A Kiss Before Dying - 1955 * * * *

He had looks, charm and killer instinct.

Boy of boy was I happy at the end of this movie. I'd bought this film and saved it for months and months before choosing today, a horrible dark and rainy day to watch it.
I've never seen Robert Wagner before in a film and really found that he shone in his role as the psychotic and sociopathic Bud who will do anything for money, even if it means killing.
His girlfriend Dorothy accidently becomes pregnant much to Bud's horror, and so, while she is imagining getting married to Bud, he is plotting something quite horrific.
I had originally thought this movie was going to be filmed in black&white but was equally happy when it turned out to be colour for it really gave you a glimpse into 1950's American life, especially at the university that Bud and Dorothy attend.
I personally loved the film and found the acting to be really good considering it's a movie that I've never heard of before. I love these surprise gems!

Dr Strangelove or How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb - 1964 * *

Shoot First, Ask Questions later.

I really don't see what the big deal is about this movie. It's barely funny, it doesn't really pass for satirical and the characters (with the exception to Peter Sellars playing 3 people) are nothing special. Stanley Kubrick seems to favour weird and surreal characters and storylines (see his later movie of 'Clockwork Orange') and sometimes I understand them and other times I don't. This was one of the times I didn't get it. I found it boring, utterly trying and painfully long to sit through - that is not what I call a 'masterpiece of satirical back comedy.'

Alone With Her - 2006 * * *

Anytime, Anywhere, He's watching.

I kept seeing this movie in my local DVD shop but never decided to buy it until recently. The synopsis of the story seemed pretty good so I gave it a shot. Some people may be put off by the fact that most of what we are seeing is from the crackly and sometimes distorted camcorder that is picking up every movement of the unsuspecting girl in her house.

This is a scary film, not for gore or bloodshed, but for the lengths someone will go to for their obsession with someone else.

Colin Hanks plays 'Doug', a shy loner who becomes obsessed with a young girl he sees walking her dog in the park. His interest however is not just friendly, for after secretly installing cameras in her house in every room he soon turns nasty towards the girl and her friend in such a terrifying way that it will seriously scare the viewer.

Both leads are played convincingly and overall the film comes together very well.

Troy - 2004 * * * *

Fight for Honour, Fight for Love.

Although this film was desperately long (weighing in at over 3 hours) it really is worth the time once you get into it, however stopping half way through the movie to change DVD's for part 2 is a tad off-putting.

Brad Pitt leads a stellar and brilliant cast as Achilles - powerful, arrogant and dedicated to killing. While Brad Pitt is a pretty good actor in some things I didn't really feel like he was suited for this role. He's far too chiselled and 'American Pretty-boy-esque' to make it as a rugged and ruthless warrior. Half the time he looks like he's trying to model for a spray tan company. Added to that, he seems to have no conscience whatsover and there is no way that viewer's can really relate to him. He doesn't care about anyone enough to consider not killing them and blasts his way through battle stabbing and decapitating left right and centre. His accent was also ridiculous, nothing like a character from this film would actually sound and it put me off his character even more.

Orlando Bloom is also miscast for his role as Paris. At times he looks like a women and is so weak and gentle that he can't possibly have a chance making it as a warrior. He doesn't seem like a very independent character and this isn't much for us to work with.

Eric Bana is the strongest of the 3 main characters playing Paris's brother Hector and the only one who you could actually imagine realistically in that part. He suits the look that the director was trying to go for. He is also the most courageous, the most loyal and the most like a gentleman, for all these reasons he was my favourite character.

Other highlights included Peter O'Toole as Hector and Paris's father who gave such a heart-rendering performance that it was a shame he wasn't one of the lead characters, he acted his socks off.

Maybe the logistics of the story weren't totally accurate but you have to put that aside knowing it was exactly what the director had envisioned. I thought the graphics, the majority of the performances and the general feel of the film was sumptuous and it is well worth a watch.

Frankie and Johnny - 1991 * * * * *

You never choose love, love chooses you.

Frankie and Johnny surprised me in more ways than I expected. I had imagined this film as one that didn't really showcase either of the main stars, and that had a barely interesting story that I doubted would hold my attention. In fact I found out that Al Pacino can actually do comedy, and pretty well in my opinion, and that Michelle Pfeiffer plays nearly every role I've seen her in with an amazing and capturing quality. You really can't seem to take your eyes off her on the screen. The story itself isn't amazing - a waitress and an ex con turned cook meet while working at a Greek coffee house and, though he is very interested in her, she keeps her distance from him at all costs but he doesn't know why.

