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

Gregory's Two Girls (1999), by the late 1990's, Bill Forsyth, once the great hope of British cinema in the 1980's, had come undone. He had been to Hollywood, but it ended badly when Warner Bros. recut Being Human (1994), he returned to Scotland where he found success in the first place to do a sequel to Gregory's Girl (1981), which picks up 18 years later, but it's not the same as the original, and not in a good way. Gregory Underwood (John Gordon Sinclair) is now 35 years old, and working as a teacher at his old school, where he is now an English teacher. He is in a relationship with Bel (Maria Doyle Kennedy), but he just can't seem to kick his old schoolboy urges, especially when he gets involved with 16 year old student Frances (Carly McKinnon). While Gregory has fantasies about her, all Frances wants to do is along with fellow student Douglas (Hugh McCue) expose the evil practices against human rights going on at a local factory being done by an old schoolchum of Gregory's, Fraser Rowan (Dougray Scott), now a rich entrepreneur. Some of this is just plain creepy, and made at a time with paedophilia became public paranoia, it's a wonder Forsyth got away with this, But for whatever reason, it killed Forsyth's career and he hasn't directed since, even though there's rumours that he might make a comeback one day, surely it has to be better than this cack-handed sequel. 1.5/5



Despicable Me 2 (2013), after the success of Despicable Me (2010), a sequel was immediately inevitable, helping find fame for directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud and Illumination Entertainment chief Chris Meledandri. While the sequel isn't as good as the original, it still has some good laughs abound, with some very imaginative set pieces and a good story as well. Gru (Steve Carell) is adjusting to becoming a father to Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Agnes (Elsie Kate Fisher) and Edith (Dana Gaier), and he seems to have forgotten about being a supervillain, and now makes a living making selling jam. But Gru is captured by the Anti-Villain League, ran by Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan), who need his help to find a top secret chemical compound, traces of which have been tracked down to a local shopping mall. So Gru goes undercover with agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) to find out who in the mall has the chemical compound. Meanwhile, Gru's Minions have been mysteriously going missing and changing into purple monsters. It's a very silly film, but there is a lot to admire about the film, the Minions steal the film completely and there's some funny gadgets on display too. It's be fun to see what the spin-off Minions film will be like, but this is an entertaining enough sequel, which is colourful, very funny and pleasant to watch. 4/5

Fire Down Below (1997), directed by Félix Enríquez Alcalá, (who came from TV shows like ER, CSI: Miami and Breaking Bad), this had originally intended to be Steven Seagal's second film as director after On Deadly Ground (1994), but because that had flopped badly, Warner Bros. said otherwise. This ended up flopping badly, and it ended his contract at Warner Bros. Shame, as it's not as bad as suggested. In the Appalachian hills of Kentucky, deadly toxic is being dumped in local mines, so Environmental Protection Agency agent Jack Taggart (Seagal) is sent to investigate. He goes undercover in the town of Jackson to determine who is responsible for this, and his investigations lead him to the Hanner Coal Company, owned by Orin Hanner Sr. (Kris Kristoffersson). The company is being paid to dump the toxic down an abandoned mine, but it's causing an environmental disaster. Taggart questions the locals, but he ends up being threatened by Orin, Jr. (Brad Hunt) and the corrupt local Sheriff Lloyd (Ed Bruce), but Taggart won't back down without a fight. While not as preachy in it's message about the environment than On Deadly Ground was, this is more action packed, and has a good supporting cast including Stephen Lang, Levon Helm and Harry Dean Stanton. But it's a shame that it was the beginning of the end of Seagal's stardom. 3/5



The Faculty (1998), directed by Robert Rodriguez, then hot off From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and written by Kevin Williamson, also hot off Scream (1996) and Scream 2 (1997). This was a very good pairing for this sci-fi horror film, which has a good cast and a clever script. The idea had been around for nearly a decade before it was made, and while it is derivative in places, it's still great fun to watch. At Herrington High School in Ohio, students Casey Connor (Elijah Wood), Delilah Profitt (Jordana Brewster), Stan Rosado (Shawn Hatosy) and Zeke Tyler (Josh Hartnett) have noticed something strange about the teachers at the school. They've started to drink a lot of water, Coach Joe Willis (Robert Patrick), Nurse Rosa Harper (Salma Hayek) and Karen Olson (Piper Laurie) are showing strange behaviour, plus Casey and Delilah find the body of Mrs. Brummel (Susan Willis), who was said to have been very ill, in the closest of the teacher's lounge, which vanishes when they call the police. But they're going to prove that something is going on. It's a very good film, with two good sets of actors, the younger generation as the students and the older generation as the teachers, and it's a good combination as well. Rodriguez should try something like this again, and it was one of the few projects where he didn't do everything all at once either. 4/5

Can-Can (1960), directed by Walter Lang, (Cheaper By The Dozen (1950), There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) and The King and I (1956)), with songs by Cole Porter, loosely adapted from the musical play by Abe Burrows. This is a very entertaining musical comedy with some brilliant dances sequences and some amazing set pieces. It is a bit overblown in places, but the cast make up for any shortcomings. In 1894 Paris, in the district of Montmartre. The Can-Can dance is forbidden because it involves women dancers lifting their skirt. Simone (Shirley MacLaine) has allowed for it to be performed every night at her club, even though they get busted by the police every time it's performed. But, Simone has always been able to get let off the hook by her lawyer boyfriend François Durnais (Frank Sinatra). But when young judge Philippe Forrestier (Louis Jourdan) decides to try and outlaw the Can-Can once and for all, Simone has plans to try and convince him otherwise, with François helping out when he can. It is a bit overlong for it's own good, but it does have it's moments of excitement, and MacLaine is brilliant, especially with the song and dance sequences, and she manages to hold her own against Sinatra, who wasn't one to be outshone, but they make a good pairing in this entertaining, musical caper. 3.5/5



Down Terrace (2009), the directorial debut of Ben Wheatley (Kill List (2011), Sightseers (2012) and A Field In England (2013)), this crime drama was filmed in 8 days, on the hoof. Wheatley decided if what they filmed didn't come together in the editing suite, it would be shelved forever, but thankfully it did. This is not just "another British crime drama", this one is bouyed by colourful performances throughout. Set in Brighton, Bill (Robert Hill) and his son Karl (Robin Hill) have just been released from prison for a crime we never know about, but they come home to Down Terrace, where with wife Maggie (Julia Deakin), Bill decides to find out who in his criminal organisation set him up, causing him and his son to get sent to jail. There's always people in Bill's empire coming in and out of the house on Down Terrace, and Bill deducts it has to have been one of them. Including Eric (David Schaal), Garvey (Tony Way) and Pringle (Michael Smiley). Meanwhile, Karl is struggling to return to a normal life, and he discovers his girlfriend Valda (Kerry Peacock) is pregnant. It's a very moving film despite it's dark overtones, but there is a dark sense of humour about it's body, especially when it comes to the family trying to being civil when they have guests round for tea. But, this was enough to put Wheatley on the map as a director, and he's well on the way to success now. 4/5

A Field in England (2013), directed by Ben Wheatley (Down Terrace (2009), Kill List (2011) and Sightseers (2012)), this looks like a historical period drama on the surface, but it's not. This is a mad, psychedelic odyssey into human madness which owes a lot to the films of Werner Herzog and Alejandro Jodorowsky, it leaves more questions than answers, but it's a brave film for doing that. Set during the English Civil War in 1648, alchemist and academic Whitehead (Reece Shearsmith) has managed to escape from his master Trower (Julian Barratt), and meets up with Cutler (Ryan Pope) and travelers Jacob (Peter Ferdinando) and Friend (Richard Glover). Cutler is holding Jacob and Friend hostage, and he takes Whitehead with him, and uses magic mushrooms on them to force them to help Cutler and Irishman O'Neill (Michael Smiley) to help find a hoard of buried treasure in the field. But nothing is what it seems, especially not O'Neill, and reality and fantasy blur and it descends into madness and absolute horror for our party. You can't blame Wheatley for wanting to do something different, and you can't get more different than this. This is an insane film, and for a film done in a stark black and white, it has a horrific and haunting psychedelic montage at it's climax. It'll be interesting to see what Wheatley does for his next film. 4/5



