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Welcome to Sounds from the Sofa!

manchestercaroline

As Ben mentioned yesterday, I’m going to start writing about music using Views from the Sofa. This space is for me to share my music experiences. I want to share the music that I listen to, whether it be listening to my i-pod on the bus, music at a club, at a live gig or something fresh that I’ve heard on the radio. Hopefully some exciting new artists and amazing new gig venues will emerge in my reflections. I have grown up in one of the greatest cities in the world, renown for its music genius. Due to the antics of the … Continue reading Welcome to Sounds from the Sofa!

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Views from the Sofa is Changing and Expanding!

Ben

It was the Fifth of January when I first started Views from the Sofa. It was on recommendation from a friend who said that I should start reviewing the ridiculous amounts of films I watch rather than bother people with one sentence summaries on Facebook and Twitter. Since then I have been steadily reviewing every single film I’ve watched, as well as dipping a toe in the waters of opinions and lists that are quite common for movie blogs too. I’m addicted now though! I have began viewing other people’s blogs, mostly movies but a few others too and they are much … Continue reading Views from the Sofa is Changing and Expanding!

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Red Riding Hood (2011) Review

Ben

I really like the idea of updating or remaking classic fairytales for a modern, movie audience. Not necessarily making them darker but there is definitely a draw towards telling these stories in their full, dark, original versions. A lot of these fairytales were not intended to be told as bedtime stories and if you go back to the source material, they are full of a lot of much more mature material and do not always end with a “happily ever after.” Even though I haven’t seen either of the new Snow White movies, I do like the look of the “and … Continue reading Red Riding Hood (2011) Review

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The Grey (2012) Review

Ben

The Grey is another example of why Liam Neeson is a brilliant “action hero.” I put action hero in inverted commas because The Grey isn’t the same type of film that we’ve already seen him in with Unknown, Taken and The A-Team. I said in my review for Unknown the reasons why Liam Neeson is a brilliant action hero and he has to tap into those qualities here. I like my action heroes to be relatable and what I call an “everyman.” Liam Neeson doesn’t have huge muscles or karate skills and with the right knowledge or experience, anyone could do … Continue reading The Grey (2012) Review

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Thinner (1996) Review

Ben

Thinner caught my eye from the synopsis in the tv magazine. This isn’t usually the way a film draws my attention. Usually I watch a movie because of the trailer or because an actor I really like is in the film. Very rarely will the film persuade me to hit record on my DVR because of the synopsis alone but this film managed that. The synopsis was; A lawyer finds he is losing weight everyday and must try to find a way to stop it before it’s too late. It doesn’t seem like the most engrossing of synopsis but I … Continue reading Thinner (1996) Review

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Dan in Real Life (2007) Review

Ben

Steve Carell is a deceptively good actor. He has much more of a range than most people realise. He’s probably most famous for his more “wacky” or crazy roles, where he gets to be outrageous or obnoxious, like The Office, Anchorman or Date Night. Recently though, I’ve watched a couple of films where he has played much more understated, quieter and, even as lame as this sounds, complex characters. He’s great as part of the ensemble cast in Little Miss Sunshine, plays a fantastic part in the surprisingly enjoyable Stupid Crazy Love (review coming soon) and he’s brilliant in Dan in Real … Continue reading Dan in Real Life (2007) Review

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Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) Review

Ben

Paranormal Activity is one of my favourite “horror” films. It’s actually a close call between that and Blair Witch Project for scariest film I’ve ever seen. I don’t really enjoy “slasher horror” like Halloween or Nightmare of Elm Street and even though the first one was quite clever, I also struggle to see the appeal of multiple instalments of the Saw franchise. What is always guaranteed to scare me, or at least pique my interest, is a “found footage” film. The “found footage” genre has become one of my favourites and I love watching any film that uses this type of … Continue reading Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) Review

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Burn After Reading (2008) Review

Ben

The final scene in this film is not only the best scene but also a fantastic way to sum up the whole film. I won’t quote it word for word but it involves a CIA Officer and his Superior (played casually and hilariously by J.K Simmons.) They have no idea what has happened through the course of the film, why the outcome developed or how it involved them. They finish with “I don’t know what we did, but lets never do it again!” This exchange perfectly sums up the very clever, fast-paced, comedy of errors that is the Coen Brother’s Burn … Continue reading Burn After Reading (2008) Review

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The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Review

Ben

The Dark Knight is my favourite film of all time. It helps that I’m a huge Batman fan, having read the comics since I was a kid and watched the Animated Series when I was younger too. I love Burton’s Batman and felt the pain when Schumacher destroyed the series. I was happy enough when Batman Begins got the series back on track but nothing could prepare me for how amazing Dark Knight was going to be. It wasn’t just a great Batman film or even the best superhero film ever but was just a great film. If it was possible to … Continue reading The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Review

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Heat (1995) Review

Ben

Films and their legacy are sometimes built on reputation alone. That reputation can be a performance, a soundtrack, dodgy or amazing special effects or a key scene. A scene that is so notable or notorious that it begins to overshadow the rest of the film, either destroying a passable, decent movie or actually making a film seem better than it actually is. Heat has that reputation for good reason. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are the epitome of acting heavyweights. They are true screen legends and between them have some of the greatest performances. De Niro is amazing in Goodfellas, Casino and … Continue reading Heat (1995) Review