What I've Just Watched: Part 2

The Pink Panther (2006), after Blake Edwards killed his own creation with the Pink Panther sequels of the 1980's and 1990's. MGM decided to reboot the franchise, and turned to Steve Martin and director Shawn Levy. Expectations were low, but the film is actually not all that bad, and that they knew what they were doing all along. But it could have been alot better. It begins when French football coach Yves Gluant (Jason Statham) is murdered during a game between France and China, and his ring, a Pink Panther diamond ring, is missing. Paris Police Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline), eager to win the French Medal of Honour, gets bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Martin), to find the diamond, while Dreyfus has secret investigators looking, and when Clouseau finds the culprit, Dreyfus will step in and take credit for the case. Helping Clouseau are Gendarme Ponton (Jean Reno) and secretary Nicole (Emily Mortimer), and they keep an eye on Gluant's popstar girlfriend Xania (Beyoncé Knowles), and Gluant had enemies too. But, despite Clouseau's bumbling, can he solve the case?? Steve Martin is no Peter Sellers, but he doesn't need to be, he marks his own stamp on Clouseau. Even with some good slapstick moments, it gels together, and isn't the disaster we all dreaded, only just. Despite some misgivings, this didn't stop a sequel being made. 3/5



The Return of Captain Invincible (1983), from Australian director Philippe Mora, (Mad Dog Morgan (1976), Howling III: The Marsupials (1987) and Communion (1989)), comes something that only Australian cinema could conjour up, a superhero musical!! It's bad, it's cheesy and it knows it is, that's because it was made that way, a spoof of superhero serials of old. It begins in newsreel, when Captain Invincible (Alan Arkin) is a hero of the world, and fought the Nazi's too. But, it all came crashing down, when he was accused of being a communist by the McCarthy hearings of the 1950's. In a fit of desperation, he flies away, becoming an alcoholic in Australia. 30 years later, his old arch-nemesis Mr. Midnight (Christopher Lee) re-appears, and steals a government device, the hypno ray. The U.S. President (Michael Pate) decides to bring back Captain Invincible, whom he'd met as a boy. The former superhero is found by Australian policewoman Patty Patria (Kate Fitzpatrick), and she and government scientists try to get him back to his former glory, but he's forgotten how to fly and use his superpowers. It's a gloriously camp film, and with musical numbers throughout, (some written by Richard O'Brien). You'd never get a film like this now, no-one would touch it with a bargepole, but it's so much fun, absolutely bonkers and one of cinema's best kept secrets!! 4.5/5

Escape From Alcatraz (1979), directed by Don Siegel, reuniting for the fifth and last time with Clint Eastwood, this is a true story that documents one of the most daring and exciting prison escapes in U.S. history, and also helped close down America's toughest maximum security prison. It has crook Frank Morris (Eastwood) being sent to Alcatraz prison in 1960, and immediately takes a disliking to his surroundings. The prison warden (Patrick McGoohan) is very strict as well, able to give and take away prison privileges straight away, and the Warden tells Frank that escape is impossible. However, Frank isn't going to take the Warden's word for it. He, along with fellow inmates Charley Butts (Larry Hankin) and brothers Clarence (Jack Thibeau) and John Anglin (Fred Ward) plan an escape out of the prison through the ventilation shafts, onto the roof, down a drain pipe, over a barbed wire fence and across a mile of water in San Francisco Bay to dry land. But, this is a plan that will require cunning, secrecy and luck too, using their wits and ingenuity, they find a way to fool the prison guards and Warden. It's a little slow going at first, but it picks up pace once our heroes begin their plot to escape. It's claustrophobic, (the cells are tiny), and suspenseful too. 4/5



Dirty Harry (1971), after nearly a few years of playing cowboys, and being associated with Sergio Leone's Man With No Name trilogy. Clint Eastwood wanted something different. He and director Don Siegel were offered this gritty, hardnosed detective thriller, based upon the Zodiac murders that occured in San Francisco. It gave audiences a new hero, a violent, no-nonsense hero who let his gun and physical prowess do the talking when it comes to sorting crime. There's a psychopathic killer on the loose in San Francisco known as Scorpio (Andy Robinson), and Inspector Harry Callahan (Eastwood) is assigned to the case by the Chief of Police (John Larch) and the Mayor (John Vernon). A game of cat and mouse follows, with Scorpio always managing to stay one step ahead of Harry, even torturing, raping and burying a teenage girl and demanding a ransom. But, Harry's way of dealing with criminals is a very unorthodox way, and not a lawful way either. There's no good cop about him, just very bad cop. But, it's the only way to deal with a nasty killer like Scorpio, who is holding a city to ransom. It's a very violent and brutal cop film, at the time, there hadn't been anything like this before, and even to this day, packs a punch with the violence. But, Eastwood is supercool and superbad as Harry Callahan. So cool, he stayed for another 4 films after this. 4.5/5