Now You See Me (2013), directed by Louis Leterrier (The Transporter (2002), The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Clash of the Titans (2010)), and produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Transformers (2007) and Star Trek (2009)), this is a twisty and mysterious action-caper which has a very good ensemble at it's core, but it does get wrapped up in too many twists for it's own good. Street magicians J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) are brought together by Tarot cards sent by a mysterious benefactor, and they perform in Las Vegas a year later as "The Four Horsemen", who perform a big magic trick where they seemingly rob a bank in Paris, which it turns out they have done. FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol Agent Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent) investigate, but can't prove anything. Then they rob their sponsor Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine), and ex-magician Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) investigates further. There is some good trickery on display in the film, but the film soon sidelines the magicians in favour of the investigators, which is a downfall, and the ending has a touch of WTF!? about it. But it is a fun and entertaining caper for the most part, but it might not be as good if you see it again. 3.5/5

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010), after making it big with Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007). Edgar Wright heads off to Hollywood for this adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's Canadian Manga series. It's a faithful comic book adaptation, and it's also a video game film, but not in the normal sense. It proves that Wright is one of the best directors working today. Set in Toronto, it has slacker Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) who is bass player in a band called Sex Bob-Omb with Stephen Stills (Mark Webber) and Kim Pine (Alison Pill), and he's dating high-school girl Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), but then Scott meets the girl of his dreams, quite literally. Ramona V. Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and eventually talks Ramona into dating him. However, there's one big problem, and it's not having to dump Knives for Ramona. Nope, Scott has to defeat Ramona's 7 Evil Ex Boyfriends, who include action star Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), vegan rocker Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh) and the mysterious Gideon Gordon Graves (Jason Schwartzman). It's a very well made film with an original look. It's true to the source material, and it's a love letter to punch-'em-up video games of old. The cast are brilliant, and this should help Wright make it big, this is a great, exciting, and very funny romance film, but it has twists and turns like no other films out this decade. 5/5



Somewhere (2010), written and directed by Sofia Coppola, (The Virgin Suicides (1999), Lost In Translation (2003) and Marie Antoinette (2006)), Coppola decided she wanted to make a small, personal film next, and this was partially inspired by her experiences growing up in a showbiz family, but it was also a social comment on what being a celebrity does to people, and the isolation it causes. Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is a very famous Hollywood actor, who despite his fame, feels his life has no direction, and despite visits from his old friend Sammy (Chris Pontius), he spends most of his time alone holed up in the Chateau Marmont, which is a retreat for many Hollywood stars. Facing an existential crisis, Johnny gets an unexpected visit from his daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning), who has come to stay with her father for a few days before she goes to summer camp. So, Johnny brings her along on his daily routines, including a trip to Milan, where he is presented with an award, and he feels responsibility of being a father while Cleo is around. This is safe territory for Coppola, even if she has focused on the growing pains of growing up in her films before, but it is a slow moving film which requires patience, but it has brilliant performances from Dorff and Fanning, whose characters change throughout the film, and maybe for the better. 3.5/5

The Hunt for Red October (1990), based upon Tom Clancy's 1984 novel of the same name, the first novel to feature Jack Ryan as well, and directed here by John McTiernan, then hot off the success of Predator (1987) and Die Hard (1988). This is a very taut and tight thriller with a top cast which briefly started off a new action hero franchise, it was short lived, but it'll be revived very soon. In 1984, Soviet Submarine captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) commands the Red October, a high tech submarine which due to some clever modifications, is undetectable by sonar. But, when the Red October is faintly spotted by the USS Dallas heading towards America, CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) deducts that Ramius is looking to defect to America, and learns that the Soviets are sending a fleet to destroy the Red October. Commander Bart Mancuso (Scott Glenn) is able to get in contact with the Red October, and tries to get Ramius to state his intentions, and Ryan is sent on board as well, and it turns out Ramius has a secret agenda of his own. It's a well made film, even if Connery doesn't even attempt a Russian accent, (he was a last minute replacement for Klaus Maria Brandauer), but McTiernan keeps the taut mood up and captures the feeling of the times this was set in, by the time this came out, the Soviet Union was crumbling. 4/5



The Siege (1998), directed by Edward Zwick (Glory (1992), Legends of the Fall (1994) and Blood Diamond (2006)), this is a very tense thriller which focuses on terrorist attacks in New York City. You would NEVER get away with this film now after 9/11, but the American Government should have looked upon this film as a warning of things to come, even if it is not very sympathetic to the Arab community. FBI Agents Anthony Hubbard (Denzel Washington) and Frank Haddad (Tony Shalhoub), along with CIA Elise Kraft (Annette Bening) witness horrific terrorist attacks in New York City, after Sheikh Ahmed bin Talal (Ahmed Ben Larby) was detained. Despite thorough investigations, the terrorist attacks continue throughout New York, leading martial law to be declared, with Major General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis) sealing off Brooklyn completely from the rest of New York, and using unorthodox methods of interrogating anyone off Arab decent, and holding them in the Yankee Stadium, which Hubbard doesn't agree with. It's a good action-thriller, and Zwick has fun with the scenes on the streets of New York, but everything else doesn't seem to come off as well, and it's films like this which is waving a red flag towards the Arab community, as it's only a tiny minority who want to cause trouble, but this film suggests otherwise. 3.5/5

Klute (1971), directed by Alan J. Pakula, this was the first part of his "paranoia trilogy", which would be followed by The Parallax View (1974) and All The President's Men (1976). This is a tense and mysterious detective film, it's a tale of obsession that Hitchcock would have killed for, but it has hints of what was to come from Argento and De Palma. But it has two great leads and a good story. Private detective John Klute (Donald Sutherland) has been hired by executive Peter Cable (Charles Cioffi) to investigate the disappearance of company chief Tom Gruneman (Robert Milli). There's not much to go on, but one clue is an obscene letter in Gruneman's office, addressed to Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda), who works as a prostitute in New York City. Klute moves into the basement of the apartment block Bree lives in, bugging her flat and tapping her phone. After finally confronting Bree, Klute asks if she remembers Gruneman, but she cannot remember him, although she'd taken a beating from someone two years before, and there's someone watching Bree and Klute. It's a very good thriller, but it does require your fullest attention, as nothing is what it seems in this film, and it is a good time piece of what New York was like back then as well, but it helped get Pakula, who had gone from producing to directing, firmly on the map. 4/5



Gold (1974), directed by Peter R. Hunt (On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) and Gulliver's Travels (1977)), this thriller was adapted from the 1970 novel Gold Mine by Rhodesian author Wilbur Smith. It's a film which goes out with all the best intentions, but it is rather dated now as it attempts to make Apartheid-era South Africa look like a glamourous place to visit, which back then, it certainly wasn't. Rod Slater (Roger Moore) is the General Manager of a gold mine in Sonderditch, South Africa. Slater is very concerned about the safety of his workers, even if the company who own the mine have been cutting corners with safety, but he is instructed by his boss Steyner (Bradford Dillman), to break through an underground dyke to where, Steyner believes, is a rich source of gold. While Steyner is out of the country, Slater begins an affair with Steyner's wife Terry (Susannah York). But Steyner knows about the affair, but he's using this as part of a plan to destroy the mine, masterminded by a London-based criminal syndicate. It's a film which does tie itself in knots at one point with it's complicated plot, and it showed a more rugged side to Moore, who had not long become James Bond at that time. But, it does have a suspenseful finale down the mine, which is worth it, but it's a long slog before the film comes to it, but it does have a good cast as well. 3/5

