Not super at all

Supercon (2018)

Directed by Zak Knutson this film stars Ryan Kwanten, Maggie Grace, Mike Epps and Clancy Brown. C-list celebrity guests at a pop culture convention decide to rob the place.

It is a long time since I have seen a film with this much loathing for both its subject matter and audience. There are a bunch of racist jokes in the script that I wish I could say lower the tone of the piece but things were bad already. About the biggest question I have is what on earth is John Malkovich doing showing up in a film like this?

1/5

Downs then an up

Her Smell (2018)

Written & directed by Alex Ross Perry this film stars Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne and Dan Stevens. We see the lead singer of an all girl punk band hit rock bottom and come out the other side.

The tent pole of this film is an astonishingly raw performance from Elisabeth Moss in the lead role. There are times I found the film a little hard to hear but it really is a great look at self destructive behaviour. It is also super rare you see this sort of film from the perspective of female characters.

4/5

Charming

The Charmer (1906)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. A man turns a caterpillar into a woman with butterfly wings.

As with many of the director's films this is one with a lovely backdrop and great costumes to fit the fantasy content. The plot is fairly so-so and the action consists of a few trick photography shots and some dancing round. A solid example of the director's work from the period.

3/5

No blast off

Rocketman (2019)

Directed by Dexter Fletcher this film based on real events stars Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard. We follow the career of pop star Elton John.

I think I would have much preferred the hard hitting warts and all version of this film rather than the fantasy land slog through Elton's greatest hits. At some point the film just becomes a superficial diversion that is more interested in telling rather than showing. The plot is does not believe in subtlety at all.

2/5

Stop, hammer time

Hammer (2019)

Written & directed by Christian Sparkes this film stars Will Patton, Mark O'Brien and Dayle McLeod. A father tries to help his son deal with a drug deal gone wrong.

As a look at fatherhood this is some what different to the usual but shows the lengths a father will go to. I enjoyed the film even if it is not the deepest. There are a couple of decent twists and plenty of action to keep you invested.

3/5

Know your propaganda

Know Your Ally: Britain (1944)

Directed by Robert Stevenson this propaganda film is narrated by Walter Huston. An explanation of life in Britain and the war time struggles of the Empire aimed at the American servicemen.

Even for someone from the UK this film raises a few eyebrows when it comes to papering over the negatives of the British Empire. Not the best of World War 2 propaganda as it leans much more on the apologist side rather than showing every day life. Clearly aimed to counter Nazi propaganda this is not much a historical record.

2/5

Not wanted at all

Inside Man: Most Wanted (2019)

Directed by M. J. Bassett this film stars Aml Ameen, Rhea Seehorn and Roxanne McKee. Five years after the events of the first film it appears a copycat robbery is taking place.

Oh boy, this is an unnecessary and fairly bad sequel. Going into watching this film I was sceptical about the potential for a sequel and when none of the original characters return the whole thing is reaching. At every turn you get the impression this film is just much worse than the original.

2/5

Age does not come

Last Rampage (2017)

Directed by Dwight H. Little this film based on real events stars Robert Patrick, Heather Graham and Bruce Davidson. In 1978 three young men help their father and his friend escape an Arizona prison.

Some how fairly bland this crime break story should be something of a coming of age tale for the younger characters but gets muddled in its focus. The film is a bit flat and the more brutal parts never really have the impact they should. Not a terrible watch in the end but not remarkable either.

3/5

90 minutes of my life gone

10 Minutes Gone (2019)

Directed by Brian A. Miller this film stars Michael Chiklis, Meadow Williams and Bruce Willis. A bank robbery goes wrong leaving criminals to turn on each other.

There was a time when Bruce Willis films were unmissable, that time is clearly gone. This is a weak effort of a crime thriller that gives away the twist ending way, way, way too early on. Some of the performances are flat and the direction is not at all inspiring.

2/5

Outside the box

The Cigar Box (1907)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. A man uses a giant cigar box to perform various magic tricks.

A lot in common with other special effects films from the same director this is one of the better examples of his work. Both the sets and costumes are excellent, adding a real richness to the images. The magic tricks may not be pushing the boat out too far but this is still a decent piece for the period.

3/5

Strange but poo

Strange but True (2019)

Directed by Rowan Athale this film based on the novel of the same names stars Margaret Qualley, Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Nick Robinson and Brian Cox. A young woman goes to tell her boyfriends family she believes she is pregnant with his child five years after he died on prom night.

