Review Roundup - Wicked Woman

THE VILLAINESS (2017)

Extreme movies in this vein don't come along very often, even in the world of international cinema. So hearing this is basically a South Korean take on Luc Besson's Nikita I was wary of what to expect; it's all been done before and then some. Initial previews for the film also raised eyebrows as they seemed to have taken a lot of inspiration from the Russian short films from Biting Elbows and the subsequent feature length release Hardcore Henry. Do we really need any more dizzying first person knife fights? Fortunately this is not the sum of these parts, and it manages to escape being purely derivative to become something more exciting. Beyond a few narrative stumbles this is a great piece of shoot-em up revenge drama.

Festive Roundup - 'tis The Season

CHRISTMAS ROUNDUP (PART 1)

So it's time to well and truly kick things off this holiday season, and since it's a time for excess what better place to start than a classic movie marathon? And I can't think of anything more festive than a lot of foul language, plenty of over acting and even a few fairly high body counts. Did you think that I'd be talking about A Miracle on 34th Street? I think you probably know better than that by now. I'm afraid that doesn't count since it fails to contain a single creature effect and there not one gun battle or latex wearing caricature. And where else could we begin than with some classic Shane Black shenanigans in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

Horror Bites - The Pumpkin Patch

PUMPKINHEAD (1988)

I usually have some reservations when it comes to talented people who work behind the scenes taking on the role of the director. After all, their craft is one thing but telling an effective story is another. Jumping from cinematographer to helming a feature has be done of course, but I'm always wary. However in the case of Stan Winston, his calibre is so high that it's impossible to resist seeing something he made personally instead of just being the monster guy for once. After all he worked with so many greats and was responsible for numerous iconic designs, he must have learned a lot over time with other directors and in the second unit of several classics. So is this effort an example of amazing visuals and lacklustre plot, or is it a true cult classic? I'm happy to report it's the latter.

Review Roundup - The Beach

DUNKIRK (2017)

There are a lot of general expectations for a Christopher Nolan film, not limited to what it will look and sound like. His idea of how to put together a World War II story conjures up images of grand battle sequences, brain twisting special effects scenes, and sweeping IMAX vistas accompanied by a Hans Zimmer score that roars and ticks like a trailer music making machine. A lot of this is entirely true here, and there are still plenty of tilting set rigs, time twisting narrative choices, and blaring electronic noises. But it's seeing how these elements are utilised that means all of this is still just as exciting as it was last time around. Best of all the grand scale of the central wartime disaster is mixed with a lot of smaller, intimate, intertwined stories that are all totally compelling.

Review Roundup - The Last Laser Master

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

The Force Awakens was a fun but often lacklustre reboot, a story that seemed to be designed primarily with two goals in mind; to recapture the original Star Wars spirit and to create a lot of mystery box questions that would keep viewers talking after the credits rolled. This posed a few obvious problems, with the most prominent being whether the answers would be satisfying... if they came at all. But with a new director and writer personally taking the creative reigns things became more promising, and there was a chance it could be less corporate and more meaningful. Would Rian Johnson deliver something unexpected or would it just be a middle chapter that resembled Empire on the surface but lacked the magic? Or is this a worthy expansion of the characters and the mythology that enriches the previous adventure?

HCF Review - Future Echoes

THE PREMONITION (1976)

There are a lot of ways to discuss a strange, eerie and rather unpredictable thriller like this. Are the surprising twists and turns an effective way of keeping the suspense levels high? Or are all the odd forks in the road just too weird to keep things from becoming muddled? There’s a lot to break down here in a film which is part kidnap plot, part telepathy story, and at least partially a tale of mentally unstable outcasts on the run from the law. There are a few false starts along the way before the narrative gets going and the interesting moments start to arrive. They even throw in some intriguing thematic ideas about loss and parenthood. But like a lot of storylines that seem to lack focus or a solid central idea, some of these inclusions work better than others.

