Crying Fist - 2005 * * *

Winning is the only option.

I was very surprised with this movie. It was captivating, humourous in parts in the way that only the Korean can do and actually a very poignant experience. The story centres around two characters who are having a bad life, one is a forty-something man who is jobless and treats his wife and child like dirt, the other is a twenty-something year old who because of crime landed himself in jail. Both begin to share a common interest in boxing and see it as the be all and end all that will either change their lives or ruin them. Interaction between the characters is very complex. A worthwhile movie although it does begin to drag towards the end.

The Mysterious Lady - 1928 * * * *

No one knew who she was yet no one could resist her beauty.

Garbo is just a perfect example of classic beauty. She is also an example of perfection on the screen. Every move, every glance and every close up is exquisite and she performs them in a timeless fashion. Garbo plays Tania, a Russian spy who falls in love with a soldier but is told by her lover to extract information from him by making him fall in love with her. The whole story is agonisingly powerful and I really do not believe that anyone other than Garbo could have put so much heart and soul into the performance. The expression and pain on her face is evident to see and she totally embodies the part. For anyone who wants to see Garbo silent this is the perfect place to start, although I saw 'Grand Hotel' first and therefore heard her voice before I could discover her talent!

The VIP's - 1963 * * * * *

In the world of the Very Important People.

I have just finished watching this movie and oh my gosh I adored it. Elizabeth Taylor was stunning as usual and Richard Burton (in the first of his films that I've seen) was one of the most captivating presences I've ever seen. This story reminded me a lot of the classic 'Grand Hotel' in which many characters are mingled in one space and their relationships all drastically change over the course of the film. Both are of equal high status and I can watch each one many times. Like 'Grand Hotel' this film has a star-studded cast and each actor has an unforgettable part. A particular highlight for me was Orson Welles who can drag you into his scene and keep you there until he has departed.

The individual stories of the main characters were brilliantly constructed and I was crying loudly by the end. There was not one character whose story didn't affect me.

A must must see movie.

Blue Velvet - 1986 *

It's a strange world.

I will never ever understand the excitement and notoriety of this film. I went into it with high expectations after reading lots of positive and was expecting to be amazed. I was amazed but it was not in a good way. I can see absolutely nothing of credibility here. The acting was mediocre except for Dennis Hopper's gripping and uncomfortable portrayel as a sadistic drug dealer who performs perverted and obscene sexual acts on his illicit sex slave Isabella Rossellini. The premise is pretty poor and in no way worthy of being in the top 100 movies centering around a young man's discovery of a human ear. I am aware that David Lynch was trying to concentrate more on the surreal and eerie elements of the movie rather that a first class script because it really is an embarassment to watch and see how most of the characters woodenly interact with each other. I could have experienced more with either a brilliant script or an amazing plot but seeing as neither occured in this film I was happy to see the end of it and will not be bothering again; some movies are too far above my head.

Sideways - 2004 * * *

Sometimes you have to leave to find your way back.

There was a lot of talk about this movie and I couldn't wait to see it. However when I actually purchased the disc I waited a ridiculous amount of time before I watched the DVD, 7 months in fact which seems to be one of my faults when it comes to films. I'd thought that the longer I left it, the better it would be and the more I would appreciate it and the feelings I had gathered about what I may expect beforehand. Sadly, my excitement in movies appears to be very limited nowadays and I finished watching the film feeling quite let down and disappointed. The story itself doesn't have much to it, 2 friends go on a trip to the Californian vineyards as an extended bachelor party, one to forget about his divorce and the other to get laid before his wedding. I actually really empathised with Miles' character and his love of wine. He seemed like a genuinely decent bloke who was in no way sleazy or arrogant, and I began to build up a rapport with him. However I disliked Paul immensely and found him a pathetic excuse for a male. The last thing most decent men do is try and have sex with other women the week before they are going to get married, and so I found that I hated what he stood for, (having zero respect for his fiance and being sexually promiscious) and am sure that few male viewers would see him as a good and pleasing character.

In films like this you can usually tell by about half way through whether you are going to be able to engage with the characters and for me it only took about ten minutes. I loved the first half of the film and was rooting for Miles to have a great trip while enjoying his passion for wine, but the second half went drastically downhill and we were subjected to Paul and his sexual exploitations which I felt we could have done without. I may have enjoyed the film more if the character of Paul hadn't existed and I could have concentrated more on Miles, but as that was not the case the film cannot grasp more than an average rating. Although the Californian countryside and scenery was really beautiful.

A disappointing movie.

Priceless - 2006 * * *

She's stealing his heart and he's paying for it.

As keen as I was to rush into lots of Audrey Tautou after seeing 'Amelie' I thought it wise to leave it a while so that I wouldn't be constantly comparing whatever she was in to the previous movie.

I decided to start with a film that would guarantee me a good time and a laugh which is why I chose 'Priceless'.

Irene has always dated men with money, and been treated like a princess. She has also made it clear that all she is after is the money and not the love, but all that changes after a fluke meeting with Jean, a timid and impressionable bar-tender whom she meets one night in her hotel and mistakes for a millionaire(when in fact he is badly broke). Being so meek and good-natured (and also having fallen in love with her) Jean pulls out all the stops to try and impress her and win her heart instead of just her bank balance.

