Sightseers is a very difficult film to review, because it's one of those films which you're better off seeing while knowing as little about it as possible. If you go into it knowing nothing, the first big surprise happens about fifteen minutes in, so it's very difficult to talk about it without getting into spoilers. So, in brief: it's very good; clever, twisted, and extremely … [Read more...]
My Brother the Devil (2012) review by That Film Doctor
My Brother The Devil is the debut feature film by Sally El Hosaini, and tells the story of two brothers living in the gang-ruled, drug-afflicted estates of Hackney. The younger of two, Mo, (played by the amateur actor Fady Elsyad) idolises his drug-dealing older brother Rashid (James Floyd), but as he gets drawn more into his world, he realises and uncovers truths which causes … [Read more...]
Skyfall (2012) review by That Film Guy
With the legal wranglings finished and the shonky Quantum of Solace left firmly in the past, the film-makers at EON made their intent clear during pre-production. On the 50th anniversary of the franchise, they wanted a James Bond film of such quality that it would do what no predecessor has managed and bag nominations in the big categories at the Oscars. So the stakes are high … [Read more...]
Quantum of Solace (2008) review by That Film Guy
The 22nd James Bond film in the franchise, Quantum of Solace sees Daniel Craig return as MI6's most dangerous spy and is named and very loosely based on a short story by Ian Fleming that appeared in the For Your Eyes Only collection. Paul Haggis once again receives credit as one of the many script contributors and it was directed by Marc Foster. At the box office it took a few … [Read more...]
Casino Royale (2006) review by That Film Guy
In 2006 after the shambles that was Die Another Day the James Bond franchise got a much needed reboot. Casting Daniel Craig as the MI6 spy, Casino Royale took the character back to his origin story and in a pre-titles sequence showed him getting his first two kills while on duty. Originally linked to Quentin Tarantino, the director's chair was eventually given to Martin … [Read more...]
Cockneys vs Zombies (2012) review by That Film Guy
Despite the B-Movie title and fresh memories of the terrible Strippers vs Werewolves, the British zombie comedy film Cockneys vs Zombies is something of a pleasant surprise. Pitching itself in the Shaun of the Dead arena of horror comedy it unites a cast of young British talent including former Bionic Woman and Eastenders star Michelle Ryan with a host of famous older actors … [Read more...]
Live and Let Die (1973) review by That Film Guy
With Sean Connery officially departed and the catastrophe of George Lazenby put to bed, a search began for a new James Bond. Rather than trying to find someone to replace Connery, EON decided to take the character and the franchise in a different direction and cast Roger Moore, famous for playing suave characters in television shows like The Saint and The Persuaders he brought … [Read more...]
The Wicker Man (1973) review by That Film Guy
The decade of the 1970s was a hotbed of experimental, ground-breaking and now classic horror films. The Exorcist was the first of the genre ever to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was sweeping the US like a plague, while Italian Dario Argento was creating giallo (Italian word for yellow, which was the colour of the pages of the Italian … [Read more...]
Private Peaceful (2012) review by That Film Brat
Private Peaceful, based on the book by Michael Morpurgo, is a low-budget British war film. The movie is inevitably going to be compared to War Horse, the other Morpurgo adaptation to come out recently. This comparison would be unfair, however, as not only did Private Peaceful start production before War Horse, but it's actually a much better movie. While the Speilberg film was … [Read more...]
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) review by That Film Guy
Following the departure of Sean Connery in the lead role, the producers of the James Bond films looked to replace him with an actor who was equally as good-looking and charismatic for the next film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Their choice was the face of Big Fry Chocolate, the male model George Lazenby. It would be a choice that at the time was wildly unpopular and caused … [Read more...]