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Llamastrangler's Big TV and Film Blog <========== Really thorough reviews of literally everything you could imagine about TV series and over 100 films!

Matilda (1996)

'Five thousand dollars, I'm not paying it, what they gonna do reposes the kid?'

I chose Matilda(played by Mara Wilson) one of my childhood favourites because I've probably seen this movie the most!
This movie, as most people probably know, is about an unloved, unwanted little girl named Matilda who, without any ones help but her own, teaches herself to read, write and look after herself.
It is the most heart wrenching film which is also hilarious. The truth behind the careless parents is unreal, but the way it is portrayed in the movie is over reaction. However you take away the smoke and mirrors and what you see is what some parents do to their children. Favouritism, verbal abuse, punishment for no reason. Harry Wormwood(played by Danny Devito) is the worst of the parents as he proves all the time, not even caring that his daughter wants books... Strangely enough the Mother, Mrs Wormwood (played by Rhea Perlman) seems to be dragged in the 'bad parent' direction by Mr Wormwood. Even though Mr Wormwood trades schooling in for a car to Trunchbull (played by Pam Ferris) This Head Mistress is not one to take lightly, ex Olympic, riding crop wielding, strictly dressed and a tongue like a serpent, unless it comes to black cats! (Very superstitious). 

Matilda is punished for her father's ignorance when Trunchbull's car starts to break down, throwing her in to the chokey, on the morning she is going to be teaching in Matilda's classroom, Miss Honey (played by Embeth Davitz) realizes Matilda is absent and mouths 'where's Matilda' to Matilda's friend Lavender (played by Kiami Davael) whom then follows the question with a  signal of 'Chokey'.
It pretty much shows the abuse and struggle of the poor 6 and a half year old girl.

Later in the film she realizes she has powers beyond her knowledge, she can move and make things do things. She tells Miss Honey who doesn't believe her to begin with but is dumb struck when Matilda proves it to her.
She uses the powers to her advantage, punishing the Trunchbull, scaring her out of town, never to be seen or head from again.

I will not spoil it for people who havn't seen this yet but in the end, Matilda and Miss Honey get what they always wanted.

I give this movie a 8/10 good stuff for a PG     

The Runaways (2010)

This movie starts out in a strange way, highlighting the fact that Cherie Currie (played by Dakota fanning) started her period. To me that's not entirely important, but it sets the mood for a bizarre, fun filled movie.
It also stresses the sexist 70's when Joan Jett (Played by Kristen Stewart) is told the ladies department of a store is on the other side and she was in the wrong place.
It doesn't stop her actually getting the full black leather outfit she desired though! 

The runaways journey started when Joan saw Kim Fowley out side of a club she was at. She tells him how she wants to make an all girl rock band and he replies with 'Maybe i am the luckiest dog fucker after all' He gave her his number and introduced her to the runaways drummer, Sandy.
The movie is about the bands fast beginning, running through the casting of the band to the first ever song written by Joan Jett and Kim Fowley. (Cherry Bomb). Written because Cherie practiced an inappropriate song for the bands abilities, Fever by Peggy Sue, which i must stress was covered by Suzie Quatro! 
The song 'Cherry Bomb' that they wrote for Cherie consisted of a line which she didn't want to sing. 'I'll give you something to live for, have ya grab ya til you're sore!' which at first she refused to sing, but Joan Jett talks her in to it. 
The film paints Lita Ford as a jealous bully  who hates things not to be her way. Right from the beginning she seems to dislike Cherie Currie and later on in the movie it comes to a head, but more of that when i get to it!.

The film shows how Cherie came from a family of a selfish mother and a alcoholic father, but she said her dad said he just liked his booze, he wasn't an alcoholic. (which he was!). They find him falling out of a care passed out with a bottle of booze as they are about to go on tour, but Marie tells her to go still she would be fine. Joan took the half drank bottle of booze with them.

The headlines once The Runaways got famous were very patronizing especially one in particular... 'These chicks can actually play!'

It also stresses the fact that Cherie had an ongoing heavy drug addiction that just got worse over time, so bad she ends up hospitalized, and steals her fathers medicine.
Kim Fowley spoke bad about Cherie to a journalist and during cutting
a record Cherie finds out 'Fowley says 'handling Cherie's ego is like
having a dog urinate in your face the best thing that could happen to
this band is if Cherie hung herself from a shower rod and put herself
in the tradition of Marilyn Monroe'. 
 Even i found that harsh... how he could say it was controversy i do not know!
To top the harshness off Lita Ford agrees with his words... See what i meant about the Lita Ford jealous bully theme?
Any way this becomes to much for Cherie whom, surprise surprise, leaves the band.

Joan Jett's friend makes a cool remark 'You should go solo like Bowie, Bowie's just Bowie.'
 During all of that Cherie has a breakdown and ends up in rehab, where she temporarily fixes herself, she ends up working in a cake shop and while listening to the radio she hears 'I love rock and roll' on the radio followed by a mini interview where callers could talk to her if they wanted, Cherie is one of them. 
Not all could be said on air so they ended the call and the radio then played 'Crimson and Clover' which i suspect the song is about Cherie and Joan.

The end titles are interesting they have a few snippets of information on what Cherie, Joan and Kim are doing now, bizarrely Cherie is a chainsaw artist, and Kim Fowley has green hair! 

I give this movie a 9.5/10 and strongly recommend it to all rock lovers!  
 
 
 

Thirteen (2003)

'It's Happening So Fast'

To start this off I would like to  say the co-writing of young Nikki Read(Who also plays Rosalie in the Twilight Saga) is very in depth, The story line is actually one which hits the heart so hard and shows the understanding of the teens and their peer pressure. Nikki Read plays a popular girl which 13 year old Tracey, played by Evan Rachel Wood, goes to so many hardcore levels just to impress and become popular herself. Trust me when i say this.. it happens alright. She starts off as a beautiful straight A student, who gradually over a few months becomes what most parents would describe as a demon spawn brat. Her mother tries hard to show her that she will do anything to please her but she doesn't appreciate the lengths her mother goes to. She even edited a pair of her daughters jeans to look like a pair she sees earlier in 'Red Balls' with leopard print fur on them but her mother was unable to fork out 75 bucks for them, I found her mother, played by Holly Hunter, a perfect mother even though she bought back her junky boyfriend and it set Tracey off again. But you can see the whole time all her mother wants is to love and take care of her children.

The film highlights how drink drugs and sex can ruin a child's view on the world. 'I can't remember how to spell photographer' Tracey says whilst sat in the back of the car with Evie next to her and her mother in the front.

I don't want to spoil it but... in the end Evie turns out to be a bitch and rats out Tracey's stash of drugs, money, cigarettes and booze in her bedroom hidey spots. They also find 850 dollars in her purse which she later admits to stealing. Evie's 'Cousin' Brooke then blames all of this on Tracey and accuses her of beating Evie which the bruises and cuts were off when they were goofing(inhaling aerosols) and they were smacking each other. 

I would like to also highlight the fact that Tracey pushes away the best friends she always had just for this popular girl, which is very unfair, but it really happens!

Over all I would give this movie an 8/10