READ MORE >>

Review Roundup - Ape Escape

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017)

It doesn't really feel like it was that long ago, but it's been quite a few years since the first entry in this new trilogy, and now here we are at the conclusion. Not a sequel baiting, cinematic universe expanding semi-conclusion, but a real final note that wraps all of this up. Of course there's always room for more, I would be surprised if it didn't happen. But for now it's a trilogy in three parts. As I mentioned at the time with the Dawn review it was a surprise that not only did the first instalment overcome the problems of a re-imagining, but part two was more complex and more interesting. But that leads us to the third episode, something which traditionally is where things go to pieces and our good will is sapped away. It's often the case that best ideas have all been used up, and while the visual effects reach an all new high things are not quite as good on paper. So how do things a fare in the case of Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his followers?

Scorecard

NOVEMBER

FILM OF THE MONTH: Stand by Me ☆☆☆☆
Dr Terror's House of Horrors ☆☆☆☆
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ☆☆☆☆
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang ☆☆☆☆
The Nice Guys ☆☆☆☆
Spider-man: Homecoming ☆☆☆☆
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ☆☆☆☆
Star Wars ☆☆☆☆
Superman ☆☆☆☆
The 'Burbs ☆☆☆☆

Review Roundup - Damage Control

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

So let's be realistic here, they killed Spider-man on the big screen. They squashed him. Sony Pictures took a big newspaper and no amount of precognitive senses could save him. I feel like I'm over stating things, but without getting bogged down with even more analogies about bugs circling drains ... let's just say it was not looking good. News of yet another reboot to try and clear up the big mess they made was pretty absurd. But of course then the Civil War movie came along, Electro and his wacky scheme was promptly brushed under the carpet, and things started to feel vaguely promising. So here we are with a big flashy inter-connected film full of tie-ins and cameos, and even Star Wars products. But as it turns out this is pretty good after all, and nobody was more surprised than me.

Horror Bites - Riders On the Storm

THE HITCHER (1986)

The suspense of a good car chase is rarely transplanted outside of action cinema for some reason. It's something that seems like a missed opportunity. Beyond Stephen Spielberg's classic road movie Duel the two ideas are mixed together rather infrequently. Why are there so many Jaws imitators and not more truck versus car thrillers? Slashers on wheels, it's a whole sub-genre that could have been. However there is at least one example of the horror genre colliding with the chase movie (beyond The Terminator which takes these ideas to so many other places). I'm of course referring to the high speed chills of The Hitcher.

Review Roundup - You Must Whip It

WONDER WOMAN (2017)

While generic origin stories haven't really been something the DC juggernaut has been interested in developing so far, it seems like they've taken a second look at the idea with this latest instalment. It's always a crowd pleasing plot structure, but of course things always feel far too familiar. On the other hand this is never an entirely negative attribute. While I was fairly lenient with Man of Steel, the subsequent hero on hero slug-fest was a huge mess that could have KO'd any chance of something smaller and more light hearted making an impression. However with Gal Gadot finally getting an proper introduction into this series it seems as though a fresh approach might be exactly what was needed. At least someone remembered how a three act superhero adventure was meant to work.

Scorecard

OCTOBER

FILM OF THE MONTH: The Last Battle ☆☆☆☆
The Comedy of Terrors ☆☆☆☆
Airplane! ☆☆☆☆
Bad Taste ☆☆☆☆
Blade Runner ☆☆☆☆
Children of Men ☆☆☆☆
Creepshow ☆☆☆☆
Hellraiser ☆☆☆☆
The Usual Suspects ☆☆☆☆

Horror Bites - Meow Mix

CAT'S EYE (1985)

Another day, another Stephen King anthology. Now while I probably complained about Creepshow 2 enough already on here in one guise or another, I promise to be more genial this time around. Sure this still only has three chapters, something I can never entirely forgive in a series of vignettes no matter how interesting they are. But with a little working out and some good pacing they can still be enjoyable. Like in Three Faces of Evil this collection has its qualities distributed rather unevenly, but they're still well worth your consideration.

