Cult Film & TV Reviews

Doomed To Die. Boris Karloff

2010-10-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Over a million dollars in bonds is stolen from a ship before it mysteriously sinks. When the owner is shot dead famous detective James Lee Wong (Boris Karloff) has no choice but to investigate. Alongside plucky reporter Bobbie Logan, Wong is drawn into a terrifying world of mystery, intrigue and lies. He said he would never investigate another case, but if he"s not careful he won"t get the chance.

The Wasp Woman

2010-10-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

"A beautiful woman by day - a lusting queen wasp by night"

The terrifying classic from famed science fiction and horror director Roger Corman, returns to DVD in this haunting release. From 1959, The Wasp Woman has gone down as one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time. With great performances from a cast including Susan Cabot as Janice Starlin, and Michael Mark as scientist Eric Zinthrop. The Wasp Woram is a masterpiece of the Genre.

Update on new Survivors TV series...

2009-12-28T00:56:00.000-08:00

After a rescheduling, the BBC press office announced that episode one of the long awaited series two of the Survivors re-make will be aired at 9pm on Tuesday 12 January 2010 on BBC1.

The Day of the Triffids Part 2 & 3

2009-11-08T23:06:00.000-08:00

Continued from my "The Day of the Triffids" article on Hubpages

While spending the night in an ex show flat, Bill and Jo spotted a light coming from the university tower which must have meant there were other people who could still see. They waited until the morning to investigate. The next day, it turned out that the old university was occupied by an army major with a couple of soldiers standing guard at the gates. It transpired that a group of sighted people had got together inside but their leader refused to let the hungry masses of blind people in. Jack Coker MAURICE COLBOURNE was leading the blind group but shots were fired and they ran away. They only accepted sighted people in the compound. Bill and Jo had a heated discussion as to whether it was right to join this group or try and help the blind who at present far out numbered the few sighted people left. In the end they reluctantly decided to join the group.
Once there Bill met the group"s leader Beadley DAVID SWIFT who said they had about 35 sighted plus a few blind people there and were gathering supplies to prepare to leave London the next day and build a community in the country That evening, everyone gathered round to hear him, the major and the woman medical officer give a speech on what the future may hold. They outlined that many of the rules and traditions of the past would not apply in this new world. These included two person marriages and monogamous relationships which would be scrapped in favour of a man having several wives, including blind women who would give birth to as many healthy babies as possible.
That night, Bill was suddenly woken up by smoke and a fire alarm going off. While trying to escape, he tripped and fell down the stairs and was knocked unconscious. When he came to, he found himself tied up and locked in one of the old army cells. Dazed and confused, he heard the door unlock and blind Alf JOHN HOLIS entered with a drink. It turned out that Coker"s gang had broke in and set fire to some rubbish and put trip wires across the stairs. Coker soon showed up and explained to Bill (whether he liked it or not) that he will lead a designated blind team which he would guide in their search for food while being chained to Alf. They would have to find somewhere to live and then they would be on their own. Credit to Alf though, he told Jo (who had been assigned another group) where Bill was.
Once outside he found a boarding house to stay but unfortunately, some of it"s occupants had a mysterious illness so they were moved next door. While he was out with his group, they were shot at from across the river by a hostile gang. Alf was shot dead so Bill had to unlock his handcuff from him. Problem was he was also chained to another group member who refused to hand him the key. After overpowering him, he freed himself and led the group to a grocery store aware that the gang may be looking for them. While he was exploring the cellar, there was a disturbance upstairs, triffids had attacked and killed the hostile gang member who had arrived to seek them out. Escaping out the back, Bill and the group made it back to the guesthouse. During the night, a blind girl went to his room and told him that the group did not think that he would stay with them so they sent her to be his companion or even lover to try and entice him to stay. Bill thought, turned her away.
The next morning all was quiet. The girl had caught the illness and said that the others had gone because they thought Bill would leave them anyway. The girl"s condition deteriorated rapidly so she asked him to get some pills to end her misery. He then resumed his search for Jo which led him to a large hotel. By the time he got there, the very ill hotel manager said that Jo and her group had gone already as some had died from the illness. He then made his way back to the university only to be met by Coker who by now had given up his idea of leading the blind as his group were also dying. They both called a truce and after seeing Tyesham Manor written on the blackboard, decided to set out there the next day.

Jack Coker and Bill set off to Tyseham Manor in separate army supply lorries. Once there, they met the group"s leader Miss Darwin PETULA NEILSON. Devoutly christian, she didn"t agree with the original plans of Beadley and the major back at the university. Jack tried unsuccessfully to persuade her that it should be the group"s priority to survive. that collecting supplies in this new world was not theft for instance and they shouldn"t take in any more blind survivors. After telling miss Darwin they"d come back in a few days, Bill and Jack set off again and stopped at a pub, empty of course after the blinded owner had died of a triffid sting. They discussed the future. and Bill suddenly remembered a conversation that he had with Jo when they first met. She mentioned that she would find this cottage in the south downs near Pullborough.which came with it"s own self sufficiency farm. It even had it"s own electricity generator. They decided to go their own separate ways at least.for now..
After traveling for a few hours, a little girl called Susan waived him down and jumped in the lorry with her dog. She was the first person Bill had seen alive since Tyesham Manor. She was on her own after her family had died of triffid attacks. It was still daylight when they arrived in the general area of the cottage.and scanned the hills for any signs of life but he decided it was better to wait until nightfall. Any lighting in the dark would almost certainly mean a sign of human life. By then he had drifted off to sleep but Mary was still awake.because of a storm. Suddenly she saw a light in the distance and woke Bill. He flicked the lorry headlights on and off in a Morse code fashion. The distant light responded likewise. Filled with excitement, they slowly drove towards it but it was hard to keep it in sight due to the driving rain..Eventually they stopped and saw somebody holding a torch.just a few yards away. At he got out and walked towards them, he realised to his overwhelming relief that it was Jo. .
Jo said said that she"d found the cottage and farm that she had mentioned before and settled with it"s very welcoming owners Mary JENNY LIPMAN and her blinded husband Dennis DESMOND ADAMS. After a few days Bill set off back to Tyesham Manor.but a huge shock awaited him. Bodies were everywhere, lying on mattresses on the floor. They seemed to have either succumbed to triffid attacks or the mysterious illness they had witnessed back in London. There were makeshift graves outside. Jack was right, they could never have survived their setup. He even wondered if Jack was among them.
For the time being, they decided to stay at the cottage as they had everything they needed supplemented by the occasional trips into towns and cities for fuel and supplies. They even managed to keep the triffids out with electrified fences. For six years they lived in relative tranquility.

2009-11-01T01:47:00.000-07:00

Starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam
Director Alfonso Cuaron
Studio UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK
Run time DVD: 1 hr 49 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Language English
Dubbed German
Subtitles Dutch, German
Released DVD: 15 Jan 2007
Production year: 2006

This film is about what the world would be like if the future of mankind is threatened. In this case it"s 2027 and the whole human race has been made infertile since 2009 by an unknown cause. After the death of the youngest person in the world at 18 years old, life descends into chaos. Meanwhile, former activist CLIVE OWEN is persuaded to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of mankind.

The Driller killer

2009-10-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Starring Jimmy Laine, Carolyn Marz, Babi Day, Bob DeFrank, Peter Yellen
Director Abel Ferrara
Studio ILC PRIME
Run time DVD: 1 hr 36 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 09 Oct 2006
Production year: 1979

Penniless artist Reno (Ferrara) and his girlfriends Carol (Carolyn Marz) and Pamela (Baybi Day) hang out at their New York loft, enduring such problems as the phone bill, the rent, and a noisy rock band practicing downstairs. After it all becomes too much, Reno grabs his drill and rampages.through the city at night fall. Eventually, Carol moves out, Reno's paintings don't sell, and things just get from bad to worse THE DRILLER KILLER has a distinctly 1970s New York underground feel--an artistic quality that makes it seem like a cross between TAXI DRIVER and ANDY WARHOL'S TRASH (with drilling). Despite being Low-budget and a bit amateurish, this film benefits from some moody lighting and Ferrara's brave insight into the psyche. Reno's mental breakdown manages to be chillingly believable and a powerful statement on the place of the artist in modern society. A surprise hit on the drive-in circuit, this was re released in 1981 to capitalize on the teenage slasher movie boom (and the success of Ferrara's second film, MS. 45).
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Samhain

2009-10-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Starring Jenna Jameson, Bobbie Phillips, Richard Griego, Ginger Lynn Allen
Director Christian Viel
Studio FILM 2000
Run time DVD: 1 hr 30 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 24 Oct 2005

There was only one rule: Stick to the path, bad things happen when you don't stick to the path! An American couple on a romantic camping trip are brutally murdered. A few days later during the ancient festival of Samhain, a group of University students move into a beautiful cottage surrounded by a lush forest and majestic lake. They are here to learn about the rituals of the Ancient Druids and other Celtic legends...
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Sickle

