Month: September 2017

‘Someday, I will be a beautiful butterfly…’ – The Sunday Film Review #21

Posted on by Adam Martyn

Hello all! Another week, so that means another round of movies for us to look at! So, let’s get right into it!

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

Another John Carpenter hit! This is one of his earlier directorial efforts, and in the best way, it does show. The central premise of a bunch of people being trapped inside a police station in a base under siege style action flick, run similar themes to what we see in Escape from New York (1981), only on a much grander scale. But for this film and when it was made, it pulls off some pretty harrowing stuff. For example, the cold blooding murdering of children, yep, that happens quite unexpectedly. Carpenter demonstrates again how he can paint such a bleak world in such familiar and seemingly harmless territory. The split of areas into districts is something that is later echoed in films such as The Hunger Games (2012), and such is the impact of this initial film, a remake was later made, but its one I don’t aim to see. For me, the strength in this film lies in its simplicity. Once the main plot gets going, the whole base under siege stuff, its pretty good action from their on out and its very enjoyable! Maybe not Carpenters best work overall, but its certainly not a dud!

 

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

The Best Picture winner of 1989! This was such a charming little film to watch. During the first part, I was a bit confused as to how a story about a grumpy old woman who ends up getting a chauffeur could win the coveted award of Best Picture. But I soon discovered the many reasons why. The transformation of the Daisy character, played by Jessica Tandy, is incredibly subtle but very noticeable later on in the film. And to see her go from a stern, almost bigoted pensioner to a more frail, vulnerable woman is heartbreaking and also heartwarming, as this all ties in with her friendship with her chauffeur, Hoke, played by Morgan Freeman. To mention much more would give away a lot of what happens within the 95 minutes. But to further add to this films credit, Jessica Tandy’s performance won her the Academy Award of Best Actress, the oldest actress to do so at the age of 81. Morgan Freeman’s performance can’t be overlooked either, he excels in the part of the very cheery, but also very grounded Hoke. This movie was based on a play, and if any kind of theatre company is performing the play near you, I would urge you to see that also, as I’m sure its brilliant! Overall, a very simply told film, but with incredible performances, a stand out score (by Hans Zimmer) and a tale that will break and warm your heart. A Brief Review of it on my YouTube channel will be coming soon!

 

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

A classic Edgar Allan Poe adaptation! Following on from the success that was The Fall of the House of Usher (1960), the studios decided that more Poe adaptations needed to be made, so this film was next off the list! Vincent Price here is the main star, showcasing a shift from his normally devious and villainous roles, well, sort of.  For the first two thirds of the film, he’s actually playing the victim, a rare occurrence for Price, and sadly its an acting angle that you can’t help but feel that he’s over hamming it just a little too much. However, once he takes a darker turn, its classic Vincent Price all over and well worth the watch alone. There’s other great gothic elements of the era, creepy castles, torture chambers, a very literal representation of the title, and lots to keep you hooked. If you enjoy classic horror, and especially Vincent Price doing what he does best (as well as trying something different) , then its one that you need to watch!

Unstoppable (2010)

Well, the intensity of this one ramps up fast! The main premise is loosely based off a true story, in which a train carrying dangerous characters end up trundling along the tracks unmanned, where it could potentially derail and kill thousands of people. Now as well as greatly exaggerating the plot to meet action movie standards, the first 20 minutes or so isn’t really that engaging. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine play the two leads, and their performances are fine enough, its just the material they are given really isn’t that interesting, nor are the events that happen. But as soon as the runaway train, known as Triple 7 racks up speed and starts causing some chaos, that’s when things get really good. The last hour of the movie is good, typical action flare stuff, and if you’re into that, you’ll like it! Just sit through the first 20 minutes of exposition and general ‘not much going on-ness’. Not a forgettable movie, but definitely not an unstoppable one, as its name would suggest.