Needful Things (1993), based upon Stephen King's 1991 novel, and directed by Fraser C. Heston, (son of Charlton), this is an amusing and quite effective supernatural morality tale, about how far we would go for what we truly want. Despite it's tricks and twists, it does have one good lead performance. Set in the town of Castle Rock, Maine, a new shop opens up, dealing in antiques called Needful Things, ran by the mysterious and charismatic Leland Gaunt (Max Von Sydow). It doesn't look like a store from the inside, more like a posh house, but things for sale are dotted around, most of them are of great personal worth to the residents of Castle Rock. The first customer is young Brian Rusk (Shane Meier) who see's a baseball card he's always wanted, Gaunt lets him have it, but he has Brian performing tricks on local residents. Doing so, Gaunt is able to turn the residents of Castle Rock against one another, by having them perform horrible tricks on one another. With the town going to pot, it's up to Sheriff Alan J. Pangborn (Ed Harris) to discover how it call came to this, and who Gaunt REALLY is. It's got it's moments, but it's more titilating than scary. It's well made despite flaws and plotholes, and Max Von Sydow puts in a very good performance, the opposite end of the spectrum to whom he played in The Greatest Story Ever Told. 3/5



Bottle Shock (2008), based on an amazing true story, this is an amusing little comedy about an underdog and how they changed the world of wine forever. It has a very good cast, and the sun-kissed vineyards glow beautifully on film. It's not perfect, but it's a good companion piece to Sideways (2004). In 1976, British sommelier Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman), based in Paris, but his business is struggling as he only has French wines in his store. He's told by his American neighbour Maurice (Dennis Farina) about wines from Napa Valley, California. Which has loads of vinyards, but isn't famous for it. Spurrier travels there, and becomes acquainted with the Barrett family, who have been trying to make Chateau Montelena in the area, but patriach Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) has been struggling financially, despite the fact that his son Bo (Chris Pine) has good ideas for the company. But, Spurrier is able to get some bottles of wine, and has them sent over to France for his Judgment of Paris taste test, but with the Barrett business in a bad financial way, will they succeed and beat the French?? It's a good little story, with a good cast, Rickman is amusing as Spurrier, and it's got a gentle sense of humour, but it does feel a little shallow and hollow, even if it does focus on a significent American victory over the French. 3/5

Magnum Force (1973), with Dirty Harry (1971) a huge success, Warner Bros. ordered a sequel to go into production straight away. It's a much more darker and savage film. Harry Callahan was accused of being a facist, but this film would prove who the real facists were, worse cops than Dirty Harry. This has a group of vigilante traffic cops Davis (David Soul), Sweet (Tim Matheson), Astrachan (Kip Niven) and Grimes (Robert Urich) going around killing criminals, their latest kill is a gangster who has just found not guilty on a big crime. Once again, Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is on the case, but his superior, Lieutenant Briggs (Hal Holbrook) finds Harry's methods of sorting out crime as dangerous and irresponsible. Meanwhile, Harry meets the killers, not knowing who they really are, and they take a shine to him. But, the murders go up, from a mobster's pool party to a notorious pimp. The traffic cops want Harry to become one of them, Harry refuses, and nearly pays the price with a hidden bomb, and decides to take down the traffic cops himselves, but they're all working for a big boss. It's more violent sequel, and maybe that's a good thing. With a good screenplay by John Milius and Michael Cimino, Eastwood shows more action prowess on this film, and there's a good cast in this, David Soul is a hardass, and paved the way for Starsky and Hutch. 4/5



The Enforcer (1976), Dirty Harry rides again, after dealing with nasty facists in Magnum Force (1973), this time, Harry was to take on a group not far removed from the Symbionese Liberation Army that kidnapped Patty Hearst. It's not as violent or as savage as the first two, but shows a more human side to Harry. Dirty Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is taken off Homicide for causing $14,000 worth of damage during a hostage situation and killing the baddies and using too much violent force. However, there's a revolutionary group known as the People's Revolutionary Strike Force led by Bobby Maxwell (DeVeren Bookwalter) causing destruction and mayhem all over San Francisco and end up killing Harry's old partner Insp. Frank DiGeorgio (John Mitchum). Harry is back on the case, but he now has a female partner Kate Moore (Tyne Daly), who isn't very experienced, but eager to please. Their enquiries lead them to black militant Big Ed Mustapha (Albert Popwell), but nothing comes of that, then the mayor (John Crawford), and Harry and Kate are on the case. It's got some good moments of action, but it lacks the savage bite and punches that the first two films had, but it's still worth watching. Eastwood is as cool as ever, and the climax on Alcatraz is very effective, Eastwood would be there a few years later... 4/5

The Men Who Stare At Goats (1st view) - A great cast with Spacey, Bridges and Clooney, but MacGregor, not my favourite actor, gets the most screentime. Funny at times, but it all comes across as a bit pointles - 3/5*





The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow (1st view) - Tv movie based on the classic tale, starring Bent Carver and Rachelle Lefevre. Quite enjoyable, though not a patch on the Burton/Depp film





Because Of Winn-Dixie (1st view) - Sentimental tale about a lonely girl who befriends a a stray dog. Jeff Daniels gives a good performance

