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

Blue Jasmine isn't on near me but I'm looking forward to when it hits DVD. I've heard nothing but good things about Blanchett.

NYC: Tornado Terror - Rather naff TV movie, but laughably so.

I Spit On Yout Grave (1st view) - I've not seen the original, and from what I've read people seem divided as to whether this one is better or worse. Rather lurid rape and revenge film, that seems to have been inspired by the Saw films - 3/5*





NYC: Tornado Terror (1st view) - Director Takács has made something of a career out of cheesy TV movies. Meteor Storm, Mega Snake, The Black Hole, Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep. This one can't compete with those gems though and is quite forgettable - 2/5*

Sharknado (1st view) - Sharks and tornados tend to not share the screen as often as they should. Don't know why that is. Maybe it's because most filmmakers have a greater respect for the basic laws of science and such. But hey, any concpet that can give us a scene in which a shark falls from the sky and a man weilding a chainsaw jumps into the sharks open mouth only to cut himself out, unharmed, from the shark whilst dragging another person out who had been eaten as she tried to knock the shark off a helicopter is fine by me. Also, it has an amazing song for the end credits. "Go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Run away from the sharknado. It's your greatest for, foe for, Don't wanna get eaten by the sharknado" - 3/5*

Moonrise Kingdom (2012), directed by Wes Anderson, and his return to live-action after his dive into animation with Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), this is a very odd and absolutely eccentric romance. But, it's everything we've come to expect from Anderson, who has a brilliant visual style that's inimitable and recognisable. It's a sweet film with brilliant performances and amazing mis-en-scene. On the Island of New Penzance, just off the coast of Rhode Island in 1965, 12 year old cub scout Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) has fallen in love with Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward), and Sam will stop at nothing to be with the girl he loves, and they agree to meet up and run away. Sam runs away from the scouts, much to the shock and concern of Scout Master Randy Ward (Edward Norton), who calls in the services of the Island's Sheriff Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis). While searching for Sam, Suzy's parents Walter (Bill Murray) and Laura (Frances McDormand) find out their daughter is missing and end up in the search for Suzy and Sam. Meanwhile, the scouts are looking for them too, but Sam and Suzy prove to be a match for everyone looking. It's a sweet film, and even if it is a simple story, the way Anderson tells it is anything but simple. But, it's his use of camerawork and editing that makes his films stand out from the rest. The young leads somehow steal the film from seasoned pros like Willis, Murray and McDormand. But, it has amusing cameos from Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban and Harvey Keitel. So far, this is the best film of 2012, a nice surprise too. 4.5/5



Cloud Atlas (2012), adapted from David Mitchell's 2004 novel, co-directed and co-written by Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer. This is the riskiest big-budget film in a long time, funding fell through a few times, but the Wachowski's and Tykwer persevered with it, and they got it made. The result is a big epic portmanteau, all mixed up and connected to each story, it requires patience but once you get into it, you'll never want it to end. The film follows the exploits of lawyer Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) in 1849 on a voyage in the Pacific, his story is read in 1936 by Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) who has a correspondance with Rufus Sixsmith (James D'Arcy). Sixsmith in 1973 gets involved in a conspiracy theory in San Francisco with investigative journalist Luisa Rey (Halle Berry). Her story is read by publisher Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) who ends up in a nursing home against his will. His life story is seen in Neo Seoul in 2144 by clone Somni-451 (Doona Bae) who is part of a revolution, and her actions are worshiped in 2321, when tribesman Zachry (Tom Hanks) struggles to survive in a post-apocalyptic Hawaii. It's an amazing film to watch, it's very epic and ambitious in scope. It goes from sea adventure, to romance, to political thriller, to farce, to sci-fi to survival drama all in one film, and it has a an amazing cast with 3 great directors getting the best out of them and Mitchell's book. 5/5

Frankenstein's Army (1st view) - A Russian propoganda filmmaker records the exploits of Russian soldiers entering easten Germany near the end of WWII. The come across an abandoned church, turned into a lab, in which Dr Frankenstein's grandson creates absurdly murderous biological/mechanical hybrids. The film only really gets going once the true horrors of his work are revealed, but the preamble that hints at what's to come is far too long and dreary - 3/5*

Tommy (1975), Ken Russell's career was in the toilet after Savage Messiah (1972) was a huge flop, but producer Robert Stigwood gave him a chance with a film adaptation of The Who's 1969 concept album/rock opera. As everyone knows, Uncle Ken likes opera, and saw potential in this. Despite misgiving of working with rock stars, it became his biggest financial hit and it still stands to this day. It begins at the end of World War 2, when Captain Walker (Robert Powell) is missing and believed dead, but his wife Nora (Ann-Margret) gives birth to a boy, Tommy. She finds a new husband with holiday camp worker Frank (Oliver Reed), but Captain Walker returns and is killed in an altercation with Frank. Tommy's witnessed it, his parents beg him not to say a thing, and Tommy goes deaf, dumb, and blind. Years later, and Tommy is an adult (Roger Daltrey), and even attempts to rid him off his block by The Preacher (Eric Clapton), The Acid Queen (Tina Turner) and a Specialist (Jack Nicholson) don't work, but Tommy does have one major talent, Pinball. It makes money for his family and even goes to beat the current Pinball Wizard (Elton John) and it becomes a way of life for him. It's a very odd musical, with the  usual flairs of Ken Russell, from Ann-Margret swimming in soap suds, baked beans and chocolate to Keith Moon appearing as a very un-PC Uncle Ernie, but it all works and it still stands up as one of the best musicals today. Ken went one better with the film that followed though. 5/5



