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

Zoolander (3rd view) - Funny in parts, dire in others - 3/5




Pluto (1st view) - Reasonable Korean drama about children at an elite school who'll do anything to stay top of the class - 3/5*




Jack Ryan: Shadow Recrui (2nd view) - Branagh seems to be having fun on screen but not that much behind the camera. Not as good as Red October or Patriot Games but I enjoyed it a lot - 4/5




Terminator Salvation (2nd view) - Not seen this since the cinema. Better than the first two films, altough the best Terminator-related thing remains the Sarah Connor Chronicles - 4/5

The Walk (1st view) - Takes a while to get one but once the caper aspect of the film begins is picks up and the actual wakk itself is great cinema - 4/5





The Martian (2nd view) - Castway meets Apollo 13. On Mars! Or, if you prefer, All is Lost meets Marooned. On Mars! It follows all the beats of an isolation/survival drama and a rescue mission film but blends them both together more successfully then most, althoguh there was one instance in which you'd think there's absolutely no way such a thing could be overlooked. The best film Sir Ridders has made since Kingdom Of Heaven and he's probably only made two or three that are better. Being stranded on Mars never looked so good. Also, any films which references both Elrond and Glorfindel is fine with me. A rewatch gave it that last star, it's just immensely enjoyable - 5/5





Prisoners (2nd view) - It relies a bit too much on coincidence during the investigation, but the performances from Jackman and Gyllenhaal are superb, and there's an atmosphere of dread that runs through the film that stayed with me for a while after. I prefer it to both Enemy and Sicario, themselves both very good - 4/5





Tower Heist (2nd view) - Forgettably enjoyable - 4/5





Let Us Prey (1st view) - When a mysterious stranger arrives at the local nick, staff and criminals start dying in violent and gory ways. Liam Cunningham is always good value for money and this is a very effective thriller - 4/5*

Spotlight (1st view) - It feels like it rings true as to how an investigation like this comes about and as such it creates tension out of mundane situations. Easy to see why Ruffalo and McAdams got the two acting nominations - 4/5*




Mortdecai (1st view) - No way in hell did this deserve all the flak it got. And why does Depp get all the hate. It sure isnlt one of his top 10 films but it does make the top 10 of MacGregor's, so how bad must his filmography be? - 4/5*

13 Assassins (1st view) - I think this is the third Takashi Miike films I've seen after Audition and Gozu and it's better than both of them - 4/5*




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Escape Plan (2nd view) - Average and silly. If you like this kind of thing though, it's quite good. Luckily, I do - 4/5




Storage 24 (1st view) - I was rooting for the alien - 3/5*




Viva Riva! (1st view) - The first Congolese film I've seen. Not bad - 3/5*

Stalker (1st view) - I'm a sucker for films that feature longs takes and the sound and music for this film was exceptional but, my God, this film was hard to get though. It actuall sent me to sleep - 3/5*

Hot Pursuit (1st view) - Can something be a letdown if you had no expectations of it to begin with? Reese Witherspoon and Sofía Vergara, are both good comedy performers but you wouldn't know it from this - 2/5*

The Big Red One (2nd view) - I do love WWII films but I just can't get on board with this film's reputation as a genre classic - 3/5






The Finest Hours (1st view) - Nothing here that's unexpected but a very enjoyable seafaring rescue tale - 4/5*




Shanghai Noon (3rd view) - Forgettable - 3/5

Robocop (2nd view) - Hardly the world's best film but neither is the original and everyone seems to love that - 4/5




Collateral Damage (1st view) - Silly - 3/5*

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Tim Burton takes on Stephen Sondheim's acclaimed stage musical, after being in development for years, and with some directors mulling over it before passing it on. It was never going to be the easiest film to adapt, with it's overtones of Grand Guignol and gothic horror. But who better to do it than Burton, he was the only man who could do it justice, it's his most darkest and unsettling film to date, but it's a visual feast. Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp) is a barber returning after 15 years imprisoned in Australia to come home to Victorian London to seek revenge upon Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) who imprisoned him to get Todd's wife. To work his way towards getting the judge, he ends up murdering hapless customers who have come for a shave, whose bodies end up being of benefit to Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who owns the pie-shop downstairs. An old fashioned musical done as a Hammer Horror. This is a brilliant musical, adding horror and violence to a well worn genre, this has many of Burton's trademark gothic stylings, which is what he does best. Depp does wonders as the brooding, mad barber and Carter makes a great Mrs. Lovett. And there's a scene-stealing appearance from Sacha Baron Cohen as Italian Barber Pirelli. 5/5