Innocent Blood (1992), directed by John Landis, whose career went into an unstoppable and sad slump in the late 1980's/early 1990's. After the critical mauling he got for Oscar (1991), he attempted to try and recreate the success of An American Werewolf in London (1981) with this horror-comedy, which mixes vampires and the Mafia. Some of it works, some of it doesn't, but it could have been much better. In Pittsburgh, French vampire Marie (Anne Parillaud) survives thanks to a moral code, which sees her getting her blood from criminals who operate in the city, however she lands herself in a whole heap of trouble when she sucks the blood of Salvatore 'The Shark' Macelli (Robert Loggia), the top Mafia boss in Pittsburgh. While Marie usually kills her victims, she's interrupted before she can kill Macelli, which leaves him as one of the undead, and he uses this power on his henchmen, making them into the living dead. But, it's up to undercover cop Joseph Gennaro (Anthony LaPaglia), who learns the truth about Marie, to help put things right. It is a very silly film, and Landis as usual casts directors in cameos, here it's Frank Oz, Sam Raimi and Dario Argento. But it's not as bad as what people say, and it does have some good monster make up on display, which you don't get in films these days, but it does feel forced in places. 3/5



This Is The End (2013), co-written and co-directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, this apocalyptic comedy is based on the short film Jay and Seth versus the Apocalypse (2007), directed by Jason Stone which he co-wrote with Rogen and Goldberg, and done as a spoof trailer. It was a perfect idea for a film, and to see it's stars play exaggerated versions of themselves too, which is very funny. Jay Baruchel comes over to Los Angeles to spend time with friend and fellow actor Seth Rogen, who takes Jay along to a party at James Franco's house, where a lot of Hollywood celebrities are in attendance. But, when a massive earthquake kills many of the guests, leaving Jay, Seth and James trapped yet alive in the house with Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride, the latter they discover the next morning wasting all their food. Now they have to figure out how to survive, there's monsters outside now, and they're running low on supplies as well, so now they have to survive and have to put up with Danny's boorish behaviour. It's hilarious to see these actors all send themselves up so well, it's all been leading towards this, and it's a buddy movie at heart, and Rogen and Goldberg even prove themselves to be good directors as well. Plus, after seeing this film, you will NEVER, EVER look at Michael Cera in the same way ever again... 4/5

The Killer Inside Me (2010), directed by Michael Winterbottom, who can go from a film set in the North of England to one set in the American mid-west with ease, and adapted from Jim Thompson's 1952 novel, which was nearly a film back in the 1950's, but the Hays Production Code made a faithful adaptation unworkable. Winterbottom shows a nasty brutal side to small town America, but it's well made. 1952 in Central City, Texas. Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford (Casey Affleck) is a pillar of the community, someone the people can look up to. However, he is a violent sociopath, who saw his own brother go to jail in his place after Lou raped a little girl. But, after he's asked to investigate Joyce Lakeland (Jessica Alba), who is having a relationship with Elmer Conway (Jay R. Ferguson), son of construction chief Chester Conway (Ned Beatty), Lou begins a passionate, sada-masochistic relationship with Joyce. However, Lou's longtime fiance Amy (Kate Hudson), has always had her suspicions about Lou, and decides to do her own investigating. This is not a film for everyone, and it is brutal with it's sexual violence and it is quite cold too. But Affleck is a revelation in this film, and goes from kind deputy sheriff to brutal rapist at the flick of a switch. If made in the 1950's, it would have been a tame film noir, but Winterbottom doesn't shy away from the pain and brutality here. 3/5



Pacific Rim (2013), Guillermo Del Toro's first film since Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), he had been working on this film with screenwriter Travis Beacham since 2010, and Del Toro decided to direct it after his adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness was cancelled. It's a brainless, cheesy sci-fi/action film, but it's great fun to watch, and Del Toro has fun with creating destruction on a large scale. In 2025, most cities on the coast of the Pacific Ocean have been destroyed by monsters known as Kaijus. Giant fighting machines known as Jaeger's are created to fight back, but the Kaijus are putting up a fight. After an attempt to build a wall around the Pacific is breached, Jaeger leader Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) calls back retired Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) to pilot his old robot Gipsy Danger once again, 5 years before, Raleigh's brother Yancy (Diego Klattenhoff) was killed in battle fighting a Kaiju. Raleigh, with new co-pilot Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) has to make a last stand to stop more monsters appearing. It is a very silly film, and it does tick all the cliche boxes of films like this, but it's brilliant to have Del Toro back making films, and he made a good choice with this one. It's a good alternative to Transformers, and it's colourful and exciting to watch too, lets hope Del Toro returns sooner for his next film. 4/5

I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968), directed by Hy Averback (Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968) and The Great Bank Robbery (1969)) and written by Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)), this is a very silly hippie comedy, made at a time when Hollywood were trying to get to grips with flower power, and it makes light of excessive drug taking, which you couldn't do now. In Los Angeles, Jewish Lawyer Harold Fine (Peter Sellers) is henpecked and uptight, and about to get married to his longtime girlfriend Joyce (Joyce Van Patten), but Harold is worried about whether he can commit. But after encountering his hippie brother Herbie (David Arkin), he meets flower child Nancy (Leigh Taylor-Young), who makes pot brownies, which Harold, Joyce and his parents (Jo Van Fleet and Salem Ludwig) eat and get high off. After that, Harold walks out of his own wedding, and decides to join Nancy and her friends and become a hippie, and attempts to find himself with the aid of a Guru (Louis Gottlieb) on Venice Beach. Not all of this film works, and it was made when Sellers' career started to go into a slump, but he has fun with this film. By the time the film came out, Sellers had gone back to England, and wouldn't get a comeback until 1975. It's a good timepiece of Los Angeles when the hippies took over, even if it is dated now. 3.5/5



The Grifters (1990), directed by Stephen Frears and produced by Martin Scorsese, this neo-noir was adapted from the 1963 book of the same name by Jim Thompson (The Getaway and The Killer Inside Me), this is a twisty and clever thriller where nothing is what it seems. Frears at the time had just finished Dangerous Liaisons (1988), and wanted to do a film in America, he struck gold here with this film. Lilly Dillon (Anjelica Huston) has spent most of her life as a con artist, and she's trying to re-examine and rethink her life, after her son Roy (John Cusack) suffers a beating after a scam goes wrong. Lilly works for violent bookmaker Bobo Justus (Pat Hingle), who punishes Lilly if any of her schemes go wrong. Roy's girlfriend Myra Langtry (Annette Bening) is a few years older than Roy, and she also does scams, and she wants Roy to come in with her on a scam she has planned. But Roy doesn't want to let his mother down, who it turns out has been stealing money from Bobo for years, and Lilly finds her life in danger shortly afterwards. Frears gets the best out of his cast here, and playing off one another, and you don't know whose side they're on, and how it could end out. While this story has been updated to the 1990's, it would have been interesting to know what it would have looked like if they'd kept it set in the 1960's, but it's very good as it is. 4/5

I really need to catchup with this thread and post aboput films I've seen recently but for now...