Gregory's Girl (1981), written and directed by Bill Forsyth, who had made his start in film by making documentaries around his native Scotland, but with doing these, he had been able to get funding for his first feature That Sinking Feeling (1980), which the critics liked. After that, he got money from Scottish Television for another film, and it's a sweet, heartfelt romantic comedy about growing pains and love. Set in the Scottish newtown of Cumbernauld, Gregory Underwood (John Gordon Sinclair) is a socially awkward teenager who plays in the football team of his secondary school, but they're not doing too well, and he's hopeless as a goalkeeper. Things change when the team's Coach Phil Menzies (Jake D'Arcy) lets Dorothy (Dee Hepburn) onto the all male team, and Gregory falls for Dorothy. But, his awkwardness means he's not confident enough to ask Dorothy out on a date, however Gregory ends up getting advice from his 10 year old sister Madeleine (Allison Forster), of all people, on how to win Dorothy over and ask her out. It's a lovely little film with some amusing little details, like a pupil in a penguin suit wandering around the school, and it was made for little money, but it helped Forsyth get on the road to fame with the likes of Local Hero (1983) and Comfort and Joy (1984). But, it was the start of a good trio of films from Forsyth. 4/5

Death Becomes Her (1992), directed by Robert Zemeckis, who at the time had just come of the hardships of filming Back to the Future 2 and 3 back to back, but instead of looking for an easier film to make, he chose this high concept black comedy written by Martin Donovan (Apartment Zero (1988)) and David Koepp (Jurassic Park (1993)). It's not perfect, but it does have some amazing set-ups and a game cast. In 1978, scheming actress Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep), seduces and steals plastic surgeon Dr. Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis) from his fiance Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), an aspiring writer. Madeline and Ernest marry, Helen falls into a slump and goes insane, but 14 years later, she returns, looking youthful and radiant. Madeline wants to know Helen's secret, and finds it in a potion she got from Lisle von Rhoman (Isabella Rossellini), which grants eternal life, but she has to take care of her body. However, Ernest and Helen are back together, and plotting to kill Madeline. But, this proves to be harder than it looks, and Madeline gets her own back. It's a very silly film, but it makes it clear from the start that these are very unlikeable characters, all plotting against each other, but there are some very good dark laughs throughout, and Zemeckis has fun with the stars sending up Hollywood rivalries, and it has some brilliant special effects for it's day. 4/5



A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman (2012), based upon Graham Chapman's A Liar's Autobiography, Volume VI (1980), which was a fictionalised take on his life, this animated take was directed by Bill Jones, Jeff Simpson and Ben Timlett, who were behind the documentary Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut). It's visually striking, but it's more surreal than funny. Narrated by Graham Chapman, taken from an audio reading of his book recorded in 1986, it tells us of his "life", his childhood growing up with his father (Michael Palin) and mother (Terry Jones). How Chapman found out he was gay, and the trouble he had coming out to his parents and people he knew, and how he gave up his career as a doctor to go into comedy after a chance encounter with the Queen Mother (Palin again), and getting work in TV with David Frost (John Cleese), but when he started Monty Python, he descended into alcoholism, but he beat the booze and went to live in Hollywood as a tax dodge. It has some brilliantly animated scenes, but the joke that it's a fictionalised biopic of Chapman's own life, (and knows it), does work against it sometimes, especially if you want to hear some true facts. But it does have some pretty memorable sequences, some sexual and some violent, oh and Cameron Diaz appearing as Sigmund Freud... 3/5

The Expendables (2010), Sylvester Stallone brings together an old school action film, with a big action cast to it's name, combining his old friends, wrestlers and a certain Govenor of California. It's good to see an action film like this in cinemas again, it isn't perfect, but it makes a refreshing change to all the watered down action films we've been getting for the past 2 decades. The Expendables are a group of mercanaries who do violent, near impossible jobs other people would shy off. They're led by Barney Ross (Sly), and his team include knife expert Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), martial arts expert Yin Yang (Jet Li), heavy weapons handler Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), demolitionist Toll Road (Randy Couture) and maverick sniper Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren). Their mission co-ordinator Tool (Mickey Rourke) gives them a job comissioned by the mysterious Mr. Church (Bruce Willis), to overthrow dictator, General Garza (David Zayas) on the South American island of Vilena, Garza is being controlled by ex-CIA agent James Munroe (Eric Roberts) for money. It seems impossible, but The Expendables never lose!! It's a very good film, and it gives the audience what they want. The action is very well staged, and the cast are enjoyable and there's much fun to be had along the way. A sequel to this is inevitable, and no-one is ever too old for action, Sly has proven that!! 4/5



The Expendables 2 (2012), it was inevitable that there would be a sequel to The Expendables (2010), even if the first film hadn't have been successful, Sly and Co. had already got enough momentum going to do a sequel, as well as a screenplay. Here, Sly got Simon West (Con Air (1997) and The General's Daughter (1999)), to direct it. It's great fun, and it proves you don't need a plot to make a good film, and it makes you want more. The Expendables, led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), with his team consisting of Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), Toll Road (Randy Couture), and Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren) are given a mission by Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) which promises to be a walk in the park. They're helped by technical genius Maggie (Yu Nan) to recover a case containing a computer drive which has the location of hidden plutonium in Albania. However, they're ambushed by Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme), who kills one of their own, so Barney plans revenge against Vilain and to stop his plans. Along the way, they get help from lone wolf Booker (Chuck Norris) and Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger). It's a very silly action film, but this is what films like this were like back in the 1980's, and it's good to see the cream of the crop together fighting baddies, and each other in some cases. The finale in an airport terminal is absolutely insane, but it's the wet dream of hardened action fans. Never mind character development or a complex plot, nice violent action is always entertaining, especially when it's done as well as this. Now, lets hope The Expendables 3 happens soon. 4/5

