The Bigfoot Project

Willow Creek (2013)

Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait this film stars Alexie Gilmore and Bryce Johnson. A couple go into the woods hunting for Bigfoot.

Essentially this is the Bigfoot version of The Blair Witch Project (1999) but much worse. I found the film to be decidedly boring with pretty much every element having been taken straight from and done better in The Blair Witch Project. I suppose some of the acting is not bad but that is about the only praise you can throw at this film.

1/5

Metal nightmare

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

Written and directed by Shinya Tsukamoto this film stars it's director as well as Kei Fujiwara and Tomorowo Taguchi. A businessman and his girlfriend knock down a metal fetishist then leave him to die in the woods.

This film is a cyberpunk nightmare that while completely bizarre and made on the cheap is full of crazy images. You could easily read the plot as a metaphor for a man that is uncomfortable with his genre and/or sexuality and I think it works really well that way. While the film maybe a little on the short side it works really well and is unlike anything else you will see.

5/5

Newer Oldboy

Oldboy (2013)

Directed by Spike Lee this remake of the Korean film of the same name stars Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley. An alcoholic man is kidnapped and awakes to find his wife has been murdered with him as the prime suspect in the killing.

Inevitably this film will be compared to the 2003 version that was a cult hit and I am not sure that this version ever adds anything despite including some differences. Part of the impact of the original was from the pure shock of experiencing the story but with this being a remake a lot of that is removed. Comparatively the action sequences do not add up as well here either but it seems this may be in part due to studio meddling.

3/5

70s, cons and comb overs

American Hustle (2013)

Directed by David O. Russell this film stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Jeremy Renner. Two con artists are forced to help the FBI in a large sting operation during the late 1970s.

This film is a good slice of fun that really takes the 70s setting and runs with it creating a great backdrop for the con story. While this is film is inspired by real events it never claims to be the trust and I think that works well both in terms of being entertaining and reflects the nature of the story. What really holds the film together is some excellent performances from the cast, especially the female leads and while the film may not be the deepest you will ever see it is entertaining through out.

4/5

The ultimate hangover

Germany, Year Zero (1948)

Directed by Roberto Rossellini this film stars Edmund Moeschke, Ernst Pittschau, Ingetraud Hinze and Franz-Otto Kruger. A 13 year old boy and his family struggle to survive in the bombed out remains of Berlin.

This is a really bleak film that captures both the struggle to survive but also hangover of Nazi indoctrination on the public. A lot of the content would never have got past the production code of the period in the US for example so this offers a some what unique perspective from the period. Like Rossellini's earlier Rome, Open City (1945) the neorealist approach shines through here even if there was some shooting on stages for interiors.

5/5

Rock bottom

The Canyons (2013)

Directed by Paul Schrader this film stars Lindsay Lohan, James Deen, Nolan Funk and Amanda Brooks. A love triangle involving a possessive trust-fund kid, his girlfriend and an actor becomes exposed.

If you wanted to sum up this film using the same word three times you could say it's a terrible film about terrible people doing terrible things to each other. Given all the off screen talent involved here it's hard to fathom how such a weak end product ended up on our screens. There is plenty of suspect acting on show here to go with the generally suspect nature of the whole project.

1/5

Not Taken

Inescapable (2012)

Written as well as directed by Ruba Nadda this film stars Alexander Siddig, Marisa Tomei and Joshua Jackson. A former Syrian intelligence officer living in exile returns to Syria to try and find his missing daughter.

A lot of the plot here comes off as a weak imitation of a certain Liam Neeson franchise. I am not sure that the plot ever really goes anywhere interesting and the resolution is also a bit on the weak side. Some of the performances are on the bland side but to be fair to the actors they do not always have a lot to work with.

2/5

My body, my pad, my ride...

Don Jon (2013)

Written and directed by star Joseph Gordon-Levitt this film also features Scarlett Johnasson and Julianne Moore. The ultimate player with a porn obsession becomes infatuated with the one girl that he can't get.

