The Tramp and the Mattress Makers (1906)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man falls asleep in a half finished mattress then wakes up scaring the mattress makers.
A pretty fun little comedy although I am not sure why anyone is making mattresses in the middle of the street. Really good image quality which is a change for some of these older films. You can even see some improvements in the acting.
3/5
Soap Bubbles (1906)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man makes women's heads appear from bubbles.
I am not sure there are enough bubbles in this one for my taste given the title. Decent camera tricks and backdrop for the period the film is made in. Standard Melies stuff.
3/5
The Marvellous Wreath (1903)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A magician performs tricks.
Nothing really connects the various tricks here. We get a decently made film for the era containing many of the usual Melies tricks but nothing really stands out. Pretty average film.
3/5
Alcofribas, The Master Magician (1903)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man in a cave shows off his magic tricks to another man.
A bunch of similar content to other Melies films. Fairly well executed, a good example of cinema of the period. Fun for what it is.
3/5
The Last Stop in Yuma County (2023)
Written & directed by Francis Galluppi this film stars Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donnahue amd Richard Brake. Two bank robbers hold people hostage at a remote diner while waiting for a fuel truck.
As crime thrillers go this one is fine I just do not think it goes anywhere that interesting. When the tension is finally broken there is still a bit too long to go in the film in my opinion. Decently made with a pretty good cast.
3/5
Timestalker (2024)
Written & directed by star Alice Lowe this film also features Jacob Anderson, Nick Frost, Tanya Reynolds and Aneurin Barnard. A woman falls in love with the same man over several life times.
Alice Lowe has a weird mind and I am down to see whatever comes out of it. This film is funny on a surface level and as a satire of over the top romances. Well worth seeking out as our Lowe's other films.
4/5
The Killer (2024)
Directed by John Woo this remake stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Omar Sy, Sam Worthington and Diana Silvers. A hit woman leaves a witness to her latest hit and can not bring herself to finish the job.
I am not sure we needed a remake of this film even with John Woo still at the helm, directors often repeat themselves but rarely as obviously as this. The film still has some of the John Woo flair but there is not really enough new about this one to make it worth the effort. For me the highlight was seeing Cantona getting work again.
2/5
Faust and Marguerite (1904)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. An attempt to adapt the story of Faust.
Without knowing the story of Faust or having some captions it is a bit hard to make out what is actually happening an follow the plot. The image quality of the version I watched was not the best which did not help matters either. Some decent effects for the period.
2/5
Ulysses and the Giant Polyphemus (1905)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man fights a one eyed giant.
As far as the special effects go this one is a bit of a mixed bag, definitely falls short of the likes of Ray Harryhausen even if that might be an unfair comparison. Without an good knowledge of the stories of Ulysses it is a bit hard to make out what is going on in the early parts of the film. A nice effort but not great to modern eyes.
2/5
The Cook in Trouble (1904)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A cook refuses to feed a beggar who turns out to be a wizard.
Familiar stuff as a cook gets trolled by an imp/devil, the kitchen setting adds something a little different to other Melies films. The comedy is as you would expect, a bit on the silly side. A fun little short.
3/5
Gulliver's Travels Among the Lilliputians and the Giants (1902)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. We see several moments from Gulliver's travels.
As adaptations go this is obviously not the most complete one. What we get is a few disconnected scenes that do not really capture the narrative of the book on which it is based. The special effects and colour tinting are pretty nice.
3/5
Parachute (2023)
Directed by Brittany Snow this film stars Courtney Eaton and Thomas Mann. A young woman released from inpatient treatment for an eating disorder makes friends with a guy.
I really enjoyed this film and will be looking out for more from Snow, an uncomfortable watch in all the right ways. The film really captures the horrors of the modern world in terms of body image pressures. Definitely relevant and worth a watch.
4/5
Kill (2023)
Directed by Rodger Griffiths this film stars Daniel Portman, Brian Vernel and Calum Ross. Three young men kill their abusive father in the woods.
For what it is this film is fine, nothing special. The tension never gets ratcheted up enough to really keep you gripped and some of the twists are on the less believable side. Fairly well acted by the cast.
3/5
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)
Directed by Adil & Bilall this film stars Will Smith and Martain Lawrence. The duo must work to clear the name of their dead captain.
It all just feels a bit tired in this one, the action sequences are flashy without much substance to them. The best thing you can say about the plot is it is there, there are one or two attempts made at actual character development but they go nowhere. Only really one for fans of the franchise.
2/5
The Christmas Dream (1900)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. Children go to bed on Christmas Eve and have some wild dreams.
It is not entirely clear to my eyes how these scenes connect together or if they would really be what children dream of. The scenes themselves are well done and have some nice pageantry to them. A fun short with some impressive film making for the period.
3/5
The Black Imp (1905)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A black imp plays tricks on a man staying in a room.
Containing a lot of material similar to several other Melies films the only difference here is that is slightly longer. There is nothing that special or wrong with this one, very middle of the road. If you have seen one of these you have pretty much seen them all.
