Constantine
Monday 27 March 2006 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
See the full review over at Filmstalker.
The Jolly Boys Last Stand
Monday 27 February 2006 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
When I saw the cast list on this DVD I was extremely torn. On one side there were the talents and draw of Andy Serkis, while on the other there was the name of Sacha Baron Cohen, the man behind Ali G, you would struggle hard to find two more opposite talents.
Serkis, and the rest of the impressive British talent list, persuaded me to give it a fair viewing, so I stuck it in and pressed play, fired up the amp and settled down to a surprisingly good and realistic film.
Continue reading "The Jolly Boys Last Stand"...
Manchurian Candidate
Thursday 9 February 2006 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
See the full review over at Filmstalker.
Sky Blue \ Wonderful Days
Sunday 5 February 2006 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
Sky Blue, or Wonderful Days, was a totally, and please forgive the pun, out of the blue choice for me and I chose it for no other reason than it popped up in my recommendations list for my DVD rental service. Something that shows how good the recommendation service is on the LOVEFiLM DVD rental service which I can't recommend enough.
It's a Korean animated movie that boasts stunning visuals and a huge plot, so tasting it cold was a bit of a gamble that seems to have paid off.
Continue reading "Sky Blue \ Wonderful Days"...
National Treasure
Thursday 8 December 2005 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
I never really thought much of this movie from the moment I saw the opening ten minutes that the Studio posted on the Internet, the conclusions of the main character to work through the puzzles were completely wild and speculative, grasping at straws the audience had even conceived, and it just made the writing seem extremely dumb.
When I saw the whole movie I wasn't far wrong, the person I watched it with actually fell asleep during the movie. So why the score you might ask, well that's down to the DVD itself. It's a superbly interactive DVD that can keep you amused for sometime, encouraging you to work through all the additional materials to figure out the clues contained within.
As for the movie...well...
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The Forgotten
Saturday 24 September 2005 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
Hearing about this movie you really do get a sense of excitement in the story, it sounds like a great idea and although it's one that's been used before, this time the focus is very much on a human aspect. However its execution isn't that great and there are some big flaws with the movie that really do harm it.
It really is a shame because the actors are all lined up for a superb movie, and the script and filmmaking let it down. Yet there are some saving graces.
Continue reading "The Forgotten"...
Sigaw (Echo)
Tuesday 20 September 2005 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
I didn't know what to expect from this movie, having never visited Philippine Cinema before I had no real frame of reference. So a response to a post on the Movie Blog from the Director of Sigaw, Yam Laranas, was a welcome surprise.
I had heard that this movie carried similar themes to Asian Horror, and indeed that Philippine horror took references from the Far East, and that a number of people who had seen this movie recommended it quite strongly.
Continue reading "Sigaw (Echo)"...
a film about Jimi Hendrix: Delux Edition
Saturday 27 August 2005 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
First off, a huge apology to Christy for taking so long to do this review, and so many other people who are also waiting for my reviews to go online, life has been particularly busy since the Edinburgh Film Festival began, and so all my reviews have fallen by the wayside.
However, I'm on the way back, and this first one is a remastered DVD release of a 1973 documentary about Jimi Hendrix.
Continue reading "a film about Jimi Hendrix: Delux Edition"...
The Phantom of the Opera
Sunday 7 August 2005 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (1)
This review is going to be a little bit different, I was applying for a new job (I use italics since the job doesn't actually pay!) of writing DVD reviews for a DVD magazine both online and offline. I had to review a few DVD's that I'd seen in a format similar to theirs, so I wrote up two that I have already written on my site, and then a new one, which is this very movie.
Check out the format, I actually like it, although the colours would have to change to match the site. I really like the DVD details though as I find that I can review (as with this movie) a DVD that isn't actually available, or at least a version different to the general release version.
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Exorcist - The Beginning (Renny Harlin version)
Wednesday 8 June 2005 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
Having read all the backstory to this movie I was really quite curious to see how the second attempt, but first release, had done, especially before the firs movie was released...second!
So just to fill you in, if you didn't already know. Paul Schrader of Taxi Driver fame completed the movie and screened it to the Studio idiots Executives. They didn't like it, with a vengeance. So they sacked him and hired Renny Harlin to remake it with more gore than psychological terror.So that is how I came to the movie, knowing this history and that the Harlin version had been subsequently panned by the critics.
Continue reading "Exorcist - The Beginning (Renny Harlin version)"...
The Italian Job
Friday 15 April 2005 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
I was biased to this movie from the announcement of production. I mean a film that is touted not as a remake, but as being influenced by the original and truly wonderful Italian Job, immediately struck me as another idiotic Hollywood idea. My feelings were twisted even more when I heard that the heist in the new movie was happening in LA, so what was with the title? You've pretty much guessed that at this point I thought very little of the movie, had I known Donald Sutherland was in it then some of my respect may have been won back, but I didn't.
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21 Grams
Wednesday 2 February 2005 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
I had heard a lot about this movie before it was released and was really excited to see it. The Director, the story, the stars, it all pointed towards being an excellent movie. Thing is, I never saw it in the cinema, and it's taken until now to see it on DVD.
In the meantime many of my friends have seen it and I've heard differing reports, but all ranging from really good to excellent. So when I finally got hold of it on DVD I was slightly disappointed.
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xXx
Sunday 16 January 2005 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
You get what you expect with this movie, an action fest filled with one liners and little in the way of character development, but you know what, it's okay, you are still allowed to enjoy it, and that's exactly what I did.
Yeah, it's a no brainer and there are a few laughs where you expect maybe there shouldn't be, but you're still laughing and that's enjoyment. Who knows, perhaps they were expected!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Friday 31 December 2004 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (1)
After finding that the second movie was much better then the first and then seeing the trailers for the third, I was really under the impression that the third would outshine the first two. The comments were that it was much darker and adult, and that was backed up by the trailer.
Oh sure it was better than the Philosophers Stone, but better than Chamber of Secrets? Surely, with the more adult storyline and the darker mood, surely it was better. The Director had even been changed, and that could make it go either way.
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Thursday 30 December 2004 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
I hate to say it, but this was actually quite good, and definitely far better than the first movie. The characterisation is much better, although they still carry through a few too many ideas and there is, once again, a problem at the end with tying up the loose ends far too quickly and neatly but still leaving too many unanswered questions.
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Star Wars Trilogy: IV - A New Hope
Monday 4 October 2004 | DVD - 3 Stars | Comments (0)
Instead of reviewing the trilogy as an entire entity, as it would no doubt receive all five stars, I'm going to look at each movie in turn. The main thing to remember here is that the review is based on the DVD version, that means much more than just the movie itself.
Extras aside, as they are on the bonus disc in the set, I was sorely disappointed with the movie when I watched it last night. The film was the same film as always, with the extra background bits added, and Greedo shooting first (that doesn't annoy me as it does others, but it does change the original character of Han somewhat), what was different is the first outing on DVD and an opportunity for greatness.