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

Shaun The Sheep (1st view) - Have you ever been in the cinema and had an uncontrollable fit of laughter thanks to the events on screen? I don't mean a chuckle, or short guffaw, but a proper 5-miniute laughathon that makes your eyes water and sides hurt? Because that's only ever happened a few times with me and its usually been with Aardman films. With Curse Of The WereRabbit it was the scene in which the dog looks for change to use in the mechanical aeroplane. In Pirates!, it was the Pirate Captain addressing the science convention with "Scientists, Poindexters, Geeks". And in Shaun the Sheep, it was the manic-looking dog staring down Bitzer in the cells. And by the time I'd recovered enough to catch my breath, he appeared again. Thankfully it wasn't a packed cinema, else I'd have probably been kicked out.

That's all a long-winded wqay of saying I found Shaun to be very, very funny. It might not have the rate of blink-and-you'll-miss it gags as The Pirates did, but there's more heart to the film. It's just a wonderful film - 5/5





3 Days To Kill (1st view) - Weird blend of hitman and family strife stories that don't quite fit together but make for an enjoyable whole - 4/5*

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, this and Dead Man (1995) marked a change of tone for Jarmusch, who had made quite quirky black comedies, he was maturing to make more serious films that questioned human mortality and life. This was heavily influenced by Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï (1967). It's a good film with a good cast of offbeat heavies, and it's blend of Samurai philosophies and New Jersey gangsters marries well. Ghost Dog (Forest Whittaker) is a hitman for the local arm of the Mafia, and he adhere's to the code of the Hagakure. When Ghost Dog assassinates Handsome Frank (Richard Portnow), who has been sleeping with Louise Vargo (Tricia Vessey), daughter of mob boss Ray Vargo (Henry Silva), Ghost Dog finds himself in trouble, as Vargo and associate Sonny Valerio (Cliff Gorman) find out the implications Handsome Frank's death will have, with Ghost Dog now targeted, Ghost Dog decides to fight back. For all the violence that goes on in the film, it's surprising how thoughtful the film really is, Jarmusch has obviously done his homework with this one, and it benefits from Whittaker as the titular Ghost Dog as well. 4/5



Shadow Dancer (2012), directed by James Marsh (The King (2005) and The Theory of Everything (2014)), and written by ITN correspondent Tom Bradby, this is a dark and gripping drama which focuses on the stalemate between Westminister and the IRA in the early 1990's, and how dirty tricks were used to move things along. It shows the implications and consequences that violence can have on politics and family, and it makes for a different kind of spy film as well. In 1993, IRA sympathiser and terrorist Colette McVeigh (Andrea Riseborough) tries to set off a bomb on the London Underground, but it is foiled and Coletter is arrested. MI5 officer Mac (Clive Owen) offers Colette a choice, either spend 25 years in jail or turn informant on her family, as her brothers Gerry (Aidan Gillen) and Connor (Domhnall Gleeson), who are both heavily involved with IRA activities. It puts Colette in danger, while Mac also faces pressures from his bosses who don't trust Colette. It's a good thriller, and it captured the mood of the time well, it's focused and to the point but the only criticism is that it's a very cold film with no hope of happiness for any of the main characters in the film, despite the pedigree of talent on board. 3.5/5

Basket Case (1982), written and directed by Frank Henenlotter, (Brain Damage (1988) and Frankenhooker (1990)), this schlocky monster comedy-horror was made for a meagre $33,000. But Henenlotter manages to do so much with so little, and whether the comedy is intentional or not doesn't seem to matter, it's a fun film to watch, even if it is unbelievably gory in places with shocking body horror. Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) was born with a Siamese twin on his side, Belial, who is hideously deformed and only the size of a football. Belial was removed and left for dead, but Duane's kindly aunt (Ruth Neuman) took care of them both. But they're both grown up, and Duane carries Belial around in a wicker basket, and they've checked into a sleazy hotel in New York, which has some very nosey neighbours. It turns out Duane and Belial have vengeance in mind, against the doctors who separated them all those years ago. But, when Duane falls for Sharon (Terri Susan Smith), it sours his relationship with brother Belial, who goes solo. It's a very silly film at heart, but there are parts that are difficult to watch, but it manages to be great fun in the end, and it has a touch of An American Werewolf in London (1981) about it's tone and structure. Henelotter made a few sequels, but they didn't have the charm or the no-budget shocks of the original. 4/5