Scream 4 (2011), you can't keep a horror franchise down for good, and it was only a matter of time before the Scream franchise would return. It had been run down by the lacklustre Scream 3 (2000) as well as the Scary Movie franchise. However, director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson returned to show that sometimes the old ways of horror are the best ways, and it's an improvement on the last film. 11 years after the events of the last film, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has led a quiet life, but she's just returned to the public eye after writing a new book, and she returns to her home town of Woodsboro to promote the book. She's staying with her cousin Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts), and no sooner than Sidney comes home, the murders start again and a new Ghostface is at large, and at first Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette) believes Sidney is responsible, but his wife Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) believes it's something else, and using the power of webcams, they can now find out who the new Ghostface is. The last film went off to Hollywood, and it lost the point of the franchise, now it's come home, and it's more focused, and it does have a lot to say about the state of horror films at the minute, descending into torture-porn horror, but even a franchise like Scream has a few tricks up it's sleeve, old ones though. 3.5/5



Life of Pi (2012), Yann Martel's 2001 novel had been in development for nearly 10 years, being passed on by directors like M. Night Shyamalan, Alfonso Cuarón and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who couldn't figure out how to make it work. It looked unfilmable, until Ang Lee decided to have a go at it, it would take him 3 years of production to get it to the screen, but it works, and it looks absolutely stunning and it's visually beautiful. In Montreal, a writer (Rafe Spall) talks to Pi Patel (Irrfan Khan), after hearing about Pi from a man in Pondicherry, India. Pi tells his life story as a 16 year old, (Suraj Sharma) about how his family ran a zoo, but then they decided to move to Canada to sell their animals. They travel on the Japanese freighter named the Tsimtsum, and 4 days into their voyage across the Pacific, they hit a storm, Pi is the only survivor and he finds himself on a lifeboat with a Zebra, a Hyena, an Orangutan and a Bengal tiger called Richard Parker. Pi has to learn to survive on the raft with Richard Parker, not knowing how long he'll be at sea for or whether he'll be rescued. It's a magnificent adventure, where you get to feel the emotions of a tiger as well as our hero. Lee has made this seemingly unfilmable story work and it looks amazing, the 3D works as well, making it the one of the few films which has to be seen in 3D, as it enhances the story. 5/5

Ender's Game (2013), based upon the 1985 sci-fi novel by Orson Scott Card, and adapted and directed here by Gavin Hood (Rendition (2007) and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)). This adaptation of Card's novel has been in development for over 25 years, being passed from pillar to post before they settled on a take that would do the book justice, and it's a good film with some good performances in it. By the late 21st Century, much of Earth was wiped out by an alien race known as the Formics, but the Formics were wiped out and sent packing. Years later, Earth has been sending it's brightest children to International Fleet to train for any future attack by the Formics. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is the new recruit to Battle School, where he's taught by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford). Ender soon wins the respect of his peers, including fellow student Petra Arkanian (Hailee Steinfeld). Then Ender progresses forward to Command School, where he's taught by Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), who saw off the aliens first time around. True, it does have a few plotholes, and the dialogue is quite cliched, but it's worth it for the strong performances by the cast, Butterfield and Steinfeld manage to put in better performances than Ford and Kingsley, which is saying something. But, it would be good to see where they go with a sequel if this is successful. 3.5/5



Bunny and the Bull (2010), the feature debut of Paul King, who directed the cult TV series The Mighty Boosh. Here, he weaves a surreal and charming little film that's not a million miles away from the stuff Michel Gondry came up with for The Science of Sleep (2006). It's very entertaining, with some good moments and very peculiar sequences throughout with a few familiar faces in there too. It has young shut-in Stephen Turnbull (Edward Hogg), who hasn't left his house in a year, but within his mind, he recreates a road-trip he went on with his best friend Bunny (Simon Farnaby), Bunny had won £2,500 on the horses, so they go around Europe, meeting all kinds of weird people along the way, including a boring museum curator (Richard Ayoade), Russian tramp Allita (Julian Barratt), alcoholic ex-matador Javier (Noel Fielding) and superstitious waitress Eloisa (Veronica Echegui) who has a relationship with Stephen and Bunny. This roadtrip is recreated from some of Stephen's possessions around his house. It's fun to see films like this come along, as they're different from all the rest. This one might be a little too much to take in one sitting, but it's still entertaining nontheless. The two leads are likeable, and it's good to see Barratt and Fielding of The Mighty Boosh make amusing appearances. 4/5

THE PURGE

I dont think ive written a review on here before (so apologies in advance if its shite and nowhere NEAR the mega high standards of Mr McKinneys)

Imagine if unemployment was at 1% and nearly ALL crime is non existent. Once a year in this 'utopia' everyone is allowed to let loose and commit any crime - its legal for one night only and is know as 'The Purge' All emergency services close for 12 hours and anyone is allowed to run rampent - anything's game.

So we begin with a family getting ready to lock themselves in for the night to see out the evening's festivities but following a ridiculously stupid mistake by a family member it lands the entire family in a bit of a pickle.

Plot holes galore, absolutely ludicrous premise, clichéd to high heaven - its sad to see Ethan Hawke (who in my opinion is pretty watchable and been on decent form of late from Sinister and Before Midnight) in this, what i can only describe as a simply awful film.

