Olga

"From OKRA CHRONICLES. Don't ask."

Helena

“Yep. I kick ass."

Your reviewers

Author OLGA BOGDAN and a fictional teenage character HELENA FERLAN review, comment, discuss and compare notes on movies & TV shows, and other stuff (scroll down for teasers).

Olga invites your slants, angles, recommendations and general musings. Helena, not so much. Rest assured, she still hasn't worked out how to lay her ethereal fingers on a solid object without going right through. So she won’t be clicking that reply button any time soon.

MARTIN EVERETT: Worship@martinpauleverett — MARTIN EVERETT: *Worship*

OLGA'S INTRO:

There are a few stories that, for whatever reason, have captured my eye and imagination. Some have achieved cult status, others never will. Some are well-known, others dwell in obscurity. Some have, in various ways, supported my writing, others have no obvious connection with my work. As for the qualifying criteria, it’s simple – every movie or TV show on the list carries on the spark of creative genius, and is fun to watch.

The aim of these notes is not to offer a universal critique, or any technical specs, cast overview, plot summary, etc, but to share the joy with the likeminded folk who value the narrative above all else. The way a story is told: therein the magic lies.

HELENA'S INTRO:

#rebelyell #teenspirit #teenagereviewer #memyselfandi

I’m not even sure what I’m doing here, guess Olga thinks it’s cute or something, to have an author and “her” main protagonist chat shit about shit. Like the world needs another pair of critics or curators (pass the bucket) or whatever. But I am doing it anyway, because:

a) Being a bit of a cult fictional character myself, I know a good cult when I see it;

b) This is my opportunity to give voice to other fictional characters. Because I so care about them. And also because I wouldn’t mind getting the Nobel Prize for something already. Which I would decline, obvs, just like Jean-Paul Sartre, although I hate him because he spoilt my life, and

c) Olga’s already left me for dead once (for no good reason), so this is a bit of a resurrection for me (by the by, I don’t see that dumb savage IGOR as an older version of me; no way I’d be so stupid as to end up captured by a sex trafficker for starters). Saying that, I could well be a ghost. In which case, bagsy being a Japanese ghost, obvs. In any case, I'd better make myself indispensable before Olga decides to off me for real, and if you've ever watched THE SERVANT (1963), you'll know what I mean.

Scroll down if you want to see what I look like. Which of course you must be dying to.

Veronica Mars

Kristen Bell in a role of a teenage sleuth, trying to solve the murder of her best friend Lily (pictured), whilst, you know, cope with her own AND Jason Dohring’s hormones. Dead tricky, but - as Veronica proves over and over again - not impossible.

Deadpool

Ryana Reynolds and Morena Baccarin love, fight and read books in this superhero supernova extravaganza like no other. Big fan, I am. Huge. Despite the train wreck that’s Deadpool 2.

Farewell my Lovely

Philip Marlowe, Moose Malloy, Velma the former seedy nightclub dancer gone AWOL... Better than the original film noir? Why don’t you pour yourself a nice big glass of scotch, light up a good old-fashioned cigarette, put your feet right up and decide for yourself?

(Whilst watching the film, that is. Otherwise it won’t work).

Slow West

Kodi Smit-McPhee and Michael Fassbender wander around the Brave New World with very different set of skills and agendas.

You Were Never Really Here

Joaquin Phoenix is a war veteran with PTSD, an ailing mother and a knack for tracking missing girls to order. Lynne Ramsey strikes again, and almost scores.

ELLE

Isabelle Hupert plays a woman who falls for her rapist. A super dodgy fucker of a movie by the ageing director Paul Verhoeven.

Bomb City

Maybe not the best film ever, but certainly a particularly chilling account of a real-life event that went down in Amarillo, Texas 1997. Nice cameo by Marilyn Manson. Respect.

The Fighter

Never been a fan of boxing, or, as it happens, Messrs Bale and Wahlberg, and only watched this movie because Steven Pressfield mentioned it in his talks on Resistance. I’m still not too keen on the slugfest, but glad to report that Messrs Bale and Wahlberg have made it to the very top of my fickle yet relatively faithful list of favourites - and not before the fantastic Melissa Leo (far too young to play the Ward brothers’ mother, she pulled it off like a pro).

American Ultra

An exceptionally clever and funny script from Max Landis, brilliantly executed by Jesse Einsberg, Kristen Stewart, Connie Britton, Walton Goggins, John Leguizamo en al. So how come the film only has 6.1* IMDB rating? Makes me shake my head in horror, it does, and also think things like: considering what stupefyingly dumbed-down world we live in, it is a miracle anything half beautiful or intelligent is still allowed to even exist.

Mozart in the Jungle

Sex, drugs and classical music? Oh yeah, it’s definitely a thing. Based on the best-selling book by Blair Tindall, the series features Saffron Burrows, Lola Kirke, Malcolm McDowel and Gael Garcia Bernal. Only twenty or so minutes per episode, I used to watch one just before bedtime, for good dreams and inspiration.

The Terrorist

Watch. This.

Preacher

A pretty seamless transformation of the cult supernatural graphic novel to TV series. With Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgunn, Ruth Negga en al. And have I mentioned Joseph Gilgunn?

Traitors

Directed and written by Sean Gullette, “Traitors” is a very cool story about a very cool girl from Tangiers, and how when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.

An indie film with a rambling title? I know: you’re already half way up those hills. But you’ll be safe with this one, I promise. So come back, relax and enjoy. Written and directed by Macon Blair, it stars Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood.

The Goob

Written and directed by Guy Myhill (I always take it as a good sign to have the same person/team both writing and directing the film; whether good or bad, at least it’s likely to be consistent), “The Goob” is a fascinating study into the state of a modern rites of passage and family ties that nothing but bind.

Again, only 5.7* IMDB rating. Go make this right.