Basket Case 2 (1990), 8 years after the release of the original Basket Case, writer and director Frank Henenlotter returned for a sequel, which was originally planned to be more of a spin-off than sequel, but the producers wanted it to follow on from the original film, but Henenlotter was allowed to make it different from the first film, and it's a sequel that works on it's own merits. It lacks the low-budget charm of the original, but there is a good sense of imagination on display. Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his hideously deformed brother Belial find themselves being accepted into a house of freaks and hideously deformed humans, ran by Granny Ruth (Annie Ross) and her granddaughter Susan (Heather Rattray). Duane and Belial adapt well to life in the house, where it's a safe haven away from the world. but when tabloid reporters find out the locations of the freaks and threaten to expose them, the freaks fight back in force and vengeance. It's a very silly film, with a good sense of fun on hand. It doesn't matter that the dialogue is extremely ropey or that there's some laughably bad acting on display, it's just great fun, and Henenlotter knows it won't be taken seriously. It's got it's tongue firmly in it's cheek and proud of it. 3.5/5

I have the Basked Case Blu Ray collection but I still need to see them.


The Equalizer (1st view) - Never seen the TV show, apart fom the little bit shown in Wolf Of Wall Street. This is an effectively implausible action film and Washington can do this kind of role in his sleep - 4/5*

As Above, So Below (1st view) - A universisty professor is in search of the Philosopher's Stone, an artifact her father spent his lifetime searching for, and she realises it's somewhere in the catacombs of Paris so she gets a team together to go and look for it. What starts like a found-footage film of modern day Indiana Jones becomes increasingly more bizarre and far more effective as a horror than many FF films - 4/5*




Blue Valentine (1st view) - I preferred The Place Beyond The Pines but this was very good, largely thanks to the two central performances - 4/5*

Cuban Fury (1st view) - Some laughs, mainly from the supporting characters, but a largely forgettable film - 3/5*

Heli (1st view) - Mexican drama about a 17 year old boy who lands his family in trouble after disposing of cocaine that's been stashed in his house by his sister's boyfriend. Fairly bleak and quite uninvolving - 3/5*

Innerspace (1987), directed by Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg, this is a comedic retelling of Fantastic Voyage (1966), with some action and brilliant special effects thrown in for good measure. It's a joy to watch with some good comedic performances and a lot of imaginative details on display. Even 25 years on, it hasn't aged a day, and it's still great fun. Naval aviator Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) is down on his luck, and looking for a new job, his girlfriend Lydia Maxwell (Meg Ryan) has left him as well, so he volunteers to take part in a secret miniaturization experiment, in which he'll be put in a pod, shrunk and injected into a rabbit. The shrinking goes well, but the lab is attacked by evil scientist Dr. Margaret Canker (Fiona Lewis), but supervisor Ozzie Wexler (John Hora) escapes with the syringe holding Tuck in the pod. Ozzie is murdered, but he injects it into hypochondriac Jack Putter (Martin Short), and when Tuck begins communicating with Jack, Jack goes insane, but he soon finds himself on the run from Canker and evil mastermind Victor Scrimshaw (Kevin McCarthy). Jack ends up with Lydia, trying to stay ahead of the baddies. The body effects are brilliant, and no CGI was used, this was done back in the good old days when effects were done properly. Martin Short is hilarious, and it's probably his best role as well, with Quaid having fun as the cocky Tuck. Dante should be making more films on the strength of this one, as he is able to do wonders with special effects and get good performances from his actors. 4.5/5



Sunshine Cleaning (2008), from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine (2006), comes this quirky independent dramedy, which did well when it opened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008. It's emotional but it has a good heart, and it shows an unconventional kind of business which goes on in America. Set in a rundown part of Alberquerque, New Mexico. It has single mother and cleaner Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) who is struggling to get by, and her son Oscar (Jason Spevack), who is a troublemaker but very clever. Rose's sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is unemployed and an underachiever, and their father Joe (Alan Arkin) is a bit of a wheeler dealer, trying to make a quick buck with unsuccessful schemes. Looking to better herself in life, Rose takes advice from her lover Mac (Steve Zahn), that she should set up a crime scene clean-up businesses, as professional businesses that do it charge too much. So, Rose and Norah set up Sunshine Cleaning, and as they go along cleaning up gory crime scenes, they help people who were affected by losses and offer comfort, even as they try to get through life. It's an unconventional idea for a film, but it's done with a delicate touch. It's got two good lead performances from Adams and Blunt. It's a good little film which makes a big impact. 4/5