Avoid like bum aids cos, if you're like me, it'll just make you angry and want to go on a purge yourself! 1/5

Bright Young Things (2003), written and directed by Stephen Fry, (his directorial debut), adapted from Evelyn Waugh's 1930 novel Vile Bodies. It is meant to provide a social commentary of bohemian life in the 1930's, and it's a bubbly and likeable film, but not all of it works, despite the best efforts of the all star cast, and it does depict one party too many, by which point it does get a bit tedious and repetitive. Aspiring novelist Adam Fenwick-Symes (Stephen Campbell Moore) works for tabloid newspaper magnate Lord Monomark (Dan Aykroyd), but he's found himself in a bit of a financial trouble which means he's had to postpone his wedding to Nina Blount (Emily Mortimer). He wins £1000 after a game with Ginger Littlejohn (David Tennant), which a drunken Major (Jim Broadbent) tells Adam to put on a horse that won't win, which it does, to the tune of £33,000. But it takes Adam over a decade to get his money back from the Major, by which time, Adam is introduced to wild parties by Simon Balcairn (James McAvoy), a tabloid journalist who sneaks into parties. It's a perfect fit for Fry's brand of wit, and he makes a decent job of his first time out as a directed, calling in favours from his friends, including John Mills, who does cocaine. But the film lurches between zany wit and dark drama too much, which does spoil it slightly, despite all good intentions. 3/5



The Reader (2008), directed by Stephen Daldrey (Billy Elliot (2000), The Hours (2002) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)), and adapted from the 1995 novel by Bernhard Schlink. This is a touching, moving and shocking romantic drama set over 5 decades, and it was ever so partially based on experiences from novelist Schlink's life. It makes for a very compelling and tragic drama where there's secrets abound. In 1958, student Michael Berg (David Kross) is aided by tram conductor Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet) when he falls ill. He goes back to visit Hanna to thank her, and they begin a passionate affair. In 1966, while Michael is studying law, he observes a trial of women who worked at the concentration camps, and one of them is Hanna, but while Hanna ends up being sent down, she has a secret that Michael knows that he could have cleared her name. But she goes down, but they maintain a correspondence that continues until Michael becomes older (Ralph Fiennes), and he sends her audio tapes of him reading her favourite books. It's a very moving film, it won Winslet an Oscar for the tragic Hanna Schmitz, who was put in an impossible situation and paid the price for it. It has lovely cinemtography by Chris Menges and Roger Deakins, which adds to the films mood, but it does feel a bit cold and there is an underlying theme of abuse about the actions. 3.5/5

The Winslow Boy (1999), written and directed by David Mamet, who is known mainly for his foul-mouthed screenplays with crackerjack dialogue, does something completely different. Here, Mamet adapts Terence Rattigan's 1946 play, which in turn was based on an actual scandal in 1910's London. It's a very quiet, understated adaptation of Rattigan's play, and it shows a restrained side to Mamet as well. Just before Christmas 1911, Ronnie Winslow (Guy Edwards) a naval cadet at Royal Naval College, Osborne is expelled from the college after being accused to stealing a 5 Shilling Postal Order. Ronnie protests his innocence, and his father Arthur (Nigel Hawthorne) believes him, and so does his mother Grace (Gemma Jones). Arthur wants to clear his sons name and defend the honour of the family, whose name could be tarnished by this allegation. When the college refuse Winslow's appeal, Arthur takes the case to court, and is able to get Sir Robert Morton (Jeremy Northam), the top barrister in England at the time, to defend Ronnie and clear his name. There's something very old fashioned about this adaptation, and it never forgets it's theatrical roots. Indeed Mamet started this one out as a new stage version of the play before he decided to do it for the big screen. It makes for a very polite social drama about being wrongfully accused. 4/5



The Missing (2003), directed by Ron Howard, and adapted from Thomas Eidson's 1996 novel The Last Ride. Howard picked up this film after his plans to do a new version of The Alamo fell through, so he looked for another western, and this was on his to-do list at the time. It has a very good cast all giving stellar performances, but it does drag quite a bit and it all comes across as being very melodramatic. Set in New Mexico in 1885, Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchett) lives on a ranch with her two daughters Lilly (Evan Rachel Wood) and Dot (Jenna Boyd), she is visited by her estranged father Samuel Jones (Tommy Lee Jones), who abandoned Maggie years before, but she is still unable to forgive him. But when Lilly ends up being kidnapped by hoodlum Pesh-Chidin (Eric Schweig), who also killed Maggie's boyfriend Brake Baldwin (Aaron Eckhart) in the process. Maggie must team up with Samuel if they stand any chance of getting her back. They team up with Native American Kayitah (Jay Tavare) who is looking for his son taken by the gang. It is a film which tries to do good, and Howard is the right man to do a western, but he could have done better than this and it's all been done ages ago in other westerns, which comes across a bit heavy and soppy in a lot of places, and he does get some brilliant performances from his cast, Blanchett especially. 3/5

The Vampire Lovers (1970), during the early 1970's, Hammer Films produced a trilogy based upon Irish author J. Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 novella Carmilla, and it created the Karnstein Trilogy, which also consisted of Lust For A Vampire (1971) and Twins of Evil (1972), which focused on lesbian vampire Mircalla Karnstein, this was the first film in the trilogy, and it does make for a very good vampire horror film as well. It begins with a Countess (Dawn Addams) leaving her daughter Marcilla (Ingrid Pitt) in the care of General von Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) and his family. Marcilla befriends Spielsdorf's daughter Laura (Pippa Steele), she gets nightmares and dies, then Marcilla moves to the house of Roger Morton (George Cole), and Marcilla becomes friends with daughter Emma Morton (Madeline Smith), and she becomes ill as well. Then more girls start to become ill and die. Then, a mysterious old man, Baron Joachim von Hartog (Douglas Wilmer) appears, claiming he's dealt with Marcilla before, and that she must be stopped. It's a very good Hammer Horror, with a good cast and good performances. It is quite grisly as well towards the end. It's got the obligatory sex, nudity and violence within, which came about at a time when censorship laws in the UK ended up being relaxed, which no Hammer would be complete without back then. 3.5/5



