Sam Worthington plays the father of a missing girl who is suspected to have been murdered.
He receives a letter which is an invitation from God, to come visit The Shack.
Written as a contemplation about the writers feelings towards God, the book went on to sell millions. I’ve read it too and it’s a good adaptation. Sure it’s a little sappy but I also think it’s a profoundly thoughtful story. If the story speaks to you at all then I’d recommend it.
Julian Barratt plays TV actor Richard Thorncroft, whose popular detective series MINDHORN was a staple of entertainment some years back. The man who had a bionic eye which could see the truth.
Now there’s a real crime and the suspect will only talk to the fictional detective. So Mindhorn is back!
The team behind this are known for some great work and I was surprised to hear poor reviews come in ahead of watching this. Since my expectations were lowered I think that may have contributed to my enjoyment.
I enjoyed it all. Daft, funny and inventive.
Steve Coogan features along with co writer Simon Farnaby, Russell Tovey and even Kenneth Branagh.
In the same vein as Alan Partridge.
Daniel Kaluuya (who so brilliantly played Tea Leaf in Psychoville) is Chris, an African American boyfriend to white girl Rose, played by Allison Williams. She is taking Chris home to finally meet the parents and Chris is worried that the whole black white thing may crop up. But on the surface it seems not at all. Except the two black home helps seem out of it somehow, weirdly docile and if anything, acting like upper class white folks.
I routed for Chris all the way and when the families true intent is uncovered, the proverbial hit the fan. There’s a great tension building and it’s just a matter of when the cork is going to pop. It’s not horror as such but it’s dramatic tension may have you gripping the arm rest. I was really impressed with the conclusion which attempted something less straight forward and yet still simple.
This is an effective little film which is a thrill ride with laughs.
It was great to back in this pop culture filled world with this unlikely family of reprobates. This time around I felt the film had a much less of a pace to it as story went. There were many scenes which were just designed to enjoy characters messing about in order for laughs which I thought was brave and in a way cocky. The main story is merely Starlord meetings dad played by Kurt Russell. The new 80’s playlist is a nice extension of the last one and Yondu and Nebula get to return in a continued look at their links to the Guardians.
I still think that the climax does exactly the cookie cut model which they also do and the villain is merely ‘Electro’ from Spider-man in design or many other terra reforming menaces.
The fun is in the prattling around which fills most of the running time. I enjoyed it a lot but there seemed much less to actually put your heart and soul into.
It felt like treading water but I think they were actually trying to try a new approach and we are just so used to the same sort of thing that we itch when it’s slightly different.
Bryan Cranston, Charlize Theron and Bill Hader are highly skilled actors which bring a huge weight of talent to something you probably think of as throw away fluff.
Don’t think of Power Rangers as some cheap plastic toy of a movie- that’s the TV series.
Here is a Transformers soaked telling which starts off with a n** gag surprisingly and even had a close up of said manhood.
There’s even swearing ! This is strictly a 12a movie and even I was left a little red faced with my 8 year old.
‘Have you ever Morphed?’
‘Only in the shower!’
It’s a high budgeted take of five tough late teens who all come together to discover they are the new chosen galaxy protectors whether the feel it or not.
Evil queen Rita Repulsa has risen again to destroy the world and our new heroes have to hand together quickly if the Earth is to be saved.
The effects are top notch to be fair although it does take ages for them to get in their Zords.
The huge boss Goldar is beautifully created in its molten gold form and I had a blast watching it stomp around the city.
It’s just a great version of what is obviously a great idea but sadly done in many a tacky way for tv.
But I say again- this isn’t really suitable for young kids unless it goes over their heads.
Just remember it’s 12a which kinda means 12 unless your kid is desensitised.
A curse is out on the self important prince who has to win the heart of a lover before the final petal or a rose falls or the inhabitants of the castle will stay in their cursed form. You know the score. All your favourite songs and characters are lifted straight from the cartoon classic and given a real life makeover. Emma Watson shines as the beautiful rose Belle, filmed in such a degree of HD I could see a pimple on her chin. She has a great singing voice too.