Obsession (1976), After making the musical fantasy Phantom of the Paradise (1974), director Brian De Palma teamed up with screenwriter Paul Schrader with this homage to Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958), it does have a Hitchcockian theme to it, but it has alot more to it than that, and it's a good, if heavy going mystery as well. It starts in 1959 in New Orleans, when Elizabeth Courtland (Geneviève Bujold) and her daughter Amy (Wanda Blackman) are kidnapped and the kidnappers want patriach Michael Courtland (Cliff Robertson) to pay up $500,000 ransom. The police think they can handle it, but the rescue attempt goes wrong when Elizabeth and Amy are killed. 16 years later, and Michael is still grieving, but when he and his real estate business partner Robert LaSalle (John Lithgow) travel to Florence, Italy to sort a deal out, Michael goes to the church where he an Elizabeth met years previously, and there he meets Sandra Portinari (Bujold again), who looks exactly like his dead wife. He starts dating her and tries to mold her in the image of Elizabeth, and Michael intends to marry Sandra, but there's alot more to her than he realised. It's a deceptive thriller, with a brilliant score by Bernard Herrmann (his penultimate score), and with good camera work by Vilmos Zsigmond. It's the best film Dario Argento never made, (alot of it is similar to his work), and it has a touch of Don't Look Now about it. Hitch wasn't happy by it, but it's success enabled De Palma to do Carrie (1976). 4/5



Ginger Snaps (2000), directed by John Fawcett (The Boys Club (1997), My Daughter's Secret Life (2001) and The Dark (2005)), this Canadian horror film, injected with a streak of vicious black comedy, is a neat twist on high school films and werewolf films, putting a knowing and clever edge to the film. While it plunders the horror genre for it's scares, it's central theme of transformation and body changes is closer in tone to the films of David Cronenberg. In Bailey Downs, where dogs have been murdered in the suburbs, two outcast sisters, Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger Fitzgerald (Katharine Isabelle), who are obsessed with death, and have a morbid fascination of taking gory mock-up photo sessions. When Ginger has her first period, she's attacked by something, which was seemingly responsible for the dog murders. Following the attack, Ginger starts changing, she grows a tail, hair starts growing from her wounds and that time of the month just won't stop, but after Ginger is confronted about the dog murders, it gets deadly. On the surface, it looks like a daft film, but go deeper and it's an allegory on teenage angst and how teenagers deal with growing pains and puberty. But, for a low budget horror film, it's done well, and it's quite deep too. 4/5

Mark Of The Devil (1st view) - Wiki tells me that the orginal german title for this film is "Witches Tortured till They Bleed", which is a rather accurate name for the film. Herbert Lom is a Witchfinder, Udo Kier his youthful assistant who scouts ahead and prepares for his employer's arrival. Witches, both male and female, are executed by fire, branded, whipped, stretched on the rack etc, for crimes such as "creating impotency" and mixing their blood with that of frogs. A bit like Saw for the early 70's but it's actually a really good film. And the score is immensely good - 4/5*





Into The Storm (1st view) - No way is this a 4* film in terms of quality but I had a blast watching it. Makes me want more found-footage disaster films - 4/5




Kelly + Victor (1st view) - Two young Liverpudlians meet at a nightclub on his birthday and go back to her place to have sex, during which time she starts to choke him. So begins a relationship filled with bondage, asphyxiation and scarring. It makes a change to see practices on screen not carried out by psychopaths or played for laughs but there's little positivity either. Also, Liverpool must be the most depressing bloody place on earth to see in film - 3/5*





Tekkonkinkreet (1st view) - Not the best Anime I've seen,. not the worst. Better than 90% of the Ghibli films I've watched - 3/5*

CHAPPiE (1st view) - More District 9 than Elysium. Chappie himself is a wonderfully lovely creation and Copley is great in the role. The human characters suffer, Sigourney Weaver makes little impact, Hugh Jackman is obviously having fun but becomes a boo-hiss villain near the end and the two rappetrs start off as so thoroughly unlikeable it becoms impossible to buy into their relationship with Chappie or feel for them when things go wrong in the third act. But even with these major flaws it was a completely entertaining film - 4/5*

