December 30, 2021

Too many films on

Today I watched Deep Impact, The Karate Kid, Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull (it's still shit), A Knight's Tale, Aliens and will quite possibly watch Hell Or High Water next.

All these people who say the days between Christmas and New Year's Day suck need to get themselves onto a couch and watch the 10000 films TV channels are showing all day. It's a cinematic cornucopia. There's too much on. 4 and 5 films to choose from whenever you turn on the telly. C'mon, we shouldn't be going anywhere anyway so lash in. Rewatch a few faves, discover a few new ones. 

Don't feel one bit guilty about it either. Fuck that noise.

December 24, 2021

Feliz Navidad

Happy christmas to the 5 people who'll see this. Ye make my little hobby worthwhile.



December 20, 2021

Best 10 of the year

2021 was a bad year for cinemas but a fine year for films. Here's my top 10 that were released in Ireland in 2021. Please don't well actually me about the release dates. I really don't care :D

Riders Of Justice

My favourite film of the year so far. An exceedingly dark Danish family/comedy/gangster thriller about the aftermath of a disaster that's filled with moments that would appall you while making you snort laughing. Mads Mikkelsen is perfect in it.

Arracht

Hunger and frustration end in tragedy and a man has to go on the run in the west of Ireland during an Gorta Mór. Eventually he finds something to live for. A powerful and moody Irish drama that doesn't go for easy targets.

Hunter Hunter

A vicious and well crafted survival horror with a final shot that would haunt your dreams for days after. Those dreams we've all had of leaving everything behind and going to live off the grid. Yeah... they'll dissipate fast after this.

Quo Vadis, Aida

A look at the 1995 Srebrenica massacre from the POV of a UN translator trying to save her family. A haunting, brilliantly acted look at a horrifying time, that thankfully leaves all the brutality to your imagination. Which somehow makes it even worse. Jasna Đuričić's performance is a stunner.

The Kid Detective

Abe Applebaum. Kid Detective. A hero as a child. A disaster as an adult. A darkly funny mystery about the failures that haunt us and keep us in a state of arrested development. A genuine surprise. Adam Brody will blow you away.

Old Henry

Henry and his son help a wounded man they find on their farm. A wounded man being chased by men who underestimate Old Henry. A slowburn western that will leave fans of the genre absolutely buzzing. Tim Blake Nelson is amazing in the eponymous role.

Censor

A woman working for the British Board Of Censorship during the Video nasty moral panic finds her life bleeding into her job and vice-versa. Niamh Algar is great in a psychological horror that's obviously a labour of love for director Prano Bailey-Bond.

Blue Bayou

Antoine is a Korean American who's naturalisation paperwork was never fixed and now he faced deportation from the land he calls home. A brutally upsetting indictment of the so called American dream. Justin Chon and Alicia Vikander are aces here.

The Boys From County Hell

Bags of cans. Bulls. Impalement. Immigration. Bleeding eyeballs. That one head the ball we all grew up with. Oh and vampires. An Irish comedy horror that's both hilarious and absolutely terrifying. One I'd have loved to have seen in a packed cinema. 

Passing

The story of two light skinned Black women in the 1920's who can pass for white and the heartache they face when their lies are found out. A beautiful looking but heartwrenching look at the absolute pointlessness of bigotry. Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson are stunning here.

Almost

Shiva Baby

A Jewish family gathering turns into the most stressful 78 minutes of the year. Oh man. OH MAN. Do not watch if tight spaces bother you.

Night In Paradise

A Korean hitman broken by collateral damage teams up with a woman who's given up on life. Things get wildly violent. But you'll really want to go to Korea after it too. The oddest love letter to a place you'll see.

The Empty Man

Mountaineers uncover something eerie in the Himalayas. Years later that something starts causing others to go kinda crazy. An unsettling and very successful horror that totally failed to find an audience.

Fried Barry

An oddball gets kidnapped by aliens and dumped back on the streets of Jo'Burg. Odd, weird, baffling, disgusting, exhilarating.

The worst

Be Good Or Be Gone

I can't. It's just awful. Trust me.


December 19, 2021

ugh

 Got the booster yesterday. Happy days.


Woke with a bit of a sore arm this morning. All good. Nothing a few paracetamol won't chase away.

12 hours later. It now feels like i walked 10 miles and when i got home someone hit my legs with a hurl. Joyous.

Fingers crossed this is as bad as the side effects get.

Now to self medicate with a film.

Or two. Just to be sure.

December 18, 2021

24 films to enjoy over the next 8 days

The Wolfman   Sat   18/12   The Horror Channel @ 21.00

In the late 19th century a man returned home to the manor that bore him to investigate his brother's death at the hands of a wild animal. The title kinda gives away the jist of Joe Johnston's 2010 adaption of the famous horror story and while it may have been a box office bomb and not well received on release it is actually very enjoyable and surprisingly grisly for a Hollywood movie. Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Anthony Hopkins all lay on the cheese thick here.