Horror Bites - Don't Say The Z Word

CONTAMINATION / NIGHTMARE CITY

While these sort of marathons are generally a fairly satisfying sort of length, there are always a few that manage silly genre movies that slip past due to time or other factors. There are always more. Which is fine, since a quick jaunt into the vaults of Italian horror is hardly something I need an excuse for these days. We've got some zombies lined up, but first off we have a story about alien visitors with Luigi Cozzi's 1980 Alien rip-off Contamination.

Horror Bites - The New Taste Sensation

BAD TASTE (1987)

There's always a feeling in the back of my mind that this is just a rough first attempt, rough draft kind of deal. My recollection of Peter Jackson's debut is that it's a test run on the road to his grand zombie outbreak comedy Braindead. However that might be a bit too judgemental, since on repeat viewings the enjoyment factor is always surprisingly high. It's not a high quality production, sure. But there's always a certain pleasure in seeing this kind of ultra low budget story unfold. Perhaps it's just because you can feel the energy involved. It's the sort of thing I'd imagine most of us can picture putting together at a certain age if we had the right equipment and a little twisted inspiration.

Horror Bites - Vault of Horror

CREEPSHOW (1982)

As we slip into the season of the witch it's probably quite appropriate to revisit such a classic blend of horror and comedy. After all, the combined talents of Stephen King and George A. Romero are what bring us this outing into the macabre. The idea to simultaneously create a throwback to the old style anthology movie while at the same time writing a fond love letter to EC Comics from the 1950s is pretty much a master-stroke. It's a winning combination of elements even before we look at the cast listing which features plenty of period talent and familiar faces for anyone into kind of thing. So get yourselves comfy as we turn the pages and enter a world of people turning into weeds, zombies demanding cake, and mysterious boxes under the stairs.

Horror Bites - The Guest

VISITOR Q (2001)

Takashi Miike's films often go from one bizarre shift in tone to another, sometimes within one film and sometimes inside of a series. This is the case in both something like the Black Society Trilogy where the horrifying sleaze in Shinjuku Triad Society switches to the restrained and dour melancholy of Rainy Dog as well as the the classic bait and switch reveal in stand-alone nightmare Audition. The ease at which things move from sickening to sickly sweet is integral in his body of work, which remains startlingly diverse today. However when the boundaries of genre and tone are less obvious things become rather more unsettling. Enter Visitor Q.

Review Roundup - Replicator

BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017)

In what must be the apex of reviving brand names for the whole 1980s nostalgia trip crowd, this is a direct sequel to Ridley Scott's original cyberpunk noir. After all it's a cult favourite rather than something that was a hit in its own time. In a time when reboots and fraudulent sequels made decades later are all over the place, this is one that I had no real interest in visiting. But at the same time my interest was piqued after seeing that this was going to be from the director of Arrival and Sicario. Is this another arresting detective story in a believable world where the high tech causes a lower quality life? Or is it just a visually stunning but cold and detached story that pushes a simple tale to an overly long running time?

Horror Bites - Contamination

ALIEN: COVENANT (2017)

Call me crazy, but in the five year gap since the release of Prometheus, I was kind of expecting them to have come up with some really great story material for a follow up. It's a long time to wait for a sequel in an era where every franchise entry is treated as a stepping stone to the next money spinner. More and more focus is given to connected stories these days. However for whatever the reason, this latest instalment feels surprisingly hollow. Maybe it was something to do with the cancellation of Alien 5, or the studio pushing for more recognisable series motifs and creatures. There are certainly elements here that feel far more like action schlock than they should, perhaps clashing with Neill Blompkamp's ideas. Whatever the reason the outcome is just the same, this is a weak and uninspired addition to an already pretty shaky brand.

Horror Bites - The Divorce

POSSESSION (1981)

A lot of films like to try and avoid categorisation, branching away from horror into other realms of drama. They usually lose something along the way, sticking more closely to one genre than another. This is one of those. However for all the non-horror elements ... it is generally still pretty horrifying. Unlike late 1970s classics like Suspiria that assault the viewer with eye watering visuals and crazy nightmare music, this is a sensory barrage of an entirely different kind. Despite familiar names like Sam Neill appearing in the main cast there's nothing really to latch onto that makes any of this seem comparable to other releases from this era. Even the title is a kind of red herring, and the story itself breaks away from anything expected right out of the gate.