Suspiria (1977), from Italian horror maestro Dario Argento, comes what is to many people, his masterpiece. A very creepy but atmospheric horror film which was allegedly based on something that had happened to co-writer Daria Nicolodi's grandmother. Argento saw instant potential for a film with this tale, and this is the result, a simple plot, but it's colours and shots are so vivid. It begins when American ballet student, Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper), comes to Munich, Germany to study at a renowned dance academy in Freiburg. When she arrives, she is introduced to Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli), who run the academy. The meeting is tinged with tragedy, as one of the students Pat Hingle (Eva Axén), was murdered the night before, and Suzy saw her running from the academy. But, the murders don't stop there, they continue, and Suzy learns from psychologist Dr. Mandel (Udo Kier) that the Academy was founded by a Greek witch, it's up to Suzy to put a stop to this. It's a very atmospheric and creepy film, very well shot, and Argento can't resist but show us blood and gore, gratuitous but always filmed beautifully. The colour is rich and stands out beautifully, almost like a main character, and the sets are beautiful. 4.5/5



Tenebrae (1982), after the double whammy of Suspiria (1977) and Inferno (1980), writer/director Dario Argento made it three great films in a row with this traditional horror slasher, which saw Argento return to the tone and structure of his earlier films, and away from the supernatural horrors that he'd done in recent years. The result is a dark and mysterious film which was inspired after Argento was stalked by a deranged fan, but the experience certainly inspired a colourful and violent film. American author Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) is an author of violent horror fiction, which has found a huge fanbase in Europe. He's going to Rome to promote his latest book, entitled Tenebrae. He's accompanied by his agent Bullmer (John Saxon) and his assistant Anne (Daria Nicolodi). However, Neal finds out that there's a serial killer on the loose in Rome, and the killer is using methods out of Neal's books to commit the murders. Neal, along with Detective Germani (Giuliano Gemma) try to deduct who the killer might be, but there are loads of unusually suspicious people. It's a good slasher film, and it does question whether violence in media can influence murderers. But there is some good technical expertise on display throughout the film with some very imaginative and gruesome murders. Sadly, Argento's films haven't been as good since, which is a shame. 4/5

Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters (1st view) - Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader co-wrote and directed this film, produced by Francis Gord Coppola and George Lucas. It's about the celebrated Japanese author Yukio Mishima as he prepares to take a General of Japan Self-Defense Forces hostage and it's interspersed with recreations of moments from some of Mishima's novels., And it's bloody tedious - 2/5*

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), written and directed by Wes Anderson and inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig, coming quickly off his sweet romance film Moonrise Kingdom (2012), this is a large and very funny caper film with a lot of Anderson's unique touches, with Anderson's biggest cast to date, made up of old friends and collaborators, as well as a few new faces to his massive repertory company of actors. Set in 1932, in the European republic of Zubrowka, at the titular Grand Budapest Hotel, newly employed lobby boy Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) is educated by the hotel's dashing and charming concierge Monsieur Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes). When one of the hotel's resident guests Madame D. (Tilda Swinton) dies, her son Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis (Adrien Brody) and the family are horrified to learn that Madame D. bequeathed a valuable painting to Gustave. The police think Gustave killed Madame D. Gustave is imprisoned, Zero along with his new love interest Agatha (Saoirse Ronan) break Gustave free, and try to prove his innocence. This looks as overblown and indulgent as The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), but it isn't, it's much more entertaining, it's a murder mystery thriller disguised as a clever and quirky caper comedy. It has a who's who in the cast, some of them appearing for less than a minute, but it all adds to the fun of the film, there's a lot to take in with this film, a second viewing would benefit, but it's a great story and visually stunning. 5/5



