Panic Room ( 2002 ) and National Lampoon's European Vacation ( 1985 )

What happens when a moron takes a road trip around Europe.

Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Dana Hill and Jason Lively.


Written by John Hughes and Robert Klane,




Directed by Amy Heckerling.






I chose this oldie to watch on New Year's Eve with my family.




It's a fun movie and kept us entertained while we waited for Big Ben to chime in the new year. We all had a good chuckle and I think we all enjoyed it. I don't know what was funnier, the script or the eighties clothes!




A fun way to see in the New Year,




7/10

A house is under attack and there is only one place to hide. A special place.

Starring Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart and Forest Whitaker.



Written by David Koepp.

Directed by David Fincher.

This starts off really slow!



In fact I'd say the first two thirds of the film are slow and pretty silly. The guys that break into the house are more slapstick than they are sinister. Their various attempts at getting at the two main characters is lame at best and doesn't make for exciting viewing.

However the final third of the film builds up to a decent climax and has enough thrills and spills to satisfy. It's a pity the rest of the film wasn't as entertaining. The acting is decent throughout, especially Jodie Foster, Kirsten Stewart and Forest Whitaker.

It's a shame it took so long to get going. 

7/10

Taxi Driver ( 1976 )

A Vietnam veteran takes a job as a taxi driver and slowly becomes disillusioned                with what he sees on the streets of New York.

Starring Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd and Jodie Foster,


Written by Paul Schrader.

Directed by Martin Scorsese.

This gripped me right from the first scene.

A decent script combined with great acting and a wonderful score make this a must watch. The cinematography is excellent and although the plot isn't anything particularly clever or complicated, this movie just sucks you in.

It's dark and disturbing in all the right places and Robert De Niro is at his absolute best.

A real classic. I want to watch this all over again to see what I missed the first time around.

9/10

Oz The Great and Powerful (2013)

                       The Wizard's Journey to Oz.

Starring James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz.

Written by Mitchell Kapner, David Lindsay-Abaire, based on the original stories by L.Frank Baum.

Directed by Sam Raimi.

If you want to watch a fun, family film at Christmas you can't really do better than this.

It has all the ingredients to keep you glued to the screen. It's funny, imaginative, well acted and will make you feel warm and fuzzy in all the right places, It tells the story of what happened immediately before Dorothy and Toto arrived on Oz and it is faithful to the original movie.

I also liked how they included the the land of china from the original book by L. Frank Baum. That was a nice touch. This is fun with a capital F. Perfect for Christmas.

9/10

Static ( 2012 )

                 A couple hear a knock at the door in the dead of the night.








Starring Milo Ventimiglia and Sarah Shahi.



Written by Gabriel Cowan, Todd Levin, Andrew Orci and John Suits.




Directed by Todd Levin.







I really liked this one. It's creepy and scary and the plot kept me gripped all the way through.





The acting is good and try as I could I didn't see the twist at the end coming, even though there's a big hint in the opening scenes! It's all been done before of course. A young couple in a creepy house in the middle of nowhere and lots of running and hiding seem to be the staple for a lot of psychological horror movies. I wanted to grab hold of the main male character several times to tell him to stop being so stupid every time he ventured off on his own, because you know something bad is only going to happen. But what would a horror film be without stupid characters!


This is the perfect short movie to curl up on the couch to. Just make sure you turn out the lights and close the curtains to make it even more scary.







An enjoyable 7.5/10.

The Third Man ( 1949 )

A writer travels to post war Vienna to meet an old friend but finds out he's too late.





Starring Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles and Alida Valli.



Written by Graham Greene.



Directed by Carol Reed.







It's about time I watched another old movie so I couldn't resist this when I saw it on the TV listings.




I like it. It's a good twisty story that kept my interest all the way. The acting is good and the whole thing is pretty artistic and stylish. It's pretty dated but once I got into it it didn't really matter. It's was probably well ahead of it's time considering it came out in 1949 and I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't contain any melodramatic romantic mush. It was all about the story. The mystery.