I really enjoyed the film, even more so as it isn't one that is really talked about much as regards to good films, and so I feel in a way like I've found a hidden gem, which always makes for the best type of movie.

The Squid and the Whale - 2005 * * * * *

Joint custody blows.

I'm not surprised this film has won awards, including the Sundance, for I have not seen such a realistic and gritty portrayal of a family going through divorce for a long time. What I really liked about the movie was that it wasn't forced. It didin't feel like the children were trying to act in a particular way or approach the subject in a way that they had been told to. It all seemed very natural and pretty uncomfortable in parts as well just like it would in real life. In some places it felt like we were watching a real family from a hidden camera. Understandably the two children are devestated about their parents seperating and both react in different ways, the younger becoming sexually disturbed and the older deciding to take out all the agression he has kept inside onto his young and naive girlfriend. Laura Linney is brilliant in her part of exhausted and let down wife and Jeff Daniels really shows how far his acting skills reach as the pompous, arrogant and mean-spirited husband. Before long the children are being tossed backwards and forwards as they alternate days with father and mother and it starts to become too much for everyone involved to cope with.
Amazing performances and a wonderfully realistic portrayal.

Blood: The Last Vampire - 2009 * * *

Where evil grows, she preys.

The one thing that kept me stuck on the edge of my seat with this film was not the exciting action, instead it was my amusement at thinking I may possibly be watching Archie out of 'Eastenders' playing an American in a vampire film. I still wasn't 100% sure whether I was seeing things until the end credits rolled and it was only then that I realised I wasn't going mad and that it actually was him. Onto the actual film now - I am aware that this movie was based on a short anime but you don't necessarily need to have watched that in order to see this. It was pretty violent, pretty sharp and pretty action packed, but it wasn't brilliant by any lengths and although I found the main character Saya to be perfect in the part, I thought that her friend and 'sidekick' (if you can even call her that) was gastly and a dreadful addition showing us a stereotypical teenager attitude to everything which sometimes defied the object of having Saya there and on her side. The actress who plays Saya really seemed to get her just right, as she is portrayed as young and naive with her school uniform and knee-length socks when in reality she is a cold-hearted killer. Not a bad film but once is probably too much for me.

The Stepford Wives - 1975 * * * *

Something strange is happening in the town of Stepford.

I remember watching the most recent version of this movie a while back and totally hating it. The acting was stodgy and unrealistic and the characters were gastly to the point of nausea.

This original version however based on the novel by Ira Levin was pretty darn good and really quite eerie. It centres around the character of Joanna who moves with her husband to Stepford hoping to become more involved with the community. What happens instead is that Joanna's husband suddenly starts behaving strangly and becomes a member of the hush hush men's club that all the husbands seem to be a part of. The wives all seem like robots to Joanna, only concerned with looking perfect and having the house all spotlessly clean for when their husbands come home from work and it is only when she meets another unsuspecting wife called Bobbie that the pair realise they need to find out what is happening in the town. A freakishly acted and haunting film that has stayed in my minds for days after viewing, added to which Katherine Ross is great in her role as Joanna and Paula Prentiss adds a touch of humour to her role as Bobbie.

Worth a watch but avoid the most recent version like the plague.

Young Frankenstein - 1974 * * * * *

The scariest comedy of all!

This really was a funny film. Right from the start Gene Wilder is hot to trot making the viewers guffaw with laughter as he performs his trademark bemused looks and exasperated groans. Especially his constant correction to anyone who pronounces his name as 'Frankenstein' to which he growls 'it's Fronkanshteen.' Mel Brooks as usual is on top form directing here and knows exactly which buttons to press to make his audience fall about laughing. Marty Feldman also offers even more comic relief as Wilder's smarmy but slightly simple assistant who always has a smart-alec remark to make at the worst possible time. I really love Gene Wilder and in almost everything I have seen him in he has amused me. He has a knack of knowing exactly when to look or speak and always makes everyone laugh. One of the funniest sequences of the film is 'Putting on the Ritz' - I won't say anymore except that Mel Brooks originally didn't want the scene in the film for fear it would be too random, but relented when he saw it acted, and in a film directed by Mel Brooks surely nothing is too random for us to see!