Dan Stevens plays the beast in the castle and I had a touch of a problem with the CGI of the beast’s face. I thought it looked less photo real and more cartoon animated in parts.
I’m not a huge fan of the cartoon to be fair but I can see that this is a great conversion to live action. It felt to me that there were new songs added but I could be mistaken. I always enjoy Be My Guest, maybe because it reminds me of The Simpsons parody See My Vest.
Plenty of singing and good actors giving their all in a good reworking that may have you shed a tear even though you know the outcome. Some wonderful animation and voice work of the animated ornaments which carry much of the movie and help out with some amusing comments. Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad as LeFou are good fun as the bromantic couple who aim to get Belle’s attention. Didn’t rock my world but was perfectly executed for those who will hope to love it.
The movie centres around a group of children in a soldier run medical centre where the kids are strapped down and seem like they are a threat. That’s because these are zombies but the fungus which made them the undead gives them the appearance of ‘normal’.
Gemma Arterton, Glen Close and Paddy Considine star as the humans who hope to get the cure out of these new species of undead.
It’s a good discussion starter but is sprinkled with moments and details which take you out of the movie and at times you can easily spot actors acting. A good idea on paper but just another Walking Dead runaround spin off too. Sennia Nanua plays the most intelligent child/zombie who tries to get the confidence of the living. She’s a little annoying in parts and the rules of her zombieism keeps changing.
A good idea dropped on its head.
Fifty Shades Darker presents itself or more accurately Christian Grey as ‘kinky’. This film is simply neither kinky nor anything other than vanilla, which is what Ana wants from their relationship. Or so she says. One minute she’s saying she wants a nice relationship with him putting ‘all that’ behind him and yet she’s the one asking to have him do his kinky stuff.
But putting on wrist cuffs for less than 60 seconds and then taking them off for normal sex isn’t the stuff I’d label kinky.
If you find a couple of spanks or baby oil edgy then I’ve got news for you, it isn’t. It’s like saying having a cuddle while wearing wellies is kinky.
This movie meanders through scenes finding a couple of women from Grey’s past crossing paths with Ana to
Show him for the horrid possessive spoilt brat he is.
But still she looks at him with loving eyes moments later.
This film isn’t particularly interesting and simply serves to slightly flesh out one small step further in their relationship. I find both lead characters to be unlikable and the new boss who makes a pass at Ana was like something out if a bad soa Opera.
Just totally vanilla.
Being rich must be cool though I admit but both Grey himself and Ana both treat that as boring.
A mother and daughter in Tehran are pestered by a djinn which is kind of like a genie in eastern folklore but often gets characterised as a demon.
Either way, the mother of her young girl is left believing the things her daughter says are happening.
It’s always refreshing to see a foreign country’s version of the supernatural because you’re not used to the ‘beats’ which you’ve seen time and time again in Hollywood horror.
The film caught me off guard a couple of times and I’m grateful for that after becoming immune to the standard techniques.
Low key often works the best.
Ringu, the original Ring movie and then even the American rehash The Ring was creepy and well executed. Anything after that was a watered down attempt to recapture the fear.
By 2017 the whole king black haired creepy ghost thing is old. I did however look forward to be in Samara’s company again for this sequel.
Just like the recent Blair Witch Project addition, it’s great to be back on the familiar ground and while both franchise sequels give 50% of the fun again, the other 50% just falls flat.
Rings shows the originals most creepy effect at the start of the film which subsequently kills the reveal with no build up.
The film begins with a bunch of people forming a sort of club who have all seen the movie and have done sort of help group at passing the curse on. This is all led by a student teacher who is running The Samara Expetiment.
The film plays close to the original in the quest to uncover Samaras troubled past to quieten her spirit.
Unfortunately I didn’t find this scary AT ALL. But I admit I enjoyed it all the same.
A totally averagely entertaining horror which may make you revisit the original.
Keighley Film Club 