Reviews

Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but never manage to find. For the band of tombaroli, thieves of ancient grave goods and archaeological wonders, the Chimera means redemption from work and the dream of easy wealth.

For Arthur, the Chimera looks like the woman he lost, Beniamina.

To find her, Arthur challenges the invisible, searches everywhere, goes inside the earth -- in search of the door to the afterlife of which myths speak.

In an adventurous journey between the living and the dead, between forests and cities, between celebrations and solitudes, the intertwined destinies of these characters unfold, all in search of the Chimera......

La Chimera is an oddity of a film, fresh fro the dirge that what Challengers, Josh O' Connor excels as Arthur, an almost otherworldly being who may or may not be on the path to purgatory. Or maybe he is already there.

He has lost the love f his life, and all we have to remind her by is a strand of red wool, but that strand is the tree of life for Arthur, and his quest.

But what is his quest. He seems almost defeated throughout the film, wearing bland clothes, eating bland food, and just existing. And that is until meets Italia, a beautiful, mysterious woman, who is working for Isabella Rossellini. The film has many strands, many avenues to explore, and some exploring it may need to take, to truly appreciate this wonderful gem.

You don't get many films as exquisitely mysterious as this. It almost fools the viewer into thinking that it's a number of different films. There were hints, of Wenders, Lynch, and even Burton at some points, but it has its own unique originality to the whole proceeding.

The more I write, the more I ponder the film and its message. It's a haunting piece of cinema, which you grip you, and not release you until the end, even though it's a hardly tense film.

The film has a poetic balance that compliments the narrative, and its rich camerawork. If you have not seen this, I urge you too, it's a masterpiece.

The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time......

The music Bio-pic has had a little resurgence in the past few years, thanks to Queen and Elton John. We have only just had the Bob Marley one, that covered over more of his controversial parts of his life, and now we have this, another Biopic that likes to play it a little on the safe side.

Winehouse was a pretty amazing songwriter, but come on, she was more famous for her drinking and her personal life, which this film seems too scared to tell it just how it was.

All you have to do is google her name, and you can see just how much of a ticking time mob she was. I mean, where was Pete Docherty in this film? Where was her infamous last performance where she was totally incoherent? This film just wants to focus on her, her Back To Black album, and the marriage that nobody really cared about.

Abela nails it as Winehouse. She is totally amazing in the role, and she is unfortunately let down by the writing. Winehouse was allegedly bulimic. This gets washed over in a very short scene at the beginning of the film where her housemate mentions her vomiting. It's never mentioned in the film.

And again, her dad was allegedly pushing and pushing her, driving her to the brink. But here Marian plays him like a saint, he's very good, but it's all a little deceptive.

If you want the true story, see Asif Kapadia's brilliant 'Amy' documentary. If you want the fairy tale. See this.

It's okay. Watch it for Abela.

A lonely hair stylist becomes obsessed with the lives of her clients and descends into murderous madness......

The stylist could have been another slasher film. It could have easily been about some weird woman who kills their victims for their hair. Essentially, it is, but the film delves so much deeper than that, which is thankfully what the makers do, as they could have gone for the buzz cut, which would have probably garnered more viewers.

Townsend is wonderful as Claire, a girl who has lots of problems with self esteem and confidence, and takes her victims scales for escape. As when she dons her victims hair, she is sent into another world, and the film is beautiful when this is evident.

There is a sub plot about some woman getting married, and her stylist has bunked on her, so she asks Claire. Claire takes this as a huge compliment, and becomes more involved with her as the films narrative begins to struggle a little with Claire, and it becomes very uncomfortable when Claire becomes a little obsessed with the bride to be. She invites her round for a drink, and you can feel Claires anxiety when she first gets to the brides house.

It's a wonderful piece of storytelling, as you become empathetic toward Claire, and begin to care less about her victims, which is very uniques when it comes to films like these. Claire is the epitome of the anti-hero. You know what she is doing is very wrong, but you cannot help but like her, even at some points hoping that she overcomes her problems, and gets better. And especially, you don't want her to get caught.

You want her to be careful, but lo and behold, the third act happens, and it goes straight of the window, but you always knew it was coming.

It's a very good looking film, the cast are great, and it's really worth seeking out.....

After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight.

In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they're locked inside with no normal little girl......