Unfortunately this thriller sign posts its inevitable conclusion way up front and tries to paper over the cracks with some weird moral that never deals with the events at hand. To be honest I was a bit weirded out by the happy conclusion to what is clearly a grim turn of events. Not one for the ages in either content or execution.

2/5

Not that webbed

Spider in the Web (2019)

Directed by Eran Riklis this film stars Ben Kingsley, Monica Bellucci, Itay Tiran and Itzik Cohen. An ageing Israeli spy in Belgium tries to prove his last tip on a company sending biological weapons to Syria is true.

Clearly this film wants to be a John le Carre adaptation but falls way short. The plot is kind of average and the protagonist just too good at pulling out cunning insights out of nowhere. Not the worst spy thriller you will see however there are plenty better.

3/5

This sucks

The Vacuum Cleaner (1908)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. Two men with a vacuum cleaner run around town causing havoc.

Simple in concept this is a fairly funny little slapstick comedy film. The film makes ample use of Chomon's knowledge of camera tricks, mostly in the editing. Fun to watch but not a stand out piece.

3/5

The covers are up

Call Girl (2012)

Directed by Mikael Marcimain this film inspired by real events stars Sofia Karemyr, Josefin Asplund, Pernilla August and Simon J. Berger. In 1970s Sweden a fourteen year old girl becomes part of a prostitution ring that services political clients.

Fictionalising real events this film gives a good general overview of a major political scandal from 1970s Sweden. The plot does a good job of showing the dark underbelly of society and the hooks it uses to control people. Well made and acted this is definitely worth a watch.

4/5

Just more of my childhood dying

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Directed by J. J. Abrams this film stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac. Our heroes seek the hidden home planet of the Sith in an attempt to end the threat of the First Order once and for all.

Taken on its own this is not a bad film but the problem is that it comes as a twisting, retcon filled effort at the end of a muddled trilogy. If you can get past The Last Jedi (2017) basically being retconned out of existence then you can probably enjoy this film, if not you will probably hate it. As a mindless action adventure this is not too bad but I still have issues with how it fits in with the Star Wars cannon.

2/5

Another disappointment for the Bruce

Robert the Bruce (2019)

Directed by Richard Gray this film based on historical events stars Angus Macfadyen, Anna Hutchison, Jared Harris and Diarmaid Murtagh. Following a series of defeats to the English would be king of Scotland Robert the Bruce hides out with a poor family.

If you are expecting a historical epic which is a worthy sequel to Braveheart (1995) you are in for a massive disappointment. This film is mostly a work of fiction and has very little of interest to say. It is clear from the start that this film was made on a tiny budget.

2/5

Not really diabolical

Diabolical Pickpocket (1908)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. A thief uses a number of magic tricks to elude the police.

Very simple in terms of concept the plot, such as it is, is a decent excuse for a number of camera tricks. The special effects are decent for the period but not ground breaking. Over all this is a good example of early cinema if not massively remarkable.

3/5

Not the successor anyone wanted

The Lion King (2019)

Directed by Jon Favreau this live action remake has voices from Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chitwetel Ejiofor and Beyonce. The heir to the throne of the animal kingdom goes on the run after his father is killed in an accident.

Despite being a fantastic achievement in visuals this film some how loses the magic and heart of the original. Some how in becoming more realistic looking the film becomes less believable. I really enjoyed the voice cast but they are let down by a flat script which is only propped up by a few familiar musical numbers.

3/5

Not a complete dead fish

I'll Take Your Dead (2018)

Directed by Chad Archibald this film stars Aidan Devine, Ava Preston and Jess Salgueiro. A farmer living alone with his young daughter disposes of bodies for criminals.

Fairly generic as a crime piece goes the ending to this film is sign posted a mile off. Despite not being that original this is still a decent genre piece if not anything more. Decently made this is not the worse film you will ever see.

3/5

Flutter by

Japanese Butterflies (1908)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. We see a silk worm come to life.

Mixing various types of trick photography this is a fairly decent special effects film. Unfortunately like so many of Chomon's films this one has white people in yellow face. An interesting diversion but has not aged well in all regards.

2/5

Disarming

The Art of Self-Defense (2019)

Written & directed by Riley Stearns this film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola and Imogen Poots. After being mugged a timid man starts to learn karate.

Completely off beat this black comedy is a great exploration of toxic masculinity. The plot is like a very bizarre yet some how more grounded take on Fight Club (1999). I would highly recommend taking a look at this one.

