couldn’t have been more than seven. Even in this era, seven is too early for biting wit. Then, as the movie began, I realized that this girl represents what DreamWorks Animation, the producer of this most lucrative of franchise animated features, envisions its audience to be. Tiny, but now too wise then our generation’s...

JIENDO - THE END