What I've Just Watched: Part 3 - The Search for Spock

Fear Of The Dark (1st view) - Phenomenally naff horror - 2/5*

Rat Man (1988), directed by Giuliano Carnimeo, (Two Sons of Ringo (1966), Find a Place to Die (1968) and The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972)), this is a low budge shocker with a silly idea at it's centre. It might have been better had it not been so dull, it's only 78 minutes long and it feels like it goes on forever, and it decends into predictable silliness, and parts of it feel a bit like a poor man's The Brood (1979), make that REALLY poor. On a Carribean Island, Terry (Janet Ågren) has come to the island to look for her missing sister, who was seemingly murdered, but it proved to be a mistake on the part of the police when they found the badly mutilated body of a model on the island. But, with no sign of her sister, Terry teams up with novellist Fred Williams (David Warbeck), and they head off to an unexplored part of the island, and they discover something's not right with the police investigation, and then they end up being attacked by a weird half-human, half-rat creature (Nelson de la Rosa), they find Terry's sister Marilyn (Eva Grimaldi), but their lives are in danger from this evil creature. It should have been a fun and silly shocker, but it really doesn''t seem to go anywhere at all, and it's a tenth rate creature feature that manages to come across as lurid and dirty rather than fun. It promised so much, but it all falls apart, and it's ending seems like a cop-out. 1/5



The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes (2005), written and directed by The Brothers Quay, who made acclaimed short films such as Ein Brudermord (1981), The Epic of Gilgamesh, or This Unnameable Little Broom (1985) and Street of Crocodiles (1986)) and produced by Terry Gilliam, this was the Quay's first full length feature film since Institute Benjamenta (1995), and it's a mixed bag of odd sequences, a disjointed narrative and odd stop motion animation, but it's not for everyone. In the 19th Century, opera singer Malvina van Stille (Amira Casar) is murdered on stage during a performance, and she's spirited away to the world of the evil inventor Dr. Emmanuel Droz (Gottfried John), and she's forced to play the lead in a production he's done, which is a recreation of her abduction, and Droz has the plans to turn Malvina into a mechanical nightingale. Malvina meets the weird Felisberto Fernandez (César Sarachu), who is a piano tuner of earthquakes, who see's to the creation of Droz's world and the mechanical birds. Malvina becomes attracted to Felisberto, who bears a resemblence to her one-time fiancé Adolfo. It's a very weird film, and it does drag at times. The Brothers Quay are talented, but their films are better in short bursts at a time, this is like Mirrormask for adults really, and less fun as well. Shame as it had potential. 2/5

To Catch A Thief (1955), between Rear Window (1954) and The Trouble With Harry (1955), Hitchcock went on a little holiday to the French Rivera with this glossy, bubbly crime caper, based upon the 1952 bestseller by David F. Dodge. It's not a masterpiece by any means, but Hitchcock still has a few tricks up his sleeve with this one, and it does show how stylish he could be and there's some fantastic cinematography and lighting on display. It has jewels being stolen all over France, the main suspect is John Robie (Cary Grant), a once notorious jewel thief known as The Cat now living a quiet life in the South of France. The robberies bear his mark and trademarks, but Robie insists it's not him, as he gave that up years ago. He tries to find refuge from the police with his colleagues from his days in the French Resistance, but they don't believe him. His old flame Danielle (Brigitte Auber) wants to help him with a plan to catch the copycat cat burglar in the act. He makes an acquiantance with London insurer H. H. Hughson (John Williams) who tells them that American socialites Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) and her daughter Francie (Grace Kelly) have jewels worth alot, so Robie keeps close with them, but then Francie works out who Robie really is, and when their jewels go missing, his suspect number one. It's not as suspenseful as other Hitchcock films of the time, and this one does have a cheeky sense of humour about it, (Hitchcock was always underrated for his handling of comedy.) But, Grant and Kelly play well off each other throughout. 4/5



Mimic (1997), after the international success of his directorial debut Cronos (1993), Guillermo Del Toro was offered to do a short film for Miramax, along with Gary Fleder's Imposter (2001) and Danny Boyle's unseen Alien Love Triangle (1997). Del Toro's film, based on a short story by Donald A. Wollheim. Miramax made Del Toro recut the film, but he got the last laugh by doing a director's cut, which shows what he had in mind all along, it's shows where he was going. In New York, people in downtown Manhattan are succumbing to a deadly disease being carried by cockroaches, Entomologist Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) and her husband Peter Mann (Jeremy Northam) use genetics to determine where the disease came from. They discover a new breed of insect which they call The Judas Breed, which are human sized insects which are able to copy the characteristics of humans, and they discover a huge population of the insects in New York's subway system, and they soon turn on the scientists and police officer Leonard (Charles S. Dutton), and then their train out of there breaks down. It's a good B-Movie horror, with a lot of elements with what we would come to expect from Del Toro over the coming years, it has a good cast and the monsters are well created, and it's good that Del Toro was able to get his way with the film over Miramax. 4/5

Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), directed by Don Siegel (Coogan's Bluff (1968), The Beguiled (1971) and Dirty Harry (1971)) and written by blacklisted writer Albert Maltz, this was a light-hearted but incredibly well made western which had a good pairing in the lead, and a killer score by Ennio Morricone. While it's not perfect compared to Siegel's other films, it's a film that grows on you over time and it does have some good moments. Set in Mexico during the early 1860's, during the French intervention in Mexico, American drifter Hogan (Clint Eastwood) comes across a group of Mexican bandits about to rape nun Sara (Shirley MacLaine), but he puts a stop to all that. Sara is in Mexico working with the Mexican revolutionaries who are fighting the French, and Sara proves to be a match for the tough Hogan, who watches in amazement as she drinks his whisky and smokes his cigars, and she proves to be helpful when he's struck by an arrow, and she helps him bring down a French ammunition train, but he's able to get her to the revolutionary camp, led by Col. Beltrán (Manuel Fábregas) where they're preparing for a battle with the French. It's a very good film, but at the time, it split critics and audiences down the middle, even Universal didn't know what to do with it, and delayed it's release by 6 months. But, Eastwood and MacLaine have good chemistry and it's heavy going in places, but Morricone's score is a killer. 4/5



The Long Riders (1980), directed by Walter Hill (The Warriors (1979), Southern Comfort (1981) and Bullet To The Head (2013)), this is a very heavy going western, which was co-written and co-produced by two of it's stars. It seemed like a bit of a gimick, having 4 sets of acting brothers playing 4 real life sets of brothers in the American West. But it's a gimmick that works well, and there's some good set pieces in the film. This is set between 1866 and 1882, and it follows the exploits of the James-Younger gang, led by Jesse James (James Keach) and Cole Younger (David Carradine), along with their collective brothers Frank James (Stacy Keach), Jim Younger (Keith Carradine) and Bob Younger (Robert Carradine), they also had Ed Miller (Dennis Quaid) and Clell Miller (Randy Quaid) in their gang. They rob trains and banks, but it gets dangerous when Rixley (James Whitmore, Jr.) from the Pinkerton agency is on their tail, and it turns into a bloodbath in Northfield, Minnesota, but their downfall comes at the hands of Charley Ford (Christopher Guest) and Robert Ford (Nicholas Guest). There's a lot to like about this film, it's well filmed and it's focused and to the point, it has a brilliant score by Hill regular Ry Cooder as well. While studio United Artists weeped for their bank balance over Heaven's Gate (1980), this showed how it SHOULD have been done. 4.5/5

The Battle of the River Plate (1956), written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), Black Narcissus (1947) and The Red Shoes (1948)), this is a portrayal of a real life naval battle that occurred. It might be a bit overlong, but it does have a good cast. It was also the last good film that Powell and Pressburger made before they went into a decline. In 1939, the German Navy are destroying merchant raiders in the Atlantic Ocean, the British Navy, with Commodore Harwood (Anthony Quayle), with Captain Woodhouse (Ian Hunter) commanding the Ajax, Captain Bell (John Gregson) commanding the Exeter and Captain Parry (Jack Gwillim) commanding the Achilles, go out looking for the Graf Spee, which is commanded by Captain Hans Langsdorff (Peter Finch), whose ship has British prisoners on board. After a battle at sea, the Graf Spee is left badly damaged, and has to go to the neutral port of Montevideo for repairs, but the Uruguayan authorities tell the crew they can only stay in port for 24 hours, by this point, the British are ready to attack. It's a good war film, and it has some lovely rich cinematography by Christopher Challis, and it has some nice locations done in Malta doubling for Montevideo, but it could have done with being 30 minutes shorter. Oh, and look out for a young Christopher Lee. 3.5/5



Very Important Person (1961), directed by Ken Annakin (Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) and Monte Carlo or Bust (1969)), this is a very entertaining Prisoner of War comedy, with a cast which reads like a who's who of British comedy of stage, screen and TV. It also has a brilliant lead from a bombastic British actor who was brilliant at these kinds of roles. During World War II, scientist Sir Ernest Pease (James Robertson Justice) is sent on an RAF mission to see how on of his inventions works, however for security reasons, no-one has to know who he is, so he goes in as Lieutenant Farrow. But, when the plane is attacked over Germany, Pease manages to bail out, but is captured by the German's. He is sent to a POW camp, mostly occupied by RAF officers, led by Senior British Officer Travers (Norman Bird), who susses out that Pease isn't really Farrow. Pease comes clean, and confides in Travers, who along with fellow prisoners Jimmy Cooper (Leslie Phillips), Everett (Stanley Baxter) and "Bonzo" Baines (Jeremy Lloyd) hatch a plan to help get Pease out of there and back home to Blighty before anyone releases he's gone. It is a witty and amusing comedy, James Robertson Justice was a true force of nature, and he was great at playing grumpy old men, and here is no exception, with a witty script and good support by John Le Mesurier, Richard Wattis and Eric Sykes. 4/5

Lincoln (1st view) - Loved it! Read more in the Lincoln thread! - 5/5*





Die Hard (10th+ view) - Bruce Willis and his magic colour-changing vest in a massively entertaining film. Alan Rickman steals the show - 4/5

