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Live Gig Reviews: Tim Key and Ramona
9th March | 0 comments | 2 people like this
In between going to the cinema I do get a bit of time for other activities. Sometimes I dream about eating crisps with Bruce Willis (true story) and sometimes I have a little walk. But recently I’ve taken in a couple of live gigs. The first is stand up comedy (of a kind) and the second is live music.
Tim Key
Mr Key first came to my attention on Charlie Brooker’s Screen... -
Review: Alice in Wonderland – Dear Tim
8th March | 6 comments | 2 people like this
Dear Tim Burton,
I went to see your new film at the weekend. Alice in Wonderland. In 3D. With a Disney stamp on it and that lady who worked on Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King behind the writing desk.
Now, I’m not a 3D-sceptic Tim, let’s get that straightened out. I like the depth it gives to the images, and I like the clarity of picture you get with... -
Reviews: Solomon Kane and Wolf Hound
25th February | 6 comments | 1 person likes this
Both of these movies are fantasy epics with swords and sorcery and all that jazz, but only one of them is worth seeing. But which?
Solomon KaneI was actually pleasantly surprised by this film, if only because I went in expecting to witness a macho, blood-covered gore/bore-fest. My expectations were met, but I rather enjoyed the ride.Solomon Kane is based on a series of trashy stories and a subsequent set of... -
Rubbish Classics Part 2: The 13th Warrior and The Specialist/Assassins
19th February | 3 comments | 1 person likes this
Remember VHS tapes? They were those massive black things, as thick as nearly 20 DVDs (trust me, I just did a comparison) that provided grainy pictures and had the fatal flaw of deteriorating over time. This meant that your favourite films would die a slow death whilst rubbish ones sat on the shelf in pristine condition. Remember pausing VHS tapes? You couldn’t see anything for the blur and screen tearing....
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Review: Youth in Revolt – Michael Cera and Mr Hyde
9th February | 5 comments | 3 people like this
There are some things about Youth in Revolt that makes it feel like a Cohen brothers’ movie. It’s not just that it has Steve Buscemi in it. The whole atmosphere is surreal, the characters are more accurately described as caricatures and the dark, damaged hearts of seemingly straight-laced Americans are always visible just beneath the surface. If you strip away the plinky plonky acoustic soundtrack and the completely unnecessary animated...
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Review: Go Fast - Partis en 60 secondes
4th February | 2 comments | 1 person likes this
Go Fast is one of the few films that actually lives up to its title in every conceivable way. It’s about undercover narcotics cops in France, who literally get involved in something called a ‘Go-fast’. Since the people making the subtitles couldn’t pause the film to explain what precisely this ‘go-fast’ meant, and since the French characters are literally using the two English words ‘go’ and ‘fast’, I can only...
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Reviews: A Prophet, Ninja Assassin & Up in the Air – Quality’s Rainbow
1st February | 7 comments | 3 people like this
The three films under scrutiny here are difficult to speak about at length, but for quite different reasons. Hence their being mushed into a single article.
A Prophet
It’s hard to talk about A Prophet without spoiling it for people who haven’t seen it yet. It is complex without being confusing, familiar without being formulaic and violent without being vulgar. Go and see it if you still can. Or get the Mesrine... -
Review: The Book of Eli – righteous indignation
26th January | 12 comments | 3 people like this
I’m not entirely sure how to start on this one. I think I’ll jot down my thoughts about The Book of Eli as a film first, and then get on to the actual message. Check out Angelique Moon’s response for a very different perspective. And watch out for minor spoilers in this review. It might be worth seeing the movie first, although I wouldn’t recommend it.
So The Book of Eli... -
Reviews: The Road and Daybreakers
21st January | 9 comments | 3 people like this
The snow kept me away from the cinema for quite a while. As such I’ve been a little late in seeing The Road and Daybreakers, but going back into the warm, dark womb of the movies was refreshing after a bit of a break. And thankfully my wit has not been dulled. In case you were wondering.
The Road
Having not read the book, I now wish I had. I imagine that... -
Rubbish Classics Part 1: Loaded Weapon 1 and Beverly Hills Ninja
15th January | 6 comments | 3 people like this
Debate over whether a film is good or bad is usually pointless*, because at the end of the day the movie industry is about making money, and though artistic value and box office returns are not mutually exclusive, only one of the two is ensuring that a 3rd Michael Bay Transformers movie is on the way. Can you guess which?
But despite the shrivelled, stilted, cynical eyes† through which I view...
CONTRIBUTOR
Joe West
Joe is a writer based in the UK. He is passionate about films, as well as video games and literature, and regularly blogs about new releases as well as forgotten classics and undiscovered gems from around the globe. Sometime's you'll find his posts peppered with fruity, pretentious language, but he means well.