2009-10-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

Starring Paul Cagney, Shaila Vaidya, Maurizio Farhad
Director Paul Gagne
Studio THIRD MILLENNIUM
Run time DVD: 1 hr 30 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 12 Sep 2005
Format DVD

When a young girl is murdered in an old slaughterhouse, her boyfriend seeks revenge and so breaks in and hangs the prime suspect, Marty Sickle. But he might come to regret not finishing the job properly...
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Don"t look in the Basement

2009-10-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Starring Bill McGhee, Jessie Lee Fulton, Robert Dracup, Harryette Warren
Director S.F. Brownrigg
Studio ELSTREE HILL ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 29 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 25 Oct 2004
Production year: 1973

When Nurse Charlotte Beal arrives for work at a sanatorium, one of the doctors has been murdered. The asylum has been overrun, and not even the doctors can be trusted.
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Night of the Living Dead

2009-10-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

Starring Judith O'Dea, Duane Jones, Karl Hardman, Keith Wayne, Russell Streiner, Marilyn Eastman, William Hinzman, Judith Reilly
Director George A Romero
Studio CINEMA CLUB
Run time DVD: 1 hr 36 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18
Genres Horror
Language English
Subtitles None
Released DVD: 30 Oct 2000
Production year: 1968

Seven people are secluded in a Pennsylvania farmhouse and face repeated attacks by reanimated corpses seeking to eat their flesh. The group, which includes a married couple and their daughter, a pair of young lovers, and an African American man, try to keep their sanity as the living dead try endlessly to enter the house until they are laid to rest by burning or a severe blow to the head. As they listen to news reports of the zombie plague taking over the eastern United States, the ever-decreasing band of survivors loses ground in their battle to both keep peace with one another and stay alive.
Romero's low-budget, homegrown classic went from being unable to find a distributor to becoming one of the most influential horror films of all time. Aside from its visceral impact years before realistic gore became the fashion, the film is also important for its portrayal of a black man as the protagonist during a time when race relations were an extremely sensitive issue in the United States. Romero's choice for the ending of his film also made a shocking and bold statement about the issue.
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The Dead One

2009-10-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Starring John Mackay, Monica Davis
Director Barry Mahon
Studio PINNACLE VISION
Run time DVD: 1 hr 27 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 12.
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 11 Sep 2006
Production year: 1961

A voodoo priestess brings her brother back to life so he can kill her cousin's bride. The confused zombie kills the wrong woman and is bought back to life a second time to try and finish the deed.
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Demon Under Glass

2009-10-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

Starring Jason Carter, Garett Maggart, Jack Donner
Director Jon Cunningham
Studio STAX ENTERTAINMENT LTD
Run time DVD: 1 hr 51 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 15 Aug 2005
Production year: 2002

The pursuit of a serial killer leads to a deeper evil.

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Carnival of Souls

2009-10-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Starring Candace Hilligoss, Sidney Berger, Frances Feist, Herk Harvey, Stan Levitt, Art Ellison
Director Herk Harvey
Studio ORBIT MEDIA LTD.
Run time DVD: 1 hr 15 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Horror, Thriller
Language English
Subtitles French, German
Released DVD: 03 Sep 2001
Production year: 1962

Carnival of Souls was made in 1962 in Lawrence, Kansas for very little money, Herk Harvey's CARNIVAL OF SOULS has become legendary for its ability to create a tensely creepy atmosphere with virtually no special effects. A young woman (Candace Hilligoss) is involved in a car crash when her car falls off a bridge while drag racing with some friends. After she pulls herself from the river, she moves to a new town to take a job as a church organist. Meanwhile, a distinctly eerie and hollow-faced man in a black suit seems to be following her wherever she goes. The effective organ score enhances the film to great effect.
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The Fear 2: Halloween Night

2009-10-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

Starring Gordon Currie, Myc Agnew, Stacy Grant
Director Chris Angel
Studio UNIPIX ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 30 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate TBC.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 24 Jan 2008
Production year: 1999

On Halloween weekend Mike Hawthorn has invited his girlfriend, Peg, and some other friends to stay at his family's country retreat where they intend to party till dawn dressed in costumes that represent each individual's deepest, darkest fears. The Halloween party is set to be great fun, until Mike meets an old family friend, an American Indian named Crow. Crow has other plans for Mike, namely to prepare him for an ancient ceremony using an antique wooden mannequin nicknamed Morty...T
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Flesh For The Beast - UNCUT

2009-10-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Starring Jane Scarlett, Sergio Jones, Clark Beasley Jr., Jim Coope, David Runco
Director Terry West
Studio STAX ENTERTAINMENT LTD
Run time DVD: 1 hr 30 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.
Genres Horror
Released DVD: 04 Apr 2005
Production year: 2003

Almost one hundred years after the death of Alfred Fischer, an occultist who conjured up evil demons that hunted human prey, a group of para-psychologists enter his manor and they don't have to wait long for evil to re-emerge...
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Camp Blood

2009-10-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

Starring Jennifer Ritchkoff, Michael Taylor, Tim Young, Bethany Zolt
Director Brad Sykes
Studio PRISM LEISURE
Run time DVD: 1 hr 13 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 17 Jun 2002
Production year: 1999

CAMP BLOOD is a slasher film with some "campy" humour to keep most fans of this genre happy
When a group of friends go on a camping trip in the woods at a site the locals have nicknamed "Camp Blood," a psycho soon shows up wearing a clown mask and ready for a killing spree. Not for the clown-phobic...
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Cat O"Nine Tails

2009-10-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

Starring James Franciscus, Karl Malden, Catherine Spaak, Horst Frank, Pier Paolo Capponi, Rada Rassimov
Director Dario Argento
Studio PLATINUM MEDIA DISTRIBUTION
Run time DVD: 1 hr 47 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 10 Jun 2002
Production year: 1971

Dario Argento's second directorial effort (and the centerpiece of the "animal trilogy" of giallos--or mystery/thrillers--which includes BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET) is a murder mystery infused with the filmmaker's trademark graphic violence. Karl Malden stars as a blind man with a talent for solving puzzles who parteners with reporter Carlo Giordani (James Franciscus) to launch a private investigation into a string of strange murders, The killer soon becomes wise to the duo's plans and will do whatever it takes to stop them from reporting to the police.

Doll Graveyard

2009-10-18T04:25:00.000-07:00

Starring Anna Brock, Jared Kusnitz, Gabrielle Lynn, Kristyn Green
Director Charles Band
Studio FILM 2000
Run time DVD: 1 hr 25 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 21 Aug 2006
Production year: 2005

Former Full Moon impresario Charles Band directs the low-budget horror flick DOLL GRAVEYARD. The bloody gore fest opens in 1905 as a lonely 12-year-old, Sophia (Hannah Marks), dies at the hands of her abusive father (Ken Lyle) and is buried in the backyard along with her four sinister-looking dolls. One hundred years later, Sophia's vengeful ghost returns to the house to protect the new owner's equally lonely son, Guy (Jared Kusnitz), from the taunts of his older sister's jock friends by possessing the dolls' bodies and unleashing a campy orgy of violence. Supported by surprisingly effective puppet-oriented special effects, DOLL GRAVEYARD is a worthy addition to the Band oeuvre.

Jigsaw

2009-10-18T04:16:00.000-07:00

Starring Barret Walz, Aimee Bravo, Mia Zifkin
Director Don Adams, Harry James Picardi
Studio FILM 2000
Run time DVD: 1 hr 29 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Horror
Language English
Released DVD: 05 May 2001

A mannequin becomes the subject for an art class. Each student becomes responsible for decorating a small piece of the doll. One night the students burn the doll after a heavy drinking session. Then one by one the students find themselves stalked and killed...

Jeepers Creepers 2

2009-10-18T02:47:00.000-07:00

Starring Ray Wise, Jonathan Breck, Garikayi Mutambirwa, Eric Nenninger, Nicki Lynn Aycox
Director Victor Salva
Studio PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Run time DVD: 1 hr 35 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Audio Descriptive, Horror
Language English, English Audio Description
Released DVD: 16 Jan 2004
Production year: 2003

The prehistoric winged creature known as the Creeper is back in JEEPERS CREEPERS II, on a savage eating binge before hibernating for another 23 years. His first victim is local farm boy Billy Taggert (Shaun Fleming), whose shocked father Jack (wild-eyed Ray Wise) watches, as his son disappears amidst rustling corn husks. Taggert scours the surrounding area for clues, but the Creeper (Jonathan Breck) has moved to its next target: a school bus full of basketball players. The Creeper watches.while jocks Jake Spencer (John Hammond) and Scott Braddock (Eric Nenninger) tease gay high school journalist Izzy Bohen (Travis Schiffner) and clairvoyant cheerleader Minxie Hayes (Nicki Lynn Aycox), The bus breaks down on East 9 Highway and the Creeper pounces, using supernatural powers to sniff out his victums to suit his rather finicky tastes. Token nerd Bucky (Billy Aaron Brown) gets a radio signal over to Taggert, the bereaved dad who is now determined to seek revenge and is carrying the one weapon that may be a match for the evil Creeper.
Like the original JEEPERS CREEPERS, director Victor Salva's sequel is several cuts above average horror fare. The director has demonstrated a natural flair for classic film making and makes frequent references to THE BIRDS, bringing Hitchcock's quiet dread to a no-holds-barred, adrenaline-boosting horror film modelled after the FRIDAY THE 13TH, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, and SCREAM series.

