What I've Just Watched Part 4: There And Back Again

Storytelling (2001), written and directed by Todd Solondz, whose previous film, Happiness (1998) had caused a stir of controversy upon release despite glowing critical reviews. Never one to shy away from controversy, Solondz carried on with his next film, which was originally planned as a trio of stories. Ultimately we only get two stories, but like Happiness (1998), they touch upon the burden of human suffering and trying to find a modicum of joy in an otherwise miserable life, it makes for good viewing. In "Fiction", student Vi (Selma Blair) is struggling to come up with a story for her creative writing class, where she's taught by Mr. Scott (Robert Wisdom), who as it turns out has affairs with his students. In "Non-Fiction", independent documentarian Toby Oxman (Paul Giamatti) who see's a potential subject in slacker teenager Scooby Livingston(Mark Webber), who lives with his dominating father Marty (John Goodman) and his airhead mother Fern (Julie Hagerty). Toby films Scooby at a crucial point in his life, when he's applying for college, which isn't something Scooby wants to do in life. It's a dark look at growing pains, and also a statement on how education brings out the worst in people, but Solondz uses the film to poke fun at suburbian America, and the darkness that surrounds it. A third segment, Autobiography starring James Van Der Beek, was filmed and cut entirely. Maybe we'll see it one day. 4/5



Horns (2013), directed by Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Mirrors (2008) and Piranha 3D (2010)), this darkly funny horror film was adapted from Joe Hill's 2010 novel of the same name. Aja had read Hill's novel when it first came out, and when he heard the book had been optioned to make a film, Aja wanted to direct it, and he was lucky when he was selected. It's an insane film, which throws everything into the pot, and amazingly, it works, only just mind you, but it's great fun. Small town radio DJ Ignatius "Ig" Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) is the prime suspect when his longtime girlfriend Merrin (Juno Temple) is brutally raped and murdered, which he didn't do, but his parents (Kathleen Quinlan and James Remar) and his brother Terry (Joe Anderson) find it hard to defend Ig. After a one night stand with Glenna (Kelli Garner), Ig wakes up the next morning to find horns growing out of his head. But, it turns out people start telling their inner-most desires and some truths. Ig decides to use this to his advantage to try and find who murdered Merrin. There are some parallels between this and the novel and film adaptation of Stephen King's Needful Things. (Horns' author Hill is King's son, which explains it), but the film has great fun with the concept, even if the script could have done with a bit more work, but it's held together by a spirited performance by Radcliffe, who relishes the part. 4/5

Age of Consent (1969), directed by Michael Powell, who had once made classics with Emeric Pressburger like The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) and A Matter of Life and Death (1946)), Powell's career took a thrashing over the critical backlash surrounding Peeping Tom (1960), and he struggled to get films made as a result. Actor James Mason invited Powell out to Australia to make this romantic comedy-drama based on Norman Lindsay's semi-autobiographical 1935 book. Not all of it works sadly. Australian artist Bradley Morahan (Mason) has become disillusioned by the success his work has gained and pines for a more back to basics life, and regain the edge that made him thrive as an artist when he was younger. He goes to a remote yet sparsely inhabited island off the Great Barrier Reef, where he meets young Cora Ryan (Helen Mirren), her cantankerous, alcoholic grandma (Neva Carr Glyn) and spinster Isabel Marley (Andonia Katsaros). Morahan finds a new muse in Cora, who inspires him, but trouble arrives when Morahan's sponging friend Nat Kelly (Jack MacGowran) turns up on the run from the police. It's a film which doesn't quite know what it wants to be, it looks lovely on film, but the story doesn't go anywhere in particular and it ends a bit abruptly. Powell directed one more film, and nearly went into obscurity, until Martin Scorsese met him... 2/5



Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), directed by Monte Hellman, this cult road movie started out as another film that producer Michael Laughlin and writer Will Corry tried to do a couple of years earlier before funding collapsed. Hellman came on board, and employed novelist Rudolph Wurlitzer (Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973) and Walker (1987)), to flesh the story out, and Hellman got Universal Pictures to put the money up, as they were looking to cash in on Easy Rider (1969). It's a good, atmospheric film. Two-Lane Blacktop tells the story of The Driver (James Taylor) and The Mechanic (Dennis Wilson) who live life on the road in their modified Chevrolet 150. They're driving along Route 66 from California, hoping to get to Washington D.C. Along the way they meet novice driver G.T.O. (Warren Oates), who proposes to come along with them, even though he doesn't know much about driving, they also pick up a female hitchhiker (Laurie Bird) in Flagstaff, Arizona, who tags along for the ride, but little distractions get in the way of their cross-country expedition. While it looks like it's cashing in on Easy Rider and Vanishing Point, it's actually an atmospheric film, and it's a bit of a statement on the death of flower-power and the unhappiness of the 1970's to come. It's a pity Hellman's career never really took off as he could have gone on to greater things. 4/5

Frozen (2005), to date, the only feature film from Juliet McKoen, whose only other credit was a short film called Mavis and the Mermaid, made in 2001. However, this chilling thriller had been filmed in 2003, but because of funding and distribution problems, it wasn't released until 2005. It's a good film which owes a massive debt of gratitude and inspiration to Don't Look Now (1973). But it does drag out it's big reveal a bit too long, and it could have done with a bit of tightening up and more focus. Set in Morecambe Bay, Kath Swarbrick (Shirley Henderson) has been affected ever since her sister Annie (Natalie Henderson) vanished while on her way to work 2 years ago, and no body was ever found. But the last sighting of Annie was captured on CCTV on an alleyway, Kath manages to steal the footage of that day from security guard Steven (Richard Armitage) and in it she discovers a strange ghostly image, and even after visiting the alleyway where Annie was last filmed, Kath starts getting recurring visions of Annie, and Kath's friends believe she's losing grip on reality, or is she? It's a truly independent film through and through, and it shows, and it benefits from a powerful lead by Shirley Henderson, who holds the film together. The budget limitations of the film sadly work against it, and it could have been something altogether special, but it falls short of being a hidden gem, as there's no fireworks to it. 3/5



