Stephen King adaptations have become a mainstay in Hollywood since Carrie was released in 1976. Known for his contributions to horror fiction, in books, television and film, his dramatic short stories have actually provided the basis of some of the best film adaptations, notably Frank Darabont's masterpiece The Shawshank Redemption and its sister film The Green Mile. Based on a … [Read more...]
Dawn of the Dead (1978) review by That Film Guy
Director and zombie aficionado George A. Romero is credited with bringing zombies into the mainstream of horror films. Sure there were some films released previous to his seminal work, such as the original zombie film White Zombie in 1932, but it was Night of the Living Dead that catapulted the shuffling re-animated corpses of loved ones right into the mainstream. Since then … [Read more...]
Riding the Bus with My Sister (2005) review by That Film Punk
I can't even remember when, where or how I first found out about Riding The Bus With My Sister. All I know is that I will never, ever forget it. It's sort of like my JFK moment, if you replace President is publicly shot in the head with: Rosie O'Donnell does funny walk in denim shorts. … [Read more...]
The Sweeney (2012) review by That Film Dude
If you like Ray Winstone and the kind of films he tends to make, you'll probably like The Sweeney, as it's pretty much exactly what you'd expect. Based on the '70s TV series of the same name, it's a refreshingly uncomplicated and enjoyably violent police drama. It's nothing special and not terribly memorable, but it's fun while it lasts. … [Read more...]
Lawless (2012) review That Film Dude
Adapted from the book The Wettest County in the World by Frank Bondurant, Lawless tells the story of the author's grandfather and granduncles, the Bondurant brothers. An 18 rated, gangster/western hybrid, it's something of a rarity these days, and the fact that a period piece aimed at the adult market was able to finally get made, a previous attempt to produce it having … [Read more...]
The Watch (2012) review by That Film Guy
Science fiction comedies are a tough trick to pull off, but history has dealt the film-going audience a fairly decent selection of films within the genre. Classics like Men in Black, Galaxy Quest, Back to the Future and to a lesser extent Paul have all proven the opportunity that film-makers have combining these two successful types of film. Unfortunately for every Ghostbusters … [Read more...]
Anna Karenina (2012) review by That Film Dude
There have been many adaptations of Anna Karenina, Tolstoy's alarmingly massive novel about high society in imperial Russia, often considered one of the greatest novels ever written. This latest comes to us from director Joe Wright with a screenplay by Tom Stoppard, and stars Keira Knightley, Jude Law and Aaron Johnson. … [Read more...]
Berberian Sound Studio (2012) review by That Art House Guy
Berberian Sound Studio is the second film from writer / director Peter Strickland, following on from 2009's critically acclaimed Katalin Varga. Set in the 1970s, it centres on Gilderoy (Toby Jones), an unworldly, middle aged sound engineer who travels from his home in Dorking to the titular sound studio somewhere in Rome. Gilderoy has been employed to mix the audio for … [Read more...]
Dawn of the Dead (2004) review by That Film Punk
To the undiscerning zombie fanatic Zack Snyder's Dawn Of The Dead remake could be easily dismissed as just another ill-advised remake of a cult classic. After all, in the intervening years since this effort, studios such as Platinum Dunes have wreaked havoc on the canon of horror classics, results varying between passable and downright insulting. From Friday the 13th (2009) to … [Read more...]
Total Recall (2012) review by That Film Guy
Total Recall is a remake of a film of the same name starring Arnold Schwarzenegger released in 1990, itself based on a short story by Philip K. Dick entitled We Can Remember it for You Wholesale. This version of Total Recall differs from the short story and original film by setting its action entirely on Earth rather than on Earth and Mars. It deals with the same themes of … [Read more...]