Desperately Seeking Susan   Sat   18/12   BBC2 @ 22.05

Roberta is living her worst life in New Jersey and to stave off the boredom she travels into New York to spy on a meeting between two people who's interactions she's noticed in a personal ad in the local paper. Things get.......wild. Madonna's film debut is a funny, exciting and invigorating love letter to New York City and the chemistry between her and Rosanna Arquette could power a small village.

The Color Of Money   Sun   19/12   Talking Pictures TV @ 01.20

Pool hustling legend Fast Eddie Felson is getting long in the tooth when he discovers a pool player named Vincent who's skill and confidence reminds him of someone he used to be a long time ago. They team up to make money. But are they too alike?  Martin Scorsese's 1986 follow up to The Hustler is a fine film, carried by a trio of pitch perfect performances from Paul Newman, Tom Cruise and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. The one-take pool scene scored by a famous Warren Zevon song just rocks.

Dora And The Lost City of Gold   19/12   Film4 @ 14.50

A childhood spent exploring jungles and ancient ruins comes in handy for Dora when her parents go missing while investigating Incan ruins. Now her and her friends need to take care of business. This adaption of the children's TV show is an pleasing watch for all the family, like a junior Indiana Jones but without the violence and horror. Isabela Merced is a delightful lead and Eva Longoria and Michael Peña enjoy themselves as her parents.

Panic Room   Sun   19/12   Great! Movies @ 21.00

A woman and her daughter find themselves trapped in their panic room during a home invasion. And what the invaders want is in the room with them. Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart are excellent in David Fincher's little cracker of a thriller. It's a simple but fiercely effective film, scary, fast moving and with a little touch of humour here and there. Forest Whitaker and Dwight Yoakam have a good time as the villains of the piece.

Inglourious Basterds   Sun   19/12   RTE2 @ 21.00

A ragtag group of killers is put together to rip apart the nazi war machine. Tarantino's war epic is one that is bafflingly overlooked and easily his best work after Jackie Brown & Reservoir Dogs. Uproarious, satisfying, horrifying in places, hysterical in others and with an opening scene that's up there with the best ever. Brad Pitt is a decent lead but Christoph Waltz steals the entire film as a baddie you'll love to hate.

Closer   Mon   20/12   Great! Movies @ 21.00

Anna and Jane, two Americans in London. Dan and Larry, two Londoners who's lives intertwine with theirs. Secrets are kept, trust is shattered irrevocably and rotten life lessons are learned. Patrick Marber's screen adaption of his own play is a cutting, coruscating look at the horrible things people are capable of doing to each other and it is as far from the romcom's Julia Roberts is known for as is humanly possible. She does wicked work here alongside Natalie Portman, Jude Law and a vicious Clive Owen.

King Of Thieves   Mon   20/12   BBC1 @ 22.35

In 2015 the Hatton Garden safe deposit was robbed of over 14 million pounds in cash and jewellery. The heist was carried out by six thieves with nearly 350 years of experience between them. Yes, you heard that right. An all star cast that includes Michael Caine, Ray Winstone, Charlie Cox, Michael Gambon and a very against type Jim Broadbent ensure that a story you've seen a hundred times before barrels along in a witty fashion.

Happy-Go-Lucky   Tues   21/12   Film4 @ 01.30

Poppy is the happiest person you'll ever meet. She loves her job and her North London existence. She even loves the driving lessons she's getting from Scott, the angriest man in Britain. Mike Leigh's 2008 slice of life movie is a great watch, buoyed by a pair of stunning performances from two of the UK's best actors. Eddie Marsan's a frighteningly believable ball of rage and Sally Hawkin's Poppy turns a one note character into someone rather special.

Saving Mr Banks   Tues   21/12   BBC1 @ 14.45

P.L. Traver's, the author of Mary Poppins, is not happy about Walt Disney wanting to adapt her book to film and Walt himself must pull out all the stops to get her to agree. "Based on fact" it's a charming and funny watch that may surprise you in places with it's twists and turns. Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks and Colin Farrell are all admirable in a film that will give you a new found appreciation of a Christmas fave.

Dating Amber   Tues   21/12   RTE2 @ 21.35

Amber and Eddie are in the throes of young love. At least that's what they want their friends and family to think. Both are gay and in Ireland in 1995 a teenager being out was always going to get them grief in school. David Freyne's 2019 comedy drama is an affecting, poignant and in places side splitting story about the pain of growing up when you think you're different. Lola Petticrew, Fionn O'Shea, Barry Ward and Sharon Horgan all hit the spot.

Pete's Dragon   Wed   22/12   BBC1 @ 15.05

Pete's a young boy. He has a friend called Elliot. Elliot kept Pete alive during a tough time. Elliot's a dragon but nobody will believe it. Until the day.... Robert Redford's live action remake of the 1970's cartoon is an absolute pleasure, tender, touching, upsetting and funny in equal measure. A family film that won't insult your kid's intelligence. Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley and Redford himself will make you wish flying reptiles were real.