Horror Bites - Road Rage

PET SEMATARY (1989)

Well it's that time of year again. Where better to kick things off than with a 1980s adaptation of a Stephen King story? Will this one rank somewhere up there with the likes of Misery or will it slip into the realm of those which are simply forgotten? Well, the screenplay is by the man himself, which may be either a good or a bad sign. After all, many of the most memorable big screen versions changed a lot of things. He's also in this. But then the same can be said of anthology classic Creepshow. There's a nice simple premise, a catchy title and a spooky setting. But how these elements come together is questionable as this is all too often guilty pleasure material.

Scorecard

SEPTEMBER

FILM OF THE MONTH: The Killer ☆☆☆☆
They Live ☆☆☆☆
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad ☆☆☆☆
The Flight of the Phoenix ☆☆☆☆
Pulp Fiction ☆☆☆☆
Captain America: The Winter Solider ☆☆☆☆
Jason and the Argonauts ☆☆☆☆

Weekend Retrospective - Glass Story

POLICE STORY (1985)

Jackie Chan's output between the late 70s and early 90s is often something I find difficult to choose a favourite from, with hits and their sequels cropping up almost as soon as he began working for Golden Harvest after a brief stint at Seasonal Films brought him into the public eye. Fans of hair raising stunts, action comedy and goofy facial expressions are pretty much spoilt for choice in this era.

It's often an embarrassment of riches, whether you prefer the classic old school thrills of The Young Master or the later more refined period adventures in Project A. There are plenty of team ups with his old opera school pals to choose from with familiar faces popping up throughout. Where to even begin? For me though it always comes back to the eye watering, glass breaking, shanty town destroying madness that is Police Story.

Martial Arts Mix - Little Fortunes

PART THREE - YUEN BIAO MOVIES

If you've ever sat watching Jackie Chan movies from the late 1970s through to the early '90s, as well as the other movies from Hong Kong in this period, a few faces will start to become familiar. Not only because many of them are part of the JC Stunt Team but because so many actors and stunt performers were taught in the same opera schools as children. They had to make a living on the silver screen when demand for traditional entertainment died out. Jackie's 'brothers' from those days include Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao who became stars in their own right. Here I'll be taking a look at the latter. As the acrobat of the group he often can be found doing hair raising feats alongside Sammo (Eastern Condors, Millionaires Express) Jackie (The Young Master) or even both (Project A, Dragons Forever) which are all classics in their own right. But for now I'll try and stick to the features where he gets top billing.

Martial Arts Mix - In the line of Duty

PART 2 - MICHELLE YEOH MOVIES

During this latest Hong Kong cinema mini-marathon I took time out from the usual Jackie Chan vehicles to look at a few of the best adventures from Miss Malaysia herself, Michelle Yeoh. Sometimes credited as Michelle Khan or Michelle Kheng because of studio interference, (and overseas marketing plans) the credited names and the names of the film sequels can be a bit confusing. Particularly when it comes to the Yes, Madam or 'In the Line of Duty' series. I just wish that I had more of them to hand to expand this review. Regardless she does a great job right out of the gate, with the acting chops and charisma to match her male contemporaries, as well as being able to translate her dance background into action and stunt work.

Martial Arts Mix - Die Harder

MELTDOWN (1995)

Tonal shifts and hard cuts from comedy to extreme violence are often an issue with action films from Hong Kong in the 1980s and early '90s. It often feels like a cultural difference; something unique to this period and region in cinema. The earliest examples of kung fu comedy showcase this to some extent, for example the opening death from Drunken Master which effectively introduces the villain, but is quickly dropped in favour of wacky teenage hi-jinks and disobedience. Later it can be seen in something like Armor of God II: Operation Condor at which point it's evolved into a far more extreme version of this trope. An unarmed group of desert travellers is brutally killed by mercenaries, immediately before a series of juvenile gags involving Jackie Chan and his companions. There are many examples, but in some ways the tonal incongruities from Jet Li's Meltdown (aka High Risk) are amongst the most absurd.