Push (2nd view) - Liked this a lot in the cinema, taking me a bit by surprise, and I still like it now. It gets a bit overblown during the final action scenes, and some of the best characters get forgotten about in the final third, but with it’s gang of psychic heroes (a sort of cross between the X-Men and Danny Ocean’s mob), this works well within the universe it’s created. I’d like to see another instalment - 4/5*





Barnyard (1st view) - Crap, but still better than the two Ghibli films I've seen this year! - 2/5*

Defendor (1st view) - Woody Harrelson dons superhero gear and becomes Defendor, a vigilante crime-fighter - 4/5*




What Happens in Vegas (1st view) - Why does Cameron Diaz have a film career? I just don't get it - 3/5*

The King's Speech (2010), directed by Tom Hooper (The Damned United), this is the amazing true story of how our last monarch became King, and how he overcame a stammer, and was able to speak publically. It's a very inspiring and warm film, with a power that holds your attention throughout. Prince Albert, Duke of York (Colin Firth) is son of son of King George V (Michael Gambon), and second in line to the throne, but he has a terrible stammer, and goes to pieces when speaking publically. In 1934, his wife Elizabeth, Duchess of York (Helena Bonham Carter) meets a maverick Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), who believes he can cure the Prince of his malady. The sessions are slow at first, and the Prince chooses to acquiesce to defeat easily, but Logue won't give in. However, when George V dies, Albert's brother (Guy Pearce) becomes Edward VIII, and is forced to abdicate after his affair with Wallis Simpson (Eve Best), and Albert becomes George VI, now the new king relies on his speech therapist more than ever, especially with a war looming in Europe. It's a powerful and inspiring film, Firth makes a good King, but Rush absolutely steals the film as Logue. It's a story that focuses on one piece of the life of George VI, but a very crucial moment in his life, and one that made him beloved. 4.5/5



The Green Hornet (2010), Michel Gondry moves away from his arthouse oddities, and does something completely different. He makes a big budget action film, has he sold out?? No. Does it work?? Yes, sort of. It was always going to be a challenge to bring George W. Trendle and Fran Striker's crime fighter, but it's here. It has Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), a slacker 28 year old to newspaper mogul James Reid (Tom Wilkinson). James is disappointed in the lifestyle his son has chosen. However, when James drops dead, Britt is left to pick up the pieces and is bequeathed his father's media empire. He meets his father's mechanic Kato (Jay Chou) who is an inventor, and Kato shows Britt some of the things he's been making, and they end up becoming crime fighters, just because they get a kick out of it, and that their first night out in the armoured car Kato designed called the Black Beauty. However, they meet their match when Russian gangster Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) is wanting to take complete control of the underworld in Los Angeles, and further complicated when Britt and Kato both fall for secretary Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz). It's not a disaster like alot of critics made it out to be, but it could have been alot better. There is alot of cartoonish violence on display, and Gondry's quirky touches do show through now and again. Waltz and Diaz are wasted, but Rogen and Chou make a good double act together, and are able to hold the film, with cameos from Edward James Olmos, Edward Furlong and James Franco. 3/5

Splice (1st view) - Good - 4/5*




Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief (1st view) - A reasonably good idea (Greek mythological characters alive and will in modern times) and a fine cast, but very poorly executed - 2/5*




Jonah Hex (1st view) - Why does Megan Fox have a film career? I just don't get it. And how could a film about a vengeful cowboy who talks to the dead possibly be this dull? - 2/5*

The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977), after making it big in Hollywood with Young Frankenstein (1974) and Silent Movie (1976), Marty Feldman was given a contract by Universal Pictures to make the films of his choice, Marty also wanted to write and direct them too. This was his first one, which had a bit of trouble when it came to editing, but it's actually a much funnier film than alot of people give it credit for. This is a comedy take on the book Beau Geste by Percival Christopher Wren. It has identical twins Beau Geste (Michael York) and Digby Geste (Feldman) joining the French foreign legion, Beau had run off with a priceless jewel, and Digby went to jail for it. But, their new adoptive mother Flavia Geste (Ann-Margret) helps Digby escape. Meanwhile, in the French foreign legion in North Africa, Beau is being trained under the scrutiny of the one-legged Col. Markov (Peter Ustinov), who soon get's the hots for Flavia. This is a very silly film, but it is laugh out loud funny, with some brilliant jokes, (Mel Brooks would have killed for alot of these, so would have the Carry On team), but Feldman was a brilliant comic talent, and a contender for a brilliant physical comedian too, (he did all his own stunts.) Oh, and this has a brilliant supporting cast including Henry Gibson, Roy Kinnear, James Earl Jones, Spike Milligan, Trevor Howard, Terry-Thomas, Burt Kwouk, Irene Handl with Lurch off The Addams Family and Blakey off On The Buses!! 4.5/5