I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle   Thur   23/12   Talking Pictures TV @ 00.05

Noddy's bought himself a classic motorbike and he sets about restoring it not realising that he has purchased evil on wheels, a bike possessed by the spirit of an occultist who was murdered by a biker gang. It wants revenge and it runs on blood. Yes yes it sounds awful but it's actually an amusingly bloody and trashy slice of British hokum. Michael Elphick and Anthony Daniels star in a film that will offend some.

Mr Hobbs Takes A Vacation   Thur   23/12   TG4 @ 10.00

All he wanted was a quiet beach vacation but Roger's wife Peggy decided to invite everyone along. The fact that their holiday home is an absolute kip is another thing adding to his mounting headache. James Stewart was born to play parts like Mr Hobbs and the chemistry between him and Maureen O'Hara is just one of the many reasons to give this comedy from 1962 a go. Keep an eye out for genre stalwart John Saxon in an early role too.

Office Christmas Party  Thur   23/12   RTE2 @ 21.00

Carol and Clay are brother and sister and they work together too. She's also his boss and she's about to close his office branch. So he does the only thing he can do and  throws a massive Christmas party to impress a potential client. The most literally titled film of the decade is a solid slice of raunchy, drug fuelled madness that will make even the most miserable viewer laugh. Jennifer Aniston, Kate McKinnon and a game Courtney B. Vance all add to the giggles.

Galaxy Quest   Fri   24/12   ITV4 @ 12.30

The cast of the Galaxy Quest TV show are sick to the teeth of their fans and the sci-fi conventions they have to deal with. Until they find themselves in a real life adventure caused by intergalactic confusion. One of the most underrated films of the 90's. A wonderfully written story about rabid fandom and holding on to old glory that manages to be hilarious, exciting and in places genuinely affecting. Sigourney Weaver, Tim Allen and a sublime Alan Rickman all work their magic here.

Rita, Sue And Bob Too   Fri   24/12   Talking Pictures TV @ 21.05

Bob cannot believe his luck. He's somehow fallen in a menage-a-trois relationship with the two young women who babysit the children he has with his wife Michelle. Imagine if Ken Loach directed a Carry on film and you'll have some idea of what to expect from a story of desperate people clinging to scraps of happiness during the Thatcher years. Siobhan Finneran, Michelle Holmes and George Costigan work well together. Heh!

Upgrade   Fri   24/12   Film4 @ 23.45

Grey's in a bad way. An accident has ruined his life and left him a quadraplegic. But some ultra modern technology is about to give him his body back. Along with a whole host of other skills too. From 2018 comes a darkly diverting and extremely violent slice of escapism that's packed with bonkers fight scenes and some rather dark themes and ideas. Logan Marshall-Green has a whale of a time in the lead role.

The Big Sleep   Sat   25/12   RTE2 @ 01.45

Private eye Philip Marlowe has been hired to deal with the youngest daughter of a rich family and he asks the help of the eldest daughter to do so. Things get complex. Do you like hard boiled dialogue, blistering chemistry and intriguing plotlines? If so The Big Sleep was made just for the likes of you. A classic that truly lives up to the name. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are brilliant as the leads and their chemistry just smoulders.

The Lego Batman Movie   Sat   25/12   RTE2 @ 15.40

The bad guys of Gotham city have a nefarious plan and it's up to Batman aka Bruce Wayne to stop them. Only he has a problem, a problem in the shape of a son he's somehow accidentally adopted. This might sound like a childish watch but it's as entertaining a Batman film as any of them, and in some ways it's more inventive than all of them. Will Arnett is a potent Dark Knight while Rosario Dawson, Michael Cera and Ralph Fiennes supply the laughs.

Bumblebee   Sat   25/12   Film4 @ 15.55

Yes it's a Transformers film. I know. Come back. Bumblebee rocks. Seriously. No honestly. The bombast of the earlier films is gone and now we get the story of Bumblebee and the time he spent away from his Robotic counterparts in the 80's, just him and his buddy Charlene, played by Hailee Stanfield. There's CGI a-gogo of course but there's also a tonne of heart, nostalgia and wonder instead of the usual bloated screeching. 

The Adventures Of Robin Hood   Sat   25/12   BBC2 @ 17.20

By now we all know the story of Robin Hood but the 1938 version is the best of the lot. Here we have Robin against the dastardly Prince John who's declared himself King in his brother Richard's absence. Robin Of Locksley and his Sherwood forest buddies don't agree with how things are being ran. The stunts, the glorious technicolour, Errol Flynn's charisma, Olivia de Havilland's superb Marian, Claude Rain's dastardly bad guy, all ingredients for a lovely post Christmas dinner film.

Their Finest   Sat   25/12   BBC4 @ 21.35

The Dunkirk evacuation has been a public relations nightmare for the British government and the only thing that will up public morale is a dose of propaganda. Catrin Cole is hired to find a story the people can cling to. A blend of wartime misery and comedy shouldn't really work but somehow it does and a lot of it is down to winning turns from packed cast that includes Gemma Atherton, Helen McCrory, Richard E. Grant and Bill Nighy.