Scorecard

AUGUST

FILM OF THE MONTH  Day of the Jackal ☆☆☆☆
Iron Monkey ☆☆☆☆
All About Eve ☆☆☆☆
The Blues Brothers ☆☆☆☆
The Empire Strikes Back ☆☆☆☆
Kong Skull Island ☆☆☆☆
Monty Python and the Holy Grail ☆☆☆☆
On the Waterfront ☆☆☆☆
Phantasm ☆☆☆☆
Groundhog Day ☆☆☆☆
The First Great Train Robbery ☆☆☆☆

Review Roundup - The Island

KONG: SKULL ISLAND (2017)

There are a lot of things that concerned me about this latest monster mash blockbuster, whether it's the silly title, the fact this is yet another reboot, or the way it fits in the so called MonsterVerse series. It's an all round recipe for cringe. I'm not a fan of all these grand schemes for expanded universes, and I didn't really like the sound of a story which connected with the 2014 Godzilla film by Gareth Edwards. The previous instalment was drab, grey and lifeless without a hint of popcorn fun or any satisfying spectacle beyond a handful of interesting moments. However thankfully this new incarnation of King Kong is the polar opposite of that previous Kaiju effort in more ways than one.

Review Roundup - Chasing the Dragon

T2 TRAINSPOTTING (2017)

Fraudulent sequels made decades after an original movie (or series) are one of my least favourite kinds of release. There's usually huge amounts of hype ... followed by a period of denial, regret, and self imposed amnesia. Remember this? It's back! Just older and more lacklustre! Once in a while a film maker will have retained all their marbles into later life, but these magic moments are the exception to the rule. Trainspotting is still Danny Boyle's greatest directorial effort, something that holds up - perhaps looking better than ever today. It's awful, it's funny, and it's engaging. But despite a lot of unease about a follow up, I tried to look at the positives. The sequel book did take place some years later, and everyone involved in adapting it to the screen seemed to be back. But whether this succeeds or is just another failed attempt to recapture past glories needs closer examination. The results are pretty uneven.

Scorecard

JULY

FILM OF THE MONTH Subway ☆☆☆☆
Goodfellas ☆☆☆☆
Predator ☆☆☆☆
The Birdman of Alcatraz ☆☆☆☆
Back to the Future ☆☆☆☆
Bernie ☆☆☆☆
John Wick 2 ☆☆☆☆
Dead or Alive 2: Birds ☆☆☆☆

Horror Bites - Got Milk?

GOZU (2003)

I feel trying to write an introduction to a Takashi Miike film is often of a pointless endeavour, since just finding his work and watching it without any research is probably the best approach. You generally know what you're in for - to expect the unexpected. Whether the synopsis features yakuza thugs or modest businessmen, the stories never really stick to any standard archetypes. So when I offer a brief explanation that Gozu is about two gangster friends, one who is tasked with taking his colleague to be killed because he has begun to lose his mind... you know that this is probably not going to be an exploration of the expected tropes. While there are some themes of brotherhood and loyalty, much of the plot here is far more bizarre.

Horror Bites - Meat Train

TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016)

It takes something a little more out there to get me interested in yet another zombie film these days, beyond just making them run around like rabid lunatics again or having the setting be something mildly novel like a train. In this case things did seem to be looking up, with an emphasis on adrenalin fuelled chases and claustrophobic passenger compartments instead of the usual focus on bloody effects. I was certainly interested to see how a Korean take on the genre would pan out and what outlandish elements might be introduced outside of Hollywood. However a few too many of the old clichés have been retained along the way.

Review Roundup - Double Down

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (2017)

While Sad Keanu Chapter One was a slick sleeper hit that struck a nerve with many people who were tired of shaking cameras and censored violence, part of me was left wanting more. It was stripped down and stylish, but there was always something a bit restrained about it all. I may be hard to please but I've sat through Hard Boiled far too many times to immediately accept something like this as a new breed of shoot 'em up spectacle. But it laid some interesting ground work and showed people that actually being able to see movie violence could be a thing again. Fortunately a second time around means that they can push things a little further, and it's just the kind of push a sequel like this needs. Is it the double tap hit of adrenalin that I was hoping for previously? Well yes and no.