It's been done before, the trailer kills the film. If the studio had some faith in the audience, this could've been a surprise movie, much like From Dusk 'Til Dawn, but then I suppose, back then, we didn't have the miracle of the spoilerific internet.

If the trailer just gave us the set up, but kept the same title card that it had, people would be be curious, and curious people come to the cinema in droves. Just look at the trailer for Longlegs. It gives you absolutely nothing. I know Nicolas Cage plays a serial killer, but nothing else. And it's my most anticipated film this year. So far.

So we know that the titular character is a vampire, so we spend the first thirty minutes waiting for the reveal, so we have to make friends with the rag tag team. Who are a little boring to be honest. We've seen them all before, and we are all playing the game of 'who dies first?'. But thanks to the trailer, we know that Dan Steven's will make it to the end, because he has the line 'I hate Ballet'.

But again, the film tries to do a last act twist, and to be honest, it's not very good, and completely ruins the fun we had before this. Oh no!!! She's Dracula's daughter. How do we know it's Dracula? Because he's played by special guest star Matthew Goode.

But other than than, it's a short and sharp funny film. The gore is pretty good, if not inventive, and the performances are pretty affable, even if the characters are pretty mundane.

Katie flees a backwoods cult and takes a job at a care centre for special needs adults in her determination to do some good with her life.

But despite her best intentions, Katie can't escape the signs that "the devils" are coming for Stephanie, a woman with Down syndrome she cares for, who keeps getting sicker despite Katie's rituals to ward off evil spirits......

It's an interesting concept, that has been done a dozen times before, but here we are working with people with learning difficulties, which grabbed my attention from the get go.

But Plot Summary aside, there really is little going on here. The main lead is good in her role, but she is limited to looking a little shaken when she has flashbacks, being endearing to the people she is working with, and then trying to convince people that she isn't insane.

If the story was more focused on her trying to come to terms with her PTSD, rather than making it a showcase for people with learning difficulties (which is a little exploitative if I'm honest) then it could have been a great psychological drama, rather than a film where a woman puts cow parts under a bed, living in a car.

It's not terrible, it just maunders on, and you can just feel a great film trying to come out.

When Karate champion Michael Rivers wins the last tournament of his career, shady businessman Ron Hall offers him the opportunity to fight in an illegal Kumite in Bulgaria against the world's best martial artists.

When Michael declines, Hall has his daughter kidnapped and, in order to rescue her, Rivers is left with no choice but to compete in the deadly tournament.

Arriving in Bulgaria, he finds out that he is not the only fighter whose loved one was taken.

Rivers enlists the help of trainers special guest star Master Tai Bo, and special guest star China O' Brien, but will it be enough for him to win the tournament and save his daughter's life?.....

For a lot of people, much like myself, Friday night at the video store was a huge part of my growing up, and my love of the movies. Yes, I love Terence Malick, and the films of Wim Wenders, but nothing gets my blood pumping when a star of the eightie's has a new film coming out. Stallone, Van Damme, Schwarzenegger, and sometimes even Seagal. Any film that had the word 'Kickboxer', 'American', or 'Revenge' in the title was a must, especially if there was a picture of some random bloke doing a roundhouse kick.

And then we had the straight to video martial arts films, which always featured Bolo, Merhi, Blanks, Rothrock, and that weird looking bloke from Bloodsport 3 who was in The Matrix. All brilliant rubbish. But rubbish all the same.

And if you were very lucky, David Carradine would pop up as the special guest villain.

Here, we have what is essentially another Bloodsport, from the music, to the amazing songs, and then the lead up to the meat of the movie, the titular Kumite, hosted by Dark Angel, and a hulking bad guy, who likes to enter opponents bedrooms and look at them laying on their bed. Just to intimidate them.

Watching this, I was constantly asking myself the question, 'how many past stars turned down this movie?'. They must've asked Van Damme, Dudikoff, Norris, Eric Douglas, Wilson, Dascascos et al.

But it doesn't matter, if you're a fan of eighties action martial arts movies, this has it all. Wonderful fights, wonderful banter at the gym, training montages with Blanks laughing, even though his life is crushed, and Rothrock looking. Extremely. Plastic. But it's still Rothrock, and she kicks someone anyway.

Everyone is having a ball, and I was too, it took me back to a time when life was simpler, and the hardest thing to do was realise that Bloodsport hadn't been rewound when you rented it out.

It took me to a good place.

If you love these films, you'll adore this.

