Maniac
(26.07.13) - A serial killer in LA stalks his victims, whilst struggling with his mental health and his confused feelings for Anna, a beautiful French photographer. His love for Anna conflicts with his murderous lust and his fixation with the antique shop mannequins that he restores. But as his obsessive love grows, so does his possessiveness for the object of his affections, and his more violent side takes over. This film was much better on second viewing. I really enjoyed it the first time I saw it, but I enjoyed it much more the second time around. The realism of the horror laid out in the film is one of the keys to it's success. The premise, story and violence are all totally believable and quite simply could (and does) happen. Like The Silence of the Lambs, it plays on primal fears of being followed and stalked and the fear of being (or not being) safe in your own home. Cleverly shot from the point of view of the maniac, you catch fleeting glimpses of his reflection in various surfaces. The film is very well directed, oozing class and style. It is very similar to "Drive" and "A Bitter-sweet Life" in terms of it's rain soaked, neon lit streets and reflective surfaces and effortless 80's ultra cool feel, very reminiscent of Michael Mann's directional style. The soundtrack is one of the best I have heard in a long time, with it's harsh 80's electro synth pop, to the point where it becomes not just sounds in the background, but an integral part of the movie. It creates exactly the right atmosphere and fits perfectly with the tone of the film. There is a nice little nod to both The Silence of the Lambs and also to the original Maniac film which are both nice touches. Finally, Elijah Wood turns in a great performance as Frank, the deranged killer, making the viewer both fear him and feel sorry for him at the same time. This is certainly a contender for the film of the year for me. I liked it very much, and would recommend it. I would imagine that this film which is pretty much underrated at the moment, will eventually become a cult horror classic.
[Update - I re-watched the film again on the 27.07.13, and thoroughly enjoyed it again - perhaps much more than the second viewing the night before. This film is quite simply excellent and is rapidly becoming one of my favourite films of recent years. It is certainly a Silence of the Lambs for the 2010's - playing on primal fears and realistic horror. The performances are excellent, the direction is superb, the soundtrack superb, and the whole thing oozes a brooding, moody feel. Very highly recommended]
[Update - I re-watched the film again on the 27.07.13, and thoroughly enjoyed it again - perhaps much more than the second viewing the night before. This film is quite simply excellent and is rapidly becoming one of my favourite films of recent years. It is certainly a Silence of the Lambs for the 2010's - playing on primal fears and realistic horror. The performances are excellent, the direction is superb, the soundtrack superb, and the whole thing oozes a brooding, moody feel. Very highly recommended]
Cold Prey
(25.06.13) - A group of friend head into the mountains to do some snowboarding. Heading away from the crowds, they hit the more secluded slopes. But one of the breaks their leg and the group take shelter in an old hotel, which has been closed for around 30 years. But lurking in the hotel is a killer, who slowly picks off the uninvited guests one by one. This Norwegian film was a nice surprise. The story was nothing too original, but it's execution was done very well. The performances were all functional, but the director cranked up the tension nicely and built to a solid ending. The nice thing about this film was that there was no silly back story, nothing supernatural and convoluted plot. What you had was a silent killer with unknown motives who relentless pursues his victims throughout an abandoned hotel. In some way, this film reminded me of Halloween a little - a slow burn build up and the obvious parallels with Michael Myers. Overall, a surprising little film and an enjoyable one.
The Naked Gun 33 1/3
(24.07.13) - Frank Drebbin is back in the final film of the Naked Gun Trilogy. Finding retirement is not as exciting as he thought it was going to be, Drebbin goes back undercover in prison to help foil a terrorist plot to blow up a "major event watched by the entire world". Teaming up with the bombers, Drebbin tries to handle the difficulties in his marriage and save the day again. This film was an improvement on the second film and had some good laughs in it. It was a little slow to start with, with most of the rapid fire gags missing the mark, but the latter half was very funny and generated a number of genuine laughs. The main flaw in the film is that instead of going for more original "silly" comedy, like the first film, this one relied more heavily in starting to parody other films (for example, the opening scene in the train station is a parody of The Untouchables" and there are a number of references to Jurassic Park). It just seemed to be leaving behind it's roots and straying more into the "Scary Movie" style territory. That said, it had more than it's fair share of silliness, nonsense and giggle inducing situations and was still a good little film which is funnier than a lot of the comedy films produced these days - and even the little things (Jane's hairstyle changing when she is being shaken to her senses by her friend) made me laugh.
Immortals
(23.07.13) - In an attempt to free the Titans from their eternal prison, Hyperion searches for a bow with magical properties. In his quest to find the bow which can be used to unleash the Titans, he cuts through the country, killing and destroying all that falls into his path. When he comes across a small village he kills the mother of Theseus, a young man skilled in combat having been trained by the Gods themselves. Escaping from slavery and joining with an oracle who knows the location of the bow, Theseus sets out to avenge his mother's death and prevent a war between the Gods and the Titans. This fantasy film was enjoyable enough nonsense, although nothing particularly special. It seemed to be a hybrid of 300 and Clash of the Titans, and had some nice set pieces, decent action sequences (although they were often quite far apart) and it has to be said that it really picked up towards the end. The style of the film was very much in the 300 mould and it did look very nice, but was a little dark in most places. The performances were adequate for the film, although the special effects were really quite good. It did have it's flaws, but that said, it was good fun, entertaining (if a little slow paced at times), but was not too high in the originality stakes.
