(A very likely pair) As Rupert Grint reunites with his Harry Potter Mum Julie Walters, They are both brilliant in this film. Rupes makes me laugh and shows brilliant comic timing and Julie has a lovely knack of being totally off her rocker but lovable with it.
A quirky, sweet, highly addictive romantic comedy about a man with the gift of life/death literally at his fingertips.
Best summary of the series is in the "view trailer" button on the website.
The billing alone ought to sell the film - George Clooney and Renee Zellweger reads like a dream ticket. Unfortunately, this really is the wrong vehicle - set in the roaring 1920s using an old-fashioned slapstick style, the film follows Zellweger's sassy journalist as she attempts to uncover the truth behind a young football star's incredible war record. However, her sharp tongue and swift repostes to anything any man says to her is over the top and adds to the general feeling that the film is way over-stylised. Meanwhile Clooney comes across as a somewhat vain clown, unbelievable as a 45-year old football team captain with his boyish good looks and slender physique. Clooney's has-been eventually gets the girl (Zellweger) once it becomes apparent that the young upstart war hero is not as brave as it would seem. However, this predictable outcome does not occur before the viewer is subjected to a very unoriginal series of exchanges in which Clooney flirts and Zellweger plays it cool. This simply does not amount to on-screen chemistry and really hits the nail on the head as to why this movie doesn't work - it's simply too contrived and lacking in soul. The physical humour adds to this feeling, for example Clooney gets into a punch up lasting apparently hours without so much as a cut to the face. The police chase sequence in particular borders on the childish and makes you realise why audiences moved on from this kind of thing many decades ago. The football scenes are little different - everyone runs around like characters in a Buster Keaton film, with lots of mud flying and legs in the air - you get the idea. The tension of the final match admittedly raises the game a little, even for non-sport fans, but you come away from the film feeling somewhat disappointed that two stars like this could allow themselves to get involved in such a lumbering, over-stylised and frankly disconnected film.
After reading the blurb about Black Water being a film about humans V crocodile in the wilds of Australia I must admit, I did have visions of Alf Stewart from Home Away wrestling with a reptile-shaped lilo and yelling "Fair dinkum, this croc's a flamin' mongrel!" Fortunately the reality is a lot more gripping and impressive and plays upon the primal fear of what lurks beneath the rippling surface of the water. I can relate to that, ever since that time I got in the bath and sat on that rubber ducky... I still have the odd flashback. Ahem, anyway... moving on to the plot.
During a sightseeing trip, Grace (Diana Glenn), her boyfriend Adam (Andy Rodoreda) and her younger sister Lee (Maeve Dermody) decide to go on a little fishing expedition in a predictably flimsy motor boat into some isolated mangrove swamps where their grizzled guide confidently informs them that: "There are no more crocodiles left in these parts so it's totally safe" which is pretty much akin to saying "I'll be right back" or "I
think its dead" in the Bad Things To Say In A Thriller/Horror Manual.
After the boat is mysteriously capsized and the guide disappears in the confusion, the trio scramble into the nearest tree. Trapped with no hope of rescue and menaced by the unseen predator lying in wait below, they have to decide what to do next... At this point you could be forgiven for thinking the film could be more of an Open Water style psychological drama with three paranoid people in a tree cringing at every splash, but no, Black Water does have (literally) more bite to it than that. The croc soon makes an appearance and thankfully (and surprisingly considering the low budget) the creature effects are very good, and trust me, I've seen my share of bad ones (Lake Placid 2 anyone?). It makes satisfyingly startling entrances throughout the film, and seems to possess a Jaws-style malevolence that makes it a great villain.
There are several factors that elevate Black Water above the standard creature-feature fare too. The cinematography is very good, capturing the setting's eerie beauty in the calmer moments, with the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees and the gnarled roots of the mangrove trees descending into the water. When the pace moves up a gear it copes equally well - a night sequence periodically lit by lightning where the terrified trio listen to the crocodile crunching on flesh and bone is a memorable example. Plus there are some nice visual touches, like a poignant moment where Diana is looking up through the green tree canopy and silently gazes at the distant streak of a jetliner across the blue sky. The flicker of emotion on her face says it all. The visuals are backed up by an understated musical score that almost seems to mirror the actions of the crocodile itself, lurking in the background and then suddenly surging from nowhere to unleash itself at traumatic moments.
