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.

Dambusters blew up my sound system!

I was happily watching Dambusters, and quite enjoying it too, when suddenly there was no sound!

Some quick checking established it wasn't because just the film, but there was no sound from anything :( I hope that I can fix it because its a brilliant system and even though it is six years old, I would have expected it to last longer. Plus I couldn't stand watching films on my second option - a tiny and tinny laptop :(

Breach (6)

This slow film about an FBI investigation into one of its own agents for espionage works reasonably well, but I would be much more interested in what really happened, a documentary. It is still worth watching though to wet your appetite for the real thing - 6 (a slow drama of subterfuge and lies).

A trainee agent, O'Neill, is sent to work as the assistant to Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper) who is a suspect for selling secrets to the Russians. O'Neill must take note of everything Hanessen does, and create diversions so that Hanessen's phone can be copied, and his car searched. He does by quick thinking, convincing lies, and with the help a large investigating team - they want to capture Hanessen dropping off secret documents. Hanessen's religion and the job causes stress and strain on O'Neill and his family.

This film is based on true story - but it really should stress the word "based". I imagine that the FBI and the characters are cliched in film because it fitted every cardboard cut-out image I have from other films. And upon looking at the case on the web, there is so much missing from this movie. Even if the real people were really just ordinary straight forward people (which they weren't), I would rather watch a documentary in this interesting case. And that is where this film fails, it takes something amazing and interesting, the biggest FBI spying breach ever,and makes it mundane and a little boring - how disappointing.

Dilemma (3)

I'm not sure why I chose to watch this 1962 film - it was chore. Just about the only thing I liked about was the 60's era stuff, but otherwise it's only a 3 (luckily I had something else to do during it that was more interesting - ironing - that's how bad it was).

A man comes home to learn from their nosey neighbour, that his wife ran out with a scream. He discovers a dead man in his bathroom and in devotion for his wife, proceeds to dig a grave in his living room to hide the body. Inevitably, he is interrupted numerous times and almost discovered by his neighbour, some nuns, a piano tuner and a boy. Meanwhile when the police begin questioning people on an entirely separate matter, the wife involvement is immediately, and disappointingly, obvious, so even the surprise ending is no surprise at all (I hate it when that happens).

It is a simple film with a simple story - a surprised guy is trying to get rid of body but he might get caught. The filming is in crisp black and white, but the cliches are thick and full - the constant interuption during the digging are almost comical, the nosey neighbour is straight the big book of stereotypes and everyone, but the main character, seem to be amateur actors. In fact, the whole thing takes place mostly in one room and this could almost just be a straight filming of their play.

Elizabeth - The Golden Age, 7

I'm not really a fan of royalty films; maybe I like cheering for the underdog and seeing them triumph. And so it was with this film set in 1585 in the royal court of Queen Elizabeth I. Still, it was better than I expected, 7 (as long as you enjoy sumptuous filming and stilted romances).

Queen Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) is chased by suitors who want to marry her where all marriages are based solely on what political alliances it will form. However she also wants someone to love who is her equal. Then she meets the adventurous and exciting Sir Walter Raleigh, but he is an explorer and she can only hold him as a guest in her court and go no further. His womanising with other court woman, and her frustration with the freedom they have lead to her broken heart. Meanwhile, the Spanish are deployed a fleet a cannon toting battle ships which are heading to the Thames to conquer London and then rule the UK. Her own meagre fleet is losing badly, and even desperate measures, fire boats, are not working. Exciting battle scenes ensue.

The filming is rich, the costumes even more so, the sea warfare satisfying slow and artistic, the political maneuverings interesting, but still, this film is just a little too much stilted. Everyone's emotions is held in check, even in the Queens battle cry (I don't think Blanchett is very good at such things). In the court scenes every has a well defined, and strict, social status and role. It was the people who broke this, like the assassins, were the most interesting characters and lead to the very best moments, like the assassination attempt. Of course, there is probably next to nothing that is factually correct and because it is American, I half expected an American fleet to save the day at the end but for once, they didn't go that far!

Still, enjoyable - just don't expect a heart pounding adventure or romance, it is all slightly muted.