After reclaiming the boxing championship title, Rocky plans to retire and live with his wife, Adrian. However, during an exhibition match, Rocky's friend Apollo Creed is mercilessly beaten to death by hulking Russian newcomer Ivan Drago.

Rocky vows payback against Drago and flies to Russia to train for a Christmas Day fight. Despite their different training methods, Rocky and Drago both wage a long and intense match......

He got rid of the infernal robot, and that's the best thing that a director has ever done to a film. Aside from the opening, and the final five minutes, you would have had to have seen the film multiple times to see what Stallone has changed. I've seen Rocky IV so many times, that I know what comes next, so a lot of it was surprising to me, but this version usurps the original cut of this childhood favourite.

Who am I kidding, I still think that this film is a masterpiece from beginning to end. Yes it has its problems, and Russia is shown in a bad light, nut the film is almost flawless.

You get the 'previously on Rocky', the family time, Creed's death, the argument, the montage, the motivational speech, the montage, the reconciliation, the montage, and then the main event.

It's a couple of minutes shy of 90 minutes, and this film just flies by. Stallone was at the top of his game when he made this, and he knows it. It's one of the most predictable films ever made, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

It's a knockout......

Ocean's Twelve AKA, the one were it went all meta, and I still don't know if it was a work of genius, or just an excuse to get Bruce Willis in the film. After all, he was the original choice to play Danny Ocean.

Three years after pulling an impossible heist of a three-casino vault Danny Ocean and his wife Tess have been found and fingered by Terry Benedict (metaphorically, not literally). Mr. Benedict has promised the provider of the information to show restraint and give the clan two weeks to repay him with interest to the tune of over $190 million.

Without a job that can provide that kind of pay off, the gang must accept the challenge of premier thief Francois Toulour to see who can steal a famous work of art first and claim the title of greatest thief ever......

Ocean's Twelve is the weakest of the trilogy, but it's still way cooler than my wardrobe was in 2004.

All appears well with our gang at the beginning of the film, but before you can say 'he has the best walk in the world' Andy Garcia shows up demanding his money back. So what do the gang do, they decide to travel to Europe, wear really cool clothes, and just have a lot of fun chemistry between them all. And of course, once again, Soderbergh involves the audience, making you feel like you are part of the team.

The only problem is, and before you can say Catherine Zeta-Jones, it all feels a little like 1999's Entrapment. But instead of having an ageing character as the protagonist, we get Clooney and co acting cool, sometimes acting a little stupid, but always looking cool.

But the big thing here, the main gimmick is Julia Roberts. Or should I say Julia Roberts playing Tess, playing Tess, playing Julia Roberts. This scene is pretty amazing, as she just looks really embarrassed, and before you can say special guest star, Bruce Willis turns playing himself playing cool. And it's an absolute blast.

It does falter in some parts, it goes for a wider scope, but I feel it would've been a winner if Ocean's Twelce wasn't 'Danny goes on a lads holiday'

The humour is still there, and the cast seem to enjoy the self deprecating humour, but even though it's still enjoyable, it's a pretty empty film.

Danny Ocean's friend Reuben goes into business with Willy Bank, a ruthless casino owner, who then cuts Reuben out. Reuben then suffers a heart attack.

Danny and the rest of his crew go to him. Danny gives Bank the opportunity to do what is right but when he refuses, Danny sets out to get him back by taking him down.

He plans to make sure his new casino flops. He brings in tech wiz Roman Nagel to help crack the system at Bank's hotel.

Eventually they discover that they need more money to pull it off, so Ocean turns to Terry Benedict, the casino owner, he once robbed, who agrees on the condition that he steal something important to Bank......

Third times the charm for the Ocean's series after the lacklustre second film. Again, we are treated to watching rich, beautiful people, having lots of fun, and wearing really nice clothes. But his time, Al Pacino is the bad guy, which is a wonderful move by the studio. It's also a wonderful move basing the film in Vegas once more, as it can get as debaucherous as it wants to be. And it really does.

The plot is simple. He hurt their friend, they're going to hurt him were it hurts the most, in his pocket.

So cue lots of amazing music by David Holme, wonderful cinematography, exciting set pieces, and one of the weirdest noses in cinematic history.

It's a breeze of a film, and you really get involve with the characters, because we've been the other member of Danny's team since day one. The film makes you part of the team, and it's great to be involved with the gang.

You will feel instantly cool after seeing this.

.......I shall say this only once.