The Artist (2011), a passion project that writer/director Michel Hazanavicius harvested for years, but no-one would fund the idea of doing a silent film today, but it was only after his series of OSS 117 spy spoofs that he found money to do it. It was a pet project well worth it, a gamble but one that pays off, it's likeable, and it has pathos and charm, and says alot for a silent movie. It starts in 1927, when silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is at the premiere of his latest film A Russian Affair, outside as he poses for his fans, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), a fan accidentally ends up in his arms, and poses with her for photos. Peppy soon finds herself auditioning as a dancer at Kinograph Studios, where she meets Valentin again, who convinces studio boss Al Zimmer (John Goodman) to give her chance, which he does, and her star rises, and when talkies come along, Valentin is dismissive of them, and it nearly costs him his film career because of his vanity and pride, and his own attempts to fund his own film bankrupt him, but Valentin finds himself saved from death. It's a touching, moving and funny film, which has a charm and warmth that a lot of films today simply lack. Dujardin and Bejo have great chemistry in this film, and they don't even have to say a word, it deserves all the accolades and acclaim it's getting, and it's a film that would have worked 80 years ago as well. 4/5

J. Edgar (2011), Clint Eastwood shows no sign of stopping or slowing down in his old age, especially here as he take on the life and times of the most controversial American who ever lived. No matter how you did it, it was always going to be a difficult film to adapt, but Eastwood does his best and he uses his brand of unfussy, unflashy direction to good effect with this old fashioned biopic. This follows the life of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio), from 1919 until 1972, showing how he was asked to run the Bureau of Investigation set up by the Justice Department, later to become the FBI. He employs lawyer Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) as his trusted assistant, who sticks by Hoover until his death, his secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) is loyal and faithful to Hoover, despite many of his unorthodox decisions. It shows how Hoover handled the arrests of the public enemies of the Great Depression like John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson, the ill-fated kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby and the aftermath, as well as the fact that Hoover kept his own collection of files on high ranking politicians, even presidents who ran the country at the time, making Hoover untouchable. It's a focused biopic that has it's flaws, but Hoover wasn't a perfect man, so why should the story of his life be perfect?? DiCaprio does wonders as the man of contradictions, a man who poked around in other people's lives, but kept his life very private, but the show is stolen whenever Judi Dench appears as Hoover's Mum, who never minces her words and thinks the world of her son. 4/5



Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011), based on the 2005 novel  by Jonathan Safran Foer, and directed by Stephen Daldrey (Billy Elliot (2000) and The Hours (2002)). This is a tricky drama, which might come across as reopening old wounds about a horrendous tragedy, but it's actually an intriguing mystery and a touching adventure as well. It's well made, and it's actually, in a weird roundabout way, a love letter to New York City. Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) is an eccentric boy whose father Thomas (Tom Hanks) is an inventive, excitable jeweller, who inspires his son to live life to the full. However, Thomas is killed in the North Tower of the World Trade Centre on September 11th 2001. A year passes, and Oskar is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of his father, and his mother Linda (Sandra Bullock) is cold and distant. Oskar finds a key in his father's closet, discovering it belongs to someone called Black, Oskar goes on an epic quest to find who the key belongs to and if it fits a lock. He meets people, and they're touched by his curiousity, and Oskar is aided by a mute stranger (Max Von Sydow), who lives with Oskar's Grandma (Zoe Caldwell). It's certainly not as bad as what the critics say, it's unusually made, and it is upsetting, but it's well made and shows sides to New York that people would never normally see on film. But it's a film about damaged people looking for closure and hope, and the cast also including Jeffrey Wright and John Goodman add depth to the film, and despite what everyone said, it deserved it's Oscar nominations, maybe more. 4/5

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013), it was bound to happen, after the success of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), a sequel was immediately greenlit. Though they decided not to adapt the follow-up to the original Cloudy book, Pickles to Pittsburgh, the makers created an original sequel which follows on immediately from the first film. It's a charming and very imaginative animated film which is funny. After the island town of Swallow Falls is engulfed by food, inventing whiz Chester V (Will Forte) promises to clean up the mess, while it's residents including Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader), his father Tim (James Caan), weathergirl Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) and Officer Earl (Terry Crews) are moved temporarily to San Franjose, and Flint gets a job at Chester V's company, Live Corp. However, Chester V has a dark plan, sending his team in to look for Flint's invention that caused the mess in the first place, but when they go missing, Chester V sends Flint and his friends back to the island to find out what happened, and what they find is beyond belief. It's very inventive, especially when it's revealed what happened to the food from the first film, and it turns into something like Jurassic Park, only with food. There are a lot of food related gags throughout, some clever and some are plain groaners, but it has a lot of imagination and fun on display, and it's amazing to look at. 4/5



JFK (1991), directed by Oliver Stone, here he made a film very close to his heart. The assassination of John F. Kennedy, here adapted from On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs. Stone opened a massive can of worms by effectively proving that nothing was what it seemed when Kennedy was assassinated, and it makes for a gripping political thriller. When Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd 1963, New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) learns about the links the assassination had to New Orleans, and that the accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald (Gary Oldman) had several co-conspirators, including pilot David Ferrie (Joe Pesci), male prostitute Willie O'Keefe (Kevin Bacon) and, most crucially the flamboyant Clay Shaw (Tommy Lee Jones). But, as Garrison delves deeper into this case, he discovers a web of political lies and skulduggery, cover-ups and corruption, and he learns a lot of shocking home truths from the mysterious X (Donald Sutherland). It's a film which got America and the rest of the world talking again. Stone weaves a compelling and shocking history lesson as a suspenseful thriller, and his arguments are shocking and believable. Plus, he gets a brilliant performance out of Costner, whose Garrison will not stop fighting and looking for the truth. 5/5