Sing Street   Sat   25/12   TG4 @ 23.15

A teenage boy in 1980's Dublin struggling with both growing up and his relationship with his family, finds an escape when he forms a band with his schoolmates. The 80's were a tough time to be different though. A lovely film, agreeable as hell and bursting with heart and energy. If you don't like this one you are probably dead. A packed Irish cast lead by Ferdia Walsh-Peelo & Lucy Boynton is the icing on the Cáca Milis.                                        

An aul Christmassy retweet is always welcome. Thank you!                                                                                                 

December 16, 2021

Video Nasty Rewatch part 39 - Zombie Flesh Eaters

Nasty number 39 is my favourite of the lot. A film I'd read about in Dark Side magazine for years before I finally got to see it on Channel 4 late one night with a Mark Kermode introduction calling it a censorship cause célèbre. The version shown that night was the BBFC snipped and certified version and it was missing most of the juicier moments that had made it so infamous...... but there was still something about it that gripped ya. It didn't need it's moneyshots to work. 

But they are of course the reason it's still adored forty years after it was released. Oh and there's a scene where a zombie fights a real shark. Yes. A real shark. It is as awesome as it sounds.

In 1978 George A. Romero directed Dawn Of The Dead, his masterpiece and the second in his trilogy of the Dead. Italian horror wunderkind Dario Argento helped Romero get financing and in return secured the international rights to the film. He also edited his own version of the film called Zombi that cut back on it's more dramatic and comedic aspects in favour of it's gory action beats and many moments of horror. His version was a success in Italy and another movie producer called Fabrizio De Angelis saw a money making opportunity and greenlit a new zombie film called Zombi 2 that he could market as a sequel to Dawn because Italian copyright law is kinda wonky like that. Lucio Fulci was brought onboard to direct a script written by Elisa Briganti & Dardano Saccheti and a legend was born. Fulci's previous experience with gory violence as seen during the climax of his 1972 giallo Don't Torture A Duckling combined with Briganti & Saccheti's old skool take on zombie legends worked absolute wonders.

A ship floats into Manhattan harbour and all onboard are dead. Except the monstrous rotting corpse that takes a bite out of the throat of an investigating cop before sinking beneath the water of the East River. The boat is traced back to Anne Bowles as it belongs to her father, who she claims is working on a Caribbean Island called Matul. A journalist investigating the boat attack teams up with Anne and both head south to the tropics to find out what has happened the man. What they find there......well, no point in fucking about is there, they find a lot of zombies. An awful lot of them.

The eye bit. Even the most casual of horror fans know about it. A zombie hand smashes through a door and grabs a screaming woman by the hair. She's dragged towards the door and her eye is slowly gouged out (in close up naturally) by a sharp piece of smashed wood. Fans went wild for it, the film's reputation was built on it. It became a video nasty in Britain because of it. People who'd usually avoid horror like the plague watched to see what all the fuss was about and found themselves pulled into a wildly atmospheric watch that had more in common with 30's and 40's horrors like I Walked With A Zombie and Boris Karloff's The Walking Dead than Romero's modern day incarnations. Here we got to see what walking, rotting flesh really looked like, we got to see them actually rise from the grave, there were no farm houses or shopping centres here to hide in, only conquistador graveyards and derelict churches. The slow but unstoppable shuffling walk of the undead, clad in Giannetto De Rossi's magnificently effective make up and soundtracked by Fabio Frizzi's doom laden but evocative soundtrack. Oh man it was a heady, eerie and brutal mix and early 80's audiences lapped it up.

The ones who really enjoyed it were the ones watching illegally. Nothing adds to a film like a touch of taboo. For it's 1979 cinema release the film was called Zombie Flesh Eaters and was shorn of 1 minutes and 46 seconds worth of blood and guts, leaving it a very tame watch indeed. Irish censors of course just flat out banned it for 32 years. VIPCO released this same version in 1980 on tape and audiences latched onto it because as mentioned earlier it's still a fine film without all it's bloodshed. VIPCO then decided to take advantage of it's popularity and the lack of rules in the as yet unregulated home video market by releasing the full uncut version 1981. UK audiences lapped it up but two years later this version marketed as the STRONG UNCUT VERSION got VIPCO into trouble during the video nasty scare of 1983. It was tried and found guilty of obscenity and the cut version was the only way UK viewers could watch it legally until 1999 when it got a DVD release with 23 seconds missing. Including the eyeball bit of course. It wasn't until 2005 that a full uncut version saw the light of day. Now there's a bells and whistles two disc version on 4K disc but this one still has a beautifully grainy VHS heart.

Did it deserve to be a nasty? No. Don't be silly. It's a zombie film. 

Is it worth a watch? YES. It's brilliant.

That's the last of the 39 prosecuted nasties.

There's another 33 that weren't prosecuted. I think I might watch them all next year 😈


December 15, 2021

Spider-Man : No Way Home

Not every aspect of Spider-Man : No Way Home is successful but the stuff that works, works marvellously. Remember the cheers we all heard in the cinema when (spoiler alert) Captain America finally got his hands on Mjolnir in Avengers : Endgame? Well get ready to hear those again during a scene around a kitchen table. Hell I even clapped and whooped. 