Monsters University (1st view) - I may or may not post something that resembles a proper review once the levels of giddy excitement wear off but this did everything I wanted it to and more. For a film I've waited 11 years it delivered in every way possible and I'm certain that only Peter Jackson's fifth foray into Middle Earth has any chance of bettering this film this year - 5/5*

The Searchers (1956), directed by John Ford, whose name defines the American Western, created this epic based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Alan Le May and produced by businessman and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney. Ford was reunited with his regular leading man John Wayne, (they had countless collaborations together), and this does make for a very good film, and the grand vistas of the old west come out brilliantly in widescreen here. It begins in 1868, where Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns from the American Civil War to his the ranch that belongs to his brother Aaron (Walter Coy), which he lives on with his wife Martha (Dorothy Jordan), their son Ben (Robert Lyden) and daughters Debbie (Lana Wood) and Lucy (Pippa Scott). But there's been wars in and around the ranch with the Comanche Indians, and they use a theft to lure Ethan and Aaron away from the ranch, where the house is burnt down, and the daughters have been abducted by the Comanche tribe. Ethan and Aaron swear revenge on the Comanche tribe for what they've done, but finding Debbie and Lucy isn't easy, and sneaking up on the Comanche's isn't easy, and it takes a lot of time for them to get even, but Ethan and Aaron put together a band of Rangers to help. It's heart is in the right place, but it's not very sympathetic to the Comanche Indians either. But, this made great use of VistaVision, which looks great on screen, but it is a long film, and it takes a while for our heroes to extract their bloody revenge. But Ford gets the best from his cast, and it's easy to see why it's a beloved western. 4/5



Tombstone (1993), directed by George P. Cosmatos (Escape to Athena (1979), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Cobra (1986)), this western tells one tale in the life of Wyatt Earp, unlike Lawrence Kasdan's Wyatt Earp (1994), which told his whole life story, this is a focused western with a massive cast, and this focuses on the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which was a footnote in the Kasdan film, but this is more to the point and a slightly better film as well. Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) move to the Arizona town of Tombstone to settle down and live out their lives, it's here where they meet Wyatt's old friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), who has also moved to the town, as the climate is good for his TB. In Tombstone, Wyatt becomes attracted to Josephine Marcus (Dana Delany), even though he's already married to Mattie Blaylock (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), but the Earps and Holliday find a threat in Tombstone in the form of "Curly Bill" Brocius (Powers Boothe), who has a gang of outlaws known as The Cowboys. Even though Earp has retired as a lawman, he's soon called back into the fold one more time to help protect Tombstone from these murderous thugs. There has been a lot of debate as to who directed what in this film, (Russell claimed he ghost-directed the film), but it doesn't matter, as this is a very well made western, with a brilliant supporting cast including Stephen Lang, Michael Biehn, Billy Bob Thornton, Thomas Haden Church, Billy Zane and Charlton Heston. It's well worth a look, especially now as the western is back in vogue again. 4/5

Congo (1995), based on Michael Crichton's 1980 novel, and directed by Frank Marshall (Arachnophobia (1990) and Alive (1993)), this looks stunning, but something isn't right in the adaptation of Crichton's novel, it came out when everyone was adapting his works in the wake of the success of Jurassic Park (1993). While it was an attempt to revive jungle adventure films that had died out an age before, the film is let down by hammy acting and dubious special effects work. When scientist Charles Travis (Bruce Campbell) goes missing while testing a laser near a dormant volcano in the Congo, his father R.B. Travis (Joe Don Baker), asks Charles' ex-fiance Karen Ross (Laura Linney) out to the Congo to find out what happened, and to finish what Charles started. Along with Karen for the trip are scientist Dr. Peter Elliott (Dylan Walsh) and his assistant Richard (Grant Heslov), who have a gorilla called Amy, who can speak English thanks to computers, and also with them is Romanian Philanthropist Herkermer Homolka (Tim Curry), who is one of the financiers of the expedition to find what happened. But it turns out Homolka has a secret agenda entirely, and that he's no stranger to the area either, meanwhile the group find themselves in danger from local militia. This film is a let down, as it deserved to be good, but circumstances within the makers control let them down, because CGI wasn't well advanced, they could only use men in suits and puppets for the gorillas, Bruce Campbell is wasted when he should have more screentime and Tim Curry (usually ace) sounds like Borat. It mistakes fun for po-faced seriousness, and therein lies the problem. 2/5



Greenberg (2010), written and directed by Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale (2005) and Margot at the Wedding (2007), Baumbach came up with the idea for this film with Jennifer Jason Leigh, who co-produced the film. It's a dark comedy-drama about coming to terms with fortysomething life, but it has a sense of hope about it, and it has a brilliant lead performance at it's centre, and it walks a tightrope between quirky humour and serious heartbreak. Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) has just been released from a mental hospital after a serious breakdown, his brother Phillip (Chris Messina) and wife Carol (Susan Traylor) are going on a family trip to Vietnam, and while they're away, they allow Roger to stay in their house. Roger struggles to readjust to life again, he's 40 going on 41, and he has no ambition in life anymore. But, he strikes up a friendship with dog-walker Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), who walks the Greenberg family's dog Mahler. At a BBQ with friend Ivan Schrank (Rhys Ifans), Roger meets old girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who says Roger is brave for having no ambition in his life. However, sparks slowly start to fly between Roger and Florence, but she doesn't want a relationship just for sex, but Roger doesn't know what he wants. It's a melancholy film and it's surprising that there is laughs to be found here, but they appear in quirky situations our hero find himself in, like coming to accept how a communal swimming pool works. But, Baumbach gets the best from his cast, and it's tone rings true, not just for fortysomething viewers, but for viewers of any age, struggling to get along in a difficult world. 4/5

The World's End (2013), the final part in Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, after battling zombies in Shaun of the Dead (2004) and fighting crime in Hot Fuzz (2007)), they're with this very British comedy about reunions, saving the world and going down the pub. It's not as good as the first two films, as it doesn't have the strong core that they had, and it's hard to see what they're referencing here, but there is a lot of fun to be had, and there's some very good laughs. Gary King (Pegg) has just turned 40, and is recovering from a breakdown and alcoholism, and he wants to complete a pub crawl he attempted in 1990 with 4 friends. King gets in touch with Peter Page (Eddie Marsan), Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman), Steven Prince (Paddy Considine) and Andrew Knightley (Nick Frost). They're all reluctant to go, but Gary convinces them, mainly because they can't convince him he's wrong. They return to their hometown of Newton Haven, where they begin the crawl, and they meet up with Oliver's sister Sam (Rosamund Pike), who had a relationship with Gary back in 1990. But, there's something not right about the town, the locals seem a bit cold and distant, a bit alien. But, Gary won't let that get in the way of the pub crawl. It has a lot of surprises, (including a funny cameo), but the film does have a melancholy feel about it, regarding lost youth and reliving old times. But, Wright has fun with the concept, (he came up with it back in 1995), and there is fun to be had, and a second viewing may benefit, as this is the sort of film with a lot going on that you have to pay attention to take it all in. 4/5



Repo Chick (2009), written and directed by Alex Cox, who despite good luck in the mid 1980's, has never been able to get the big break he truly deserves, and after coming home to Merseyside with Revenger's Tragedy (2002), he went back to America and has set about making a series of microfeatures. Films made for around the $200,000 mark and it was made in 10 days in front of a greenscreen. It shares DNA with Repo Man (1984), but it's not a sequel or a remake, so what is it?? Set in an apocalyptic future in Los Angeles, Pixxi De La Chasse (Jaclyn Jonet) is an heiress in a rich family who has been involved in one too many tabloid scandal over the past few months, so Pixxi finds herself in a confrontation with father Aldrich (Xander Berkeley), Aunt (Karen Black) and Grandma (Frances Bay), who cut her out of getting an inheritance. Pixxi needs a job, and she finds one in the repossessing business, which is booming across America. She is very good at her job, and she even uses her new found power to get back at her family by emptying their accounts. But, Pixxi soon finds herself going for bigger fish, and goes after an antique train which has a $1,000,000 reward, but the train has 6 nuclear bombs which went missing after the Cold War on board. It's a unique way of doing a film, and it has a touch of Ralph Bakshi about it's artfulness, but Cox really needs to make peace with Hollywood and get back in their good books. Made with models which are clearly models, it is fun to a point, but Cox has fun with his microfeature concepts, and he has another one in development at the minute. Good luck to him. 3/5

