Cemetery Junction is a coming-of-age drama set in 1970s suburban England. It follows the story of three young working-class friends with different dreams and ambitions each trying, in his own way, to grow up in the aftermath of the swinging sixties. As they think about all the parties that they missed out on as the age of free-love circumnavigated Reading, they decide that they will take control of their lives and make their own dreams come true.
Bruce (Tom Hughes) is the strikingly, but slightly unconventionally, handsome, cocksure, ladies man that likes to flash his fists a little too often. Twisted by the rage that he tries, but often fails to keep locked up inside, at the loss of his mother when he was a kid, he's always getting himself into trouble. His mother went off with another man. His Dad wasn't enough of a man to do anything about it. Bruce reckons that he would have smashed the other guys face in, and at least then his girl would have been seeing her new fella in the graveyard. But Bruce's Dad is just a waste of space. He sits home all day drinking beer. Bruce works a dead-end factory job that keeps him in booze money, but it also keeps him trapped in Cemetery Junction - a backwater, looser town in the Reading area. He's been threatening to leave since he was fifteen but he's still here. His best mate Freddie (Christian Cooke) is also conflicted. He wants the job at the insurance firm that eventually would mean that he could move away from Cemetery Junction and buy a big house and a fancy car. He wants to be more than his work-a-day father (Ricky Gervais), but he also has a conscience and the hard-sell insurance game doesn't really sit right with him. Then he falls for his long-lost ex-flame of his early teens, the pretty, intelligent and inspirational Julie (Felicity Jones) and everything changes. Along for the ride is the lovable Snork (Jack Doolan).
Cemetery Junction is an extremely assured debut for Gervais and Merchant as directors. They are clearly natural filmmakers that have simply taken a little while in getting to where they wanted to be in life. The Office, Extras and other projects such as The Invention of Lying have all been steps along the way for Gervais and Merchant and now they are at the point where they are really able to fully showcase their seemingly innate ability and indeed flair for writing, direction and most importantly pacing and character development on the big screen. Cemetery Junction is a British made film that can more than hold its own with Hollywood films.
Cemetery Junction sees Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant re-teaming as co-writers and co-directors. This sort of coupling is rarely seen in the movie business and when it is, it often has disastrous results. Yet Gervais and Merchant excel together - Gervais the one keen to get to the exciting acting parts, the dramatic scenes and all the fun stuff, Merchant careful to make sure all the less exciting, but nonetheless vital, scenes are also shot to the highest levels.
Gervais and Merchant are masters of telling stories that are delightfully character-driven. They are stories that are firmly rooted in the truths of everyday lives. Cemetery Junction is a film imbued with laughter, tears and plenty of genuinely poignant moments all wrapped up in a drama that isn't afraid to tackle the tough themes of small town ambition and strained family relationships, all played out by a cast of up-and-coming youngsters that are able to perform with subtlety and restraint when required, as well as broader comedic strokes when appropriate.
The stunning array of big name actors that have joined up to play supporting roles ensure that the film is full rounded. Ralph Fiennes appears as Mr Kendrick, Freddie's boss at the insurance firm. Emily Watson plays his long-suffering wife and Matthew Goode plays Mike Ramsay, Freddie's mentor and love-rival for Julie's affections.
Cemetery Junction is an extremely assured debut for Gervais and Merchant as directors. They are clearly natural filmmakers that have simply taken a little while in getting to where they wanted to be in life. The Office, Extras and other projects such as The Invention of Lying have all been steps along the way for Gervais and Merchant and now they are at the point where they are really able to fully showcase their seemingly innate ability and indeed flair for writing, direction and most importantly pacing and character development on the big screen. Cemetery Junction is a British made film that can more than hold its own with Hollywood films.
At first glance it would be easy to dismiss this film as yet another uplifting tale about the simple pleasures of ever lingering summers in the French countryside but this is not "A Good Year" or "The Grocer's Son" but a far more poignant tale about the changing nature of the family in a world which stretches from the far from the outskirts of a village to the furthest corners of the world. Juliette Binoche is as charming and as beautiful as ever but it is Charles Berling performance as the elder brother trying to desperately cling to the last fragments of a previous of way of living, to the shadows of the past, to familial heritage which truly makes this film what it is.
