Six years after the mixed result of Terminator 3, an attempt to continue and revitalise the franchise was launched, and thus we have Terminator Salvation, both a sequel and the intended first film of a new trilogy. The film isn't exactly bad, but neither is it particularly good, and it seems that any hope of continuing the franchise beyond this point has fizzled out, which is … [Read more...]
Designing 007 Exhibition at the Barbican London review by That Film Gal
I'm standing in the lobby of the Barbican Arts Centre: the decor is an eye-crossing mix of orange walls, panels of wooden teak and mock concrete. It has a very retro feel, and with the specially converted Martini bar peering down from the first floor, it's the perfect setting for the Designing 007 exhibition, which celebrates fifty years of the phenomenally successful Bond … [Read more...]
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) review by That Film Brat
After the staggering success of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, a sequel was announced several times after its release in 1991, but never having a finished script. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't want to be in the film, because James Cameron (director/co-writer of the first two Terminator films) would to return to helm the third installment. Once Cameron managed to talk … [Read more...]
Total Recall (1990) review by That Film Guy
One of the most recognisable actors of the 1980s, was action supremo, and former bodybuilding champion Arnold Schwarzenegger. From the ridiculously quotable Commando to his defining iconic role in The Terminator, Arnie (as he's affectionately known) built a reputation on zinging one-liners and violent action. What he is lesser known for is his actual acting ability, which is … [Read more...]
Predator 2 (1990) review by That Film Geek
Predator 2 follows on from the 87 original, but fails to bring back the essential ingredients that made that an action-classic. Original director John McTiernan followed Predator by directing the genre-defining Die Hard, so Predator 2 got Stephen Hopkins, the director of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5. Arnold Schwarzenegger passed on this in favour of Terminator 2, so the … [Read more...]
Arlington Road (1999) review by That Film Gal
The suburban thriller is a genre which plays on our suspicions that the normal and everyday have the potential to conceal the most unearthly horrors. Such films lead with the idea that there is nothing more chilling than a psychopathic personality hiding behind a white picket fence and a pearly smile, and have long been vehicles for exploring the paranoias of the modern age: … [Read more...]
The Mechanic (2011) review by That Art House Guy
There are times when it's been a long day and you just want to sit back and watch something mindless and entertaining. This is the reason Jason Statham has a successful career. You generally know what you are going to get with a movie in which Statham is playing the lead “ high adrenaline chases, stylish violence, a mean and moody protagonist with a good line in wisecracks, and … [Read more...]
Murderball (2005) review by The Documentalist
Nominated for an Oscar in 2006, Murderball is the story of the United States quad rugby team as they train towards the 2004 Athens Olympics. It centres predominantly around the charismatic team spokesman Mark Zupan, a 28 year old quadriplegic who found himself in a wheelchair at the age of 19 following a car accident. … [Read more...]
The Imposter (2012) review by That Art House Guy
I like to imagine that at some point in the last few years there was a meeting of documentary directors. I can see it held in a smoky pub (let's not worry about how they got around the smoking ban), and in that meeting they decided that, when dealing with factual subjects, it's ok to drip feed the information through to strengthen the narrative and it's ok to reveal things to … [Read more...]
Die Hard 2 (1990) review by The Documentalist
Following the monstrous success of the original Die Hard, the inevitable sequel, Die Hard 2 followed two years later with New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) once again finding himself at the centre of a terrorist attack. In this latest installment it is Christmas Eve and terrorists are about to take control of Washington Dulles airport in order to spring a captured Latin … [Read more...]