The Bank Job (2008), directed by Roger Donaldson, (The Bounty (1984), Species (1995) and Dante's Peak (1997)), and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. This documents the true story of an unbelievable bank robbery, alot of it is invention off the filmmakers, but it's suspenseful. London, 1971, and back street car dealer Terry Leather (Jason Statham), is offered one last job by ex-model Martine Love (Saffron Burrows), it involves robbing the bank vault of Lloyds on Baker Street. Leather accepts, and gets his team together, including photographer Kevin Swain (Stephen Campbell Moore), porno actor Dave Shilling (Daniel Mays), mechanic Bambos (Alki David) and old conman 'Major' Guy Singer (James Faulkner). They lease a shop a few doors up from the bank and tunnel in underneath, and raid the vault. However, a local amateur radio operator overhears the robbery on their walkie-talkies, and the police are onto them, and they also took photos of a senior MP and a member of the Royal Family having sex, and a book of pay-offs belonging to gangster Lew Vogel (David Suchet). Watching how they pulled off the robbery is great to see on screen, but it gets a little more confusing after the robbery, with the criminals, gangsters, corrupt police and MP's playing off one another. But, there's good camaraderie between the cast, and it shows. 3.5/5

The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966), directed by Norman Jewison, (off In the Heat of the Night (1967), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and Fiddler on the Roof (1971), and based on the novel The Off-Islanders by Nathaniel Benchley. This is an amusing little film, but a bit dated now, though it sags in the middle. It has a Russian submarine crew running aground off the coast of the island of Cape Ann, Gloucester in Massachusetts. The crew, which consists of the captain (Theodore Bikel) and his second in command Lieutenant Yuri Rozanov (Alan Arkin) go onto land and have a look around, and they end up at the house of playwright Walt Whittaker (Carl Reiner) and his family. The crew claim to be Norwegian, but the family suss them out, and the whole community finds them out. Soon, unrest grows amongst the locals, and Police Chief Link Mattocks (Brian Keith) tries to keep the peace, but after the Russians steal a boat and they don't intend any harm or malice, but their methods are questionable, which is causing the locals to go up in arms, and it pushes both sides close to war. It's quite dated now, as people aren't affaid of Russians now. It all comes together at the end, after episodic exploits between the Russians and the townspeople having run ins. 3/5



True Lies (1994), Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron reunite after the Terminator films for this action-comedy spy film based upon Claude Zidi's 1991 French comedy La Totale! This is one of Cameron's best films, very entertaining and fun, and he should be making more films like this instead of making 3D mo-cap films, Arnie is on form too. This has Harry Tasker (Arnie) who is a spy for an American counter-terrorism task force called The Omega Sector, led by Spencer Trilby (Charlton Heston). However, Harry's wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) doesn't know that Harry is a spy, and believe he's a computer salesman. However, when Harry discover his wife is having an affair with used car salesman Simon (Bill Paxton), Harry and his partner Albert Gibson (Tom Arnold), use their spy know-how to get back at Simon, and Helen is given a job by Harry, (though she doesn't know it's Harry). However, the truth soon comes out when they're both kidnapped by Islamic terrorist Salim Abu Aziz (Art Malik), who Harry has been trying to capture, and is planning to blow up a city in the U.S. with nuclear weapons, but Harry won't give in, with a little help from the missus. It's an ace action film, with some good laughs in it. For reference, this is the one where Arnie chases Art Malik through a hotel on a horse. Big Jim is in his element with this, and it has a good cast as well. Please make a sequel, as this is one of the best action films of the 1990's. 4.5/5

The Time Traveler's Wife (1st view) - At the time I saw this there was somnething about the time travel aspect that confused the hell out of me. No idea what that was now, but there was something about this film that I really liked - 4/5*




The Dark Knight (3rd view) - Still as hugely enteratining as when I saw it at the cinema. It's hard to take some of the Batman scenes seriously after seeing he tv show Community - 5/5

Women in Love (1969), Ken Russell hit the big time with this adaptation of D. H. Lawrence's classic novel. It's beautiful to look at, and despite the controversy it made back then, it's quite tame now, and Ken Russell has made much more controversial films since. It does drag on a bit, despite a great cast giving top quality performances. Set in 1920, somewhere in the Midlands, it has two sisters Gudrun Brangwen (Glenda Jackson) and Ursula Brangwen (Jennie Linden), who both begin love affairs. Gudrun with Gerald Crich (Oliver Reed) and Ursula with Rupert Berkin (Alan Bates). However, the course of true love does not run smoothly with both parties. While Ursula and Rupert have a straight forward love affair, Gerald can't give himself to love Gudrun, he seems withdrawn and secluded, especially when his father dies and he's left a local coal mine. Though it doesn't help that Gudrun is much more of a free spirit than her sister, she's challenging and quite demanding, which takes it's toll on Gerald, especially when both pairs of lovers head to Switzerland for a honeymoon. It's not as good as what Ken would later make, but it does have it's moments, especially the controversial nude wresting scene between Bates and Reed, which isn't as graphic as they say. It won Jackson a Best Actress Oscar, which she rightfully deserved. 3.5/5



