Movie Review: X-Men, First Class

While some of us were gallivanting around the south of France, others caught screenings of Matthew Vaughn’s crack at the X-Men franchise, First Class, which boasts an appealing cast led by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence and—for starters—strong reviews. The movie opens wide on Friday.
Todd McCarthy, THR:

”...roughly the first half of this massive and very well cast origins extravaganza is arguably the best hour of Marvel Comics-derived filmmaking among the torrent of it that’s cascaded across screens in recent years. Audacious, confident and fueled by youthful energy, this is a surefire summer winner for a wide global audience.”

Louise Keller, UrbanCinefile:

“Although the filmmakers have packed far too much into the storyline, there’s first class action, superb special effects and a nice sprinkling of humour in a plot whose heart rests in the bond between Professor X and Magneto…Charismatic and enigmatic, Fassbender is superb as Erik, who is driven by hatred and an insatiable appetite for revenge…The politicizing of this prequel changes its nature considerably, taking it from its roots of fantasy action to a political thriller set at the time of the Cuban missile crisis but with Bond-style overtones. This is good for a debate all by itself.”

Katey Rich, Cinemablend:

“McAvoy and Fassbender are the undeniable center of X-Men: First Class,..Vaughn and his bevy of fellow screenwriters knit these characters so well into the real world that you don’t need to know Beast from Banshee to understand their motivations. That’s a rare, rare thing in comic book movies, particularly when elsewhere in the Marvel movie universe every film seems to be geared not toward its own characters, but toward a larger mythology that requires hours of research to understand. Though it is certainly the kickoff of a new franchise, and lugs around a story more sprawling than it needed to be, X-Men: First Class feels spry and self-contained, a blast of colorful and passionate enthusiasm with just enough weight to matter. It feels phenomenal to have these mutants back.”

David Poland:

“Basically, [Vaughn] made a Bond film with good guys and bad guys alike who just happen to have super powers…Vaughn has been a little denuded here. He is great at filthy fun. But still, he shows that he has the chops. Look for the masterfully artful effects sequence early in the film and some of the great ways Vaughn has his characters manifest their powers. And while it makes you wonder how much better X-Men 3 could have been, it also makes you happy that he didn’t do an X-film until he had the opportunity to do it his way fully.”

Brendon Connelly, BleedingCool:

“All in , First Class is a damn fine superhero movie. More geared, I would suggest, to the more mature fanboy as opposed to some of the aspartame-crazed comic book capers that tend to pop up on the boxes of Happy Meals.”

by Anne Thompson

Born, The Monster Way (Gaga's BTW Video)

Utterly disgusting for her haters, visual haven for her Little Monsters.

Obviously, she never fails to stun her fans in everything occult that she does. The much anticipated music video for BTW, her first single off the album Born This Way premiered 12 midnight in Manila. It's one of those "either-you-love-or-you-hate" MTV. The plot of her 7-minute masterpiece was obviously born out of her mind. Unlike from her previous works, every bit of BTW video has some Gaga-ness' art direction on it. 

THE CREATION. The visual three-minute prologue about how her "race" was concept-ed has shown a birthing Monster (lecturing about slimy mitosis) and a machine gun being pulled out of her nasty cave. I in jest would think she might have drawn her concept
from the book of Genesis and Revelation - the creation of good and the proliferation of evil. The images were so graphic with every frame full of worthy sh*t, you wouldn't absorb it all in one sitting.

BREATHER. Everything was toned down when BTW music was played in the background. Gaga in her signature two piece struts her tattooed body with Laurieann Gibson's eclectic dance routines.  The setting was a dark platform (maybe she's inside a big ovary!) along with her "LGBT"  dancers (who have the same pointed shoulder bones like her.) 

But then there's more; Gaga went a little dark and explored her Goth side. She painted her face like a punk and flirted with the Zombie boy, Rick Genest.The singer has also paid tribute to the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, and surprisingly has impersonated a teary eyed Madonna. Whether or not she has plans to dethrone the Queen of Pop, that i don't know.

Credits:  Lady Gaga 'Born This Way' Music Video Screenshots by Natalie Kuchik

Drugs, Ballet, and Lessons on How to Touch Yourself (Black Swan Movie Review)

Once you go black, you'll never go back.

Darren Aronofsky's staggering presentation of his point of view has become so constrained in Black Swan, every scene will certainly be savored with breathtaking suspense. His clever and cunning concept has achieved its goal of letting the viewers decode the truth lost in the protagonist's schizophrenic soul. Being a visionary that he is, the director has again exhibited his improved tone of tension within every frame that will surely make every sane mind question realism.



True to its erotic thriller theme and title, black pitch and dark production design were made obvious throughout the movie - a little predictable but quite understandable.  The arresting musical score "that punctuates each anxiety" in some horrifying scenes has helped a lot in reminding me to get back to my senses.  The film has had its share of weird moments; just consider Natalie Portman's stunning performance. Her multi-faceted portrayal of a tormented ballet dancer is a revelation that surely will ignite anxiety in every living swan in Hollywood.

Simply put, this film has exceeded every viewers' expectations... my expectations. The moment you see Black Swan, you'll be extremely terrified, I warn you: entertaining the idea of watching it again could blow your F'n mind.