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

Enemy of the State (1998), directed by Tony Scott, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and written by David Marconi (Live Free or Die Hard (2007)), this is a tense, hi-tech thriller which made use of a lot of the modern spying technology that was going on in the world at the time, it's a perfect film for Scott, who puts his fast and glossy look to the film well, and it's stood the test of time well too, and it's a 90's take on those 70's paranoia thrillers. When corrupt National Security officer Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight) kills Congressman Phil Hammersley (Jason Robards) to ensure a bill regarding surveillance gets passed, the murder was captured on video by wildlife journalist Daniel Zavitz (Jason Lee), with government agents out to kill him, he slips the footage to old college friend, Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith), now a lawyer. However, when Reynolds discovers Dean has the footage, they go on a mission to ruin his life so he hands it over, at a loose end, Dean has one hope, retired agent Edward Lyle (Gene Hackman), who knows the tricks of the trade, and helps him stay one step ahead of Reynolds and his men. It's a tense, paranoid thriller with some good action set pieces, which is what Scott was best at. Scott also succeeds at getting an unbelievable supporting cast as well, including faces such as Jack Black, Ian Hart, Seth Green, Tom Sizemore and Gabriel Byrne. 4/5



In Dreams (1999), directed by Neil Jordan (The Company of Wolves (1984), The Crying Game (1992) and Interview with the Vampire (1994)), this is a tense psychological horror-thriller he co-wrote with Withnail and I's Bruce Robinson, (who later disowned the film), adapted from Bari Wood's 1993 novel Doll's Eyes, this is a tense film which has an unusual tone, and some good visuals. It might be schlocky and a bit confused, but it is a good idea for a film. In Massachussets, illustrator Claire Cooper (Annette Benning) has had weird dreams, but she's in a happy marriage to pilot husband Paul (Aidan Quinn), and they have a daughter, Rebecca (Katie Sagona). However, after Rebecca is kidnapped and found brutally murdered, Claire has a breakdown, and she begins to have dreams where a missing child is being held captive, and murdered. Fearing for his wife's sanity, Paul has Claire sent to a mental institution, where she's examined by Dr. Silverman (Stephen Rea), but while there, Claire discovers some disturbing facts about a former patient, Vivian Thompson (Robert Downey, Jr.) It's not as bad as what some critics made it out to be at the time, it's actually very well made, and there's some lovely cinematography on display from Darius Khondji, but the film is worth it for Downey, Jr's extended cameo, where he goes absolutely insane, and that makes the film. 3/5

The End of the Affair (1999), directed by Neil Jordan (The Company of Wolves (1984), The Crying Game (1992) and Interview with the Vampire (1994)), this period drama based on Graham Greene's 1951 novel, which had been previously adapted into a film by Edward Dmytryk in 1955, only that was restrained by the censorship of the time, here Jordan was able to go all the way. It's a slow, moody film but it looks good and it has a good cast too. Novelist Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Fiennes), tells how in 1946, he met up with an old friend Henry Miles (Stephen Rea), who has separated from his wife and mistress Sarah (Julianne Moore), a few years before, Maurice had had a sexual affair with Sarah behind Henry's back during World War 2. However, when Henry confides in Maurice, and tells him that he suspects Sarah is having an affair, things go awry, when Maurice discovers she's been cheating on him too, so Maurice gets Mr. Parkis (Ian Hart) to investigate, and it leads them to the house of Father Richard Smythe (Jason Isaacs). Flash back to 1946, and Maurice becomes obsessed with Sarah all over again. It's a dark film, both visually and in terms of the tone, this is a difficult film to love, as everyone in the film is cheating on one another, but Jordan gets the best from his actors, (Fiennes is brilliant as the anguished, obsessive writer), and it captures the time period well. 4/5



Scream 3 (2000), directed by Wes Craven, who between Scream (1996) and Scream 2 (1997), had decided to do something completely different with musical drama, Music of the Heart (1999), which had middling financial success but glowing reviews, he was coaxed back to complete the Scream saga, (he was originally going to just produce this one), and it was a good conclusion to things, even if the blood was toned down in the one because of Columbine. It's now 3 years since the events of the first film, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has become a recluse, and having psychological episodes, but when Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) is brutally murdered, Sidney comes out of hiding, and murders happen on the Hollywood set of Stab 3, which has just gone into production, with Roman Bridger (Scott Foley) as director, the production is shut down by producer John Milton (Lance Henriksen). Dewey Finn (David Arquette) is in town as technical adviser on the film, with Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) wanting to know why she wasn't asked to be an adviser, but the body count goes up. Toning down the film's violence was a mistake, as it's not the violence that causes real life deaths, it's the viewer. But, there's some fun along the way, even if the cast are starting to look bored, but they would be coaxed back a decade later for Scream 4 (2011). 3/5

