Tomorrow, When the War Began

Beattie has indeed taken much of the dialogue straight from the books, so perhaps this is a simply a case where some more creative rewriting needed to occur in the transition from book to screen. It is such a pity that the film falters in these few moments – and they are indeed only moments – when the rest is so wonderful.
Rating: 3.5 starsHoopla Factor: 4.0 stars


That he has managed to retain the quintessential Australian-ness of the story while aiming to produce a film with more than local appeal is quite impressive. The use of great music by local artists for the film’s soundtrack really helps.
Rating: 3.0 starsHoopla Factor: 4.0 stars Continue reading Tomorrow, When the War Began

The Myth of the American Sleepover

That several of his characters eventually do make the ‘right’ decisions is heartening, although this might be disappointing for those expecting this film to lay bare the consequences of misguided teenage hubris. Nonetheless, The Myth of the American Sleepover is a solid and realistic take on the rites of passage of American teens.
Rating: 3.5 starsHoopla Factor: 2.5 stars Continue reading The Myth of the American Sleepover

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Rest assured that Eclipse continues the franchise’s horrendous record of setting feminism back several decades. Bella Swan has no ambition whatsoever, and is only interested in being with the man/men she loves. She’s fragile and passive, and frequently needs protection from Big Strong Men.
Rating: 2.0 starsHoopla Factor: 3.0 stars


A single speech made by the pitiful ‘heroine’ of this piece near the end of the film can’t make up for almost three full feature-length films worth of moping and passivity. If only the most phenomenally successful text of its time could have featured a female lead worth bothering to cross the street to avoid.
Rating: 1.0 starsHoopla Factor: 0.5 stars Continue reading The Twilight Saga: Eclipse