Worth one watch, 2 or maybe even three...

Cat People - 1982 * *

They are more than lovers and are about to become less that human.

Ok I'm sorry but this film was more than dull! the scenes were dragged out to about an inch of their lives and the story was ridiculous, not because of that actual plot but because of the way it was filmed. I know it's a remake of the 1942 movie of the same name and I desperately wanted to see that first but had to content myself with this one because the other is almost impossible to find. I now wish I hadn't bothered seeing this and had waited for the suspense filled original. What a waste of time.

The Haunting in Connecticut - 2009 * * *

Some things cannot be explained.

I was seriously disappointed by this film. I was expecting to be scared out of my wits but instead I was mildly amused and about as unscared as I could be. To add to this, the film is supposedly based on a true story which just seemed far from realistic. The story is based on a family who decide to look for a house in Connecticut because their son is suffering from a form of cancer that is making him to weak to commute on long journeys, and they find an amazing house for a cheap price. However it is not long before the son starts experiencing weird and terrifying things such as figures occupying his room attired in old fashioned clothes. The family soon find out that the house used to be a funeral home. Que more terrifying phenomena. I won't say that the acting wasn't very good because it was but there was just something deeply unpalatable about the story and I wasn't impressed.

Love Story - 1970 * * *

Love means never having to say your sorry.

First off, the above quote is one of the cheesiest and stupidest quotes for a love film that I've ever heard. Basically you can just do whatever you like and you don't need to apologise if your actions hurt others. Lovely motto.

This film isn't bad but it certainly wasn't as good as I imagined it was going to be. The two characters wound me up so much at the beginning with their constant insults and put-downs to each other that I struggled to find any rapport with either of them. I really wanted to love the pair of them and find a deeper, romantic meaning in the film that I have heard from countless other people but it just wasn't there for me. I did feel a tinge of sadness towards the end but nothing like the buckets of tears I've cried over films such as 'Bridges of Madison County.'

I didn't think much of the acting to be honest although I'm sure I'll get caned for saying so, as I felt like the characters were too rigid and unemotional towards each other. Not a bad film but not one I'll keep getting out for a rainy day.

Behind the Mask - The Rise of Leslie Vernon - 2007 *

We all need someone to look up to.

This quite frankly was a shambles of a movie. I immediately noticed comparisons to 'Man Bites Dog' which is a foreign film based around a camera crew following a serial killer around on his day to day murders. That was a pretty awful film and this was like a bad and totally unfunny Americanised version of it. Leslie Vernon is a pathetic and idiotic excuse for a serial killer and not in the least bit scary which kinda means your in trouble when trying to create a terrifying serial killer persona. The storyline was virtually non-existant and there were times I wondered why the film had ever been made. Added to which the acting was diabolical and I was so relieved to see the end of the film it's going straight in the bin.

The Rock - 1996 * * * 1/2

Only one man has ever broken out. Now 500 lives depend on 2 men breaking in.

I've heard great things about this movie but never actually seen it. Once I had I realised what all the fuss was about. Setting a film in Alcatraz is always a good move and so was putting Sean Connery in as the mysterious yet comical ex-convict who was the only man ever to successfully break out of the notorious prison. Together he and Nicholas Cage have to work around the clock to rescue a group of people who are on a tour of Alcatraz and who have become hostages to manic and sadistic ex war hero Ed Harris. Expect explosions, violence, shoot outs and a particularly memorable scene with a gorgeous yellow ferrari. Worth a watch with the lights out for special effect.

Public Enemies - 2009 * * * * *

America's most wanted.

I've waited eagerly to see this for nearly a year now and was lucky enough to watch it last night. Being a massive fan of all things 1930s I couldn't wait to see how Michael Mann had encapsulated the time period and the characters. From the start the film gripped me, Depp was amazing as John Dillinger who robbed banks with his gang, earning himself the title of Public Enemy no 1. Christian Bale plays Melvin Purvis, the official whose task it is to capture him. Bale is also superb. Everything about this film is glamourous, the trilbies, the tommy guns and the clothing, but we are still treated to some pretty gastly and bloody scenes of full-on shoot outs between Dillinger's gang and the police. However much I'd like to deny it, the 1930s at this time is one of the places I longed to live in, including the terror and the mayhem, I probably would have done very well as a ganster's moll. We see Dillinger in a not unsympathetic way when he falls in love but also his other side which is hardened criminal of the justice system. I liked the balance of his character, and also the contrast to Bale's character.