Die Hard 2 (4th view) - The weakest of the first four but by all accounts a masterpiece compared to the fifth - 4/5




Die Hard With A Vengeance (8th view) - For many years this has been my favourite Die Hard film but for the first time ever I now think it's second to the original. But still a hell of a lot of fun. Am I misremembering the water riddle sequence or has it been cut on the version I have? - 4/5

Die Hard 4.0 (3rd view) - Ever so slightly better than Die Hard 2 - 4/5





Class of Nuke 'Em High (1st view) - Tromaville (The Toxic Chemical Capital of the World, Population 15,000) is home to the least safety-conscious nuclear power plant in the world. A quarter mile away is Tromaville high school. Add some toxic weed and you have an insane comedy horror that's more fun than about 98% of anything. Utterly, utterly mad with a seriously catchy theme tune - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfZdaLGiB4U - 4/5*





Black Gold (1st view) - Antonio Banderas and Mark Strong play Sultans who've had a truce for 15 years, but the peace is disturbed when oil is discovered. Quite lavish and epic but ends up not gelling together and feels quite empty - 3/5*

Fear(s) Of The Dark (1st view) - A black and white, animated, French anthology horror film. 6 separate stories all directed by by different comic book artists and graphic designers. Some are more effective than others but the ones that work are superb and some of the animation is just gorgeous - 4/5*

Big Fish (2003), after the troubled production of Planet of the Apes (2001), Tim Burton decided he wanted to do a small, personal film, something very down to earth. He found it in Daniel Wallace's 1998 novel, and while it is smaller and even very realistic, even by Burton's standards, there's still a lot of his imagination and usual style on display, but it's very contained. But, it works, and it's a very entertaining and enjoyable film. When William Bloom (Billy Crudup) hears that his estranged father Edward (Albert Finney) is dying from cancer and is on his deathbed, he returns to the family home in Spectre, Alabama to make amends, and to get a better idea of who is father really is. Trouble is, his father has a penchant for tall tales, which William doesn't believe. We see the younger Edward (Ewan McGregor) as a sports star in Ashton, tackling a giant called Karl (Matthew McGrory), discovering the secret town of Spectre, join a circus ran by Amos Calloway (Danny DeVito), fight in the Korean war and getting to meet and marry the love of his life, Sandra Templeton (Alison Lohman/Jessica Lange). It's a very entertaining film, and it was perfect for Burton, as the Southern Gothic of Alabama is a perfect fit for his visual style. He has a brilliant ensemble cast in it, and some moments that Burton could only dream up, it's one of his better films, and he should try something like this again. 4.5/5



Cat Ballou (1965), directed by Elliot Silverstein (A Man Called Horse (1970)), this is a light and fluffy comedy-western with a good cast. Based upon The Ballad of Cat Ballou by Roy Chanslor, which was a dark, serious novel. When the makers couldn't make it work as a drama, they changed it to a comedy. It's got a very odd tone, but it's well made and it manages to be entertaining while it lasts and it doesn't last long. This story is sang by a pair of Shouters (Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye), who tell the story of schoolteacher Catherine Ballou (Jane Fonda), who is travelling to Wolf City, Wyoming to visit her father Frankie Ballou (John Marley), who owns a ranch. But, Frankie has been terrorised by nasty gunman Tim Strawn (Lee Marvin) who is known as Silvernose. The Ballou's need help, so they call upon legendary gunfighter Kid Shelleen (Marvin again), to help protect them from Strawn, but Shelleen is a drunk and needs drink badly. So, while they try to get Shelleen into shape, Catherine becomes Cat Ballou, and looks set on bringing Strawn and his men down. It's well made, and it's Greek Chorus from Cole and Kaye works wonders, and it makes a good narrative. It has a weird tone about it, and it's tone does lurch about, but when it works, it does work. Plus, Lee Marvin plays a great dual role, for which he rightfully won an Oscar. 4/5

Meteor Storm (1st view) - Another TV movie about space rocks attacking Earth. Alas, it can't compete with the last few I've seen in which the moon's about to crash into us, but this does have the added bonus of taking place entirely within 24 hours - 3/5*






Damage (1st view) - Having a wrestler as the lead in a film is usually a bad idea but this is better than most - 3/5*

Fierce Creatures (1997), nearly a decade after the success of A Fish Called Wanda (1988), John Cleese reunited the original cast for a follow-up, which wasn't as successful as their first successful effort. It had a troubled production when test audiences hated the original ending, unable to get director Robert Young back, Cleese settled for Fred Schepisi to reshoot half the film, but it's alot better than what most people say it is, it's alot funnier than you remember. It has the picturesque Marwood Zoo in England being bought up by conglomerate Octopus Inc. ran by Aussie Rod McCain (Kevin Kline), he sends his playboy son Vince (Kline again) and new employee Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis) to run the zoo, which is being run by Rollo Lee (Cleese) employed by Octopus, however Lee's idea that only fierce animals attract crowds don't go down with the zoo-keepers, led by chatterbox insects expert Adrian "Bugsy" Malone (Michael Palin), however McCain Jr. thinks advertising will bring the zoo's revenue up, and he goes to unbelievably, ridiculous lengths for the zoo to make a profit, while Lee is mistaken by Weston as a sex maniac. It's an underrated little comedy, and it's humour does depend alot on farce, with Cleese doing his Basil Fawlty schtick. However, it does have a good number of laughs, plus Ronnie Corbett is in it, everyone likes him. 4/5



