Above is a calendar of the films I will be looking forward too in December. I will hopefully get the chance to watch each one of these films, thanks to my Cineworld Unlimited card, and maybe the ones that I have forget to add. I definitely will review those films that I do get to see, and will try my best to get them done as soon as possible. I want to see Walking With Dinosaurs and American Hustle the most. So yeah, these are the films to look out for in December of 2013.
November 2013 BoxOffice results

Catching Fire topped all this November, even setting a new record for biggest opening weekend in November record, beating Twilight. Surprisingly, Ender's Game finished fifth, which I thought would have been lower as people just didn't seem overly fussed over it. About Time is a British film, which is lovely to see it peak in the top ten. Looking at Frozen (2013), it seemed to have such a poor opening weekend, yet has managed to finish third out of the November Box Office results.

 This is the Box Office results for November 2013.
Since June I have had a Cineworld Unlimited card. This costs virtually £16 a month, and you can see as many films as you like - there is literally no limit, but you have to sign up to a 12 month contract. So, being myself I have taken this unlimited number of films a month and guess you could say I have properly used it.

So, back to where I was, I have seen 64 films since June of 2013. I'm literally shocked at this fact, as I really didn't think I have seen that many, but it appears I have. Estimating the normal student ticket price of £7.20 and then multiplying that by 64 I have saved £460.80 and have only paid £113.30 on my membership. This card is insane at how much money you truly save. 

If you love films, and enjoy going to the cinema, this card is absolutely worth it. I'm saying this on my own behalf, no one has asked me to promote this - I just wanted to share how good of a deal this unlimited card is.


At the end of December, BigBox reviews will be doing a film awards post for the films of 2013. There will be various categories from Best Film of the Year, Best Actress and all the down to Worst Film of the Year. I will obviously only include films that I have actually seen (which is quite a few as I saw a lot before I started reviewing films).

Nominations will be revealed in due course.


Film: Carrie (2013)
Director: Kimberly Pierce
Release Date (UK): 26th November 2013
IMDb rating: 6.3 out of 10
BigBox rating: 7.5 out of 10
Summary: A re-imagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom. Based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King.

 You will like this film if: you like horror/thriller films, enjoy films about superhuman powers, like Chloë Moretz, a fan of the previous Carrie and would like to see a new version of it.

 You will not like this film if: you hate remakes, hate Chloë Moretz, don't enjoy CGI effects.
The review

Lets start with Chloë Moretz aka Carrie. She had a tough role to play here, due to the previous actress Sissy Spacek playing the role exceptionally, and being well known for this role. Moretz was in fact branded as "too pretty" for this role, and saying that she just wouldn't be a good Carrie. I have to disagree. Yes, Moretz is pretty, but who says pretty people can't be picked on? She made me believe in this role, and made me feel sorry for her, making me feel that she doesn't deserve all this abuse she receives from her crazy mother and her peers at school. So, yes, Chloë Moretz played the role very well. Now, moving onto Carrie's mother Margaret White portrayed by Julianne Moore. This performance stood out a lot in my eyes, showing how great of an actress Moore truly is. She is the crazy religious mother, whom keeps her life private from everyone else, and even tries to keep Carrie away from society. Julianne Moore just fits the role, everything down to her looks just work for this crazy persona. Another worthy mention is Gabriella Wilde who played Sue Snell. She was the only one who truly cared for Carrie's feelings, even giving up her prom privileges as she felt bad for picking on her, to give her that one special night and damn her legs are so tall! The other actors/actress' in this film all played their roles brilliantly, and made the film that much better. 

I tried to watch the original Carrie (1976) and I'm sad to admit that I just couldn't get through it. I do appreciate how these films were made in times without these new technologies but they just bore me. So, when I heard that they were remaking Carrie I was happy as I would finally be able to watch it the whole way through due to it being a modern film. I like Chloë Moretz and the recent roles she has played, especially Hit-Girl in the Kick Ass films. I initially thought she would be good at this role, as she has been good in her previous roles. I throughly enjoyed this film as it had epic moments, showed the decent of Carrie and made me gasp at the extent of violence it goes too at times.

I'd so recommend you go and see this remake of Carrie. Dismiss all those assumptions that Chloë Moretz won't be a good Carrie because of her looks - this is not true! This film is opening up a relatively old film to a new generation of people, adding in new effects and actors, like what more can you ask for.

Film: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Director: Francis Lawrence
Release Date (UK): 21st November 2013
IMDb rating: 8.1 out of 10
BigBox rating: 9 out of 10
Summary: Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever.

 You will like this film if: You love The Hunger Games books and franchise, fan of Jennifer Lawrence, love a good futuristic film, enjoy an overall great film.