 

A Bug’s Life (1998)

I. ADORE. THIS. FILM. Just to clarify, this film isn’t new to me. I was watching it with Lauren as she hadn’t seen it in years, but I felt it warranted a review regardless! Where do I start? Well, the animation is gorgeous. Considering this was only Pixar’s 2nd feature film, they absolutely nailed the look of Ant Island, and all the different types of insects that inhabit it. Next on is the cast, who all deliver fantastic performances, particularly Kevin Spacey as evil grasshopper, Hopper. And the main thing for me on what makes this film so brilliant, is all the little nuances sprinkled throughout. From the detail of the City and what all the different bugs eat and drink, how their bars are laid out, how small one liners are actually a lot funnier if you just listen to them very carefully. Prime example being right at the beginning of the film, when a leaf falls in the path of the harvesting line. The ensuing conversation that Mr Soil delivers on how to get around the leaf is one of my favourite conversations in film, EVER! In short, this film is brilliant in absolutely any way you look at it, and if you haven’t seen it, you need to do yourself huge favours and change that right now! Find it online, via DVD, whatever, get a copy, sit down and check out A Bug’s Life for yourself, it’ll be one that stays with you for a long time!

 

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

A good movie that didn’t need to be made. It’s not often that’s said about a film. For starters, this film was never going to live up to the insane praise of both The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991). It just wasn’t gonna happen. Just to clarify as well, this is another film I have seen many many times. And with every watch, I do appreciate it a little more. The plot in some ways if very similar to T2, down to Arnie playing a ‘good’ Terminator and another evil Terminator being sent to kill John Connor. But as this film develops, theres actually more to it then some people give it credit. There are some absolutely stunning action sequences, probably some of the best in the whole franchise, and the final third turns out to be quite the surprising conclusion to the story, one that I think works very well in the films favour. In short, Terminator 3 is not a bad film by any stretch. It’s certainly worth a watch but don’t expect anything as good as the James Cameron helmed movies. But hey, Arnold Schwarzenegger is in it, and you can’t go wrong with him playing his most iconic role.

 

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

Always nice to finish on some Disney! Me and Lauren were looking for something quite simple, and nothing that we had to concentrate to hard on, so Winnie the Pooh seemed a perfect choice! This movie is actually made up of adaptations of 3 A.A. Milne stories: The Honey Tree, The Blustery Day and Tigger Too. There’s not a great deal to say really, I mean we all know Winnie the Pooh and his many distinctive friends! The animation is very well detailed and how the characters interact with the Narrator and the book pages that they are encompassed is extremely well handled. The 3 stories are very entertaining and there are songs sprinkled throughout, written by the famous Sherman brothers. If you have very young children, then they’re bound to love this movie, its not too long either which is always a bonus. But if you grew up with Winnie the Pooh in any capacity, then you’ll enjoy it as well, its a timeless classic that will appeal to audiences of all ages.

 

So that’s all for this week folks! As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the reviews, watching the trailers and hopefully checking out some of these films for yourself! Have a fantastic week, and I’ll see you next time!

Adam xx

‘Nobody puts Baby in the corner’ – The Sunday Film Review #20

Posted on by Adam Martyn

Hello all! Another week and another bunch of movies for us to review! So let’s get on right into it!

Signs (2002)

Considering I absolutely despised The Village (2004), another M. Night Shymalan movie, this one was a very welcome improvement. The main premise is that crop circles begin to appear all around the world, signalling the presence of alien life, and Mel Gibson along with his family, have to prepare to combat this, as well as challenge their own beliefs and inner demons. The family dynamic shared amongst the main cast is actually very well developed and showcased. In the first part of the film, there isn’t really much dialogue, but you understand all of the relationships, and they continue to build from strength to strength from there! There are several scenes that are truly standout, particularly one where Gibson is talking with his brother, played by Jacoquin Phoenix, and they start to discuss belief, faith and miracles, its one of the films most powerful scenes and deserves a merit on its own. Overall, if you like something with a sci-fi tinge as well as looking at elements such as religious and a family dynamic, then Signs will keep you happy! And I’ll definitely take this over The Village any day…

 

Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1963)

Despite its incredibly long title, the story of this movie is actually pretty straight forward. Its around nuclear weapons, and American soldiers potentially dropping nuclear bombs on Russia, triggered a Doomsday machine and destroying the world. Something like that. Its a very black comedy for sure, played for laughs but in the most serious way. It’s typical Stanley Kubrick direction. You have all the stereotypes you would expect, a rough talking American general, a snooty British officer, a stern talking President, sneaky Russian ambassadors and a slightly deranged German scientist. It’s very stereotypical for sure but again, the laughs come from some of the exchanges these characters have. Some of my favourite moments concern the American general worried about the Russians seeing ‘the big board’ in the Pentagon War Room. Even though there are many laughs, and it is a comedy film, at its heart, its a very harrowing commentary on nuclear war, and those few people who actually have the control and power over these weapons and how they are used. By the end, I could actually draw many parallels to todays political situation. With people like Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un in places of power, the fiction of what is shown in Dr. Strangelove, could scarily become a reality if the wrong moves are made or if the wrong switch is pressed. Give it a watch for some classic Kubrick, some laughs, and some startling but relevant political commentary.

