MULTIPLE TRIPS DOWN MEMORY LANE

 Ok, well.

The summer is finally upon us. And in case you hadn't noticed, the summer is characterised by "revisiteds, sequels, prequels and much-beloved material coming to screen for the first time or for the umpteenth time. It's all about getting bums on seats of course. Marvel is making a spectacular show for itself, there are dinosaurs rampaging and manic car-chases... But now of course the summer holls are approaching and there will, no doubt, be a slight turn towards the kiddies. And the big kiddies that didn't quite get round to growing up. First up, a friend from my childhood. I was almost OBSESSED with Charlie Brown. So the new Peanuts movie is a big deal. Trouble is of course, there have been  movies of Garfield as well (another much beloved cartoon character for me) that have utterly and completely failed me. That said, the newest trailer out on the airwaves fills me with hope...

 
Come on... Tell me it doesn't look fun! But maybe a bit old fashioned for your tastes? Fair enough. There are things on the market for the more "modern" kids on the block. Now, being me, I am a little loathe to actually say I am looking forward to a sequel. A second sequel at that. But I mean... This is Kung Fu Panda. It is one of the funniest franchises around. They have a bit of a toughie on their hands - the further you get from "the mothership", the harder it is to maintain - yet slightly alter - the magic and momentum that grabbed the audience in the first place. The trailer makes a darn good stab at it - but of course it is only the trailer...

Now... Last but not least - memory lane for adults. Boulevard. For those of you not in the know, this is Robin Williams' last screen appearance. And boy is it a gut wrencher. Williams plays a bank manager in his sixties, in denial about his sexuality and stuck (albeit happily so) in the same job for almost 25 years. When he strikes up a friendship with a young gay street walker, he begins to feel that maybe... Just maybe there could be more to his life than he initially imagined. And he may actually still have time to change it... I had a massive lump in my throat as I watched this trailer. There is something wonderfully poignant about the subject matter, knowing that Williams himself was actually so close to the end of his own life... Oh and incidentally - I have read discussions about how ethical it is to market this, being that this is his last performance and all... I mean I see why people feel disturbed by all of this but there are two points. Even if this topic wasn't brought up at all, it would be a topic of discussion by default - Williams was a beloved and successfull actor with a huge fanbase. And the film has to be marketed. It's a business at the end of the day the film was made to be seen - to be seen by as many people as possible... Williams would have understood if not approved. And besides, just check the trailer out already, it is far too awesome to get forgotten over discussions on the ethics of marketing...

   
Oh I really can't wait!

Enjoy your week possums! Oh and incidentally - do check out my most recent stuff on Film Debate, I'm one third of a three-way review on Jurassic World! And I will tell you this much - I am NOT impressed... Check it out HERE.

Essie