Soapbox: 15 Things Wrong With The Matrix We All Choose To Ignore

December 1, 2017December 1, 2017 Leon MillerAction, Carrie-Anne Moss, Greatest movies of all time, Hugo Weaving, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Sci-fi, The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, The WachowskisLeave a comment

Matrix-Wrong-Header — Don’t worry: the first one is STILL awesome (the sequels? Not so much)

When The Matrix arrived in cinemas back in 1999, it blew audiences away with its unique blend of martial arts spectacle, high-brow philosophizing, and dazzling visual effects. Indeed, the film influenced the action genre for years to come, with subsequent filmmakers trying (and failing) to emulate the Hong Kong cinema/Japanese anime vibe of its stylized fight choreography.

Admittedly, series creators The Wachowskis themselves struggled to deliver a satisfying follow-up to their initial outing, with both The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions receiving a tepid response from viewers and critics alike. Nonetheless, the story of digital messiah Neo and fellow freedom fighters Trinity and Morpheus remains popular with fans who still admire the franchise’s pioneering “bullet time” aesthetic and rich, underlying subtext.

Yet even The Matrix’s devoted followers – those who consider the first Matrix a masterpiece and its sequels underrated gems – probably realize that there’s plenty wrong with all three flicks. That’s right, even the original movie has quite a few things that either don’t quite stack up or flat-out make no sense. So what doesn’t add up?

Here are 15 Things Wrong With The Matrix Trilogy We All Choose To Ignore.

The post was written exclusively for Screen Rant – click here to read the full article

Soapbox: Remember, Remember The Fifth Of November – Five Things You Didn’t Know About V For Vendetta

November 5, 2017 Leon MillerAction, Alan Moore, Comics, David Lloyd, DC Comics, Drama, Hugo Weaving, James McTeigue, Natalie Portman, The Matrix, The Wachowskis, Thriller, V for Vendetta, VertigoLeave a comment

v-for-vendetta-promo — Do pop culture icons come any more unlikely than this guy?

When V for Vendetta first arrived in cinemas back in 2006, it seemed unlikely to trouble the box office. After all, it was based on a 1980s comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd that was practically unknown to non-comics fans, giving it very little brand recognition to trade on.

And yet director James McTeigue’s take on the material – which follows the efforts of Guy Fawkes-clad V (Hugo Weaving) and his protégé Evey (Natalie Portman) to topple a totalitarian UK government – nonetheless wound up being a huge critical and commercial success.

With Bonfire Night upon us, now seems like the perfect time to revisit the film, so here’s a list of five things you didn’t know about V for Vendetta!

Continue reading “Soapbox: Remember, Remember The Fifth Of November – Five Things You Didn’t Know About V For Vendetta” →

Soapbox: 15 ‘Confusing’ Movies That Are Actually So Easy To Understand

June 30, 2017June 30, 2017 Leon Miller12 Monkeys, 2001: A Space Odyssey, American Psycho, Bob Dylan, Cameron Crowe, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, Cloud Atlas, Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch, Donnie Darko, I'm Not There, Inception, Interstellar, Martin Scorsese, Memento, Mulholland Drive, Planet of the Apes, Shutter Island, Stanley Kubrick, Terry Gilliam, The Fountain, The Matrix Revolutions, The Wachowskis, Tim Burton, Tom Cruise, Vanilla SkyLeave a comment

If there’s a common criticism levelled at films by moviegoers, it’s that they can be too hard to understand. Whilst some audience members enjoy the exciting sensation that comes with piecing together what a movie actually means, plenty of people just want to be entertained, not bewildered.

However, while some flicks are indeed a chore to follow – sometimes intentionally so (although not always!) – often times, they’re actually not that hard to figure out, with just a little effort. And why shouldn’t viewers meet filmmakers half way, when it comes investing themselves in the narrative?

After all, while we all enjoy the satisfaction of switching off our brains and relaxing in front of a film with a straightforward plot, there’s also something to be said for movies that force us to use our grey matter.

Sure, films by directors like Stanley Kubrick, Christopher Nolan, and Terry Gilliam may leave us scratching our heads at first, but the “Eureka!” moment when it all clicks into place – either in the cinema or days later – is always worth it.

With that in mind, this list takes a look at 15 “Confusing” Movies That Are Actually So Easy To Understand – if you’re prepared to use the ol’ noodle, that is!

This post was written exclusively for Screen Rant – click here to read the full article

Anatomy Lesson: “God is in the rain”

November 5, 2015November 5, 2015 Leon MillerAction, Alan Moore, DC Comics, Entertaining movies, Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, The Wachowskis, V for VendettaLeave a comment

Evey_rooftop — Those who don’t die of pneumonia contracted during their dramatic rain-soaked re-awakening almost always go on to great things

It’s Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night here in the UK, and that means it must be time for another V for Vendetta-themed article.

For this year’s 5 November hit-out, we’re going to take a look back at one of the best scenes in the film version of th is classic comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd: Evey’s rooftop rebirth.

Continue reading “Anatomy Lesson: “God is in the rain”” →

Deja Review: V for Vendetta

November 13, 2014November 4, 2015 Leon MillerAction, Alan Moore, Entertaining movies, Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, The Wachowskis, V for VendettaLeave a comment

Hugo Weaving as V in V for Vendetta. — “Heyyyy – didn’t you do this review already?”

What’s this? Another review of V for Vendetta? Has The Pop Culture Studio run out of ideas already, less than a month since the site first launched? Fear not, gentle reader, for rather than being a retread of the original review, this post concerns itself with the 2006 film adaptation of the classic 1980s comic by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

Continue reading “Deja Review: V for Vendetta” →

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