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The Stag | 22nd May 2012 film@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Review: Seconds Apart (2011)
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Editor
Usually before I watch a film, I’ve read
a review or two before hand, or at
least checked out the trailer. But I watched
Seconds Apart (2011) on a complete whim, and
I was glad that I hadn’t been swayed by bad
reviews saying it was a cheaply made horror
film with bad actors, which it was critiqued
for. However, I found it highly refreshing
and amusing, none of that Hollywood gore
and conventional, annoyingly familiar
antiques. I’m not even sure I would call it
a Horror film exactly, more a thriller and
suspense movie with touches of horror.
Directed by Antonio Negret, the film
starts off with a shocking game of Russian
roulette by a group of high-school football
players; without revealing the outcome,
you’re left stunned and the ambiguity of
the scene makes you want to watch more.
The film is centred on two very
sheepish, seemingly perfect teenage twin
boys called Jonah and Seth (played by
Edmund and Gary Entin). They appear to
lead the faultless, idyllic life; however, as
growing numbers of deaths start occurring
at their high school, Detective Lampkin
(Orlando Jones) becomes suspicious of the
twins and sets about uncovering the truth.
The apparent ‘suicides’ might not be as
intentional as the audience first believes!
The film isn’t amazing, but it’s very
refreshing to see a cast of unfamiliar
actors; Seconds Apart is more believable
because the actors haven’t been in a
dozen films beforehand. There are a few
jumpy moments, nothing too graphic or
gory. I was also impressed by the setting
in a Catholic high-school, rather than the
ordinary run-of-the-mill, clique-ridden
depictions of high-schools we see in every
teen-cast film. The juxtaposition between
pure religion and dangers of evil in one
setting also makes the film more sinister
and disturbing. Overall, this film is worth
the watch, it’s incredibly unknown (as I
found it filtering through pages and pages
of horror films online and only choose it
because the title and cover photo looked
interesting), and it’s a little gem I highly
recommend.
Will Smith: get back on our screen!
By Candice Ritchie, Film Team
After pondering over
my DVD collection
for a while and deciding
to remind myself of the
greatness of Seven Pounds,
I became overwhelmed
with a sudden longing for
the superstar that is Mr
Will Smith. Where has he
been? Smith seems to have
almost disappeared from
our screens over the last few
years. Known for classics
such as Bad Boys, I Robot and
the hugely successful Men
in Black and its sequel, it
comes as a shock that his
last hit film was in 2008, the
aforementioned emotional
Seven Pounds.
Some might say he has
been overtaken in showbusiness
by the ever-growing
success of his son, Jaden,
Review: 21 Jump Street (2012)
By Candice Ritchie, Film Team
When we think of Channing
Tatum and his hit films, the
ones which immediately spring
to mind are the classic chick
flicks: Dear John, Step Up and most
recently, The Vow. However, we
seem to forget that Channing can
most certainly excel in action too,
as he perfectly demonstrated in
films such as The Eagle and Fighting.
Now he adds another to that list:
the hilarious action-comedy that
is 21 Jump Street.
Tatum stars alongside Jonah
Hill (star of the hit comedy
Superbad), as two members of the
police force who are deemed to
be underachieving in their work.
Joining the force after graduation,
Jenko (Tatum) and Schmidt (Hill)
are still young and often mistaken
for high-school students: the
perfect pair for an undercover
investigation in a school on Jump
Street. Schmidt and Jenko are sent
to intrude upon a drug ring that
is supplying high-school students
with synthetic drugs. The mission
is simple: find the supply.
After appearing as characters
from opposing high-school cliques
at the beginning of the film
(Schmidt as the characteristic geek
and Jenko as the popular jock), the
way the two are thrown together
and their resentment-turnedfriendship
is extremely cliché
and predictable. Nonetheless, a
contrast to his usual young and
glamorous female counterpart,
Hill is refreshing as Tatum’s
sidekick. The two bounce off
each other brilliantly, and the
comedy appears natural and
unprovoked. The characters’
amateur knowledge within their
work is embarrassing, but it is their
cluelessness which provides the
hilarity. When Jenko’s response to
knowing the Miranda rights is that
it begins with “you have the right
to be an attorney”, we have to take
a moment during our laughter to
cringe.
My main problem with this film
was the trailer. Although it enticed
me to go and watch the film, it
definitely gave away many of the
key comedy-highlights, and at
many scenes I knew exactly what
was coming. Nonetheless, it is still
laugh-out-loud funny constantly. If
you don’t go for any other reason,
go and watch this film purely for
the hilarious and perfectly-acted
reaction of Schmidt and Jenko
when they are forced to consume
the drug themselves – this scene
was most definitely the highlight
of the film for me. Overall, 21 Jump
Street is certainly the funniest film
I’ve seen this year and definitely
worth watching!
On the other hand, if you’re
as much of a fan of Mr Tatum as I
am, you’ll go simply because you
get to sit through 109 minutes
of the gorgeous man himself. No
complaints there…
and daughter, Willow. With
Jaden co-starring alongside
him in his 2006 tear-jerker
The Pursuit of Happiness and
Willow accompanying him
in thriller I Am Legend, Smith
grasped the notion ‘keep
your loved ones close’ with
both hands. However, the
famous offspring have gone
on to have their own stardom
in recent years, with Jaden
appearing beside Jackie
Chan in The Karate Kid and
Willow gaining recognition
in the music business with
her catchy 2010 tune Whip
My Hair. So what about Will?
Smith is soon to be
returning to our cinemas,
and what film could be
better to bounce back with
than Men in Black 3. The first
of the trilogy, Men in Black,
grossed at a staggering
$326,600,000 worldwide just
five months after its release.
The second instalment
failed to disappoint, with a
whopping $235,200,000 in
less than two months. It’s
inevitable then, that for the
third addition, Men in Black 3
3D, fans will be overwhelmed
with anticipation. Directed
again by Barry Sonnenfeld,
the film takes Agent J
(Smith) back to the 1960s to
try and save his partner, K,
from an assassination that
would change the course of
history. Set for release on
25 th May 2012, the wait is
nearly over!
Currently filming for the
2013 release of After Earth,
and with I, Robot 2, Bad Boys 3,
and Hancock 2 all announced
for the future, Smith looks
set to remain on our screens
for a long time coming!
Phew!