This film does a good job of looking at the hyper masculine world that is focused completely on objectifying women and manages not to get too heavy handed with the moralising. I also like that while it is not the focus of the film it is willing to point out the unrealistic expectations on the other side of the coin too. Slick is probably the best way to describe the execution of the film and is certainly has a nice directorial style to it.

4/5

Inspirational writer

Tenebrae (1982)

Directed by Dario Argento this film stars Anthony Franciosa, Fabio Pignatelli and Daria Nicolodi. A writer of violent horror novels is in Italy to promote his new novel where a copy cat killer mimicking his books seems to be on the loose.

There is some interesting stuff going on in this slasher and while it does feature a number of genre staples there is also some thematic depth to it. Unwinding what happened and why does require a bit more thinking than you will find in some other Argento films. The film is well made but is not one of the best show cases of Argento's directorial flair in my opinion.

4/5

Bloody Catholics

Philomena (2013)

Directed by Stephen Frears this film based on a true story stars Judi Dench and Steve Coogan (who co-wrote the screenplay). A journalist recently sacked from a government job attempts to help an old woman find the son she was forced to give up for adoption.

The subject matter here is not especially original, by now we are well aware of the dark acts of the Catholic church in Ireland, but it covers the material without melodrama. Where this film wins big is on the personality of the two lead characters which really breathes life into the story. Some liberties may have been taken with history but in general the film seems to have stuck mainly to the facts.

4/5

A girl and her bicycle

Wadjda (2012)

Written and directed by Haiffa al-Mansour this film stars Reem Abdullah, Waad Mohammed and Ahd Kamel. An 11 year old girl growing up in Saudi Arabia wants a bicycle, something considered taboo for girls.

This film gives a rare insight into the lives of women in Saudi Arabia as well as the clash between younger generations and traditional values. There are many coming of age dramas out there and this is a good entry into the genre that fits in with the neorealist style. No doubt filming in Saudi Arabia was difficult given the legal situation but it adds a layer of authenticity to the film that we have probably not had before.

4/5

Disaster

Pompeii (2014)

Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson this film stars Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Adewale Akinnuoye-Adbaje and Kiefer Sutherland. A small boy sees his family slaughtered by Romans then is taken to work as a slave in Pompeii.

While billed as a disaster film the first two thirds of this this film are a lightweight Gladiator (2000) remake with the disaster part being an after thought. It is hard to find much to like here given the predictability of the plot. Some of the visuals are not bad but it's all CGI all the way and Kiefer Sutherland is hamming it up as the villain.

2/5

Hang ups

The Call (2013)

Directed by Brad Anderson this film stars Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut and Michael Eklund. An emergency call centre worker tries to help a teenage girl who is in the process of being abducted.

For most of this film it is a fairly standard thriller that works but does not do anything special. There are a lot of the usual genre elements on show here so there are no real surprises but the ending is really off key and adds nothing to the story. Generally the film is well made but offers nothing out of the ordinary.

3/5

Fake gems

Topaz (1969)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock this film inspired by real events stars Frederick Stafford, Dany Robin, John Vernon and Karin Dor. A French intelligence agent helps the Americans in the lead up to the Cuba missile crisis.

This is a more realistic spy film than you will find floating around most of the time but it gets bogged down in procedure and goes on too long. Despite being based around big events the plot some how manages to always be pedestrian and never really gets you on the edge of your seat. There are a few nice touches from the director but these are usually small things and the film lacks some star power.

3/5

Not the truth

Emperor (2012)

Directed by Peter Webber this film based on real events stars Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Fox, Eriko Hatsune and Masayoshi Haneda. An American general is given 10 days to investigate the role of the Japanese Emperor in WW2.

The subject matter here is really interesting on a historical level but sadly the main plot often gets shunted out the way for a romantic side plot which is little more than melodrama. Sadly it also seems that history is thrown out of the window in large parts as well so it's hard to find much to like about the content of the film. Mostly the film well made but really the horse has already bolted on the film thanks to the script.

2/5

More witches from Argento

Inferno (1980)

Directed by Dario Argento this film stars Irene Miracle, Leigh McCloskey, Eleonora Giorgi and Daria Nicolodi. A poet living in New York thinks she has found something evil living in her building and sends a letter to her music student brother in Rome.