Porridge (1979), after the success of the TV series Porridge, which ran on the BBC from 1974 to 1977, creators Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais were offered the chance to make a film of it by Lew Grade. They agreed, with Clement directing and La Frenais producing. It's one of the very few TV to film transfers that actually works, and it's buoyed by a good cast, good humour and some great observations by the characters. Set in Slade Prison in Cumbria, and regular prisoners Norman Stanley Fletcher (Ronnie Barker) and Lennie Godber (Richard Beckinsale) take in new inmate Rudge (Daniel Peacock), and they're impressed by his talents at football, and they put him forward for the prison team in a football match against celebrities, however violent criminal Grouty (Peter Vaughan) uses the match to get violent robber Oakes (Barrie Rutter) out of prison, using the coach the celebrities came in on. However, Fletcher and Godber witness what Oakes is up to, and they end up being taking hostage on the coach. But, they manage to get away, and try to find a way of getting back INTO Slade Prison. It has good characters and a good plot, plus unlike most other sitcom to film transfers, creators Clement and La Frenais had complete control over this one, and it's a success as they have great characters and a good story too. 4/5

The Net (1995), directed by Irwin Winkler (Guilty by Suspicion (1991), At First Sight (1995) and De-Lovely (2004), and written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris (The Game (1997) and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)), this is a very intriguing and suspenseful thriller. It was made at a time when the internet was in it's infancy, but even though it was at a time when people still used floppy discs, it's still effective and entertaining. Angela Bennett (Sandra Bullock) works as a systems analyst, checking for any glitches in computer software for a company in San Francisco. When she's given a disc by her co-worker Dale (Ray McKinnon), which has a π symbol on it, which unlocks a backdoor bypass to a program operated by Gregg Microsystems. It leads to Dale being killed, while Angela is on holiday in Mexico, she meets the mysterious Jack Devlin (Jeremy Northam), who wants that disc, and nearly tries to killer her getting it. Back in America, Angela finds her life has been stolen and she's wanted for various crimes. She ends up on the run, determined to expose this conspiracy. It's a very good thriller, well made and, for it's time, up to date with the technology then. It showed then how dangerous the internet and computers could be, this also spawned a spin-off TV series, which only lasted one series, but the film still stands the test of time. 4/5



Porky's (1982), written and directed by Bob Clark (Black Christmas (1974), Murder By Decree (1979) and A Christmas Story (1983)), this had been his pet project for many years, but he could never find anyone in America interested in making the film, but he found interest in Canada, whose tax breaks ensured it got made. It would become the highest-grossing Canadian film of all time, and you wouldn't have had American Pie (1999) without this. Set in Florida in 1954, this focuses on a group of high school students who are looking to lose their virginity. Led by Edward "Pee Wee" Morris (Dan Monahan), he and his friends Tommy Turner (Wyatt Knight), Mickey Jarvis (Roger Wilson) and Billy McCarthy (Mark Herrier) try to sneak into a nightclub called Porky's, ran by Porky Wallace (Chuck Mitchell), but after they're busted Porky's brother, who's the local Sheriff (Alex Karras), they go away with their tails between their legs, but no matter, they can still get their kicks by spying on the girls in the school showers, only to be caught by gym teacher Coach Beulah Balbricker (Nancy Parsons). It's a very immature film, but it manages to have some good laughs along the way, it's an X-rated American Graffiti, but it's got some funny moments and some memorable characters, but it shows what most lads were up to back then. 3.5/5

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992), directed by Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential (1997), Wonder Boys (2000) and 8 Mile (2002)), this is a tight and uncomfortable thriller which manages to be gripping and exciting. Playing on every mother's worst fear, and it has more than a touch of Hitchcock about it. While it might sound derivative, it's the way Hanson tells the story that gives the film it's edge, and it's still effect over 20 years later. After Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra) was sexually assaulted by obstetrician Dr. Victor Mott (John de Lancie), she reported him and Mott killed himself to prevent going to jail, his widow (Rebecca De Mornay) is told she'll lose everything, and she has a miscarriage. She swears revenge against Bartel and her husband Michael (Matt McCoy), and she takes on the identity of Peyton Flanders, and takes on the position of the Bartel's new nanny for daughter Emma (Madeline Zima) and their new baby. As soon as Peyton becomes the nanny, she starts to sew the seeds of distrust into the family, looking to tear them apart, but Claire soon finds out who Peyton really is. It's a terrifying film, which has the message of "Be careful who you piss off", but De Mornay is absolutely terrifying, and this film should make anyone think twice before they employ a nanny. It was able to get Hanson onto greater things, shame it didn't work for the cast. 4/5