Focus (2015), written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Bad Santa (2003), I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) and Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)), this black comedy is a very glossy film which is like a darker variation on the Ocean 11 films, but with a bit more romance thrown into the mix. The film as a whole is a bit of a mixed bag, and it's tone veers all over the place, which is a shame. It doesn't waste it's central theme, but more could have been done to make it more compelling. Veteran con man Nicky Spurgeon (Will Smith) recruits novice grifter Jess Barrett (Margot Robbie) after sussing that she's trying to con him, when learning he's a con man, Jess asks Nicky to mentor her, which he does, and he brings her in on a series of cons in New Orleans, leading to a big one where they swindle gambler Liyuan Tse (B.D. Wong) out of all his money. Then Nicky cuts ties with Jess, then 3 years later, Nicky runs into Jess again, and she's going out with F1 team owner Rafael Garriga (Rodrigo Santoro), who just happens to be Nicky's next big target. It's a good film, but it could have been better, it's playing it safe for the most part, but Smith and Robbie work well together, and while there's some good cons on display, which are well executed, the film lacks substance and it drags a bit after New Orleans, which is a shame. 3.5/5

Dawn of the Dead (1978), written and directed by George A. Romero and produced by Dario Argento. This sequel to Night of the Living Dead (1968) has non of the characters from the original, but it was inspired after Romero was shown round the hidden parts of the Monroeville Mall in Pennsylvania, Argento helped raise the cash and he even composed some of the score. It's a quite effective zombie horror film which is also a statement on the effects of consumerism and it's influenced loads of other films. America is being affected by a plague which has brought dead people back to life as zombies, when WGON television studio in Philadelphia is overrun with zombies, Stephen Andrews (David Emge), Francine Parker (Gaylen Ross), Roger DeMarco (Ken Foree) and Peter Washington (Scott Reiniger) make an escape in the station's traffic helicopter, and decide to take sanctuary in a shopping mall, which seems like a good idea, until they find there's zombies swarming the place, then it becomes the ultimate battle for survival. It's a very entertaining film, and though it only cost $650,000, it looks like it cost a lot more, but Romero was luckily allowed to film at the Monroeville Mall, which acts like a character in the film, with the creepy muzak, and there's some good zombie action too. 4.5/5



A Sound of Thunder (2005), based upon Ray Bradbury's 1952 short story of the same name, and directed by Peter Hyams (Capricorn One (1978), Outland (1981) and The Relic (1997)), this had potential to be a good film. However, production company Franchise Pictures went bankrupt during production, which delayed it's release and the finished film is a mess. With bad CGI that makes Teletext look groundbreaking and ropey acting, but you get what Hyams wanted to do, sort of. In 2054, a company called Time Safari specialises in sending guests back to Jurassic times to kill a dinosaur which was going to die anyways, but the rules are nothing must be brought back, the trips are led by Travis Ryer (Edward Burns), who makes sure everyone stays on the path. However, on one trip, his gun fail, and one guest does go off the path and ends up altering the future. Time Safari chief Charles Hatton (Ben Kingsley) doesn't believe anything is wrong, but there's climate change and other things happen. Ryer and scientist Sonia Rand (Catherine McCormack) try to stop it. The story is a great idea for a film, but it deserves much better than this, the fact they let it go out the way it is is laughable enough and somewhat tragic, plus there's parts that are unintentionally hilarious, like Kingsley's hair, but it should have been better produced. 2/5

Grand Budapest is amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaing!


Dying Of The Light (1st view) - Nic Cage stars as an aging CIA bod who receives information that the man who tortured him 22 years earlier is still alive and he sets out to find him. It's fairly terrible - 2/5*

Wild Bill (2011), the directorial debut of Dexter Fletcher, this is a London gang crime film, but with a neat twist which separates it from all the rest, it's a tale of redemption, but with a gritty edge. It's closer in tone and structure to a Ken Loach film or a Mike Leigh film than a proper gangster film, as family is the theme of the film here. Fletcher shows a lot of confidence in his debut, which he co-wrote with Danny King (TV's Thieves Like Us), and despite it's low-budget setting, is professionally done. After 8 years in jail, Bill Hayward (Charlie Creed-Miles) has been released on parole, and he returns home to London to make amends with his family. When he gets home he finds that his 15 year old son Dean (Will Poulter) and his 11 year old son Jimmy (Sammy Williams) living alone in their flat after their mother went off with her fancy boy to Spain. Bill had plans to move up North to start again, but knowing he might lose his sons if he leaves them alone, he moves back in, and although he's unwilling to play Dad, he has to, and it brings out a new side in Bill, but the past won't go away. It's well filmed, and while it does bring up the East London gangster cliches throughout the film, this is a film about second chances and reconnecting with the past, both good and bad. Fletcher returned behind the camera for Sunshine of Leith (2013). 4/5



