30 Days Of Night (7)

A horror of vampires that all the hallmarks of Stephen King, except that it is good! A surprising 7.

The Alaska town of Barrow is about to enter the winter month when the sun never rises above the horizon. Unfortunately for them, a group of vampires is at the same time moving into the town to feast. A small band of survivors struggle to stay hidden in the town for 30 days and fight to live to the sunrise. A weak love story, an obvious vampire killing machine and a slightly corny ending surprisingly do not weaken the film too much.


In classic Steven King, the town is isolated, there is not outside communication and no hope rescue, and a small team of struggling people are banding against pure evil. But unlike Steven King film adaptations, the people are actually slightly interesting - both the good guys and bad guys, the story is well paces but best of all, is the lighting. For a horror taking place in continuous night, in a town that has lost its electricity, I have not seen a film so beautifully light for a long time! Never mind all the silly factual mistakes, some cliches and the gore, the lighting - on people, sets, outside - is just fantastic. While admiring the lighting, you can also get to watch a pretty good horror that would be fine for any scary night in.

Beowulf (4)

A dramatic and exciting animation? No. Unhuman puppetry and a kids story for an adult audience.

The hero, Beowulf and his gang for pay, turn up at a Nordic village to rid it of a troll. The hunt is successful but no surprisingly, the trolls mother is not happy. While town is celebrating, the king reveals that the village trouble was somehow his fault involving a woman. And then, the mother attacks the village with lethal results. Beowulf must kill the mother, only to discover that she is manifested as a stunning woman of gold, and is seduced. A dark pact is made.

The computer animation is impressive, the people and action look good, but it falls down in that any flaws look really really bad. It is at very bottom of the uncanny valley! The computer generated characters are obviously based on real actors, so why not just use real actors? Cost maybe? The story is a whimsical story of adventure and sword that any young boy would love, but the all blood and gore and violence and sexual references and backstabbing would not be suitable. With the uncomfortable, but good, computer graphics, and the kids story and adults action, this was not really a pleasant watch.

Rendition (7)

Thank god for this great antidote to rubbish of Lions For Lambs. This look at the use of torture, particularity by America, was well shown and even better filmed - 7, I'd watch this again.

A suicide bomb kills an American and CIA agent Douglas Freeman (ironic name Freeman) is assigned to the questioning of a suspect. The suspect is an Egyptian, married to an American and living in USA for years and year, is secretively removed a return flight home by the CIA and moved to another country for "questioning". But the question is the practice of extraordinary rendition in which terrorist suspects are move to countries where torturing can be carried out. The Egyptians wife begins questioning airlines, then politicians and then the head of CIA to try and find her missing husband. Meanwhile the CIA agent is beginning to question his bosses orders and whether or not torture is effective.

To the background of the main storyline, is a brilliant love story in the country where the torture is being carried out. A girl doesn't want to marry the man her father has chosen for her and runs off with her boyfriend. But with her boyfriends involvement in extremists and her father essentially being a paid torturer for the Americans, ties in some fantastic plots.

Apart from a great and thoughtful story, the filming is is noticeably outstanding! There is so much wonderful lighting, whether is be in the cell of a prison, or a close up in a face, that I was almost torn between enjoying such fine filming, or the harsh and harrowing story. Do not watch this this if you are squeamish, but if you want an intelligent at so call "Intelligence gathering", then this is a must see.

Interesting, Meryl Streep acts as the ice-queen CIA boss with perfection. Coincidently, she acts as the reporter who "sees the light" in the dire Lions For Lambs and is probably the best actor in it. But in this film, she is working with actors who are thankfully equally skilful.

Lions For Lambs (3)

This "Ram-down-your-throat" patriotic film is trying to be inspirational, but it is so full of unsubtle lecturing that it is painful to watch. Only the war scenes stopped from fast forwarding through it - a dismal 3.

Three story lines all hammer to American patriotism and that America must save the world. In one stream, a reporter (Meryl Streep) interviews a slippery politician (Tom Cruise) and it begins to dawn on he is war mad, and she as the media, must do more instead of just being a sock puppet. A lecturer (Robert Redford) brow beats a student who is merely drifting through college to do more - to get politically involved. In the third story line, two of his students are in the army in the Middle East after deciding that they also need to "do more" than just sit back - they wanted to prove their support.

All throughout this film, the "heros" - the reporter, the lecturer, the army buddies - are telling the audience the audience one thing; "Do more! Support your country". Some of the discussions had glimpses of interesting lines, but not often. Just about the only thing lacking from this film was someone saluting with a giant flag fluttering in the background!

Capricorn One (8)

One of the coolest, best films I've seen for a while - definitely an 8. Conspiracy theorist will love it even more!

In the early 70's a mission to Mars must be aborted because the life support is faulty, but may jeopardise the government funding. So the crew are whisked to an old military base and coerced into acting the mission while the empty rocket makes the flight. But when the rocket crashed on its return to Earth, the three astronauts can no longer be returned as heroes - they must be eliminated! While they are on the run and being hunted the desert, a reporter and and wife of one the astronauts begins to have doubts that the mission is real. Another search, a rescue hopefully, is under way!

This movie has all the elements that make a great action movie - heroes, sci-fi, conspiracy, lies. But it has great dialogue - some of the small speeches made are extraordinarily well written, such as the one given by the mission control to initially convince the astronauts to put on the charade. The hunter helicopters that strangely ballet with each other is particularly haunting and memorable.

The very ending is a touch cliche and OJ Simpon is by far the worst actor of the cast, but apart from that, it is a work of art!

The Blob (3)

A long, long time ago I saw a version of The Blob that had me hiding behind the couch in terror - and I loved it. This wasn't that version. If I had seen this version, I probably would have been put off films for life.

Set in very cheesy 1950's roll-n-roll days, Steve McQueen is half of a sickening sweet romancing couple who witness a meteor crash near their town. At the crash site, they find that a homeless man has something stuck to him and rush him to the doctor. The "something" turns out to be an endlessly growing blob and that is hell-bent on consuming the conspicuously perfect American dream little town. The Doctor, and nurse are doomed and eventually after feasting on a movie theatre, the blob does what any American does next, attempts to consume a fast food joint. The hapless heroes are, of course, trapped inside.

I like the idea of a blob monster - something very alien but it is just trying to live and eat, it's not on an intelligent warpath. Yet in this film, everyone and everything was far too clean cut to make it enjoyable - it was cringe inducing just how nice and sweet everyone was. Instead of a horror, it would probably make for a reasonable feel-good Christmas movie - even the red glow of blob is perfect for that. Of course, the little bit of gore and screaming crowds would have to edited out but I think that it may just end up as a better film that way.