The sumptuous scenery and gorgeous costumes that Audrey Tautou gets to wear make the whole film a joy to watch, like a decadent and moreish treat. The comedy moves at a gentle pace and the 2 main characters seem to have real chemistry. However the reason I cannot mark it higher is because towards 2/3 of the way in the plot started to go downhill in a way which I disliked. We have spent a long time establishing a bod between Irene and Jean and then all of a sudden everything is moving speedily forward at a rate which actually alarms me. I certainly loved the first half of the movie but was put off by the second, where I felt that the characters had no direction.

Rest Stop - 2006 * * * *

There's nowhere to run.

This film has got some pretty harsh reviews on reputable dvd sites and I couldn't resist watching it to see if what they said was true. In my opinion this was a poorly underated movie and I was gripped and shocked throughout. I loved 'Wolf Creek' but hated 'Gone' and so it was really a toss up as to whether I would like the feel of this movie. I knew that the film would be dealing with a solo female victim like the other 2 movies and it was really down to how she acted and reacted that would seal the deal for me. I thought the actress playing Nicole was amazing. I thought the plot, although a bit 'familiar' to other outback/stranded type films was thrilling and the ending really really upset me. I did sort of know what was going to happen because it has occured in the films I mentioned before, but I was still shocked, and the very ending, I mean literally the last minute or so actually was left open so you didn't have a clue what would happen. Definately worth a watch, or even 2.

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein -1948 * * *

'Everybody knows Dracula isn't real,' 'Yes, but does Dracula himself know this?'

This was my first A+C film and I was surprised that I'd missed some very funny films. The comedy is a little like marmite, you either love the fact it's very obvious and almost Laurel and Hardy like (although not nearly as good) or you hate it. I liked it. It doesn't exactly make you collapse in hysterics but it does raise a smile. And the pair are very funny together, bouncing off each other with rapid speed. The highlight for me was seeing Bela Lugosi in a comedy! Although he wasn't purposefully acting in a funny way he did actually make me laugh! Right from the first time you see him he has this amazing presence. He brought a touch of elegence to the movie that I think would have otherwise lacked it. I would definately watch another of the pair's movies but I'm not sure if I'd be viewing this again; there are funnier films out there to see.

Hack! - 2007 * * * *

Reality is murder.

Ok I was confused about this movie. There were parts that I really liked and parts I hated. However I'm giving it a higher rating because overall I did find it enjoyable. I liked the fact that the film was seen to be poking fun at other horror movies. The whole basis of the movie is that a group of students, (you know the drill, one slut, one nerd, one sexist moron etc) all take a trip to an island to raise the grades on their term papers. They are looked after by a seemingly lovely couple who are obsessed with movies. In reality there is something sinister about them. I liked the fact that we are laughing at the characters in the story who are in term laughing at the couple (or is it the other way around??). If you are a horror buff then you will notice all the obvious and subtle jokes based on other films. The ending really confused me though, and to be honest with about twenty minutes to spare I suddenly felt like I'd fallen asleep without realising and missed a whole area of the plot. P.S does anyone else think the character of Willy is a blatent rip-off from Grounds keeper Willy in 'The Simpsons'??

The Odd Couple 2 - 1998 * * *

They haven't changed.

There was a lot to laugh about in this movie, and Jack Lemmon, although suitably aged is still able to crack some jokes. Walter Matthau is still as dry as ever and funny, but the pair seem to be past their most comedic times. This time around the pair are thrown together at the announcement of Matthau's son and Lemmon's daughter and make the long road trip to be at the wedding. However not before they come across some hilarious obstacles. Although a lot of the humour was forced there were still some bits that made me chuckle but it was really nothing compared to the original that had me in hysterics. In fact if I'm honest I think this version should never have been made because it almost seems to spoil what was a perfect original comedy.

Horror Hotel - 1960 aka The City of the Dead * * * *

' The basis of fairy tale is in reality. The basis of reality is in fairy tales'

I have always been interested in films about witches and hangings (slightly macabre I know!), and so I was amazed to find this barely talked about movie that had me gripped from start to finish. Having Christopher Lee in one of the roles always guarantees a good movie, and he didn't disappoint here although it was a shame that he wasn't featured more in the film especially since he is the only name to appear on the front of the disc.

A young student Nan decides, on the advice of her college professor (Lee) to go to a small and eerie town named Whitewood in her Winter break to research her term paper on Witchcraft. However when she gets there she encounters a variety of abnormal and terrifying things, and some even weirder people who inhabit the place...

The basis of this film is brilliant, very haunting and spooky,and the performances are actually very good. This was the first Amicus movie (Hammer Horror's rival)and by gum it was a memorable film. There is something about this film that will certainly get under your skin, and has mine, for I saw it a few days ago and stilll cannot stop thinking about it!

The Corpse Vanishes - 1942 * * *

Kidnapped Brides are his victims!

This film for me showed signs of being compared to Dracula. Lugosi is the evil doctor who drugs soon-to-be brides with a poisoned orchid and extracts their essence to keep his rapidly ageing wife alive. Lugosi's assistant, a hunchbacked and moronic creature also showed similarities with Count Dracula's Reinfield. The story in itself was pretty cheesy but still managed to kick a decent punch in the scare records. Lugosi is the most amazing presence on screen and you really feel like you can't keep your eyes off him, regardless of what he is doing; he truly is one of the early horror greats of the screen.