In The Valley of Elah (2007), written and directed by Paul Haggis (Crash (2004) and The Next Three Days (2010)), this was based on a true life case, which was taken from an article by Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker (2008) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012)). It is a thought provoking thriller, which gets under the skin of what really went on during the Iraq War, as well as keeping it very close to home, and how war never ends when you get back. Vietnam war veteran Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) and his wife wife Joan (Susan Sarandon) are told that their son Mike (Jonathan Tucker), a soldier fighting in Iraq, had returned home but vanished shortly afterwards. Hank goes Mike's army base to find out more, but Mike's dead body is found burned and mutilated in the desert. The local police's investigation is blocked by military officials, who claim it was caused by "drug-related violence". Hank knows that's a lie, and he starts his own investigation with Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron), and they discover a complex web of secrets and lies that led to Mike's death. It's very well made, and it has some good performances too. It does get a bit preachy when it gets down to whether the US invasion of Iraq was right or wrong, but it does work while it lasts, and it's a much better film than Crash (2004) was, and more gripping and interesting too. 4/5

A Good Day To Die Hard (1st view) - So yeah, it's the weakest one so far, Willis looks bored, the editing to get the 12a release is obvious, the villains lack all traces of charisma, McClane is now Superman and it's pretty much Die Hard in name only. The action becomes so OTT at times it's almost best viewed as a comedy. And yet I had a great time watching it - 4/5*

Bully (2001), directed by Larry Clark (Kids (1995), Another Day In Paradise (1999) and Ken Park (2002)), this is based on a true life murder case, which was made into the book Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze, which became the basis for this film. It's an uncomfortable watch, but it would help if you understood Clark's style of directing, showing the dark side of growing up, but it does make for a compelling film. In Southern Florida, a group of teenagers, Ali Willis (Bijou Phillips), Lisa Connelly (Rachel Miner), Heather Swallers (Kelli Garner), Marty Puccio (Brad Renfro) and Donny Semenec (Michael Pitt), who become acquainted with Bobby Kent (Nick Stahl), who proves to be a misogynistic, controlling bully. Whose idea of sex is out-and-out rape, which he does to Lisa, and makes her pregnant. Ali receives a similar treatment from Bobby, who forces her to watch gay pornography. They've all had enough of his behaviour, and they come up with a drastic plan to put a stop to it, but it's a decision that would affect all of their lives forever. The film is an arty version of films like I Spit On Your Grave (1979), and there is something very exploitative about it that does betray it's realistic roots. But, the young cast all give good performances, but it would be nice to see Clark do something a little light hearted in future. 3/5



The White Ribbon (2009), written and directed by Michael Haneke, (Benny's Video (1992), Funny Games (1997/2007) and The Piano Teacher (2001)), this is a very slow and stark drama, shot in a sharp black and white. This is a project Haneke had planned for over a decade, originally pitched as a TV mini-series, but when no-one was interested, Haneke did it as a film, which he subtitled as 'A German Children's Story', a very odd one indeed. Set in a small Protestant community in North Germany in 1913 called Eichwald. This tells the various incidents and exploits that befall this community, which is run by a Baron (Ulrich Tukur), a Pastor (Burghart Klaußner) and a Doctor (Rainer Bock), and they dictate the rules of the town to the women, children and local farmers. The Pastor makes pubescent children wear white ribbons as a sign of their innocence. But then, some unexplained events and accents happen in Eichwald, the Doctor suffers a fall from his horse, a barn at the Baron's barn burns down and then the Baron's son Sigmund (Fion Mutert) vanishes, only to be found later, severely caned as well. It's a film which has a touch of Werner Herzog about it with it's shots of nature and off-kilter characters. It requires a lot of patience, as it is a quiet and slow film, but if anything, this is a horror film in disguise, masquerading as a drama. 3/5

Wreck-It Ralph (2012), directed by Rich Moore (director of some episodes of The Simpsons and Futurama), this is a project that has been in development at Disney since the late 1980's, but no-one could find a suitable tone to make it work. However, when John Lasseter became head of Disney Animation Studios, he revived it and got a team together to make it work. The result is one of Disney's most inventive, imaginative and original animations in a while, one which has a heart too. When the video arcade owned by Mr. Litwak (Ed O'Neill) closes at night, the characters in all the games are able to unwind. In the game Fix-It Felix, Jr, the characters laud the titular hero (Jack McBrayer) with praise, while the game's villain Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) is shunned, and he's been doing the same game for 30 years. So he leaves, first going to Hero's Duty, a war game fighting alongside Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch), and then into kart-game Sugar Rush, where he befriends hyperactive computer glitch Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman). But, unknown to Ralph, his absence means Fix-It Felix, Jr. is under threat. It's a very original idea for a film, and it's fun to see so many computer game characters on screen all at once, including one funny scene where all villains partake in a group therapy session. It's very colourful and with good characters, and it's great fun to watch. 4/5