Doc Hollywood (1991), directed by Michael Caton-Jones, (Memphis Belle (1990), This Boy's Life (1993) and Rob Roy (1995)), and based upon Neil B. Shulman's 1979 book What? Dead...Again? This is a very amusing film, which has a sweet nature about it, along with some very colourful characters and a very sharp script, it also shows a way of life in America that people tend to forget about one that's laid back and peaceful, rather than stressed out and rushing everywhere. In Washington D.C., surgeon Dr. Benjamin Stone (Michael J. Fox) leads a fast but ill-paid job, but then he's given the chance to become a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, it's a perfect job, and he sets out in his 1956 Porsche 356 Speedster, and sets off for a new life, which comes to a (literal) crashing halt when he takes a short cut through the sleepy, rural town of Grady, South Carolina, where he accidentally hits a fence. He's ordered by local Judge Evans (Roberts Blossom) to serve time at a local hospital. But, after making friends with Mayor Nick Nicholson (David Ogden Stiers), salesman Hank Gordon (Woody Harrelson) and driver Vialula (Julie Warner), he doesn't want to leave, but he has to. It's an enjoyable and very funny film, where it's humour comes from the situations the local characters get themselves into, and their ways of life, it's a joy to watch, and it's the best film Bill Forsyth never made. 4/5



The American (2010), directed by Anton Corbijn (Control (2007) and Linear (2009)), this is adapted from Martin Booth's 1990 novel A Very Private Gentleman, this is a very sparse, quiet and moody thriller, one with a VERY European flavour, one which owes a lot of the cinema of Michelangelo Antonioni and Jean-Pierre Melville, but it's the film's mood which adds to it's atmosphere, and it has a brilliant lead performance at it's core, holding it together. Jack (George Clooney) is a contract killer, who is living a quiet life out in rural Sweden with lover Ingrid (Irina Björklund), but after he is targeted by assassins, he flees alone to Rome, where Jack contacts his handler Pavel (Johan Leysen), who tells Jack he cannot stay in Rome, so he sends Jack to the quiet Renaissance town of Castel del Monte in Eastern Italy. While there, Jack ends up building a rifle for local girl Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), for an assassination, but after Jack gets to know local priest Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli), whose view on life makes Jack question whether his vocation in life is the right one, but it's not long before Jack's life is in danger again. It's not a film with fireworks and excitement, this is a thinking man's action film, which shows the tenseness that goes with a hitman's profession, Clooney shows a dark side, with a icy stare that's quite scary, but he does well in the part. 4/5

Invaders from Mars (1953), directed by William Cameron Menzies (The Green Cockatoo (1937), Address Unknown (1944) and The Whip Hand (1951)), produced by Edward L. Alperson (Irma la Douce (1963)) and adapted from a short story by John Tucker Battle. This is a sparse, low-budget sci-fi film which manages to be compelling and entertaining, as well as looking eerie. Despite being made on a shoestring, it does quite a lot with very little. One night, David MacLean (Jimmy Hunt) spots flying saucers land on Earth during a thunderstorm, his father George (Leif Erickson) goes out to investigate, and is sucked into the ground, and re-emerges as a hostile man, with a puncture on the back of his neck, and the same thing happens to his mother Mary (Hillary Brooke). David goes to the police station, where local physician Dr. Pat Blake (Helena Carter), who notices the coldness of David's parents, and she takes him to astronomer Dr. Stuart Kelston (Arthur Franz), who try to get to the bottom of what's really going on, and it's starting to take over their town, and they soon find the martians that have caused this. It's a very silly film, but it's one that manages to be endearing enough, as it's the sort of sci-fi film you just don't get now. Low budget, done with a very vivid, odd colour tone, and it managed to help spawn films like The War of the Worlds (1953) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). 4/5



The Fox and the Child (2007), directed by Luc Jacquet, who had won worldwide critical and commercial acclaim for March of the Penguins (2005), picking up an Oscar on the way. For his next film, he wanted to do something semi-autobiographical, some which was partially based on his childhood. What we get is one part nature documentary and one part fairy tale, and it makes for a winning combination, and it's something that's seldom seen on film these days. In the Jura Mountains in Eastern France, a young girl (Bertille Noël-Bruneau) spends most of her days out in the countryside, exploring and taking in what she can see. One day, while riding her bike to school, she encounters a fox, when the girl tries to get closer, the fox runs away, but the girl becomes intrigued and wants to see the fox again. She spends months looking, and she finds the fox again, and even though the fox is nervous, she manages to bond with the fox, they go on adventures in the mountains, where they encounter a dangerous wolf pack, but the girl becomes obsessed with the fox, which does start to scare the poor fox. It's a lovely film, and done in an innovative way, where they got the nature footage done first, and the story was built around the footage, but it is visually stunning, even if there is no plot to speak of, but that doesn't matter, it's still an enchanting film to look upon. 3.5/5