I'm sure I would have loved this if I had been around at the time and watching it for the first time I was transported back in time and I felt like I was there. Oh and I love the background music, pretty quirky stuff.



Enjoyed.






7.5/10

Shutter Island (2010)

         Two cops visit a hospital for the criminally insane to investigate a disappearance.








Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo.


Written by Laeta Kalogridis ( Screenplay). Dennis Lehane (Novel).




Directed by Martin Scorsese.








This is one of the strangest movies I've ever seen.




At first I didn't like it at all. I couldn't stand the annoyingly loud background score and the artyfarty dream sequences. And right from the beginning I couldn't take to Mark Ruffalo's character, there was just something weird about him and his accent that I couldn't put my finger on.



But as the movie goes on it builds up to an amazing and shocking climax. I didn't see it coming although I had a feeling something wasn't quite right! Looking back, this one is one hell of a cleverly constructed script and I'm guessing we have the original novel to thank for that. What started out as an annoying movie actually turned out to be really good and I want to watch it all over again to (without spoiling anything) see what references I missed.





I still think it was a bit too artyfarty at times and that background music was too loud and annoying and there was something about the cinematography that I didn't quite like, but overall I think it actually worked.





9/10

Midnight Run ( 1988 )

And ex cop and an accountant are on the run from the FBI and the Mafia.






Starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin.


Written by George Gallo.



Directed by Martin Brest.







If you want a fun and entertaining movie you can't really beat this one.




I liked everything about it. From it's hilarious one liners to the chemistry between the two main characters. There's nothing pretentious about Midnight Run. It doesn't claim to be anything more that an entertaining run around. And at the end of the day that's what a movie should be.



Watch this and then watch it again!







9/10

Cloverfield (2008)

A group of friends in New York set out on a rescue mission but the city is under attack.





Starring Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel

and Odette Annable.


Written by Drew Goddard.


Directed by Matt Reeves.






This is a movie that I've heard about but never got round to watching.



I wouldn't say it was a truly scary movie, I didn't find it too scary, I didn't even get creeped out even though I watched it alone with the lights out.


But it is really good. It gripped me from the beginning and it's real edge of your seat stuff. It's more exciting and entertaining than it is scary and it's a great twist on the old monster movies. It's like King Kong or Godzilla but an up to date and darker version. You just get to know the main characters enough to keep the whole thing going without getting bogged down with back story. You don't always know what is going on or which character is which but I guess that was intended because of the chaos that develops in the plot.



The whole thing is allegorical of 9/11 just like Godzilla was apparently allegorical of the Hiroshima attacks and even some of the outside shots were based on TV footage from the tragedy. For me this movie worked although it's probably not everybody's cup of tea. The monster was well designed and the cinematography was terrific.




A fun movie.



9/10

West (2013)

A woman escapes East Germany with her child.






Starring Jordis Triebel, Tristan Gobel and Alexander Scheer.


Written by Heide Schwochow (screenplay) and Julia Franck (Novel).



Directed by Christian Schwochow.






I seem to be on a bit of a run of late for watching foreign subtitled films.





This German movie is left of centre, quirky and quite well acted. It's also a good insight into how things were on either side of the Berlin wall post war. It just about kept my interest although it lacks a little excitement. There's not a lot of suspense and it didn't exactly have me on the edge of my seat.



It's interesting but easily forgettable. Not exactly a yawn fest but lacked any real entertainment value.





7/10

Beyond The Hills (2012)

   A girl visits a convent to try and bring her friend home.



  
Starring Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur.


Written by Cristian Mungiu. Inspired by the Non Fiction Novels of Tatiana Niculescu Bran.



Directed by Cristian Mungiu.






This is a dark and disturbing movie that would have been far better if it wasn't so slow paced.



It moves at a snails pace but maybe that's what Cristian Mungiu intended, after all I'm guessing that's how things flow in a convent. The story isn't bad and as far as I could tell ( this was a Romanian movie with English subtitles) the acting was okay without being incredible.