It is very underrated film and easy to overlook but it does brilliantly in capturing the cycles of endings and new beginnings, a gentle masterpiece about the changing nature of the family.
Daredevil the definitive edition centres around a blind superhero, fighting against organised crime in New York. The story is typical of most superhero stories, an initial tragedy and a continual struggle for justice which in this case is well developed. I would thoroughly recommend the definitive edition as it gives more depth to the surrounding story lines within the main plot, and gives the movie a "fuller" experience.
If you're into gore, guts and jumpiness you will enjoy this film. It is far-fetched and over-the-top but that is what is expected and is infact compulsary in this genre.
It is a well made film with good gorey close-ups, keeps you in suspense and takes you to the absolute limit of gore/sickness that laws allow to be seen...
A woman runs a noodle stall and has mental health issues-voices inside her head. She cuts up a sick man and uses his insides as an additional meatball-quality ingredient to add to the noodles...which people seem to enjoy-meaning she must replenish stock regularly...
If you like the gore (and I kinda do sadistically) then you'll love it. If you don't mind the gore then you may tolerate it. If you don't like the gore (the missus doesn't) don't bother!!! I've based my rating on a mixture of myself and the missus and so with my 4 and her 2 the average is 3!
Gorefest
The first in the series 'Twilight Saga' this movie sets the stage for a complicated romance and courtship, bedevilled by conflict, supernatural and an eternal triangle - it begins what will probably be one of the most sought after releases each year. Twilight has an amazing cast of players, beautifully shot and well told - this is a must see for anyone with a curiosity about why so many fall back to the triangle.
Twilight series of films offers a fresh view of vampires, werewolves and all things supernatural
The film is set in 1970's Thailand. Bass, the main character, decides to open up a noodle shop using human remains as the main ingredient. The shop becomes a success until Bass' past catches up with her.
Meat Grinder sounds like your typical horror b-movie, but it actually boasts good productio,. excellent acting and great special effects. As such though, it is not a film for people with weak stomachs. However, if you are a fan of shock horror films, you'll love this.
Meat Grinder is a hardcore horror movie about a lady who runs a noodle shop which uses human body parts as the main ingredient.
I don't know why I watched this film - all I know is I regretted it from about 1m40 seconds in, until 23 minutes 45 when I had to give up. Gorefest torture porn at its worst. I'd give it a miss, but then again, you might like that sort of thing.
Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) works as a machinist. He suffers from really bad insomnia. He is so troubled by not being able to sleep that he is weak and emaciated. His appearance means that people think he is weird and no one really wants to spend time with him. He is involved in an accident in the factory where he works which results in a co-worker called Miller (Michael Ironside) loosing his arm. Trevor had been distracted and really wasn't to blame but he still bears the brunt of his co-workers hatred over the accident. Was he hallucinating when he saw another worker that distracted him or was there someone really there? No one else saw the man that Trevor says distracted him. He only finds relaxation and anything resembling calm when he is with a prostitute called Stevie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) or when he sees Maria (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) a waitress.
I remember watching this film a little while after its initial release, back in 2004 or 2005. I was excited to see a film in which Christian Bale had invested so much time and physical effort, although I wondered how sensible he had been to loose so much weight. Bale reportedly starved himself for over four months prior to filming. His comments on the DVD extras suggest that he ate and drank very small amounts each day totalling approximately 275 calories. His food of choice was either an apple or a can of tuna per day. He says on the DVD commentary that he lost 28 kilograms (62 lb) and at the time of filming he weighed just 54 kilograms (120 lb), and had wanted to be even thinner, but was cautioned by the film makers not to do so. This weight loss was even more pronounced when you consider that the films that he made previously were ones that he had looked in very good physical shape for, and where he showed a good deal of muscle weight, such as Reign of Fire (2002) and Equilibrium (2002). What's more is that he then regained all of the weight that he had lost, and more, to become Batman in 2005. One thing is certain - you can not question his commitment to his craft as an actor.