Black Swan (2010), Darren Aronofsky returns after the success of The Wrestler (2008), which something that can be described as a companion piece to his previous work, exploring the complex and demanding world of performance art. Though this is a psychological horror film disguised as a ballet drama. Set in New York City, it has aspiring dancer Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), competing for a part in a new production of Swan Lake, envision by Ballet director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel). What Leroy has in mind is that the lead will play both the White and Black Swans. Although Leroy is reluctant to cast Nina, he choses her, but it's a part that will push her to the limit and beyond, in more ways than one. She begins having mood swings and hallucinations, and it reaches a head when she meets her understudy Lily (Mila Kunis), who seems to be living in her shadow, and is much more of a free-spirit. Plus, Nina is developing a rash on her back, and she feels as if she's turning into a Black Swan, and her behaviour and attitude seem to alienate those around her. Black Swan is a complex and unusual drama, think Powell and Pressburger's The Red Shoes (1948) meets David Cronenberg's The Fly (1986). Portman gives an brilliant performance as the tormented Nina, and her dancing is exquisite, but it all makes sense in the end, sort of. 4/5

Brubaker (1980), a hard-hitting prison drama directed by Stuart Rosenberg, (The Amityville Horror (1979) and The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)), this is an indictment of an all-too familiar problem that's happening all over the world, and the story of a man who stood up to the system. It has Henry Brubaker (Robert Redford), arriving at an inmate at Wakefield Prison, there he witnesses firsthand inmates being abused by prison guards, doctors charging prisoners for treatment, overcrowding of prisoners in one big cell, sexual abuse, maggot ridden food and insurance fraud. During a stand-off with prisoner Walter (Morgan Freeman), Brubaker reveals himself to be the new warden of the prison, and proves it to the acting officials. He used this to get an idea of the corruption and deceit that's going on within Wakefield prison. Brubaker takes the matter into his own hands, and has a view of prisoner rehabilitation and human rights within the prison, and wants reform. But learns that food has been kept from prisoners and that the corruption runs deep within the local state officials, Brubaker is facing an uphill struggle. It's a dark and gritty drama, with a brilliant lead performance from Redford. It's partially based on true events that took place in Arkanas in 1967, and it's a good story that translates well to screen. But, not even a film can stop the corruption from still going on today. 4/5



Re-Animator (1985), based upon H.P. Lovecraft's 1922 serialised story Herbert West–Reanimator, this is a schlocky, gory and cheesy sci-fi horror from Stuart Gordon. It's a very good film that owes alot to horror films like The Howling (1981) and The Evil Dead (1982), but it stays in memory after you've seen it. At Miskatonic University, Massachusetts. It has eccentric scientist Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) joining the facility to further his studies, he's been interested in how the brain can still function after death. He takes a room with student Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott), and Herbert tells Dan about a serum he developed in Switzerland with mentor Dr. Hans Gruber (Al Berry). This is a serum that can be used to bring the dead back to life. However, Dr. Carl Hill (David Gale) dislikes Dan, and is able to convince college dean Alan Halsey (Robert Sampson) to bar both Herbert and Dan from the college. Yet, Herbert and Dan sneak into the morgue to try out the serum, and, you've guessed it, it goes horribly wrong, Halsey ends up dead, and his daughter Megan (Barbara Crampton), who's going out with Dan, ends up being kidnapped by Carl Hill, who's lost his mind, and other things. There's a lot of silly gory nonsense on display here, but it's very funny some of the time, and has stuff you can't believe they're getting away with, and the make-up effects are quite effective. Once the blood starts, it's fun all the way. 4/5

Re-Animator's great

The King's Speech (1st view) - Absolutely brilliant. Firth and Rush are both superb, there's great support from all (apart from Timothy Spall), it looks gorgeous, great music, genuinely moving at times but also very funny. An odd king of feelgood film but it works wonderfully - 5/5*

Paper Heart (2009), the brainchild of comedienne/musician Charlyne Yi and director Nicholas Jasenovec, this is an odd indie mockumentary that starts out as a documentary, but goes in another direction entirely about a third of the way through, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It has Yi doing a documentary about a subject she knows nearly nothing about, love. She travels across America asking people about what they think love is and how they express it, it takes Yi from weird themed weddings in Las Vegas, to two judges who fell for each other in a court house, complete with reconstructions done by Yi in puppet animation, It also has brief interviews with Yi's friends, including Seth Rogen, Demetri Martin and David Krumholtz. One night, at a party somewhere in Texas, Yi meets a friend of director Jasenovec (Jake Johnson), who happens to be Michael Cera (playing himself). Yi and Cera immediately hit it off and begin a relationship, and the documentary moves from being a documentary about love, to focus on Yi and Cera's relationship, but will it last?? It's a very sweet film, with some nice moments throughout, but it doesn't know what it wants to be half of the time, but it's nice while it lasts. 3/5



Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (1980), "English as tuppence, changeless as canal water, nestling in green nowhere..." Based on Vivian Stanshall's classic 1977 comedy record, this is one of the most eccentric English comedies ever made, seldom seen since it's release, but still a look inside the mind of one of our greatest musical mavericks. Set in the big country manor of Rawlinson End, it focuses on the exploits of the eccentric Sir Henry Rawlinson (Trevor Howard), who has a family of eccentrics, he has a prisoner of war camp in his garden where Max (Gary Waldhorn) and Joachim (Simon Jones) try to escape, Sir Henry's brother Hubert (Stanshall), is even madder, and speaks utter nonsense, (or does he??) Plus, there's also the small matter of the house being haunted by the ghost of Sir Henry's deceased brother Humbert (Michael Crane), who was killed in an unfortunate duck hunting accident years earlier, so Sir Henry enlists the help of local parson Rev. Slodden (Patrick Magee) to exorcise the spirit of Humbert, so that the family can be left in peace, apart from anything else that annoys Sir Henry. It's absolutely bonkers, and non of it seems to make any sense, it's crossed somewhere between Monty Python, The Goons and something experimental by the Comic Strip team. But, Stanshall was a genius, and he knew what he was doing, or did he?? 4/5