 

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Finally got round to one of the classic 80’s dance movies! Now I still yet to see other classic movies in this drama, such as Flashdance (1983) and Footloose (1984). But I think this is a good place to start! Set in a summer camp in 1963, Dirty Dancing shows the story of an innocent teenage girl who is moulded by her family, meet one of the male entertainers who just wants to dance his pretty little face off, and of course, drama, romance and hilarity all ensues. I’ve gotta say that the story and the pacing of this movie is all well done, its nothing absolutely grand and epic but the dramatic moments are certainly believable. The music choices are brilliant too, relying heavily on 60’s music that of course is all very memorable and well suited to the scene its placed in. However, the only slight niggle I had music wise, that despite being set in the 60’s, and establishing that 60’s music is indeed used, every now and then, a very punchy, bassy, 80’s tune will creep in to sum up the feelings of the characters every now and then. However, its fine for the most part because its background music and the characters aren’t acknowledging it, so I let that slide. So the only one that I did have some confusion with, was of course the main hit song from the movie, which is (I Had) The Time of My Life. This is the final dance of the summer, to which both the two leads and audience can hear loud and clear, and whilst you can argue this kind of song would exist in the 60’s, the middle section for sure is uniquely, an 80’s sound. But of course, I could just be very pedantic and pick on the slightest things, but by all means I don’t dislike the movie, far from it, I actually rather enjoyed it! For my first foray into 80’s dance movies, I’m happy I kicked it all off with Dirty Dancing!

 

The Ghoul (1933)

A very obscure horror movie starring Boris Karloff! I think Karloff is one of the greatest actors of the early sound film age, not just for horror movies. So to find a movie I had never really heard much about was quite exciting. At the time of its release, Karloff was riding high on his success in Universal movies such as Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932). So to have him star as the ‘monster’ here makes a lot of sense! Sadly however, the film for me didn’t really hit many marks. The scenes where Karloff is playing ‘The Ghoul’ and generally, the final 20 minutes of the film, are fantastic, and a strong example of classic black-and-white horror. But the rest of the film is just talking, walking and needless, endless amounts of exposition. Given that this film is barely 80 minutes long, I’m surprised to say that more of the film could be shortened. Not the best Karloff movie, and not even a good horror, but its a slice of horror history, so I would only recommend this for the die hards.

 

The Toy Shop (1996)

At just 45 minutes long, this film just about qualifies as a feature film! Now at first glance, you may think this was a cheaply made cash-in film to capitalise on the major success of Toy Story that came out the previous year. And in terms of the theme, sure, its toys coming to life, but thats about it as far as copying goes. This film has less than 20 reviews on IMDB, which for that websites numbers, is miniscule. It’s a film I owned on VHS as a kid and watched many a time, I’m actually quite surprised its not as widely talked about as some other straight-to-video releases. But enough about the backstory, let’s have a little look at the story. So it’s set in 1910 (apparently), and two children, Katherine and Matthew end up locked in a toy shop, the toys come alive, hilarity ensues, but then things all gone wrong due to the evil Master Jack (a jack-in-the-box, obviously). Master Jack is probably the most stand out character in this film, mainly because he is completely insane, and is essentially a cross between the Grinch and Adolf Hitler, and that comparison is scarily accurate. The film is also a musical! It manages to squeeze 3 pretty average songs into the mix, a ‘I am evil’ type song, a ‘I’m missing home’ song and ‘call to battle’ song. Pretty average, but by no means terrible. I think ultimately where this film has merit, and where it stands out amongst other Toy Story rip-offs, is that for its short length and young demographic, it manages to cram in some pretty adult and mature stuff. Such as a sense of loss, death, rejection and neglect. If you remember this film like I do, go and check it out again so it can put a smile on your face! If you had never heard of this before reading the review, then at 45 minutes, I would say its worth a watch, especially if you have little ones around!

