The decade is the 1920s, via a stylized 1986, the town is Chicago and notorious gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) is at the height of his criminal power. Holding the city in his firm grip, his constant acts of violence alert the FBI who place young Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) in charge of the flying squad with his sole mission to be to bring down the kingpin. After initial … [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 Selfish Giant (2013)
Using Oscar Wilde's children's story The Selfish Giant as the starting point for this bleak but beautiful social-realist tale might seem unlikely but it's an inspired idea. … [Read more...]
Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Following the conclusion of the mega-franchises of Harry Potter and Twilight, there was a gap in the market to be filled. Various pretenders attempted to lift the vacant crown, but it wasn't until The Hunger Games was released in 2012 that the successor was found. It catapulted the career of lead Jennifer Lawrence, who later went on to win an Oscar, and after only a year since … [Read more...]
Review: Gravity (2013)
Just above the Earth, 3 astronauts are performing routine upgrades to a satellite. Veteran Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) is enjoying the final moments of his final mission, Shariff (Phaldut Sharma) is horsing around with his umbilical-like chord and Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is attaching a prototype to the satellite, annoyed by the other twos behaviour. They then receive a … [Read more...]
Review: Grease (1978)
Grease, one of the most famous sing-a-long films of all time still has us 'Hopelessly Devoted' 35 years later, with the movie hits, 'Summer Nights' still the topping the charts at every karaoke bar in town. Is it any wonder when the casting included (the incredibly popular) Saturday Night Fever's, John Travolta and worldwide pop princess, Olivia Newton John? … [Read more...]
Review: Philomena (2013)
If ever proof were needed, which of course it isn't, of Dame Judi Dench's acting ability then Philomena will go down as a masterclass in poignancy and depth from one of the finest actors to have lived. Adapted from the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, itself based on a true story, Philomena is deftly directed by Stephen Frears from a script co-written by star Steve Coogan. … [Read more...]
Review: Halloween (1978)
As iconic horror films go, you'll be hard-pressed to find one more influential than John Carpenter's Halloween. Everything from the simple title, to the casting and the format screams classic. The fact that a huge number of films have attempted to copy the story structure in the years following (including its own sequels) remind us just how important the film was for the horror … [Read more...]
Review: Trick r Treat (2007)
Trick 'r Treat is a 2007 anthology horror film featuring several stories which overlap and share characters, and all take place on Halloween night. While it garnered acclaim, it encountered many problems with it's release. Originally being planned for a October 2007 release date, it was delayed repeatedly despite positive reactions from the few public screenings it had. The … [Read more...]
Review: Escape Plan (2013)
Arguably the two biggest 80s action icons of all time, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, are finally teaming up for a full movie together. While they technically already did in The Expendables 2, that was more of an extended cameo for Arnold and this is the first time they've ever shared top billing. Both actors have had comeback films this year in the form of The … [Read more...]