Knowing

2009-09-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Starring Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Chandler Canterbury, Ben Mendelsohn, Adrienne Pickering, Tamara Donnellan, Brett Robson, Jayson Sutcliffe

Director Alex Proyas

Studio E1 ENTERTAINMENT

Run time DVD: 1 hr 56 mins

Certificate

Genres Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller

Language English

Released DVD: 03 Aug 2009

Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage (Book of Secrets, National Treasure - Leaving Las Vegas) stars in KNOWING, a stunning thriller about a professor who discovers bizarre yet accurate predictions about the future and sets out to prevent them from coming true. Similar in vein to the film "The Day After Tomorrow"

Rose Byrne (Damages, Troy), Chandler Canterbury (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Lara Robinson (Saved) also star in director Alex Proyas' (I, Robot)

gripping new movie. Must be seen.

Reeker

2009-09-06T02:14:00.000-07:00

/Starring Devon Gummersall, Derek Richardson, Arielle Kebbel, Michael Ironside

Director Dave Payne

Studio PATHE DISTRIBUTION

Run time DVD: 1 hr 27 mins

Certificate 18

Genres Horror

Language English

Released DVD: 13 Nov 2006

Production year: 2006

A group of strangers are traveling together, but their car breaks down and they end up trapped at an eerie travel oasis in the desert All radio contact has gone and there"s no mobile signal. As night falls, a devastating sequence of events unfolds and they must solve the mystery behind their visions while they are preyed upon by a mystery creature. .

Raging Bull

2009-09-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

Starring Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci

Director Martin Scorsese

Studio MGM ENTERTAINMENT

Run time DVD: 2 hrs 4 mins

Blu-ray: 2 hrs 3 mins

Certificate 18

Genres Drama

Language English

Dubbed French, German, Italian, Spanish

Released DVD: 27 Nov 2000

Production year: 1980

Director Martin Scorsese's personal approach to film making is taken to a whole new level in this film.Shot in black and white, Scorsese tells the story of middleweight boxer Jake La Motta, stunningly played by Robert De Niro, in an Oscar-winning performance. La Motta rises through the ranks to attempt his first shot at the middleweight crown but he falls in love with Vickie (Cathy Moriarty), a gorgeous girl from his Bronx neighbourhood. Jake is unable to express his feelings which pours out in the ring and eventually takes over his life in his relationship with his brother, Joey (Joe Pesci). Irrational jealousy over Vickie, as well as an insatiable appetite, Jake descends into a downward spiral that costs him his title, his wife, and his relationship with Joey. As the out-of-control fighter, De Niro delivers one of the screen's most unforgettable performances. Pesci is just as intense as Joey, who finally realises that he is unable to tame his barbaric brother.

Scorsese and cinematographer Michael Chapman shoot the film with a flair that adds pumping energy to the boxing scenes and endless arguments that erupt whenever Jake is outside the ring adds to this intensity. Coupled with Thelma Schoonmaker's stunning editing and the film's brave sound design, these scenes are the most brutally realistic depiction of boxing the cinema has ever seen. RAGING BULL is one of American cinema's masterpieces.

Armageddon

2009-08-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

Starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, Keith David

Director Michael Bay

Studio TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO

Run time DVD: 2 hrs 24 mins

Certificate

Genres Action/Adventure, Thriller

Language English

Subtitles English

Released DVD: 20 Aug 2001

Production year: 1998

The Earth has only eighteen days before it is obliterated by a meteor about the size of Texas - that is of couurse unless man intervenes. NASA's executive director realises that he has only one option - to land a handful of rougheck oil drillers onto the asteroid and get them to drop a nuclear warhead into its core... A fast paced action thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Cooler

2009-08-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

Starring William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Paul Sorvino, Estella Warren

Director Wayne Kramer

Studio PALISADES TARTAN

Run time DVD: 1 hrs 38 mins

Certificate

Genres Drama

Language English

Released DVD: 04 Oct 2004

Production year: 2003

Bernie Lootz (William H. Macey) seems to have the worst luck in town. This is made worse for him because that town happens to be Las Vegas. His old friend Shelly Kaplowitz (Alec Baldwin) hires him to work at the Shangri-La Hotel and Casino, where his bad luck rubs off on the gamblers who used to win well at the tables. Unfortunately Lootz isn't actually getting paid as he owes money to Shelly. He then meets Natalie (Maria Bello) and falls instantly in love--threatening to change his luck, Lady luck you might call it and Shelly doesn"t like it one bit. A quirky yet entertaining film directed by Wayne Kramer

The First 20 million

2009-08-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

Starring Adam Garcia, Rosario Dawson, Jake Busey, Enrico Colantoni, Ethan Suplee

Director Mick Jackson

Studio 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Run time DVD: 1 hrs 41 mins

Certificate

Genres Comedy

Language English

Released DVD: 07 Jun 2004

Production year: 2002

This film is a fictional story about a young man Adam Garcia who gives up a slick marketing job in Silicon Valley to pursue his dream job working for himself, trying to invent and sell a $99 personal computer. At his lowest point, a sexy neighbour Rosario Dawson revitalises both his business and sexual appetite. The film is based on a best selling book by Po Bronson mocking the late 90s dot com boom.

Seven

2009-08-06T04:39:00.000-07:00

Starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, John McGinley

Director David Fincher

Studio ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO

Run time DVD: 2 hrs 2 mins

Certificate 18

Genres Thriller

Language English

Released DVD: 01 Dec 2008

Production year: 1995

Set in a gloomy unnamed city, The film features Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a retiring police detective, as he wraps up his final week on the job, reluctantly working with assertive newcomer Mills (Brad Pitt). When an obese man is found brutally murdered in his home, Somerset realizes this is no ordinary killing--someone tortured him because of his appetite. Murders, whose motives are the sins of greed and sloth soon follow, leading Somerset and Mills on a desperate search to find the unfathomable John Doe, who is responsible for these methodical murders. As the case builds to a startling conclusion, both Somerset and Mills become more involved than they ever could have foreseen.

Based on David Fincher's thriller SEVEN.

Celular

2009-08-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Starring Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Eric Christian Olsen, Jason Statham, William H. Macy, Jessica Biel

Director David R Ellis

Studio ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO

Run time DVD: 1 hrs 35 mins

Certificate

Genres Thriller

Language English

Released DVD: 31 Jan 2005

Production year: 2004

A young man receives a wrong number on his mobile. After taking the call, he is unwittingly entered into a high-stakes race against time to save a woman's life.

Not knowing the caller, Jessica Martin other than her hushed, panicked voice on the other end of the unreliable cell phone connection, Ryan is quickly thrust into a world of deception and murder on his frantic search to find and rescue her. Jessica's life depends on him, but what is waiting for him on the other side of the line, and what will it cost him to find out?

An exciting, fast paced film.

I Know Who Killed Me

2009-08-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

Starring Lindsay Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough, Brian Geraghty, Garcelle Beauvais, Spencer Garrett, Gregory Itzin,

Director Chris Sivertson

Studio ICON HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Run time 105 mins

Certificate 18

Genres Drama, Thriller, horror

Language English

Released DVD: 28 Jan 2008

Production year: 2007

Aubrey Fleming (Lindsay Lohan), a bright and promising young woman is kidnapped and tortured by a sadistic serial killer. After she manages to escape, the girl who regains consciousness in the hospital insists that she is not who they think she is (she looks very similar to Aubrey Fleming) and that the real Aubrey Fleming is still out there and in mortal danger. A very dark and sadistic film set in idyllic small town America.

Secrets of the Phantom Caverns

2009-07-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

Starring: Robert Powell, Timothy Bottons, Lisa Blount

Studio: Rank film distributors

Year of Release: 1984

Format: VHS pal colour

DVD: Not available

Genre: Cult horror

Certificate: 15

Language: English

Run time: 88mins

"Wolf" Wolfson and George Barwell meet unexpectedly in South America, escape from mercenaries and travel to Spain when Wolf has been hired to blow a hole in a mountainside so that part of the "Omega" transmitter system can be installed in an unexplored cave system.

The only obstacle is a group of anthropologists but they are quickly removed and Wolf blows the hole. Colonel Stevens sends men and equipment into the caves. That night, two soldiers guarding a sonic tester disappear after a scream was heard over the radio. Wolf needs professional help to explore the caves and uses the anthropologists.

Deep in the caves, they experience wonders they have never seen before -- glowworms, formations of breathtaking beauty, a cave filled with mist. But danger awaits them -- for what was watching the missing soldiers is now watching them, destroying their trail markers and waiting for the right moment to attack.

