Watching The Girl On The Train Watching The Girl…

So maybe I watched this one too soon after seeing the recent Brian De Palma documentary De Palma (2015) after watching a run of De Palma movies.  Maybe I'm too big a fan of the 90's films where Micheal Douglas' manhood (mental and physical) and some shlocky plotting act as a gateway for a really interesting …

Mike and Dave need help…

They should really let us know when there is going to be a blooper reel during the end credits of a film.  It’s a great indicator that the film is terrible but 'please leave laughing'.  Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016) is no exception and, despite some funny moments, just isn’t any good.  It’s …

M.C.P.T.S.D.U a.k.a. Jessica Jones

I'm not the biggest fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (M.C.U.),  a couple of the movies are really good but it's essentially a (admittedly well made) culturally imperialist content generator: racking up minutes and occupying multiplex screens.  But when you combine the films with the Netfix Originals offerings, Marvel have, maybe inadvertently, created a rather …

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

So, Independence Day: Resurgence is sort of fun at individual moments and just plain bad for the majority of it’s run-time, during which your attention is kept by being reminded of the numerous better, smarter movies you’ve seen all this stuff in before.  Apart from the returning characters, no one is memorable and even then …

Son of Saul / Saul fia (2015)

The problem with representing the Holocaust on film is that you are making entertainment, and that is uneasy when you are talking about the 20th Century’s greatest scar.  I'm not suggesting that the Holocaust is sacred amongst all obscenities but it's a defining event for a number of reasons; firstly the murder, secondly the mechanisation of …

Goodbye to CineGuernsey

This week I heard the sad news that our local cinema society CineGuernsey would be closing after 11 years.  During that time it screened a wide variety of independent, foreign, and classic cinema to appreciative audiences.  Unfortunately, new, easier ways of accessing film (VOD) and ever decreasing cinematic release windows have led to lower audience numbers and the society's …

Monsters: Dark Continent (2014)

Monsters (2010) was such a unique film that following it was always going to be difficult.  It took a fantastic subject and made it background, war and suffering as white noise whilst we go about our lives.  Something exotic.  Monsters: Dark Continent places war in the foreground and the interest is lost as the metaphor …

Force Majeure (2014)

So we watched this a couple of nights ago and we're still talking about it.  Based around a great 'what would you do?' premise, or more accurately 'what do you like to think you would do?', Ruben Ostlund's film is a genuine talkie in that it compels you to talk.  And talk.  And actually think. …

BBC Guernsey Film Reviews (August 2015)

Here's me on BBC Guernsey with Oliver Guillou reviewing August 2015 releases and looking forward to September. Films being reviewed; Fantastic Four (2015), Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015), The Man from Uncle (2015), Hard to Be a God (2013), Southpaw (2015), Trainwreck (2015), Pixels (2015), Videodrome (1983)... and I'm still banging on about about Mad Max: …