If you can get past the french accent Poots puts on sounding like Officer Crabtree from Allo Allo, there is a wonderful tense thriller here.

Debutante Rose Dugdale enjoys a life of wealth and privilege, but her rebellious nature soon leads her down a militant path.

Amongst the political turmoil of the 1970s, her sympathy towards the IRA's conflict evolves into radicalisation, culminating in an armed raid on an Irish estate with three comrades.

However, when her simple heist takes a violent turn, is Rose prepared to face the devastating consequences.....

It's a simple house raid movie, with the main character wanting to steal expensive things to fund the IRA. But what makes this stand out from other films in this genre is the relationships that she builds with people on the outside, and her dropping her guise because she becomes endeared to them. The other thing that begs the question, is just how much of her narrative is in her mind? Has she been somewhat brainwashed by the IRA, as they know that she is a reckless person with privileges.

The cast are pretty amazing, especially the two friends she inadvertently makes in her quest, as you are answering the question, do they know who she is? Do thy have an idea? We are put in this position, because we are so involved with Rose, we cannot help but pity her, because she is a very vulnerable person.

If you get a chance to see it, please do, it's a very tense thriller.

In my opinion, the last Planet Of the Apes trilogy is possibly one of the finest live action trilogies ever made. But Hollywood loves mon(k)ey, so here we are again once more.

Set several generations in the future following Caesar's reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows.

As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike......

As always, the effects are second to none, the apes look stunning, and they are seamless. And then there's the film.

I knew I wasn't going to like this from the moment i started rolling my eyes in the cinema when I saw the trailer for the what seems, fiftieth time, and I'm not exaggerating with that. Maybe a little. But I've seen the trailer in nearly every film I've seen in the last two months, so unfortunately, it got my back up a little.

The first act is a maundering mess, we plod along with exposition and the mysticism that the films have held for the best part of sixty years. And it felt like sixty years.

The film picks up a little when we are introduced to the second act, and the special guest star, but by then, because of the maundering opening, I began to care less about what was happening, and what the protagonists were trying to achieve.

Maybe I was just against this because of the amount of times that I have seen the trailer, so I'm going to give it another chance, as the last three POTA films were first class.

But it might be part of a new trilogy, because if this does make money, the studios would be bananas not to make another one.

With an elaborate scheme to strike it rich etched on his mind, slick con artist Danny Ocean contacts his friend and right-hand man Rusty the day he gets out of prison.

Eager to get to work, the two partners in crime assemble a hand-picked team of specialists to rinse the impenetrable vault of stone-faced Las Vegas casino magnate Terry Benedict--$160 million in cash from the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand, to be precise.

However, such a robbery attempt is without parallel in the annals of crime. Can the A-list stars pull off the perfect heist and live to tell the tale whilst having the time of their lives wearing fancy clothes and living it up in Sin City.....

And that it is all the film is, just a whole lot of fun starring the biggest names at the time in Hollywood. They all look good, the film is slicker than an otter in a vaseline factory, and the most important thing is, we are having as much fun as the cast are.

Clooney, Pitt, and Garcia are the standouts, Garcia is chewing scenery whenever he is on screen, and that walk, that amazing Garcia swagger is amazing.

Cheadle lets the side down with that awful accent, but it's all in good fun. It's a film that never gets boring, and despite some of the wardrobe choices (particularly Garcia), it's aged as well as its stars.

He's a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment.

And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy, and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. Which in all fairness, is a pretty amazing job, as you get to work with Emily Blunt all day.....

When I first heard that the studios were going to make a movie of another beloved TV series, a lot of things came to mind. Charlies Angels, The Mod Squad, The A-Team, and various other hollywoodised TV series turned into a big budget movie.

Them the trailer came out, and I must say, it really whet my appetite. Gosling is a bonafide movie star, and this has everything going for it. Namely the film getting some guts and featuring some proper old school stunts. And my goodness, does it not disappoint.

This is an old fashioned blockbuster of the highest order, and it reminded me of the summer of 1994, when we had big movies such as Maverick ans True Lies, films that were made specifically for the summer. At a time when the stars name was enough to sell the movie. These days, star power has gone down the drain, but his film took me back 30 years, because it doesn't really care about plausibility, it doesn't really care about a fluid narrative, it just wants the viewer to have fun, and the best part of it. The film is having a lot of fun too.