Interstellar (2014), after completing the Dark Knight Trilogy, and making blockbusters intelligent with Inception (2010), the sky is no longer the limit for writer/director Christopher Nolan. Who picked up this space adventure his brother Jonathan Nolan was writing in 2007 for Steven Spielberg to direct. However, Nolan makes it his own, and despite the absolutely stunning visuals on display, it's a very grounded human story. Set in a near future where Earth is facing an agricultural crisis, where crops are dying and the earth faces massive dust storms. NASA physicist Professor Brand (Michael Caine) comes up with a plan to move Earth's population to another planet in another solar system, using wormholes in space to get there. Brand asks ex-NASA pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) to pilot a spacecraft with Brand's biologist daughter Amelia (Anne Hathaway to a potentially habitable planet in another solar system. This means Cooper has to leave his 10 year old daughter Murphy (Mackenzie Foy) and 15 year old son Tom (Timothée Chalamet), a tough decision to make. It's a film of two halves, the struggle for survival on earth, and then the struggle for survival in space. There's some brilliant set pieces in the film, including the potential planets discovered. The science may leave your heads aching with the information, but it's a visually stunning film, with a brilliant ensemble cast to boot and some amazing visual effects. 4.5/5

South Pacific (1958), based on the award winning Broadway musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, which premiered in 1949, and was in turn based on James A. Michener's 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific. This film version was directed by Joshua Logan (Camelot (1967) and Paint Your Wagon (1969)), who had also staged the original Broadway production. It's a very vivid and colourful musical, but it drags on way too long and it could have done with being shorter. Set in the South Pacific, during World War 2, Nurse Nellie Forbush (Mitzi Gaynor) falls for older French plantation owner Emile De Becque (Rossano Brazzi), who Nellie met on a night off away from the hospital she works at, but she has to decide whether to go to him or keep at her job, the fact that De Becque has two children and is a widower complicates matters. Meanwhile on the Navy base, Lt. Joseph Cable (John Kerr) has fallen for Liat (France Nuyen), daughter of mysterious soothsayer Bloody Mary (Juanita Hall), while Luther Bliss (Ray Walston) tries to keep morale up in the men. It is a trifle overblown, as most musicals would become over the next 10 years, but there are some good songs on display. It could have been tighter and more focused, but the whole plot is very episodic with no real glue holding the whole thing together. 3.5/5



Rumble Fish (1983), In the early 1980's, Francis Ford Coppola had been brought to his knees after the failure of One From The Heart (1982), which bankrupted him. Now, desperate for money to pay off his massive debts, he adapted two books by author S.E. Hinton, shot back-to-back. The first was The Outsiders (1983), the other one was this, an inventive and experimental film which featured much of the 'Brat Pack' of the 1980's. Shot in an almost noirish black and white in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It follows Rusty James (Matt Dillon), who is the leader of a street gang, but lives in the shadow of his brother, The Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), who had all street gang fights stopped after a treaty. But, Rusty James breaks the treaty after a fight with Biff Wilcox (Glenn Withrow), and The Motorcycle Boy reappears after a 2 month absence, and Rusty James' life is thrown into disarray. It's a powerful, brooding film, a little dated now, but well made and daring for it's time. It's young cast give off top notch performances, (including Nicolas Cage, Chris Penn and Laurence Fishburne), with a powerful score by Stewart Copeland off The Police which keeps the mood up. 3.5/5

The Fifth Estate (2013), directed by Bill Condon, (Gods and Monsters (1998), Kinsey (2004) and Dreamgirls (2006)), and adapted from 2 books. Inside WikiLeaks by Daniel Domscheit-Berg and WikiLeaks by David Leigh and Luke Harding. This politically charged thriller is also a biopic, unauthorised at that, of one of the most powerful journalist working today, as well as maybe the most dangerous. The film tries to be a thinking man's Bourne film, but it doesn't know what it wants to be. It begins in 2007, when German journalist Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) meets Australian computer hacker Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for the first time. Assange invites Daniel to work on WikiLeaks, which dedicates itself to releasing information withheld from the public. The website makes a big splash, revealing truths some people would rather have stayed private. But, Daniel soon begins to question Assange's motives, and it comes to a head when Assange wants to publish uncensored Afghan and Iraq War Logs, which Daniel knows will put people's lives in danger. It's a film questioning the freedom of speech, and why some things should remain private. Cumberbatch is brilliant as the eerily enigmatic Assange, but the film tries to cram too much in, it's trying to ape The Social Network (2010), but it falls short. 2.5/5



X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Bryan Singer returns to the franchise he started in 2000, and this time, adapting the 1981 Uncanny X-Men storyline Days of Future Past, Singer manages to link up the timeline set by the X-Men films from 2000 to 2006 and the timeline of Matthew Vaughn's prequel X-Men: First Class (2011). It could have been a paradoxical mess, but it isn't. It's actually the best X-Men film of the lot. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is approached in 2023 by Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) to be sent back to 1973 to prevent an action by Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) that will wipe out all mutants. Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) uses her powers to project Wolverine back to his body in 1973, where he goes about finding the younger Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), and convincing him to break out Magneto (Michael Fassbender) from a prison under the Pentagon. Then they have to go to a peace summit in Paris and stop Mystique from her action, which involves killing military scientist Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). With the two separate timelines going simulataneously here, it could have got lost in it's own paradoxes, but it doesn't. It manages to be an enjoyable, exciting and gripping superhero film, with nearly everyone returning for this massive epic. Singer stages some enjoyable and brilliant set pieces, and being away from the X-Men franchise for a decade has revitalised him and the franchise. The stage is set for X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). 4.5/5