The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968), directed by William Friedkin, who had made his directorial debut with Good Times (1967), starring Sonny and Cher. While that flopped, it got him noticed, and he was given an offer by producers Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin to to this musical comedy based on Rowland Barber's 1960's novel. It's an enjoyable film that focuses on a time now gone and the kinds of entertainment that people enjoyed back 40 years previously. In 1925, Amish girl Rachel Schpitendavel (Britt Ekland) comes to New York from Pennsylvania to make it big as a dancer. A chance encounter with Professor Spats (Bert Lahr) brings her to Minsky's Burlesque, where she meets entertainer Raymond Paine (Jason Robards) and partner Chick (Norman Wisdom). The theatre has been under threat of closure when owner Billy Minsky (Elliott Gould) can't raise any money, and is battling moral crusader Vance Fowler (Denholm Elliott) as well. Rachel becomes a dancer at Minsky's, but matters are complicated when her stern, devout father Jacob (Harry Andrews) arrives in town to bring Rachel back home. It's got the look of one of those big overblown musicals that went around in the 1960's, but it's actually focused, and the comedy and musical routines are well staged in this film, Friedkin could do comedy well, it's a shame he hasn't tried it more often. 4/5



The Darjeeling Limited (2007), Wes Anderson goes to India. Even with a change of continent, he's lost non of his quirkiness, or even alot of his regulars. What follows is what we've come to expect from Anderson, yes, it's another quirky comedy drama, but it is also one of his most visually stunning films to date, bringing out the best in his cast and the local colour of rural India. The film follows the Whitman Brothers, Peter (Adrien Brody), Francis (Owen Wilson) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman), a dysfunctional American family who haven't seen one another in a year since the death of their father, who was knocked over by a cab in New York. They meet up on a train in India, and they all suffer from some kind of depression or other. Peter has a pregnant wife back in America and is afraid of the commitment of becoming a father, Francis tried to kill himself in a motorbike crash and Jack is away from his girlfriend (Natalie Portman) and is trying to fill the void. Then they try and find their equally estranged mother Patricia (Anjelica Huston), who has become a nun in the Himalayas. It's a very whimsical film, and although it has a dark undertone running throughout, it is quite uplifting in a strange way, it's humour isn't laugh out loud, but it's funny in a weird way, and it suits the film, the soundtrack from old Merchant Ivory films makes the film great. Brody, Wilson and Schwarzman make excellent brothers, and Anderson keeps the mood up, despite quick dives into the melancholy. The soundtrack is wonderful, and look out for director Barbet Schroeder along with Kumar Pallana and Bill Murray. 4/5

Mr. Jones (1993), directed by Mike Figgis (Stormy Monday (1988), Internal Affairs (1990) and Leaving Las Vegas (1995)), this is a touching but mawkish romantic drama, written by Eric Roth (Forrest Gump (1994) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)). This came about after it's star and director looked to work together again after Internal Affairs, and they really did their homework for this film, but meticulous research doesn't always a good movie make. Mr. Jones (Richard Gere) is a mysterious man, who turns up to do construction work for a house, and then ends up on the roof of the house, standing on the edge, wanting to fly, he's talked down by co-worker Howard (Delroy Lindo), he's assigned to psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Bowen (Lena Olin), who investigates his case further. After another outburst, where he interrupts a classical concert, Bowen puts him into care, and Mr. Jones is diagnosed as a manic depressive with moments of suicidal tendencies. But, the more Bowen tries to help Mr. Jones overcome his condition, the more she finds herself falling in love with him, which is a big no-no in her line of work. Despite a charismatic lead role from Gere, this is quite dull and jittery, it doesn't help that Figgis had trouble in the editing room with this, but he was able to get a much shorter Directors Cut done in 2006, but it does go on forever, which is a shame, as it could have made a good film. 2/5