4/5

Another disappointment near Mars

Doom: Annihilation (2019)

Written & directed by Tony Giglio this film stars Amy Manson, Dominic Mafham and Luke Allen-Gale. A bunch of marines are sent to a secret base on one of the moons of Mars which has dropped contact with the outside world.

Taking a number of familiar elements from the game series this film is fan service on a shoe string budget. Neither the plot or the dialogue are up to much scratch really so this film is going to join all the other disappointing video game adaptations. Really this film needed a larger budget and a better script.

2/5

Did it though?

This Changes Everything (2018)

Directed by Tom Donahue this documentary has contributions from man of the top women in Hollwood. We look at the levels of sexism in Hollywood and how it affects the women working there.

Early on there are hints this might just be a Geena Davis vanity project but the documentary quickly over comes them and does a really good job of showing the scale of the issues in Hollywood. Not that I needed to be convinced but this film does a great job of showing system bias and how it should be confronted. About the only quibble I have with the film is that after all the rhetoric involved you find out it was directed by a white man.

4/5

Madness at the end

Lunatics (1908)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. We see a woman on the moon cast a spell to make some clowns appear.

This is a fairly simple little trick photography film with a bunch of dancing people in it. Most of the film is fairly unremarkable but the final portion involves black face so naturally has not aged well. Probably not the best Chomon film to seek out.

2/5

Puberty hits Superman hard

Brightburn (2019)

Directed by Mark & Brian Gunn this film stars Elizabeth Banks, David Denman and Jackson A. Dunn. As their adopted son turns twelve things get out of hand for a couple that live on a farm.

There is a lot of promise in this dark look at the Superman origin story but the film never quite fulfils the potential. No doubt this an interesting watch, especially if you go into it blind, but I think the film needed a little more in the first act to really set things up. Certainly not something I expected to see on the big screen.

3/5

Hell is watching this

Hell Is Where the Home Is (2018)

Directed by Orson Obolwitz this film stars Angela Trimbur, Janel Parrish, Jonathan Howard and Zach Avery. Two couples staying at a rented home are menaced by home invaders.

I suppose the major problem with this film is that the protagonists are all so damn unlikeable. It does not help that in some of the major sequences the lighting makes it so you can not see the faces of any one involved. All in all this is a boring horror film with at least one point that makes no sense.

2/5

More witch than fairy

The Fairy of the Black Rocks (1907)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this short film features Julienne Mathieu. An old woman asks a man for help, he refuses and she turns out to be a witch.

Simple in content with some decent special effects this is not exactly a ground breaking short. As films of the period go this one is better for having a plot even if it is fairly basic. Well made but probably a rip off of a Melies film.

3/5

The master of the dick pic?

Mapplethorpe (2018)

Directed by Ondi Timoner this biographical film stars Matt Smith, John Benjamin Hickey and McKinley Belcher III. We follow the career of ground breaking gay photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

This is one of those biographies that shows you who a person is but never really shows how they became that person. I really dislike that the film pushes the idea of natural talent above any sort of learned skill. Well made and certainly provocative I found this film to ultimately be a disappointment relying a bit too much on shock value.

2/5

Tarantino wannabes anonymous

Killers Anonymous (2019)

Directed by Martin Owen this film star Tommy Flanagan, Rhyon Nicole Brown and Gary Oldman. At the meeting of a support group for contract killers all is not as it seems following the attempted assassination of a Presidential candidate.

Wishing it was a claustraphobic Tarantino inspired crime thriller this film unfortunately falls far short. The script is not as tense as it should be and lacks a clear conclusion. At times I found the sound mix to be frustratingly uneven.

2/5

Bad maths.

UFO (2018)

Directed by Ryan Eslinger this film stars Alex Sharp, Gillian Anderson, Ella Purnell and David Strathairn. Only one college student is smart enough to use trigonometry to prove aliens visited the Earth.

This is one of those film that wants to be smart but falls far, far short. The script is very lazy and full of one dimensional characters. Even a bad X-Files episode is better than this.

2/5

A shadow of the real thing

The Chinese Shadows (1908)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this film features regular collaborator Julienne Mathieu. Two women introduce some Chinese style shadow theatre.

Short and lacking somewhat in plot this a fairly decent attempt at reproducing shadow theatre. As with some of Chomon's other films of the era this film makes uncomfortable use of white people portraying other races. Not the best of Chomon's films.

2/5