Unlawful Killing (2011), Unlawful Killing (2011), the most controversial film to play at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and one that can't be shown in it's current form in the UK, unless you have YouTube. Directed by Keith Allen, written by TV critic Victor Lewis-Smith and produced by Mohamed Al-Fayed. This documentary explores what really happened on the night of August 31st 1997 when Princess Diana died. It's very one sided, but it is convincing in places. This film explores the motives and the inquiry into how Princess Diana died, with Allen planting a mole inside the inquiry to find out what was said. The film also alleges that the British and French authorities covered up uncomfortable facts about the crash, some evidence which could compromise the British Monarchy, and how the Monarchy used the law to their advantage to allegedly get away with murder. It has interviews with Al-Fayed, Tony Curtis and Piers Morgan, who all agree that there's something not right about the death, and that key facts were ignored by the investigators, and that evidence mysteriously vanished and the Royals knew something. This is a film for Daily Express readers and conspiracy theorists, with Allen in the Jim Garrison position, alleging this evidence. It's definitely biased in Al-Fayed's favour (he funded the film), and you can see why this won't be shown in the UK anytime soon. It is a dangerous film, but it proves it might not have been the Royals who were responsible. 3/5

The Danish Girl (2015), from director Tom Hooper, (The Damned United (2009), The King's Speech (2010) and Les Miserables (2012)), adapted from David Ebershoff's 2000 book of the same name, which was loosely inspired by the real lives of the subjects, rather than a full on true story. It's a good film, with some really good performances, but the fact that it's a fictionalised version of a true story does feel a bit odd. Plus, there are a couple of moments in the film where it does feel over the top. In 1920's Copenhagen, artists Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander) enjoy painting, but when Gerda asks Einar to stand in for a female artist who didn't show up, it unlocks something inside Einar, a feeling he's been suppressing all his life. It sets off a motion of events where Einar has to dress up in women's clothing, and he creates a female alter-ego Lili. This causes a massive strain in the marriage, with Gerda at her wits end over her husband's sudden change. Although she comes to support his decision to be Lili, also supporting Einar/Lili is his childhood friend Hans Axgil (Matthias Schoenaerts). When they meet pioneering surgeon Dr. Kurt Warnekros (Sebastian Koch), who suggests a new and controversial operation, sex reassignment surgery. It has never been attempted before, and Einar/Lili would be the first to undergo it. It's a film which tries hard to be important and dramatic, and while it does well in addressing the issue of sex reassignment and transexuals, it doesn't really do it's central subject much favours. If it had been more closer to the truth, it would have been better. 3.5/5



The Big Short (2015), directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)), co-written with Charles Randolph (The Life of David Gale (2003)), adapted from Michael Lewis' 2010 book of the same name. This is a compelling and amusing look at how the financial crisis of 2007-2008 happened, and a few men who saw it coming and decided to profit from the collapse. It makes for good but uneasy viewing. In 2005, maverick hedge fund manager Dr. Michael Burry (Christian Bale) notices the housing market is unstable, based on high risk loans with low returns. On Wall Street, trader Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) hears of Burry's prediction, and soon finds out Burry is right. Another hedge fund manager Mark Baum (Steve Carell), learns about it, and joins forces with Vennett to bet against the banks on the stock market. Meanwhile, young young investors Charlie Geller (John Magaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) learn of these plans, and eager to get their foot in the doors to partake in the trades. They get help from retired banker Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt), who is able to get them to make the trades. If you don't understand any of the banking jardon in the film, don't worry, you don't have to, it's explained in amusing sequences. It has some good performances throughout, and it's emits laughs of shock and disgust about how the financial world will never learn from their mistakes. This will happen again. 4/5