 

Their Finest (2016)

Gotta love a World War II drama! What was nice for me, whose seen many WWII dramas that take place on the front line this year, it was very refreshing to come to a film that shows what it was like for those people still at home, working in whichever way they could to support the war effort. The central premise is around a young Welsh screenwriter, whose been drafted in to create some inspirational films to show to the British people, in order to sustain morale and hope. Gemma Arterton plays the lead and she is likeable, vulnerable and very sympathetic, given that she has had to give up so much to run so many things in her life, both work and personal life included. Bill Nighy plays a very self centred actor and he is hilarious. Every line he delivers is something rather pretentious and whilst it doesn’t paint the best picture of us actors, it does a good job and making you laugh! The only main gripe that I would have with this film is that towards the final third, many tired movie cliches start to appear. I’m not going to say which ones for the sake of spoilers, but let me tell you, events do happen in a certain sequence that make you say, ‘really, their still doing this in Hollywood?’. But overall, its a fun little movie that whilst still retaining the tragedy and seriousness of war, manages to paint a slightly brighter picture of what is one of the darkest periods of human history.

 

Split (2016)

If you need any more proof of James McAvoy’s ability as an actor, then you seriously need to see this film! Another M. Night Shymalan film to end the week, and its certainly one his better ones! This is the loosest of sequels to 2000 film Unbreakable, how its related, you’ll have to watch to find out… Essentially, McAvoy plays a character who has 23 distinct personalities, granted, we only see about 8 or 9 of them, but every single one of them is unique and very fleshed out, a true sign of an actor whose prepared for the roles he’s undertaking. The supporting cast delivers to, but the main draw is certainly McAvoy. Suspense is definitely a key element in this movie, with many moments causing both me and Lauren to stop whatever else we were doing and have 100% full focus on the screen, and its also pretty scary at times! If you’ve seen Unbreakable, then you’ll definitely enjoy this follow up. If you haven’t seen Unbreakable, then you’ll still really enjoy it! Give it a watch, and get yourself all prepared for the third instalment, Glass, in 2019!

 

And that’s all for this week folks! As always I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the reviews, checking out the trailers and hopefully end up checking out some of these films yourself! Have a fantastic week, see you next time!

Adam xx

‘They call me Mister Tibbs!’ – The Sunday Film Review #19

Posted on by Adam Martyn

Hello all! Another week so another round of films for us to review! So, let’s get right into it!

Escape from New York (1981)

I’m really starting to become a big John Carpenter fan. The man has helmed some classic 80’s movies, such as  Big Trouble in Little China (1986) and They Live (1988). He also is behind the original Halloween (1978), which is a horror classic in his own right. In essence, he has the capability to take something that seems quite un-naturalistic or fantasy based, and make it work tremendously, and Escape from New York is no exception. It takes place in the then not to distant future of 1997, where Manhattan island is now a walled off prison for the worlds most dangerous criminals. When the US President ends up stranded in there, its up to Kurt Russell to go in and save him. And what follows is 90 minutes of pure, 80’s, action brilliance. Russell’s character of Snake is the epitome of the gruff voiced, hard talking, action star, and this was before Stallone and Schwarzenegger really hit their action strides. I feel Russell is overlooked in this era of action movies, but this is definitely one of his best efforts. Overall, for high octane action and a fast paced story, then Escape from New York will keep you entertained and leave you with a cheesy grin right on your face!

 

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

After being quite disappointed with New Line Cinema’s earlier efforts with the Friday the 13th franchise, this film takes that franchise, combines it with the Nightmare on Elm Street series, and the results are glorious. Despite the title however, these two horror titans aren’t fighting each other all the time, the film starting out as one recruiting the other for their own ends. But even when they aren’t fighting, the premise is clever. It shows a knowledge and acknowledgments of all the previous instalments of both franchises, which when you combine then is around 17 films. When Freddy and Jason do fight it is absolutely great, despite their two different attributes, its a fair fight by most accounts. There is obviously an over-riding story to all of this, and that’s fine enough, but the real high moments are when either Freddy or Jason are doing what they do best, which is being maniacal horror icons. Definitely check this one out, whether you have much prior knowledge of the franchises or not, its a fun monster mash that is definitely one of the better of the bunch.

 

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

The Best Picture winner for 1967! I’ve been collecting and reviewing all the films that have won the Oscar award of Best Picture, and this one was next on my list. Starring Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs, a black police officer who ends up stranded in a extremely prejudice Southern town. When a murder is committed, he is tasked to work with the police force to find the killer, overcoming any and all prejudice’s that stand in the way, on both sides. It remains an extremely relevant film, given the relations between the African American community and a predominately white police force. In many ways, it reminded me of the recent release Detroit (2017), which I would also highly recommend. But if you want to see some strong performances and some pretty memorable scenes that make you feel strengthened and stand with Tibbs against the struggle he’s in. An attempt to simply do his job, being threatened by the attitudes of the local community. A very important film, that may have a simplistic story, but is carried off with powerful performances and perfectly executed messages. Check it out if you can, and watch out for my review of it appearing on YouTube very soon!