Silkwood (1983), directed by Mike Nichols, (The Graduate (1967), Catch-22 (1970) and The Birdcage (1996)), this is a true life drama which is very highly charged with emotion, and it has some very good performances in it. With a good script by Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen at it's heart, this is a film about a conspiracy going on in the heart of American business, but it doesn't fall for all the pitfalls that films like that do. It begins in 1974, with Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep), who works at the Kerr-McGee Cimarron Fuel Fabrication Site near Crescent, Oklahoma. She shares a house with her boyfriend Drew Stephens (Kurt Russell) and her lesbian friend Dolly Pelliker (Cher). Karen works in the department making plutonium rods, and she knows she's being exposed to radiation. However, when she becomes union activist, and she learns that the bosses at the Site have been falsifying safety reports to cover for getting behind on a contract, she tries to expose them. But when she becomes exposed to radiation, the site management try to blame her for it, but she's not going to give in. It's a very taut thriller, with Streep putting in yet another fine performance, it's hard to watch at times, and it shows that we've moved on from such lax safety regulation people like that did. Plus the films final mystery just leaves the viewer with more questions to ask. 4/5

The Limits of Control (2009), directed by Jim Jarmusch (Down by Law (1986), Dead Man (1995) and Broken Flowers (2005)), this is a very stylish but overall, quite pretentious hitman thriller. Jarmusch might be doing a nod of gratitude to Michelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger (1975), but the story isn't very exciting, but he does succeed in having a colourful cast and for making the Spanish countryside look very hypnotic. A Lone Man (Isaach De Bankolé) travels to Spain to partake in a mission set by Creole (Alex Descas), but his instructions are vague, but the Lone Man travels to Madrid, and then onto Seville and then onto remote Almeria. On this journey, he's met by a Blonde (Tilda Swinton), an Englishman called Guitar (John Hurt) and a Mexican (Gael García Bernal). They all meet the Lone Man in cafe's where they ask if he can speak Spanish, (which he doesn't), and they give him instructions on where to go next. The Lone Man is followed by a Nude (Paz de la Huerta), who wants sex with him. Eventually, the Lone Man finds his target, the American (Bill Murray). It's a very slow thriller, but it's a visually stunning film thanks to some brilliant cinematography by Christopher Doyle (Hero (2002) and Lady in the Water (2006)), the cast are all good and even the Spanish countryside is a character in itself, but the film could have done with a bit more action. 3/5



A Cat In Paris (2010), directed by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli for French animation studio. This is an animated suspense film that has all the hallmarks of Hitchcock about it's person, but it happens to have a cat at the centre of it's story. It's a very original film that lasts a little more than an hour, but it's charming, witty and also gripping and exciting. It's different and all the better for being so. This tells the story of Dino, a black cat who lives with a young, mute girl Zoé, who lives with her mother Jeanne and their housesitter Claudine. Jeanne is widowed after her husband was murdered by French crime kingpin Victor Costa. However, Dino the cat is leading a double life, while he spends the day with Zoé, by night, Dino is on the prowl with cat burglar Nico, who sneaks into wealthy establishments and steals jewels and money. However, things start to go awry when Jeanne discovers Zoé has one of the missing jewels in her possession, brought home by Dino. So, when Zoé decides to follow Dino one night, she discovers what she's up to, and then by chance, she stumbles upon Victor Costa and his hoodlums, who are planning a heist of their own, leading to a night of suspense and mayhem. It's a very colourful and entertaining animation. Better than most Hollywood films, (just you watch, someone will try to remake in America), but it's a film where the cat steals the show. The French have a very strange way of doing things in animation, but they do it with such flair and panache. Hitchcock would have loved this. 4/5

Perrier's Bounty (1st view) - Fun preformances - 3/5*





House At The End Of The Street (1st view) - Predictable. And the more I see of Jennifer Lawrence the less I like her - 2/5*




Man On A Ledge (2nd view) - SPOILERS - One of these days I'd love to see a film that starts after the innocent man has proved his innocence and broken 18 laws in the process. And even for a genre that regularly ignores the effects of such, the ending of this was laughably bad, and the whole thing was just silly. But that still didn't stop me from loving it! - 4/5

Skyfall (2nd view) - so very good. Not the best Bond but top 5 for certain. And it has the funniest moment in any film of the franchise. Trying not to analyse Silva's plan too much as it's making my head hurt - 4/5

Rounders (1998), directed by John Dahl (Red Rock West (1992) and The Last Seduction (1994)) and written by David Levien and Brian Koppelman (Runaway Jury (2003) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007)). This is a twisty but compelling all star gambling drama, which has a touch of The Hustler (1961) about it. Even though it was a humble success at the time, it's a favourite amongst gamblers because of it's depiction of how Texas hold 'em works. Poker player Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) loses $30,000 in a game against Russian gangster Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), shaken, he sticks at law school gets his head down and tries to forget what happened, but after an encounter with old schoolfriend Lester "Worm" Murphy (Edward Norton), who plays cards. Even more Mike has promised girlfriend Jo (Gretchen Mol) he wouldn't gamble again. Before long, he's in Atlantic City doing gambling with Worm, and back in New York, when they're caught cheating, and Mike ends up finding himself owing $15,000 to Teddy KGB, who he lost to in the first place, but Mike is determined to win it all back, once and for all. It's a well made film, and Damon does well as the young yet seasoned gambler, it's also a beginners guide on how to play Texas hold'em. The film has a noirish touch about it, but it has a modern attitude about it, and it shows gambling films don't have to be about sports. 3.5/5