The stuff that doesn't work marvellously is the stuff that marred earlier Spider-Man films too. Less is always better, a maxim to live your life by. One that Sam Raimi and Marc Webb ignored in their Spider-Man sequels when there were too many bad guys, when there was too much going on and not enough time spent quietly chilling with characters we've come to enjoy. At least this time around there's a reason for packing the film with famous faces. It's the downside of fucking with the multiverse as Peter Parker (Tom Holland) finds out to his peril when he asks Dr Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell to make everyone forget that Daily Bugle podcaster J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) has unveiled him to the world as Spider-Man. Peter's meddling makes the spell go wrong and cracks open reality and soon bad guys from other universes start leaking through into this one. Enemies from earlier films aka other universes like Dr Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jaime Foxx) and The Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) arrive in our MCU timeline. Now Poor PP has to take care of business more than ever before while protecting his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya). It's fierce hard being the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

It really is. The previous films Spidey appeared in took it relatively easy on him. Not this time around. Nope, this time around he suffers and we do too because how could you not like Tom Holland in the part. He's just so likable, friendly and funny. Without the Avengers around (where are they by the way??) it's up to him to carry the film and he does so with ease. In Holland's previous films he always had the support of other Avengers to fall back on but here all his does is annoy Dr Strange and in doing so shunts him offscreen for a large portion of the film's running time. With him gone the stakes feel more down to earth, even when they are literally out of this world and the parts of the film where it's just him and Ned and MJ feel so light and frothy you'd happily watch 'em go on forever. Pete and MJ, what a couple, her humour and his heart. C'mon Marvel, give us a little 30 minute one off of just the two of them on a date, with nothing flying at their heads. They've earned it. Do it before Zendaya rockets off into the stratosphere.

About 30 minutes in the familiar faces start appearing, some like Doc Ock and the Green Goblin will make you grin like its 2002 (& 2004) again, Jaime Foxx's Electro is way more enjoyable than his previous onscreen incarnation in The Amazing Spiderman 2 but other baddies who'll remain unnamed still suck. Their appearances though are a brilliantly meta way to tie the earlier Spider-Man films to the latest one but god it makes it fierce messy at times, especially during the two big action setpieces where there is just too much going on onscreen, CGI bonzanas guaranteed to give the people old enough to have seen the previous films in the cinema a headache. The people who've seen all the films since 2002 have the advantage here though because this Spider-Man installment definitely ain't for the casual viewer. A lot of it's knowing humour depends on how much you remember of the older films and one genuinely well earned bit of emotion fuelled action only works because of an otherwise crappy earlier film.

Spider-Man : No Way Home suffers when there's too much happening but IMO it's the best of the Marvel Spider-Man films so far. The title character has always been strong enough for his own MCU film and he's finally got one he can really call his own. Director Jon Watts (who also directed Spider-Man : Homecoming) does a fine job of tying together the madness while also managing to clear up a couple of loose ends from earlier films too, one of which will make your heart absolutely soar.  

The latest Marvel extravaganza is in cinemas now. Everywhere. In every universe. Constantly. Go see it knowing as little as possible.



Being easily pleased is the best

Nice finds in CEX today. A masterpiece for four smacks and The Matrix for a fiver. Aint seen this one in 20 years so it's time to refresh the aul memory before the newest installment arrives next week. I walked out of the Matrix Revolutions in the cinema in 2003 and good jesus I hope the new one isn't as full of cod philosophy as that piece of shite.


Spiderman : Far From Home was watch and thoroughly enjoyed on Limerick's best screen with (thankfully) only about 20 other people.

The pint of plain. One of Ireland's simplest pleasures. The first one in a couple of months. God it looked good and tasted better.

Been having a few nice days lately after a couple of shitty months. Nothing too big or special but a grand mix of little bits and pieces. Fingers crossed it stays going like this. Being easily pleased is a godsend.

December 13, 2021

A perfect pairing of Sound & Vision - The Devil's Rejects and Free Bird


You all know the song. That hoary old beast you'll never get away from, requested by at least one original thinker at every concert you've ever been to. Even if you can't even pronounce Lynyrd Skynyrd you'll know the opening lines to Free Bird.

If I leave here tomorrow

Would you still remember me?

For I must be traveling on now

'Cause there's too many places I've got to see

But when you hear the song used at the end of The Devil's Rejects.....oh man. 


Rob Zombie's story of a killer family fleeing the police is a gruelling watch about awful people doing horrifying things. A despicable trio that you'll right hate from the off but such is the power of music that you'll still have an emotional reaction to their ending and it won't be glee, the emotion you'd expect. They're hurting, bleeding, dying. It's the first time in the film we get to see them as weak, frail humans. They've killed their way across the state but after they are captured and tortured by a sheriff even more vicious than them they finally see how the end is coming. There's no escape and as Ronnie Van Zant's vocals soar and Allen Collins & Gary Rossington's chugging riff kick in our trio decide to end it all. 

