Savage Grace - 2007 **

'Sensual and Decadent' this film has been quoted as. So I must have missed something. Sad really because I was looking forward to seeing this as I had done some research on the case earlier.
There was nothing sensual about this story, and even Julianne Moore could not save the day in her portrayal of the mentally unhinged Barbara Daly Baekland who went down in the annuals of true crime as the murder victim of her schizophrenic son Tony.
The true story is interesting, but the film doesn't appear to cover much about the growing incestuous relationship between Barbara and Tony 9apart from a horrible scene towards the end which we really didn't need to see.) I didn't see much regarding Tony's ever changing mental state which would ultimately be his undoing, more that he was simply sexually provocative.
For information it's best to go online and read up in detail about the story instead of watching this. 

Breach - 2007 ****

Another surprisingly good political thriller, the kind that really gets under your skin. Added to which, the fact it's based on true events gives it even more of a kick. 

Ryan Phillippe is a junior employee of the Washington Bureau named Eric who is assigned to keep an eye on an intelligence agent named Hanssen who has been reassigned to the FBI headquarters. At first Eric believes he is doing nothing other than checking out Hanssen in case he displays sexual perversions, but soon finds out that Hanssen is a lot more dangerous to the FBI than he first imagined.  

Well crafted and enjoyable, although could've been a bit shorter in length. 

Cougar Club - 2007 **

There seems to be a fascination with older women being seduced by younger men in American films. It's very odd. And I suppose this wasn't a bad film as cheesy films go, and the plot didn't rot my brain any more than usual. A couple of Yale graduates decide that they will be be able to earn lots of money hosting exclusive parties that only members of the expensive 'Cougar Club' can attend. It all backfires of course, but is still fairly funny. 

Rogue - 2007 ****

Genuinely scary creature feature about a group of tourists experiencing a boat tour in Australia and becoming stranded after a terrifyingly giant crocodile knocks their vessel to shore. They then have to try and manoeuvre themselves to safety on the other side of the river without going anywhere near the water. I was surprised and impressed with this (except for the reactions of the tourists when their loved ones are ripped to bits which was pretty bad).

(HORROR) Grindstone Road - 2007 **

A pretty mediocre film, and not a very scary one at that. A young couple move to a

new house hoping that the wife will recover mentally and emotionally after being in a car crash that

has left her only son in a coma.

Becoming friendly with the kindly, old next door neighbours starts off well, but then turns into something a lot more sinister as the story of a missing child surfaces. Not good and embarrassingly acted.

Because I Said So - 2007 ***

This was a nice rom-com, although Mandy Moore is far too sickly sweet for me. Diane Keaton is always good in everything I have ever seen her in and I thought she looked surprisingly good for her age. She plays an overprotective mother who decides to kick-start her daughter Milly into a good, compatible relationship (for once) by placing an add online. She interviews a number of suitors before deciding on one whom she feels is fit for Milly and then sits back and watches the results. The problem is, very rarely do these things work out for the best, especially if you have an interfering parent in the background who won't let you go when push comes to shove.
One to watch, light, frothy and not taking itself too seriously.

(HORROR) Staunton Hill - 2007 ***

Let's see, I found this in the bargain bin at the DVD shop. 'Nuff said? Well actually no, as it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be. The only thing that really got to me throughout the entire movie was that it was supposed to be set in 1969. This is 1969 of Woodstock, the Manson Murder and free love. These actors looked like they slung on whatever was at the back of their wardrobe and hoped they would merge in. The men had short hair, one of the girls actually had a hoodie(!) and the expressions and clothes in general were pretty rubbish and not of that time at all. It's one of the worst films I've seen in regards to trying to portray an authentic time, as it fails miserably.

That said, I actually quite liked the story. Sure it's been done before but it still came across as pretty gruesome and exciting to me. Plus there was no CGI whatsoever, so instead we got the nasty, bloody mess that gore fans love so much.

Watch it. You might like it just a bit.

Waitress - 2007 ****

Adrienne Shelly's sweet movie was tragically marred by her horrific murder before the film was released. Still, it doesn't stop you really enjoying the movie, and I really liked the story, although watching her act is quite upsetting. Keri Russell plays Jenna, a pie maker married to a disgusting brute of a man who abuses her, physically and mentally every day. Despite all this she doesn't lave,preferring to bide her time and save up enough money to get out one day in the future. The audience I would imagine are more concerned with the 'here and now' of the situation. She discovers (at the worst time possible) that she is pregnant and speaks to her doctor. Sparks fly, and it is all Jenna can do to not pack her whole marriage in. Instead, she makes pies, loads of pies of all flavours and titles, effectively living out her emotions into them as she bakes. She also goes through a variety of emotions regarding the baby and whether she actually wants to keep it or not. It's a sort of magical film, with surreal bits blown in, and actually I found that on the whole it was very humourous. Jenna has two friends at the diner where she works who are quirky and funny, and also very supportive of her. A nice little film, but I didn't agree with Jenna's attitude to her marriage, which seemed to be utterly hopeless. I wanted her to leave.

(HORROR) Sick Nurses - 2007 **

This film was neither 'sexy, sick or full of shocks' as the poster knowingly depicts. Its about a bunch of nurses who go around without very much on and then get bumped off during the course of the film by the 'ghost' of a patient they killed with copious amounts of blood involved.

I thought it would be funny, but it's not even that. The only thing I can say is that its the most predictable thing I've seen in ages horror-wise. It's strange how these bad horror films have to rely of buckets of blood and half naked women to make up for the lack of a storyline, and as I keep asking myself, why do I keep watching them??

Smiley Face - 2007 ****

This was utterly hilarious. I actually fell off my chair at one point because I was laughing so much.

Anna Faris really is one very funny actor, and in this she plays a layabout stoner who eats her room-mate's hash cupcakes by accident and ends up running all over town trying to get attend an audition, find some money and hide from a less than happy drug dealer who she owes dosh - all in one very long acid-trip day.

Some scenes really had me in stitches, and the whole film seems like it would be even funnier if you were drunk or at the very least high on red bull.

One I will want to see again.