Film Review: Nativity 2: Danger In The Manager!

So this month I'm experimenting with some of the content on the blog and because we tend to go to the cinema so frequently I've roped Sarah, my long-time cinema buddy and guest book reviewer into doing the first film review on my blog...let us know what you think!

Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger!

Director: Debbie Isitt

Writer: Debbie Isitt

Starring: David Tennant, Marc Wootton

It’s double trouble as rookie teacher Mr. Peterson (David Tennant) takes his underachieving primary school to the ‘Song for Christmas’ competition and goes head to head with his identical twin brother’s posh private school choir.

Embarking on a ill-judged road trip to reach the contest, they soon find that getting to Christmas Castle and the festive sing-off will be harder than they think...

Wow, this is some responsibility – Mel’s first film review, and she’s left it to little old me!  As I’m sure you’ve guessed from my ‘Cinema Bud’ name, I do accompany Mel to the cinema on a very regular basis (40 times a year on average!) and although we’ll watch pretty much anything I have a definite preference for action movies (give me lots of explosions and car chases and I’m happy!), and fantasy too of course.  Although NOT horror, not my thing at all! 

All this goes out the window though when we’re talking Christmas films.  I AM Little Miss Christmas, I love absolutely everything about it - the tinsel, the songs, the glitter, the Christmas trees, the satsumas, the shopping (well, you get the idea) and I absolutely LOVE the sentimental stuff.  Give me a Christmas John Lewis advert and I’m crying like a baby.  Therefore a film like Nativity 2 is right up my alley.

If you’ve not seen the first one, don’t worry, there are a few mentions of things that went on, but nothing to detract from the film itself.  The premise is simple – crazy classroom assistant Mr Poppy, who is a bigger kid than any of his charges, whips the kids of St Bernadette’s primary school into a frenzy about an upcoming Song for Christmas competition to be held in Wales.  Despite attempts from the headmistress (Pam Ferris) and new teacher Mr Peterson (David Tennant) to put the kibosh on the trip, through a mixture of sheer bloody mindedness, kidnapping, blatant disregard for safety, mass sugar ingestion and ingenious uses of woolly scarfs Mr Poppy gets the kids and Mr Peterson to the competition, ready to sing their Christmas socks off.

As in the first Nativity film, the variety of Christmas songs on offer are fabulously cheesy, with catchy phrases and smultzy routines (although nothing to match Nativity 1’s ‘Sparkle and Shine’).  There’s plenty of child-level gags along the way, plus some proper Christmas sentimentality.  Yes, out of festive context this film doesn’t stand up to some of the stonkingly good kid’s films that have been out in recent years (Tangled, Toy Story 3), but at this time of year all I heard from the kids in the cinema was laughter, and all I saw from the Christmas-loving adults such as myself was big grins and a sly dance or two to the songs.  It’s not Nativity 1 (9 out of 10), but it’s all good festive fun, 7.5 out of 10.

Early Review: Apocalypse Cow

Apocalypse Cow

-       Michael Logan

Publisher: Doubleday Publisher – Published on 10^th May 2012

It began with a cow that just wouldn’t die. It would become an epidemic that transformed Britain’s livestock into sneezing, slavering, flesh-craving four-legged zombies.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, the fate of the nation seems to rest on the shoulders of three unlikely heroes: an abattoir worker whose love life is non-existent thanks to the stench of death that clings to him, a teenage vegan with eczema and a weird crush on his maths teacher, and an inept journalist who wouldn’t recognise a scoop if she tripped over one.
As the nation descends into chaos, can they pool their resources, unlock a cure, and save the world?
Three losers. Overwhelming odds. One outcome . . .
Yup, we’re screwed

Terry, lone survivor of abattoir attack and Lesley, Scottish reporter down on her luck, end up on the run in a countryside full of dangerous wildlife – from cows, pigs and rats to squirrels, cats and dogs, while Geldof, teenager with bad skin, out of control hormones and parents in full hippy mode is struggling to convince his parents of the danger. Each of these characters feels real – none of them are Bruce Willis or Angelina Jolie. What they are, are fully formed flawed and entirely likeable characters that you can’t help but root for. Even the secondary characters have great personality and leap off the page!

