Review Roundup - Replication Errors

X-MEN APOCALYPSE (2016)

The original X-men series has its detractors, but I always found the original two to have plenty of likeable elements despite the changes to the source material. Part three on the other hand ... falls short of the mark. A lot of time people cite Bryan Singer's departure as a reason for this, unfortunately the same excuse cannot be used to explain this latest outing. As a third entry to a pretty loose prequel trilogy, it delivers well below what should have been expected. But why should it not be a winner after the last two? Building on what worked should have been an easy task. However for reasons that are just not clear this really isn't up to scratch, so let's explore what we are left with.

Review Roundup - Odd Couple

THE NICE GUYS (2016)

It's been a distressingly long time since Shane Black's last crime thriller, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. In the meantime we had a mixture of his usual material under all the blockbuster spectacle of Iron Man 3, but this is more in line with what I'd be expecting; a detective plot full of silly lines and idiosyncratic characters. I suppose the problem is that back in 2005 the formula didn't bring in enough of a return at the box office, and unfortunately the same is true here. Call it what you will, bad luck, poorly planned release dates, or lack of audience buzz. Maybe in another decade we'll get a third one of these types of stories. Such a wait is not a prospect that I welcome, since this one of 2016's best releases.

Scorecard

NOVEMBER

FILM OF THE MONTH Police Story ☆☆☆☆
Baraka ☆☆☆☆
Blackfish ☆☆☆☆
Crippled Avengers ☆☆☆☆
Nosferatu the Vampyre ☆☆☆☆
Predator ☆☆☆☆
Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny ☆☆☆☆
The Five Venoms ☆☆☆☆
Into the Inferno ☆☆☆☆
Five Elements Ninjas ☆☆☆☆
Gremlins ☆☆☆☆
Die Hard ☆☆☆☆
The Thing ☆☆☆☆

HCF Review - Idyll

KILLBILLIES (2015)

Slovenia’s first horror film, an award winner at the Portorose film festival is clearly influenced by the kind of American films to feature lost travellers, mountain men and inbred killers living in the wilderness. It’s the kind of film where the antagonists actions and facial features are equally awful.

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Halloween Wrap Up

Well that's all we have time for this year ... as if seasonal ideas have ever dictated when a horror film or ten get screened. While it's not quite the 31 days of nonsense that I'd have preferred there are some considerations to take into account that may have cut it a little short. Still this is the biggest and most eclectic mix yet.

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