Saved by the dog flap

The Battle at Elderbush Gulch (1913)

Directed by D. W. Griffith this film stars Mae Marsh, Lillian Gish and Lionel Barrymore. Two orphaned sisters are sent to live with a relative, then Native Americans attack.

This film is typical of early Griffith action films in it's form and a standard example of suspect views towards Native Americans. Not much stands out about this film but it is a fairly decent watch if you can ignore how the Native Americans are treated. The action is decent but on par with Griffith's other films of the period.

3/5

In the beginning

Batman: Year One (2011)

Directed by Sam Liu & Lauren Montgomery this film has voices from Ben McKenzie, Bryan Cranston and Eliza Dushku. We see the arrival of Jim Gordon in Gotham as Bruce Wayne returns to the city for the first time as an adult.

Sticking pretty closely to the comic of the same name this is a fairly faithful adaptation. A little on the short side this is a decent but not amazing entry into the Batman canon. If I have any real quibble it is that some of the animation is a bit weak at points.

3/5

Farming Canada style

The Back-breaking Leaf (1959)

Directed by Terence Macartney-Filgate this film is narrated by Stanley Jackson. We see the life of the seasonal workers who farm tobacco in Ontario.

Fairly simple on the surface level this is a decent look at the back breaking work involved in harvesting a crop. The film shows the daily life of people well but I am not sure it connects it to anything larger. Certainly of some interest but not something that will stick in the memory.

3/5

George of the jungle on space roids

Rampage (2018)

Directed by Brad Peyton this film based on the arcade game of the same name stars Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman and Jeffery Dean Morgan. Animals get infected by a super growth and aggression virus leading to them going on a, well, rampage.

No one is going to accuse this film of being smart so best check your brain out before you start watching this one. As big dumb action movies go this one is not too bad and it does have a little heart to it. Some of the action sequences could have done with having a bit more scale to them but in general this is not a terrible genre piece.

3/5

Not your daddy's Beatrix Potter

Peter Rabbit (2018)

Directed by Will Gluck this film stars Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson and the voice of James Corden. A rabbit and his friends get into scrapes when a new owner moves into the house they steal vegetables from.

This is no the Beatrix Potter any of us are familiar with and to be honest I'm not sure the level of humour fits the age group of children a film like this would appeal to. There is a bit of a cruel tone to a lot of the jokes and to be honest this is an uncomfortable marriage of elements on nearly all levels. If you can take the film for what it is then it is not too bad but it is a bit of a head scratcher on how it ended up this way.

2/5

The woman they don't like to talk about

Mary Magdalene (2018)

Directed by Garth Davis this biblical drama stars Rooney Mara, Joaquin Pheonix and Chiwetel Ejiofor. In 33AD a woman decides to follow Jesus against her family's wishes.

Taking it's cue from gnosticism and feminism this is a rather slow moving religious film. While there is some fantastic scenery and settings used ultimately that is really the only impressive part of the film. I am not sure that the film really has much to wow or entertain the casual viewer with.

3/5

The sound of nature

Anima Mundi (1992)

Directed by Godfrey Reggio this film is scored by Philip Glass. We see various clips of the natural world set to music.

Combining some fantastic photography with music this film is certainly a visual feast. While the film may not be driving to an obvious, larger point it is still a fascinating watch. Maybe a little on the long side for some this is a really good watch for nature lovers.

4/5