Horror of Frankenstein (1970), after Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) performed less than favourably at the box-office, Hammer decided to go back and remake the first Frankenstein film, enlisting Hammer veteran Jimmy Sangster to write, produce and direct the new take on Frankenstein. It's a hotch-potch of ideas, and it can't decide what it wants to be, a remake or a prequel. Victor Frankenstein (Ralph Bates) is a cold, ruthless genius, who wants to get ahead in life, when his father (George Belbin) refuses to give him anymore money for scientific experiments, Victor kills his father by sabotaging one of his hunting rifles, Victor inherits the title of Baron von Frankenstein, and he inherits the family fortune. Victor goes to medical school in Vienna, but leaves after he impregnates the daughter of the school's Dean (James Cossins). So, he leaves, and returns to the family home to conduct his experiments there, and he ends up creating a monster using parts from people he's murdered over time, including his own assistant Wilhelm (Graham James), and Victor creates a monster (David Prowse) from body parts, but it's not long before the monster goes on the rampage. The film doesn't know if it wants to play it straight or if it's a parody of the Frankenstein films that Hammer have done before, some of it works and alot of it doesn't. When this reboot failed, Hammer brought Peter Cushing back for Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974), which was the last one. 3/5



Deadpool (2016), a passion project for star/producer Ryan Reynolds, who put his reputation on the line to get this film made. He'd played a version of the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), but the troubled production of that film put a question mark over whether this would be made, that combined with the fact that Reynolds had been in a few big flops in the previous few years. Not making him box-office poison, but near enough. After test footage leaked, the film spluttered into life, made for $58 million, (low for a comic book film), and with first time director Tim Miller at the helm, it was the most riskiest comic book film of recent years. But thank god, it pays off in spades, and it's absolutely hilarious. Mercenary Wade Wilson (Reynolds) is in a loving relationship with escort Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin), and all seems perfect, until the day that Wade is diagnosed with incurable cancer and that he will die. But, he's soon enlisted and recruited into a secret programme that will cure his cancer. Not wanting to die or have Vanessa see him suffer, Wade takes the risk. The facility, run by Francis Freeman (Ed Skrein) and Angel Dust (Gina Carano), has it's subjects injected with mutant genes, to turn them into slaves for wealthy customers. Wade ends up being heavy deformed with scars but he manages to escape and burn the facility to the ground. Planning revenge against Freeman, but also been given the power of invincibility. He becomes a masked vigilante by the name of Deadpool, and goes on a murderous personal vendetta to stop Francis. Although two X-Men, Colossus (Stefan Kapičić) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), want him to stop murdering so many henchmen and use his powers for good. But, nothing will stop Deadpool, and he has an attitude problem. Deadpool is a film that sticks two fingers up to it's audience, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the X-Men franchise, and it's loving being so naughty. Reynolds has great fun as Deadpool, especially when the mask is put on, and he becomes a wisecracking psychopath. You can see why it's been so successful. 4.5/5

Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 (2012), directed by Stevan Riley (Blue Blood (2006) and Fire in Babylon (2010)), and produced by John Battsek and Simon Chinn (Searching for Sugar Man (2012)), this documentary tells the story of the James Bond movie franchise and how it came to be. While it's a simplied version of all the DVD documentaries you get on the James Bond DVD's, it's informative and to the point, with new interviews and good insight into this beloved and popular franchise. It shows how the books were written by Ian Fleming, inspired by his time in the war. The books sold well, and it wasn't long before producers were circling it for a film adaptation. Enter Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, who saw instant potential, formed Eon Productions, and made a deal with Fleming, the rest is history. But, it's a bit more complicated than that, Fleming had made a previous deal a couple of years earlier and had wrote a treatment with writers Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham on an original story called Thunderball. It never happened at the time, Fleming did it as a book, McClory sued, and it would end up being a thorn in the Bond franchises side for many years to come, but the Bond franchise kept going, no matter what life threw at them. It's a good film with some good stories, and how the series kept changing to reflect the mood of the times. From the old fashioned days of the 1960's through to the high-tech days of the new millennium. It's a franchise that won't die and has no signs of stopping. 4/5



Zoolander 2 (2016), 15 years after the first Zoolander film came out in 2001, a sequel finally arrives. star/writer/producer/director Ben Stiller had worked on a sequel for nearly a decade, trying to get it right. It went from writer to writer, pillar to post before Stiller settled on one he liked. It's come too late, and it undoes all the good work Stiller did in the first Zoolander, and it undermines his maturity as a director that he demonstated with The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). Shame. Dimwitted model Derek Zoolander (Stiller), is now living a life closed away from the world after his wife Matilda (Christine Taylor) was killed when his Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good collapsed. His son was taken away from him, and Zoolander became a hermit. But, he's recruited by Valentina Valencia (Penélope Cruz) to investigate the murders of celebrities who died using Zoolander's 'Blue Steel' pose. Also helping out is Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson), who was left 'injured' when Zoolander's center collapsed on him. But, Zoolander and Hansel have to put their heads together to find out who is behind the murders, all signs point to fashion designer Alexanya Atoz (Kristen Wiig), but Zoolander is doing it to win his son back. When you get a film where it has more celebrity cameos than laughs, you know something has gone very wrong indeed, having said that, it's worth it for Justin Bieber and Benedict Cumberbatch's cameos, but only just. The finished product makes you wonder what was wrong with the earlier drafts of the scripts for Stiller to deem this one best? 2/5