The chemistry between Gosling and Blunt is the glue that keeps the film together, as they are amazing, and there relationship keeps you invested in the film. Yes, there is a plot about a missing movie star, and that Gosling is the person of interest, but it's just a high concept that would make Joel Silver and Jerry Bruckheimer proud.

The action is plentiful, the locales beautiful, and the choice of music is just a chefs kiss, you will never listen to Against All Odds in the same way again (Okay it's called Take A look At Me Now, but who cares).

It's one of the most liveliest summer blockbusters of recent times, and it will be a firm favourite for years to come.

And it could have been so close to that 2017 Baywatch......

In a near future, normal life on Earth has been decimated. Paul and his two sons, Thomas and Joseph, have been living a half-life - tranquility by day and torment by night.

Every night, after the sun sets, they face the unrelenting attacks of a mysterious and violent evil.

One day, when Thomas doesn't return home before sundown, Paul must leave the safety of their fortified farm to find him. A battle ensues that forces the family to execute a desperate plan to survive......

First off, I have no idea why this film has the title it has, but it's a curiosity for sure, just like the film. If you know me, I'm a Cage completist, he's a legend and when he is in a film in any type of role, he lifts the film beyond it's plot and narrative, and in the last ten years, his output hasn't been the best, but my goodness, when he's in a good film, that film is golden. Think of Dream Scenario, Mandy, Joe, Color Out Of Space, and Pig, you know Cage can be wonderful. And here we are again.

At first glance, Arcadian could be nothing more than your average Friday night monster movie. Think of A Quiet Place, or even It Comes At Night, and you would be forgiven for thinking that this film is going down the same route. It really isn't.

Cage is living on a farm of some sort with his two teenage sons who squabble all the time, so not only is the fight outside, it's also inside. It references Covid subliminally, but that is what the film is about. Imagine being in total lockdown at night, the time of sundowning, and when people are tired after a hard days work, and you have a nifty arc of the film.

Cage is a strict father, but it's in the best interests of his children, he wants them to be safe, and he wants them to learn and grow up quickly, as at night he dictates to them how the house should be lockdowned.

Outside of the nuclear family, the children are discovering themselves very quickly, and in the old adage of a teen (we all were once) they think that they are pretty invincible.

It's a film of two halves. The first half is the audience getting to know the dynamics of the family, and the other people that the kids meet, whilst Cage is just taking it easy with a cigar, knowing that the night will soon come.

The second part of the film just goes all out, and it feels like a monster movie crossed with 28 Days Later. It's pretty terrifying in parts, and it remains pretty tense right up until the end.

But I fear it's going to be one of those films with Cage that will be lost in the seas of time, as it didn't do very well at the box office, and it's sitting pretty now on Shudder.

It's really worth seeing.

When a group of friends recklessly violates the sacred rule of Tarot readings - never use someone else's deck - they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards.

One by one, they come face to face with fate and end up in a race against death to escape the future foretold in their readings......

Another month, another really bad horror movie. Late Night With The Devil aside, 2024 could be one of the worst years for horror. Night Swim, and Imaginary were very bad, but my goodness, this really is up there for one of the biggest letdowns in horror. The premise is brilliant, and the history of the cards and the readings are pretty expansive, but the makers here have really messed up such a wonderful premise.

If you have seen the trailer, you genuinely have seen everything 'scary' that the films have to offer. It's not all bad, almost, the first ten minutes are pretty entertaining, and for this part of the film, you really are invested in the characters, even though they are your cookie cutter gang of misfits that have infected these types of horror films since 'Scream' changed the way horror films were made.

After this, the film nosedives into obvious jump scares, and it has a weird air of Final Destination about it, as the film very slowly picks out each member of the film one by one to their very predictable demise. And that's another thing that is maundering about the film. It's obviously a PG-13 in the states for the box office, as the film is devoid of any gore, aside from a couple of blood spatters, which is a shame, as if they upped the ante with the gore, they could have gone all out with this film, but no, they want the money, not audience enjoyment.

Speaking of Final Destination, you can bet your bottom dollar that this film will spawn a breadth of sequels, because this will make a fair bit of wedge, and the studios will milk this for every penny it's worth.

It's a very bland boring film with pretty poor performances, and a terrible ending.

There ou go, I've read your fortune. You will miss a very poor film.....

In the University of Oregon, student Holly King is awarded with her research about the fate of nine Russian hikers known as The Dyatlov Pass Incident, who mysteriously died in the Ural Mountains in Russia in 1959.