I liked the outside location cinematography but the indoor stuff looked a bit wobbly. This is an arty film and usually I like anything like this but for me this was too slow and bordering on boring. For me it lacked something but I'm not sure what. Maybe the relationship between the two main characters could have been explored more to make this more watchable? We only get a few suggestions of a love affair in the past between them both and so perhaps that's what this movie needed.




It does make you think. It's pretty much an anti religious movie and that's the message that came across clearly at the end.





7/10

The Hangover ( 2009 )

Two days before his wedding a guy goes to Las Vegas for one last blow up.



Starring Zack Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha and Ed Helms.


Written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore.



Directed by Todd Phillips.







There's nothing not to love about this. It is hilarious and the perfect thing to watch whilst curled upon on the couch. Get yourself some popcorn and a drink of your choice and enjoy!



It is silly and well acted and it is so good and easy to watch it's almost over as soon as you've pressed play.




If you want to have a giggle without having to think too much, this is perfect. I want to watch it all over again!






10/10

Killer Elite (2011)

A killer for hire is sent on a mission to rescue his old mentor.





Starring Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Nero.


Screenplay by Matt Sherring. Based on the novel by Ranulph Fiennes.




Directed by Gary McKendry.







This is an average shoot them up action movie.




The action sequences and the cinematography are pretty good. I liked the whole eighties theme and it is convincing. The plot is nothing new. It's an average action movie plot with a few twists and turns towards the end but nothing that hasn't been done before.


The big let down was the acting. The two main leads were unconvincing and pretty wooden but I guess that's quite normal in a lot of action movies of this type. Robert De Niro was completely wasted. For an actor of his talents to appear in this with nothing but a bit part is quite sad. Was he just after a pay day?





An average action flick but instantly forgettable.





7/10

Breaking The Waves (1996)

        A paralyzed man asks his wife to do him one favour. 
                              To find a new lover.





Starring Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgard and Katrin Cartlidge.


Written by Lars Von Trier, Peter Asmussen and David Pirie.



Directed by Lars Von Trier.







A totally absorbing movie.




I liked everything about it from the unbelievably good acting performance by Emily Watson to the location filming, cinematography and well crafted plot. There's something old school about this one, an old fashioned movie without all the bells and whistles that spoil some films. The haunting remote location filming adds to the emotional, dark and at times, humorous story.

It's a long one and maybe a bit too long and there are a couple of plot holes that don't really ruin this great movie. For example the hospital in the story seems to have only one Doctor who is responsible for life saving surgery and also mental health reviews and probably everything else and the sister of the main female lead seems at times to be the only nurse in the hospital.





But overall this is a big fat ten out of ten for me. A wonderfully emotional roller coaster of a movie that covers everything from love to heartbreak to religious bigotry.


On a sad note I was trying to work out where I'd seen the young woman ( Katrin Cartlidge) who plays the sister in the movie and now I can only guess I remember her from Brookside, which I watched on and off during the eighties. I was shocked and saddened to learn that this talented and beautiful actress died a few years after filming this. Such a shame. I'm sure she would have gone on to achieve a lot more in acting and directing.






10/10

Welcome To The Punch ( 2013 )

A criminal is on the run in London and one man wants revenge.





              Starring James McAvoy and Mark Strong.


              Written and directed by Eran Creevy.






It's hardly a knock-out movie.




You can't really fault the action sequences, they do exactly what they say on the tin and James McAvoy steals the show as a police detective in London with a chip on his shoulder the size of a Harley Davidson.



But where this movie lost me was in the plot.




I was confused 6 minutes in and I was confused an hour later and even when the so called plot was revealed in all it's glory, I was none the wiser. What is the point of any film when you don't have a bloody clue what is going on? The background music didn't help either. It was so loud I think the old woman who lives at the end of my row could have heard it. And she's deaf. Every movie needs light and shade and that's what this lacked. It was all action and not much character development or explanation.






I'm giving it a 6 out of 10 just because James McAvoy was in it.

Dogtooth ( 2009 )

            Three teenagers live in total isolation 
                                   from the rest of the world.






Starring Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Angelika Papoulia, Hristos Passalis and Mary Tsoni.



Written by Efthymis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos.



Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.






This movie has taken my breath away! It is creepy, disturbing and darkly funny in all the right places.



From start to finish it gripped me to my seat. It's left of centre, incredibly odd and perfect in every way.




I don't know how anybody could possibly watch this without feeling their skin crawling on the back of their necks because it is pretty disturbing stuff. It felt like I wasn't watching a bunch of actors, it was more like I had been picked up and transplanted into this bizarre household. The ending came suddenly and I wasn't expecting it to finish so abruptly but it was probably the perfect ending to an amazing movie.




Dark. Odd and disturbing.





10/10

Badlands (1973)

A young girl and a guy from the wrong side of the tracks meet 
             with devastating consequences.





Starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek.

Written and directed by by Terrence Malik.






This is an okay movie. It's better than average but falls short of ever becoming anything better.



Martin Sheen is passable as a rogue from the wrong side of town but Sissy Spacek's performance is a little ropey. I got the impression she was cast because of her looks more than anything else. I'm sure she's a better actress than this performance merits. The plot kept my attention but didn't excite me in any way.



The cinematography is good and I liked the location filming and the offbeat musical score. Badlands was released in 1973 but it does stand the test of time pretty well.





Okay



7/10

The Fan ( 1996 )

Sometimes baseball can be more important than life itself.






Starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes.


Written by Peter Abrahams ( Book ) and Phoef Sutton ( Screenplay).



Directed by Tony Scott.






Sometimes a very average movie can be carried by one great acting performance.





It's never been truer said than in this one. Everything else about The Fan is distinctly average. The plot has been done to death. Obsessed fan becomes a dangerous fan. Obsessed fan has newspaper clippings pinned to his walls. Obsessed fan resorts to murder.


Most of the acting performances are average as well, including Wesley Snipes in what I'm guessing is one of his early acting roles. Or maybe it's more of a case of actors being miscast?




I didn't buy the plot. For the first half of the film the main character is just a terrible husband that seems destined to screw up his relationship with his ex and his son. And then suddenly the movie jumps the shark and he turns into an obsessed fan with a pair of binoculars and a taste for murder.
The whole production is a bit of a damp squid but Robert De Niro delivers a good performance that manages to stop the film from hurtling over the edge of a cliff.







An average 6/10 but mainly because of Robert De Niro.

Changeling ( 2008 )

A mother is reunited with her missing child but she is convinced 
               he is an imposter.





Starring Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich. Written by J Michael Straczynski.


Directed by Clint Eastwood.





When I first read the premise of this I was drawn in. It sounded like it would be an interesting movie, especially as it was based on a true story.



Sadly though I found whole thing distinctly average.



The first thing that struck me was how lacklustre the acting performances were. Angelina Jolie was so robotic it felt like she was doing a terrible impression of Joan Collins all the way through the movie. And as for John Malkovich, I just wanted to poke him with a large stick to make sure he was still breathing.


The whole production was dull and pretty lifeless. I wasn't surprised at all to get the to end credits to realize that it was directed and part produced by Clint Eastwood. He was a fantastic actor but maybe that doesn't always mean you will become a brilliant director? I'll have to watch more of his movies to find out.



Only a few positive things I can say about Changeling.




I really liked the exterior shots of LA in the twenties. I loved seeing all the old cars and trams floating about. So a big credit to whoever designed that. Also the only acting performance with any real life in it was Jason Butler Harner who sadly only appeared towards the end. His performance as Gordon Northcott was the film's saving grace. A bright light in a very dark and gloomy tunnel!






6/10

The Last Station ( 2009 )

   A biography of Leo Tolstoy as he struggles to balance 
                    his fame with his beliefs.





Starring Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Christopher Plummer and Kerry Condon.


Written by Michael Hoffman (Screenplay) and Jay Parini (Novel).



Directed by Michael Hoffman.







This is one of those that I didn't really fancy because on paper it doesn't sound too thrilling.



But it's actually compelling stuff. The story of Tolstoy's final years is fascinating, beautifully told and perfectly cast. Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer and James McAvoy deliver stellar performances.

