The Invention of Lying

This is the 1st written and directed film by Ricky Gervais, which was co-written and co-directed with Matthew Robinson. The film focuses around the character of Mark Bellison (Gervais), who lives in a world almost identical to ours - except that no one in the human race can tell a lie. That is until Mark, hated by his co-workers (especially Brad Kessler (Rob Lowe), labelled as fat and ugly, sacked and evicted from his house, has finally had enough - he tells the world's first lie. From there on, the film is just your basic zero to hero comedy, with an obligatory love interest (Jennifer Garner).

I believe the film has a context showing that while the world may change, everything will also stay the same - but there is always the chance where you can change your position in life. The script is the typical Gervais style, which mixes ingredients from both his TV shows and stand up. By mixing cringe type humour that makes the audience uncomfortable, with rudeness of his stand up, he's somehow managed to tone it down for a 12A audience. The style in which the characters act (because they mainly speak by saying their feelings out loud) makes you sympathise with characters like Mark - because he is at the bottom of the social ladder, he receives the most abuse.



This film features some of the best acting that Gervais has ever done especially one scene that would make the average movie-goer teary eyed. Overall, the film was a lot better than I was expecting. It features quite a few funny scenes, and offers an innovative way to script a film. The film features cameos by plenty of A-list celebrities, including Gervais favourites Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton and Stephen Merchant, which only adds to the cinema experience.

5/10

By Mathew Johns

Zombieland

This Comedy/Horror has been called the American version of Shaun of the Dead, and the director has admitted to being inspired by the 2004 film. Its true it does have similarities, but one could hardly compare the groundbreaking, genre bending thoughts of Shaun to this broad movie. Zombieland does however, manage to maintain a high level of comedy throughout, while still being a good watch for horror fans. It isn’t a scare-fest, but if you are looking for a few well planned ’jumps’, some great special effects and blood spurts, along with a healthy dose of comedy, this movie is one to watch.
It begins with the listing of four basic rules people should adhere to if they are to survive a zombie attack, and how our narrator came up with these rules. We meet our self described ‘loner’ (Jesse Eisenberg, Adventureland) while on his way from his college dorm in Austin, Texas to Columbus, Ohio. He soon teams up with Twinkie obsessed Tallahassee (in a movie where your name is where your heading, you don’t want to get too familiar!) and once the narrator has been baptised ‘Columbus’ they are soon heading East together. Through flashbacks and interaction with his new-found friend, we learn Columbus is looking for someone to love. He has always wanted to brush a girls’ hair behind their ear, and though he thought he found the one in his next door neighbour, when she turned into a zombie in the morning, he kept on looking! They soon team up with two sisters on their way to a Theme park in California. Wichita’s little sister, Little Rock, wants a chance to be a kid- a hard thing to be, growing up in Zombieland. When Columbus finds out his home town has burnt to the ground, he takes a second look and Wichita (Emma Stone, Superbad) and decides to stay with them. Overall the movie is pretty predictable, a good watch with a predictable plot. What is great, however, is the twist that these zombies are smart. They learn how to open doors, when humans are most vulnerable (toilet time- rule number 3) and they sprint instead of slowly limping towards their victims, which is a rarity in the traditional zombie movie.
Columbus’ decision to educate Little Rock to the career of Bill Murray produces the typical hilariously dry humour many will grown to love from newbie Eisenberg, “Oh this is so exciting, your about to learn who they’re gonna call….Ghostbusters.”
Gratuitous swears and a thinly developed plot hold this film back, but Woody Harrelson and some amazingly timed jokes make it enjoyable. Yes its cheesy, but have you never wanted to see Charlie Chaplin as a Zombie, or stay in Bill Murray’s mansion!
Rating: 6/10