Saw ll

2009-07-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

Starring Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Myer, Tobin Bell, Lyriq Bent, Tim Burd, John Fallon, Franky G, Erik Knudsen, Beverley Mitchell, Tony Nappo

Director Darren Lynn Bousman

Studio ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO

Run time 89 mins

Certificate 18

Genres Horror, Thriller

Language English

Released DVD: 27 Mar 2006

Production year: 2005

Jigsaw, the warped, disturbed deviant is back for another round of horrifying life-or-death games. When a new murder victim is discovered left with Jigsaw's trademark signs, Detective Eric Mathews (Donnie Wahlberg) begins a full investigation, finds and questions Jigsaw (who turns out to be an old man suffering with terminal cancer) with little success. But for Jigsaw, getting caught is just another part of his audacious plan. Eight more of his victims are already fighting for their lives - and now it's time for Mathews to join the game.. The dreaded ancient bathroom from the original Saw makes another appearance here.

Leon

2009-07-30T03:51:00.000-07:00

Starring Gary Oldman, Jean Reno, Natalie Portman

Director Luc Besson

Studio BUENA VISTA HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Run time 109 mins

Certificate

Genres Action/Adventure, Thriller

Language English

Released DVD:

Production year: 1994

A murder on the streets of New York leads to a deadly game of cat and mouse while an orphaned twelve-year-old girl becomes caught in the middle. Professional hit man (Gary Oldman) reluctantly agrees to to take her in and she persuades him to show her how to shoot.- with blank bullets of course. This unlikely pairing makes this film unusual and compelling.

Summer Things

2009-07-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Starring Carole Bouquet, Charlotte Rampling, Lou Doillon, Karin Viard, Jacques Dutronc, Michel Blanc, Clotilde Courau

Director Michel Blanc

Studio 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Certificate 15

Genres Comedy, World Cinema

Language French, English subtitles

Released DVD: 17 May 2004

Production year: 2002

Summer Things is a hilarious mix of small town snobbery, lust and infidelity.

When Elizabeth's husband comes up with every excuse to stay in Paris with his mistress, Elizabeth invites friend Julie, with her baby in tow, on holiday instead. On the other side of town, hard up neighbours, Vero, Jerome and son Loic, have to make do at a nearby caravan park & hating every minute. Meanwhile enjoying life in Chicago Liz & Bertrand"s Nympho. daughter, Emilie is partying with boyfriend kevin, unaware that he's embezzled money from her father"s firm to pay for the trip. Based on the Joseph Connolly novel.

MAX

2009-07-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

Starring John Cusack, Noah Taylor, Molly Parker, Leelee Sobieski

Director Menno Meyjes

Studio PATHE DISTRIBUTION

Run time 101 mins

Certificate 15

Genres Drama

Language English

Released DVD: 01 Mar 2004

Production year: 2002

MAX, directed by Menno Meyjes, stars John Cusack as the leading man, Max, a German-Jewish man who lost his right arm while fighting for his country during W W1. As a result, he cannot pursue his dream of becoming an artist. Instead, his love of art enables him to start a successful gallery that shows the work of many European modernist painters, At one of his gallery openings, Max meets a nervy young artist and fellow WWI soldier, named Adolf Hitler (Noah Taylor). Mainly out of a common bond, Max agrees to buy some of Hitler's work and encourages the frustrated painter to transfer his emotions onto canvas. However Hitler, disillusioned with his country"s ruined state begins flirting with politics and public speaking. As Max comes closer to selling his work, Hitler's interests take a turn that will change the course of world history.

Max, is very well portrayed by Cusack and In spite of his lost arm and his country's decline, he tries to remain optimistic and finds solace in his appreciation of art. A smart and unusual film that handles its sensitive subject matter well, MAX is an intriguing look at the lives of two men before they are irretrievably altered.

The Island

2009-07-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Starring Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan

Director Michael Bay

Studio WARNER HOME VIDEO

Certificate

Genres Action/Adventure, Audio Descriptive, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller

Language English, English Audio Description

Subtitles English, French, Spanish

Released DVD: 09 Jan 2006

Michael Bay director of (Pearl Harbour, Armageddon), brings us "The Island" survivors of a supposed global contamination live in sterile, self-contained bunkers where their every step is monitored. The rules are easy: be pleasant, don"t ask any difficult questions and don"t rock the boat. Everything they need is provided for them, from their white uniforms, to their pre-planned cafeteria-style meals. The survivors all eagerly await the big prize: winning the lottery and being sent to "The Island", the only remaining untainted land in the world... Or are they being sent there?

Spiderman 3

2009-07-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons
Director Sam Raimi
Studio SONY PICTURES
Run time 156 mins
Certificate 12
Genres Action/Adventure, Audio Descriptive, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Language English

Released DVD: 15 Oct 2007

Peter Parker and his alias superman continue where the amazing SPIDERMAN 2 left off. battling new strange and evil forces. The sandman is one new especially dangerous adversary and proves a big threat to the city. The other is an ex work colleague who has been infected with an other worldly black slime which has transformed him into an evil spiderman like creature. He colludes with the sandman to try to kill spiderman. Can spiderman enlist the help of his former school friend who also has special powers to fight this new enermy?

News update: New Survivors series

2009-07-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

The new BBC Survivors series is currently being filmed in Birmingham. Click here for details.

Micheal Jackson - Moonwalker

2009-06-26T02:05:00.000-07:00

Starring: Michael Jackson, Sean Lennon, Joe Pesci, Brandon Adams, Kelly Parker
Director: Jerry Kramer, Colin Chilvers
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time: 88 mins
Certificate: PG
Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Music/Musical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Released: DVD: 04 Apr 2005
Production year: 1988

A story of the struggle between good and evil as a drug dealer tries to ply his trade to children. Set against a soundtrack of songs and dance numbers and special effects.

Constantine

2009-06-25T03:07:00.000-07:00

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Hounsou, Max Baker, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gavin Rossdale
Director: Francis Lawrence
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time: 116 mins
Certificate: 15
Genres: Action/Adventure, Horror
Released: DVD: 11 Jul 2005

Constantine tells the story of supernatural detective John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), who has literally been to hell and back.
Based on the DC/Vertigo comic book Hellblazer and written by Kevin Brodbin, Mark Bomback and Frank Capello,

House of Wax

2009-06-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

Starring: Paris Hilton, Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van Holt, Jared Padalecki
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time: 105 mins
Certificate: 15
Genres: Horror, Thriller
Language: English
Released: DVD: 03 Oct 2005
Blu-ray: 04 Dec 2006

A road-tripping group of Florida teenagers stop to camp near a small town where they discover an abandoned wax museum. While exploring this cobwebbed scary place, they find that the figures are not only strangely lifelike, but that the entire museum is actually all made of wax. If that wasn't enough, they encounter a couple of pretty unsettling characters who seem to be the only people around for miles. One is a redneck who collects roadkill, dumping the bodies of dead deer into a carcass swamp. The other is Bo (Brian Van Holt), a gas station attendant who lures the kids back to his house.

The Skeleton Key

2009-06-19T06:41:00.000-07:00

Starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard, Joy Bryant
Director Iain Softley
Studio UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK VIDEO RENTAL
Run time 100 mins
Certificate 15
Genres Horror, Thriller
Language English
Released DVD: 28 Nov 2005
Production year 2005

A young woman (KATE HUDSON) is hired to take care of an invalid at an old house in New Orleans but soon discovers rather morbid goings on involving the invalid"s wife and past (long deceased) occupants of the house. These are centred around a group of Voodoo practitioners and she has to battle against their evil curses.

The Hills have Eyes

2009-06-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Starring: Emilie de Ravin, Kathleen Quinlan, Vinessa Shaw
Director: Alexandre Aja
Studio: 20TH CENTURY FOX
Run time: 107 mins
Certificate: 18.
Genres: Horror
Language: English
Released: DVD: 26 Jun 2006
Blu-ray: 19 Nov 20

Driving through New Mexico on their way to California, the Carter family"s vehicle breaks down in the desert. They don"t realise they have entered dangerous enemy territory and soon realise that the people living in the hills aren't there to help... A film that is definitely NOT for the faint hearted.

The Omega Man

2009-06-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

Starring Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash
Director Boris Sagal
Studio WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time 94 mins
Certificate PG
Genres Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Language English
Released DVD: 29 Sep 2003
Production year: 1971

The future of mankind is in serious doubt as a result of a bacteriological war. Only a seemingly chosen few have survived the grizzly effects of germ warfare unharmed. A small enclave of healthy, determined survivors has formed a camp where they, for a while live peacefully. The other human survivors have turned into terribly disfigured mutants known as the "Family" who only walk the earth at night but have turned into ugily, grizzly predators. The last man alive (played by Charlton Heston) exists by gathering supplies by day from a deserted Los Angeles whose streets are strewn with the post-apocalyptic remnants of the super-funky '70s.
Based on Richard Matheson's novel "I Am Legend," and similar to the much later Will Smith movie of the same name

Kiss The Girls

2009-06-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

Starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Cary Elwes, Tony Goldwyn, Alex McArthur, Jay O. Sanders, Bill Nunn, Richard T. Jones, Brian Cox, Roma Maffia, Jeremy Piven, Gina Ravera, William Converse-Roberts, Justina Vail
Director Gary Fleder
Studio PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time 111 mins
Certificate 18
Genres Thriller
Language English
Released DVD: 05 Nov 2001
Production year: 1997

North Carolina police detective Dr. Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) searches for an elusive psychopath whose mission is to abduct young women but not necessarily kill them but "collect" them like trophies who he hides in a mysterious place in the woods. His quarry though, includes the detective's own law-student niece, so he has a race against time to find them. Kick boxing medical intern Dr. Kate McTiernan (Ashley Judd) who escaped the "collection," volunteers to help. The film is a nail biting yet formulaic thriller, based on the series of novels by James Patterson.