Obviously, since the responsibility for sustaining the film rests on the shoulders of the three leads, their acting abilities are critical. All credit to them, they do a great job and convincingly veer between despair, anger and determination. The sheer realism of the performances elicits a lot more sympathy than you might feel for the usual creature film fodder - you want these three to overcome adversity and survive and possibly head home with a matching set of crocodile skin belts.
Although I've praised the film so far, it isn't perfect -some plot events feel a little too convenient and you get the sense they've been levered in to tie things up neatly. Also the setting has its weaknesses - the fact they are trapped in a tree may be good for tension purposes, but it also limits the scope of their actions - there are only so many times they can attempt to recover the boat before "Oh, they're trying that again?" creeps into your mind. Luckily the fairly short running time manages to forestall any feeling of monotony.
In all, if you want fast, flashy, high budget and gore-soaked horror then you may want to skip Black Water. But if you don't mind a slower pace, and enjoy a taut experience that stimulates your nerve fibres like an award winning massage therapist, then I really recommend you give this film a try. Maybe it's time that crocodiles bumped sharks off the top of the Killer Animals league table.
Night at the Museum is a wonderfully brilliant idea, similar to Toy Story in that at night everything comes alive in the museum where Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) has just found a job. The idea works well, as Larry struggles to understand and contain the riotous occupants. A strong performance from Robin Williams as President Theodore Roosevelt helps to offer assistance to the bewildered Larry, while Ricky Gervais turns in a comic performance as the museum boss who can't get his point across properly. Steve Coogan and Owen Wilson provide a brilliant double-act as warring leaders, with Wilson's standard charm making for some funny scenes. Dick van Dyck, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs provide another problem for Larry, as he struggles to understand and contain all the wonderfully bizarre characters.
There are some very funny moments, including Larry getting to grips with a conniving monkey. The film-makers seemed to have aimed this movie at the 'weekend dad' in particular as Larry struggles to impress his son, and in this way it feels a little cliched. The film is very much film-making by numbers, with very few plot surprises, but don't let this put you off. Overall, this movie can be loved by children and adults alike and a sequel is being released May 2009, so take the time to enter a magical place where for 105 minutes you can enjoy the ride.
Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, the nightwatchmen in a museum where everything comes to life - cue havoc.
This is a great DVD absolutely hilarious, a different angle of comedy using narrative script and hilarious characters, a truly good watch!
I didn't think I was going to get used to the changes since Season 3 and i'm still not sure, but the fact i've just watched the entire 4th series in one day must mean it can't be that bad.
What am I saying???? It just gets better and better each season!
Be warned though, due to the writers strike during the 4th series, you only get 16 episodes instead of the usual 24. Absolutely gutted as it was so addictive this season, I still need another 8 episodes for my "fix".
If you already have the other 3 seasons then you already know you're going to by this. If you haven't got any of them yet then in the style of Greg House, "Why not, you idiot??" ;-)
Still the same old sarcastic, dry witted and damn funny Gregory House starting this series exactly where he left off. Could say more but it would involve a lot of spoilers!
i absolutely love this series, i thought it may have run its course with series 2 but its back better then ever, only negative is the writers strike cuts it frustratingly short
Forget about Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk. This is the one to watch. More to the original series.
American comedy which caters for all tastes, never a dull moment! Really enjoyed this film. You read the title and think how are these guys going to pull this off, but they do with the excellent script and acting. The film is easy to watch,and light hearted and will keep you laughing!
FBI agents team up to fight crime, serve and protect!
Warning: if you're expecting a faithful re-make of the original Day of the Dead you may be more sorely disappointed than a zombie that's run out of fingers to gnaw off. That said, when distanced from its iconic predecessors and judged purely as a horror film on its own merits there's a lot to like about director Steve Miner's new version and it's certainly more fun than last month's plodding Diary of the Dead release.
Plot-wise, a small American town is cordoned off by the military after a strange viral outbreak is reported. Among the army personnel is Corporal Sarah Bowman, who has a mother and brother living in the area. Beecham's Lemon obviously isn't quite enough to see off the malevolent virus as it transforms the population into ravenous monsters, leaving Sarah and her small gang of survivors in the position of trying to escape town and, in the process, massacre zombies in as many grisly and inventive ways as possible. Yay!
The atmosphere of the film is definitely more Resident Evil than Romero, eschewing oppressive tension and deep characterisation in favour of an onslaught of bullets, dismemberment, decapitation, explosions and enough fake blood to fill a swimming pool, all packed into a slim 84 minute running time. It might not tax your brain in the slightest but it'll certainly keep your eyes fixed on the screen.