Although over 2 hours this movie flew by for me and I totally loved it. I loved the story, the characters and the period. One of the best films of the year (or rather last year).

The Singing Detective - 2004 * * *

Murder, seduction and betrayal. He wrote the book, now he's living it.

This was one hell of a strange movie. Robert Downey Jnr stars as a crime writer diagnosed with a rare skin disorder. As he is confined to his hospital bed he begins to imagine all sorts of scenarios involving his wife and characters from his book. This is interspersed with songs that he imagines himself singing from the 50s and 60s. By the time you get to the middle of the film you are unsure what is in his head and what is actually real. I guess that is what makes it so peculiar and also so clever. If it wasn't for Robert Downey the film may not be as well received and it does sort of muddle with your head, but in a good way, and his wit and sarcasm are still present throughout.

Southland Tales - 2006 *

Have a nice Apocalypse.

There have been people who have criticised viewers who didn't enjoy this movie as not wanting to use their brains or not 'understanding film making at it's best.' I did not enjoy this movie and to be honest it's nothing to do with using your brain or not; I wouldn't even want to use my brain over this mess of a film. If this film had been half the length then I still wouldn't have understood it anymore. Random plot put aside, the characters were even weirder - an actor turned amnesiac, a porn star/ tv presenter and a police man, and his twin brother.... Confused? Yes, you will be for the whole film. From what I could make out the film was supposed to be a rather disjointed attempt at showing us what the end of the world would be like, and how totally random it would be. The actors were all wrong for the parts and I'm not going to credit the director for coming up with an 'original' idea - even original ideas don't have to be so confusing and mixed up. By the time I was over half way of watching this it felt like a chore to have to sit through until the end and that's not how I perceive film-watching to be; it should be an enjoyable experience. Granted though I have not seen such a bizarre and surreal movie in a long time but even knowing it was this odd didn't make me like it anymore. I felt the same way I did when I'd finished 'Blue Velvet' - like I'd literally wasted 2 hours of my life on something I was trying to force myself to understand and like. I am not one normaly to give up on movies but if film continue to be churned out in this disturbing and idiotic manner then I may as well just stop after the first 10 minutes.

36 - 2004 * * * *

With friends like these...

I think I must have watched a bit of the film 'Heat' years and years ago and I remember not being very impressed. So I wasn't going out of my way to see this knowing that it was simply a french version of the same film. I think I was keen to see it more than anything because of seeing Auteuil in 'Hidden' and loving that. However I found that the acting in this movie was amazing and Daniel Auteuil is fantastic in his role. Watching this film you realise how corrupt the police can actually be especially when people who you work with and who are supposed to be there for you can end up being your worst enemies. This is the situation that Auteuil and Depardieu come to in this film. This film is also based on a true story and named 36 because the person this is dedicated to died on the 36th hour of his job. That makes it all the more poignant, and while there are some pretty gruesome scenes (including one involving a naked man which I won't go in to) I feel that unlike American films, the violence is needed here, and is not over glamourised just for the sake of an explosion. Police work is dangerous and violent and that is no lie, and so what better way to show it than in reality. I think really that although this film is based upon police going after certain people who are in gangs etc that really the premise is how two-faced the force can actually be. I was more interested in the relationship between Auteuil and Depardieu than in the men they happened to be looking for throughout the film. I recommend this film highly to anyone who wants an inside look at life and relationships in the police force, added to which you get to see some beautiful scenes of France which makes it just that bit better.

Rise: Blood Hunter - 2007 * *

Seduce. Trap. Tease.

Although this film was supposed to be scary and serious throughout I couldn't stop laughing at some of the things that happened. Lucy Liu is a pretty good actress and I was surprised to see her in something like this. I didn't know from the on-set that the film would be soft-pornesque with women sucking on other women's necks and ripping their clothes off to reveal stockings and suspenders. For this reason alone I'm sure this film will be very popular with male viewers but I didn't really understand or get the story and it was a bit of a bore to me. Lucy Liu did a great job of making me laugh though, especially when she's screaming and being hung upsidedown on a meat-hook about to be 'drunk.' I only realised near the end that she actually keeps coming back to life as a vampire, despite the fact that the 'v' word is never mentioned throughout the film. Hardly a great basis for a vampire film.