James Pickering’s Birthday Bash 2011

Not many people know that you can hire your local cinema for a private function? That’s just what James Pickering’s family did for his 18^th birthday. The Robert Burns Film Theatre was open on Sunday afternoon for friends and family not only to saviour the gorgeous sexton blake but to have butchers hook at two of James favourite Stevie Nicks, Although James did look a little friar tucked on the account of two many Don Revie’s the night before.  

The first item on the agenda was the 1998 British crime drama Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels directed by Guy Ritchie, his debut feature film, and produced by Matthew Vaughn who went on to direct, amongst others, Layer Cake (2004) Stardust (2007) and the highly successful Kick-Ass (2010) This film, whose main lead was Jason Flemyng, introduced actors Jason Stratham, Nick Moran and Dexter Fletcher to a worldwide audience as well as introducing Vinnie Jones, formally a member of the Crazy Gang at Wimbledon, to a new career as a film star. It tells the story of four East End lads who plan to get rich at all costs but when Eddy (Moran) gambles away all the lads Becks and Posh at a card game and comes away owing half a million quid to the local villain, known fondly as Hatchet Harry. Aware that there going to have to honour this debt or loose certain parts of their anatomy the boys arrange to intercept a shipment of drugs. From then on in all hell breaks loose. I must admit I had forgotten how good this movie was, certainly the best thing Guy Ritchie has done, great banter, great laughs and a brilliant soundtrack. Can’t rhubarb crumble about this one son?

The second film of the afternoon was the 2009 Indian comedy 3 Idiots a film I have previously commented on but I must admit that I found the characters far more irritating especially the Tony Curtis look alike Aamir Khan who played Rancho. But out of respect to my host I sat through the very long 164 minutes again!! But a great afternoon all the same and I would like to thank Pat, Steve and James for inviting us along and making us feel so welcome.

Kick-Ass

Matthew Vaughn the English film producer and director was best known for producing Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Snatch (2000) and Harry Brown (2009) and for directing Layer Cake (2004) and Stardust (2007) until now!

Hit-Girl dispenses justice.

Kick-Ass (2009) is a cracking action packed movie that never goes off the boil, very funny, highly entertaining and rewarded this viewer with far more than he was expecting. Chloe Grace Moretz, the 11 year-old star of Let Me In (2010), plays Mindy Macready or in her super-hero guise Hit Girl. To hear the “C” word coming from such a young mouth, matched only by the violence she reigns down on the baddies, has got to be seen/heard to be believed.  Also involved in this spirited movie are Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski known as Kick-Ass, our old friend Nicolas Cage who plays Hit-Girl’s father Big Daddy in a Batman type guise when he even sounds like Adam West! Big Daddy is an ex-cop whose obsession with weaponry is passed down to his daughter.  Mark Strong, used to great effect as the Guy of Gisbourne character in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood (2010) plays Frank D’Amico the villainous boss of a criminal organisation.

The plot, set in present day New York City, concerns the aspirations of Dave Lizewski to fulfil his dream in becominh a super hero known as Kick-Ass, although our protagonist is not a very skilful hero and lacks any kind of superpower, in fact his first attempt at crime fighting lands him in hospital. His second encounter with the criminal fraternity is a wee bit more successful making him an instant internet phenomenon but its not until he meets Big Daddy and Hit-Girl that his adventures really take off.