Review: Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)

As I have reiterated numerous times, I like Adam Sandler, most people don't like him and I will happily admit he has made some terrible films but Hotel Transylvania is one of my favourites so the sequel had to be watched.

It took me ages to eventually watch Hotel Transylvania, but I was surprised at how much I loved it, so I was really looking forward to the sequel.

Hotel Transylvania 2 follows on from the first one with Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Jonathan (Andy Samberg) married with a half human half vampire baby, however Dracula (Adam Sandler) is worried that his monster side hasn't come through yet.  To rectify the situation, Dracula sends Mavis to visit her human in-laws and recruits his monster friends to try to encourage Dennis' evil side to come out.

You didn't warn me the first few scenes would make me cry! I'm deep in the middle of a wedding hotel room drama so anything sweet and wedding related sets me off right now. Watching Dracula and Mavis' sweet moments made me do a bit of an ugly cry.

Straight up, this is not as good as the first one.  The jokes aren't as good and the story is pretty poor, however when it does pull a funny, it was really funny.  I laughed out loud countless times and was thoroughly entertained, no naps in this film!! I left my adult self at the door and spent an hour and a half being a kid again, laughing at fart jokes and trying to work out the which voice belongs to who from various Adam Sandler movies.  I was gobsmacked to find Nick Offerman yet again, that man is literally in everything...ever!  Also, did we know that he is married to the awesome Megan Mullally, why did I not know this?!  I would love to be a fly on the wall in that house!

You also didn't warn me that Nick freaking Offerman was in this! We need to talk. Also I had no idea until now that Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally are married. That's awesome on so many levels!

The animation is fantastic as well, the attention to detail never fails to amaze me in modern animation.  Particularly the scenes with big group, such as the birthday party, there are soo many other things happening in the background, I want to watch it again and again to catch them all.

I really enjoyed the story, although this is another case of the sequel not being quite so good. The jokes were okay, but not laugh out loud for me, other than one moment which struck a weird funny bone for me. That moment when both families are having a big meal together, and there's that phantom of the opera styled guy playing the organ. Someone says something a bit controversial and the organ guy just shouts 'AWKWARD' and I don't know why, but it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen!

Don't overthink it and you'll love it!

Definitely worth a watch, but I prefer the original!

Parks and Recreation: Ron Swanson's Best Moments

It’s so hard to pick a favourite Parks and Recreation character. In fact, if you asked me, my answer would change every day. It changes with every episode! Over the past 3 months I have whizzed right through all 7 seasons, and loved every episode. I don't think I've ever watched a TV Show that has had so much positive energy!

So whilst this post may feature the most manliest man ever known, Ron Swanson, it’s likely I’ll end up having a post like this for every character eventually. 

Meat: The way to Ron Swanson's heart

Ron Swanson does what he wants.

Ron Swanson knows how important breakfast is. So important in fact, breakfast food should be eaten all the time.

Those rare moments when Ron Swanson not only laughs, but giggles.

When Ron Swanson went disguised to the bowling alley to try Tom's least manliest tactic, rolling like a girl.

When Ron Swanson pointed out that salad is not human food.

When Ron Swanson knew how to distance people. Missing from this picture: April doing the same thing back to him.

Ron Swanson drunk. Nuff said.

And finally, the moment that Ron Swanson, AKA Duke Silver, joined Mouse Rat on stage at the Unity Concert. My eyes started to cry, and my brain couldn't explain why.

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

Strangely enough for a film with such an explanatory title, I didn’t know what to expect with this one.  Was it going to become an epic love story, star crossed lovers and illness ready to tear them apart.  Was it a weepie?  Was it a drama?  Are they being facetious? Are they trying to confuse me by putting dying girl in the title to throw off the fact that she doesn’t die?!  So many questions I needed answers to, so I had to watch it before my brain exploded from overthinking! 

Confession: I completely wrote this off as a sappy teen romance movie, and it was only seeing your review in our drafts list that made me think 'oh fine, I'll give it a go'!