This is a serious comedic novel, or should than be a comedic serious novel? Either way, this book is a brilliant mixture of zombie horror and sheer ridiculous situations. The comedy is less laughter track and more awkward The Office style coming directly out of the situation and the characters. And this just gives the book a brilliant grounding in reality. I didn’t need to use a lot of imagination to picture the British government reacting in exactly this way! That said, the story is played completely straight with some very horrific scenes and the animal attacks not as scary as some of the human reactions to it.

The writing is confident and assured – and certainly doesn’t feel like a debut novel. Throughout I was both entertained and enthralled with the story and the characters. At times it reads like a straight forward zombie horror book, but then a twist happens which will have you in stitches. And if you find the idea of zombie cows funny, I promise by the end of the novel you will be looking twice at those bovine neighbours and making sure your beloved Fido goes out at night!

PS – Michael Logan won the first ever Terrry Prachett’s ‘Anywhere But Here, Any when But Now’ award – and I can see why! J

Recommended of fans of Mira Grant and Terry Prachett, 9 out of 10.

Don't Call Me Ishmael Review

Don’t Call Me Ishmael

-       Michael Gerard Bauer

Publisher: UK – Templar

There's no easy way to put this, so I'll say it straight out. It's time I faced up to the truth. I'm fourteen years old and I have Ishmael Leseur's Syndrome. There is no cure. And there is no instant cure to not fitting in. But that won't stop Ishmael and his intrepid band of misfits from taking on bullies, bugs, babes, the Beatles, debating, and the great white whale in the toughest, the weirdest, the most embarrassingly awful...and the best year of their lives.

Ishmael is a young boy struggling with an unusual name and the horrors of growing up in a boys school where anything that makes you stand out is bad. That said, this is also a delightfully funny novel dealing with the pains of growing up and standing up for yourself and others. Some of the situations are awkward, very funny and totally relatable. Growing up we all had difficulties to overcome and people we saw every day that we wished we didn’t. And Ishmael has plenty in his life! For those in the UK this reminded me very much of a PG version of The Inbetweeners with embarrassing social encounters, loud mouthed inappropriate friends and some quiet pathos.

Ishmael has a certain charm about him – it is written from his perspective in a charming and engaging manner that I absolutely adored. I was able to loose myself entirely to the story – complete with side stories which inform and entertain. I even found myself sputtering with laughter many times – earning myself some very bizarre looks on the train! The writing was appealing and the chapters short which kept me turning the pages wanting to get just one more chapter in.  

Ishmael’s friend with no fear adds a layer of poignancy to the proceedings which adds depth – and really helps as Ishmael matures over the year. He learns to stand up for himself even knowing that it might not make a difference – and even learns that everyone has an Achilles’ heel. While aimed at younger that my usual YA reads, I had an absolute blast with Ishmael and friends.

Recommended for fans of Jeff Kinney and Jacqueline Wilson.  9 out of 10

**Check Back This Afternoon for a Guest post from the awesome author himself, Michael Gerard Bauer and a giveaway!**

From Notting Hill With Love...Actually Review

From Notting Hill With Love...Actually

-       Ali McNamara

Publisher: Sphere

She was just a girl, standing in front of a boy ...wishing he looked more like Hugh Grant. Scarlett loves the movies. But does she love sensible fiance David just as much? With a big white wedding on the horizon, Scarlett really should have decided by now ...When she has the chance to house-sit in Notting Hill - the setting of one of her favourite movies - Scarlett jumps at the chance. But living life like a movie is trickier than it seems, especially when her new neighbour Sean is so irritating. And so irritatingly handsome, too. Scarlett soon finds herself starring in a romantic comedy of her very own: but who will end up as the leading man?

It’s been a long time since I read a chick-lit book – over the last year my reading habits have slipped firmly into the Urban Fantasy arena with occasional YA, fantasy and science-fiction. Having decided to expand my reading genres again, I picked this up as I love films and it’s based in London. I’d forgotten how much fun these types of books can be!