Swordfish (2001), directed by Dominic Sena (Kalifornia (1993) and Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)) and written by Skip Woods (X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The A-Team (2010)), this is a very silly action-heist film, which got a bit of bad press at the time, but it's not as bad as what people remember, it's a brainless film but that doesn't matter, it's was one of a dying breed of hard action films that came out around this time, and there is quite a bit to enjoy within. Stanley Jobson (Hugh Jackman) is a computer hacker who broke into the FBI's Carnivore program, and he's spent 2 years in jail, and is banned from ever using a computer again. However, Ginger Knowles (Halle Berry) shows up at his door, asking for his services for her employer. He's reluctant, but Ginger persuades Stanley, telling him that her employer's first choice Finnish Axl Torvalds (Rudolf Martin) was arrested coming into America. Ginger's employer is the enigmatic and mysterious Gabriel Shear (John Travolta) who reveals he's planning to steal $9.5 billion from a secret government fund, and he needs Stanley to create a worm to corrupt the highly encrypted software, but FBI Agent Roberts (Don Cheadle) is onto them, and he's got his eye on Stanley, as Roberts was the man who had him sent down. It has some good special effects and it was made at the right time when the internet was still in it's infancy. Jackman was fresh from the his star-making turn in X-Men, and this helped his fame grow. It does have some good action set pieces, and it's well worth giving another go, as it's much better than you remember. 3.5/5



Hard Boiled (1992), directed by John Woo, who had become a massively successful director in Hong Kong with A Better Tomorrow (1986), The Killer (1989) and Once a Thief (1991). At the time, Woo was interested in doing a Dirty Harry style cop film, having done many films where gangsters were the heroes, he wanted to show the police in a better light. It's a really stylish action film, and only Woo could make gratuitous, bloody violence look like art. In Hong Kong, Officer "Tequila" Yuen (Chow Yun-Fat) and his partner Benny (Bowie Lam) are the best when coming to controlling crime within the city, but he has left a lot of officers injured after a raid on gangsters. Meanwhile, Tony (Tony Leung) is an undercover cop who has managed to infiltrate the empire of Triad boss "Uncle" Hoi (Kwan Hoi-Shan), but Tony is rising through the ranks to become a crime kingpin. Tequila learns about Tony and how deep he's in with organised crime, and rival crime syndicate boss Johnny Wong (Anthony Wong) want's Tony's blood. But Tequila discovers there's a more sinister plot at play, which involves a massive arsenal of weapons hidden at a hospital, but the stage is set for a massive bloodbath, with loads of patients stuck in the middle. It's a great action film, and Woo has fun with it, getting good performances from his actors, who can truly kick ass. This would be the last Hong Kong film Woo would made, thanks to the success of his previous films, Hollywood came calling, and after this, he went off to Hard Target (1993), followed by Broken Arrow (1996) and Face/Off (1997). The rest, as they say, is history. 4/5

Dancer in the Dark (2000), written and directed by Lars Von Trier, who at the time had come from the critical shitstorm kicked up by The Idiots (1998), but when it was announced for his next film he was going to do a musical with Björk, audiences and critics didn't know what to expect. While Von Trier reuses the techniques of shooting the film on hand held video like with his Dogme 95 manifesto, this is a solemn but moving musical, which has some lovely camerawork and it's a brave film. Set in Washington State in 1964, it focuses on the life of Czech immigrant Selma Ježková (Björk), who has moved to America with her son Gene Ježek (Vladica Kostic) in the hope of a better life. But, Selma has a condition which is making her go blind, and she is struggling to fit in at work at the local factory, where her friend Kathy (Catherine Deneuve), offers her solace. Selma and Gene live in a trailer on the property of local policeman Bill Houston (David Morse). When things get too much for Selma, she disappears into a dreamlike trance where she imagines everything around her turning into a musical, even though she has an admirer in fellow co-worker Jeff (Peter Stormare). But, things take a tragic and shocking turn when she finds her savings have been stolen. It's got some brilliant if unconventional music and dance numbers. It's not a film for everyone, and Von Trier's sparse and cold approach to film will turn many off, but he manages to do well, despite having a difficult production where Von Trier and Björk were at each other's throats every day of the shoot, they've managed to create an arty and unusual film. 4/5



Crush (2001), written and directed by Scottish playwright John McKay (Piccadilly Jim (2005)), who had used his status as a playwright to get a few short films made, but it was after working on the 1999 Channel 4 drama Psychos, they signed him up to make a feature film. It was filmed under the title The Sad Fuckers Club, but the producers forced McKay to change the title. Pity really, as the original title summed up the plight of our lead characters and what they're going through. Set in a small English town, this follows the exploits of three fortysomething women. American school headmistress Kate (Andie MacDowell), Police Superintendent Janine (Imelda Staunton) and local doctor Molly (Anna Chancellor), who meet up every week and each give the lowdown on their latest dating adventures, many of them have ended in disaster. Kate has just got over a big operation removing an ovarian cyst, and she hasn't been dating a lot, but all that changes when she falls for twentysomething church organist Jed (Kenny Doughty), who was a former student at her school. They become more and more of an item, and they plan to get married, but Janine and Molly are dubious of Jed, and try to convince Kate he's no good, but she's made her mind up. It's a good comedy-drama which was little seen when it came out, mainly because FilmFour went under, (before it was revived). But our three heroines play off each other well, and there is some good moments in the film. It's a good English comedy which slipped under the radar, but there's not that much to write home about, it's just an amusing piece of fluff. 3.5/5

L.A. Story (1991), written, co-produced by and starring Steve Martin and directed by Mick Jackson (The Bodyguard (1992) and Volcano (1997)), this is an amusing and sweet romantic comedy-fantasy, which Martin wrote as the Los Angeles response to New York Stories (1989), and had originally planned to have it being episodic and having a different director working on segments, but decided against it. The result is one of his best works as a writer, and it shows how imaginative he is. In Los Angeles, wacky weekend weatherman Harris K. Telemacher (Martin) is good at his job, even if he is scorned by his peers for his antics, but his private life is a mess and going nowhere. His girlfriend Trudi (Marilu Henner) is trying to climb the social ladder, which he doesn't want to do, but his life changes when he meets London journalist Sara (Victoria Tennant), who he falls in love with instantly, but Sara is at a loose end, as her ex-husband Roland (Richard E. Grant) wants to reconcile with her. So, Harris can't seem to get a break, but he soon gets advice from a very unlikely source. A freeway traffic condition sign which displays words of wisdom and encourages Harris to turn his life around, and go with his gut instinct on what he feels is right. It's a sweet film, and there are some surreal laughs throughout, especially when it makes out that Shakespeare spent his autumn years in L.A. It's a pity that Martin hasn't written more films than he should have, as he's very talented and has a good eye for character and a good ear for dialogue, plus the film is littered with loads of celebrity cameos throughout, which is quite fun. 4/5