The film itself is a strange one. You basically wait for the first hour trying to figure out what is going on and why Trevor behaves the way that he does. What does the insomnia mean? Why is he such a loner? Is there something really weird going to happen? It has a feel of Memento or Donnie Darko about it. It feels very odd. And then as the running time ticks down towards the end of the film, I remember becoming increasingly impatient to find out what had been going on all this time. What was the big twist at the end going to be? And then there really isn't one. The film has a dreamlike quality.
I wondered back in my mind to think if I'd ever watched it a second time and realised that in five years I hadn't watched it again. I'd always meant to but never got around to it. On this second viewing I did enjoy it more, I placed less emphasis on expecting something to happen and just enjoyed the performances more. Jennifer Jason Leigh really is a fantastic actor and of course Christian Bale always impresses, although I never believed he was the right choice for John Connor. I would have thought that one franchise in the form of the series of Batman films would have been enough for him. Still who would turn down the chance to be John Connor?
Overall The Machinist is a strange film that I can't say I really enjoyed but certainly wouldn't say that I disliked. It sort of just exists and is what it is. What is amazing is the performances.
I really enjoyed watching it - my first Asian horror movie! There is a lot of blood and some moments of brutal torture that might stay with you for few days.
If you faint when you watch ER, than this is definitely not for you!
Splatter as we have not had for years
Watchable Cold War caper starring Anthony Edwards ('Top Gun', 'E.R.') as a feckless American teenager who becomes embroiled in espionage whist travelling around Europe with sultry Czechoslovakian spy Linda Fiorentino ('Men In Black', 'Dogma'). 'Gotcha' is a well paced, blast from the past; its cloak and dagger shenanigans set in East Berlin, hark back to a better time in the spy game: when mutually assured destruction kept the wars small, the armies big and the femmes fatale. Edward's fish-out-of-water antics are quite entertaining and straddle the line between comedy and adventure, Fiorentino's character is a bit of a narrative ruse but she plays it well. Good, not great, worth a look for 80's fans.
I have to be honest - my original thought before watching 'Sherlock' was simply 'oh great, how unoriginal!' as I was naive enough to believe this was simply going to be another rehash of a familiar tale. I can say, hand on heart, that I was completely and utterly wrong.
What Steven Moffat (stretching his legs outside of the Doctor Who universe) managed to give us was nothing short of an exceptional, compelling and intriguing twist on a time old tale. Many around the world are familiar with the tales of Sherlock Holmes from Arthur Conan Doyle, not even considering the latest movie version with Robert Downey Junior. So to succeed, Moffat knew he had to do something pretty special.
Benedict Cumberbatch manages to play Holmes with both eccentricity and enthusiasm, never veering too far from the intelligent and calculating mind we are all familiar with, yet bringing him right into the present. This gives the audience an opportunity to relate to a character that may well be beyond them in sheer thought process, but now exists in a time they understand. There are nods to the tradition of the original stories, and the relationship between Holmes and Watson (Martin Freeman) feels as familiar as anything, yet there's a completely fresh and rejuvinated feel to the entire series.
Both critically accliamed and adored by audiences, 'Sherlock' manages to tread that fine line between fact and fiction. To see detective stories on a more human level is fascinating, and really pulls the audience in. No longer are we simply witness to an era long gone, but living in the middle of a world where Holmes is thriving. You can tell that Moffatt is having fun with the script, both as a talented writer and clear fan of the source material. He understands the intricate nature of challenging the viewers without alienating them, and providing answers while leaving just a little room for one more question to keep us coming back.
A stellar British cast supports the main characters, with a few familiar faces popping up in the streets. The show really is driven by Cumberbatch however, as it has to be. We know Holmes is the star of the show, and he gets just enough time to deliver on that without overwhelming us. It's a very subtle performance that relies just as much on the writing as it does the talent of the actor. No one can underestimate the importance of such a strong script, especially with complex stories such as these.