Olympus Has Fallen (2nd view) - Po-faced and cheesily patriotic but enjoyable and the most 90s-like action film of recent years. Not as good as White House down though - 4/5

My Neighbors the Yamadas (1st view) - Not as good as Only Yesterday or Whisper Of The Heart, but the best Ghibli I've seen outside of those two - 3/5*




Dracula Untold (1st view) - Impressively average - 3/5*






Mirch Masala (1st view) - Indian drama set in the 1940s about a tax collector who is rejected by a woman and proceeds to cause trouble for the residents of her village. Very good - 4/5*





Stolen (1st view) - Released after 8 years in prison, Nic Cage's daughter gets kidnapped by a fellow bank robber who wanst his share of stolen loot from years before. I know Cage gets a lot of stick these days for his film choices but for the most part they're films I love. I guess this is one film that most would think is beneath his talents. It is fairly terrible so of course I liked it - 4/5*




Red Heat (2nd view) - Slightly better than I remembered it being - 3/5

Nymphomaniac: Volume 1 (2013), Lars Von Trier rides again, and never one to shy away from controversy, he makes his most epic project to date. In it's full directors cut, Nymphomaniac lasts a full 5 and a half hours, but because it was so big, hard and long, it was clear that no audience could take it in one go, so it was circumcised and cut into two volumes. The first volume sets the story of our heroine, and her exploits with sexual relations. It's certainly a film you won't forget in a hurry!! 50 year old Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who is found beaten up in an alleyway by kindly bachelor Seligman (Stellan Skarsgård), and Joe sets about telling her life story to Seligman. Telling about how, as a teenager (Stacy Martin) growing into a young woman, she became addicted to sex, and her encounters with friend B (Sophie Kennedy Clark). In her first job, she ends up spending time with her employer Jerôme (Shia LaBeouf), until he's replaced. She also encounters Mrs. H (Uma Thurman) whose husband (Hugo Speer) is having an affair with Joe, but Joe and Jerôme's paths cross once again. It's a film which is impossible to love, but you can admire it for it's ambition, and balls, (literally!!), but you can't watch this without watching part 2, but what it would be like as a complete film would be draining. 3.5/5



Nymphomaniac: Volume 2 (2013), from the imagination of Lars Von Trier, his sex epic was cut into two when the running time ended up topping 5 hours. Maybe for the best, but it's still well made, and if you can stand Von Trier's uncompromising style of directing then you'll love it, but Von Trier is never one to back down. It follows on immediately from where Volume 1 ended, as it had a teaser of what was to come in Volume 2, and it's a more violent and savage film than Volume 1 was. Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) continues telling her life story to batchelor Seligman (Stellan Skarsgård). Having reunited with Jerôme (Shia LaBeouf) and they have a son called Marcel, but Joe has lost her sexual mojo, but when she meets K (Jamie Bell), a cold sadomasochist who sexual assaults his women, which ends up with Jerôme leaving with Marcel, Joe finds herself at a loose end, and she somehow ends up as a debt collector, after doing the job for years, Joe's boss L (Willem Dafoe) suggests Joe to train and grooms 15 year old P (Mia Goth) to be in the wings, but it doesn't go to plan. The story takes a dark turn with this installment, but it's still a good film, and Von Trier's intentions are nobel, even if he does tend to go over the top with some sequences. The fact he gets away with sexual violence on screen without it being overly explicit or gratuitous is an achievement in itself, but's a flawed yet strange epic. 3.5/5

I'll have to give Nymphmaniac a go whenever I have a spare 5 1/2 hours



Renoir (1st view) - Film about the ageing impressionist painter Auguste Renoir, his son, Jean Renoir and the actress who acts as a muse to them both, Andrée Heuschling. For a film about a painter it certainly looks lovely, and there are some nice performances but overall quite forgettable - 3/5*




Kali Salwar (1st view) - I saw this about three hours ago and I honestly can't tell you a thing that happened in it. I know I thought it was decent enought when I was watching it, and I know it's about a prostitute and stars the bloke who plays Pi (from Life of) as an adult, but beyond that, zip. I blame it on lack of sleep.

Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922), written and directed by Benjamin Christensen (His Wife, The Unknown (1923) and The Woman Who Did (1925)), this is an unusual blend of horror film and part documentary study into the history of demons and witches. The film came about after Christensen's study of the Malleus Maleficarum, a German guide on evil from the 15th Century. For it's day, it's very well put together, and it's amazing how Christensen got away with a film like this at the time it was made. The film is divided into 4 parts. The first part shows how demons have been depicted in history and paintings of what hell is supposed to look like, as well as medieval depictions of the solar system. the next two segments take place in medieval times, the first shows Satan (Christensen) tempting women away, and the next shows how witchcraft was looked upon in medieval times, and the fate of one poor woman being accused by members of the local clergy. The fourth segment looks at how witchcraft is understood now and people accused of witchcraft were maybe mentally ill. It's a well made film, and it caused a stink of controversy when released, and rightfully so, it played on people's worst fears and as cut and banned in many countries on release. It got director Christensen to Hollywood, but that sadly didn't last. 4/5