Saw

2009-06-02T04:34:00.000-07:00

Starring Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Ken Leung, Dina Meyer, Monica Potter, Leigh Whannell
Director James Wan
Studio ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO
Run time 102 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18
Genres Thriller
Language English
Released DVD: 21 Feb 2005

When Adam (Leigh Whannell) nearly drowns at the bottom of a decrepit bathtub, he awakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside an old disused bathroom which seems to have been turned into some kind of torture chamber. Someone else is in the room. Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) has also just regained consciousness and is chained to the opposite side of the room. A man is lying in a pool of blood between them after apparently shooting himself in the head with the pistol in his hand.
All they hear is the voice of the sinister person who put them in there give out instructions to aid their escape but sets a time limit. The clock on the wall is ticking though and Adam and Dr. Gordon piece together the clues left behind by this deranged criminal mind that has brought them together and finally realize that they, too, must make a seemingly impossible set of choices for their lives.

Silent Hill

2009-05-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

Starring Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Laurie Holden, Deborah Kara Unger, Kim Coates, Tanya Allen
Director Christophe Gans
Studio PATHE DISTRIBUTION LTD
Certificate 15
Genres Thriller
Language English
Released 4th September 2006

Adopted from the video game of the same name, SILENT HILL features Radha Mitchell (PITCH BLACK). She plays Rose Da Silva, a young mother whose adopted daughter Sharon talks about Silent Hill, the West Virginia mining town while she sleepwalks. Rose then takes Sharon there to try to find out why it haunts her dreams. but Silent Hill has been a deserted town since a series of underground coal fires 30 years ago (in 1974) The remaining residents turn out to be pretty nightmarish, having formed a medieval like cult -- evil being the operative word...

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

2009-05-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Starring Woody Allen, John Tormey, John Schuck, Dan Aykroyd, Helen Hunt
Director Woody Allen
Studio PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Certificate 12
Genres Comedy
Language English
Released 1st November 2004

THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION by Woody Alen is set in the 1940s. Partly a detective story, partly a comedy. Allen plays C.W. Briggs, an old-time insurance investigator who won"t get along with the bright new efficiency expert, Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt), hired to streamline his office's operations. This results in tit for tat quarreling. When a magician, played by the excellent David Ogden Stiers, hypnotizes them as part of his stage act, Briggs unwittingly becomes a jewel thief while also falling in and out of love with the much more confused Fitz, who is having a secret affair with the married head of the company (Dan Aykroyd). Mayhem erupts as a pair of brother detectives home in on the criminal, a sexy debutante comes on to Briggs, and Briggs and Fitz start suspecting each other.
The soundtrack, which features such 1940s jazz classics as Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington, is simply splendid.

Buy this film HERE!

American Splendor

2009-05-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

Starring Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, Chris Ambrose
Director Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Studio HIGH FLIERS
Run time 97 mins
Certificate 15
Genres Drama
Language English
Released 21st May 2004

AMERICAN SPLENDOR is about Harvey Pekar, the downtrodden yet hilarious Cleveland comic book artist, titled after Pekar's autobiographical series. Played by actor Paul Giamatti, Pekar also appears as himself, giving the film a documentary feeling with some behind-the-scenes on-set shots. Directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini maintain this balance between the actors and the real-life characters--Pekar's wife Joyce and workmate Toby also appear on set as themselves--while creating a funny, but heartwarming tale that contains Pekar's life, work, and uniquely weird perspectives.
Peckar is a pessimistic file clerk with no hope of ever improving his lot in life, his boring job, scruffy apartment, and bad attitude. Amazingly set in his ways, Pekar's constant self-doubt is clearly a front for his prolific interests in music and art. When his friend Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak) gets his big break as a comic book artist, Pekar decides to try his hand at the craft. Though he can't draw, his stories are good, and Crumb agrees to illustrate the pictures. Soon several artists are illustrating Pekar's American Splendor series, and the comic book's readership grows. The film streams through the events of Pekar's life--meeting wife Joyce Brabner, appearing on David Letterman*s TV show, battling with cancer, and adopting a daughter--always showing Pekar's no-frills outlook on life. AMERICAN SPLENDOR is a creative and punchy film and invites viewers into the odd world of Pekar and his comic-book persona.

Witness

2009-05-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

Starring Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Danny Glover, Josef Sommer, Lukas Haas, Alexander Godunov, Patti Lupone, Timothy Carhart, Viggo Mortensen, Brent Jennings, Ed Crowley, Angus MacInnes, Frederick Rolf, Jan Rubes, William Francis
Director Peter Weir
Studio PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time 108 mins
Certificate 15,
Genres Thriller
Language English
Released 2nd October 2000

An Amish boy and his mother are traveling across the country to see relatives but he witnesses a murder of a cop in the bathroom of a Philadelphia train station. A hardened cop (HARRISON FORD) takes him and his widowed mother back to their Amish farming community. There, hiding from his crooked bosses, he finds a simple, old fashioned yet seductive world where love is sure to blossom.
Academy Award Nominations: 8, including Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor--Harrison Ford. Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing.

I Am Legend

2009-05-19T04:31:00.000-07:00

Starring: Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Paradox Pollack, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan
Director: Francis Lawrence
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time: 96 mins
Certificate: 15
Genres: Audio Descriptive, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Language: English, English Audio Description
Released: 21st April 2008

I AM LEGEND, Richard Matheson's classic thriller is in it"s 3rd adaptation (after THE OMEGA MAN and THE LAST MAN ON EARTH) With this film from director Francis Lawrence (CONSTANTINE). Will Smith plays Robert Neville, the last survivor after a deadly virus wipes out the world"s population 1000 days earlier. Set in a post-apocalyptic New York, Neville who"s a scientist doctor, desperately works on a cure for remaining humans who have been turned into deadly creatures by the virus.

Wrong Turn

2009-05-18T05:50:00.000-07:00

Starring: Desmond Harrington, Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Sisto, Kevin Zegars, Lindy Booth
Director: Rob Schmidt
Studio: PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Run time: 81 mins
Certificate: 18
Genres: Horror
Language: English
Released: 2nd February 2004

WRONG TURN starring Eliza Dushku (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER).is a tense, suspense-packed horror film. When Chris (Desmond Harrington) is late for a job interview, he drives speedily through a backwoods dirt road, and ends up in a head-on collision with a group of teenage campers. The cars are write-offs so the group has no choice but to trek through the woods and seek help. After discovering a mysterious cabin, the unhappy campers realise they are in grave danger when they stumble upon a mixture of grotesque oddities and body parts, The freakish inhabitants of the nightmarish abode soon return and the intensity builds as the inbred, murderous cabin dwellers chase Chris and the campers, leading to some grisly scenes in the dense woodland, and a series of brutal, bloody set-pieces from director Rob Schmidt.
WRONG TURN takes similar backwoods horror flicks like TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and THE HILLS HAVE EYES as its inspiration, The film should appeal to older horror movie fans keen to revisit the movies from their youth. also to younger fans keen to witness some modern-day stalk-and-slash horror mayhem!

The Grudge 2

2009-05-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Starring: Amber Tamblyn, Jennifer Beals, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Edison Chen, Eve Gordon, Arielle Kebbel, Takako Fuji, Jenna Dewan, Joanna Cassidy
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Studio: UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK
Run time: 95 mins
Certificate: 15
Genres: Horror
Language: English
Released: 7th May 2007

Aubrey Davis (Amber Tamblyn) discovers that her sister Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar BUFFY EMPIRE SLAYER) has been admitted to hospital.in Japan. She immediately flies to Tokyo. Once there, she learns her sister's story and discovers that a fatal supernatural curse has been unleashed. Meanwhile two American schoolgirls, along with their Japanese friend discover an old burnt out house which turns out to have this curse. As the grudge spreads across the world, It claims a host of unsuspecting victims and refuses to go away... A very creepy film full of mystery.and suspense.

Spiderman 2

2009-05-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe,
James Franco, Alfred Molina, Daniel Gillies
Director: Sam Raimi
Studio: COLUMBIA TRI-STAR HOME VIDEO
Run time: 122 mins
Certificate: Certificate PG
Genres: Action/Adventure, Audio Descriptiion, Thriller
Released: 26th November 2004

In Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN 2, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) struggles to balance his everyday life with his alter ego as the superhero. He still carries the burden of keeping his crime-fighting identity from his friends and family--including his longtime love Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), his best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco), and his doting Aunt May (Rosemary Harris)--Parker also has to battle against a dangerous new adversary, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), a scientist driven crazy by experiments. He attaches powerful mechanical arms to himself and carries out his test for a new energy source but it goes horribly wrong, threatening to destroy the city.
When the deranged Octavius (AKA Doc Ock) forms a partnership with the vengeful Osborn, who blames Spider-Man for the death of his father, the wall-crawling hero is in for his biggest conflict yet. -- with some stunning special effects.