Review Roundup - Making Bacon

OKJA (2017)

After a number of years, director Bong Joon-ho returns to mixing up different genres under the guise of a creature feature. Just like the 10 year period in this story where the titular 'Super Pig' has been grown in the rural wilderness of South Korea, it's been a long time coming. Since The Host visual effects technology has developed and the cinema landscape itself has mutated and evolved. This is of course a Netflix release which has seen only a very limited theatrical run. But what has changed for the film maker over this time? Does the blend of satire and giant monster feel more refined after this lengthy period? Do the shifts in tone feel more natural and more finely tuned? Those anticipating another quirky but charming story know what to expect, but those stabs at the modern world are still pretty blunt.

Scorecard

JUNE

FILM OF THE MONTH: To Live and Die in LA ☆☆☆☆
Don't Breathe ☆☆☆☆
Ghostbusters ☆☆☆☆
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ☆☆☆☆
Ronin ☆☆☆☆
The Full Monty ☆☆☆☆
Tomorrow Never Dies ☆☆☆☆
Total Recall ☆☆☆☆

Weekend Retrospective - No Ticket

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)

Like the third instalment in the Star Wars trilogy, this was always a favourite of mine as a youngster. It's sillier and has more action, so I suppose it makes sense. However looking back the series suffers from a clear, if minor, effect of diminishing returns. And yet, it still remains a classic that caps of the trilogy in ways that are satisfying. The faults - things like recycled ideas from Raiders or a weaker first act that tries to explain away far too much of Indy's back story - are always very obvious on repeat viewings. But they are still essential viewings. There's still a lot to enjoy in terms of characters, action, music and set pieces - the essential ingredients in each of the films.

Review Roundup - Blind Fury

DON'T BREATHE (2016)

After the Evil Dead remake, Fede Álvarez apparently decided that it was opposites day; to take another shot at horror but in different direction. The excessive gore is nowhere to be found, and the home invasion plot is flipped so that the thieves quickly become the victims. So while his take on the Sam Raimi favourite left me less than impressed, it's appropriate that this is far more effective and ultimately more satisfying as a taut thriller with a few sharp moments of grotesque horror and panic. It's a fine example of taking a simple idea and running with it, in this case the set up being that our would be burglars are trapped in the home of a blind war veteran. It might push things beyond their limits as it progresses, but this is a minor misstep that I will get into shortly.

Review Roundup - Near Miss

HEADSHOT (2016)

Despite the tired premise of an amnesiac action hero trying to figure out their past whilst fighting against sinister forces, the idea of an Indonesian Bourne Identity held some appeal for me. Starring Iko Uwais from The Raid series under the direction of  Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto AKA the Mo Brothers, there were certainly a few good elements that could give it enough flair to escape the trite plot ideas at the centre. If anything the mixture of horror and action expertise would be interesting to see. However despite the names involved this doesn't really come together as a solid martial arts adventure, and unfortunately it falls short of the potential for satisfying mayhem they could have brought to this kind of project.

Scorecard

MAY

FILM OF THE MONTH: Trainspotting ☆☆☆☆
Blow Out ☆☆☆☆
Future Shock: The Story of 2000AD ☆☆☆☆
Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2 ☆☆☆☆
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation ☆☆☆☆
Mission: Impossible ☆☆☆☆
Mon Oncle ☆☆☆☆
RoboCop ☆☆☆☆
Shallow Grave ☆☆☆☆
The Big Lebowski ☆☆☆☆
The French Connection ☆☆☆☆
Where Eagles Dare ☆☆☆☆

Weekend Retrospective - Back in Black

PERFECT SCORE: TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991)

'Good morning, Dr. Silberman... how's the knee?'