Emma (1996), written and directed by Douglas McGrath, (Nicholas Nickleby (2002) and Infamous (2006)), and adapted from Jane Austen's 1815 novel. This period comedy is a slight and well filmed affair with a good cast. Unlike most period films, this passes along at a quick yet steady pace, but it goes along a bit too fast to keep track of what's going on. It looks beautiful on film, but it seems to be a tad dated nearly 20 years on, and while it's got good intentions and has some funny moments. Set in the early 19th Century, Emma Woodhouse (Gwyneth Paltrow) see's herself as a matchmaker where she lives. When her governess, Miss Taylor (Greta Scacchi) gets married to Mr. Weston (James Cosmo), Emma takes credit for bringing them together, although this is disputed by her brother in law George Knightley (Jeremy Northam). When Emma tries to find a man for Harriet Smith (Toni Collette), it turns out she has affections for another man, and Emma finds herself falling for Frank Churchill (Ewan McGregor), who happens to be Mr. Weston's visiting son. While the intentions of the makers are noble, and it's a beautifully sunny film, it does go by a bit too fast, and the slow moments of the film do tend to drag a bit too long too. But it helped make Paltrow a star, it was a jump from this to Shakespeare in Love (1998). 3/5

The Mouse That Roared (1959), based upon the 1955 novel The Mouse That Roared by Leonard Wibberley, directed by Jack Arnold (It Came from Outer Space (1953) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)) and produced by Walter Shenson, (A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965)). This comic satire had it's fingers on the pulse of the world satirising the Cold War tensions, but the film was also a showcase for Peter Sellers, then making his name as an actor, as a talented comedic actor. Set in the European duchy of Grand Fenwick, ran by Grand Duchess Gloriana XII (Sellers), the duchy is hit with bankruptcy when the American's make a cheap imitation of Grand Fenwick's wine, their only export. Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy (Sellers again) decides to declare war on America, and game keeper Tully Bascome (also Sellers) is charged with leading the Fenwick troops to America. They sail to America, and end up kidnapping Dr. Alfred Kokintz (David Kossoff) and his daughter Helen (Jean Seberg), and take them to Grand Fenwick. Kokintz has a Q Bomb with him, so Grand Fenwick hold the world to ransom. It's a very silly film, but Sellers shows many sides in this film, and it wouldn't be the last time he played more than one character in a film. It spawned a sequel, Mouse on the Moon (1963), but not many remember it. 4/5



Fantastic Planet (1973), directed by René Laloux (Dead Time (1964) and The Snails (1965)), and based on Stefan Wul's 1957 science fiction novel Oms en série. This science fiction animation took 5 years to complete, production started in Czechoslovakia in 1968, until the Prague Spring halted production for 2 years, then production started up again in France. It's definitely a colourful, inventive and original film, and it could be seen as Europe's answer to Yellow Submarine (1968). Set in a far off future society, Humans live as a feral race known as the Oms, and they're usually kept as pets by the gargantuan aliens Draags. The film opens with a Om mother being killed by Draag children taunting the mother, leaving her orphaned baby alone and frightened. The baby is rescued by Draag leader Master Sinh, who gives it to his daughter Tiva, who names the baby Terr. As Terr grows from child into a man. Terr begins learning more about the differences between the Oms and the Draags. Terr manages to escape and he helps lead a rebellion against the Draags. It's certainly eyecatching, and while it might lack heart or warmth, that's the point, it's depicting a dystopia where humans are scum and aliens are superior. It's a pity director Laloux didn't go on to greater things, as he had an original vision. 4/5

Child 44 (2015), based upon Tom Rob Smith's novel Child 44 (2008), directed by Daniel Espinosa (Easy Money (2010) and Safe House (2012)), and adapted by Richard Price (The Color of Money (1986) and Clockers (1995)), this period thriller has a terrific cast, and while the book had a very complex labyrinth plot, something seems to have got lost in translation from book to screen, and it's more pedestrian than gripping, but it's performances save the film, as do the depiction of how crimes were handled back then. Set in the U.S.S.R. in 1953, with Stalin still in power, Ministry of State Security Agent Leo Demidov (Tom Hardy) uncovers the case of a child being murdered in Moscow, although the official coroners report says that the boy was hit by a train, although Leo knows different. As he tries to investigate further, he and his wife Raisa Demidova (Noomi Rapace) find themselves being reassigned to a small town, where Leo works for General Nesterov (Gary Oldman). But more child killings, similar to that in Moscow occur nearby, but Soviet doctrine claims serial killings don't exist under communism. It's a good yet flawed film, and it could have been better, but it's obvious that the makers have tried to cram more in than they should have. It was supposed to have started a trilogy, but that looks unlikely. 3/5



St. Vincent (2014), written and directed by Theodore Melfi (Winding Roads (1999)), this gained attention before it was even made for it's script getting onto the Hollywood Black List of 2011, which annually highlights the best unproduced scripts, then called St. Vincent De Van Nuys. With that attention, the film started coming together. The finished result has some laughs, but it does get a bit sugary and sentimental for it's own good in places, but it does have some good performances in it. Set in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Vietnam veteran and lazy alcoholic Vincent MacKenna (Bill Murray) is seeing Russian prostitute Daka (Naomi Watts), he likes his life the way it is. But his life is given a rude awakening with the arrival of new neighbours Maggie Bronstein (Melissa McCarthy) and her 12-year-old son Oliver, (Jaeden Lieberher). When Maggie has to work late, she asks Vincent to look after Oliver. Vincent isn't best pleased about this, but amazingly, the two being a good social rapport, and Oliver brings out a new side in Vincent, a more caring side. While it does touch on serious issue, the film does have a good heart, and Murray is on fine form, playing a cantankerous old curmudgeon with an odd view on the world, which he does really well. But the sentimentality does smother the film. 3.5/5

