[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00LDYOXHS][/pullquote] Luc Besson has had a difficult few years. His most recent film as director, The Family, was a critical and commercial dud, while the Taken franchise on which he's a producer saw considerable diminished returns with its second instalment. … [Read more...]
Review: Hercules (2014)
First things first: The Rock IS Hercules. He's long been a great action lead in search of a role worthy of him, and here, he's found it. Hercules is no classic, but it's never boring, and when Johnson bellows "I AM HERCULES!" towards the end, it's very hard not to nod and agree. … [Read more...]
Review: Jersey Boys (2014)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00J9C06F4][/pullquote] Adapted from the stage musical of the same name, Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - how they got together, became famous, and eventually fell out with each other. You know how this story goes: egos clash, … [Read more...]
Review: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978, Hong Kong)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B002ZPIBTU][/pullquote] Widely considered one of the best kung fu films ever made, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin arrived right in the middle of the genre's heyday, coming out the same year as Jackie Chan's groundbreaking Drunken Master. Starring Gordon Liu, who would … [Read more...]
Review: Dragonphoenix Chronicles: Indomitable (2013, Greek)
An crowd-funded independent Greek film, made in the fallout of the country's economic collapse, is an intriguing prospect. When you factor in that it's an epic fantasy made for a budget of €10,000, or "the cost of a day's catering on Game of Thrones", it becomes downright worrying - plenty of fantasy films have failed miserably with million-dollar budgets. Which makes it all … [Read more...]
Review: [REC] (2007)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B003S4G8RY][/pullquote] A TV film crew, while recording a documentary about firefighters, become trapped in an apartment building during a zombie outbreak. Their attempts to find out what's going on, and hopefully escape, are all shown from the perspective of the … [Read more...]
Review: Cuban Fury (2014)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00IE5B7S2][/pullquote] Based on a drunken email that Nick Frost sent to his producer, Cuban Fury marks the first time he's been on screen in the sole lead role and gives him the opportunity to have a go at something other than playing the supporting role to Simon … [Read more...]
Review: Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013, French)
Based on Julie Maroh's graphic novel, Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Colour was this year's winner of the Palm d'Or at Cannes - arguably the film industry's most prestigious award - and became the first film where the prize was awarded to both the director and the lead actresses. It quickly becomes clear why. … [Read more...]
Review: Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness (2012)
My thought process when I saw this movie in the TV guide went something like this. Oh no. They made another D&D movie? OH CHRIST. It's a Syfy Channel original?! Oh wait. It's actually named after an artefact from the game. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. … [Read more...]
Review: The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)
A grindhouse-style martial arts film written by, directed by, and starring Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA, The Man with the Iron Fists tells the story of an ex-slave blacksmith (RZA) in 19th Century China who gets caught up in a conflict between the Lion Clan and their enemies over a huge shipment of gold. The action revolves around a brothel managed by Madam Blossom (Lucy Liu), not … [Read more...]