Some will say that the plot is such that you never know what is coming next but to me this film came across as switching between protagonists so much it seemed to be just a collection of killings rather than a story. In general the story lacks much depth and as a follow up to Suspiria (1977) leaves something to be desired. There is one good sequence right at the start but otherwise the rest of the film fails to show Argento's directorial flair much.

3/5

Weren't we clever?

I Was Monty's Double (1958)

Directed by John Guillermin this film based on a true story stars M. E. Clifton James (as himself), John Mills and Cecil Parker. During WW2 British intelligence use an actor to convince the Germans that General Montgomery is in North Africa rather than in England before D-Day.

This is a fairly interesting story but unfortunately it seems that some liberties have been taken with the sort in favour of spicing up the action. Where the film sticks to the truth it is pretty good but seems to have left out some details which would have been interesting, such as the involvement of David Niven. Generally the film is fairly well made and fits into the general trend of British 50s war films show casing how the war was won but a more truthful account would have been preferable.

2/5

Don't deal drugs

The Counselor (2013)

Directed by Ridley Scott this film stars Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt. A lawyer decides to enter the drug trade despite warnings from others.

This film is heavy on the dialogue and low on action but is an enjoyable slow burner. There is some nice thematic depth even if the film does advance the fairly basic idea that to take part in the drug trade is to be accessory to all the dark crimes involved. Having a really great cast helps but at times some of the long bits of dialogue that seem irrelevant do drag on a little too long for my taste.

4/5

Dreams of enlightenment

The Holy Mountain (1973)

Written, directed by and also staring Alejandro Jodorowsky this film also features Horacio Salinas. A man awakes in the desert and goes on a strange journey involving religion and enlightenment.

This is a real acid trip of a film that drifts through bizarre imagery which is littered with religious and mystic symbolism. For my liking the narrative is a little too undirected but there is tons to admire as well as plenty of depth to this exploration of some of the deeper questions facing humanity. There are some very impressive sequences that are really evocative of the symbols they use even if occasionally the low budget nature of this film is hinted at.

5/5

Death at the opera

Opera (1987)

Directed by Dario Argento this film stars Cristina Marsillach, Ian Charleson, Urbano Barberini and Daria Nicolodi. A young understudy gets her big break in an opera version of Macbeth but the production is troubled by dark events.

Much of the plot of this giallo is as you would expect but it has a couple of nice touches that produce some grim sequences. It would have been nice if the link between the plot of the film and Macbeth was played up a little more but in general the story does it's job. Where the film is at it's strongest is the direction which has some impressive sweeping camera moves, mixing opera and rock for the sound track is a little strange at times but the film gets by.

4/5

If it makes money we can franchise it

Predator 2 (1990)

Directed by Stephen Hopkins this film stars Danny Glover, Kevin Peter Hall, Gary Busey, Maria Conchita Alonso and Bill Paxton. Take a drug war in LA, add in an angry policeman with a problem taking orders and a killer alien.

This film mixes together clichés and sprinkles the title character on top to give us an action film lacking originality that fails to live up to it's predecessor. The script lacks the personality of the original film, goes on far too long and has no real depth to it. Switching to an urban setting does the franchise no favours in my opinion and some of the drug gangs are stereotypes bordering on offensive.

2/5

Left behind like history

Man In The Wilderness (1971)

Directed by Richard C. Sarafian this film based on real events stars Richard Harris, John Huston, Prunella Ransome and Percy Herbert. In 1820 a fur trapper in Missouri is mauled by a bear and left to die by his colleagues.

While this film may claim to be a true story I think it is one of the many films that more likely is a fictional tale vaguely inspires by real history. The story is a basic survival story but never really goes anywhere and the ideas of spiritual rebirth are not fully fleshed out either. Annoyingly the colour in the print of this film seems to be fairly desaturated so it does not look the best either.

2/5

Surprises in the snow

The Abominable Snowman (1957)

Directed by Val Guest this film stars Forrest Tucker, Peter Cushing, Maureen Connell and Richard Wattis. A British scientist joins a group of Americans searching for Yetis in the Himalayas.