The Jackal (1997), directed by Michael Caton-Jones (Memphis Belle (1990), Doc Hollywood (1991) and Rob Roy (1995)), this was intended to be a new adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal. But after discovering it bore no resemblence to his novel and leaning more towards the 1973 film adaptation, Forsyth had his name removed. It's not all bad, but it does have it's stumbling points, but it has some memorable moments thrown in too. The Jackal (Bruce Willis) is a mysterious yet enigmatic assassin who goes from country to country killing people, but the FBI have been after him for years, America and Canada have been after him for years, but FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston (Sidney Poitier) and Russian Police Major Valentina Koslova (Diane Venora) have one hope of finding The Jackal, and they find it in jailed IRA sniper Declan Mulqueen (Richard Gere), who wants released from jail if he helps them, and Mulqueen has help from Basque freedom fighter Isabella Zanconia (Mathilda May). Meanwhile, The Jackal is in Montreal, picking up a weapon which he intends to use to assassinate the American First Lady (Tess Harper), but Mulqueen and Koslova are getting closer to their target, but he's a master of disguises. It turns the events of the novel in 1963 France to America, with Willis putting on a whole array of make-up and disguises, while Gere struggles with a comedy Irish accent, but it's worth watching to see the cameos by Jack Black, J. K. Simmons and Leslie Phillips. It's not all successful, but you can see the makers went out with all good intentions, but it does drag. 3/5

The Harder They Come (1972), written and directed by Perry Henzell, this was the first feature film to be produced in Jamaica, even though the country had been a location for many international production, this was their first film. The Harder They Come received international recognition for it's breakthrough reggae soundtrack album, which became more popular than the film itself, but the film is a great timepiece of Jamaica emerging as an international cultural powerhouse. Ivanhoe Martin (Jimmy Cliff) is a Jamaican living in poverty, who just wants to get a break in life. He lives out in the country, and goes to Kingston to live with his mother (Lucia White), mainly to start again after the death of his sister. After trying to find God with overzealous Preacher (Basil Keane), Ivanhoe gets lucky by being given the chance to record a song, but to Ivanhoe's dismay, he discovers the only way he can get his record to be a hit is if he signs away the rights to the song. After being ripped off, this leads to Ivanhoe turning to a life of crime, pushing marjuana for drug dealer Jose (Carl Bradshaw) in Kingston, however one drug deal goes horribly wrong and Ivanhoe ends up on the run across Jamaica, and Jose ends up ratting Ivanhoe out to the police. This is a film which is still heavy going to this day, some of it is hard to watch even now, and it has a raw energy that comes out well. It was banned in Jamaica claiming it would cause "hooliganism", but it was a hit in America thanks to Roger Corman, who put it on the midnight movie circuit, making the film a cult hit, along with the unforgettable soundtrack. 4/5



Shame (2011), directed by Steve McQueen (Hunger (2008) and Twelve Years a Slave (2013)) McQueen had made a name for himself with Hunger, and made a star out it's leading man Michael Fassbender. They both wanted to work together again, and McQueen and co-writer Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady (2011)) created this film, which is a powerful and shocking drama about sexual obsession and addiction, a subject seldom treated seriously on film, but it's a difficult film to watch. In New York, Brandon (Michael Fassbender) works as an advertising executive, but he's addicted to sex and he's crashed the network where he works by looking at porn websites but no-one blames him, and he meets girls in bars and takes them back to his place where he has sex with them. However, his life is thrown into disarray when Brandon's sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) arrives unannounced at Brandon's apartment, begging to stay. She's been dumped by her boyfriend, and Brandon reluctantly agrees. Sissy is a jazz singer, and after persuading Brandon to see one of her spots at a club, Brandon's boss David (James Badge Dale) tries to chat Sissy up, much to Brandon's dismay, which annoys him even more when David and Sissy have sex in Brandon's bed. It's a very uncomfortable film, but McQueen directs the film in a very matter-of-fact way, taking it's taboo subject matter seriously, and showing the characters in a sympathetic light too, even if they are unlikeable. But, McQueen is courageous to have pulled off a film like this, and already Hollywood have been knocking on his door, it'll be exciting to see what he does next. 4/5

Asylum (1972), from Amicus Productions and directed by Roy Ward Baker (Quatermass and the Pit (1967), Scars of Dracula (1970) and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971)), this anthology horror film was written by Robert Bloch, who wrote Psycho. This is episodic and has a brilliant cast in it, it's the kind of horror film you just don't get these days, and each story has a good twist in the tail, and it's the quintessential Amicus horror, who relished in making films like this. Dr. Martin (Robert Powell) arrives at a private asylum for the incurably insane, it's ran by Dr Lionel Rutherford (Patrick Magee). Martin is told by Rutherford that one of the patients on a solitary confinement ward was a doctor who went insane, and Martin is to deduct which of the patients is the Doctor. He meets Bonnie (Barbara Parkins), who was witness to a gruesome act of voodoo after trying to have an affair with Walter (Richard Todd), there's tailor Bruno (Barry Morse) who got more than he bargained for when he made a suit for Mr. Smith (Peter Cushing), then we meet Barbara (Charlotte Rampling) who was released from another asylum, only to be followed by her friend Lucy (Britt Ekland), and then there Dr. Byron (Herbert Lom), who has been making toy robots that can work with soul transference. It's a very good horror film, and if there's one story you don't like, don't worry, there'll be another one along in 10-15 minutes that you will like. Films like these are great, as they usually have big all star casts that did these films not for the money, but to be on the same bill on other great actors and because they were great fun to make ultimately. 4/5



From Beyond The Grave (1973), from Amicus Productions and directed by Kevin Connor (The Land That Time Forgot (1975), At the Earth's Core (1976) and The People That Time Forgot (1977)), this was based on a series of short stories by Ronald Chetwynd-Hayes, (whose works were adapted by Amicus again for The Monster Club (1980)), this is a great Horror film, and portmanteau films like this were very entertaining back then, and they should be revived for today's audiences. Temptations Limited is an antiques shop owned by a mysterious Yorkshire Proprietor (Peter Cushing) whose productions aren't always what they seem. Edward Charlton (David Warner) buys a mirror for a knockdown price, but gets more than he bargained for when he performs a seance in front of it, unleashing a spirit, and turning him evil. Christopher Lowe (Ian Bannen) finds solace in old soldier Jim Underwood (Donald Pleasence), and steals a medal from the Proprietor to impress him, with dire consequences. Reggie Warren (Ian Carmichael) buys a snuff box, and he ends up with an evil spirit possessing his body and William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy) buys an antique door which opens up to an old castle owned by a murdered knight who wants revenge. This is a very entertaining film, and it has some good moments in it, and the odd belly laugh thrown in for good measure, but it's a sad shame that horror like this died out by the mid-1970's, as they were successful back then, and Amicus used to have fun making these films. 4/5

The Wolverine (2013), directed by James Mangold (Cop Land (1997), Walk The Line (2005) and 3:10 to Yuma (2007)), this follows on from the events of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and this is the film that X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) should have been, which was ruined by a troubled production. This makes up for it, as it's an entertaining and exciting coming book adventure, it's well made and it makes the most of Japanese culture and it has some good if far fetched action set-pieces. Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is now living as a hermit in the mountains in the Yukon, but he's approached by Yukio (Rila Fukushima) to come to Japan, as her employer wants to meet Logan. Her employer is Yashima (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), who was saved by Logan back in 1945 when Nagasaki was destroyed by atomic bombs. Yashima is dying from cancer, and he wants Logan's abilities to become immortal, but that would make Logan mortal again. Logan refuses, Yashima dies and at his funeral, the Yakuza tries to kidnap Yashima's granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto). While trying to save her, Logan finds he can feel pain again, badly too. Now he has to find who made him mortal while he wasn't looking and help keep Mariko safe from the Yakuza gangsters. True, there are plothole galore, but you know what, it doesn't matter, there's a lot to admire in this film, Jackman kicks ass again, and he throws himself into the role for the 6th time, (soon to be 7th), but there's some good design on display, and the ending sets the scene perfectly for the all-star ensemble of X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). This makes up for Wolverine's last solo outing. 4/5



