How to fund movies for dummies.

You had a popular TV series that ran for 3 seasons and dreamed of having a follow-up movie but the Hollywood big wigs said 'no!' Do you just give up and start something new as all is lost? No, not if you're Rob Thomas. Wanting Veronica Mars to hit the big screens more than ever he took his plea to Kickstarter. The idea was to get fans to pledge the money needed for the movie and in return they would receive different rewards depending on the amount they pledged.

With everything set up it was hoped that $2 million would be raised within 30 days. Well! Within just 10 hours $2.5 million was actually raised. So as pledges still pour in as I type it looks like we'll get the Veronica Mars movie after all. It's just a pity that the Kickstarter campaign is limited to the U.S. as can you imagine the amount that worldwide pledges would raise!?! Following this success we may see more movie makers trying to raise funds this way - and I'm sure it will feel good to say "I funded that movie!" even if you only pledge $1.

Check out the Veronica Mars Movie Project on Kickstarter.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

So another fairy tale is given a new lease of life on the big screen. With it being an MTV production you half know what to expect. If you liked Van Helsing you’ll enjoy it, and if you like Japanese horror / Samurai films with endless blood splatter you’ll enjoy it. The different types, even species, of witches that they came up with for this one are phenomenal and the make-up and costumes are amazing. The design of some of the weaponry is impressive as well. Whilst it is all about fighting the witches and not too much thinking, Hansel & Gretel is, for the non-squeamish of you out there, a couple of hours of fun in a fantasy world you’ve never explored.

Finding a Safe Haven

Watching the trailer for Safe Haven I didn’t quite know what to expect from the movie as it was advertised as being based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook and Dear John. I’ve never seen The Notebook but there are so many references to it in other movies I know it is truly a slushy one. I did watch Dear John and did find that uber-slushy! The trailer for Safe Haven did show an element of excitement in it but I wasn’t sure if this was a minor or major part of the plot, so I went in with an open mind and …

… I was pleasantly surprised! Safe Haven didn’t play too strongly on the romantic side of things, although the story itself isn't 100% original - we’ve seen similar stories before and a particular Julia Roberts film springs to mind ;o). It had intrigue, a bit of excitement and, just when you thought it had played out everything, there was an added element of surprise. It was that extra surprise that really made it. So a thumbs up to this one after all, though I’m not sure what was going on with Josh Duhamel’s hairstyle – throughout the movie I was thinking “Josh, why on earth are you wearing your hair like that!?!”

First vampires sparkle, so what's next? Kind zombies?!

Yes, zombies that are kind are taking over our screens - well at least one of them is kind. So Warm Bodies ... I guess you kind of have an idea what it's about but you don't know what to expect, right? Let me tell you that you are in for a treat because this movie was even better than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be good.

After watching endless episodes of The Walking Dead and it giving me nightmares (that will teach me to watch it just before bedtime!) I wasn't sure how 'warm body' zombies would compare, but the film is so charming: it's funny with such an original plot, it makes you wonder if that's what zombies are thinking whilst ambling around (I will so look at the Walking Dead zombies differently now!); the soundtrack is excellent - it goes perfectly with what's going on in post-apocalyptic America; the zombie characters are - dare I say it ... kind of cute, if you ignore the fact that to them eating human brains is a delicacy. So a big thumbs up! I would gladly watch a sequel to this movie, although it's also the kind of movie you don't want a sequel to because you enjoyed the first one so much.

They canned 'Don't trust the B in Appt.23'!

That was disappointing news as I loved watching Dawson making a fool of himself every week and I was hoping that Pacey would show up in at least one episode. Mind you without Dawson I don't think that show would have lasted long anyway. If you got to watch it were you hoping Fred Savage would finally show up too? :oD I just wanted to see what Kevin Arnold looks like as an adult. Well whilst some good comedies come to an end others get revived! The Arrested Development new season starts on netflix in May and this is a prelude to the Arrested Dev movie - hooray!!

Take Flight with Denzel!

There's not much I can say about Flight without giving the plot away, but Denzel once again brings his fine acting skills to the screen - he always reminds me of a modern day Sidney Poitier. In Denzel's films it is usually blatantly obvious whether he is playing a good guy or a bad one; in Flight he gets to play both - the hero pilot and the bad guy struggling with his demons - the question is will he overcome the demons and become a real hero?  A serious film from Robert Zemeckis that is definitely worth a watch if you have 138 minutes to spare. Be warned though, the opening plane cockpit scenes are quite terrifying so if you are about to fly maybe save this one for another day.

Arnie's back! But is his movie any good?

It was so good to see Arnie back on the big screen in 'The Last Stand' this week. Though sadly the movie hasn't done very well in the UK and has only really lasted on screen for a week. It won't disappoint action movie fans, but the comedic moments didn't always work - you didn't really know if you were meant to be laughing or not. This could be down to the script writers or the Korean director Jee-Woon Kim; he did a great horror a few years back - A Tale of Two Sisters - a film comparable to all those classic Japanese horror flicks like The Ring and The Grudge.

The story isn't too original either according to my dad who says it was just like the John Wayne movie Rio Bravo. Although to me it was like watching an extended episode of the A-team with added blood splatter and minus Mr T. You had Arnie as Hannibal, Johnny Knoxville as Howling Mad Murdoch, some actor as the good looking guy, and a girl cop - who's character reminded me of Amy (remember her?). If you take watching this with a pinch of salt it's one to watch at the end of the day - no thinking required - just sit back, relax and enjoy the former governor's comeback. Next let's see how Sly's 'Bullet to the Head' compares!!