Out on Your Own - District 9 Review

I’ve always thought of myself as extremely independent. I often travel alone and am happy being single. But when I decided to see District 9, a film none of my friends wanted to see, alone…I was opened to a world of loneliness! No doubt many of you will be facing new and exciting prospects, away from home and the norm. Perhaps it isn’t a huge deal to some people, people extremely secure in themselves, a trip to the cinema alone would be a breeze. I have been with friends, family, work and on the rare occasion, an actual date! So, I had a few hours spare and took the opportunity. I asked for ‘One to see District 9’ and the spotty teen behind the counter gave me an unwanted look of sympathy, or perhaps even empathy. I walked in to the almost empty theatre just in time for the trailers. I love the trailers, its like watching 3 months worth of movies! The first one was one I saw in 3D when watching The Final Destination, it was the ‘most expensive movie ever made’ (?) AVATAR. For the first time, I actually watched the trailer, instead of being amazed by the strange blue things feet coming out of the screen! I like the look of it, very fantasy, but it doesn’t tell you ANYTHING about the movie, is it a mad killing spree, is it genetic mutation, is it a romantic film? It doesn’t do its job and falls short of making me want to see this over hyped James Cameron film. The second was a teaser trailer of Saw IV (reviewed in Bullet: Issue 2) which looked really good on the cinema screen, but may not hold the audiences attention for a full length movie. Then, Ricky Gervais appeared on screen, obviously taking tips from his Madagascar star, Ben Stiller by promoting his new movie, The Invention of Lying, himself within the trailer. Gervais is very much a marmite man (love or hate him!) and I have always got his humour, and so LUCKILY I was able to take it as a joke as he said ‘Look at that overweight girl at the front, stop eating sweets, you’ve had enough” and I heard the sniggers and felt the stares of the only other people in the room, two couples (I’m not a model, lets put it that way!) I laughed and pretended to hide in embarrassment. Might as well give them what they want! When I’d got over the humiliation, I looked up to see the lovely Bruce Willis gracing the screen. It was a trailer for his new film, Surrogates. It seems to have a really good plot, about a kind of ‘second version of you’ that allows you to do all the things you really want to do! But it all goes wrong when the actual person dies along with the surrogate. It looks like a really good thriller and I will definitely be going to see that! By the end of this, I way still a little red with embarrassment and couldn’t wait for the lights to go down and be swept away in a fantasy world straight from Peter Jackson’s mind.
The film itself is very thought provoking and a really good watch. It caters for all audiences, and I know this because I got bored. I get bored with fighting, guns and all that and so there is some of that for the guys, or girls, who like that kind of thing! But I also cried (again very embarrassing alone), Squirmed (there are some disgusting bits involving finer nails!) and was left craving more, and in a strange trance like state, imagining aliens on the bus ride home! The film is part documentary and it is done very well so the audience knows what it needs to, in order to move the plot along. The trailer showed us aliens coming to earth and a concentration camp style prison, with aliens being interrogated and them saying, ‘We just want to go home”. It was shown as an Independence Day style Alien Invasion movie with a twist, in that we humans have control. The actual film is more a story of a normal man, who gets a promotion. A working man, with a loving wife, who’s’ life is completely turns upside down (or inside-out!) because of the actions of humans, or more specifically the governments in charge! It raises issues and incorporates a lot of what is going on today and indeed our history. I have mentioned the concentration camps, and many parts of the film remind the audience of Nazi Germany. The aliens are seen as lesser creatures and are given the derogatory nickname of Prawns. The MNU are the weapons organisation that are in control of the aliens, though they can’t completely control them, to their dismay. With revolts in Johannesburg, where the ship stopped (which is in Africa, not New Zealand like I thought! So there’s your geography lesson for today!) the MNU look to evict the aliens from their prison of 20 years, into a new, smaller camp away from humans. When the faceless enemy of the film suddenly becomes the underdog your routing for, your whole belief system, and every action ever made by ‘The Humans’ get called into question.

Rating: IF you like Sci-Fi and human interest stories- 8 out of 10

Pointless Fact: Director, Peter Jackson, appears in Simon Pegg’s Hot Fuzz for a fraction of a second in a Santa Claus suit.