I have never read anything by Leo Tolstoy so I wasn't sure whether this movie would resonate with me in any way, but it's actually one of the best I've seen in recent weeks. I love the way Michael Hoffman weaves a love story into the mix and it works perfectly.





Enjoyed. Not sure if I'm ready for war and peace yet! How long is it?




10/10

Looper (2012)

In a future society, time-travel exists, but it's only available to those with the means to pay for it on the black market. When the mob wants to eliminate someone, it sends the target into the past, where a hit man known as a looper lies in wait to finish the job.

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Brunt.

Written and Directed by Rian Johnson.

This is a great movie that is ruined by trying to be too many things.



I love the premise. A bunch of gangsters in the future get their hands on time travel technology and send their victims 30 years into the past to be killed by people called loopers. It's timeywhimey, it's a head fuck. It's original and keeps you guessing and the plot is unraveled as you watch.

But then it all goes wrong.

Bruce Willis is introduced and soon the movie turns into Die Hard and then later on unbelievably it turns into Stephen King's Carrie! There was no need for this, The plot was doing fine as it was. I can only guess that Rian Johnson was worried that the plot wasn't good enough to stand on its own two feet and panicked.

Don't get me wrong there are some decent acting performances by all three of the mains, especially Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It's just a pity that the plot tried to do too many things. It all became too unrealistic and this movie literally lost the plot.

7/10

Disgrace (2008)

A Cape Town professor has an affair with a student.

Starring John Malkovich and Jessica Haines.

Written by J.M Koetzee (Novel) and Screenplay by Anna Maria Monticelli.

Directed by Steve Jacobs.

This is dark and quirky and left of centre, pretty much how I like my movies.

It's basically about desire and how it can often lead to devastating results. John Malkovich and Jessica Haines are excellent and the whole thing kept my interest all the way. I really liked the location filming and it made a nice change to watch something set in South Africa. This movie makes you think and that's a good thing.

A safe and enjoyable 7.5 out of 10.

Serpico ( 1973 )

A New York cop discovers that the force is totally corrupt.

Starring Al Pacino. Written by Peter Maas ( Book ), Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler ( Screenplay).

Directed by Sydney Lumet.

Reading some of the online reviews I realize I am probably in the minority but this wasn't my cup of tea.

If it wasn't for the wonderful portrayal of the main character by Al Pacino I probably would have switched off the TV. He was terrific and carried the movie in my opinion. The plot was average and was full of padding and I was losing interest towards the end. Some of the acting was questionably wooden and the less that can be said about Serpico's live-in girlfriend the better!



I think part of the problem is that it is considerably dated and is full of what are now considered Movie cliches so I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had watched it years ago.

This is my first Al Pacino film and I thought he was incredible and the location filming was nostalgic.

But on the whole I'll give it a 

6/10

Angela's Ashes ( 1999 )

A distraught young family make the long journey from America back to Ireland to discover it is much worse than when they left.

Starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle.

Written by Frank McCourt ( Book ), Laura Jones (Screenplay) and Alan Parker (Screenplay).

Directed by Alan Parker.





This is an incredibly touching and well acted movie. I was especially impressed with the young actors. They always say never to work with animals or children but I don't think I've ever watched a film with better acting performances from children.


As well as the terrific acting, the storyline is emotionally compelling and at times pretty hilarious. The location filming is superb and it is overall a brilliantly produced movie. It is nostalgic, heart warming and terrifying in equal measure.



I haven't read the original book yet but I have a feeling it's probably even better. I'll have to read it at some point.



Great film.



10/10

The Double Life of Veronique (1991)

             Imagine if each of us is matched somewhere in the world, 

             by our exact double - 

                   someone to share our thoughts and dreams.

               



                 Starring         Irene Jacob

                 Directed by   Krzysztof Kieslowski

                 Written by    Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz

              

I loved this one. It is quirky, different and beautifully shot. 

There are no car chases or murderers on the run, just a wonderfully crafted and mesmerizing movie. It's a work of art as much as it is a movie and it had me glued to the screen. This was right up my alley, it's just the kind of oddball, quirky thing that I enjoy.