Driven (2001), after working together on Cliffhanger (1993), director Renny Harlin and star/writer Sylvester Stallone looked to work together again on something else. This started life as a Formula 1 film, but when the producers were unable to get the backing of any F1 team, it was rejigged to take place in the Champ Car World Series, which is smaller than F1. It's a very silly film, it could have come from the 1980's, but it would have felt dated even then. Young rookie driver Jimmy Bly (Kip Pardue) is rising through the ranks to become the next big thing in Champ Car driving, rivaling current pro Beau Brandenburg (Til Schweiger). But, after a series of errors on the track, team owner Carl Henry (Burt Reynolds) calls upon the services of former driver Joe Tanto (Sly), to come in and mentor Bly. However, tensions are rife because Tanto has replaced Bly's teammate Memo Moreno (Cristián de la Fuente), who is married to Tanto's ex-wife Cathy Heguy (Gina Gershon), plus Bly's brother and business manager Demille (Robert Sean Leonard), seems to be more interested in business deals than his brother's performance. It's a very silly film, and it does drag in the middle, and even the driving sequences employ some very dodgy CGI, even Sly is wondering where it went wrong, plus Champ Car racing went bankrupt in 2008, which just about sums it up. 2/5

Runaway Bride (1999), directed by Garry Marshall (Beaches (1988), Pretty Woman (1990) and Frankie and Johnny (1991)), he and his Pretty Woman stars were looking to work together again, and they found an idea project in this original script from Josann McGibbon, Audrey Wells and Sara Parriott. It's an enjoyable romantic comedy with some silly moments throughout, but it's a good reunion project for the director and it's stars. In Hale, Maryland, Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) has had a few problems in her life, she's had a few unsuccessful relationships, but that's not all, when she comes to get married, she flees as she's going down the aisle, and Maggie receives tabloid fame as "The Runaway Bride". New York columnist Ike Graham (Richard Gere) has a chance encounter with one of Maggie's jilted fiances, and after one article nearly leads to Ike getting fired, he's invited to Hale to do a piece on her, and why she's left her fiances standing at the alter. She's now engaged to get married to Bob Kelly (Christopher Meloni), but as Ike warms to the charms of Hale, he and Maggie soon fall for one another, but will she jilt him too?? The studios wanted this to be moulded into a sequel to Pretty Woman, but Marshall, Gere and Roberts refused, and it makes a funny film, with some good local humour and small town laughs along the way, but it's not as good as their first film together. 3.5/5



Exit Wounds (2001), based upon John Westermann's 1991 book, producer Joel Silver had it optioned for over a decade, but he could never find the right approach, until Steven Seagal and director Andrzej Bartkowiak (Romeo Must Die (2000) and Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)) came on board. It's a very silly action film, which was heavily touted as Seagal's big comeback, but it wasn't, which is a shame, as it does have it's moments, but even they've been seen elsewhere before. After Detroit cop Orin Boyd (Seagal) saves the Vice President of the United States (Christopher Lawford) from a militant group, he's demoted by Captain Frank Daniels (Bruce McGill) all because Boyd disobeyed orders. He's sent to the violent 15th precinct, where internal affairs officer Annette Mulcahy (Jill Hennessy) sends him to an anger management course, which he doesn't want to go to. But, he encounters drug dealer Latrell Walker (DMX) who has been hanging around with Detroit policement, including Sgt. Useldinger (Matthew G. Taylor), but it turns out Walker is a fall guy for the police and their cover-ups, so Boyd decides to put things right. It should have been a good film, but it's very derivative, and not even an over the top Tom Arnold can save the film, even the action sequences look half hearted. Poor Seagal descended into straight to video hell until Machete (2010). 2/5

Oblivion (1st view) - It borrows a lot from a whole host of films but brings all the pieces together to make something quite memorable. Andrea Riseborough steals the film - 4/5*

Paprika (1s view) - Headscratching Japanese animation about a machine that allows people to view other people's dreams - 4/5*

Capturing The Freidmans (2nd view) - Engrossing documentary aboutArnold Friedman and his family after he's arrested for child abuse - 4/5

Magical Mystery Tour (1st view) - Mad. Bonkers. Crazy. Things happen but there's no real plot as such, just a showcase for some Beatles songs and a bit of Python-esque humour, which is kind of odd as this came out 2 years before the Pythons started. Oddly entrancing, this now makes it official that the Beatles made more good films than they did good albums. And Don, you'll be happy to know that I now knopw at least one song by Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band! - 4/5*

YAY!! And here's another one for you!!

I know that song too! I must've just never have known it was them.

