Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying. Opening with these immortal words of Arthur C. Clarke, Dark Skies, the third film by Scott Stewart blends horror with supernatural science fiction. The fact that the popular computer game XCOM: Enemy Unknown used the exact same quote six months earlier should by no means … [Read more...]
The Stuff (1985) review by That Film Punk
The Stuff has such a beautifully vague, utterly daft title, one finds it impossible to scroll past it when perusing the lower bowels of Netflix (other movie streaming sites are available). It begs to derail all attempt to be a ˜proper' cinephile. Maybe you planned tonight to finally get to the end of There Will Be Blood (let me save you the trouble: There Was Blood). Or maybe … [Read more...]
Rushmore (1998) review by That Film Guy
Following from the success generated from his debut film Bottle Rocket, director Wes Anderson created a film that would give him a more globally recognised level of success from which his entire early career would be built. Rushmore really heightened his notoriety and helped to establish him as the unique film-maker he is today. It also represented the first film of future … [Read more...]
Bottle Rocket (1996) review by That Film Guy
Wes Anderson's first foray into feature films came with Bottle Rocket. Based on a short film produced by Anderson, he brought fellow University of Texas alumni Owen Wilson and brother Luke on board, and then found partial funding from Texas-based screenwriter L.K. Carson and rolled the momentum on to becoming a success at the Sundance Film Festival. … [Read more...]
Trance (2013) review by That Film Guy
Master of the combination genre film Danny Boyle is at it again with his first post-Olympic opening ceremony film Trance. One part psychological thriller, one part gangster heist, it even contains smatterings of action and body shock horror. The plot revolves around a young art house auctioneer Simon (James McAvoy) who is part of a plot to steal Francisco Goya's masterpiece … [Read more...]
Review: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
In the early-to-mid 1980s toy companies realised that to help boost sales of their products it made commercial sense to create cartoons as a way of advertising to children. This lead to a boom in cartoons such as Transformers, He-Man and Thundercats on television. In recent years, Hasbro, one of the biggest toy companies in the world have begun to produce feature films at … [Read more...]
Compliance (2012) review by That Film Brat
Compliance, the latest film from writer/director Craig Zobel, is based on the true story of a man who calls up restaurants around the US and tricks people into stripping and performing....unsavoury acts by convincing them he is a police officer. There were over 70 incidents involving this reported across the country, and now Zobel has made a movie based around it. The actual … [Read more...]
009 Re: Cyborg (2012) review by That Film Brat
When approaching anime one must be cautious. One must keep in mind that Japan and western countries have very different cultures, and it often comes across in anime in bucket loads. I can, however, only judge films how I see them. Through my own experience I've developed a taste and an opinion as to what makes a good and bad film. While the defence of "well that's what they … [Read more...]
I, Superbiker (2012) review by The Documentalist
The British Superbike Championship (BSB) is the domestic two wheel equivalent of Formula 1 racing and is enjoyed by a huge number of spectators every season both live and on TV. In writer, producer and director Mark Sloper's new documentary the 2012 season are showcased and the race to crown the latest champion chronicled. … [Read more...]
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) review by That Film Guy
In the continuing trend of fairytale to film adaptations comes the Bryan Singer directed Jack the Giant Slayer. In this case it's a retelling of the English folk tale of Jack and the Giant Beanstalk, but with the location moved to a pseudo-Arthurian fantasy land. Young farmhand Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is sent to the town of Cloister by his uncle to sell an old horse and cart, but … [Read more...]