Sirens (1994), written and directed by John Duigan, (The Leading Man (1996), Lawn Dogs (1997) and The Parole Officer (2001)), this comedy-drama is a film of the puritanical vs. the liberals, but all done in the Australian outback, where morals were looser, but all in the name of art. It has a very good cast to it's name, and it shows that just because a film has nudity in it, it doesn't automatically mean sex. Sometime in Australia in the 1930's, Anglican priest Tony Campion (Hugh Grant) comes from England to Sydney, and reports to the Bishop of Sydney (Vincent Ball) regarding some questionable paintings by controversial Australian artist Norman Lindsay (Sam Neill). Tony and his wife Estella (Tara Fitzgerald) travel to the Blue Mountains in New South Wales to express their concerns to Lindsay. But, when they get to his house, they're taken in by Lindsay and his family, including wife Rose (Pamela Rabe), and 3 models Sheela (Elle Macpherson), Pru (Kate Fischer) and Giddy (Portia de Rossi), all of whom manage to win over their visitors. It's a film about culture clashes, the old guard of the world, slowly crumbling by the liberal ways the 20th Century would entice people with. Duigan takes the real-life Lindsay, and paints a fictional scenario, which may or may not have happened in his life, but judging by this film, it may very well have happened. 4/5



Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005), whilst filming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Tim Burton was simultaneously working on a stop motion fantasy, based on a piece of old Russian folklore. It makes for great viewing, and stop-motion brings out the best of Burton's imagination. This has Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) set to marry Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), Victors parents (Paul Whitehouse and Tracey Ullman) are rich merchants, whereas Victoria's parents (Albert Finney and Joanna Lumley) are bankrupt aristocrats. However, the marriage has been arranged by both families. Victor isn't sure about it, and can't even crack a wedding rehearsal. While practicing his vows, he places a ring on what seems like a tree branch, but it's actually the finger of a deceased bride called Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), who comes back to life, and takes Victor to the Land of the Dead, which is alot more colourful and upbeat than the Land of the Living. Meanwhile, with Victor gone missing, Victoria is wooed by the mysterious Lord Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant). It's not a horror film as the title makes it sound, it's actually a very sweet and innocent love story, very touch and with some brilliant moments of imagination on display. Burton should be doing more animations like this, and the vocal cast is good too, rounded out by Christopher Lee, Deep Roy. Jane Horrocks and Michael Gough. 5/5

Thor: The Dark World (2013), after the success of Thor (2011), who subsequently joined The Avengers (2012), a sequel was inevitable. This time, directed by Alan Taylor (Palookaville (1995) and The Emperor's New Clothes (2001)), and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (The Narnia films and Pain and Gain (2013)), this sequel has more action, and a surprising number of laughs along the way too, which is good. After Loki (Tom Hiddleston) attacked New York, he's sent to prison for life by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), who is grooming Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to become his heir, but Thor still thinks about Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) back on earth. Jane now lives in London with her intern Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), who discover the laws of physics behaving oddly in an abandoned factory. But, when Jane becomes infected with a weapon called the Aether. Thor comes to the rescue, but also after the Aether is Dark Elf Malekith (Chrstopher Eccleston), who wants to use it to destroy the universe, and return it to a state of darkness. There is a lot of imagination this time around, and there is a lot of action on display, although the scenes on Asgard do tend to drag a bit, but once the action comes about, with a massive showdown at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. But, it manages to be fun comic book entertainment while it lasts. 4/5 



Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013), you just can't keep a successful franchise down, and in this case, Jackass creators Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze and Jeff Tremaine came up with an idea for a spin-off, which would have them reviving a character from the Jackass TV series and films, and give him his own film. While this sort of thing has been done before, especially in Borat, there are still some good laughs here. 86-year-old Irving Zisman (Knoxville) has just lost his wife Ellie (Catherine Keener). At the funeral, his estranged daughter Kimmie (Georgina Gates) turns up with her 8 year old son Billy (Jackson Nicoll), and announces she's going to jail, and that Irving has to take Billy to his father Chuck (Greg Harris) in North Carolina. Irving and Billy have little money, plus they have the body of Ellie in the trunk of the car, Irving can't stand Billy, and he'd rather go off to strip clubs and get drunk. They even sneak into a wedding reception to get some food, which doesn't go well, then Irving enters Billy as a girl into a child beauty pageant to win some money. It has the usually formula of performing stunts on the unsuspecting general public, and if you're not impressed by one prank, don't worry, there'll be another one along in a few minutes that'll have you laughing, but it manages to have some kind of charm about it, even if some of it is just plain wrong.  4/5 

Offspring (1st view) - There are probably better cannibal films out there but I can't think of any at the moment - 3/5*