Drive (2011), From Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson (2009), Only God Forgives (2013)), this is a taut, tight thriler based upon a 2005 book by James Sallis. It's development went from a big blockbuster to a small independent film, and it works remarkably well as the latter, it's low budget makes it focused and to the point. It shares themes and similarities with Walter Hill's The Driver (1978), but this has good acting and good characters, and brilliant suspenseful action. It has an unnamed driver (Ryan Gosling) who by day, works as a stuntman in Hollywood films, and as a mechanic for Shannon (Bryan Cranston), but by night, he's a getaway driver for anonymous crooks, he never works for the same people twice, but it's Shannon who puts the Driver in touch with them. He's just become friendly with his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan), whose husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) is in jail. Shannon has just become associated with mobster Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), who is in cahoots with Jewish gangster Nino (Ron Perlman). Things go awry when Standard is released from jail, and goes with the Driver to pay off a debt with notorious gangster Cook (James Biberi), but it all goes wrong, with the Driver now being targeted for death. It's a fast and exciting heist movie, with brilliant car stunts and good camerawork by Newton Thomas Sigel. Gosling plays it very cool, and it's got a good cast of familiar faces, and it's slick and stylish as well, and it'll be good to see where director Winding Refn goes from here. 4/5



Grimsby (2016), Sacha Baron Cohen rides again, and this time, he takes on the spy movie genre, but he does it his way with help from seasoned action director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter (2002), The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Clash of the Titans (2010)). As well as sending up action films, it also sends up the cliche of the scum class, and has used the Lincolnshire town of Grimsby as it's primary target. It's a hotch-potch of ideas, there are some laughs, but most of it is done for shock value. MI6 superspy Sebastian Butcher (Mark Strong) is the best of the best, and he's about to take out terrorist Rhonda George (Penélope Cruz), who is planning to release a deadly virus. However, he's interrupted by his long lost brother Nobby (Cohen) who has spent 28 years looking for Sebastian. Now believed to have gone rogue, Sebastian ends up on the run with Nobby, who brings Sebastian back to his home town of Grimsby, where Sebastian meets Nobby's randy wife Dawn (Rebel Wilson), and locals such as Milky Pimms (Johnny Vegas) and Paedo Pete (Ricky Tomlinson). But, Nobby and Sebastian soon end up in South Africa and Chile trying to stop George. It's a jaw-dropping film, you can't believe what Cohen has got away with in this film, poor Mark Strong deserves an award of some sort for what Cohen has him doing in this film, (keywords: elephant and firework). But, it's not a complete disaster, just half-hearted. 3/5

I've not read many good reviews about Grimbsy


Pitch Perfect 2 (1st view) - Certainly not as much fun as the first film but good tunes and great antagonists in the form of Das Sound Machine - 4/5*




London Has Fallen[/b (1st view) - So, so bad. Loved it - 4/5*




[b]Survivor (1st view) - Milla Jovovich is framed for a terrorist attack in London and goes on the run chased by the police and the actual bad guy, famed bombmaker and expert sharpshooter Pierce Brosnan. It's very silly - 4/5*




Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2nd view) - I wonder if Iain Glen and Daniel Craig look back at this as the nadir of their careers? It was crap when I saw it at the cinema, it's crap now - 2/5




ATM (1st view) - Three collegeaues are trapped in an ATM booth on a freezing cold night while a murderes outside prevents them from leaving. Decent premise, completely annoying characters who all act like fools - 4/5*

Let's Be Cops (1st view) - There are a few laughs but this is mainly a mess - 2/5*





Olympus Has Fallen (3rd view) - Po-faced and cheesily patriotic but enjoyable and the most 90s-like action film of recent years. Not as good as White House down though - 4/5





Elevator (1st view) - 9 people are trapped in a lift and one of them has a bomb. What to do? - 3/5*