Resident Evil

2009-05-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez,James Purefoy,
Eric Mabius, Martin Crewes, Colin Salmon
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Studio: PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Certificate: 15 Run time: 96 mins
Genre: Horror Released: 2002

The vault, a secret underground facility located below Raccoon City, is sabotaged and a deadly virus is stolen. Alice (Milla Jovovich) is in the mansion that conceals another entrance to the Vault, She lies naked on the shower floor, except for the shower curtain. She can't remember anything but, as she dresses, she recalls memory fragments. Then, masked intruders burst through the windows. They tell Alice she is a Corporation agent living undercover in the mansion. She goes with them into the Vault to discover who sabotaged it. As they penetrate the Vault, trying to get to the Red Queen, the computer system at the heart of the facility, Alice and her confederates face many horrors--dead bodies suspended in water, blood-red flayed dogs, flesh-eating zombies, and 'the Licker', a dynamically mutating monster.

Basing RESIDENT EVIL on the popular video game, writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson delivers a tense, exciting science-fiction/horror film. Anderson and director of photography David Johnson shot the movie in rich silver-and-black, so that its few bursts of colour are striking--like the image of the blonde Milla Jovovich in a very short crimson dress, with a trailing veil, and black boots dragging a silver axe behind her.

The Cave

2009-05-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

Starring: Cole Hauser, Morris Chestnut, Eddie Cibrian, Rick Ravanello
Director : Bruce Hunt
Run time : 97 mins
Genres : Horror
Certificate: 18
Released: 2005

A group of scientists discover a series of underground caves in the ruins of a 13th Century Abbey, A group of divers are called in to investigate the caves but run into very strange flying reptile like creatures... a species not discovered before. This encounter turns out to have some very nasty consequences.

Watchmen

2009-05-14T02:21:00.000-07:00

Starring: Carla Gugino, Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman, Patrick Wilson, Jack Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode
Director: Zack Snyder
Studio: PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 163 mins
Certificate: 18"
Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Released: 27th July 2009

Director Zach Snyder"s WATCHMEN is a comic adaptation of a smart series from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. It revolves around a group of masked heroes who find their abilities banned in a future chaotic America. Someone starts to take down down the former heroes one by one, and a strange character named Rorschach, (who"s inherited his fathers wealth) begins to investigate.. A stunning movie with plenty of special effects but these don't detract from the storyline.
Out soon on DVD

Ashes to Ashes (1st series} BBCTV

2009-05-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

Starring: Philip Glenister, Keeley Hawes, Dean Andrews, Marshall Lancaster, Montserrat Lombard, Jonny Campbell, Bille Eltringham
Studio: CONTENDER ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Gene Hunt Swaps his old Ford Cortina for an Audi Quattro and blasts into the Eighties in the sequel to Life On Mars. DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) is back but he's no longer the so called 'Sheriff of Manchester'. Aided by his faithful sidekicks, Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster), and drawn to the excitment and intrigue of the London Met, Gene turns his attentions to taking on the 'southern nancy' criminal scum. He doesn"t though expect to be slung together with sexy and intelligent, DCI Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes). also a single mother to daughter Molly, Alex has rapidly risen through the ranks of the Met and uses psychological profiling to snare suspects. When Alex and her daughter are kidnapped she makes a brave attempt to escape. This results in a horrific accident. Alex suddenly finds herself in 1981 interacting with familiar characters, not just from her own life-time, but also from the detailed reports logged by Sam Tyler of all people (from the earlier Life on Mars) which Alex has previously spent months pouring over. Alex is ripped from her current (today"s) world of sexual equality and respect and finds herself opposite an arrogant fellow DCI in a Two Tone, New Romantic Eighties London with a soundtrack of The Human League, Adam & the Ants and Roxy music ringing in her ears.
Second series is currently showing on BBC1 Mondays 9pm.

1st series now available for rent on DVD at Lovefilm. (see advert)

Gia 1998

2009-04-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

starring: Angelina Jolie, Elizabeth Mitchell, Eric Michael Cole, Kylie Travis, Louis Giambalvo, John Considine, Scott Cohen
Director: Michael Cristofer
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time: 117 mins
Certificate: 18
Genres: Drama, Gay/Lesbian
Language: English
Released: 21st July 2008 (on DVD)

Brief Description of Gia
Gia Carangi, one of America's first supermodels,(Angelina Jolie),lives a hard life in the tough mean streets of 1970s New York City while treading the catwalks of the dog eat dog fashion industry. Unfortunately, she sucumbs to the temptations which often plague this world and tragically dies young.
This rather gritty drama was adapted by director Michael Cristofer and novelist Jay McInerney from the biography THING OF BEAUTY by Stephen Fried. This is on of Jolie"s early film appearances along with GIRLS INTERRUPTED.

Quarantine (2008)

2009-03-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Starring: Columbus Short, Jay Hernandez, Jennifer Carpenter, Johnathon Schaech, Marin Hinkle, Rade Serbedzija, Denis O'Hare, Steve Harris, Greg Germann, Joey King
Director: John Erick Dowdle
Studio: SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 89 mins
Certificate: 18 Genres: Audio Descriptive, Horror, Thriller

TV reporter Angelina Vidal (Carpenter) & her cameraman (Harris) have been assigned to spent time at a Los Angeles fire station. They follow the firemen to a routine 911 call to a small apartment block. Police officers have already arrived in response to agonising screams coming from one of the apartments. They soon realise that a woman living in the building has been infected by an unknown condition. The situation deteriorates rapidly and they become trapped. This is a remake of the Spanish film "Rec"

Brittish Film Sweeps the Academy awards 2009

2009-02-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

Brittish made film Slumdog Millionaire Sweeps the academy awards this year with no fewer than eight awards along with Kate Winslet who picks up her first long awaited oscar for "Best actress in a leading role" in the film The Reader.
The awards for Slumdog Millionaire are as follows:

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Original Song: “Jai Ho,” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; Slumdog Millionaire
Original Score: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Monster

2009-02-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Scott Wilson, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Annie Corley Lee Tergesen,
Director: Patty Jenkins
Studio: DEJ PRODUCTIONS
Run time: 104 mins
Released: 2004

Charlize Theron stars in this gritty drama based on a true store about prostitute, Aileen Wuornos who killed 6 men in 1989-90 (she was on death row for 12 years until eventually executed in 2002} She meets Selby Wall (Christine Ricci) in a lesbian club. Even though she"s not gay, she forms a relationship with Selby, a young runaway. Wuornos is spurred on by this new kind of love to get a real job but with no success. After too much humiliation, she goes back on the game. The first man she picks up tries to rape and kill her who she then shoots in self defence. Unfortunately fed up of being the victim all the time, She takes it out on the other men she picks up by robbing and shooting them dead. The killing spree ended after she shot entirely innocent Scott Wilson.
Heavily made up for the part as Wuornos, Charlize Theron is barely recognisable from her usual beauty as portrayed in films like THE ITALIAN JOB 2003 and THE DEVIL"S ADVOCATE 1997. One of the most memorable performances of a true story in film history.

Script was written by director: Patty Jenkins

The Bucket List

2009-02-13T05:23:00.000-08:00

Starring:: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Rob Morrow, Alfonso Freeman, Rowena King, Beverly Todd
Director: Rob Reiner
Studio: WARNER BROS. Run time: 97 mins Certificate: 12 2008

Brief description of The Bucket List
Edward Cole (Nicholson) is a billionaire tycoon who is currently sharing a hospital room with blue-collar mechanic Carter Chambers (Freeman). Though at first the pair seems to have little in common, conversation eventually reveals that both men have a long list of goals they wish to achieve before they 'kick the bucket'.and start to form a bond. But obviously they can't accomplish such ambitious objectives while being confined to a hospital bed, so now in order to live their lives to the absolute fullest Edward and Carter will have to make a break for it.

Girl Interrupted

2009-02-13T05:14:00.000-08:00

Starring: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea Duvall, Brittany Murphy
Director: James Mangold
Studio: UCA
Run time: 127 mins
Certificate: DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres: Drama
Language: English
Released: DVD: 14 Sep 2004
Production year: 1999

Taken from Kaysen's popular memoir, GIRL, INTERRUPTED director James Mangold (HEAVY, COPLAND.) Winona Ryder stars as Susana, a confused teenager whose lame attempt at suicide lands her in a psychiatric hospital. In there, she meets a motley mix of characters, including Lisa (Angelina Jolie), who at first wins Susana over with her uninhibited character. The pair form a tight friendship, but that connection is threatened when Lisa falls even further out of control. With Ryder and Jolie's solid acting, this picture makes compulsive viewing.