She decides to make a documentary following the steps of Dyatlov and his team and she invites filmmaker Jenson Day, audio technician Denise Evers; and experienced guides JP Hauser Jr. And Andy Thatcher.

They travel to Russia expecting to find the truth about the unsolved mystery; but they find something else instead......

Right, there are three reasons why I wanted to see this. Harlin has made some really amazing films in his hey day, I love Found Footage, and it has Gemma Atkinson in it. Alright, make that four reasons.

But it's a case of another wonderful concept, let down by a really dull and over complicated third act.

Snow can be very spooky, and the true story about the actual case is pretty spooky as well, so this had all the makings of being a winner. But no, they have to really over complicate things with adding a Time Machine bubble thing toward the end and those pesky German world war 2 soldiers and their experiments.

This is not what this film needed, and up until the discovery of a door in the middle of the mountains, it's pretty spooky, thanks to the stories and the snow laden setting the film has.

It could have had the actual original hikers haunting the pass, which could have made the whole film a lot more eerie, but no, it ends up being a convoluted mess.

If you want to see Harlin do snow, see Cliffhanger, that's amazing. This really isn't.

Lucky ahem is an adult website run by Mike that invites fans to have you know what with exotic stars. Dave is an eager young fan given a chance to have sex with the fabulous Ashley Saint.

But everyone gets more than they bargained for in the seemingly mild-mannered Dave... with gruesome results......

The concept is very sound and fresh for the found footage sub-genre, which is my favourite sub-genre ever since the Blair Witch tipped over someone's camera.

The concept for all I know could be real for all i know, and up until the final act, it works really well. From the get go, we all know that Dave 'isn't right', he has a demeanour that wants you running for the hills, but the makers know that they have something special, but all the while you are shaking your head at the crew, as there are red flags right from the get go. But the industry is all about money and greed, so you know, you reap what you sow.

Dave is a meek character to begin with, but he soon rattles Ashleys chains when he says her real name, and he mentions her private life.

Should have ended the project there.

But no, the crew give him another chance, and as soon as they say action, he has acted very quick, if you know what I mean.

From there on, they begin to mock him, and laugh at him, and this really grinds his gears.

As soon as you can say 'predictable', Dave begins to turn psychotic, and we learn more about him that we shouldn't know about.

And this is where the film falters, It doesn't do anything original, it's just the same 'please don't hurt me' faff that these films have been doing for the last twenty or so years, which is a shame, because it could have been something so much more.

Joe and Kate Ruttledge have returned from London to live and work among a small, rural, lakeside community in Ireland near to where Joe grew up.

Now deeply embedded in the life around the lake, the drama of a year in their lives and those of the memorable characters that move about them unfolds through the rituals of work, play and the passing seasons as this enclosed world becomes an everywhere......

I'm not bothering with the title again, as it took me a few times to say it properly when I asked for the tickets.

But what we have here is one of the most easy going comedy dramas that I have seen in a very long time. The majority of the film is based at the protagonists house, and they are visited by some of he most amazing, beautiful characters that the novelist has ever written about.

Everyone is very easy going, but all through the film there is an odd air of tension, making the viewer believe that not all is what it seems.

They drink, smoke and eat wonderful food, whilst passing the time in the only way you would in a beautiful setting, very easily. But there are some people with whom they don't get on with others, and tension couldn't be more beautifully depicted.

To say anymore would ruin the film, but it's a bittersweet journey, and one that would be beautiful to watch on a big projector int he roasting sun, with a cold pint, and wonderful friends.

..... And boy does the film live up to that quote, time and time again.....

Boy is a mayhem machine who's been training to assassinate the bloodthirsty Hilda Van Der Koy and avenge his family's murder.

Guided by his sister's mischievous spirit, Boy uncovers one stunning revelation after another as he barrels toward Hilda......

To enjoy this film to it's maximum potential, you just have to go with it, maybe have a few drinks before, and in between, because the plot holes are very gaping, and there is a last minute twist, that will make you go 'pah!' If you don't forgive its shortcomings. And again, shortcomings are aplenty. Just imagine the film as one big happy trailer for the forthcoming probably depressing and rubbish Crow remake that the star has coming this year.

Boy is trained by the mad one from 'The Raid', and he beats him up for a long time. Imagine Bloodsport and Kick-boxer, but instead of Van Damme winning at the end, it's a courtroom drama about abuse. And then some.

