Silver Screen Queens

Another in our occasional ‘there’s nothing on at the movies, what can we find on Netflix by women directors’ series, The Intern is a step out of our comfort zone, and a movie we had really hoped might be good. It has a few things going for it: Anne Hathaway, a lush aesthetic and its heart in the right place, but that’s not really enough to overcome it’s throwback liberalism and cliché-ridden runtime.

• The Intern (2015) - IMDb

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When one of our favourites does an experimental indie we must watch it, and so you have Tom Hiddleston to thank for this episode. While out of our comfort zone, High-Rise has quite a bit to offer in terms of its aesthetic and it’s metaphorical examination of the logical endpoint of neoliberal capitalism.

• High-Rise (2015) - IMDb

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Laika, the studio behind CORALINE and PARANORMAN, is back with this elegiac Japanese-inspired saga. Kubo lives a sheltered life with his troubled mother, and just wants to escape. After he attempts to do so, he realises the depth of trouble his mother is hiding, and goes on a quest to re-assemble his father’s armour.

• Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) - IMDb

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We’re not mums yet, but we had quite a bit of fun watching some get (kind of) bad. Kristen Bell is a comic delight, and Jada Pinkett-Smith is criminally under-used, but the six (female!!) leads give funny, fearless performances. They are not well-served by the writing that never quite goes hard enough at the comedy or the feelings, but we can’t help but be happy that this movie is out there, showing the can’t-win-no-matter-how-hard-you-try reality of the lives of mothers today.

• Bad Moms (2016) - IMDb

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As the end of blockbuster season looms, we catch up on this arthouse favourite from a couple of years back. It’s a good looking film, deftly edited and expertly acted by Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons (who won an Oscar for this role). While there’s plenty to love in this film, we have some issues connecting with it.

• Whiplash (2014) - IMDb

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The most anticipated DC movie in a while, Suicide Squad is the crack team of super-villains brought together by HBIC Amanda Waller. After a great marketing campaign, the movie has received a critical battering. For good reason, it turns out. Loud, lazy and loutish, it left us feeling dirty.

• Suicide Squad (2016) - IMDb

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This has been out for a while, but in the midst of summer blockbuster season, we had missed it until now. The Rock continues his string of feel-good flicks, this time showing his comedy chops alongside Kevin Hart. Despite the wink wink nudge nudge tone of the marketing, the film is kind-hearted and open-minded, celebrating the victories of ordinary folk over their bullies. The Rock remains our fave, while Kevin Hart gets a couple of new fans.

• Central Intelligence (2016) - IMDb

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The JJ Abrams Star Trek reboot turned us both into Trekkies. So does the third film in the series, this time with Fast and Furious saviour Justin Lin at the helm, live up to the lens-flared glory?

• Star Trek Beyond (2016) - IMDb
• Lieutenant Reginald Barclay (Character)
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw on Twitter:
• Sea Captain Chris Pine

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The Ghostbusters reboot we have been waiting for is here! SSQ fave Melissa McCarthy joins Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and breakout star Kate McKinnon in Paul Feig’s take on the classic franchise and it (oh thank goodness!) does not disappoint. Ghostbusters ever-so-gently resets the formula for summer blockbusters with humour, panache and fabulous outfits. In a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, charm, laughs and a cast having the time of their lives (we see you trying not to crack up, Chris Hemsworth) ensure a fabulous cinematic experience, even as some storytelling snafus distract from the finale’s emotional weight.

• Ghostbusters (2016) - IMDb
• Dan Aykroyd: a comedy legend's spiritual side - Telegraph
• Paul Feig on Making His Ghostbusters Reboot -- Vulture
• Leslie Jones Talks 'Ghostbusters' & Whoopi Goldberg As An Inspiration | The View - YouTube
• EXCLUSIVE: 6 Secrets From the 'Ghostbusters' Set: Intense Stunts, Secret Cameos and Tons of...Tapioca?!
• Is there a gender divide between critics who love the new Ghostbusters and critics who don’t?
• Ghostbusters (song) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Richard Linklater’s latest has been billed as ‘the spiritual sequel to Dazed and Confused’. Starring former Glee-ster and Mr Supergirl, Blake Jenner, as a baseball-playing freshman, it’s a charming slice-of-life set over the weekend before the start of college. While this is not new territory for Linklater, and not without its downsides, it’s clear that he’s in the sweet spot of his wheelhouse, and these boys are a fun enough way to spend a couple of hours.

• Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) - IMDb

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