Crescendo (1970), directed by Alan Gibson (Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) and The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)) and produced by Hammer, this psychological thriller had been on Hammer's to do list since 1966, originally intended for Michael Reeves (Witchfinder General (1968)) to direct, but it got postponed, Hammer veteran Jimmy Sangster gave the screenplay a rewrite, but it's release was delayed several times. Which is a shame, as it's a thriller where nothing is what it seems. Set in the South of France, music student Susan Roberts (Stefanie Powers) comes from New York to study the work of the late music composer Henry Ryman. She meets Ryman's widow Danielle (Margaretta Scott), and her disabled, drug-addled son Georges (James Olson). Susan discovers that this is a very dysfunctional family, where they all have skeletons in the closet, even maid Lillianne (Jane Lapotaire) and manservant Carter (Joss Ackland) have something to hide. Susan is studying an unfinished composition Ryman was working on, and she hears music coming from a barn on the Ryman estate, only to find it empty, but a lot of disfigured mannequins. Plus, Georges is making a lot of advances towards Susan, claiming she's a doppelganger of someone he knew. This is very similar to what Hammer did with Taste of Fear (1961) and what they would later do with Fear in the Night (1972), all had Sangster involved. But this is an underrated thriller, once which seems to have been forgotten by many of Hammer's hardcore fans, but it's one which deserves a look. While it takes it's time in getting going, it has an effective pay-off. 3.5/5

The Flesh and the Fiends (1960), directed by John Gilling (The Plague of the Zombies (1966), The Reptile (1966) and The Mummy's Shroud (1967)), this horror was written by Gilling and Leon Griffiths (who later created Minder) and it retells the story of the crimes of Burke and Hare whose exploits were written as The Body Snatchers by Robert Louis Stevenson, although this focuses more on the man they did business with, but this is a very effective and moody film with a good cast. In Edinburgh in the 1820's, Dr. Robert Knox (Peter Cushing) does medical research for classes of students, for this he requires cadavers, but the bodies that come in are of dubious quality. Local wheeler-dealers William Burke (George Rose) and William Hare (Donald Pleasence) come up with a way to provide Dr. Knox with bodies, fresh ones too. At Burke's house, they kill the lodgers and give them to Knox to cut up for his students, but someone notices people going missing. Plus, Knox's colleague Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell (Dermot Walsh) becomes suspicious at how many corpses Knox seems to be getting when other doctors are struggling to get any. It all seems very mysterious, but Burke and Hare slip up and after barmaid Mary Patterson (Billie Whitelaw) is killed, that's one too many. It has some good moments, and it's a very effective film shot in a stark black and white, but it shows what a good actor Cushing was, and even if this was made on the cheap, it manages to do quite a bit with so little, and it's quite heavy going for it's day too. But, it's a good history lesson of medical history, something which Cushing researched for the part. 3.5/5



The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012), written and directed by Peter Hedges (Pieces of April (2003) and Dan in Real Life (2007)) from a story by Ahmet Zappa (son of Frank). This is a sweet fantasy film which might be sentimental, but it's the kind of film that is seldom made anymore, and it's a good children's story with a lot of heart and some gentle humour along the way. This is the kind of film that Disney should be making, something small and personal rather than epic and overblown. Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton), are unable to have children, so after an evening of drinking wine, they write down all the things they want in a child and put it in a box and bury it in their garden. That night, a rainstorm appears directly over their house, a 10 year old boy called Timothy (CJ Adams) appears at their house claiming to be their son. They can't believe it at first, but they soon discover he has all the characteristics Cindy and Jim wanted in a child. However, Timothy has one very strange feature about him, he has leaves growing out of his legs. At school, Timothy becomes friends with Joni Jerome (Odeya Rush), who discovers his unusual feature, but accepts him for who he is, when everyone else in town can't seem to do. It's a sweet, innocent film showing a warm, autumnal side to small-town America, and it has some lovely moments in it. Don't listen to what most of the critics said, they seem to have missed the point, this is the kind of film that Frank Capra would make had he still been alive today. It's about acceptance and how life can throw strange and peculiar things at us. 4/5

The Hellfire Club (1961), produced and directed by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman (who would both go on to work on TV series The Saint and Jason King respectively) and written by Jimmy Sangster and Leon Griffiths. This is a suspenseful adventure film which started life as a horror film, until Baker and Berman changed their minds, and opted to do something a bit more heroic, closer in tone to what the recent Robin Hood TV series had been like, it was a wise decision, and it's an exciting film. As a child, Jason (Keith Michell) fled his family home after witnessing his father Lord Netherden (Andrew Faulds) fraternising with women in a secret club known as The Hellfire Club, and the Lord tried to kill him and his wife (Jean Lodge). Jason as an adult works in a European Circus, and wants to reclaim his birthright, but his cousin Thomas (Peter Arne) has assumed the title, and lawyer Merryweather (Peter Cushing) doesn't think Jason has a chance, but Jason goes undercover at Netherden Hall, posing as a stableboy, and is able to work his way into Thomas' inner circle, but it's not long before Thomas works out who Jason really is, and Jason calls upon his old circus chums to try and reclaim the title to the heirdom. It's a good heroic film with some good swashbuckling set pieces, Michell is best known for playing Henry VIII on TV and film, and he puts in a brilliant performance here, doing his own stunts when called for, and being able to have fun too. This is another kind of film you don't get these days, the heroic swashbuckler, it's about time films like this were made again, as they make for great, compelling viewing. 4/5



And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973), produced by Amicus Productions and directed by the ever reliable Roy Ward Baker (A Night to Remember (1958), The Vampire Lovers (1970), Scars of Dracula (1970) and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971)), this is a complex but effective horror film with a good cast, but it does get a bit complex for it's own good, which tends to work against it. Set in rural England in 1795, it starts when young Charles Fengriffen (Ian Ogilvy) marries Catherine (Stephanie Beacham), and they settle down in the family home, but when Catherine becomes obsessed with a painting that has a mysterious, hypnotic quality about it, she starts seeing things, like a dismembered hand crawling across the floor, and on the wedding night, Catherine is sexually assaulted by some unknown entity. When the hallucinations get worse, Charles turns to Dr. Whittle (Patrick Magee), who is at a loss what to do, but he calls in psychologist Dr. Pope (Peter Cushing), who learns the horrible truth about Charles' grandfather Henry (Herbert Lom), and the curse a woodsman called Silas (Geoffrey Whitehead) put upon the name of Fengriffen. It's got it's good moments of bloody scares and what you'd expect from a 70's horror film, it's got good costumes and sets too, and it manages to do a lot with not a lot of money. A bit of work could have gone into the script mind, as it does seem a bit confused and muddled at the end, which feels a bit silly. 4/5

Lemmy (2010), written, directed, filmed and produced by Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski, this documentary is about a true rock and roll hero, someone who has so many stories to tell and lives the ultimate rock and roll lifestyle, and still does live it. It manages to mix his rise to stardom with what he does today and what his hobbies and interests are. Lemmy is a true legend, he's been there, done that, bought the T-Shirt and still lives to tell the tale, and everyone has something to say about him. Ian 'Lemmy' Kilmister is best known for his band Motörhead and their biggest hit Ace of Spades, but there's a lot more to Lemmy than that. He wanted to be a musician from an early age, and joined Blackpool based R&B band The Rockin' Vickers, from there he became a roadie for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, then he had a taste of big time fame when he joined Hawkwind, until he was unceremoniously fired after being busted for drugs. Unfazed, he went solo with Motörhead, and the rest, as they say is history. Since then, he lives in Los Angeles, living near the Rainbow Bar and Grill on Sunset Strip, where he visits, plus he has a lot of war memorabilia too. Lemmy is the ultimate definition of a living legend, and with contributions from friends and fans such as Billy Bob Thornton, Dave Grohl, Slash, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Hook and Lars Ulrich. Lemmy has lived an unbelievably eventful life, and it's reassuring to know that it isn't over yet, and there's still life in the old dog left, a lot more life. 4/5