Late Spring (1st view) - Late Spring is the first film I've seen from Yasujirō Ozu and if his other films are even half as good as this he'll become one of my favourite directors. I absolutely loved it. An immensely simple story about a young woman in post-war Japan who is pressurised into finding a husband, it manages to become one of the most human films I've ever seen. It's immaculately shot too, a wonderful filming style - 5/5*

Hamlet (1990), directed by Franco Zeffirelli, who had directed Shakespeare adaptations like The Taming of the Shrew (1967) and Romeo and Juliet (1968), he had wanted to do Hamlet in the early 1970's, but Tony Richardson had beat him to it with his 1969 adaptation, so Zeffirelli sat on it, and it was revived 20 years later when Mel Gibson took an interest. It's a good adaptation, one that's close in style to Olivier's 1948 take, but this one has a very good cast. In Denmark, Prince Hamlet (Gibson) returns home to Castle Elsinore when news that his father has died, but his mother Gertrude (Glenn Close), marries Hamlet's uncle Claudius (Alan Bates), who is now the new king, and they both urge Hamlet to marry his long time sweetheart Ophelia (Helena Bonham Carter). But then the ghost of Hamlet's father (Paul Scofield) appears to Hamlet, telling him his brother Claudius had murdered him, Hamlet is torn whether to just let it lie, knowing he has no evidence that Claudius did it, or plan an elaborate revenge. He chooses the latter, and he plans to get the truth out of Claudius, with the staging of a play called The Mousetrap. It's a well made film, even if it is cold and sparse, with very quick editing you would normally expect from an action film, but Gibson relishes the part, and it's a pity he hasn't done more parts like this, as this is a reminder of what a good actor he can be with the right material. 4/5



K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who at the time had been quiet since Strange Days (1995), although she had worked on TV shows like Homicide: Life on the Street and also directing the crime mystery The Weight of Water (2000), which was poorly distributed. Bigelow was given the chance to direct this taut, claustrophobic real life thriller, of a story that was untold for nearly 30 years, it's a good film if a tad overlong. In 1961, the Soviet Union launches it's first nuclear submarine, the K-19, which is ran by Captain Alexei Vostrikov (Harrison Ford) and his executive officer Mikhail Polenin (Liam Neeson). Polenin was the original captain, but was replaced by Vostrikov, all because of his wife's political connections to the Kremlin, which leads to an uneasy working relationship between Vostrikov and Polenin, but they set out to sea with the submarine, and carry out trials. But, after their first mission, which had them fire an unarmed missile in the Arctic, the nuclear reactor cooling system fails, putting everyone's life in danger, and with nuclear missiles on board, the rest of the world in danger. It's a suspenseful film, showing a side of the Cold War that no-one talks about, this is s a film about just normal working men, doing their job. Bigelow didn't direct again until The Hurt Locker (2008), another film about working men just doing their job, but that struck a chord. 3.5/5

The Getaway (1972), directed by Sam Peckinpah, fresh from doing Straw Dogs (1971) and Junior Bonner (1972), the latter of which starred Steve McQueen. Having had a good working relationship together on Junior Bonner, McQueen was looking to work again with Peckinpah, and they found a perfect project in adaptation of Jim Thompson's 1958 novel, adapted here by Walter Hill. It's a tough and violent film, but the material was perfect for Peckinpah, who got a hit with this. Carter "Doc" McCoy (McQueen) is serving time in a Texas Prison, he's just been denied parole, but his wife Carol (Ali MacGraw) is able to make a deal with slimy San Antonio businessman Jack Benyon (Ben Johnson) to help get Doc out of prison, Benyon tells Doc that he's paroled on condition he takes part in a bank robbery with Rudy (Al Lettieri) and Frank (Bo Hopkins). However, during the robbery, Rudy attempts to double cross them, shooting Frank, but Doc shoots him, and makes off with the money to the Mexican border in El Paso. But Rudy survives, and teams up with vet Harold (Jack Dodson) and his wife Fran (Sally Struthers) to get even with Doc and Carol. It is a good heist film, with a lot of twists along the way, it's complimented by a killer score from Quincy Jones, and there is chemistry between McQueen and MacGraw. It should have put Peckinpah onto greater things, but he was about to self-destruct big time. 4/5



The Getaway (1994), directed by Roger Donaldson (The Bounty (1984), Cocktail (1988) and Species (1995)), this was a new adaptation of Jim Thompson's 1958 novel of the same name, adapted in 1972 by Sam Peckinpah. Walter Hill was brought back to do the screenplay, and was to have directed it, but had to drop out due to his commitments making Geronimo: An American Legend (1993), it does feel like it's copying the 1972, which gives it an air of pointlessness. Carter "Doc" McCoy (Alec Baldwin) has spent a year in a Mexican prison after taking part in a job for a drugs boss, Doc's wife Carol has mob boss Jack Benyon (James Woods) to get him out so Doc can rob a dog track, with Rudy (Michael Madsen) and Hansen (Philip Seymour Hoffman). But, the heist goes awry when Rudy tries to double cross Doc and Hansen, but Doc shoots him, and makes off with Carol and the money, but Rudy survives, and regains his strength with the help of vet's wife Fran Carvey (Jennifer Tilly), and they make off to El Paso to get the money back and get revenge on Doc and Carol, who are planning to flee to Mexico. It's less a re-adaptation of Thompson's book, and more of a remake of Peckinpah's film, with a lot of slow-mo shots being used. Despite having an absolutely brilliant cast on board, it does have the air of a cash-in, which is a shame, as it could have been a good film too. 2.5/5