Æon Flux (2005), directed by Karyn Kusama (Girlfight (2000) and Jennifer's Body (2008)), this is based upon Peter Chung's MTV animated series that was broadcast in the early to mid 1990's, this film version could have been a good adaptation, and visually, there's some great sets on display. However, after a poor test screening, Paramount cut 30 minutes from the film, instantly dumbing it down, which is a shame, as it could have been good. In 2011, a virus wiped out 99% of the world's population, flash forwards to 2415, and the remainder of the world's population live in the walled city of Bregna, which is run by a team of scientists. Life seems perfect, but people are randomly going missing, so Æon Flux (Charlize Theron) a member of resistance team, the Monicans, is sent to kill the government's leader Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas), who was responsible for the murder of Æon's sister, Una (Amelia Warner), but the deeper Æon gets, the more she finds out about political skulduggery and conspiracies involving how Bregna is run, making her question her loyalty to the Monicans. It could have been a good film, but it does feel too confusing and it's full of plotholes throughout, despite the best efforts of a really good cast. Another problem is the original series was small and contained, this is big, sprawling and epic, which works against it. 2/5

The Magdalene Sisters (2002), directed by Peter Mullan, his second film as director after the hugely underrated black comedy Orphans (1998), this one focuses on one of the darkest chapters in Ireland's history, you could say it was their holocaust. Set in a time when the church could dictate governments, and do what they wanted. It's not an easy film to watch, but there is a sense of hope within the film, and that's all our characters can pray on. In Ireland in 1964, four teenage girls, Margaret (Anne-Marie Duff), Bernadette (Nora Jane Noone), Patricia (Dorothy Duffy) and Harriet (Eileen Walsh), all sent from their respective homes to one of the many Magdalene Asylums in Ireland, because of their various flirtations, misdemeanors and "sins". The Magdalene Asylum they are at is run by mother superior Sister Bridget (Geraldine McEwan), and she wants to ensure the girls return to God's grace through prayer, hard work and other forms of penance. The girls are humiliated by the nuns, but the girls plan to escape from the asylum, but they'll be punished further if caught. Mullan called this his prison film, and was spurred on to do it when learning the victims in these asylums had not received any compensation or an apology, it's an uncomfortable film but it has some good performances throughout, and Mullan has a good visual eye, and brought this horrible sin to people's attention. 4/5



Haywire (2011), Steven Soderbergh never makes two films the same in a row, he's dabbled in everything from comedy crime capers to drugs films to disaster films to sci-fi films to war films and real life dramas, now, he does an out-and-out action film with a mixed martial arts fighter who Soderbergh saw on TV as it's star, and it's a very good film. Covert agent Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) works for a secret firm that the American government get to do certain undercover jobs. Mallory reports to her boss Kenneth (Ewan McGregor), after a job in Barcelona where Mallory is sent to rescue hostage Jiang (Anthony Brandon Wong) for Rodrigo (Antonio Banderas), she then finds herself in Dublin working for MI6 agent Paul (Michael Fassbender) as "eye candy". However, while at a party, Mallory finds the dead body of Jiang in a barn, and Paul later tries to kill her. So, she finds herself on the run, beginning with a chase through the streets of Dublin, staying ahead of an unseen spy and then the Irish Garda. She is able to sneak back into America, where her life is in even more danger, but she needs to get to her Dad (Bill Paxton), who knows of her employment. It's a twisty thriller, with some brilliant, violent moments of action throughout. It's Carano as Mallory who manages to hold her own against the all-star supporting cast, also including Channing Tatum, Mathieu Kassovitz and Michael Douglas. But, Soderbergh up there with Danny Boyle and Michael Winterbottom as one of the most unpredictable directors working today. 4/5

Pretty Woman (1990), directed by Garry Marshall (Beaches (1988), Runaway Bride (1999) and The Princess Diaries (2001)), and written by J.F. Lawton (Under Siege (1992) and Chain Reaction (1996)), this was originally pitched as a dark cautionary tale about the pitfalls of class and prostitution in Los Angeles. That idea didn't work, so it was rejigged as a romantic comedy, and it works, it's a 90's version of those bubbly romantic comedies from the 1960's. In Beverly Hills, businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) is in town from New York to close a business deal with millionaire James Morse (Ralph Bellamy), Edward gets lost on Hollywood Boulevard, and asks for directions from prostitute Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts). As Edward doesn't know Los Angeles at all, he asks Vivian to be his escort to any social meetings he'll have in the city over the next few days. But, Vivian's manners clash with Edward's way of life with the upper class, so he quickly teaches her how to be more ladylike. However, Edward's lawyer Philip Stuckey (Jason Alexander) see's right through Vivian, and just wants Edward to close the deal. It's a funny film with Roberts having the time of her life as the tart with a heart, she's sassy and streetwise, unlike Gere who is ruthless and stuck-up. But, it makes for a good culture clash comedy, as well as a travelogue of rich districts of Los Angeles. 4/5