Greg (Thomas Mann) has nailed High School, he has managed to integrate himself slightly into every group in the school without being so involved that others actually notice him.  He calls his Best friend, Earl (RJ Cyler) his co-worker (as they make movies together) and basically refuses to develop any real relationships during High School.  Unfortunately, one of his classmates, Rachel (Olivia Cooke) develops cancer and he is forced by his Mom and Dad to be friends with her - who by the way, I loved in this, great choice casting Nick Offerman and Connie Britton. Offerman for EVERYTHING!

If this was any other weepie/romcom etc they would have fallen in love in the first act, made big plans for the future in the second act and she would die/get better in the third – making it utterly predictable.  This however, was not your average romcom/weepies and Greg and Rachel become great friends (and nothing more) but find a sort of happy place with each other (even Greg who actively avoids having friends).  Nothing really happens throughout the film, there’s no big story or adventure it’s just three people who come together and have to deal with this very real situation.

Greg is such a clever character. He manages to blend in with everyone so well without getting too close to them and I feel like he does that to us as an audience as well. It isn't until he himself slips up in his social, yet anti-social plan that we even get to see some real emotions underneath, and I love that.

Sometimes it's the little things that stick with me, and one of my favourite things about Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is the film making that Greg and Earl do. Their amended titles of actual films were hilarious, and I want to watch this again just to see those titles again and work out what they're all based on!

I’m not sure how memorable this film is as it has so far been a week or so since I saw it and I feel like I need to watch it again to write my review, I’m not sure in a year I will even remember having watched it, which seems a shame because I do remember enjoying it, just not why! (There is a very real possibility that my memory is fading in my old age, rather than films becoming less memorable – who knows!)  What I do remember is the filming being different from anything I have seen in this category, the final scene with Rachel, where she is watching the movie Greg and Earl have made her was beautifully shot and quite mesmerising.

I felt like there was a definite split in the movie, the first part was a light-hearted, coming of age flick, and then there's a turning point where your emotions are all gathered up, scrunched into a ball and dropped at your feet. The last 20 minutes had me ugly crying in front of the TV with no warning whatsoever!

Great independent film that feels more real than big studio versions.

Don't make the mistake I made of trying to compare Me and Earl and the Dying Girl to The Fault in Our Stars. They are such different movies. This might be a contender for my top 10 of the year!

25 Thoughts I Had Watching Fargo's Season 2 Premiere

It’s finally that beautiful time of the year when my favourite TV Shows start up again. Nothing has disappointed me so far, but the one show I was most anxious to see was Fargo. After reading all the hype before it’s Season 1 premiere and realising Martin Freeman was the lead, and well into a Sherlock withdrawal, I decided it was about time I found out what Fargo even was. I started with the movie, which I loved, and so once the show aired, I was a terribly knitted sweater away from being a super fan. Here's my thoughts on Season 1.

I looked up absolutely nothing beforehand so that I could go into Season 2 blind. I made myself a cuppa, cuddled up on the sofa with my cat Loki (the one who got lost, remember?) and got started! My mind can’t quite put together any kind of formal review, but here are my scattered thoughts, and beware of cryptic spoilers!

This is the best opening to anything, ever.

Every movie and show should start like this.

I forgot how snowy Minnesota is.

It’s been 5 whole minutes without an ‘oh yah?’, I don’t know how to feel about that.

What kind of children’s book is this?!

He doesn’t even know!

Ejaculate is a funny word though. Hahaha.

I’m sure there was a hint of a ‘yah’ there.

That posh fancy lady has a giant milkshake. I’m glad adults are still allowed to like milkshakes.

*some sort of joke about bringing boys to the yard*

This isn’t going to end well. 

Nope.

Watch that knife. Ugh. Please don’t pull it. Ugh!

Run, lady, run! I don’t know where, but run!

Oh...nevermind.

What! This woman be crazy! How can she drive away like that?! Can can she see?

Oh duh. You’re cars have the driver on the other side of the car. But still!

Hold on a minute. RON SWANSON?! Nobody warned me Ron f*cking Swanson was in this! Fargo just got 1,000,000 times better.

Your wife is hiding something from you. She’s shady.

Don’t go in there.

Deer my ass!

Oh lordy. That’s messed up.

RAYMOND’S BROTHER!

The episode’s already over?! NooOOooooOooooo!

I never even heard an ‘oh yah’. Sadface!