The frenetic pace also manifests itself in the zombies themselves. The breed here have evidently completed an A level in Undead Studies and picked up some skills since they are far from being the lumbering, shuffling creatures of the Romero films. No, these zombies are feisty - they
hiss, screech and can run faster and leap further than the average Olympic squad. They even have an unsettling tendency to scuttle up walls when the mood takes them. This behaviour combined with good quality make-up and prosthetics is effective in producing plenty of scares and "ugh" moments, although some occasionally ropey-looking CGI does tarnish the effect a little.
On the human side of things, Mena Suvari acquits herself well as lead heroine, Sarah, managing to convey a combination of likeability, bravery and resolve that makes you root for her as she kicks/shoots/slices zombie posterior. She's supported - if not amazingly then at least competently - by the rest of the cast including Stark Sands' loyal army private, Bud (named as a nod to Romero's movie) and Michael Welch as her occasionally obnoxious brother, Trevor Bowman. As I mentioned earlier though, most action-horror flicks aren't generally known for the subtle nuances of their characters and this is no exception. In fact the script seems to revel in the fact that it has no time to dilute the action with contrived backstory - when Sarah is asked why she carries an unloaded gun, or why there's a certain amount of antipathy between her and Trevor, she simply replies "It's complicated" with no further exposition. Still, there's always another firefight just around the corner to ensure you're not too bothered.
In all, I enjoyed it and it's a film I'd readily add to my DVD shelf. Day of the Dead certainly isn't original, thought-provoking or likely to stick in your consciousness for a long while, but its big plus is that it's entertaining, pure and simple.
As a 16 year old, films from the 90s aren't really my thing .
After being convinced by a sister to watch this film, I wasn't so sure, I was afraid it would be another novel by Stephen King ruined by the film industry. But boy I was wrong. The first 5 minutes was the only boring part of the film and thats just him driving!As soon as Kathy Bates appears on the screen, the film sparked into life. Everytime she appears,you sit glued to the screen anxiously waiting for what lies ahead for Paul Sheldon. A great "thriller" as its not scary and doesn't involve much violence and brilliantly written.
This review mirrors the HD-DVD Japan release of 2006 with an additional disc of interviews and so forth.
I own the HD release and can say that this set is one to own, from the opening scene at the English airfield through to the training camp that is episode 1. The image is stunning but with a lot of grain through out the entire series, this was intended and is present but not too distracting when you sit and enjoy the whole experience of this war story.
I can whole heartedly recommend that people with HD audio equipment warn the persons living next door to you, or you"ll be getting a visit from the noise police. The HD-DVD has a DTS HD HR 5.1 sound track. I suspect the Blu-ray will have nothing less than this and its perfect. This will be guaranteed to rattle those windows and have you hitting the floor as those bullets fly by.
I enjoyed this set so much, that it was certainly worth the £20 per disc + shipping from the far east (5 discs in total). So much in fact that this set regularly pops up on EBay commanding £175 and higher for sale as a complete set.
Long awaited Blu-ray edition of Stephen Ambrose's televistion series.
I think this series is great. I love one tree hill and think it just gets better with every new series. I hated having to wait every week to see the next episode. I could watch it everyday. Those who haven't seen it yet must do !!!
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as two hitmen, the former young and cocky, the latter older and wiser, who have to keep their heads down in Bruges after one of their hits goes disasterously wrong (to put it mildly).
Whilst awaiting their fate, Gleeson's character enjoys the culture and scenery that Bruges has to offer whilst Farrell's is bored and disinterested.
Extremely violent in places, but also very funny - if you love politically incorrect humour then you'll spend much of the film laughing out loud. There are also some very poignant moments that give cause for reflection once the film has reached its climax.
2 hitmen head off to Bruges after one of their hits goes badly wrong.
A wickedly funny yet dark movie about a pair of Irish hitmen sent over to Bruges by their gangland boss to keep a low profile for a while after a 'hit' in London goes tragically wrong.
Ken played by the bear-like Brendan Gleeson is the seasoned veteran who displays an appreciation of the finer cultural delights Bruges has to offer, on the flipside Ray (Colin Farrell)is the cocksure rookie who is desperate to leave this dull hellhole with all its culture and spends most of his time trying to drink away the boredom.