So the story may not be the most original – girl torn between a long term but boring boyfriend and an exciting, perfect new guy. Within pages you know who she will choose, but the point of these books isn’t the choice, but the journey to get there. I loved the re-enactment of various film scenes – anyone who has seen even a couple of romantic comedies like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill will appreciate the situations Scarlett finds herself in. While Scarlett herself is a typical light hearted heroine – a little superficial but kind hearted, she does have some serious family issues with her mother leaving her and her father when she was six months old. This adds some depth to the story and made it much more moving as a result

My major niggle was actually a language one – Scarlett continually refers to her love of movies. Fair enough. But in the UK people are just as likely – if not more so, to say film as movie. Or at least use both words. Such excessive use of the word movie was really jarring after a while – at least for my British sensibilities! J

Overall, a great romantic comedy in book form – perfect if you’re in the mood for some silly situations and funny one liners. The perfect popcorn book – no calories but filling enough for a few hours!

Recommended for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Hugh Grant. 8 out of 10.

Loose Lips Sink Ships Review

Loose Lips Sink Ships

-      Katrina LaCroix

Kindle Book

*I was sent this book to review by the author*

Avery Leigh will stop at nothing to get her boyfriend, Carter Thomson, back. A high school girl who has no problem saying the first thing that pops into her head, no matter how crazy, she finds Carter has not only stopped taking her calls, he’s started avoiding her altogether. Could it have been something she said? Carter, a sometimes naïve but always gorgeous basketball player, doesn’t mind playing the field if it makes him look good in front of his friends, but he’s really trying to figure out what qualities he wants most in a woman. Unfortunately for Avery, impulsive and outrageous don’t make the list. 

What can I say about this book? There is only one thing on every characters mind – young or old and that is sex. Even the teachers seem to be obsessed by it. If you are easily offended or want some romance then this isn’t the book for you. However, there is also a lot of risqué comedy as well as and this kept me reading with some genuine laugh out loud moments. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it at first – the first two chapters introduce the main characters and neither really endears themselves at first. Both seem to be self-absorbed and I admit I was a little shocked at what they get up to. That never happened when I was at school!  

However, I soon felt sorry for Avery almost despite myself. She doesn’t behave in the most moral way and has little care for anyone else but considering her family life I can see how she became the way she is – and by the end I really wanted her to be ok. I found myself rooting for her despite not liking her very much and I attribute this to Katrina's writing. By taking some horrible people, some outrageous behaviour and sexual comedy she’s created a really amusing book which I couldn’t help enjoy and want to know what happened next! As such I sped through Loose Lips quickly. The big ‘finale’ was set up like one of the scams out of Saved By The Bell TV Series from the early 90s. Unrealistic and improbably but somehow it worked.

Recommended for fans of American Pie films and emotional dramas like The OC – and only if you aren’t easily offended! 6.5 out of 10.

FAQ About Time Travel Review

FAQ About Time Travel

Director: Gareth Carrivick

Staring: Chris O’Dowd, Marc Wootton, Dean Lennox Kelly, Anna Faris

What it’s about: 3 loser friends stumble into a time leak in their local pub’s loos and spend the rest of evening jumping in to the past, future and present to find out why they’re either famous or dead or possibly both in the future.

What I Thought: I loved it! It was great to see a British comedy on the screen with some real intelligent thoughts about time travel – and the obvious bathroom jokes. Chris O’Dows, Dean Lennox Kelly and Marc Wootton were perfectly cast as friends who all have dead end jobs in the local amusement park and spend their time day dreaming about writing a film script or time travel. Then one night in their local they accidentally discover a rift in time in the men’s and spend the rest of the night trying not to screw with the time line and trying to avoid being killed. This is time travel with real people – people who when realising they are 30 minutes in the past spend the time hiding in a cupboard to avoid ‘stepping on a any butterflies’ or ‘touching themselves’. Any self confessed geek or ‘imagineer’ will recognise a lot of the references (everything from Firefly to Back To the Future) but that won’t matter to non-fans as it doesn’t feel like a geek- reference fest. The special effects used are limited but used to good effect – and felt in keeping with the film. This film really deserves a wider audience – I doubt it will be a big crowd puller at the cinema (there were 3 other people in the cinema when I was there) but I hope it does well on DVD and becomes a cult hit. But if you get the chance – see at the cinema! And I hope they make the sequel!

Recommended for: Fans of British Comedy and SF – Shaun of the Dead meets Back To Future.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10