Shutter Island (2nd view) - Of the two films last year that starred Leonardo DiCaprio as a man questioning his sanity, this was the better one. Naturally, it's been overlooked entirely at the Oscars, it should have had at least three nominations, if only for the technical awards. Unlike Inception, the entire storyline concerning Leo's wife doesn't bog the film down, you actually care about it in this instance. And it has a mind-bogglingly brilliant soundtrack - 4/5





The Lovely Bones (1st view) - Much like The Time Traveler's Wife last week, there was something about this I really, really liked, despite the fact I'm aware it might not be all that great. Some good acting (not by Sarandon though, who seems to have wandered in from another film) and some nice tension and visuals, but it's kind of a wishy-washy affair. Is that the same for the book? I think it was Empire who said it was more emotional than LOTR. It isn't, and it's probably Jackson's weakest film since Braindead - 4/5*




Black Swan (1st view) - I'm not ashamed to say it, but this creeped me the hell out. If there'd been a cushion at the cinema, I'd have hid behind it at times. Of course, the mood was broken slightly by two groups of youths who suffered giggle fits whenever there was any hint of sex on screen. Good though. I'm not really a fan of Portman at all but I liked her in this - 4/5*

The Eiger Sanction (1975), Clint Eastwood's 4th film as a director, and he opted for a spy film, something different from westerns and cop films he was making at the time, based on a 1972 book by Trevanian. It's a different kind of film for it's star, who wanted something different, but it's a little bit hit and miss, but the hits are strong. Clint Eastwood plays Dr. Jonathan Hemlock, a arts collector and a jobbing professor, who used to work for a spy ring called C2, ran by ex-Nazi albino Mr. Dragon (Thayer David). Hemlock has retired from C2, but he is called back for one more job. Dragon wants Hemlock to assassinate 2 men for the death of government agent Henri Baq (Frank Redmond). He kills one, but is told the other killer will be partaking in a sponsored climb up the treacherous Eiger mountain in Switzerland. Hemlock trains out in Arizona at a climbing school with old friend Ben Bowman (George Kennedy), but even someone is trying to kill Hemlock at the climbing school. Eventually, Hemlock and Bowman head out to Switzerland, and Hemlock is left to figure out which of the climbers is the killer. The mountain climbing scenes are brilliantly made, and it does have some good moments, but Eastwood feels out of place in this film. It was a troubled shoot, especially when a climber was killed during filming, as a result, Eastwood left Universal for 33 years until Changeling (2008). 3.5/5



White Hunter Black Heart (1990), after critical acclaim for his biopic Bird (1988) and bringing Dirty Harry to a close, Clint Eastwood took on this quasai-biographical adventure based on the life of John Huston when he chose to make The African Queen (1952), although names have been changed, though it's puzzling as to why they did that. It has flambouyant, adventurous director John Wilson (Eastwood) who plans to fly out to Africa to shoot his next film, in tow, he has young, aspiring writer Pete Verrill (Jeff Fahey), who is honoured to be working with such a great director, but Wilson incurs the wrath of producer Paul Landers (George Dzundza) who is bleeding money. Out in the wilds of Uganda, Wilson has one big obsession, he wishes to go game hunting and kill an elephant, believing it's "the ultimate sin". It's as if he has something to prove, but even out in Africa, he's living the life of a posh playboy, as if money grows on trees, taking risks as well, even choosing to delay the shoot to go and hunt his prize elephant, but is his search in vain?? Will the mad genius get his quarry?? It's a great idea for a film, but there's no explanation as to why Eastwood had to disguise it with aliases. Despite support from Alun Armstrong, Marisa Berenson, Edward Tudor-Pole and Timothy Spall, it feels like Eastwood chickened out when it came going all the way. 3.5/5

Hooper (1978), Burt Reynolds made a good few films with stuntman-turned film director Hal Needham, they made silly road based capers such as Smokey and the Bandit (1977), The Cannonball Run (1981) and Stroker Ace (1983). Here, they took on a subject close to director Needham's roots, the cutthroat world of being a stuntman, it's a silly but touching caper. It follows stuntman Sonny Hooper (Reynolds), who is a well renowned stuntman in the industry, he's done loads of films, but now he's a bit past his prime. There's a younger generation of stuntmen trying to take over from him, and even a few stunts Hooper does have gave him a few injuries which may put and end to his career. He's currently on a film, where he's the stuntman for Adam West, (who appears with a moustache!! ) Hooper decides to go out with a bang, and has one last spectacular stunt planned. It's a silly caper you'd expect to see in the late 1970's/early 1980's, Reynolds is a likeable lead, and the stunts you see on screen are daring and well done, and it's complimented with good support from Sally Field and John Marley. We need more films like this!! 4/5