Don't Torture a Duckling (1972), directed by Lucio Fulci, (Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979), The Beyond (1981) and The New York Ripper (1982)), this giallo thriller was a turning point for Fulci, and it hinted at what was to come with his later horror films with the excessive gore. But this thriller was set in Fulci's native Italy, but it wasn't as widely released as Fulci's other films were, and this didn't see the light of day in America or the UK until the 1990's, which is a shame as it shows where Fulci was going as a director. Set in a small village called Accendura in Southern Italy, a young boy called Bruno goes missing, causing a panic in the town. Andrea Martelli (Tomas Milian), a journalist from Rome arrives to cover the case, and shares his insight into the case with local Police Captain Modesti (Ugo D'Alessio). The case leads them to elderly hermit Francesco (George Wilson), who claims to practice black magic, and he spends time with Magiara (Florinda Bolkan) and Patrizia (Barbara Bouchet). It's with Magiara that Martelli joins forces to find out who the child killer is, and it seems that no-one is innocent in Accendura. It's essentially a whodunnit, but the sparse setting of a south Italy gives it an eerie edge. Fulci should have tried making more films like this as he creates a tense atmosphere, but he was bitten by the horror bug going round. 3.5/5



Ash Wednesday (2002), written and directed by Edward Burns, (The Brothers McMullen (1995), She's the One (1996) and Sidewalks of New York (2001)), this crime drama dives into the underbelly of the Irish-American Mafia in Hell's Kitchen, New York. It's a lot darker than most of Burns' other films, but this one has family loyalty and religion at the centre of it. While this sort of the thing has been seen before in other films, and in some cases, done better, this one has some good performances in it. In 1983 in Hell's Kitchen, rumours have been going around that Sean Sullivan (Elijah Wood), brother of Francis Sullivan (Edward Burns), has been seen walking around the city, when he was seemingly killed 3 years before. Francis denies that Sean has been seen, and as a body was never found. However, Francis has been hiding Sean in his apartment. Now the mob get wind that Sean is alive, including those that seemingly killed him. Plus, Sean wants to be reunited with his wife Grace (Rosario Dawson), who believes Sean died, but mob boss Moran (Oliver Platt) wants Sean dead for 2 murders that occured 3 years ago. It's a forgotten little film, but it shows how confident Burns is as writer and director, and he's able to get good performances from his actors. It sank without trace upon release, only grossing $3,000 on it's U.S. release, which is a shame, as there's worse crime films than this out there in the world, give it a go. 3.5/5

Frankenweenie (2012), the second Tim Burton film of 2012, and this one is his remake of his 1984 short film that caused him to get sacked from Disney, but now he's back in Disney's good books after making $1 billion for them with Alice in Wonderland (2010), Burton had absolute carte blanche on this one. It's one in a stark but beautiful black and white, and it's great to see Burton back doing animation once again. Set in New Holland, young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) makes short films with his beloved dog Sparky, who is accidentally knocked down and killed by a car. Victor is distraught, and wants his dog back, and after seeing the effect of electricity on dead frogs by eccentric science teacher Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau), Victor get the idea of bringing Sparky back to life. Using stuff from around the house, and a violent thunder storm, he is able to bring Sparky back to life. However, deformed local kid Edgar "E" Gore (Atticus Shaffer) learns about what Victor has done, and it's not long before other kids want to try out what Victor has done on their own pets. It's darkly funny but it also has a black and white heart of gold, it shows pure, unfiltered Burton and he should be doing more animated films like this. Stop-motion films may take forever to make, but it's well worth the wait. Even in black and white, it evokes all the classic horror films of old, with Burton regulars Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short and Winona Ryder in the cast, and Christopher Lee in Hammer's Dracula. 4.5/5



Big Eyes (2014), after nearly a decade of making big budget fantasy films, Tim Burton makes his most down-to-earth, realistically grounded film since Big Fish (2003), reuniting with screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who worked with Burton on Ed Wood (1994), this is a refreshing change of direction for Burton. His usual visual flairs have been dialed back, and it's much more contained, with more emphasis on the performers and the story, and it works well. In the late 1950's, Margaret Ulbrich (Amy Adams) leaves her husband with daughter Jane (Delaney Raye) in tow, and relocates in the bohemian suburbs of San Francisco. Margaret does paintings of poor children with unnaturally large eyes, which catches the attention of fellow painter Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), who falls for Margaret. The two soon marry, and after Walter tries and fails at selling his own paintings, he sells Margaret's paintings of the large eyed waifs. However, Walter claims that HE'S the artist. Margaret is appalled at this, but Walter claims that no-one will buy paintings by a female artist. Margaret reluctantly agrees, but the whole charade puts a strain on their marriage and Margaret eventually wants out. It's an unusual biopic with a surprisingly amusing climax, and Burton manages to have fun in a restrained mode, and there's plenty of little cameos throughout the film from Jon Polito, Danny Huston, Jason Schwartzman and Terence Stamp. Burton should try making more quirky true stories like this, he shows good talent in telling them. 4.5/5

Fantastic Planet is ace.

Dear God No! (1st view) - A grindhouse, exploitation, splatterfest, it has all the polish and skill of a poorly produced primary school play and I've seen better acting in porn films. ALl kinds of crap - 2/5*

Cinderella (1st view) - It certainly looks spectacular and I'd be surprised if it doesn't get quite a few nominations for the tech categories at next years Oscars, Branagh's composer of choice Patrick Doyle gives one of his best scores and there's fun to be had watching Blanchett and Bonham Carter. However the script is all kinds of appalling whenever it involves Cinderella and the prince and Rob Brydon's cameo is possibly the worst thing I've seen at the cinema in the last decade. Overall though, really enjoyed it - 4/5*