Monsters University (2013), after the success of Monsters, Inc (2001), a sequel has always been on the cards, but Disney and Pixar could never agree on a story that would work, at one point Disney nearly did it without Pixar, but that never happened, but they got back together and decided to do a prequel. It's a fun film, and while it might not scale the high heights of Pixar's early work, it's a film which manages to be entertaining and fun, and it's great to see these characters again. Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) has just enrolled at Monsters University, where he wants to be a scarer, after getting a close up look at Scarers working when he was younger, but he doesn't look scary or act scary. His college roommate Randy Boggs (Steve Buscemi) has great aspirations to be a scarer, but Mike ends up being annoyed at every turn by James P. Sullivan (John Goodman), who arrogance and care-free attitude irritates Mike at every turn. Their rivalry causes Dean Abigail Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren) to fail them both, but Mike comes up with a plan to get back into the Scarer Program, and that involves taking part in Scare Games, competing against the tough fraternity house Roar Omega Roar, which seems like an impossible task. It's a film which sends up all old college and university traditions, and it has some imaginative monsters on display here, and it shows how Mike and Sulley met, how it started off as a rivary, and how the rivary became a life-long friendship, but it shows that Pixar, despite the odd recent misstep, still have it in them to entertain. The preceding short animation The Blue Umbrella, is so sweet and beautiful. 4/5

The Heat (2013), directed by Paul Feig (Unaccompanied Minors (2006) and Bridesmaids (2010)), and written by Katie Doppold (MADtv) this is a hilarious buddy cop movie, although it's females kicking ass this time instead of men. It references and sends up the likes of Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour and Bad Boys, but this is truly the funniest comedy of 2013, and it's leads make a brilliant pairing, and it manages to mix violent action with rude, laugh out loud comedy with ease. FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is brilliant at her job, but no-one likes her because of her arrogance. She's sent to Boston to investigate a drugs kingpin called Larkin, it should be an easy job, but Ashburn is dismayed to find she's been partnered up with Detective Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), who a loose-cannon and very foul-mouthed, but she gets the job done and doesn't give in. Instantly, Ashburn and Mullins are at each others throat about how they do the job, and they end up running in with DEA Agents Craig (Dan Bakkedahl) and Adam (Taran Killam), who don't want Ashburn and Mullins getting in the way. However, Ashburn finds herself warming towards Mullins, and getting to know Mullins' family, who hate Mullins as she sent her brother Jason (Michael Rapaport) down for drugs. This is the kind of cop films that should be made, and has some hilarious set pieces, McCarthy absolutely steals the film, while Bullock makes a perfect straight woman to her badass attitude. It ticks all the boxes in the buddy cop movie cliche handbook, and it's all the better for doing that, and there's already a sequel on the way. Bring it on!! 4.5/5



Ponyo (2008), written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki for Studio Ghibli, this enchanting animated fantasy was heavily inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, but Miyazaki adds a lot more invention and creation from his imagination along the way. Plus, Miyazaki insisted that all of the film be done the old fashioned way, 2D cel animation, painted and inked with no computers. The result is unbelievable, and it looks brilliant on screen and is an absolute joy to watch. Brunhilde (Noah Cyrus) is a fish girl who swims away from her father Fujimoto (Liam Neeson), who was once human but now lives underwater. The fish girl ends up at a small Japanese coastal town where she's found by 5 year old boy Sōsuke (Frankie Jonas) finds the fish and calls her Ponyo, and they have an instant bond. Sōsuke's mother Lisa (Tina Fey) is concerned by Sōsuke's liking for this unusual fish, while old ladies at a local retirement home Noriko (Cloris Leachman) and Yoshie (Betty White) take a liking to the fish, while Toki (Lily Tomlin) tells Sōsuke to return the fish to where it belongs, otherwise bad things will happen, and she's right, Fujimoto creates a massive storm to try and intice Ponyo to return, but it's too late, Ponyo is turning into a real human girl. It has some brilliant imaginative details on display, and it's great to have Miyazaki back making films again, and he has a ball with this fantasy adventure, it has all his usual hallmarks, with animals taking on human characteristics and not just humans here. It's a magical aquatic adventure, and it's a sweet and innocent film to watch, and there's not enough Studio Ghibli films in the world. 4/5

D.O.A. (1988), directed by Max Headroom creators Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, this is a remake of Rudolph Maté's 1950 film noir of the same name, here written by Charles Edward Pogue (The Fly (1986) and Dragonheart (1996)). It takes the plot of the original and updates it to the 1980's, and it does have it's moments, although many bits feels like clips from music videos, which is where Jankel and Morton came from, but not all of it works, and it is a bit confusing in places. It begins when Professor Dexter Cornell (Dennis Quaid) staggers into a police station to report a murder, when asked who was murder, Cornell replies he was. We flash back 36 hours, Cornell works at a college, but is going through a rough spell, mainly because his wife Gail (Jane Kaczmarek) has filed for divorce, but he finds solace in student Sydney Fuller (Meg Ryan). After spending a night with Sydney, Cornell wakes up feeling unwell, and he finds that he's been poisoned and has a day to live. To top all that off, star student Nick Lang (Robert Knepper) committed suicide. He's now on a mission to find who poisoned him and who murdered Nick, he suspects Nick's mentor Mrs. Fitzwaring (Charlotte Rampling), but with Sydney in tow, he has to try and find out who would do this to him. It's very derivative, and it's a wonder it hasn't been remade again now, (give them time). But, one reason it was made was to cash in on Quaid and Ryan's relationship, (they'd just done Innerspace (1987) together. As for Jankel and Morton, they went back to doing music videos and adverts. Then they were offered Super Mario Bros. (1993), we all know what happened there... 3/5



Bulworth (1998), written and directed by Warren Beatty, this film was made in absolute total secrecy at the time, mainly because Fox owed Beatty a film, as way of getting out of a lawsuit with Beatty because Fox dropped out of doing Dick Tracy (1990). Beatty only gave them a rough outline, and got $30 million to make his film. It's a good political satire, which focuses on what politicians which they could do, but can't because it would be career suicide for them. In 1996, liberal Senator Jay Bulworth (Beatty) is in a state of depression and is feeling suicidal. His political opinions, which won him voters in the 1960's and 1970's aren't working today, and a lot of people have turned their backs on him. He puts out a $10 million life insurance policy on his own life, and hires an unknown assassin to kill him. With nothing to lose, he appears at political rallies in California, extremely drunk and starts speaking his mind and makes offensive remarks, which reaches a head when he goes to a club, and starts rapping. This attitude actually wins favours with voters, and it's a shocking boost to Bulworth's career, he is aided by young campaigner Nina (Halle Berry), but Bulworth is fearful and mindful of when the day will come when he will be assassinated. It's a darkly funny look at fame, and how people crave it and some shun it, and what some people will do to stay in the public spotlight for as long as possible, there's no-one worse at doing that than politicians. It was also Beatty's last major film, (the debace of Town & Country (2001) aside), it's about time he made another film, as his presence has been missed from cinemas. 4/5