Monsters Inc. was the fourth feature film to be released by animation giant Pixar. A critical and commercial success, it has taken over 10 years for the follow-up to be released in the form of a prequel Monsters University. Reuniting the original cast along with newcomer Dan Scanlon as director it is the fourteenth film released by Pixar. … [Read more...]
World War Z (2013) review by That Film Guy
The zombie apocalypse has been the one of the most popular forms of world-ending cataclysm for some time. In fact it's now so embedded in the public consciousness that if it turns out to be a rogue asteroid or the arrival of aliens that ends our rule on the planet, a lot of people are going to be very disappointed. It is surprising then that Hollywood has taken so long to catch … [Read more...]
John Dies At The End (2012) review by That Art House Guy
John Dies at the End started life as a web-serial book in 2001, written by David Wong. It was released as a paperback in 2007, and shooting on a movie version began in 2010. The narrator and protagonist, David Wong is a slacker stoner type in his early 20s. But he's not your average slacker stoner type “ he and his friend John can sometimes communicate telepathically and … [Read more...]
Into The Abyss (2011) review by That Art House Guy
On July 10th, 2010, Michael Perry was executed in Texas for a murder committed almost nine years earlier in October 2001 in the town of Conroe, Texas. Eight days before his execution, knowing that his death was imminent and still protesting his innocence, Perry was interviewed by Werner Herzog. This interview, along with further interviews with people involved, such as law … [Read more...]
Basic (2003) review by That Film Guy
A low-budget thriller with an A-list cast, Basic follows a split-narrative form. The action is divided between the events in a jungle during a routine training mission lead by West (Samuel L. Jackson) and the interrogation of the survivors of said mission by Hardy (John Travolta), a former Marine who hates being called ˜sir.' As he slowly tries to find out the truth from … [Read more...]
Behind the Candelabra (2013) review by That Film Guy
Having announced his retirement from directing, Academy award winner Steven Soderbergh has managed to cheat his announcement by producing a made-for-TV film based on the life of Liberace: Behind the Candelabra. Released in cinemas outside of the US, this biopic examines the relationship between Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his young chauffeur Scott Thorson (Matt Damon). … [Read more...]
The Purge (2013) review by That Film Brat
Platinum Dunes is a production company formed in 2001 by infamous high-budget-high-return-schlock film maker Michael Bay, along with producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form. They specialize in making horror films, specifically remakes of classics. These include the remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Amityville Horror, and Friday The 13th. They … [Read more...]
Cloverfield (2008) review by That Film Guy
Reducing the Godzilla-style monster film to the point of view of one of the screaming little people on the street, the JJ Abrams produced Cloverfield proved a masterpiece in subtlety and marketing genius. Trailing only the briefest glimpses of the devastation, with websites dedicated to the unknown Cloverfield Project, the production team managed to generate huge amounts of … [Read more...]
The Bay (2012) review by That Film Guy
The found footage genre of film-making has opened the door for new directors to create marketable low budget films. Made with the use of camcorders and lower cost cameras, these pseudo-documentaries have a strong history within the sometimes more forgiving horror genre and have conditioned audiences not to expect Hollywood special effects. From The Blair Witch Project to … [Read more...]
The Hangover (2009) review That Film Guy
Heading to Las Vegas the weekend before his wedding, groom Doug (Justin Bartha) and his three groomsmen Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifiankis) have a night planned. But after an initial drink they awake the following morning to find a scene of devastation having gained an unknown baby and lost Doug. Using the clues scattered around the hotel room they … [Read more...]