Author Ashley Norris

I'm a twenty year-old film-lover, full-time procrastinator and rambler. There's too little time to accomplish everything.

Special Edition etiquette-2
15

There’s currently a purposefully inflammatory article going around saying it’s wrong to shush people at the cinema. So ridiculous is the writer in his argumentative, click-baiting state that he compares cinema goers to being conservative but in a much more incendiary way. The obviously attention-seeking writer says that if you want people to remain silent in a cinema screen, not talk and not use their phones to check their timelines, then you are actually a fascist who is the type of person to be against gay marriage and for slavery. No, he’s serious, honest. So deluded in this state he acts as if the two monumental things are on the same level as people who hate chattering around them in a theater. Not only does he believe that but he believes that anyone who does shush is a bully. That’s right, in this one article about cinema silence he manages to insult everyone. Don’t you dare disagree with him though because you don’t understand the cultural norm of places like India and if you disagree with him and that culture - which many on Twitter are coming forward to say is hogwash - then you are in fact a racist fascist. Heavy words to throw around because you want to check how many retweets you just got.

Special Edition nycc-james-wan-insidious-header
0

James Wan has been around for a while and started a long famous franchise that gave us a story that satiated everyone’s inherent need for gore. When you debut with Saw which turns into a seven film franchise that rakes in millions and millions then there’s obviously a talent there waiting to be harvested. After Insidious was released, Wan became a big name in horror along with writer Leigh Whannel who have now done a sequel due for release this year. Along with that, Wan has been snapped up by the Fast & Furious franchise after Justin Lin dropped out of the seventh one to have a break and focus on other projects. This is a huge deal for someone who’s only ever directed a small action film and mainly horrors. It’s all coming up Wan but why has it taken almost a decade for everyone to pay proper attention? Looking back at his back catalogue shows that he’s a talented indie director who looks to finally break into the top tier of blockbusting directing.

Reviews springinasmalltown1
1

Post-war China is recovering, Communism is gaining traction and Chinese films made a lot of political statements at the time. Spring in a Small Town is the exception as it doesn’t focus on politics although it does show China’s need to recover. This lack of political side saw this film sidelined after the Communist revolution in 1949 but now - especially after the 2002 remake by Tian Zhuangzhuang - it’s getting recognition as one of the greatest Chinese films ever - something I couldn’t possibly comment on. Instead of picking a left or right side, it focuses on a story of people, one which it tells exceptionally well.

Reviews Maniac2012-4
1

Remakes always get a bad name but that’s because of terrible remake, sequels that aren’t quite sure what they really are - likeTexas Chainsaw 3D the spewed out into cinemas in January. This, however, is proof that not all remakes have to be bad or unwelcome. It even proves that remakes can even surpass the original. Don’t get ready to look away not read because this is a beacon of hope to all remakes out there. This is not a simple horror. It works amazingly well as that genre but it also has dramatic elements which make you feel for the character. It is a pretty touching, heartbreaking film about human relationships that this man cannot forge. It’s horror with heart - not a physical heart pulled out either.

Film Festival A-Hijacking_2012
0

Somali pirates board a Danish ship demanding a ransom for the boat and the heads on board. This encapsulates the board meetings and the hostage situation by intricately crafting both stories on and off the ship. Condensing months of mission into a tight, poignant 99 minutes that mars the viewer witnessing grim proceedings. While Tobias Lindholm may be more experienced at script-writing, his first solo directorial piece - his other, R, with Michael Noer - is one that wrings the tension out of the sweat covered captives. Never has a language barrier been - fit with no subtitles to confuse us like the hostages - so terrifying when there’s misunderstanding and AK-47s in the mix.

Home Entertainment Give-Me-The-Banjo-DVD-F
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A niche title suggests only lovers of the banjo will enjoy this documentary which is narrated by Steve Martin. Unfortunately that’s exactly what it is. That’s not to say that the documentary is a failure, it’s packed with information from respectable people with a kicking soundtrack spanning from the 1920s to Steve Martin in 2012 but the information feels irrelevant to banjo-unenthusiasts. All the information seems lost to those who don’t already have an interest in the instrument. A shame considering documentaries can strike up such unknown desires that this one falls short of the mark despite all of its attempts. It’s a rewarding documentary but only if you care about the history of the banjo. That may be seen as stating the obvious but documentaries have piqued interests in people who don’t share the love before the viewing.

Reviews Screen Shot 2013-03-13 at 10.04.29 PM
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Animation pictures usually rely on the vocal talent to bring their creations to realistic life as well as drawing in a more adult audience by having such big names star in it. Dreamworks is no stranger to this by using these to make up for the fact they were a couple of detailed steps behind Pixar. Megamind is miles ahead of Dreamworks’s usual animated detail and still boasts one of the strongest casts by having Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, David Cross and Jonah Hill as the main characters. There’s a cameo role by Ben Stiller but his voice is barely recognisable. Thanks to all the vocal talents they make Megamind shine because otherwise it might be too bland to enjoy.

Home Entertainment paradisecover
0

A tragedy struck West Memphis in 1993 that garnered a lot of notoriety. This was the triple murder of eight year-olds, left in a canal, that was said to be ritualistic, commencing a witch hunt. Memphis became Salem, searching for anyone that could be held accountable. The poor eight year-old boys were assaulted, tortured and mutilated. Fear ruled Memphis because having the killer(s) free in the town was a terrifying thought. Someone had to be arrested. This led three teenagers to fall on that sword. Thrown onto the stakes for the town to burn, the teenagers were the witches that this Salem wanted. Damien Echols the leader for their satanic rituals as a practitioner of the Wicca religion.

Blu Review
1

Gerard Depardieu plays Germain Chavez who is a handyman, gardening illiterate who is mocked by the village for his stupidity, even by those that are supposed to be his friends. One day in the park he sits on a bench next a little old woman named Margueritte (Gisele Casadesus) who both have a common interest in the pigeons that congregate in that area of the park.