Transamerica (2005), written and directed by Duncan Tucker (Boys to Men (2001), this is a road movie with a difference, it's one which became a huge independent hit when it was released. It was made for a very meagre $1 million, but it captured the minds and hearts of critics and cinemagoers the world over, despite it's controversial subject matter, which it takes seriously, but there are some laughs to be had along the way, thanks to some winning performances. Sabrina 'Bree' Osbourne (Felicity Huffman) was once Stanley Schupak, but Bree is in the process of becoming a woman, and is a week away from having a vaginoplasty, but Bree's world is thrown into disarray when she gets a call from 17 year old drugs dealer and hustler Toby Wilkins (Kevin Zegers), who claims his father was Stanley. Wanting nothing to do with her past, Bree's doctor Margaret (Elizabeth Peña) threatens to refuse Bree's operation if she doesn't face up to her past. Bree goes to New York from Los Angeles. Toby's mother killed herself years ago, while his stepfather Bobby Jensen (Raynor Scheine) is abusive, feeling guilty Bree decides to take Toby to Los Angeles with her. It's a touching film, with a lot of gentle if honest humour along the way. Huffman is brilliant in the lead as our transgender hero who is struggling to come to terms with this bombshell, it's a shame writer/director Tucker hasn't done anything since. 4/5



Idiocracy (2006), written and directed by Mike Judge, creator of Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill, his previous foray into directing, Office Space (1999) had become a big cult hit, to the point where Fox decided to give him another stab at directing his own film. Judge created this satirical sci-fi romp, which says a lot about how the world is going, but hardly anyone got to see it. Fox didn't know to promote it, and dumped it with no promotion, which is just criminal. Corporal Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson), who works in the army library, is asked to take part in a suspended animation experiment for a year, along with prostitute Rita (Maya Rudolph) accept, and are put into pods. But, due to a scandal, the project is forgotten about, and Joe and Rita remain in suspended animation for 500 years, by which time, the human population has become increasingly dumb, and can't do simple tasks. He ends up in trouble with the law for not paying a hospital bill, with dumb lawyer Frito Pendejo (Dax Shepard) for company, while Rita's prostitution comes in handy in this seedy and non-too-bright society, while Joe just wants to go back to his own time. There are a lot of original ideas on display, and it's a sci-fi film which might actually be true if we don't change the way we live and learn, Judge is actually a good director, and he should do it more, as he has a funny view on the world. 4/5

Olympus Has Fallen (1st view) - Po-faced and patriotic but very enjoyable and the most 90s-like action film I've seen in ages - 4/5*




End Of Watch (1st view) - It takes some time to get used to both the IN YOUR FACE camerawork and the blend of reality-style found footage and reality-style traditional filming but this an exciting and intense cop drama that manges to overcome the cliches present - 4/5*

Iron Man (5th view) - Rollicking comic book adventure, which balances perfectly its dry sense of humour with some adrenalin pumping action scenes. It's a more light-hearted affair than the likes of Hulk'03 or the Nolan Bat films, yet far more substantial than, say, the Fantastic Four films. Robert Downey Jr. is excellent in the lead, and he's ably supported by Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard. It gets a little overblown near the end but this is great entertainment - 4/5





Iron Man 2 (3rd view) - Mickey Rourke is utterly, utterly useless but this is still a lot of fun - 4/5





ParaNorman (1st view) - Probably my least favourite of the 5 films up for this year's Best Animated Feature oscar but it's still a wonderful film. Brilliant animation, a great vocal cast, top-notch humour and, for a kid's animation, it quite nicely doesn't bash you over the head with its message - 4/5*