The Quatermass Xperiment (7)

I expected this to be a poor B-grade horror but it turned out to be nothing of the sort. Apart from being black and white and having some slightly poor special effects, it was great to watch. It's a 7 (this was a delightfully enjoyable surprise, sci-fi and horror fans will love it).

Quatermass and his team of scientists go to the crash site of the first space rocket containing people to rescue the astronauts. Inside, two have mysteriously vanished and the remaining live astronaut, Victor, is delirious. The police begin to investigate the deaths. But Victor is actually being consumed by a transmuting space beast - he smashes a cactus which is absorbed into him - and he escapes the hospital. The police, the scientists and ultimately the army are after the monster as is stalks it's way across London, either killing or absorbing other living things. It must be stopped before it infects the whole earth!

This old 1955 film has some poor special effects, but only some. Most are great and well done for it's time. This is not just a monster chase film - there is conflict between the police, who to kill investigate the deaths and then kill the monster, and Quatermass who thinks that the deaths are a worthy sacrifice for science and wants to the study the monster. The acting is way better than b-grade horror, in fact,this film is not in such a corny league, it is a-grade stuff.

Stardust (4)

Many kids films are made so that they are also enjoyable to the adults that the kids drag along with them. When done well, it is very successfully. Sadly, this kids film was strictly for kids and I found it a real chore to watch. It did improve after the first hour (and I had had enough to drink) but it still only rates a 4 (do not touch with a barge pole, useless you have kids).

A young man, Tristan, attempts to prove his passion to a village girl by going to retrieve a fallen star. The star has fallen on the other side of a guarded wall where he enters a magical world. In that world, witches are also after for the fallen star to restore their youth. And duelling princess are also after the star to retrieve the jewellery she is wear to win the crown. Yes, she.

The star is actually a beautiful young woman, Yvaine, who the witches want to cut open to eat her heart. As the princess kill each other, and the ghost numbers increase, and as Tristan and Yvaine races across the land to return to his village, they fall in love. After being welcomed on board by pirates, led by the big softy Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro), Tristan and the witches and the last prince battle it out.

The story was simply not interesting at first for me. It was a gruelling hour before anything of any real interest happened. I would have stopped watching it except for the filming and effects which were very well done. At after with pirates, the story become more compelling but still not quite enough to sustain the film. They eye will delight anyone, but the story will bore everyone, even kids who will only grasp little bits here and there. It seems that well known actors were used just to give it more gravitas but in their silly roles, it fails badly, except for one, Michelle Pfeiffer as the lead witch is good.

Death Sentance (8)

Death Sentence is a riveting and exciting decent into one man's hell as his safe, comfortable world crumbles. It's a common plot of a persons life being shattered and them then seeking revenge, but this is done cleverly and leading to frantic action scenes. It's an 8 (a gripping piece of entertainment that is superbly crafted).

Nick Humle is a a middle aged, middle management man who is a stickler for rules, but when a gang member kills his son his world starts to fall apart. It transpires that the murder was just an initiation for gang membership, and when he learns that the prison sentence is going to be short, Nick changes his testimony and the guy walks free. As Nick's anger and frustration builds, he goes to confront the killer and in a scuffle, kills him. The gang discover that Nick killed their member and target him for murder. But in a thrilling car park chases and fight, he kills another. The police are suspicious that he has started a gang war but he tells them nothing. The gang then attack his family and Nick finally knows what he must do - end the gang war by entering a world he knows nothing of - guns, drugs and ghettos.

Firstly, the filming is great! There are great wide angle lens shots, dark saturated blacks and some sort of sharpening process applied that gives it all gritty feel, and some neat angles too. The acting by Kevin Bacon (who I'm not really much of a fan) and the gang are just right. Even the gun running gang leaders father played by comedy man John Goodman is no comedy at all, but convincingly scary. The action action is exciting, particular the chase the car parking building which has been so many times before, but hardly with such shear panicked terror.

There are a few negatives, the plot is not very original, and everyone seems to be slightly super human except for the police, who are slightly inept. But there is one thing that is really bad. At the end, for those whose brain is just simply not there, one of the characters states the bleeding obvious of the plot to explain it all. Any hint of subtly is thrown out the window! I would like think that it shows how dumb the gang member who said it was, but I fear that it was directed at the viewer, and it really detracted from the film enjoyment.