This is somewhat of a lesser known gem among the Hammer Horror collection, it explores both a moral argument and has a nice twist on the usual monster film story. It is really nice to see a genre entry with a bit more depth to it which some of the better known Hammer Horror films seem to lack. Obviously this film was made on the cheap and at times it shows but largely it is well made and the low budget at times helps by keeping the monsters off screen.

4/5

The secrets of Cambodia

Wish You Were Here (2012)

Directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith this film stars Felicity Price, Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer and Anthony Starr. An Australian businessman goes missing in Cambodia, what are his three travel companions hiding from each other and the police?

This is a nicely constructed thriller that has a good slow burn to it, gradually teasing out information as it goes. While the story itself ends up being nothing particularly remarkable it is an enjoyable watch for a genre piece. What I like most about the film is how it keeps you at arms although occasionally the skips in time can be a little confusing.

3/5

Legend derailed

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

Directed by Adam Mckay this film stars Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Christina Applegate. Our hero loses his job but gets the old team back together again to help launch a 24 hours news station.

The best part of this film is the satire of the degeneration of news coverage through the rise of 24 hours news but sadly that ends up being lost in the mire here. I would say that this film is too long, too meandering and just not funny enough. Nine years is a long time to wait for a sequel and maybe it would have been best if we were left waiting because this is a sub par effort with not a lot going for it.

2/5

Factory girl

Millions Like Us (1943)

Directed by writers Sidney Gillat and Frank Launder this film features Patricia Roc, Gordon Jackson and Anne Crawford. A young woman from London is sent to work in a factory during WW2 and falls for an RAF radioman.

This is your classic war time propaganda but like many other British films of the era focuses on sacrifice rather than triumphantly claiming superiority. It takes a while for the film to settle on a central character and could probably have done with a better first act but over all it works fairly well. It is nice to see a young Gordon Jackson in an early role as he went on to be such a staple of British cinema.

3/5

More disappointment in revolutions

Tepepa (1969)

Directed by Giulio Petroni this film stars Tomas Milian, Orson Wells and John Steiner. An English doctor hunts down a revolutionary during an interlude in the Mexican revolution.

The plot of this film is a standard Zapata western looking at the failure of revolution to live up to it's goals and has a side order of revenge fantasy. None of the content is especially original or insightful but is a fairly standard genre entry. What drew me to this was seeing Orson Wells in a spaghetti western but sadly both his screen time and performance are limited.

3/5

Grow up

Arthur (1981)

Written and directed by Steve Gordon this film stars Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud and Jill Eikenberry. An immature drunk has to marry or lose access to the family fortune.

This is a fairly basic story of an unhappy rich person who needs to grow up and does not offer any amazing revelations. The most interesting relationship in the film is between the protagonist and his butler but sadly too much of the focus is on the less interesting romantic relationship. Liza Minnelli is an odd choice for the co-star in my opinion and it is John Gielgud who steals the show.

3/5

Disappointment & Tarantino impersination

Violet & Daisy (2011)

Written and directed by Geoffrey S. Fletcher this film stars Saoirse Ronan, Alexis Bledel and James Gandolfini. Two teenage female assassins are put off by how willing to die their latest hit is.

This films starts out worrying close a lightweight Tarantino knock off but slowly grinds out a little charm of it's own. Unfortunately the plot of this film never really goes anywhere despite being littered with plenty of interesting hooks. I liked the unusual cinema style world created by the film but in the end you can not help but feel the film has nothing to say.

3/5

Thugs not getting hugs

The Stranglers of Bombay (1959)

Directed by Terence Fisher this film stars Guy Rolfe, Jan Holden, Andrew Cruickshank and George Pastell. In the 1830s an officer of the British East India company attempts to investigate the disappearance of hundreds of natives despite the disinterest of his superiors.

This is a break from the better known Gothic horror adaptations that Hammer Horror specialised in for something more routed in actual history. The plot is nothing amazing but is serviceable as a look into the cult of Thuggee. Some of the image quality is not amazing but for the most part the film does a good job of recreating India on a budget.

3/5