Adventureland - Released 11th September 2009

Words by: Sara Ratcliffe

From the director of Superbad and upcoming British movie ‘Paul’ comes this hilarious comedy, set in 1987. Firstly, I should tell you anyone expecting comedy of Superbad proportions will be disappointed. In contrast to its slapstick, visual comedy, Adventureland instead offers a sleek, intellectual comedy which is more like a ‘coming of age’ romance. James (Jesse Eisenberg) is excited about his graduation present from his parents, a trip around Europe. But when his dad is demoted, he must find his own way to pay for the trip, and possibly his Ivy League school Funds. And so he finds a nowhere job in an amusement park. This film is about working in the worst possible place, for little money, and having a great time doing it. It is extremely funny parts, and many of the actors bring their own traits to each performance. There is a love interest in the form of Em (Kirsten Stuart, New Moon) who is really cute and makes a great joke after James reads ‘Satin Lives’, but you can hardly hear it. Listen out. Em has an unconventional relationship with the married maintenance guy (Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal) Reynolds has a more laid back part on this movie, like previous roles such as the movies Waiting and Van Wilder, he plays the older ‘go to’ guy, who offers advice on sex to the young virgin James. However, unlike his other roles he take a passive stance, letting the other younger actors shine through.
I think a lot of people would relate to James, the lead character. Although he is played by almost unknown actor, Eisenberg (who is the spitting image of Michael Cara of Superbad and Arrested Development, if you ask me) He is extremely down to earth and just trying to make his way through life, making the best of the choices and decisions. This would be a great movie to watch on a first date, as it has love and decisions (which girls love!) and it has the hot Kirsten and jokes about balls and dope (not that I’m implying all guys like that sort of thing!). But would also suit a group of close friends just starting a new chapter in their life, for example, perhaps just starting University….leaving that childhood friend you grew up with….

Rating: I think this is a beautiful film, well directed and deserves a solid 8/10.

Brüno: The Brain Behind the Penis

Words by: Josh Roberts

After being fired from his Austrian fashion show, Brüno (Sacha Baron Cohen) decides to try and break America. Now with most characters this would be simply a turn of phrase. However Brüno, with its pseudo-documentary style, seems to have adopted a literal translation of this expression.
Brüno interviews celebrities, foreign dignitaries and even known terrorists in order to make a name for himself in the USA. The story follows his adventures with his besotted assistant as they try and secure Brüno a place on the A-list.
What appears to start as collection of lewd and often flinchingly uncomfortable sketches created by Baron Cohen soon becomes an incredibly smart and witty comedy highlighting and satirising the homophobia and prejudice displayed by the featured contributors. Providing you look deep enough there’s also a quite a charming love story running throughout the narrative. However I wouldn’t suggest watching it snuggled up on the sofa with a loved one. It could raise unpleasant questions…amongst other things, potentially.
Since his beginnings with the iconic character Ali G in the mid-90’s, Baron Cohen has constantly pushed the boundaries with the concept of celebrity interviews and public stunts. This film, once again, blurs the line between art and reality with a hilarious concoction of real-life interviews interspersed with a compelling narrative. The plot is reminiscent of Baron Cohen’s previous blockbuster hit Borat, chronicling the complicated relationship shared between the eponymous character and his assistant.
The huge yet unlikely success of Borat, grossing over £150 Million worldwide, seems to have given Baron Cohen greater confidence in relation to his latest creation’s public stunts. Borat included scenes where Baron Cohen disrupted a live television broadcast, abducted Pamela Anderson and a wrestled naked in a heavily populated hotel. However these all appear tame in comparison to his most recent exploits.
Brüno collects his adopted African child O.J. from an airport baggage carousel, appears on an American talk show where he recalls how he swapped his iPod for the child and attempts to film a sex-tape with Republic Congressman and previous Presidential “runner-up” Ron Paul.
As previously mentioned Brüno interviews the aforementioned terrorist, leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. He continues to retell how he believes Osama Bin Laden (or as he likes to call him- King Osama) reminds him of “dirty wizard” or a “homeless Santa”.
Possibly the most shocking stunt is featured in the final moments of the film at Straight Dave's Man Slammin' Maxout where you genuinely fear for the cast and crews safety after the surrounding crowd begin hurling projectiles.
Providing you like your humour rude, uncomfortable and with excessive amounts of full frontal male nudity you will relish every 81 penis filled minutes of Brüno. Similarly if you prefer witty musing about homophobia, American popular culture and the world’s obsession with celebrity there is something here for you also.