Stroker Ace (1983), even though Burt Reynolds and director Hal Needham said they wouldn't do anymore car chase action films, even turning down a third Smokey and the Bandit film, they were lured back into doing one with this, based on a 1971 book called Stand On It. It's not a bad film, better than what some critics have made out, but you can see why Reynolds and Needham had grown weary of films like this. Stroker Ace (Reynolds) is a champion NASCAR racer, a brilliant driver, but he doesn't have a good sense of business. He's just lost his current sponsor by filling their car with cement, but Stroker finds a new one with Clyde Torkel (Ned Beatty), who is the owner of fast food outlet The Chicken Pit. Stroker signs up, but he soon finds out he's locked into a bad deal, where Torkel is controling Stroker, and making Stroker has to make public appearances at Chicken Pit restaurants. Sick of it, Stroker tries to find a way out of the deal by trying to get sacked, but eventually comes up with a fool proof plan with his chief mechanic Lugs Harvey (Jim Nabors) and PR agent Pembrook Feeny (Loni Anderson) to get out of the deal. It has some good laughs and good action, but it doesn't have the likeable quality of Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper or The Cannonball Run. But, the NASCAR racing comes out good on film, thankfully. 3/5

Perfect Creature (1st view) - Set in an odd, alternate reality (looks like Victorian London, but with zeppelins, black and white and DNA analysis), in which vampires exist alongside humans, thinking it's their job to serve mankind. It all goes wrong when a rogue vampire starts killing people, and it's up to his brother Dougray Scott to catch him - 3/5




Meet Dave (1st view) - I kow I probably shouldn;t havem but I quite likd this - 3/5*





Salt (1st view) - I could see way it would end after the first 20 minutes, but this was a good, silly action film - 4/5*

The Fighter (2010), from David O. Russell, director of Spanking The Monkey (1994), Three Kings (1999) and I ♥ Huckabees (2004), comes this true life boxing biopic, about two fighters. It's a powerful drama with good performances in it, and the boxing is well done too. It seems boxing films always do well come awards time. Set in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1993, this focuses on the relationship between aspiring boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his older half-brother Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale). While Micky is not a very successful boxer, he has determination, backed by his family of 7 sister and his mother Alice Ward (Melissa Leo), who also manages him. Dickie is very unreliable, once a good boxer, he's now addicted to crack cocaine, and getting into trouble with the police. After one unsuccessful fight, Micky is all for giving up boxing and calling it a day, and starts a relationship with bartender Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams). But, Micky is offered one last chance at the title shot, it's against the odds, his fighting methods are unorthodox, but in order to win, Dickie has to be kept away from him, but can Micky afford to do that?? It's another underdog story, but it's a good story, about two brothers fighting to get by, and make their family proud. Bale steals the film, and you can see why he's up for big awards, and director Russell should be making more films too. 4/5



Bad Lieutenant (2009), not a remake of Abel Ferrara's 1992 cop drama, instead this is something quite original and mad, and it's by Werner Herzog, maybe the maddest director of them all, and certainly Germany's greatest export. Here he makes one of his more accessable films, and it could put him in good stead to finally cracking Hollywood. Set in New Orleans shortly after Katrina has hit, this has Lieutenant Terrence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage), who after saving someone is perscribed to medication for life after saving someone from drowning. The months go by, and McDonagh becomes more and more addicted to illegal drugs he claims from crime scenes. He finds solace with his prostitute girlfriend Frankie (Eva Mendes), and he's in debt with his bookie Ned (Brad Dourif). However, when 6 illegal immigrants from Senagal are found murdered, the main suspect is one Big Fate (Xzibit), but with one of the witnesses gone AWOL, and no leads, McDonagh decides to use Big Fate, and use him for his copious amounts of drugs. This is Herzog's darkest film, it's not the sort of film you'd think Herzog would do, but after you watch it, you can't imagine anyone better doing it. Cage gives his best performances in well over a decade, the glue that holds this mad, crazy decent into hell together. Plus, the bits from the animals POV just add to the film's unique strangeness. 4.5/5

Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1st view) - I love old comdy films. Laurel and Hardy, Keaton Chaplin, Lloyd, Abbot and Costello, Screwball films etc etc, Awesome. One of the biggest comedy stars from the time I hadn't seen anything of was W.C Fields, so I gave this one a try. I'm sorry I did - 1/5*