The Three Stooges (1st view) - Childish and silly and mainly consists of three grown men hitting one another. As such, it might be the Farrelly Brothers best film - 4/5*




Hail, Caesar! (1st view) - At it's best when creating scenes from fictional films or following Brolin's Mannix as he tries to solve all manner of problems. At it's worst whenever we move to Clooney's kidnapped movie star and his time with communists and it would have been a wholly more enjoyable film with that plot excised completely, Also, needed more Fiennes - 4/5*




Kingpin (2nd view) - The Farrelly Brothers worst film. Easily - 2/5




Margaret (1st view) - Three hours. Could've had a nice kip in that time - 2/5*

The Love Punch (1st view) - Great cast, Shame about the film - 2/5*




Outcast (1st view) - Happy to report that in the decade+ since Hayden Christensen tried to ruin Star Wars he hasn't improved as an actor - 2/5*





Focus (1st view) - Slick con film that makes little sense and with a depely unsatisfactory ending - 3/5*

Spotlight (2015), written and directed by Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent (2003) and Win Win (2011)), and co-written with Josh Singer (The Fifth Estate (2013)). This is a powerful and disturbing film which handles it's lurid and unpleasant subject matter sensitively and it shows that investigative journalism can be used as a force for good when done right. It has a good central ensemble at it's core, and it has parallels with All The President's Men (1976), but dealing with more unpleasant matters. In 2001, The Boston Globe's investigative team Spotlight, which is run by Walter "Robby" Robinson (Michael Keaton), and with a team consisting of Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) and Matt Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James), meet with the newspaper's new editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber), who brings to Spotlight's attention details of lawyer Mitchell Garabedian (Stanley Tucci) stating that sexual abuse of children was going on amongst priests in Boston, and no-one was doing anything. Spotlight are told to investigate, and they come across a myriad of skulduggery, lies and cover-ups. What starts as an investigation of 13 priests committing sexual offenses goes up to 90 priests, plus The Boston Globe fight to have legal papers released which show it was more widespread. It's a good, powerful film with some great performances, especially Keaton and Ruffalo, (always reliable), whether it deserves to have won Best Picture at this years Oscars is another matter, time will tell. But it tackles a dark and thorny issue sensibly and with tact and sensitivity. But, the truth will out, always. 4/5



Hail, Caesar! (2016), the Coen Brothers return once more, with a film project they've had in development since 2004, and it was going to be about a travelling theatre troupe in the 1920's. However, in the interim, it expanded and got more complex, and it turned into a satire on the Hollywood studio system in the early 1950's. It has some very funny moments, but it feels more like a compendium of sketches with no real glue to hold it all together, but it looks absolutely stunning. In 1951, studio fixer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) works for Capitol Pictures, and tries to keep the productions running smoothly and keep the stars in line. During one long day, he has to deal with the fact that top actor Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) has been kidnapped while making prestige, religious epic Hail, Caesar! by a band of Communist screenwriters. Meanwhile, Mannix faces criticism from director Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes) for casting cowboy actor Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) in his posh drama, plus Mannix has to deal with synchronised swimming actress DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) becoming pregnant, and he has twin gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thacker (both Tilda Swinton) asking questions about the whereabouts of Whitlock. It's an ambitious film, but it could have done with more musical numbers and films getting ruined by inept actors. It is a good film, but it lacks the surrealism that the Coen's relish. Plus, it's an excuse for the Coen's to get their friends together and let their hair down and goof off. 4/5

The Martian (2015), directed by Ridley Scott, whose career has been up and down in the past few years, from good entertaining films like American Gangster (2007) and Robin Hood (2010), to boring, overblown guff like The Counsellor (2013) and Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014). However, in adapting Andy Weir's 2011 novel The Martian. Scott has made one of his very best films, The Martian is engaging, entertaining, exciting and enjoyable throughout. Set sometime in the 2030's, the crew of Ares III, led by Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), lead a manned mission to Mars. But after 31 days on the surface, a massive storm forces the crew to escape the planet, but fellow astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is left behind, presumed dead. But he isn't, he's somehow survived, Watney, using his wits, prowess, and knowledge as a botanist, plans to grow potato crops to survive. Meanwhile, at NASA, chief director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) leads a team to plan a rescue mission. It's a very well made film, and Scott has well and truly redeemed himself with this film, which tried to make itself scientifically accurate as well. It also benefits from a likable lead performance from Damon, and a great 70's Disco soundtrack too. 5/5