It's a big cliché but it is really hard to imagine a time when computer effects were so primitive that film makers couldn't just do anything they felt like. Someone would have an idea they wanted to see on screen, and more than one approach could be considered. Throw in some puppets, a bit of animation, a couple of miniatures. It's all part of a bag of tricks. Even Jurassic Park, lauded for its computer advances was planned as a feature that would use stop motion as well as the big practical creations. It could have been the swan song for Ray Harryhausen's style of movie monsters, or even boosted the popularity of those classic techniques. But there was a new deal breaker on the horizon. Shows like Insektors and ReBoot began to use computer animation and it gained traction even before Pixar broke new ground with Toy Story. All it would take was one idea to make it a big deal for live action films.

 

Review Roundup - Father and Son

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL.2 (2017)

With the exception of The Winter Soldier, the ever expanding Marvel franchise hasn't had a great track record with those tricky follow ups. Because of the nature of this universe it doesn't generally have that typically bigger and better first sequel (and inevitably disappointing third entry) that other distinct trilogies usual manage - these are all pre-planned as a single behemoth. Or so they say. Which means that they usually focus on sequel hooks and cameos to tie things into upcoming releases. However here James Gunn has apparently been left to his own devices, to write characters that are allowed to develop and expand as they face more personal challenges instead of simply fighting against bigger, louder problems. Of course the galaxy itself is still under threat, and there are plenty of eye melting visual effects sequences - but how these two elements combine to form the difficult second album is worth looking into.

Scorecard

APRIL

FILM OF THE MONTH: Duel ☆☆☆☆ 
A Shot in the Dark ☆☆☆☆
First Blood ☆☆☆☆
The Prodigal Son ☆☆☆☆
Time Bandits ☆☆☆☆
Nikita ☆☆☆☆
Paths of Glory ☆☆☆☆
Planet of the Apes ☆☆☆☆
Goodfellas ☆☆☆☆
Slither ☆☆☆☆

Retrospective - What awful people

PERFECT SCORE - TIME BANDITS (1981)

'Heroes? What do they know about a day's work?' 

Terry Gilliam's body of work has always contained a certain amount of abstract, eccentric, and utterly absurd things and nonsense; whether it's tales of piracy and banking in The Crimson Permanent Assurance, or the time travelling nightmare future of 12 Monkeys. But one feature stands out above his other successes, defying classification as either a simple children's adventure or just another series of bizarre Monty Python sketches. It's a richly detailed, layered story, filled with amazing visuals and memorable characters, as well of lots of rather silly jokes and dialogue. The plastic clad henchmen and eerie set pieces are all present and correct, but it's a film which grows beyond the sum of its parts to become truly one of a kind.

Weekend Retrospective - Ecstacy of Gold

PERFECT SCORE - THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966)

"When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk"

In the past I gave some consideration to whether this should be given the honour of being the best ever Western. At one time I could easily have given that title to Leone's own Once Upon a Time in the West. But over repeated viewings this just held up better for a variety of reasons. It was the most purely entertaining, the most engaging, it had a certain tone and a certain character to it all which was never quite replicated anywhere else. So I was forced to reconsider... maybe this is the best. With more thought it eventually made it into the perfect score list.

The previous two films in the so called "dollars trilogy" are watchable, but very hit and miss in terms of overall quality and consistency. Revisiting them recently the flaws are more evident and they certainly aren't nearly as fun as the third instalment, despite the similarities in many places. The music is still good and they have their own memorable set pieces and characters. Clint is iconic in the poncho and they have the same kind of style at times. But they aren't paced as well, and they certainly don't have this much personality. They're just practice runs all building up this one, where every comes together.

He's tall, blonde, he smokes a cigar, and he's a pig!

 

Retrospective - Prepare to meet Kali

INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)

While it's not without a few problems, I feel that this is a greatly underappreciated entry in the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Even by its own director. I mean sure it has notable flaws. Some even dare to suggest it's worse than the ill-guided forth instalment that I promised not to bring up again. But their kind of course needs a good slap in the face for blasphemy. Some enjoy Temple as much as the others, or even consider it to be the greatest Indy adventure, though there will always complaints that come up regarding two elements which seem to be given far too much attention, as I will discuss.