Orphans (1997), the directorial debut of Scottish actor Peter Mullan, a dark, satirical and quite original piece about the closeness and unbreakable spirit of a family bond. Or, that's how it SHOULD be, but this film focuses on what happens when, despite best laid plans, things tend to go slightly awry. In Glasgow, the Flynn family come together to mourn the passing of their mother (Ann Swan), her sons Thomas (Gary Lewis), John (Douglas Henshall), Michael (Stephen McCole) and disabled daughter Sheila (Rosemarie Stevenson). The night before her funeral, Thomas announces he's going to stay by her side in the church as a vigil. But, this is the night everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. John gets stabbed in a pub brawl, and spends the night on a pub crawl, eventually getting a lock-in he wasn't expecting. Sheila ends up at a little girls house after leaving the church, even when her brother Thomas was supposed to be looking after her, and Michael ends up with a gun trying to avenge the man who stabbed John, but nothing goes to plan for him. And THEN, a storm rages through Glasgow, ripping the roof of the church where the funeral is meant to be. As dark as it sounds, there are moments of absolutely hilarious comedy here, some of it gallows humour, but it has a warmth about it's bones. Mullan shows confidence and imagination in his first film as director, and gets the best out of his cast. A very serious comedy and a hilarious drama at the same time. 4/5



Event Horizon (1997), from Paul W.S. Anderson, fresh off Mortal Combat (1995), he was offered this big sci-fi film, described as "The Shining in space", and Anderson references Kubrick alot throughout this film, as well as Ridley Scott's Alien. It's derivative to say the least, but it's cheesy sci-fi hokum to pass 90 minutes by. Set in 2047, it has a rescue vessel called Lewis and Clark searching for a lost starship called Event Horizon. The team looking for the ship are Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne), Lieutenant Starck (Joely Richardson), pilot Smith (Sean Pertwee), Medical Technician Peters (Kathleen Quinlan), Engineer Ensign Justin (Jack Noseworthy), Rescue Technician Cooper (Richard T. Jones), and Trauma Doctor. D.J. (Jason Isaacs) and Event Horizon's designer Dr. William Weir (Sam Neill). They come across Event Horizon in the orbit of Neptune, and find the ship deserted. Weir tells the crew that Event Horizon was used to test an experimental gravity drive and create artificial black holes in space. When Justin is pulled through the ship's gravity drive's core, the it sends the crew insane, seeing visions of their worst fears, of things yet to come. Miller suspects there's more to Weir than meets the eye. It's a good film, although the CGI for it's day was a little ropey, and the model effects come off stronger, Anderson wasn't done with sci-fi, and followed this up with Soldier (1998), which nearly killed his career. 3/5

Sudden Impact (1983), the fourth Dirty Harry film, and the only one Clint Eastwood himself directed, it came 7 years after The Enforcer (1976), quite a gap, but Harry had lost non of his bad-ass, no-nonsense attitude, and for reference, this is the one with the line "Go ahead, make my day." Harry Callahan (Eastwood) has upset his superiors once too often, he loses one case because of illegally obtained evidence, his shoot first, ask questions later attitude ends in a massacre at his favourite diner and he goes and upsets elderly drugs baron Threlkis (Michael V. Gazzo), causing him to have a heart attack, and a death warrant is put on Harry. His bosses tell him to take a holiday, and Harry is sent to the seaside town of San Paulo, until the heat dies down. While there, Harry becomes friends with Jennifer Spencer (Sondra Locke), who it turns out is a viligante killer, going around killing men responsible for gang raping her and her sister at a funfair years earlier, this gives Harry something to go on, but the local police aren't happy of how Harry sorts crime out, but he also finds himself close to Jennifer, not knowing she's the killer. It's a good one, not as good as the previous 3 films that came before this, but it's got some good moments of action, and Eastwood delivers in spades as Harry, as you'd expect him to. 3.5/5



The Dead Pool (1988), the fifth, and so far, last Dirty Harry film to date. It's the weakest entry to date, and it seems a pity they stopped at this one, but it's not a complete write-off, it does have some memorable moments of action, one or two amusing cameos and a rather unorthodox car chase. Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) has become something of a local celebrity, he's had crime kingpin Lou Janero (Anthony Charnota) sent to jail, and now Harry's face is on magazines, something he's not happy about. Meanwhile, rock star Johnny Squares (Jim Carrey) is found dead of an apparant drugs overdose, or is he?? He was making a slasher film with director Peter Swan (Liam Neeson), and then the producer of Swan's film is found dead in a restaurant in Chinatown, who had a list known as a Dead Pool, a game where you predict celebrity deaths. Squares name was on the list, and so's Harry's name. All eyes and fingers point to Swan, who also had a list, but he claims not to have done it. In order to catch the killer, Harry has to co-operate with the media, in particular, news reporter Samantha Walker (Patricia Clarkson), but the deaths continue. The film has some good moments, and Eastwood does his usual stuff as Harry, though by this point, Harry does feel out of his time, he seems at odds in the late 1980's, though this one is worth it for the amusing little cameo from Jim Carrey. 3/5

Get Smart (2nd view) - As much fun as last time. Carrell is a gifted comedian who is funny without mugging for the camera, and the film was refreshingly free of toilet humour (which seems to be the only way to get a laugh in american comedy these days) just funny jokes and situations. Ann Hathaway has an affable screen presence, and Alan Arkin can help light up any film. Great fun. Many moment have me laughing out loud, especially the exit from the plane and "Swordfish!" - 4/5*




Date Movie (1st view) - I hated Epic Movie and I hated Meet The Spartans, but I just couldn't refuse a third outing of filmic torture - 1/5*