The Walk (2015), Robert Zemeckis returns, after making a serious character drama with Flight (2012), Zemeckis makes something more ambitious, and closer in tone and structure to the 3D mo-cap films he made, although this one is in live-action. Based on Philippe Petit's 2002 memoir To Reach the Clouds, this story was told in the documentary Man on Wire (2008), but this one is different, as it's shot in 3D, which works for this film at it's pivotal moment. Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a street performer in Paris in 1973, when he see's a photo in a magazine of the Twin Towers in New York City. Inspired, he makes it his mission to walk a tightrope between the two towers. He gets advice from his mentor Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley) on how to do the perfect tightrope, and he get's help from fellow street performer Annie (Charlotte Le Bon) and photographer Jean-Louis (Clément Sibomy). They head to New York, where Petit and his team study the towers, and plan when to go on and perform the stunt of the century. It's a good story, a bit cliched with the planning, but when it comes to the walk itself, it is quite magnificent, and it's a film which lends itself well to 3D, and Zemeckis has fun with the story, and it's visually magnificent. 4/5



Crimson Peak (2015), Guillermo Del Toro is back, and this time, he returns to horror, in the dark, bloody vein of Cronos (1993), The Devil's Backbone (2001) and Pan's Labyrinth (2006), although this one is also a gothic romance, and a haunting ghost story, and it's a sumptuous visual feast. Unlike Del Toro's other horror films, this is his first one in English, and it's a very creepy film, slow burning, but it's absolutely beautiful to watch. It starts in Buffalo, New York in 1901, where aspiring writer Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) meets dashing English baronet Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his darkly mysterious sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain). Sir Thomas likes Edith's writing, but Edith's rich father Carter Cushing (Jim Beaver), and her friend Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam) don't trust the Sharpe's. But, Edith and Thomas marry, and they go back to the Sharpe's ancestral home of Allerdale Hall in Cumberland, and Edith see's ghosts and spirits she was forewarned about, and Thomas and Lucille are hiding something... It's a very atmospheric film, and Del Toro is in his element with this story, and it builds up it's spooks and scares through it's atmosphere and tension is built up through it's visuals, which are very colourful. Mario Bava and Dario Argento would have killed for this film. 4.5/5

Some great films there, Don, especially The Martian

Southpaw (1st view) - The DVD cover states this is the best boxing film since Raging Bull. It isn't. - 4/5*





Poltergeist (1st view) - The original Poltergeist is the best horror film of the 80s. The remake wouldn't make the best 10 horrror films of 2015 - 3/5*





The Salvation (1st view) - Mads Mikkelsen welcomes his wife and child to the Old west after leaving them behind in Denmark seven years earlier. When tragedy strikes, his needs for revenge threatens the local townsfolk, who are quick to sell him out to Jeffrey Dean Morgan's notorious outlaw leader and his mute sister-in-law Eva Green. It might not be the most original western but it certainly is effective with some fine performances, ear-splitting shootoouts and painterly cinematography - 4/5*





10 Cloverfield Lane (1st view) - It's been a few years since I saw Cloverfield so exactly how this links/homages/connects whatevere with that film I can't rightly say, but as much as I like Cloverfield I think I like this one more. A simple premise and a minimalist cast, itr's incredibly effective and tense, with Goodman giving one of his best perfomances as the crazy-prepared, paranoid captor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead equally good as the captive Michelle, who turns out to be one of the most resourceful, quick-thinking and thankfully non-idiotic heroines of rcvent years. I imagine the last act could prove divisive but I loved it and would welcome actual sequels rather than blood relatives.

Room (2015), directed by Lenny Abrahamson (What Richard Did (2012) and Frank (2014)), and adapted by Emma Donohue from her own 2010 novel. This is a dark drama of imprisonment and the unbreakable power of the human spirit. Out of all the films nominated for the Oscars and other awards this year, this one was the best of the bunch. Powerful and moving. 24 year old Joy (Brie Larson) has been held captive in an enclosed space for 7 years, a small shed by Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). In the time Joy has been there, she has given birth to Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who has just celebrated his 5th birthday. Jack only knows the world inside this room. Then, Joy comes up with a plan to escape, by making it seem like Jack has died from ill-health, it's this decision that changes their lives forever. It's an upsetting and focused drama that has two brilliant performances in it. Larson might have got the Oscar, but Tremblay steals the film completely. Absolutely brilliant 5/5