Hunky Dory (2011), directed by Marc Evans (My Little Eye (2002), Trauma (2004) and Snow Cake (2006)), and written by Laurence Coriat (Wonderland (1999) and A Summer in Genoa (2008)), this music drama comes across as being like a Welsh take on American Graffiti (1973), but it's a good film, and it captures the period it's set in well. Although the tone is a little bit unfocused and it does tend to veer about, it works but only just, but it could have been a lot better. Set during the hot summer of 1976, and with the end of the school year fast approaching, imaginative drama teacher Vivienne (Minnie Driver) has an idea to do a production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, but this isn't going to be a traditional adaptation of The Tempest, this is going to be an adaptation that she feels David Bowie would be proud of. But the drama students, including Davey (Aneurin Barnard), Lewis (Adam Byard), Evan (Tom Harries), Hoople (Kristian Gwilliam) and Stella (Danielle Branch), are all going through growing pains of their own, but Vivienne is determined to see it through. It's a good film, but it's a film which could have done more for it's characters, and it's hard to connect with them emotionally, but it worth it for the show at the end, and it's a different kind of musical film as well, but it just about works. 3/5

Cosmopolis (2012), directed by David Cronenberg, and adapted from Don DeLillo's 2003 novel of the same name, this is a cold and mysterious drama which Cronenberg had been attached to for a few years, but finally found financing for it after he completed A Dangerous Method (2011). It's a very psychologically complex film, and it shows how far Cronenberg has moved away from body horror and into more cerebral and thoughtful films, this is a comment on capitalism and money. In New York, 28 year old billionaire Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) wants to go to his favourite barber across Manhattan for a simple haircut, but he couldn't have picked a worse day. Today, the financial markets are playing up, which wipes out a large part of Packer's fortune, anti-capitalist activists demonstrate and attack the limo Packer is travelling in, his wife Elise (Sarah Gadon), has become cold and detached from him, the President is in town, and the funeral of a rap star is taking place, but Packer is determined to get to his barber. This is a very cold and clinical film, and it's closer in tone and structure to Crash (1996) and Spider (2002), about cold people who are detached from the real world, it has a good supporting cast including Mathieu Amalric, Juliette Binoche, Samantha Morton and Paul Giamatti, but you can see what Cronenberg was trying to do, but it's hard to connect with the characters. 3.5/5



The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), directed by John Madden (Mrs. Brown (1997) Shakespeare in Love (1998) and The Debt (2011)), this is a lightly amusing and moving comedy drama bringing together an ensemble of old English thespians in a foreign land. Against all the odds, it manages to work, and it stays on the right side of descending into Last of the Summer Wine silliness. It focuses on a group of old-timers, recently widowed Evelyn (Judi Dench), Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Jean (Penelope Wilton) who have had to sell their house, high court judge Graham (Tom Wilkinson), womanising Madge (Celia Irmie), aging lothario Norman (Ronald Pickup) and old bigot Muriel (Maggie Smith). They're brought together when they see an advert for a place to retire to in Jaipur, India. Getting there is a nightmare, but the hotel isn't what it says it is in the adverts, ran by the optimistic Sonny (Dev Patel) it's run down, with no telephones, and the food is not what they expect. But, they all manage to get by, and learn to adapt to this foreign culture, Evelyn gets a job in a call centre, Graham revisits his past, and Muriel changes her ways. It's a very good film with brilliant performances all round, and showing more of a real, honest side to India, with local colour and likable locals. It's got moving back-stories to it's characters while managing to make you smile as well. 4/5

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015), after the success of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011). a sequel was inevitable, so director John Madden and screewriter Ol Parker worked on a plot for a sequel, using most of the same characters from the original film. While the film does descend into farce at times and is hardly original, it's still good to watch, and the performances are top notch, and it does give you something to think about with old age, but like the original, India looks lovely. Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) and Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) travel to San Diego to pitch to hotel magnate Ty Burley (David Strathairn) plans to open another hotel. Burley tells them he'll send a man to see whether the plans are viable. Back in Jaipur, Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench) is offered a job selling fabrics in Mumbai, Douglas Ainslie (Bill Nighy) has a side business as a tour guide, and Madge Hardcastle (Celia Imrie) finds herself having to choose between two men. When American Guy Chambers (Richard Gere) arrives at the hotel, Sonny believes Guy is the hotel inspector, or his he? It's a very silly film, but it also has it's serious moments of contemplation and reflection on life. It's not perfect, and it does feel like a cash in, especially getting some Americans into the cast, but it works, just about, but it could have been a better film had it been a bit more focused. 3.5/5