The Place Beyond The Pines (2012), written and directed by Derek Cianfrance. (Blue Valentine (2010)), this is an epic which spans years, but it's quite small in scale and focus, but it's ambition is huge. Plus, it manages to work. It's got a sort of anthology structure to it, but it has a good cast to it's name, and it's a film which touches on the difficulties faced with fatherhood and teenage angst, and how lives can cross and people don't even realise it. It's a well made and tightly focused film. Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) is a motorcycle stuntman who is visited by ex-lover Romina (Eva Mendes), who tells Luke that he's the father of her child, as they had an affair the last time the fair came to town. Wanting to ensure his son has a good future, Luke robs banks with Robin (Ben Mendelsohn), but one robbery goes awry, and Luke crosses with Police Officer Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper). It's from this point on, Avery's life changes, and the consequences he has from crossing Luke end up with him running for assistant district attorney, and his son A.J. (Emory Cohen) ends up befriending Luke's son Jason (Dane DeHaan). Director Cianfrance seems to revel with the subject matter, and he gets the best out of his actors. It's an unconventional drama, but it's unorthodox structure actually works, and it's compelling too. 4/5



Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), it was inevitable, after the success of The Avengers (2012), Marvel ordered a sequel immediately, it would take 3 years to develop, as there was Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) to prepare audiences for the Avengers sequel. But, writer/director Joss Whedon, who did great with the first Avengers film, does an equally good job with this sequel, which is darker yet more focused on it's characters. After the Avengers take down Baron Von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) takes Loki's scepter, together with Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), use artificial intelligence found in the sceptre to complete Stark's Ultron program, which is intended for global defence. But Ultron (James Spader) manifests into building a robot army. Despite impossible odds. Stark with Banner, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to stand up to Ultron and his robots. It's a massive superhero film, and this one does slow down to focus on it's characters, but it's worth it for the finale which is as epic and ambitious as the film itself. 4/5

The NeverEnding Story (1984), Based on Michael Ende's 1979 children's book, and brought vividly to life by Wolfgang Petersen, who had just come off the war epic Das Boot (1981), you couldn't have gone for a more different film. It's an enchanting fantasy adventure, and it's one of the best fantasy films to come out of the 1980's, as it has an original collection of characters, and . This fantasy adventure has Bastian (Barret Oliver), who after running away from bullies, comes across a book which tells the story of the beautiful yet doomed land of Fantasia, whose future is in danger from 'The Nothing', and whose princess is unwell. Fantasia's only hope is boy warrior Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), as he travels to save Fantasia, Bastian comes to realise he's more involved in the story than he thought he was, and the way he reads it dictates the layout of the land of Fantasia. It's a wonderful piece of fantasy, with some wonderful imagery and brilliant creatures like Falkor the luckdragon and Rockbiter the stone giant. It's also an upsetting film, (the Swamps of Sadness stand out), but Petersen shows an amazing knack for fantasy, it's a pity he's never tried anything similiar. Oh, and little bits were done in Gastown, Vancouver as well. 4/5



The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990), after the release of The NeverEnding Story (1984), a sequel was planned to cover the second half of Michael Ende's book that the first film hadn't covered. But, Ende was unhappy with the first film, and tried to stop a sequel being made, he failed. But the time it took to sort out the legal rights meant Wolfgang Petersen, and much of the original cast, moving on. George T. Miller (Les Patterson Saves the World (1987) and Andre (1994)), took over, it has various results. Bastian Bux (Jonathan Brandis) is still having trouble at home and school, his father (John Wesley Shipp) seems to be prevented from spending time with Bastian because of his busy job. Bastian soon finds himself being transported back to Fantasia, where he's reunited with Atreyu (Kenny Morrison), luckdragon Falkor and the Rock Biter, as they battle to stop the evil sorceress Xayide (Clarissa Burt) from taking over Fantasia with her mechanical robot army. But, she has a plan, everytime Bastian makes a wish to Falkor, it will deprive him of one of his memories. In the real world, Bastian's father discovers the book that transported his son to Fantasia. It's definitely not as good as the first one, and it lacks the charm and inventiveness that the first film had. But it does benefit from having some brilliant special effects work by Derek Meddings. It could have been better though. 3/5

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Sneakers (1992), directed by Phil Alden Robinson, (Field of Dreams (1989) and The Sum of All Fears (2002)), and written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter Parkes (WarGames (1983)), this caper thriller grew out of an abandoned subplot originally planned for WarGames, Lasker and Parkes worked on it on and off for nearly a decade, after Robinson and star Robert Redford expressed interest in the project, it finally shifted into production, with an all star cast to boot. It's hardly original, but it does well. Martin Bishop (Redford) leads a team which specialises in testing computer systems for major companies. His team consists of Donald Crease (Sidney Poitier), Erwin Emery (David Strathairn) and Darryl Roskow (Dan Aykroyd). Bishop has a shady past of computer hacking, and when the National Security Agency confront him about it, they promise to wipe his record if he uses his expertise to recover a black box from Dr. Gunter Janek (Donal Logue). But, Bishop ends up being set up and on the run, so he and his team use their knowledge to turn the tables. It's a lighthearted caper, and therein lies the problem, it doesn't quite know if it wants to be a comedy caper or a serious techno-thriller. It tries to be both and it's tone is jarring. But it does have a good cast, and it does have a few good set pieces. 3/5



The Princess and the Frog (2009), written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, (The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992) and Hercules (1997)), this loose adaptation of the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker saw Disney return to traditional handpainted animation for the first time since Home on the Range (2004). Audiences and critics were skeptical that there would be an audience for something like this, but there was. It would set the scene for Disney's future too. In New Orleans in 1926, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) works as a waitress and aspiring restaurant owner too, a dream shared by her late father James (Terrence Howard). When Prince Naveen of Maldonia (Bruno Campos) arrives in New Orleans looking for a bride, but voodoo witch doctor Facilier (Keith David) turns Naveen into a frog, and has a plan to kill Big Daddy (John Goodman), the father of Naveen's potential bride Charlotte (Jennifer Cody). But, when Tiana discovers Naveen in his frog state, she ends up becoming a frog too when she kisses him, and they team up to stop Facilier's plan. It's an animated epic with a lot of local New Orleans colour, topped off with an upbeat score and songs by Randy Newman. It's a very upbeat and unusual Disney film, but it's works, and the stage was set for Tangled (2010 an Frozen (2013) to come. 4/5