The dialogue between the two characters is witty,crass and provides many laugh-out-loud moments.
Ray is something of a tortured soul as we are shown the events via a flashback of the botched hit which causes him to question his morals and leaves him with feelings of immense remorse and suicidal tendencies.
The pair have several adventures and 'run-ins' with the locals along the way including drugs,hookers,an aloof dwarf actor (Jordan Prentice) who for me stole the show!
The other figure in all this is Harry played by a volatile Ralph Fiennes,as the duos boss .He is initially offscreen, only checking up on Ray & Ken by phone, displaying a warm ,almost tender caring nature, but then changing into a cold ruthless pyschopath in an instant.
Harry reminded me of Ben Kingsley in the Brit gangster flick Sexy Beast,he has a chilling,menacing presence and his on screen time is towards the climax of the movie when he travels to Bruges to meet Ken & Ray to take care of business as a matter of 'honour'.
An inspired tale which has a potent mixture of violence,drugs,profanity,guns but many funny moments and poignant scenes especially from Farrell who gives his best performance in any picture I've seen him in to date.
If you enjoy Guy Ritchie or Tarentino gangster style flicks then In Bruges is well worth a mention in that genre.
The Doctor and Romana are on vacation in Paris but can they really stay out of trouble? Of course not so they quickly get involved in a plot started at the beginning of Earth history that threatens the entire planet. Despite this dramatic premise this is one of the funniest Doctor Who adventures and at the end you won't be able to look at a certain Leonardo da Vinci's painting the same way ever again! It's no surprise that this story was co-written by Douglas Adams and among the extras look for easter eggs because you'll find an amusing piece of interview where Adams talks about his experience during the filming of this adventure.
Believed by some to be Merchant Ivory's best production, Heat & Dust is a very well made relationship drama that offers cultural insight into the workings of English and Indian upper classes and how times have (or haven't) changed. This is done by using two women at the plot's centre: Olivia; stuck in 1920s Satipur with her somewhat weedy Assistant Collector husband, and refreshingly modern Anne, visiting Satipur in 1982. Both women have their own stories, but it proves very interesting to see the similarities between them, and how they link up across the years. Julie Christie is effortlessly good as Anne, who is reluctant to realise her true feelings for her Indian friend, so much so you see the emotional confusion in her eyes each time she looks at him. Greta Scacchi is also on top form as carefree, adulterous Olivia, but unfortunately is overshadowed by Christie (who has a way of stealing the scenes she's not even in, pulling you back to her character"s story). The DVD rights having moved to Channel 4 DVD mean this film has been brightly repackaged. Hopefully this will mean it will get an even wider viewing.
The term "cruel but brilliant" has never been so appropriate. With this icy, well staged movie from the Coen brothers back catalogue, cruelty is rife and brilliance courses through its frozen veins. The deceptively simple story - car sales man in financial crisis organises the kidnapping of his own wife so he gets the ransom her rich dad pays - starts to unravel before out eyes as a series of killings brings on Francis McDormand as a pregnant Police officer. McDormand, in her Oscar winning role, manages to win you over completely with her sheer skill at making her character rounded, likeable and very human. The good cop just doing her job. In this special edition we get a worthwhile commentary with director of photography Roger Deakins (responsible for the many wonderful shots and colours in the Coen Brother's films), and a new documentary and interviews with the Coen brothers which also complement the film well.
Ong Bak is a martial arts action film. The film is great and truly amazing and anyone who loves martial arts will love this film. The story is pretty basic as a martial arts film: a special statue is stolen and the main character goes to find it. The main character is Ting (Tony Jaa), Tony Jaa is a real martial artist, he does all the stunts in the film and all the moves and fighting he can actually do which is very impressive. There are NO! cgi or wire work in this film which makes it even more enjoyable that you know everything you see is really happening and isn't being touched by someone at a computer. My favourite parts of the film are of course the fighting which is going to be everyones favorite part but the underground fighting is especially cool .The film makes you feel like you are actually watching this fight as it happens. I think Tony Jaa will be one of the most famous martial artist and might be as famous as Bruce Lee which is a big statement and I think I might be right saying this only if he is able to promote himself across the world like Bruce Lee did. The only problem I see with other people watching this film is that you have to read subtitles or if you can understand perfect Thai cause most people hate reading subtitles for a whole film but if you can see past that this film will offer you the best martial arts film. This film is highly recommended! Please watch if your a martial arts fan you will really enjoy it.
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