Beetlejuice (1988), Tim Burton had finally broke into making films after years as a Disney animator with his childish guilty pleasure Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), but Burton was still trying to find his feet as a director, and he found it with this. Beetlejuice could have been a flash-in-the-pan one-off from Burton, instead it put him on the road of a weird and wonderful which gladly continues to this day. It had happily married couple Barbara and Adam Maitland (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) who decide to spend their vacation doing up their house. But, they're killed in a road accident, yet find themselves trapped within their house, which ends up being sold to the Deetzes from New York, Charles (Jeffrey Jones), Delia (Catherine O'Hara) and gothic daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder). Barbara and Adam need help, and find out they have to stay in the house for 125 years and if they want the Deetzes out, they have to scare them away. Although Barbara and Adam end up summoning "freelance bio-exorcist" Betelguese (Michael Keaton), who is obnoxious, perverted and insane, and just ends up making the situation worse. It's still as fresh, inventive and funny as it was over 20 years ago when it first came out, it's got everything that we now come to expect from Burton's films. Keaton is an absolute hoot as the title "ghost with the most". This is one of Burton's very best, and he had a wicked sense of humour then. After this, the rest, as they say, is history!! Harry Belafonte will NEVER sound the same again!!  5/5



Edward Scissorhands (1990), after the success of Batman (1989), Tim Burton had a pet project he wanted to do inspired by a drawing he did years before, but Warner Bros. rejected it, wanting Burton to immediately do sequels to Batman and Beetlejuice. So, Burton took the project to Fox, who ran with it, and while Batman had made Burton's name, this one showcased his unmistakable, original visual style. An inventor (Vincent Price) had been creating a human boy called Edward (Johnny Depp), but died before he completed Edward, leaving him with Scissors for hands. Years later, local Avon lady Peg Boggs (Dianne Weist) comes calling to the gothic house where he's been hiding for years, and Peg takes Edward home with her, Edward meets Peg's husband Bill (Alan Arkin), young son Kevin (Robert Oliveri) and teenage daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Edward becomes the talk of the community, using his hands to create works of art from hedge scultures to cutting people's hair, but Kim's boyfriend Jim (Anthony Michael Hall) is jealous... It's a beautiful film, and it would be the first of, to date, 8 collaborations Burton would make with Depp, and they got off to a brilliant start here. Burton's vision of a timeless American suburbia makes for brilliant viewing, but there's room for his usual Gothic flourishes, which he's squeezed into all of his films ever since. 4.5/5

Hope and Glory (1987), director John Boorman has had a career of ups and downs, when he's good, he's very good (Point Blank (1967), Deliverance (1972) and Excalibur (1981)), but when he's bad, well... (Zardoz (1974) and Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)), but here, Boorman created one his best film, a semi-autobiographical war film based on experiences from his childhood, and surviving during World War 2. This tells the story of Bill Rowan (Sebastian Rice-Edwards), who lives with his mother Grace (Sarah Miles), father Clive (David Hayman), younger sister Sue (Geraldine Muir) and older sister Dawn (Sammi Davis), and when World War 2 is announced between England and Germany, they have to learn to survive. They witness as most of their street ends up being bombed by the Luftwaffe, how it affects their friends and family, Clive joins the army but comes home every Christmas. However, when their house burns down due to a house fire rather than a bombing, they go to live with Grace's parents, where Bill bonds with Grandfather George (Ian Bannen). Despite such a serious subject matter, it's amazing that Boorman manages to find humour within the hardships of wartime. Despite such a low budget, Boorman built an entire street of houses at Wisley Airfield in Surrey, most of which is bombed during the film, and it has some brilliant performances too. 4.5/5



Come See The Paradise (1990), written and directed by Alan Parker, who had just come of Mississippi Burning (1988), which showed a dark chapter in American history, Parker shows another dark chapter of America in the 20th Century, but this is one that a lot of people don't know about, and it's unbelievable that the U.S. Government approved something like this, but it makes for a good romantic drama. In 1936, cinema projectionist Jack McGurn (Dennis Quaid) moves to Los Angeles from New York, after being involved in union activities. Looking to lie low, he takes a job as a projectionist in a cinema ran by a Japanese-American family, led by Hiroshi Kawamura (Sab Shimono). Jack falls for Kawamura's daughter Lily (Tamlyn Tomita), and they marry, and have a daughter Mini (Elizabeth Gilliam). However, when war breaks, Jack ends up joining the army and Lily and her family are caught up in a much worse fate, when they're sent to a Japanese American internment in remote California, set up by Congress after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. You can't believe something like this actually happened on American soil, but it did, and the history books usually fail to mention that this happened. Parker's film should have brought this matter to public attention again, but the film sadly sank without trace, which is a shame, as people should learn what America did to their own. 4/5

The 13th Warrior (1999), directed by John McTiernan (Die Hard (1988), The Hunt For Red October (1990) and Last Action Hero (1993)), this was adapted from Michael Crichton's 1976 book Eaters of the Dead, which was more or less a retelling of Beowulf. Made at a time when adaptations of Crichton's work was all the rage, it should have been easy to make. But it ended up having a very troubled production, and it shows. In the 10th Century, poet Ahmad ibn Fadlan (Antonio Banderas) ends up being banished after he has an affair with the wife of a nobleman. He travels north with Melchisidek (Omar Sharif), Ahmad comes across a band of Norsemen, led by Buliwyf (Vladimir Kulich), heir to Valhalla, and he invites Ahmad to come along, who is reluctant, but he is needed to help against a threat against the people of King Hrothgar (Sven Wollter), as their land is being pillaged by humanoid cannibals. Ahmad comes to Valhalla, and learns the Norse way, and learns to fight like they do, ready to fight off these marauders, and protect the kingdom and it's people. It should have been a good film, but it comes across as derivative and half-hearted. McTiernan filmed his version, under the title of Crichton's book back in 1997, but the test screenings were bad, so Crichton himself took over and refilmed much of it. How bad must McTiernan's version have been for Crichton's to be deemed better? 1.5/5