 You will not like this film if: You hate franchise films, you can't appreciate a good book adaptation film, if you are not normal (like who can hate this).
The review

Jennifer Lawrence. She has became a star, for many good reasons. In this film, she plays Katniss Everdeen, a girl who is volunteers to save her sisters life to fight in the gruesome Hunger Games, which would change everyones life forever. Winning the 74th Hunger Games, she now has to go on and do it all again for the 75th Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell. In this, Jennifer Lawrence is flawless again at playing Katniss, a frosty girl who just wants to save her skin. She is a phenomenal actress, and there was no doubt at all that she would be amazing once again as playing Katniss. She slays all. Now, Peeta Melark portrayed by Josh Hutcherson. He is very great at playing the timid boy (now man) that is Peeta. He is perfect for Peeta's role, as he too seems to share elements of Peeta's personality in his own. He was very good in the first film, which he continues into Catching Fire. A worthy mention here is for Willow Shields, playing Primrose Everdeen, the sister to Katniss. In this film, WIllow shows how Prim has grown up since Katniss' venture into the Hunger Games. She is now helping her mother with her patients from District 12 and just being so grown up from that little duck from the first film, just touching to see. Elizabeth Banks playing Effie gets a well deserving mention for her exceptional portrayal of Effie. She is amazing for this role, she makes Effie so loveable and gives her those amazing lines, she even mentions mahogany again. Woody Harrelson is ever so great again playing the role of Haymitch. He plays the father figure to Katniss and Peeta very well, he is just perfectly fitting for Haymitch. I keep repeating it, but I do agree that everyone picked for this film is perfect. I think that Jena Malone as Johanna was perfect, she fits the stern demeanour of Johanna perfectly and surprisingly made Johanna one of my favourite characters from the film. There are far too many great actors to list, everyone was great.

I absolutely loved the first film, and Catching Fire lived up to my expectations. Everything was perfect, they included so much from the book that I thought they would skip out which made me so happy, as I thought Peeta painting Rue of the floor for his evaluation would be left out and Johanna stripping scene. Now, I must say Johanna was great. I laughed so hard when she swore during her interview with Caesar Flickerman and it was beeped out as if we were watching this interview on TV. It was just so perfect for Johanna's character, it's just something she would certainly do. The characters were amazing, the arena was just WOW and everything was how I envisioned it when reading the book. I love it so much.

I can't begin to describe how much I loved Catching Fire. I saw it twice in one day that's how good it was and going again today for the third time. It was a great adaptation for the book, better than the first and yes, go and see Catching Fire NOW!!!!!!!!
Film: Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Release Date (UK): 25th October 2013
IMDb rating: 6.9 out of 10
BigBox rating: 6.5 out of 10
Summary: Eighty-six-year-old Irving Zisman is on a journey across America with the most unlikely companion: his eight-year-old grandson Billy, in "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa". This October, the signature Jackass characters Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) and Billy (Jackson Nicoll) will take movie audiences along for the most insane hidden camera road trip ever captured on camera. Along the way Irving will introduce the young and impressionable Billy to people, places, and situations that give new meaning to the term "childrearing". The duo will encounter male strippers, disgruntled child beauty pageant contestants (and their equally disgruntled mothers), funeral home mourners, biker bar patrons, and a whole lot of unsuspecting citizens. Real people in unreal situations, making for one really messed up comedy.

 You will like this film if: If you love Jackass films and the TV show, enjoy a good bit of crude humour, love real reaction comedy, fan of Johnny Knoxville.

 You will not like this film if: Hate crude humour or have no sense of humour at all, hate Johnny Knoxville, never enjoyed Jackass.

The Review

There are only two actors really that can be discussed here, due to the nature of the film. If you are unaware of Jackass, they love to play pranks on real people, getting real reactions. Beginning with the most known here, Johnny Knoxville. He is playing an old man called Irving - which is one of his iconic characters from the Jackass TV show. This character is a very bad role model, he is perverted and just extremely irresponsible, so you know when he gets custody of a young 8 year old child, bad things are going to occur. Johnny Knoxville is surprisingly very professional in this film, even though it has a not so serious storyline. He is so good that half the time I forget it was even him playing the character. There isn't much to say about him, except that he is just good and this character is genius. Now, moving onto the child he has to look after, Billy played by Jackson Nicoll. He is dumped into the arms of his Grandpa by his druggy mum. Nicoll plays the role very well, as you feel sorry for his situation yet you still get to see the fun he has with his grandpa, and how he just wants to be loved by a family. I have never heard of him prior to this film, but he was a good selected on Jackass' behalf as the pranks are very fitting to his look and the way he is.

This film is just funny. The pranks they achieve made the entire audience laugh, especially where Irving and Billy have a farting contest, and he shits up the wall in a packed restaurant and just walks out and leaves it (yes, its how you picture it). Having real life reactions from people makes it that so much better, as they believe everything that is happening is real, and seeing how people respond makes you think how you would handle the situation. The people behind Jackass are hilarious, and everything about it is my kind of humour, which makes me love it even more.

So, yes, of course I recommend you go and see this film right away. If you don't know what Jackass is, it doesn't matter as it's a stand alone film. The humour, the real reactions, Knoxville, everything is just hilarious. If you want to laugh, go and see Bad Grandpa.