 

Back to the Future: Part III (1990)

Definitely another A class entry in the series! Following my first viewings of Back to the Future (1985) and Back to the Future: Part II (1989), I found those films incredible. An epitome example of the times they were made but also films that have aged incredibly well, and Part III is no exception. I don’t see why this is often considered the worst of the three. If you want to talk perhaps in terms of setting and story, then yeah, maybe it is the least memorable, but it is still brilliant! The Western setting looks great, the further development of Marty and Doc Brown’s character, the added elements that are thrown in, such as Doc’s relationship with one of the local’s, and the fact that they are stuck in the past, in 1885, just establishes the ever rising tension that they may not get back to their present. Also there is recurring joke about Clint Eastwood, and its absolutely hilarious no matter which way you look at it! To summarise, if you even slightly enjoyed any of the first two Back to the Future movies, then you’re still gonna enjoy this one just as much. A satisfying end to a very well made and extremely fun trilogy, lets hope and pray its never remade…. Please Hollywood…. don’t do it…..

 

Red Sonja (1985)

Oh dear…. this film is a mess. A rather enjoyable mess strangely enough. It’s problem lies in its story and characters. The story by all accounts is stupidly basic, I’m aware its based off a comic series, but how its portrayed here is really slow, boring and not really engaging. The only potential draw for people who aren’t fans of the comic that I can see, is the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger is in it. Barely. He’s in the film for less than half of the run time, and his character isn’t really that interesting or important. It’s like his Conan character from that franchise, but less interesting and kinda just there for the market value. If you ever read or like the comics, then check it out to see if it compares or meets your expectations, but if you want to see Arnie in a better film in this same style, just stick with Conan the Barbarian. Just stay away from this one.

 

John Wick (2014)

I can’t believe this film passed me by when it first came out! Keanu Reeves stars as the titular character, a former assassin who ends up back in the game for a very specific purpose, one you’ll have to find out for yourself and I’m not giving it away! But although the plot might be seen as quite simple, that’s kind of how this film works. It works because everyone knows John Wick. They know who he is and just the kind of things he is capable of, and boy do you get to see whats he capable of throughout the 100 minute run time. Lots of gun fights, lots of colourfully lit settings and interesting characters. My only real gripe with the film is that some of these characters that get thrown in, are genuinely intriguing, such as Perkins. But whilst you want to know more about them, or want to see their characters or story develop, they either disappear without any real explanation or are just killed off in a spare moment. It gives the impression that the filmmakers were just making this as a one off and weren’t anticipating any sequels, which is fair enough, the film does work well enough on its own in that respect. But now that we have John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), I worry that either thats been rushed, or that story threads are gonna be thrown together as compensation. In any case, if you just stuck to the first film on its own, its a very fun, fast paced enjoyable action flick, one in which I actually rate Keanu Reeves for being somewhat engaging as an actor. Check it out if you want a good popcorn night in!

 

The Village (2004)

Bitterly disappointing. For M. Night Shamaylan, who has made several great movies, such as Unbreakable (2000) amongst others, I was disheartened by how much this film failed to make an impact. The premise is slightly engaging, an oldy worldy type village where the people are afraid of some kind of creatures lurking in the woods. What fails for me is the villagers themselves and the performances they are given. Everyone speaks in some sort of heightened language that tries so hard to be Shakespearian that it just falls flat on its face. Some of the actors are just completely bland and seem as if they aren’t even trying to be interesting. And overall, the way the plot progresses is just really slow, really boring and by the 1 hour mark, both me and Lauren had decided that we had had enough. That’s right, we didn’t even finish the movie. So you may ask, how come you’re reviewing it then? Well all my above opinions are only regarding the first hour, the last half an hour might be brilliant I don’t know, but if you aren’t interested in any aspect of a film by the 1 hour mark, is there much point in going on? It’s definitely not the worst film I’ve ever seen, the Keith Lemon Movie (2012) might hold that unique distinction. But in any case, this is a film that I know some people will love, and if you are one of them then more power to you, but I just can’t understand the appeal. Definitely one you’ll have to check out the trailer for before deciding whether this is something you’ll like.