Cloverfield

2009-02-13T04:58:00.000-08:00

Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Lizzy Caplan,
Mike Vogel, Jessica Lucas, Odette Yustman,T.J. Miller,
Director: Matt Reeves
Studio: PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 90 mins
Certificate: 15
Released: 2008

Rob Hawkins is due to leave New York for Japan and his friends throw him a surprise party to see him off. But the festivities are suddenly interrupted when a mysterious fire blowing creature suddenly starts attacking the city. With only a hand-held camera Rob and a few of his friends set out to escape the destruction. The hand held camera style gives the picture gritty newsreel type realism, depicting tall buildings being destroyed by the creature, the army fighting this strange creature and general panic scenes: including shop looting and desperate rescue attempts are the order of the day.

American Beauty

2009-02-13T04:35:00.000-08:00

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Sam Roberts, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Allison Janney, Scott Bakula, Peter Gallagher, Chris Cooper
Director: Sam Mendes
Studio: DREAMWORKS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 117 mins Certificate: 18 2000

Brief description of American Beauty
AMERICAN BEAUTY is the story of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a suburban father who loses control when he becomes fed up with his repetitive life. Burnham tells us in voice-over from the film's opening that this is the day he dies (using the SUNSET BOULEVARD flashback approach), this adds an inevitable tension to events and keeps the story flowing forward at all times. Lester quits his job on a whim and regresses into young adulthood, lifting weights, smoking pot, and discovering the innocent sexuality of his 16-year-old daughter's best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). His wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), has her own midlife crisis. A real estate agent, she experiences a youthful awakening when super-agent Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher) seduces her repeatedly. Meanwhile, Jane (Thora Birch), the Burnhams' daughter, is spied on by Ricky (Wes Bentley), the mysterious boy next door who carries a video camera around with him at all times. When Ricky's father, Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper), discovers something potentially horrifying on one of his tapes, and when Carolyn's rage for Lester's actions boils over, the time bomb finally explodes..

Vacancy

2009-02-10T06:08:00.000-08:00

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Ethan Embry, Frank Whaley, Scott G. Anderson, Mark Casella, Norm Compton, Caryn Mower, David Doty,
Director: Nimród Antal
Studio: SONY PICTURES Run time: 80 mins Certificate: 15 2007

Brief Description of Vacancy
A young married couple break down in their car and are forced to stay at a creepy, isolated motel. The manager of the motel seems harmless at first but soon shows his true colours after they find hidden video cameras in their room. They realize that unless they escape, they'll be in grave danger of becomming the next victums of a snuff video.

Movie Industry Asks-Grandpa for $600,000 for Four Movies

2009-02-06T03:08:00.000-08:00

A 67-year-old man was sued by the movie industry for his 12 year old grandson's movie downloads. Apparently, the kid downloaded four movies - three of which they already owned. For this, the movie industry asked for a settlement of four thousand dollars. When the man refused, mainly because he didn't have four grand, they then sued for $600,000 to make an example of the poor old guy. Personally, I think it is an outrage that legal technicalities would be placed above human beings. Hollywood is always big on raising taxes to support the poor, but download their movies and they'll take grandpa and grandson out. I know they don't want people watching their movies for free, I get that, but hopefully reason will prevail in this case and grandpa will be let off the hook. If not, Hollywood has just taken up tactics reminiscent of the Nazi Gestapo.
It has been reported that illegal downloading costs the movie industry an estimated $5.4 billion a year, but I don't see how. The quality that I've seen in the past on movies that my friends downloaded is so bad I really don't see the point. I have spent a lot of money to have a big screen high definition television set. Why would I download a blurry movie? I mean if you are going to spend the money for a fancy TV, it's a pretty big waste not to have the store bought high quality DVD of your favorite movie. Most downloaded movies are caught by a camcorder in theatres. So you have to imagine the guy doing the recording is wavering back and forth the whole time. You also have to deal with noises from the audience. If you ask, me it's too nerve wracking to even sit through that.
As much as I empathize with Hollywood on protecting their turf, attacking their potential customers is not the way to go. Producing great products is the most logical course. Hollywood's movie box office slump this year is not caused by a bunch of 12 year olds downloading movies on the net. DVD sales, after all, are still very high. People want to watch movies on their big screen TV at home at their leisure. Besides, you pay the same amount to take your family to the movies as you do to buy a DVD you can watch over and over again. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you sell a product to your audience in the theatres or for their home use. The movie industry can't expect to have people paying to see all their movies at the theatre and turn around and buy the DVD too, unless the movie they are selling is of superior quality like a "Passion of the Christ", "Batman Begins", "Star Wars", etc. An increasing number of people are not going to rush to the theatre to get the same experience they can get at home.

Get dvds, movie posters, wallpaper, and movie news at http://movie-poster.ws/, and if your into television check out http://tvcrazy.net/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Frady

Survivors origional (1975-77) series & how it compares with the 2008 version

2009-02-02T05:17:00.000-08:00

My Own 5***** Raiting

In one of my earlier posts, I talked about the new series of Survivors which was shown on BBC1 late last year. It was a huge success & the BBC have commissioned a new series due out later this year. As some of you may know, this series is a remake of the original 70"s Survivors which ran for three seasons (1975-77) To my surprise and delight, I found this on utube, in fact nearly all the first series (13 episodes) apart from episodes 6 and 8 - and up to episode 8 in the 2nd. I remember it a little bit when it first came out but as I was only a small boy then the theme music used to give me nightmares.
The new series follows the basic story of the old one but there are a few important differences. I won"t mention most of them here though. but I will say that there are some new characters in the new one, probably to move on with the times. There"s also background music in the scenes, where as the old series had no music at all save for the very scary theme tune. Whether the old or new series is better is difficult to say. The original is obviously longer with 13 compared to 6. The special effects in the new one are better but it"s condensed down quite a bit. This is maybe why they"ve had to change some of the story lines. If I had to choose, I would go for the original. Having no background music in the filming doesn"t ruin the intensity of the situations that the characters often find themselves in. Also it hasn"t dated much at all and is as gripping as ever.

The 1st. 2nd & 3rd. series of Survivors is available to rent on DVD at Lovefilm which you can visit by clicking one of the adverts on this page.

by T. Dunn Copy@right 2009

Fight Club,

2009-01-27T09:20:00.000-08:00

Starring Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham-Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto, Edward Norton, Zach Grenier, Richmond Arquette
Director David Fincher
Studio 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time 134 mins
Certificate 18
Genres Action/Adventure
Language English
Released DVD: 06 Nov 2000

Rating ***** Thriller
FIGHT CLUB is narrated by (Edward Norton) who finds his only comfort is pretending to be terminally ill and attending disease support groups. Drifting from group to group, he meets another pretender, or tourist, e Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), who immediately gets under his skin. However, while returning from a business trip, he meets a more intriguing character -- Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). They become fast friends, over a shared dislike for big business consumer-culture hypocrisy. With this, the two start Fight Club, which meets in a bar basement where angry men get to play out their frustrations in brutal, bare-knuckle duals. Fight Club soon becomes the men's only real priority; when the club starts a cross-country expansion, things start to get really crazy.
Like Tyler Durden himself, director David Fincher's FIGHT CLUB, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, is startlingly aggressive and mischievous as it attacks the superficiality of American pop culture.Great performances by Norton and Pitt are supported by a razor-sharp script and a plethora of stunning visual effects including computer animation and slick editing. One of the most stand out films of the late 20th century, FIGHT CLUB is a black comedy of un-nerving intensity

"Lost in Translation" Makes the Meaning of Life Sound Elusive: by Ed Bagley

2009-01-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

Lost in Translation ' 2 Stars (Average)
"Lost in Translation" was written and directed by Sofia Coppola and won enough awards to fill a grocery cart.