Brilliantly acted by Irene Jacob and she is incredibly beautiful as well. I can't praise this enough. I must watch more foreign movies, especially directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski.

Mesmerizing 

10/10

The Plague ( 2006 )

Every child under the age of nine has fallen asleep and won't wake up. Until now.

Starring James Van Der Beek and Ivana Milicevik.

Written by Hal Masonberg and Teal Minton.  A production by Clive Barker's Midnight Picture Show.

Directed by Hal Masonberg.





This started off so well and grabbed my interest from the first second but after about half an hour it just turned into another zombie flick.



How many times can you watch a zombie invasion movie? The acting is average. The plot has been done (ironically) to death and the production is okay. But what could have been something amazing and original became boring. Plenty of blood, gore and scares but sadly a lack of anything original or entertaining. The ending was unusual and unconvincing.




6/10

Where Sleeping Dogs Lie ( 1991 )

        A struggling writer moves into an abandoned mansion and discovers

                        it's gruesome history.

       



        Starring Dylan McDermott and Tom Sizemore and Sharon Stone.

        Written by Yolande Turner and Charles Finch. Directed by Charles Finch.








This is like a soft porn film where somebody has taken all the soft porn out and left us with a pile of dodgy acting, terrible backing music and poor production.


The ending is obvious after about 20 minutes and the only good thing about this movie is one scene where Sharon Stone gets out of a swimming pool! This is atmospheric and creepy but sadly lacking in any excitement or production values. And the least that can be said about the cardboard extras at the end, the better.






4/10

The Fourth Kind ( 2009 )

Starring Milla Jovovich, directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Olatunde Osunsanmi and Terry Robbins.





This is a controversial film that claims to be based on true events and whether it is or not, it's a fantastic movie, Do me a favour. Watch this in the dark and close the curtains and enjoy it for what it is.

It's creepy and gripping and haunting and terrifically acted by everyone, especially the lovely Milla Jovovich. I don't know if the events in the film actually happened or whether it's a big fat lie and part of me wants it to be a lie because otherwise some really messed up stuffed happened back in 2000!




But true or untrue, it's well worth a watch. So go on get this and turn off that light. You won't be disappointed.





10/10

The Rundown (Welcome To The Jungle ) 2003

A bounty hunter is given one last job before retirement, to find a mobster's son and bring him home. From the jungle!

Starring Seann William Scott, Dwayne Johnson ( The Rock ) and Christopher Walken.

Written by R.J Stewart and James Vanderbilt. Directed by Peter Berg.







This is funny and entertaining and it's got everything you would expect from an action movie. Including thrills, laughs, action sequences and one liners.


It's not often that something makes me laugh so much but this did. The plot is nothing we haven't seen before and The Rock's acting is more than a little bit wooden but overall I really enjoyed it. Seann William Scott was hilarious and the stand out performer. It's worth watching just for him.





8/10

Winter's Bone

Released in 2010. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, screenplay written by Debra Granik and Anne Rosselini and based on a novel by Daniel Woodrell.





This is dark and gritty and left of centre and is the kind of thing I love watching late at night, curled up on the couch. It's not comfortable watching but it isn't meant to be. It is set in a rough neighbourhood and is probably the worst place to be a postman or a door to door window salesman.

This sucked me in and had me gripped until the end. Great acting throughout and a terrific story.






4/5

Premonition (2007)

A woman's husband dies in a car crash and she wakes up the next morning to find that he is still alive. Caught in a time slip, can she stop it and save her husband before it's too late?

In many ways this movie is right up my street. It is twisty and creepy and had me hooked from the first second and it has just enough Sci-Fi to satisfy my inner geek.




It's a psychological thriller starring Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon and directed by Mennan Yappo. I enjoyed it so much it could have been made for me. I was on the edge of my seat all the way through and the only thing that spoiled it was the ending. It was a disappointment and this great movie deserved a better one. A great story that didn't seem like it had a big budget with some decent acting, a pity about the damp squid of an ending.





4/5