Under Siege (1992), directed by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive (1993), Chain Reaction (1996) and Holes (2003)) and written by J. F. Lawton (Pretty Woman (1990) and DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)), this is a good action film which manages to have tense moments and silly moments. It has some over the top acting in it, but it's concept is good enough to pass for a likeable action film. Another example of action films not being like what they used to. Chief Casey Ryback (Steven Seagal) was a former Navy SEAL who lost his privileges after a botched operation, and now works as the head chef on board the USS Missouri, personally cooking for Captain Adams (Patrick O'Neal). A helicopter is arriving with food for Captain Adams' birthday, but it turns out it isn't the caterers are really murderous mercenaries led by renegade ex-CIA spy Bill Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones), who has been able to infiltrate the ship no thanks to Commander Krill (Gary Busey). But, they didn't count on Ryback, who is down in the kitchen, and about to use his wits and physical prowess to take on Strannix and his band of baddies. It has some good moments, but there's too much scenery chewing from Jones and Busey, but it manages to be a fun and even claustrophobic film at times. Plus, it was the only Steven Seagal film to be nominated for any Oscars, it didn't win any, but good enough anyways. 3.5/5



Shine (1996), directed by Scott Hicks (Snow Falling On Cedars (1999) and Hearts in Atlantis (2001)), this is a little low budget Australian film, which didn't have much in the way of stars, (well one or two English names), but it managed to capture the hearts and minds of moviegoers the world over, winning Geoffrey Rush a Best Actor Oscar, and catapulting him to stardom around the world, but it's a film with brilliant performances in it. This tells the story of pianist David Helfgott (Geoffrey Rush), who had a very troubled upbringing in Perth, when he was a teenager (Noah Taylor), he was a brilliant virtuoso pianist, but he was abused by his father Peter (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Despite this, David is given the opportunity to study at the Royal College of Music in London, where he studies under Cecil Parkes (John Gielgud). However, his behaviour becomes more manic, and he suffers a complete mental breakdown. On returning to Australia, he's rejected by his father, and spends years in and out of mental homes, but he soon finds work playing the piano in a restaurant, where he befriends Gillian (Lynn Redgrave), who he later marries. It's a brave film, which isn't afraid to shy away from it's subject of mental illness, but it's well made, and despite later criticism, it's a powerful and moving film with some lovely performances throughout. 4/5

Toy Story 2 (1999), after the success of Toy Story (1995), a sequel was inevitable, but it nearly went straight to video, yet Pixar decided there was enough interest to put it in cinemas. However, it was a troubled production, and the story didn't work originally, and despite Disney claiming there was nothing wrong, Pixar redeveloped the entire film in under a year. You'd think it would be a mess, it wasn't, it's a moving, funny and awe-inspiring sequel, showing Pixar at their most inventive. It's been a few years since the events of the first film, and after Woody (Tom Hanks) has his arm accidentally ripped by Andy (John Morris), Woody is left on a shelf, and when trying to save squeaky penguin Wheezy (Joe Ranft) from being sold at a yard sale, Woody is stolen by nasty, greedy toy collector Al McWhiggin (Wayne Knight). Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) recruits Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Rex (Wallace Shawn), Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) and Slinky Dog (Jim Varney) to rescue him. Meanwhile, Woody finds that he's a collectable toy from a TV show called Woody's Roundup, he meets fellow toys Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer). It's a brilliant film, and it's a sequel which, despite the rushed production, manages to care about it's characters, and even puts some thought into the story as well, which Pixar has always managed to do with their films. 5/5



The Libertine (2004), the directorial debut of music video and advert director Laurence Dunmore, who had become one of Ridley Scott's proteges at his advert company, it was this level of success that enabled him to get his own films made, and he got lucky with this adaptation of Stephen Jeffreys' play of the same name, which he adapted here for the screen. It's got a good cast, but it's a very dark and murky film, and it'll leave you feeling unclean. It's that kind of film. During the time of Restoration in the 1660's, King Charles II (John Malkovich) was humiliated by his friend John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (Johnny Depp), but the King calls upon Wilmot after being apart 3 months, all because the King is bored. Back in London, Wilmot reunites with his "Merry Gang", which include George Etherege (Tom Hollander) and Charles Sackville (Johnny Vegas), where they continue their bawdy ways. The King requests that Wilmot writes a play for the French Ambassador, but Wilmot finds himself besotted with actress Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton), who inspires him with this play. It's a very lurid film, but Depp relishes the part of Wilmot, who was worse than what this film allegedly portrays, but it does struggle to hold the attention for it's running time, but it has good intentions, and it shows period films don't have to be stiff upper lips and good manners. 3/5