Evita
(22.07.13) - Leaving her small town, Evita Duarte jumps on the coat tails of a crooner and heads to the excitement of Buenos Aires to seek her fame and fortune. Progressing her career from model to radio star to actress (mainly by sleeping with the right people), she meets Juan Peron, would be dictator with his sights set on the presidential seat. Scheming their way to the top, Evita controls Peron from behind the scenes whilst indulging in her own self serving ways. But her body succumbs to cancer and the knives are out from the politicians around them. This film version of the classic stage play was still excellent viewing after many repeat viewings. Madonna excels as Evita and brings a superb voice and real emotion to the part. Excellent support is provided by Jonathan Pryce as Peron and Antonio Banderas as Che. The whole thing is sumptuously filmed as an epic by director Alan Parker and the whole thing is a superb two hours entertainment. But the real stars of the piece are the brilliant songs written by Rice & Llyod-Webber. The soundtrack, despite being 35 years old, are still great, especially when performed by such a talented cast.
The Adventures of TinTin - The Secret of the Unicorn
(20.07.13) - Tintin, the intrepid young reported embarks on another exciting adventure, After buying a model of a ship, The Unicorn, there appears to be a lot of interest in it, and whatever secret it seems to hold. Finding himself kidnapped, Tintin and his intrepid dog Snowy meets with Captain Haddock and discovers a secret from the Haddock family's past. This action packed film was really enjoyable. Firstly, in terms of it's look, it was absolutely stunning and I often forgot that I was, in effect,watching a cartoon. The animation was outstanding and even entirely GCI created characters, namely Snowy, seemed realistic and had real character. The story was good fun, full of nice set pieces and fast paced, going from one perilous situation to the next. It really is difficult to not compare it to Indiana Jones, but Spielberg directs the whole thing well. It was one of those films which, upon initial viewing, I didn't know whether I was going to enjoy it or not, but I was really taken aback by it. Upon repeated viewing, it does stand up well and was just as enjoyable this time round. I, for one, can't wait for the next film in the series.
The Goonies
(18.07.13) - On the eve of their houses being bought out and demolished to make way for a new country club, a group of misfit friends, The Goonies, embark on one last adventure. Finding a map which leads to a legendary hoard of pirates gold, the friends set off, finding their way through a system of underground caves and waterfalls. Avoiding the booby traps set by the pirate many years ago, the gang are relentlessly pursued by The Fratellis, a family of criminals who have just broken out of jail. This classic family film was just as enjoyable today as it ever was. The film has a lot more adult themes that I seemed to remember, with a bit more swearing, violeence or murder that you would probably get away with today. The cast were generally good. Sean Astin did a great job as the leader of the gang, with excellent support by Jeff Cohn, playing Chunk, the comedy sidekick who had me repeatedly laughing out-loud (the "truffle shuffle" still made me laugh). Written by Steven Spielberg, this excellent adventure could be seen as a family/junior version of Indiana Jones and has it's share of thrills. I still remain incredibly jealous of the cast going down the water-slides Watching it again, there were less booby traps than I seem to remember as a kid, but that does not detract from what was a thoroughly enjoyable two hour slice of nostalgia.
Westworld
(12.07.13) - Two friend go to for the ultimate vacation at a futuristic resort made up of three historical worlds inhabited by lifelike robots. Here they get to live out their every fantasy In Westworld, a replica of an 1800's wild west town, the two friends find themselves repeatedly running into a gun slinger But despite the robots being programmed not to harm humans, a computer virus leads them to ignore their programming and the gun slinger relentlessly pursues the pair as the robots in the other worlds turn on the guests. This film is now nearly 40 years old, but in hindsight, it is a quite accurate look into the future - computer viruses, computers building computers etcetera. The film was good fun, and you have to wonder if it was an influence of James Cameron for The Terminator. Yul Brinner is perfect as the gun slinger, with his steely face and cold eyes. This is quite rightly a classic film and one which I enjoyed. It looks slightly dated, but that is, I would say, part of it's charm.
Man On A Ledge
(11.07.13) - A cop is framed by a high flying corporate executive for "stealing" a precious diamond in an elaborate insurance scam. After he escapes from prison he is determined to prove his innocence by distracting New York which the diamond he is meant to have stolen, broken up and is "untraceable" is re stolen from the office of the exec where is it hidden in a secure vault. Standing on the ledge of the 21st floor of a hotel, he engages the city, but all the time he is distracting attention from his brother who is infiltrating the high tech vault. This was a very generic thriller by numbers. I enjoyed it on first watch at the cinema, but on second watching, it was entertaining enough, but having had a clear memory of how the whole thing played out, it was less tense and exciting. The mechanics of the heist are interesting enough and the story was engaging. There were average performances from the cast all round and it was not the most original film I have ever seen, but it provided an agreeable, if average, couple of hours distraction.