McVicar (1980), directed by Tom Clegg (Sweeney 2 (1978)), and produced by The Who. This was a chance for Roger Daltrey to flex his acting muscles, and do something different. The Who had got into filmmaking with Quadrophenia (1979), which was successful, and looked to capitalise on it's success with this adaptation of John McVicar's 1979 book McVicar by Himself. It's a very good prison and crime film, and very engaging too. John McVicar (Daltrey) is sentenced to 23 years in prison in the late 1960's for armed robberies, and he's banged up in Durham Prison with other lags including Walter Probyn (Adam Faith) and Ronnie Harrison (Steven Berkoff). However, he and Probyn plan to escape when they find a weak spot in the walls of the prison showers. McVicar manages to escape over the prison roof and then on the run all the way to London, where he meets up with fellow criminal Joey David (Billy Murray). But, while McVicar tries to reconcile with his wife Sheila (Cheryl Campbell). David manages to get McVicar into one last job, which involves a robbery on a wages van. It's a very good prison drama, punctuated with songs by Daltrey, who puts in a very good performance, and really gets into the head of what it's like being a prisoner, and he is quite underrated as an actor too, and this has got a good supporting cast as well.

Taras Bulba (1962), directed by J. Lee Thompson (Ice Cold In Alex (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961) and Cape Fear (1962)), this was an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's 1832 short novel. Filmed around the world with a big cast, it was marketed as the next Spartacus. It has dated a bit, and there is a lot of overacting on display, but Thompson manages to stage some brilliant action sequences in the film, even if they're not kind to animals. The Turks and the Poles have been fighting in Eastern Europe, but the Cossacks, led by Taras Bulba (Yul Brynner) comes in to help the Poles, only for the Pole's to double cross the Cossacks, with the Pole's becoming the leads of Ukraine. Bulba returns to his family home to start a family with his wife Sofia (Ilka Windish), and he raises two sons. Andrei (Tony Curtis) and Ostap (Perry Lopez). Andrei and Ostap go to Kiev to get an education, but after Andrei romances Polish Princess Natalia Dubrov (Christine Kaufmann), he and Ostap are hounded out of town, back home. The sons and Taras plan to lead the Cossacks to fight back against the Poles. It is a bit overblown, but there is some well staged action sequences in the film, but it wasn't easy, filmed in the northern wilderness of Argentina, and the film's post-production was rushed. But despite that, it's entertaining and watchable for the most part. 3.5/5



Southern Comfort (1981), from director Walter Hill, who was reaping in the profits from producting Alien at the time. Fox signed Hill up to do this gripping and atmospheric thriller which shows a side of the world which not a lot of people see, but it has a good ensemble at it's core and it makes a good story of survival. Louisiana in 1973, and the Louisiana Army National Guard send 9 troops out over one weekend on a routine training exercise. The men are Private Spencer (Keith Carradine), Corporal Hardin (Powers Boothe), Corporal Reece (Fred Ward), Private Simms (Franklyn Seales), Private Cribbs (T. K. Carter), Private Stuckey (Lewis Smith), Sgt. Casper (Les Lannom) and Sgt. Poole (Peter Coyote). It's something the National Guard have done many times, so the men think it should be a walk in the park, and no harm can done as they only have blanks. However, they end up getting lost in the swamps and bayous, so they borrow some cajun canoes to navigate the swamps easier, but after Stuckey fires blanks at some of the Cajun's as a prank, they fire back with real ammo, leaving the men on the run to survive in this harsh terrain. It's very suspenseful, but it benefits from a good ensemble, a brilliant, eerie guitar score by the great Ry Cooder and dark, sparse cinematography by Andrew Laszlo which adds to the dark mood, but you can see parallels between the action in this and Vietnam, proving one's own homeland can be just as dangerous as a warzone. 4.5/5

Wreck-It Ralph (1st view) - One of the most enjoyable cinema experiences I've had in years, and a genuine surprise in that I knew next to nothing about this film, I'd not even seen a trailer. I'm glad it didn't rely too much on spot the game character as I only knew two - Bowser and the pacman ghost - but I just know this film will deliver when it comes to scouring the background on dvd. A brilliant central idea packed with humour and genuine emotion. Terrific vocals, some of the best in a long time with the five main characters perfectly voiced. Really can't fault any of them. Gorgeous visuals (I want to live in Sugar Rush), and ace score by Henry Jackman, an even better song for the title character which should have been up for an oscar.

Disney have released online version of Sugar Rush Fix-It Felix and Hero's Duty, so I know what I'll be doing in the forseeable future. And, despite the wealth of nostalgia and funny on the screen my absolute favourite bit of the film was the Oreo Guards. They really cracked me up - 5/5*


And the short that accompanied it, Paperman, was just lovely.