The independent film earned Sofia Coppola an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and also had 2003 Oscar nominations for Best Picture (won by "The Lord of the Rings, the Return of the King", bad timing for Sofia), Best Director (won by Peter Jackson for Lord of the Rings) and Bill Murray as Best Actor (won by Sean Penn in "Mystic River").
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" lost the same nomination as Murray. I would have voted for Johnny Depp as Best Actor rather than Sean Penn.
Sofia Coppola's creation also won Golden Globe awards for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Actor (Bill Murray), and earned nominations for Best Director and Best Actress (Scarlett Johansson).
The Oscar win was among 70 wins and 58 more nominations. To say Sofia Coppola's creation was lauded by the critics would be a huge understatement.
Seeing this film, I would not have guessed it would have won so many awards.
Sofia Coppola wrote the lead role specifically for Bill Murray, and later said that if Murray turned it down, she would have scrapped the project.
She was nothing if not persistent in recruiting Murray for the role. In 1999, Murray apparently replaced his talent agency with a voice mailbox and an 800 number he gives out sparingly.
Coppola reportedly left hundreds of messages before Murray finally called back to discuss her offer to cast him as the star. Coppola apparently knows something about selecting actors who win awards.
Lost in Translation follows Bob Harris (Bill Murray), a fading American film actor with a humdrum marriage, who is in Tokyo to do a Japanese whiskey commercial. He meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a recently college graduate in philosophy and the bored wife of a photographer doing a shoot in Tokyo.
They develop an unlikely friendship when the language barrier, Japanese culture and their own discontent surfaces. When it is time for them to resume their normal lives, leaving becomes difficult.
I give Sofia Coppola a lot of credit for not writing into the script a sexual relationship between the two. In Hollywood this would be like taking the financier's money and not worshipping at his or her feet.
Coppola had it her way because this independent film cost only $4 million to make, was filmed in 27 days and grossed $44.5 million at last count.
The opening of the film has a lingering shot of Scarlett Johansson (as Charlotte) lying in bed sideways in her panties. Johansson was apparently reluctant to film the shot until Sofia Coppola modeled the panties herself. c
Thankfully, this opening was not a precursor to the film, which sought to explore a more important issue: the meaning of life. As two unhappy individuals in their roles, both Murray and Johansson struggle to find real meaning in their current circumstances.
What happens in their exploration is really nothing special. As a viewer I was waiting to see where their relationship was going because they came to no conclusions together, or on their own.
Therein is why I gave this film an average rating rather than a good or excellent rating. I wanted real substance in this film that I could relate to in my everyday life, and I was left wanting.
How odd is it that Bob and Charlotte never introduce themselves to each other despite spending days together contemplating their mutual miserable situations? This makes no sense to me whatsoever, and does not ring true in real life.
Despite winning an Oscar for her original screenplay, Sofia Coppola does not give the substance I expect. Hollywood pours out awards for her effort, and to me it only reflects why Hollywood is called Tinseltown, all show, confusion and stress without real substance.
Ultimately, both characters are seeking meaning in their lives.
One viewer wrote this about the film, "Overall the film is just perfect. The acting, the direction, the soundtrack, plot, themes, humor, visuals . . . what's not to like?"
What's not to like is this: People who seek true love seldom find it. People who seek the perfect mate never find the perfect mate. People who seek to find the true meaning of life seldom find it.
The reason is simple: you do not bring meaning to your life by seeking meaning in your life, you bring meaning to your life by giving meaning to your life. Life does not come to you, you come to life, or you become an unhappy, dissatisfied person.
When we blame others we give up our ability to change.
Lost in Translation has some great scenes of Tokyo, but like pictures in a photo album, they only reflect the meaning you bring to them.
Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

About The Author
Ed Bagley's Blog Publishes Original Articles with Analysis and Commentary on 5 Subjects: Sports, Movie Reviews, Lessons in Life, Jobs and Careers, and Internet Marketing. Read my 3-part series on "Secrets Men Don't Want Women to Know". Find my Blog at: http://www.edbagleyblog.com/ http://www.edbagleyblog.com/LessonsinLife.html

Lovefilm: An excelent home movie rental & retail site!

2009-01-16T03:39:00.000-08:00

My own 5 Star rating for service, & choice: Highly recommended

I have been waiting to write about Lovefilm which is really good with 1000"s of film titles to pick from, you"re really spoilt for choice. I"ve been a member now for 6 weeks & I must say I"m very impressed. For less than 9 pounds 99p per month for instance [which it is now with the new VAT rate] you can hire as many films as you like as long as you have just one DVD at a time. There"s no worries about late returns because it"s self regulating: you don"t get sent a new movie until you"ve sent back the the one that you last watched. The DVD"s come in small dvd pouches so you don"t have to worry about a bulky packet fitting through your letterbox & you return it with the attached pre-paid envelope. You can also buy or download films as well.
To choose DVD"s to rent, it"s really simple: you just click on the films you want & they appear on your rental list & you just choose high medium or low priority " Lovefilm will send the highest priority films first. The service is very quick: by return of post so it"s possible to rent two films a week if you watch them strait away. I"m never that quick so I haven"t had that many out just yet. After you"ve watched them you can rate them 1 to 5 stars or even write a review.
PS: All the films & TV series reviewed on this page are available from Lovefilm
Article by Tony Dunn @Copyright 2009

"The Departed" Is Best Mob Film Since Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" in 1972

2009-01-16T03:16:00.000-08:00

The Departed – 4 Stars (Excellent)

Let me get to the most important thing first: Director Martin Scorsese won an Oscar for "The Departed".
Scorsese, one of the most accomplished directors of our era, has been nominated for 7 Oscars-5 for Best Director and 2 for Best Screenplay-before winning with The Departed.
He had also received 7 Golden Globe nominations-6 for Best Director and 1 for Best Screenplay-and won for Gangs of New York before winning again for The Departed this year (2007).
The Departed is simply the best mob film since Mario Puzo's original Godfather in 1972.
Besides Scorsese, The Departed won for Best Picture, Best Screenplay (William Monahan) and Best Editing (Thelma Schoonmaker), giving The Departed 4 Oscar wins to The Godfather's 3 (Marlon Brando for Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola).
Mark Wahlberg was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Sgt. Sean Dignam.
The Departed also picked up 45 more wins and another 45 nominations, including another win for Scorsese (Best Director) and nominations for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Best Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg) at the Golden Globes.
In short, The Departed brought home more hardware than a Home Depot shopping spree.
The icing on the cake for Scorsese was his best box-office opening ever ($26 million), his highest grossing film ever with $132 million nationally and $288 million worldwide through March 2007, and $48 million more in VHS rentals. The film's budget was $90 million.
The all-star cast of DiCaprio (Billy Costigan), Matt Damon (Sgt. Colin Sullivan), Jack Nicholson (Frank Costello), Wahlberg (Sgt. Sean Dignam), Martin Sheen (Capt. Oliver Queenan) and Alec Baldwin (Capt. George Ellerby) did not hurt a lick.

The story takes place in Boston where Irish Mob boss Frank Costello (Nicholson) embeds Colin Sullivan (Damon) as an informant with the Massachusetts State Police. Simultaneously, the State Police assign Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) to infiltrate Costello's crew.
When both sides figure out the situation, it is left to Sullivan and Costigan to discover each other's identity.
Along the way, 22 people get whacked (this is a Mob flick), the "f" word is used 237 times (about 235 times too many), and we get a study in relationship psychology as the only real love interest-Madolyn Madden-is a criminal psychiatrist who is wooed by both rivals.
The Departed kept my attention riveted for 151 minutes. The three main characters (Costello, Sullivan and Costigan) all show their anguish in balancing survival, winning and conquering the moment.
There are apparently two versions of this film. I saw the longer version that is rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, and some strong sexual content and drug material.
This film is not for children or young adults, not that young adults do not hear the same "f" word dozens a time a day at high schools all over the country, but who needs the "f" word 237 times in 2.5 hours? Nobody.
I managed to tune out the cussing and concentrate on the story, acting and presentation that were excellent for an action flick with Mob presence.

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

About The Author

Ed Bagley's Blog Publishes Original Articles on Current and Past Events with Analysis and Commentary on Movie Reviews, Sports, Lessons in Life, Movies, Sports, Jobs and Careers and Internet Marketing intended to Delight, Inform, Educate and Motivate You the Reader. Find Ed's Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/MovieReviewArticles.html
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/LessonsinLifeArticles.html

Survivors: 2008 BBC1 - Including my views of such a scenario

2008-12-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

Post-apocalyptic drama
Created by Adrian Hodges and Terry Nation
Directed by John Alexander
Andrew Gunn
Starring Julie Graham as Abby Grant
Max Beesley as Tom Price
Paterson Joseph as Greg Preston
Nikki Amuka-Bird
Phillip Rhys as Al Sadiq
Zoe Tapper as Dr. Anya Raczynsk

I was taken by surprise by this series because I didn"t realise that it was on till the last episode [episode 6] but I"ve been able to catch up on the previous episodes on BBC i player.
Anyway, the series follows a small, plucky group of people who survive after a catastrophic virus wiped out over 99.9% of the world"s population. This happened in a matter of days so the government didn"t realise how serious it was until it was too late and essential health, fire & police services, including radio & TV quickly came to an end. So many people were lost that the remaining survivors didn"t know a living soul left alive. Not just loved ones & friends but almost everybody they"d ever met or seen before - at the local newsagent, supermarket, through work, in the pub etc. Luckily, this small group of strangers met purely by chance & quickly banded together which is realistic considering how humans behave in times of great loss: [9 11 anybody?] They quickly learned that it wasn"t just essential services but civilisation itself had simply ceased to exist. Food kept in fridges & freezers would perish in a matter of hours after the power went off. Running water was cut off shortly after power because water has to be pumped using electricity.
The towns were unsafe because rats & decaying bodies would spread disease & would probably flood anyway if the drains became blocked by debris. [In my town it would definitely flood because we rely on pumping stations as much of the area is so close to or below sea level]
Every man made product will have been produced & designed using the skills of people from a wide variety of professions & trades. Would anybody know how to make a candle for example?
What about medical attention with hardly any doctors or nurses left. The series will attempt to answer a lot of these questions
This series is a re-image of the original 70"s drama created by Terry Nation

New release DVD: out January this year.
available at Lovefilm

by Tony Dunn @copyright 2009