Friends 15th Anniversary, Limited Edition DVD: Released 28th September

Friends was a truly ground breaking series when it began in the 1990’s, and is still a huge part of our culture today. It created memorable characters, catchphrases and story lines and has been referenced in so many other TV shows and even created a spin-off show Joey. Friends had such a cultural impact which even included a hairdo called ‘The Rachel’. Joey’s catchphrase ’How you doin’?’ has become a widely used pick up line in Western English slang (we are not sure what its success rate is though!) and the Central Perk coffee house featured in the show has inspired many imitations. Friends is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and there is a highly rumoured movie following the success of Sex and The City. Here we take a look at where the six lead actors are now, and how badly they need this movie.

Jennifer Anniston (Rachel) - it has not been Jennifer’s acting skills hitting headlines since Friends finished. When Jennifer and Brad Pitt announced their divorce in 2005 it was blamed on actress Angelina Jolie, most people chose their sides quickly, and Anniston was a woman scorned. Since then, she has also had a relationship with actor Vince Vaughan (The Break-up) and singer John Mayor. While in Friends, Jennifer tried to get her movie career started but for some reason her films just don’t make the blockbusters. Recently, she has dug her heels into the movie business with films such as Marley and Me and He’s Just Not That in to You, alongside Drew Barrymore and Demi Moore. A children’s book she and her father, John, narrated recently won a parenting award.

Needs this Movie? MAYBE, her career is steady at the moment.

Matt Le Blanc (Joey) - Everything looked great for Matt upon leaving the show, he had a spin-off all set up with one of the shows producers and had a pilot audience of over 10 million. As the series went on, audiences had declined dramatically and it was sadly cancelled at the end of Seasons Two. This was a funny show and had some great moments but people wanted Friends, they didn’t like the change and so stopped watching. The show managed a humble 46 episodes and since then he hasn’t really been seen…at all.

Needs this Movie? YES OH MY, YES!!! Lest he fade into TV re-run obscurity!

David Schwimmer (Ross) - Schwimmer directed ten Friends episodes and when the series ended he set his sights high. He has appeared in films such as The Big Nothing and Madagascar 1 and 2. He has also directed the movie Run Fat Boy Run the entire Little Britain USA series. However the future looks bleak as there is nothing set in stone and only rumoured roles in movies such as Disney’s Rapunzel.

Needs this Movie? YES and hopefully he will snag the directing role!

Matthew Perry (Chandler) - From 2004-2008 Perry faded away for the most part, appearing in TV guest spots and small roles such as ‘Football Player’. The film 17 Again, with teen sensation Zac Efron, in which he played the older father did well, but there is nothing in the pipeline…

Need this Movie? YES! It would be great to see Perry reprise the role as funny Chandler Bing.

Courtney Cox-Arquette (Monica) - had small roles in movies and TV and had a new baby girl to attend to, she could have easily chosen to settle down with her family! In 2008 Cox starred alongside Adam Sandler in Bedtime Stories and…be-still my heart…the fourth Scream movie has just been announced. If you’re not sure whether Scream 4 will be worth a look…check out these other great ‘Part Fours‘: Saw IV, The Bride of Chucky, X-men origins: Wolverine, The Final Destination and judge for yourself!