Red Heat (1988), directed by Walter Hill, (The Warriors (1979), The Long Riders (1980) and Southern Comfort (1981)) and co-written by Hill with Troy Kennedy Martin, (The Italian Job (1969), Kelly's Heroes (1970) and TV's The Sweeney)), this is an exceptionally silly buddy cop action film. A pure slice of 80's action cheese, complete with Russian stereotypes and your usual action fare. This came about after Hill met with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and they wanted to work together, and this is the result. In Moscow, Police Captain Ivan Danko (Schwarzenegger) is on the hunt for drug's kingpin Viktor Rostavili (Ed O'Ross), after Rostavili kills several Moscow cops, including Danko's partner, Rostavili flees to America. However, Rostavili is arrested in Chicago by Detective-Sergeant Art Ridzik (James Belushi), Danko comes to Chicago to escort Rosavili back to Moscow, but Rostavili escapes from police custody. This means Danko and Ridzik have to team up to try and stop Rostavili before he disappears, but Danko and Ridzik couldn't be a more mismatched pair, but they end up on Rostavili's tail. It's a good example of the sort of action film that came out of 1980's, but Hill has fun directing the action sequences, and it's a shame Hill's career was never as good since the 1980's. 4/5



Far from the Madding Crowd (2015). based on Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel, directed here by Thomas Vinterberg (Festen (1998) and The Hunt (2012)), and adapted by David Nicholls (Starter for 10 (2006) and One Day (2011)), this is a beautifully filmed adaptation of Hardy's novel, it's tighter and more focused than John Schlesinger's 1967 adaptation, and while it does rush the third act a bit, it stands up as a worthy adaptation, and it's well directed with a good, strong cast on good form. Set in the mid-19th century in Wessex, Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) meets young shepherd Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), he expresses his love for her, but she's not interested. However, Gabriel is ruined after his new sheepdog drive's Gabriel's flock off a cliff. Looking for new work, he ends up coming across a fire at a farm, which he helps to stop. He finds the owner of the farm is Bathsheba, who inherited it off her uncle. But, there's two men now after Bathsheba's heart. Widowed neighbour William Boldwood (Michael Sheen) and cold army Sergeant Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), who has his fair share of secrets. It's a good adaptation of Hardy's novel, and it captures the time period and how people used to live back in that period of time. Mulligan turns in a powerful and strong performance, and Vinterberg brings out a lot of local colour. 4/5

Liberty Heights (1999), written and directed by Barry Levinson, after making a few big budget Hollywood films like Toys (1992), Disclosure (1994) and Sphere (1998)), Levinson wanted to make something smaller and personal. He returned to his native Baltimore to make the 4th in his Baltimore film series, which consisted of Diner (1982), Tin Men (1987) and Avalon (1990)). While it might not be as good as the first three films that Levinson did, you can tell he's passionate about his roots and Baltimore. Set during the autumn of 1954, it follows the lives of the Kurtzmans, a Jewish family in Baltimore, father Nate (Joe Mantegna) runs a burlesque theatre in downtown Baltimore, his older son Van (Adrien Brody) is studying at the University of Baltimore, while younger son Ben (Ben Foster), is in his final year at high school. Ben falls for Sylvia (Rebekah Johnson), who happens to be African-American, and their relationship is frowned upon. Van falls for Dubbie (Carolyn Murphy), who happens to be the girlfriend of Trey (Justin Chambers), a friend of Ben's. Meanwhile, Nate gets into trouble with drug dealer Little Melvin (Orlando Jones) over money. It's a very episode film, and Levinson's Baltimore films show a more nostalgic and colourful Baltimore of yesteryear. The film benefits from a good soundtrack and a tight, observant script. 3.5/5



Home (2015), based on Adam Rex's 2007 children's book The True Meaning of Smekday, and directed by Tim Johnson (Antz (1998), Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) and Over The Hedge (2006)), this sci-fi buddy comedy is the latest from DreamWorks Animation, who have had a bit of a rough time as of late, but this has been one of their more successful in recent years, and it's easy to see why. It's colourful, it's got likable characters, and some good set pieces, although the story is a bit thin. An alien race known as the Boov, led by Captain Smek (Steve Martin) have been looking for a new home to live. They choose Earth, and the humans are moved to other parts of the planet. One of the Boov, Oh (Jim Parsons) who is very excitable accidentally sends an email detailing a party invite to the enemy of the Boov, the Gorg. Oh ends up on the run, and he ends up with Tip (Rihanna), a teenage girl looking for her mother Lucy (Jennifer Lopez). This unlikely duo end up on the road, in a modified car powered by slushies to look for Lucy and stop the email. It's a very silly film, and it spends a bit too much time on it's visual look rather than the story which could have done with a bit of tidying up, and it falls into the old buddy movie cliches as well. It's not a disaster, but it's a noisy film that gets a bit much. 3/5

The Marvel Cinematic Universe films



In preperation for Age Of Ultron I figured I'd best give The Winter Soldier a rewatch, figuring that that film would have the most direct impact on Ultron but I had such a good time watching it I decided to carry on and watch the rest of the MCU (apart from The Incredible Hulk. Whilst I do like it it is the least of the films so far and also the one that feels like it sits apart from the rest). For the most part, I do genuinely love these Marvel films and I love what they're trying to do, create a connected universe across multiple films. The knowledge that they have the next 10 films planned out excites me, and if it's true that they have an idea of how to carry on like this until 2028, even better.