Boy hates Xenia Onatopp, and he will stop at nothing to avenge his sister. And like this months Monkey Man, he goes about exacting revenge on those who hurt him, albeit with a lot more gore and cheese graters. Monkey man was about culture clash, whereas this is just about clash.

It's a mental film from beginning to end. It's gory but not too much, it's very bonkers, and it's the perfect beer and pizza movie, because come the end, you are that exhilarated, you couldn't care less that Onatopp is really you know who, and the bloke from The Rais really did that.

It's a well made straight to video eighties movie, and that is a compliment of the highest order.....

Tashi, a tennis player turned coach, has transformed her husband from a mediocre player into a world-famous grand slam champion.

To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a challenger event, which is close to the lowest level of tournament on the pro tour.

Tensions soon run high when he finds himself standing across the net from the once-promising, now burnt-out Patrick, his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend......

The biggest problem with this film is that it has been a very long time coming. Trailers for this were around almost a year ago, and every time I saw the trailer, I was thinking to myself 'oh not this again'. But a trailer does not make a movie.

It has so much potential, It has a genius premise, and the ending of the film is pretty fantastic, but it's way too long, and a lot of the symbolism and mythos of the film is lost in the soap opera script and slow second act.

My opinion, I believe that Tashi does not exist, she is some sort of subliminal image for the two leads, to help them reveal their true feelings. They are in love, and always have been. She really only ever interacts with the two men, and her daughter and mother are her past and future self, respectively. I realised this toward the end of the film, when Tashi just materialises in the hotel corridor. She simply isn't real.

And thats the genius of the film, and it's downfall, as it could have been something so much more than the melodrama that it is. And herein lies the problems. The subliminal symbolism is just so in your face, that it almost spells it out to you that the two men are in love.

For example, the scene where the two are eating churros is just 101 phallic symbolism, and the makers may have well just dressed the guys in effeminate clothing and left it at that.

The makers treat the viewers like they are stupid, and it's insulting. We don't need to be spoon fed the narrative, we like to have opinions, and like to come to our own conclusions. I may be totally wrong, but it's what I got from the film, and in my honest opinion, I think that is the arc of the film.

On the plus side, the tennis scenes are pretty well choreographed, and the majority of the score by Reznor is pretty enthralling, but now and again it gets a little too much, just like the film. And the camera loves to linger on Zendaya, sometimes so much, it's actually cringeworthy.

So it's not an Ace film for me, in fact, it's not even 15-love.

It's pretty boring.

Airport cleaner Lena finds herself stranded late one night after work.

Her chirpy colleague Birdie offers to help her out, by letting her stay with him and his family for the night.

It soon becomes apparent though that this act of kindness is far more sinister.

As Lena enters Birdie's home, she is introduced to a dark world of torture and murder......

This was one of the first films to be released at the cinema, and on physical media release on the same day. And if you have any idea at just how depraved this film has the potential to be, it stays on the right side of safe.

Not to say that this film isn't a gritty, dirty, and innerving film, it really is, and the sense of depravity throughout justifies the films certificate, just don't expect a bloodbath of epic proportions.

Benson and Miles are pretty amazing as the titular couple, Benson teetering on going absolutely bonkers at any time, and Miles playing that wicked step-mother sore of character that we are familiar with from the cheap slasher films that were thrown at us in the eighties. In fact, this film would sit pretty well along with them.

It's the age old story of the final girl stuck in the house with nowhere to go, and no matter what she does, she gets punished, and her psuedo sister doesn't help matters by tripping her up every now and again.

If you would, the whole film plays like that set piece in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre when they have the victim as their chief guest at dinner time.

It's a short film, very well paced, and for once, it's not very predictable. So whilst it's not the gorefest that you were expecting, it's a pretty grim film.

Raised by wolves, the wounded last survivor of a cannibal tribe bathes in a river in the lush woods of the North-east Coast, where she used to roam free.

But in the eyes of misogynistic lawyer Chris, the naked savage is the perfect trophy, and in the following days, the sadist will try to make her his project, bent on domesticating the untamed female by breaking her will.

More than anything, Chris and his dysfunctional family want to keep the proud predator in captivity, though they are no match for the feral, flesh-eating primitive in the cellar and her raw and merciless revenge.....