Cactus Jack (1979), released as The Villain in North America, this comedy western was directed by Hal Needham, then fresh off the double whammy of Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and Hooper (1978). This insane film was influenced by the old Road Runner cartoons and it shows, most of the film has the kind of traps Wile E. Coyote would set up, and each one would fail in spectacular fashion. It's definitely a film of it's time and proud of it, but it's stupid enough to pass as being funny. The main plot has rich woman Charming Jones (Ann-Margret) is being escorted across the wild west by a naive, slow-witted cowboy Handsome Stranger (Arnold Schwarzenegger), as she has a large amount of money given to Charming by her father Parody Jones (Strother Martin). However, it turns out Avery Simpson (Jack Elam), wants the money for himself, so he hires Cactus Jack (Kirk Douglas) to collect it. He sets up traps to try and get the money, but fails each time, and he has to resort to asking the local Indians, led by Nervous Elk (Paul Lynde) for help. This is an insane film, but it's also an excuse to show off some of the stunts that had become frequent in Needham's films, and it's a laugh to see Arnie as a cowboy. Sadly, the film was a financial failure, and Needham returned to making car chase films. Shame. 3.5/5

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), well it was bound to happen, E.L. James's 2011 novel became a literary phenomenon, although it wasn't well written, it's content raised eyebrows, and Hollywood came calling. It fell to director Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy (2009) and screenwriter Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr. Banks (2013)), to turn it into a film. Like Showgirls (1995), it's not good drama nor is it good erotica, but there's something compelling about it which makes you want to see how it's going to turn out. Set in and around Seattle, Washington. College Graduate Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) goes to interview wealthy young entrepreneur Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) who becomes very interested in Anastasia, and even goes to visit her at the hardware store she works at. then they start seeing each other, but when Christian has Anastasia sign a non-disclosure agreement, Anastastia discovers Christian's true colours. He's into bondage and other forms of S&M, which Anastasia decides to try out, but there's an emotional detachment in the form of sexual relationship Christian prefers. It's not a perfect film, but far from the disaster that most critics have painted it out to be. While it might be better than the book, it's still not perfect, and while it tries to be another 9½ Weeks (1986), it doesn't quite reach that level. 2.5/5



Chappie (2015), written and directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9 (2009) and Elysium (2013)), this sci-fi film is adapted from Blomkamp's own 2004 short film Tetra Vaal. It's a step up from the complex sci-fi of Elysium, and it's closer in tone and structure to District 9, but it's not without it's problems. The film slips into an uncomfortable gap where it's too dark for younger audiences, yet a bit too purile for adult audiences. A more focused script and tighter direction would have sorted that. In the not too distant future, the Johannesburg Police have issued attack robots, manufactured by weapons manufacturer Tetravaal. The inventor Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) is praised by Michelle Bradley (Sigourney Weaver), while rival engineer Vincent Moore (Hugh Jackman) is jealous, as his creation, the MOOSE has been nixed. When Deon starts testing human conciousness on a damaged police robot, it's stolen by gangsters Ninja (Watkin Tudor Jones), Yolandi (Yolandi Visser) and Amerika (Jose Pablo Cantillo), who name the robot CHAPPiE (Sharlto Copley), and how to be gangster, which CHAPPiE becomes. There's a bit too much going on in the film, and you get the impression there was more than one cut before Blomkamp settled on this one. It's not a disaster, nor is it a bad film, but it could have been a lot more tighter, and the scenes with CHAPPiE learning are the best, but the scenes with the gangsters have mixed results. It promised so much, but it ended up half cocked. 3/5

I used to love Cactus Jack when I was a kis. It seemed like a real-life Roadrunner cartoon.

