In Guillermo Del Toro, modern horror films have found a true master. When he's not making his own darkly comic, fantasy-laced horror he's producing a host of up-and-coming directors and writers to give them the exposure through use of his name. Some, like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark are a disappointment, others are startlingly effective, like The Orphanage. Mama, directed … [Read more...]
Cloud Atlas (2012) review by That Film Guy
In general films released today follow a broad structure of three acts, with the setup, the obstacle and the resolution. There are some films however that bend and manipulate this structure and try and create something more fluid. Then there are films that are pure and utter madness. A chaos of ideas and themes that distinctly do not follow the classical structure. Based on the … [Read more...]
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) review by That Film Guy
It has been 25 years since John McClane burst onto our screens in the iconic Die Hard. Pit in an impossible situation in the Nakatomi Plaza his working man's hero managed to overcome an evil genius and save the day, but his greatest accomplishment was not to die. As the Die Hard series went on John McClane grew as a character, adding more depth and interest up until Die Hard … [Read more...]
Warm Bodies (2013) review by That Film Guy
The zombie genre has been one of the most prolific sub-genres in horror film-making in recent years. After the advent of mainstream walking dead in George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead we've seen numerous interpretations of the standard narrative from road trip horrors like 28 Days Later¦ to romantic comedies like Shaun of the Dead via Zombieland. The key to a successful … [Read more...]
I Give it a Year (2013) review by That Film Student
Everyone says that the first year of marriage is the hardest, but it doesn't help when your previous girlfriend, who you never officially broke up with, is still on the scene; or when you're so embarrassed by your husband's 'dancing' that you refer to him as Beyonce, and deny all prior knowledge of him. Another British romantic comedy, we have high hopes that we can place Dan … [Read more...]
This is 40 (2012) review by That Film Guy
Producer, writer, director Judd Apatow has become something of a comedy monolith in Hollywood. His name is attached to almost all comedies of any note since 2004 and he has a staple of actors and actresses that he uses from film to film. One of his biggest commercial and critical successes was the pregnancy comedy Knocked Up and it is from this that the lead characters from … [Read more...]
Review: Bullet to the Head (2013)
In the crowd of 80s style throwback action movies popping up recently, Bullet to the Head is possibly the least known. It's advertising wasn't as strong as The Last Stand, and certainly not as strong as A Good Day To Die Hard. And while The Last Stand lost money, that's nothing compared to this. Its $55 million budget grossed a total of $4.5 million as of writing, which is … [Read more...]
Hyde Park on Hudson (2012) review by That Film Guy
Hyde Park on Hudson is the country home of the mother of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bill Murray), the 32nd President of the United States. In 1939 he hosted the first visit to America of a British monarch, King George VI (Samuel West) and his wife the Queen, Elizabeth (Olivia Colman). It happened to coincide with a blossoming relationship between him and his 5th cousin, Daisy … [Read more...]
Movie 43 (2013) review by That Film Brat
Occasionally a film comes along that has a unanimous consensus. Either for being good or bad. Last year it was Jack and Jill, and this year it's Movie 43. The reaction for this film has been so negative it was quite a curiosity to me. I felt I had to see it after people were calling it the worst film ever made. I decided to go in with an open mind. I did a little research and … [Read more...]
The Last Stand (2013) review by That Film Brat
What screams cheesy 80s action films more than Arnold Schwarzenegger? Arnie is the symbol of 80s action flicks, films like The Terminator, Commando and The Running Man are now known as definitive of the era. After a cameo in The Expendables that was so small it might as well of not been there at all, and a much more extended role in The Expendables 2, Arnie announced he was … [Read more...]