The message here is simple. The Nuclear domesticated family are more of an animal than someone who has lived in nature for her entire life. And that's at the heart of The Woman, the titular character was at peace, she appeared to have come to terms with her solidarity, only to have it taken away from her by some upper middle class moron who wanted a trophy. And why? So he had something else to control?

The real antagonist here is Chris, he's the real villain of the piece, and just like John Rambo, if he had just left her to her own devices, none of the aftermath would have happened, and I for one am glad it happened, because it reveals true human nature, and how, when we are at the top of our game, do we look down at people. Why do powerful people have to be so arrogant?

The Woman answers all those questions and it is true, hell has no fury like a woman scorned. And when this women becomes loose, she gives the family hell, and then some.

It can be a very unnerving and sadistic film at times, but it does get it's message across.

Small-town friends Reggie, Mike, and Jody continue in their quest to stop the evil, dimension-hopping schemes of The Tall Man and his armada of killer Sentinel Spheres.

This time, the fight becomes a multi-dimensional battle across multiple timelines, alien planets and altered realities, where no less than the fate of Earth is on the line.

The Phantasm films have been a really weird franchise. The first movie was okay, and it had a really sinister edge it, as the Tall Man was decidedly creepy, and I walkways remember him chasing the kid down the hall of the funeral parlour absolutely terrifying. Then the second went all bigger budget, and I remember it being quite a major release in its day. It had a few different actors, and it felt more 'Hollywood' if you would.

The third and the fourth film are utterly bonkers, and unless you are a die hard Phantasm fan, they make no real sense. And like I said, they are utterly boners, and devoid of narrative.

So I was a little 'meh', when this film was released. I heard it was made on the cheap, and I always found the character of Reggie to be a little arrogant in his ways.

So I caught this on the Arrow channel, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at just how good the film actually is. It's utterly bonkers from beginning to end, and it looks cheap, very cheap in some parts, but nt goodness, was it a lot of fun.

We ae told that Regis has dementia, so throughout the film we are asked if what he sees is real, or if it's just a delusion brought on by his illness. And this is why the film works so well. It can be as bonkers as it likes, yet it can still be coherent to the viewer.

The film is never scary, not one bit, and there are a couple of strange cameos thrown in for good measure, but if you are a fan of the series, and this is the final film in the series, what a way to go.

Cheng is a city boy who moves with his cousins to work at a ice factory.

He does this with a family promise never to get involved in any fight.

However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the factor, the resulting mystery and pressures forces him to break that vow and take on the villainy of the Big Boss......

Bruce Lee made some films other than Enter The Dragon you know. The problem is that none of them hold up to that masterpiece. The Big Boss is a good project for him, and it's your basic poor against the rich story, with plenty of very well choreographed fighting thrown in for god measure. It's just a shame about the fake blood.

Lee is sworn against violence in this, but it isn't long before he disavows and returns to his fighting ways and begins to realise that his boss is killing off workers who have a bad word to say about him.

He soon sees through this and realises that they are drug dealers and killers, and so the third act is pure Lee mayhem.

And that's the problem, there isn't enough Lee mayhem, and the narrative between them is dull, and the script is laughable. That is why Enter The Dragon was better than any other Lee/Golden Harvest collaboration, it had an interesting story.

Not terrible, but it gets boring in places.

Donny works in a factory which has incinerators. Gis coworkers are not aware that he is obsessed with fire and that he is a mentally disturbed man. As a child his mother punished him with burning to remove the evil.

After his mother's death, Donny is finally freed from her, but his excitement fades away soon when he begins to hear a voice in the house that seems to be his mother's.

The voices and delusions about his mother send Donny over the edge, and he soon starts taking this out on innocent women.....

It's basically a remake of Psycho, but this time instead of dressing like mother, he carries a flamethrower around with him at home, and torches the innocent women when hes coaxed them back to his house.

It was one of the banned video nasties from the eighties, and seeing the uncut version for the first time, it's pretty easy to see why. The makers have remade a classic, and just give it a more nastier, exploitative feel to.

And my word, will you fell dirty whilst watching this. The film has almost a brown tint to the reel, and it looks cheap throughout. The cast are absolutely fine, it's just I'm assuming that they disassociate themselves from the film, and the when looking on here, it looks like the ordeal stopped them from wanting to appear in anything else.

But it's a sleazy piece, and as that alone, it totally gets its job done.

It's fine, it it's nothing special....