But this is an example of how to do a sequel right; where prior success with a previous release allowed for a lot of freedom. Since Raiders was a hit they had no reason to rehash it, so a huge amount of creativity was poured into the follow up in terms of both set pieces and fantasy visuals, and in that department it is unmatched.

Scorecard

MARCH 

FILM OF THE MONTH: Barry Lyndon ☆☆☆☆
2001: A Space Odyssey ☆☆☆☆
A Clockwork Orange ☆☆☆☆
Aliens ☆☆☆☆
Arrival ☆☆☆☆
Dr. Strangelove ☆☆☆☆
Full Metal Jacket ☆☆☆☆
X2 ☆☆☆☆
Slaughterhouse-Five ☆☆☆☆
The Shining ☆☆☆☆
Logan ☆☆☆☆

Review Roundup - Darmok and Jalad

ARRIVAL (2016)

In a time when Star Trek has been reduced to nonsensical action schlock, it's nice to see something that seems to have been made using real science fiction ideas to tell a proper story. Once struggling through opposing ideals and communication problems to solve a crisis would have been prime material for the series to cover, but today it's been left to a smaller scale, far smaller budget release like this to do something truly interesting. It's visually cold, it looks sterile and bleak. But under the grey and uninviting surface there are strong character moments, engaging emotional hooks, and one or two central concepts that have real weight to them. It also adds a new genre to the filmography of Denis Villeneuve, signalling a promising future for his upcoming sci-fi endeavours.

Retrospective - Crystal Balls

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008)

Revisiting this was never going to be pretty, and nearly a decade later I barely remember the film in question. Instead there's just a mental block covering over the let down of what could, and should have been. A vague feeling of frustration, denial... and boredom. It took so long to make. Surely that means all the best ideas have been used to create it I told myself. It's got to be good because they took some time and care. To bring back an icon like this takes some effort right? As it turned out the opposite was true. Nobody really cared or even tried. I have to temper my thoughts, after all this is following up a classic series containing the greatest film of all time. I've been through worse. But I suppose I just need to get this one off my chest. Going back to see if things look any better with a few years just makes the flaws much more apparent.

Retrospective - Ape Escape

KING KONG ESCAPES (1967)

Somewhere out there, you can find a movie box set that includes the original stop motion classic King Kong. It comes packaged with several other tenuously linked features including the butchered US edit of King Kong vs Godzilla and the ape versus robot madness that is King Kong Escapes. I have to wonder why, did someone include them just for laughs? Did someone working for the distributor actually think these made enough sense as sequels? Maybe both are true; at least I certainly like to think so.

In any rate, once upon a time this oddball bundle led to me what was one of my first viewings in this genre; an entry in the wave of films which followed 1954's original Gojira. This particular monster mash is still entertaining now, and it has since become a firm favourite of mine amongst the many rubber suit creature movies which have been produced over the decades. It's a shame Toho didn't keep the rights long enough to make more of these, instead opting to use other monsters along the way whether it makes sense or not. I would have certainly liked a few more instalments which feature their take on Kong.

What could possibly go wrong?

Review Roundup - One Last Time

LOGAN (2017)

For whatever reason, the X-Men series on screen has had a wildly oscillating tone when you consider the last 17 years of releases. The films erratically move from laughably bad CGI to sombre deaths and concentration camp memories, sometimes in the same story. This time around the title provides a clue of what they are aiming for; much like other comic book adventures in recent years that deemed it necessary to swap out the colours and camp, they've dropped the usual superhero alias for a more serious moniker. If the number of years since the initial Bryan Singer outing introduced us to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine makes you feel ancient, then this is a movie which will certainly magnify that feeling. Like the tone the quality also varies within the franchise, but fortunately this one hits a high point... while being a depressing and down beat affair. If you thought the changes between his first and second solo outing made quite a difference, then this takes things to new extremes -- while maintaining a few staple ingredients, for better or worse.