Inside Llewyn Davis (1st view) - In order of goodness, this would be 9th in my list of Coen Brothers films. Oscar Issac, the cinematography and the music are the best things about it - 4/5*

Enemy (1st view) - Jake Gyllenhaal reteams with Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve for a mindscrewy film in which a history professor becomes obsessed with meeting an actor he sees in a film who looks just like him. Saying any more would spoil the film. It's very good but perhaps not to everyone's taste. It also contained one scene that freaked me out more than anything else I can think of in any film, ever. 24 hours later and I still haven't recovered - 4/5*

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1965), the title says it all, this is one of the most famous all star adventure caper comedies of the 1960's, this one is a love letter to the time of when aviation was in it's infancy, and it's still very funny 45 years on. Set in 1910, it has newspaper magnate Lord Rawnsley (Robert Morley), who sets up a bet for airplane enthusiasts to fly from London to Paris, the first prize is £10,000. Rawnsley's daughter Patricia (Sarah Miles) is in love with airplane pilot Richard Mays (James Fox) who enters the contest and is Lord Rawnsley's favourite to win, however, entries come in from far and wide, from America there's Orvil Newton (Stuart Whitman), who takes a liking to Patricia, there's German Colonel Manfred von Holstein (Gert Fröbe) and Frenchman Pierre Dubois (Jean-Pierre Cassel). There's also the dastardly cheater Sir Percy Ware-Armitage (Terry-Thomas), who has his servant Courtney (Eric Sykes) to sabotage the planes so he can win. The film is a great piece of family entertainment that has something for everyone, and is still funny and entertaining now with a brilliant cast, also rounded out with Benny Hill, Red Skelton, Tony Hancock, Sam Wanamaker, Maurice Denham and John Le Mesurier. Some of the stunts with the planes are amazing. 4/5



Mood Indigo (2013), after the nightmare of making The Green Hornet (2011) in Hollywood, director Michel Gondry worked on an indie drama (The We and the I (2012)) and an animated documentary (Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013)). But, Gondry returned to his native France to create this surreal comic fantasy loosely based on Boris Vian's 1947 book Froth on the Daydream. It's Gondry back in The Science of Sleep (2006) mode, and it has to be seen to be believed!! It's utterly mad!! Set in a hyper-fantastical Paris, Colin (Romain Duris) lives a happy life, he has his dinners cooked by Nicolas (Omar Sy), and he's friends with Chick (Gad Elmaleh). Chick meets Chloé (Audrey Tautou) at one of Chick's parties. Colin and Chloé fall in love and begin a relationship, they marry and go on a honeymoon. Chloé falls ill, and Colin with help from Chick spends a fortune to make her comfortable, flowers seem to help with Chloé's ailment, but Colin ends up nearly bankrupting himself and he ends up sacking Nicolas as well, and it has an affect on Chick's personal life as well. It's all very well Gondry dreaming up stuff like this, as it looks brilliant on screen and there's not many directors who do films like this, but you do end up suffering from fantasy fatigue while watching it, but it looks beautiful, and he's regained his soul after his stab at Hollywood. 4/5

Atlantic Rim (1st view) - An Asylum film that rips off/pays homage to/spoofs Pacific Rim and some people might think it's the better of the two films. It's kind of film in which one of the good guys cuts a populated building in half with laser and says "Whoops". It's also the kind of film in which a submarine gets thrown at an aircraft carrier, admittedly not something you see every day. Quite bad but often unintentionally funny - 3/5*




Fast & Furious (2nd view), Fast Five (2nd view), Fast and Furious 6 (2nd view), Furious 7 (1st view)

Not sure who was responsible for retooling this franchise but whoever it is needs to be congratulated. The change from street racing to globe-trotting action has worked wonders, so much so that I don't even mind Vin Diesel rambling on about family every 5 minutes. Five remains the best in the series, 7 is the leeriest so far but also contains the two most ridiculously fun set-pieces, plus the best villain, Four introduces the two best characters who aren't Hobbs, and although it's the closest to being more old-style F&F then the latest three it's got enough OTT to action to save it.

Miss Bala (1st view) - Mexican drama. A youg woman enters a beauty contest but ends up being forced to work for a drugs cartel. Very good - 4/5*




Play (1st view) - Swedish drama. Over the course of one day a group of children bully and rob another group of children. Decent - 3/5*




Mammuth (1st view) - French drama. Recently retired Gérard Depardieu needs to visit past employers to get get paperwork that will allow him to claim his pension, so sets off on his motorbike visting old collegaues, family and friends. Quite bad - 2/5*