Carol (2015), directed by Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine (1998), Far from Heaven (2002) and I'm Not There (2007)), this romantic drama was based on Patricia Highsmith's 1952 novel The Price of Salt. This is a film about forbidden love in the 1950's. It had been in development for nearly a decade before Haynes picked it up. It's a beautiful and emotional film. Set around Christmas 1952, shopgirl Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) works for Frankenberg's department store in Manhattan, one day she meets Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett), who buys a train set. She leaves her gloves, but Therese mails them to her. Carol gets back in touch, and Therese comes into Carol's life. She going through a tough divorce from husband Harge (Kyle Chandler), so she and Therese go on a road trip. It's a very stylish drama, with Blanchett and Mara giving two powerful performances, it has beautiful cinematography by Edward Lachman. It's a good companion piece to Far from Heaven. 4/5

Nekromantik (1987), written and directed by Jörg Buttgereit (Todesking, Der (1989) and Schramm (1993)), this was Buttgereit's debut feature was made for next to nothing and filmed on Super 8, Buttgereit and co-writer Franz Rodenkirchen came up with the idea after wanting to do a love story. It's maybe the sickest film ever made, the Human Centipede of it's day. Set in Berlin, Rob Schmadtke (Bernd Daktari Lorenz), who works for Joe's Cleaning Agency, a company ran by Joe (Colloseo Schulzendorf), that removes bodies from grisly crime scenes. Rob keeps to himself, but the job gives him the perfect opportunity to carry out his one his love, necrophilia. He and his girlfriend Betty (Beatrice Manowski) love partaking in necrophilia, they have a collection of body parts littered around their apartment. One day, Rob comes across a full rotting corpse, and he can't resist the temptation, and he brings the entire corpse home. Only for his girlfriend to fall in love with the corpse, and shun Rob for the corpse. It's a one of a kind film, you'd swear it was real, but it isn't. But, it's certainly an acquired taste of film, but it's hardly one you would watch again in a hurry. 4/5



Trash (2014), directed by Stephen Daldry, (Billy Elliot (2000), The Hours (2002) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)), and written by Richard Curtis, and adapted from Andy Mulligan's 2010 novel of same name. This is a bit like a Brazilian take on Slumdog Millionaire (2008), but it's more of a mystery too, complete with the local colour you don't see in Brazil. Set in Rio De Janiero, it follows 3 teenagers Raphael (Rickson Tevez), Gardo (Eduardo Luis), and Rat (Gabriel Weinstein) who spend their time picking through litter in the rubbish tips of Rio in the hope of finding useful waste. One day, while going through the rubbish, they find a wallet, whose contents include a keycard that puts them in direct contact with the local authorities who want the key card, and the corrupt local police who use brutality. But, the teenagers have help from local American priest Father Juilliard (Martin Sheen) and Sister Olivia (Rooney Mara). It's a good film, not perfect, and it dips into sentimentality and putting-the-world-to-rights preaching you'd come to expect from Curtis. But, it shows the side to Brazil the travel brochures certainly don't. 3.5/5

Carol was amazing. Best film from last year (well, apart from Shaun The Sheep!)


Robot Overlords (1st view) - Robots take over the world. Gandhi collaborates with them, Scully tries to stop them - 3/5*





The Lobster (1st view) - Colin Farrell plays David, a man whose wife has left him. He now had 45 days to find a suitable partner or else he'll be turned into an animal of his choice. An odd concept but beautifully realised, the world and the rules within make a stange kind of sense. Farrell and Rachel Weisz are both excellent but the cast is great in general and the film is easily one of the best of the last few years - 4/5*





Man Of Steel (3rd view) - Really rather good. I remember a few people back on Empire crying their lamps out becase Supes kills someone. I think that's quite funny. Certainly better than the last big screen Superman but there is one bit straight out of Calvin and Hobbes that I find hilarous - 4/5

Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (1st view) - Overlong, plothole-heavy and clunky. Batman's a tool, he has no real reason to fight Supes and and an even worse reason to stop fighting him, whatever the hell Lex Luthor was up to I have no idea and it ends up in a messy CGI overload fight that the MCU betters every time. Best thing was Wonder Woman, partially because her story isn't known, partially because it looks like she's having fun. But for all it's many faults I really, really enjoyed it - 4/5*