Iron Man 3 just pips Avengers, in large part thanks to Trevor Slattery. Avengers does a good job of bringing the group together in a believable fashion. I might be the only person who loves the first Cap film but love it I do, partly because of how awesomely cheest it is at times. Guardians is immense fun and I'm interested to see how in the future they may bring these characters into the more "realistic" settings of the other films. Thor works just as well as a family drama as a fantasy, Iron Man starts the whole thing off brilliantly (even if you get the idea they weren't quite sure at the time just how connected everything would be). Cap 2 conspiratorial storyline works wonders and I like how the events of the film worked their way into the tv show. IM 2 gets some stick but for me the only truly bad aspect is Mickey Rourke, likewise the villain of Thor 2 is the only weak apsect in that film.

The short One Shots are generally fun as well and I'd like to see more, especially if it's through these and not the films that we get to see (hopefully) more of Slattery, Bennie and Claire. Alas, the shorts also make Sitwell's betrayal and demise more shocking. Poor guy, I always liked him.

Anyways, now looking forward to Ultron more than ever and Ant-Man's release can't come around quick enough. And please bring out the Agent Carter Tv show on DVD.

The Company of Wolves (1984), written and directed by Neil Jordan, who had made a big splash with his feature debut Angel (1982). For his next film, he upped the stakes, and made an adaptation of Angela Carter's short story of the same name from her 1979 story collection The Bloody Chamber, (Carter would co-write the screenplay with Jordan), it's an enchanting gothic fantasy-horror, which despite a limited budget, manages to do a lot, and it managed to help Jordan to go on to even greater things. It begins in the here and now, and a young girl named Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) dreams that she lives in an enchanted forest with her parents (Tusse Silberg and David Warner). When her sister is killed by wolves, Rosaleen is sent to live with her Granny (Angela Lansbury), who is extremely superstitious, and tells Rosaleen to stay away from certain men, and she tells Rosaleen certain tales of people involved with wolves. Meanwhile, Rosaleen finds herself being courted after by an amourous boy (Shane Johnstone) and a mysterious yet attractive huntsman (Micha Bergese), but the latter is not what he seems. It's a very effective film, with make-up effects clearly inspired by An American Werewolf in London (1981). It has the structure of the sort of film Amicus Productions used to make, but it's well told. 4/5



Jane Eyre (2011), directed by Cary Fukunaga, (Sin Nombre (2009) and Beasts of No Nation (2015)), adapted from Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name, with screenplay by Moira Buffini (Tamara Drewe (2010) and Byzantium (2013)). This adaptation is very elegant and it's got a very good cast was well too. It's only been 15 years since Franco Zeffirelli's flawed yet well intentioned adaptation, but this one benefits from being beautifully shot and it makes good use of period locations as well. Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) was badly treated as a child by her cruel Aunt Sarah (Sally Hawkins), she's ran away and Jane ends up at the house of St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell). In flashback, we see that Jane went to work as a governess with Alice Fairfax (Judi Dench) of Thornfield Hall, where Jane is governess to French orphan Adele Varens (Romy Settbon Moore), who was adopted by Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender), who despite some tension early on, falls in love with Jane, but Rochester has a dark side that Jane doesn't know about, and he's nearly killed in a fire. It has a very gothic feel about it, but it's well made, and Wasikowska makes a great Jane Eyre, sensitive on the outside, but an independent woman on the inside, while Fassbender makes a great impression as Mr. Rochester, firey and unpredictable. 4/5

1941 (1979), Steven Spielberg's mad and wild war comedy, which helped bring down the curtain of the New Hollywood era of the 1970's. Written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale (Back to the Future (1985) and John Milius (The Wind and the Lion (1975)), it was intended as a dark satire, but turned into a screwball comedy once Spielberg came on board. But it isn't all bad, you know. However, it could have been a lot more focused and Spieberg stayed away from comedy for a while. This multi-layered film has several different groups of Californian residents, living in and around Los Angeles, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, preparing themselves for a Japanese invasion, but they only succeed in fighting each other. This is the film that could have killed Spielberg's career, but it didn't, if anything it's a cautionary piece of creative excess gone mad, and compared to mordern comedy's you get today, it's very good. To it's credit, it's got a good cast, (Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, Christopher Lee, Toshirō Mifune, Warren Oates, Robert Stack, Eddie Deezen, John Candy and Slim Pickens), it's beautifully shot by William A. Fraker and it features some brilliant special effects that are just as good as those from any other Spielberg film. One in need of a rediscovery... 4/5



Die, Monster, Die! (1965), known as Monster of Terror in the UK when it first came out, and directed by Daniel Haller (The Wild Racers (1968) and The Dunwich Horror (1970)), and loosely based upon H.P. Lovecraft's 1927 story The Colour Out of Space. This is a creepy horror film that manages to be quite effective, and it has some good moments of horror throughout. It has American scientist Stephen Reinhart (Nick Adams), coming to the English village of Arkham to visit the Witley family, as he intends to marry Susan Witley (Suzan Farmer), but no-one in the village of Arkham will give him a ride up to the Witley estate, meaning he has to go on foot. Near the estate, he finds a huge crater with blacked out trees nearby. He gets to the estate and is given a cold reception by Susan's father Nahum (Boris Karloff), who is non-plussed by Stephen's visit, and the mother Letitia (Freda Jackson), who is bed-ridden with some unseen disease. But, Stephen becomes curious as to what Nahum is working on, and after discovering some huge, mutated vegetables in the greenhouse, he soon starts to worry for the safety of this very disfunctional family. At a mere 76 minutes, it manages to be a very good horror film with some good moments throughout, and Karloff making a creepy old father and scientist, the effects at the end as they fight a weird creature of light is a particular highlight. Oh, and look out for Patrick Magee of A Clockwork Orange as the village doctor. 4/5