The Naked Gun 2 1/2 - The Smell of Fear
(10.07.13) - Inept cop Frank Drebbin returns again to foil a plot to manipulate the US's energy policy in his usual bumbling way. When the heads of the oil, coal and nuclear energy industries discover that the president is to follow the advice of a "green" energy expert, they kidnap him and replace him with a double who will deliver the recommendation that they want. Frank not only struggles with his investigation, but also struggles with his relationship with Jane. Can Drebbin save the day and his relationship? This second film was more of the same following on from the first film, with it's rapid fire, splatter gun approach of physical humour, background gags, pop culture references and a joke filled script, some of which hit the spot, but the majority of which slightly miss the mark. Whilst the film was enjoyable enough, it was not a patch on the first or third one. It still has some genuinely funny moments but does feel a little like it was rushed out to cash in the one success of the first one. A little disappointing, but its short running time passed enjoyably enough to warrant this as an average film.
The Clinic
(09.07.13) - A husband and his pregnant wife stop off at an isolated motel in the outback after an incident whereby they were run off the road by a truck. Not being able to sleep, he goes out to find food, but when he returns, he finds his wife has vanished. She wakes up naked in a bath of ice, having had the baby taken from her by a c-section. As she explores the abandoned slaughterhouse she finds herself in, she comes across five other women who have had exactly the same thing happen to them. But in their desperate race to find their stolen children, someone is watching and has pitched the women up against each other in a way they could never imagine. This was a great little film. I wasn't expecting very much, but was really knocked sideways by how much I enjoyed it. It has a nice, original story and some good tense moments, You became engaged with the characters and the reason behind their capture is slowly drip fed to you. I really liked this film, despite a bit of a tag on ending. But overall, I would recommend it.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(08.07.13) - The man in the hat is back, as Indiana Jones helps out an old friend and becomes embroiled in a Russian plot to recover a mysterious skull made from crystal. Suspected of communist activities by the CIA, Jones travels to Peru where he rejoins Marion Ravenwood in a race against the Russians to return an ancient artefact to the fabled El Dorado. This film was critically planned and is shunned by fans of the original trilogy. But I have to say, that I really like it. Yes, it has it's flaws - plot holes you can drive a bus through, the annoying Shia Le Beuf, a terrible last few minutes and "that" scene with the monkeys, but overall, you have to take this film for what it is... namely just plain fun. Watching this film in the cinema, it transported me back to being 8 years old again, and even now on DVD, it has the same effect. It has some cracking moments and some great set pieces - the chase through the warehouse, the entry into El Dorado and the car chase along the cliff tops in the Amazon. I accept that it is not the best of the series of film, but that by no means makes it a terrible movie. I personally really like it, however unpopular that view may be.
Hatchet
(04.07.13) - A college frat boy and his friend, bored with the spring break atmosphere of New Orleans, joins a bunch of misfits on a night time haunted swamp tour. But when the boat sinks and the passengers find themselves stranded, they come face to face with the local legend, Victor Crowley, a disfigured man who lives in an abandoned cabin in the woods. Chased by the maniac, the group try to escape, but are hunted down and picked off in increasingly violent ways. This old school horror was a lot of fun. It is filled with really dark humour. The first half of the film in particular is very funny. The latter half is violent and contains many inventive death sequences. But the pleasure in this film lies, surprisingly in it's simplicity. The special effects are all mechanical as opposed to CGI, which makes for a refreshing change. Victor Crowley's disfigured face is done with make up and the whole thing has a cast of clichéd characters who make stupid decisions and meet their maker at the hands of the madman. Played for laughs and shocks, this was a fun little film and actually much better on second viewing than I remembered it to be. A nice little hidden gem.
The Naked Gun
(03.07.13) - From the file's of Police Squad, Lieutenant Frank Drebbin, the hapless but loveable cop, is given 24 hours to investigate the shooting of his friend Nordberg, who was investigating a drug deal. But whilst investigating a powerful businessman, who seems to be wrapped up in the shooting, he uncovers a plot to assassinate the Queen of England, who is on a state visit. But will Frank's new found love with the chief suspects secretary scupper his ability to save the day? This film surprisingly stands up today. It is in the classic "Airplane" mould, with it's rapid fire mix of visual gags, silly script and plenty of things going off in the background in a "blink and you will miss it" way. Leslie Nielson is perfect as the inept cop, with wonderful deadpan delivery and an ability to play the whole thing straight, which just adds to the humour. As usual with these types of films, some gags hit the spot, other's fall flat, but this really was a laugh a minute and still made me laugh out loud, despite me knowing every gag and line before they happened. I haven't watched the series of films for a while and really enjoyed it this first of the three.