Death by cop soundtracked by a glorious slice of Southern fried rock makes for a wicked pairing of sound and vision.

Previous pairings

Beetlejuice

December 12, 2021

A treat

I just love a handful of new films. Gives me a little buzz everytime. 

Retail therapy does work. Who knew??


Sometimes you just have to 



December 11, 2021

West Side Story

San Juan Hill. 1950's New York. White and Latin gangs fight like fools for control of a dozen city blocks about to be knocked down. The Jets and The Sharks. Hate flows between them but love is blossoming behind the scenes. Tony (Ansel Elgort), ex Jet member but still the best friend of Jet leader Riff (Mike Faist) has fallen hard for Maria (Rachel Zegler), the sister of the Shark boss Bernardo (David Alvarez). This will not do and when it's noticed it sets in motion a night that will have life long consequences for everyone involved.

There's quite a bit of Spanish spoken in West Side Story but none of it is subtitled. If you have the basics you'll catch most of it and even if you don't there's enough English mixed in that you'll catch the drift of what's going on. It's a great choice by director Steven Spielberg and it ensures that the Puerto Rican characters speaking never feel alien to us. Now if only everyone felt the same way... pero así es la vida y, lamentablemente, la vida a veces es una mierda.

Incluso si los musicales no son lo tuyo, este te encantará. Una mirada hermosa, inquietante, emocionante e inquietante a la vida y el amor prohibido en el crisol cultural más grande del mundo. Los 160 minutos simplemente pasan volando. Steven Spielberg, que ya es un maestro en su oficio, ha añadido aquí otra flecha a su arco. Ariana DeBose (como Anita, la novia de Bernardo) y Rita Moreno (como la abuela de Tony) son las destacadas aquí, pero no hay un eslabón débil en esta gloriosa fiesta para los sentidos.

Es excelente. Próxima parada de los Oscars

16 films on TV this week that are worth your time


Frankie And Johnny   Sat   11/12   TG4 @ 21.30

Frankie's a waitress broken by a tragic past. Johnny's fresh out of prison looking to find a way back into normal life. Both work at the same diner. Can you see where things are going? F&J is a touch more realistic than your usual romance and it's not afraid to add a bit of grit to a touching look at middle age love. Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino are better to each other than they were in Scarface and Hector Elizondo & Kate Nelligan provide nice back up.

Black Sunday   Sat   11/12   Talking Pictures TV @ 23.00

Superbowl Sunday. 80,000 people. The president of the United States amongst them. The Goodyear blimp is overhead as usual but now it's full of explosives planted by the men and women of Black September. The politics of John Frankenheimer's well crafted 1976 suspense thriller might make modern day audiences cringe but the film's white knuckle tension is certainly real. Robert Shaw, Marthe Keller and Bruce Dern especially do stellar work.

We Summon The Darkness   Sat   11/12   Film4 @ 23.05

It's 1988. Heavy metal is the teenage music of choice and Val, Beverly and Alexis are roadtripping to a concert when they bump into a group of boys who make their interest in the girls obvious fast. Things get....dark. A comedy/horror homage to the genre flicks of the 80's and one you're best going into cold as it's twists and turns are all part of the bloody fun. Alexandra Daddario, Maddie Hasson and Amy Forsyth are an enjoyable leading trio.

Run   Sun   12/12   BBC2 @ 23.10

Finnie and Kid. A father and son trapped in a dead end town on the coast of Scotland. Finnie's frustrated with his son but helpless to stop him so joins in with his hobby of street racing and soon finds himself reliving his hellraising youth. This Scottish film from 2019 feels like a feature length adaptation of Springsteen's Born To Run with it's stirring and vivid look at a need to escape. Mark Stanley and Anders Hayward are a pair of strong leads.

Oranges And Sunshine   Mon   13/12   BBC1 @ 00.45

In Northern England in the early 90's a social worker delves into the scandal of children who were forcibly separated from their parents and sent to institutions in Australia. Emily Watson as always is superb in the lead role. A fine watch but one you should psych yourself up for as not surprisingly it's a desperately upsetting look at a shameful era of Britain's history. There's decent support from Hugo Weaving and David Denham too.

Mr. Turner   Mon   13/12   Film4 @ 01.00

J.M.W. Turner was one of the all time greatest English artists and this biopic follows him through the last 25 years of his life. Director Mike Leigh and actor Timothy Spall bring what sounds like a dull watch to life wonderfully. It's a beautiful looking, brilliantly acted and surprisingly warm look at a person accused by many of being cold. Dorothy Atkinson and the always reliable Leslie Manville are excellent as two of the women in his life.

V For Vendetta   Mon   13/12   TCM @ 21.00

Britain of the future (!) has become a tyrannical place(!!!!!!) and a freedom fighter called V has teamed up with an alienated government employee called Evey to overthrow it all. A film that wasn't particularly well received on it's 2005 release but now it feels like a call to arms. A stylish, thought provoking and fantastic looking story with an ending for the ages. Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, John Hurt and Stephen Rea all do well here.