Chopper (2000), written and directed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) and Killing Them Softly (2012)), and based upon the autobiographical books by Mark "Chopper" Read. This crime drama is very compelling and also gripping and violent. It got itself a cult following, and it made a star out of Eric Bana, who was a TV comedian in Australia up until then. When Mark Brandon Read (Bana) was sent to prison for 16 years in the mid 1970's for kidnapping a supreme court judge. While behind bars, he gains a nasty reputation, and he doesn't seem to feel pain. He even cuts off his own ears in order to be transfered, and it gets him the nickname of Chopper. He's eventually released from jail in 1986, but Chopper can't seem to tell the difference between friends and enemies anymore. He even suspects that his longtime girlfriend Tanya (Kate Beahan) is having an affair with one of his victims Neville Bartos (Vince Colosimo). But, it's not long before Chopper ends up back behind bars after another murder. It shouldn't be an entertaining film, but it is, and it has some very good performances in it, and Bana is scarily effective in the lead role, and he rises to the challenge of playing Australia's most notorious criminal, who passed away recently. Even Dominik manages to do well with the source material, making it his own. 4/5

Bronson (2008), written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive (2011) and Only God Forgives (2013)), this crime biopic benefits from being different from the rest, thanks to a powerhouse lead performance from Tom Hardy, who relishes in playing Britain's most violent criminal, it's a study in human viciousness, showing our "hero" in a guise of many fantasies, and the scary thing is, most of them were true. Michael Gordon Peterson (Hardy) was sent to prison in the 1970's for robbing a post office, and he relishes in his time behind bars, comparing it to that of a hotel. Peterson is passed around various prisons, but non of them seem to handle him, then he's sent to Rampton Secure Hospital, where he's heavily sedated, but still manages to cause trouble. Then he's sent to Broadmoor, where he started a full scale riot on the roof of the prison. Unable to cope with him anymore, the justice system release him into the world, where he takes up bareknuckle boxing and changes his name to Charles Bronson, and then he's sent back inside for stealing a ring. It's a very violent film, but it lurches quite a bit between vicious violence and pitch black humour. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but the film is worth it for Hardy, who made his name with this film, and it was only a short time before Hollywood came calling, and he answered. 4/5



Animal Kingdom (2010), written and directed by David Michôd (Crossbow (2007), Solo (2008) and Inside the Square (2009)), this crime drama was inspired by actually crimes that happened in Melbourne, Australia in 1988, where a film called Pettingill, who were involved in criminal activities. It makes for a shocking and moving drama of family loyalty and it's held together by a brilliant ensemble cast. It begins when Joshua Cody (James Frecheville) finds his mother dies from a heroin overdose. With no-one else to turn to, he goes to live with his grandmother Janine Cody (Jacki Weaver), who he hasn't seen for a while. It's while living here, he's exposed to the criminal activities of Janine's sons Andrew (Ben Mendelsohn), Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) and Darren (Luke Ford). Andrew has dealings with fellow partner in crime Barry 'Baz' Brown (Joel Edgerton), who wants to quit crime. After Andrew, Craig and Darren kill two policemen, the police swoop in on the family, which is difficult for Josh, as he just wants to lead a normal life. It's a very powerful film, and the big deciding factor in it's success is the cast, with Jacki Weaver stealing the show as the determined matriach. It brings up a lot of moral questions about how loyal do you stay to your family, even if what they're doing is wrong, and is it OK to turn against your family and grass on them?? 4/5

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), by the mid-1980's, Francis Ford Coppola's career was in the toilet, having nearly been driven to bankruptcy by One From The Heart (1982), and with it nearly happened again on The Cotton Club (1984). Here, Coppola made a smaller film, pitched somewhere between American Graffiti (1973) and Back to the Future (1985), a beautifully nostalgic comedy-drama about revisiting your youth. Peggy Sue Bodell (Kathleen Turner) attends her 25 year High School reunion, revisiting old friends Maddy (Joan Allen), Carol (Catherine Hicks), Walter (Jim Carrey) and Richard (Barry Miller). Peggy Sue is wary about going, because her husband Charlie (Nicolas Cage) is due to be there, and she's in the process of divorcing him. Peggy Sue ends up fainting at the reunion, and she wakes up to find herself back in 1960, where all her friends were younger, and they're still in high school. While Peggy Sue is clearly confused by what's just happened, she uses it to right some of the wrongs of her life, and falls in love with Charlie all over again. This is the sort of film Coppola should be making, and it's the film that One From The Heart should have been. It has some brilliant performances in it, and a good soundtrack of pop classics and a touching score by John Barry. Peggy Sue Got Married is a film with a lot of charm and heart. 4/5



Toys (1992), directed by Barry Levinson, who after the Oscar win for Rain Man (1988), got the opportunity to make whatever he wanted, one of them was Avalon (1990), and the other was this visually stunning comedic fantasy. Levinson had wanted to make back in the early 1980's as his directorial debut, but no-one would fund it. The result is the sort of film that Hollywood would NEVER dare make now. Kenneth Zevo (Donald O'Connor), founder of Zevo Toys is dying, but he is unsure whether his son Leslie (Robin Williams) is responsible and mature enough to run the company, so he leaves it to his brother Lt. General Leland Zevo (Michael Gambon). Leland is reluctant, but he accepts the ownership although he has no interest in any of the toys being made. He decides to make war toys, which upsets Leslie, as Zevo Toys have never made war toys, but Leland goes ahead, requesting space for his plans. Leslie becomes suspicious by Leland's demand for space and the extra security, so he decides to investigate for himself. Toys is one of the most underrated films of the 1990's, and people didn't know what to make of it when it first came out. While the film gives Williams perfect opportunities to ad-lib whenever possible, it has some absolutely staggering sets by Ferdinando Scarfiotti, which is well worth watching the film for. 4/5