3/5
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024)
Directed by Soi Cheang this film stars Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Sammo Hung and Richie Jen. When an immigrant arrives in Hong Kong and finds himself in the walled city old wounds are reopened.
As far as action films go this one is pretty fun, the fight sequences are largely impressive. The plot is familiar, relying on stock elements you have seen plenty of times before. I do enjoy the setting of the film, the antagonist having spiritual powers is kind of out of place for the rest of the film though.
3/5
The Mermaid (1904)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man does some magic tricks culminating in the appearance of a mermaid.
It takes a while for this one to get to the title character so have some patience. A good mix of Melies tricks and artistry. Solid film for the period it was made in.
3/5
Mosquito Squadron (1969)
Directed by Boris Sagal this film stars David McCallum and Suzanne Neve. A squadron leader is given the mission of destroying a secret Nazi base in France.
Ropey dialogue, a plot that does not make that much sense and a bunch of stock footage for action sequences, there is not really anything to recommend this one on. I should think the budget for this film must have been tiny and it shows. Definitely a lazy effort.
1/5
Slingshot (2024)
Directed by Mikael Hafstrom this film stars Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishburne, Emily Beecham and Tomer Kapon. An astronaut on a voyage to Titan struggles with the side effects of hibernation drugs.
With so much talent involved this film is a real disappointment, it just does not work. The main twist is far, far too obvious and without that there is nothing much to the film. Not even that believable really.
2/5
Get Away (2024)
Directed by Steffan Haars this film stars Nick Frost, Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft and Maisie Ayres. Not all is as it seems when an English family goes on holiday to a remote Swedish island with a history of cannibalism.
Taking the expectations of folk horror, especially those coming from Midsommer, this film does a decent job of inverting the usual genre details. Beyond the premise there is not too much to the film, it is fairly fun with the odd chuckle here and there. Fine for what it is just do not expect anything riotously funny.
3/5
The Wonderful Rose Tree (1904)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man grows a magical rose tree.
Mostly well made the only part that lets this short down is the bit where the actor kicks part of the set that is supposed to be a large rock and moves. Fun little short with a nice back drop. Not sure if it is supposed to be a reference to a particular myth or not.
3/5
An Improvised Fireworks Display (1905)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A drunk homeless person falls asleep on the street and is awoken by a fireworks display.
Essentially this is people bullying a homeless person, not really that funny if it was real. Nothing special in terms of concept or execution. A bit mean spirited really.
2/5
A Roadside Inn (1906)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. The staff of an inn make mischief at the expense of an old, drunk man.
Fine for a bit of slap stick humour. We never really know what the drunk did to deserve all of this which is a bit of a shame. Decent little comedy of the era.
3/5
The Luny Musician (1906)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A musician is trolled by various instruments.
A simple slap stick comedy. What this film lacks compared to similar films from Melies is a clue as to what is causing the supernatural pranks. Fine for what it is.
3/5
The 4:30 Movie (2024)
Directed by Kevin Smith this film stars Austin Zajur, Nicholas Cirillo, Reed Northrup and Siena Agudong. During the summer of 1986 a teenager asks his crush to go see a movie with him.
Three things I enjoy are Kevin Smith films, nostalgia films and coming of age films so this one falling flat was a real disappointment. There is just not enough plot to fill out the run time and what there is feels a bit lazily written, I think the script needed a few more drafts. A real shame as I had high hopes for this one.
2/5
The Convert (2023)
Directed by Lee Tamahori this film stars Guy Pearce, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne and Te Kohe Tuhaka. A lay minster arrives in New Zealand and gets involved in the clash between Maori tribes.
Disappointingly the plot of this film is a bit too familiar despite having a fresh setting in 1830s New Zealand. Well made for what it is there is not too much to complain about here. Always good to see Guy Pearce getting more work as a leading man.
3/5
The Mischance of a Photographer (1908)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A family goes to have a group picture taken, a boy pulls a prank.
It takes a little long on the set up of this short to actually get to the business end of things. The prank itself is fine I guess, not sure it would actually work in reality. Not the best of early Melies.
2/5
The Bewitched Trunk (1904)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man uses a trunk to do magic tricks.
Pretty familiar stuff for Melies. Camera tricks used here are obvious to the modern eye which does not help. Decent staging and costumes.
3/5
The Fall Guy (2024)
Directed by David Leitch this film stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Hannah Waddingham. A stunt man tries to win his ex-girlfriend back and find a missing film star.
I am pretty surprised this film got made, it is something of a throw back in terms of being a big action film without being part of an existing franchise. The plot is fun if very predictable. While I did enjoy the film it is entirely without real depth.
3/5
Problemista (2023)
Written & directed by star Julio Torres this film also features Tilda Swinton and RZA. A young immigrant needs to find a new sponsor after losing his job at a cryogentic company for artists.
There is a lot of fun to be had in this off beat comedy. The film manages to cover a surprising amount of areas in such a short run time. Great performance from Swinton as always.
4/5