The only disappointment is that there are only three 90-minute episodes in this first series. The good news is that 'Sherlock' has been renewed for a second series, and we have far more to look forward to. For those new viewers, go into this with an open mind and enjoy every second of it. Simply one of the best pieces of UK television in the last few years.
A familiar tale now moved to familiar settings. Holmes and Watson come to the present.
A great Sunday afternoon film! The main charachter, Evan, is asked by the Almighty to build an ark and fill it with animals just like Noah. Very silly, the kids will love it with a predictable, feel good ending.
Worth getting for Revenge, with its reasonably good story, special features, and the chance to hear Liz Sladen & David Colling's commentary.
The best bit of Silver Nemesis is the text and audio commentary. These Cybermen are more like charm bracelet decorations from Ratners!
In Revenge of the Cybermen, the fourth Doctor returns to Nerva Beacon with Harry & Sarah-Jane to find it in orbit around Ratners the planet of cheap Gold. The beacon's crew have a rather embarrassing rash, an infestation, and can expect a visit from their tin-pot neighbours!
In Silver Nemesis, the seventh Doctor is wet, the Silver is even more tarnished, and the plot more like 'Spring time for Hitler in Windsor'!
Not really my kind of film but my boyfriend thought it was good.
This is by far a lot better than the British version. Steve Carrell is fantastic as boss Michael, he is more cringe worthy than Ricky Gervais' David Brent. With a great cast of new comedy actors, and more episodes than the entire series of the British version, this is a must buy series for any office fan.
An excellent well balanced and enjoyable series, wonderfully acted by Yannick Bisson et al.
William Murdoch is a detective in 1880's Torronto. Conflicted by his own religious beliefs and quest for scientific knowledge he solves crimes with the most meticulous of minds. Aided by the sometimes helpful Officer Crabtree and the beautiful Dr. Ogden, Murdoch uses all his resources to solve the crimes.
If you thought Hostel was bad..... this is worse.
brutal
There have been many incarnations of Alice In Wonderland - from books, to TV shows, to movies (both animated and live action) - and all have been fairly similar. An innocent girl gets caught up in a wonderland full of crazy people. It's a fairly simple premise, and one that is equally scary as it is dazzling. I for one thought the Disney animated version was bound to scare a few children!
Now in 2010 we have a new fad with 3D technology. Of course, at the moment this only really translates in cinemas due to 3D televisions costing a fortune, so home video releases fall a little flat if they are stories that relied heavily on the new technology. I believe this version of Alice is one of them. While it looks beautiful, even in 2D, the acting is sub-par and the storyline is flimsy at best.
It was a movie I yearned to love, with some of my favourite stars in - from Johnny Depp to Helena Bonham Carter, the movie is absolutely loaded with familiar faces around every corner. It just doesn't gel for me, and I found the ride uninspiring and bland, which is ironic considering how colourful the world can be. It's a typical Tim Burton directed movie, and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it often feels like Burton on auto pilot. Burton with Depp, and Danny Elfman on the score. We've seen and heard it all before, and sadly it has been done far better than this.
Mia Wasikowska doesn't do a bad job as Alice considering the script she is given, and the talent she gets to work with do their best to make her look strong and a genuine threat on their level, but it's often very unbelievable - and not just in the typical fantasy way. Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen is annoying enough to make me turn off at points, rather than being the typical villain you wish to see defeated. And the Mad Hatter seems to be Johnny Depp reprising Jack Sparrow with a bit of Willy Wonka thrown in and wearing a different hat. It's certainly not a challenging role for him whatsoever.
In the end, the movie will appeal to children, and it was a great success at the cinema. I do feel it loses a little of the spectacle that it needed on the big screen once translated to television, and it's probably a rental title at most. I cannot see it as a movie that warrants repeat viewings unfortunately.
Alice, now in her late teens, finds herself returning to a land of mystery and weirdness.
This is blood, blood and more blood in this, as you would expect from the title!!! I would say only people who like blood and gore films will like this and if you do like blood and gore films then you will LOVE this!
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