There Will Be Blood   Mon   13/12   TG4 @ 21.30

Daniel Plainview is a oil prospector in early 20th century California broken by his obsession to the thrill of the find. He'll do anything to get it and go through anyone to get his way. Paul Thomas Anderson's epic 2007 drama will not be for everyone but it's depiction of male fixation, capitalism and greed is hard to beat. Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciaran Hinds and Dillon Freasier all put in career besting performances.

February   Tue   14/12   CH4 @ 01.55

It's the winter break and two girls have been left alone to pass their holiday with the nuns of their boarding school. Meanwhile a third girl is on a mission to get to the school before bad things happen. A dark and twisting and effective horror film from 2015 that will confuse at first due to it's intertwining timelines but come the final act you'll be stuck to the screen. Kiernan Shipka, Emma Roberts and Lucy Boynton are all aces.

The Man From Snowy River   Tue   14/12   Talking Pictures TV @ 15.50

19th century Australia was a tough place to live as young Jim Craig finds out after tragedy strikes. To earn the right to take over the family farm Jim must first prove his worth as a man. George Miller's Antipodean Western (Southern?!) is pleasing to the eye and it's a little cheesy in places but a sturdy storyline and commanding performances from Tom Burlinson, Jack Thompson and Kirk Douglas (in a dual part) will keep you glued to it.

Dead Man's Shoes   Wed   15/12   Film4 @ 23.05

A man returns to his hometown to get revenge on the people who tormented his brother. Yes I know it sounds cliched as hell but Shane Meadow's 2004 film packs a serious wallop. Imagine if Emmerdale was crossed with a slasher film and then stained with a dollop of jet black humour and some horribly realistic carnage. Paddy Considine is immense in a tense, nauseating, gripping and comical (in places) story.

Vampire Circus   Thur   16/12   Talking Pictures TV @ 01.55

A village in Serbia is terrorised by the spectre of a plague sweeping the land when a circus arrives in town to give them a bit of respite and fun. But...well..... the title kind of gives it away really doesn't it. From 1972 comes a Hammer horror production much darker, scarier, bloodier and gloomier than the usual campy offerings but you'll still have a good time with it. Anthony Higgins and Lynne Frederick are solid leads.

The Color Purple   Thur   16/12   BBC4 @ 21.00

Celie Johnson has grown up hard in the deep south of the early 20th century. First abused by her father and then her husband, she's lost all sense of self and family and it's only when she meets a singer called Shug does life begin to make sense. Steven Spielberg's 1985 drama is a harsh and painful look at the horrors of patriarchy that really makes you earn the film's powerful ending. Whoopie Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover are mighty in their roles.

Love, Simon   Fri   17/12   Film4 @ 01.25

Simon is gay and no one knows. Not his family, not his friends. After he makes an online connection with a fellow classmate, a simple mistake sets in motion a choice that will change his life. This 2018 comedy romance is an entertaining and emotive watch that will strike a chord with many young people struggling with personal issues and it's charming cast lead by Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford will keep you smiling throughout.

Perfume : The Story Of A Murderer   Fri   17/12   RTE1 @ 23.45

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a French man with a superhuman sense of smell. On his first trip to Paris a desire to experience something new leads to tragedy which leads to a world of obsession. A film that's a feast for the senses led by a character that will absolutely repulse you and one that will wow you and disgust you in equal measure. Ben Whitshaw, Rachel Hurd-Wood and Alan Rickman do arresting work.

Late Night   Fri   17/12   BBC1 @ 23.25

In an attempt to give late night talk show host Katherine Newbury's show a bit of pep an Indian-American writer called Molly Patel is added to shake up the all male, all white writing staff. A timely comedy drama that takes aim at big targets but one that makes plenty of room for humour along the way courtesy of a lovable Mindy Kaling and a hilariously abrasive Emma Thompson. 

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December 08, 2021

Blue Bayou

Words spoken just that little bit too loudly in a supermarket aisle. Entitled cops. A face that doesn't quite fit in. Three ingredients that make up the worst day of Antonio LeBlanc's (Justin Chon) life. Korean born but American made, he's been living in New Orleans for most of his life and the day he's arrested is the day he finds out his adopted parents never went through with the process of making him an American citizen. It's news that breaks the hearts of his pregnant wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and his step daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske) and now he's facing deportation if he can't prove that he's valuable to American society, which as an ex-con, is going to be a struggle.

Those of us who grew up watching American films and TV in the 80's and 90's were conditioned to see the United States as the world's savior, the place that could do no wrong, a bastion of liberty and freedom. Once again it takes an POV considered as the other to show the place up for the cesspit it is, slavishly sticking to outdated ideals and twisted by systemic racism. Antonio's American, he has the Gulf twang, he's spent years running from his past, hiding it from those closest to him, he breaks the law occasionally as a necessity but he's been built by the system, made who he is by American law. And now they want shot of him because of something he couldn't do anything about. This story, based on so much true life tragedy was written by, directed by and stars Justin Chon. It pushes a little bit too hard at times but it will leave you spitting fire when it finishes.