Needs this Movie? Not really, but with the current economic climate, who is she to turn down work! …oh right, she's Courtney Cox!

Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe) - The only ex-friend with a current film and three getting ready for release! Kudrow is never short of work and has had many TV roles since leaving Friends. Her movie Bandslam will give her credibility with the younger generation and she is also producing and writing projects. While Friends was in production it was always Kudrow who was the united front, asking for more money for the entire cast, it seems like, contrary to her ditzy character Phoebe, this woman has a smart business head, perfect for Hollywood.

Needs this movie? Not at all, but I still hope she does it!!!

So what’s to expect if the rumoured movie does come to pass? When we left friends five years ago, everything seemed settled and the series had come to a natural end. The birth of Monica and Chandlers babies, and Ross and Rachel getting back together leave a lot of comedic situations open. Imagine Chandler as a father! Teaching his twins about Baywatch and the Playstation! It would be fun to catch up with Joey 5 years on, sulking back from LA with his tail between his legs, staying in the room Monica and Chandler promised him!! Phoebe could be settled down with Mike (Paul Rudd), but still as kooky as ever showing that life doesn’t have to end with marriage!

The Final Destination 4: In Stunning 3D

Words by: Sara Ratcliffe

When you want to give a standing ovation to the opening credits of a film, you know it’s going to be one hell of a cinematic experience! Final Destination 4 does not disappoint, despite my high expectations and love of the trilogy.
It is the 2nd film I have seen in 3D and the first horror/thriller. Wow! What an experience. The fourth in the series of films revolving around that old saying ‘you can’t cheat death’ sets a new bar for thrillers. In the films, someone sees a premonition of a terrible accident which kills many people, including them and their friends, they manage to get out, saving their lives. But after the accident, the people who would have died start dying in strange, suspicious ways, always in a certain order. The 4th in the series is no different, staying true to the theories we know and love, it pays tribute to the previous films while still having a strong plot and excellent cast. Although its nice to have a familiar face, like Sean William Scott in the first, I do think it is better to embrace a new cast in the long run, the cast are amazing and the audience instantly warms to them. They each have their own traits and personalities and aren’t just victims, they are people. In previous instalment we have seen a plane crash, a traffic pile up and a roller-coaster mishap.
This film revolves around a rally car race that goes wrong, the stadium falls and hundreds die, except Nick O‘Bannon (played by Bobby Campo) and a few others who had followed him out after he claimed he saw a premonition. Almost straight away the deaths begin. Death is used to these cheaters after 3 films, and knows how to deal with them. In the third film we saw death change its plan by working backwards, trying to tie up all the loose ends and finish what Alex Browning from the first plane crash began all those years ago. I may have imagined it, or it may be a plot for the fifth film, but the names of some of previous victims were spread throughout the film, in the first scenes we see ‘McKinley’ (from the school, and Ian from the third film) and later we see the ‘Clear Rivers’ sign, many people wont realise but Claire River’s name in the first and second instalments was spelt ‘Clear’. there may have been more, the film was too thrilling, I didn’t notice! The opening credits are really cool digital shots of some of the best ‘kills’ throughout the series of films.
3D horror is truly amazing, and after seeing this, I can’t wait to get the DVD of My Bloody Valentine, just in time for Halloween! And unlike films like Coroline which only had a few things coming out of the screen, the film makers have really thought about the 3D concepts in The Final Destination 4, Almost every death makes you fall back in your chair (or if your scared like me, close your eyes!, which is why I’m going to watch it again in case I missed anything), all of Nicks visions as to how people may die are in 3D.
In Conclusion, I know the ticket price is an arm and leg (wow arms and legs are going cheap at just under £10!) but the experience you get is well worth it, and I can’t imagine it would be the same on some little TV in your dorm room! Especially if it’s a black and white TV, there’s a lot of blood in this one!!

Rating: 10/10...I can’t fault it, its amazing (if you like horror/gore/mystery/thrills and a bit of comedy)