Crimson Tide (1995), directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, who had had previous success a few years earlier with Days of Thunder (1990), they looked for something else to work on together, scripts came and went with Michael Schiffer's original screenplay about political turmoil and insubordination. It's a very suspenseful film, and very taut considering it's claustrophobic setting, but it makes for good entertainment. There is political turmoil in the Russian Federation, post-Soviet militants, loyal to ultranationalist Vladimir Radchenko (Daniel von Bargen) have taken control of a nuclear facility, and threaten nuclear war against Russia and America. On the USS Alabama, which is carrying nuclear missiles, Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington) has just joined the crew, serving as second in command under Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman). After only a few days at sea, tensions grow between Hunter and Ramsey, and when Russian submarines, commandeered Radchenko comes into their vicinity, the trigger happy Ramsey wants to attack, but Hunter stages a mutiny to prevent a potential war. It's a very tense film, but it has some good performances, and a good supporting cast including James Gandolfini, Steve Zahn and Viggo Mortensen. This is a great example of how good Scott was at creating tense thrillers. 4/5



Metro (1997), directed by Thomas Carter (Save the Last Dance (2001) and Coach Carter (2005)), this was an action film which was offered to just about every action star, bankable or otherwise, in Hollywood at the time. But, Eddie Murphy heard about it, and was looking to do something different after umpteen comedies in a row, and it proves to be a perfect fit for him, and it showed a different side to him too, one he hasn't revisited since. In San Francisco, Inspector Scott Roper (Murphy) is the best hostage negotiator in the city, he's able to keep his cool in tense situations, and he's in a relationship with newspaper reporter Veronica Tate (Carmen Ejogo). However, after Scott's friend Lieutenant Sam Baffert (Art Evans) is killed by Michael Korda (Michael Wincott), who Baffert was questioning about a jewel robbery. Scott swears revenge, but he leaves it mostly to his new partner, sharpshooter Kevin McCall (Michael Rapaport). After a destructive chase through San Francisco, Korda is behind bars, but that's not the end of it, Korda is still able to contact the outside world, to get HIS revenge on Scott, hitting him where it hurts. There's some good moments in this action film, originally the makers wanted to make it more comedic to suit Murphy's talents, but he refused, and he makes a good action hero, and it's something he should have pursued more, as he was good at it here. 4/5

Iron Man 3 (1st view) - During a rather divisive moment in this film there was an audible gasp and foul-mouthed outburst from a group of people in the cinema, a reaction which made me like the onscreen revelation even more Not quite as good as Iron Man but a grand improvement on the second, and another success in Marvel's run of exceptionally enjoyable superhero outings. If this is the end for RDJ's Stark then it's a fine way to finish - 4/5*

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), 3 years after the success of Under Siege, a sequel was inevitable, with Steven Seagal back on board, he got Geoff Murphy (Young Guns II (1990) and Freejack (1992)) to direct the sequel. Even though it is essentially more of the same as last time, but it does have some good action sequences throughout, and it shares the claustrophobic setting as last time, only it's gone from on the sea to off the rails. Casey Ryback (Seagal) has retired from the Navy, and now works as a chef in Denver, but he soon finds himself roped in to take his niece Sarah (Katherine Heigl) to her father's grave in Los Angeles, they decide to take the train across the Rocky Mountains. Seems like a good idea, but what they don't know is that the train is carrying a government computer program called Grazer One. The train is hijacked by terrorists led by scientist Travis Dane (Eric Bogosian), who had invented Grazer One until he was fired, so has decided to get revenge, by using the computer programme to hold the world to ransom, but he didn't know about Ryback, who is a one man army, ready to take down Dane and his men. It is a very silly action film, but there is a lot of excitement along the way, it's not perfect, but that doesn't matter, it's what you got from action films made in the 1990's, with violent action, and over the top baddies. It's just good cheesy fun. 4/5



Air Force One (1997), directed by Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot (1981), The Neverending Story (1984) and In The Line of Fire (1993)) and written by Andrew W. Marlowe (End of Days (1999) and Hollow Man (2000)), this is a very taut and well made action film, which is smart and has some good moments of suspense along the way, Petersen has even put together a good cast, whom he gets good performances out of, even if it is derivative in places. American President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) has been in Moscow, celebrating the capture of renegade General Ivan Radek (Jürgen Prochnow) from Kazakhstan, after the dinner, Marshall boards the Presidential plane Air Force One with his wife Grace (Wendy Crewson) and daughter Alice (Liesel Matthews) to return to the United States. However, what they don't know is that Radek loyalist, Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman), has sneaked onto the plane with a bunch of heavies disguised as a TV news crew. They hijack the plane, and take it to Kazakhstan, and threaten to kill everyone unless Radek is freed, but Marshall isn't going to back done, he's taking charge. It has some good moments of action throughout, and it does share blood with other 90's action films set on airplanes like Passenger 57 (1992) and Executive Decision (1995), but here, you get to see Ford kicking ass as the President, worth the price of a ticket. 3.5/5

I love Air Force One. One of my all-time favourite films.