It's Antonio's story but Kathy and Jessie are equally affected by it all. Jessie's about the lose a man who's been a better father to her than her real father ever was and Kathy's losing the man who she created a new life with. Even worse is her finding out that he's been lying to her by omission about the facts of his youth for all the time she's known him and it's here that Alicia Vikander nails the heartbreak for all involved in the soul destroying process of deportation. She's hanging on by a thread and in a beautiful moment that shows just how tenuous her grasp is she sings the Roy Orbison (by way of Linda Ronstadt) song that gives the film it's title. A song that's an indelible piece of Americana, appreciated by all who've come there for shelter, sang at a party hosted by Parker, a new Vietnamese friend of the family. Her appearance and subsequent friendship with Antonio stirs up all the memories of his childhood, memories that make him even more determined to stay but at the same time reconnect him with a culture he's worked hard to escape from. The ties that bind us are never straightforward and the story makes pains to show us things are never black and white.

It never shies away from painting Antonio as a complicated individual either. He's a thief when needs be, he can be an asshole to those around him and Chon's turn is a strong one, creating someone who feels real rather than a cypher designed to tell a story. As a director he garners fine performances from everyone onscreen with the exception of Emory Cohen's cop Denny, a broad caricature who feels like he wandered in from a whole other film. It's the one real slight on an otherwise fine film built on dreamlike imagery, superlative performances and rage inducing truth. 

Blue Bayou is in cinemas and streaming online now. It's well worth your time.

December 07, 2021

Video Nasty Rewatch part 38 - The Werewolf And The Yeti

Freddy Vs Jason

Kong Vs Godzilla

Alien Vs Predator

The People Vs Larry Flynt

Kramer Vs Kramer

All pretenders to the Vs throne.

The 38th video nasty on the director of public prosecutions list might not have Vs in the title but it is the daddy of them all. The 8th film (that ignores all the others) in a long running Spanish series but the only one banned for obscenity during the nasties scare of the early 1980's. A film so shoddy and carefree you'll howl laughing at it throughout but unlike a lot of the other nasties, this one has a winning charm that will ensure you keep watching to the end.

Waldemar Daninsky (Spanish horror legend Paul Naschy) and his buddies have gone to Tibet to search for the infamous Yeti but during the expedition he's captured by two vampiric women who seduce him into a threesome and then gnaw on him afterwards. Now he's somehow turned into a werewolf (from vampires?? Whaaa??) which comes in handy when his gang are attacked by Tibetian mountain bandits led by Sekkar Khan and his witchy sidekick Wandessa. Now Waldemar must set aside his bloodlust and help his friends while also keeping a lookout for the other creature of the title.

I gotta say. This kind of rocked. I mean it's awful but damn it it's pretty looking and it's a lot of fun too. The sleaze and sexual assault of some of the other nasties is absent here and instead we get a lot of acrobatic scraps, swordfights, decent-ish production values and some lovely mountainous scenery. We also get some of the worst man to wolf transformation effects you'll ever see and a blatantly obvious dollhouse passed off as a full size Tibetan monastery but that's all part of the charm right. Leading man Naschy can actually act for once and even better is the fact that he does his own stunts too, especially at the end when he's leaping about with aplomb and taking out bad guys with his own awkward dropkicks. At times it almost feels innocent, like a family friendly adventure that's decently shot and that's full of those cool whip zooms 70's genre flicks used to be riddled with before Tarantino ruined them. 

You'll be watching it wondering why on Earth it ended up as a nasty and then it starts splashing the claret around. Waldemar's buddies are impaled and shot and stabbed and he's captured and forced to witness a young woman having the skin removed from her back to help cure a skin disease Sekkar Khan has been afflicted with, It's a dreadfully ropey effect but you know well it's the one moment in the film that would have set alarm bells ringing at the British Board of Film classification, especially cos said young woman is nude when she dies. That combo of naked flesh and violence was one that got grumpy James Ferman hot under the collar and just like that, a ropey ol' Spanish flick became the stuff of legend.

It hit British shores in 1982 with an uncut version that surely would have been snipped here and there had the VHS market required official classification. There it lurked for two years until Mary Whitehouse had her infamous Cannibal Holocaust/Driller Killer inspired hissy fit and a moral panic was born. This film and all it's cheesy gore was banned in 1984 and is still banned to this day. Not that anything in it would require anything past a 15 certificate now, it's just that no distributor has been bothered to re-release it in the UK yet. It's a pity. It's fun and would look pretty tasty in 1080p.

As for the title bout? Does it happen??? It's no spoiler to stay our eponymous characters do get their time in the spotlight but when and how it happens will make you snort laughing. The words anti and climax come to mind but really you won't be that bothered considering the fun you'll have had up to that point.

Is The Werewolf And The Yeti worth a watch. Yes. Yes yes. Make sure you have beer and you'll really enjoy yourself.

Did it deserve a place on the nasties list. Nope. But once again the BBFC and their weird little checklist turned something that would have been instantly forgotten into a cult collectible.

Next - The last of the prosecuted nasties and my personal favourite of the lot; Zombie Flesh Eaters.