 

And that’s all for this week folks! As always, I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading the reviews, watching the trailers and that eventually you’ll check out some of these movies for yourself! Have a fantastic week, and I’ll see you all next time!

Adam xx

‘The city burned for five days…’ – The Sunday Film Review #18

Posted on by Adam Martyn

Hello all! Another week so that means another bunch of movies to review and showcase! So without further ado, let’s go!

The Belko Experiment (2016)

This is definitely one of the most horrendous horror films of recent years, but not horrendous in terms of it being a bad film. On the contrary, I found this film really well made, well shot and well acted from the majority of the cast. The premise shows 80 workers trapped in their middle-of-nowhere offices, and are told by a voice over that if they don’t start killing each other, none of them will get out. Whereas you would want a sense of right to prevail, unfortunately, some workers do become very violent and without spoiling it, some of the most horrible moments in any horror film I’ve watched ensue. I would highly recommend this movie, its got the gore, the suspense, the tension, but its definitely not for the faint hearted. If you aren’t prepared for innocent people to get literally massacred, then this definitely isn’t the film for you. Not tame by any means, but if you can handle that, go and check it out.

 

The Acid House (1998)

Another movie from the twisted mind of Irving Welsh (Trainspotting, Filth). I quite like the man’s work, the fact that most of his stories are so warped and twisted, they have a somewhat brilliantly strange appeal. And The Acid House is definitely no exception. It’s based off the book, which was comprised of several short stories, taking 3 of them and adapting them for the screen. Each one is beautifully twisted and similar to Trainspotting in terms of showing life around the more poverty ridden parts of Scotland, with extremely thick accents to boot. I do think one of these 3 stories gets more attention than others, whereas the other 2 feel ever so slightly glossed over. And whilst it would have been good to see even more short stories from the book adapted, I do understand the film would start getting to Gone with the Wind length! Overall, if you like Trainspotting and the warped sense of perspective it showcases, then I think you’ll get some sort of kick out of The Acid House. 

 

Sket (2011)

It’s quite strange, the title represents the language used by the characters in this urban London setting, but not necessarily the whole thing. If you’ve seen my past reviews, you’ll know I really enjoyed the Hood trilogy, which encompasses Kidulthood (2006), Adulthood (2008) and Brotherhood (2016). They perfectly capture the modern youth gang generations that exist throughout the country, and part of me feels that this film is trying to capture that same spirit. On some levels it does, the characters are believable, and the sense of the younger characters (most of whom are around 15/16) are acting above their age purely just to survive is very well executed. But in terms of the actual story, it doesn’t feel that grand or with a sense of danger. When things do boil to a point towards the end, it does feel like it is a bit rushed and thats it come out of nowhere. And a particular bug bare of mine is that it leaves some threads unresolved. With some characters walking off into the sunset with no real explanation or pay off. If you want something to fill a similar void as the Hood Trilogy, this movie will do that it’s not that it fails to live up to its setting, but if you want better examples, then definitely at least go for Kidulthood above this.

 

Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

Why on earth they didn’t just call it Friday the 13th: Part IX – Jason Goes to Hell is beyond me. Well, starting with this film, the production company changed from Paramount to New Line Cinema. Maybe they couldn’t keep the numeral system, or maybe they’re just a bit silly. In any case, in terms of story and execution, this is pretty much business as usual being as this is the 9th instalment. Jason is now out of Manhattan (somehow, its never explained) and is now placed among some sort of demonic like specimen, that he can never be killed unless its by someone from his own bloodline. But this is my main problem with the film. When we first learned about Jason in the original, he was just a boy who drowned, he wasn’t even the main focus. When he became the killer in the sequels, he was still this boy, but now wanted revenge for anyone who visited Crystal Lake. Indestructible yes but still a boy who drowned and now wants vengeance. In this film, Jason’s soul (or spirit or whatever it is), can seemingly possess other people and convey his actions through them. That’s not a joke, and considering Jason is perceived as a mindless killer, this just comes off as silly and bizarre instead of new and inventive. Also, when Jason does get sent to Hell, its almost like the Heavens and God itself are sending Jason to Hell. It’s grand, its stupid, but hey, its 90’s horror. Honestly, the best part of this film for me was the last few seconds. There’s a certain horror star who makes an appearance before the credits role, setting up a potential future crossover. The prospect of that crossover was so exciting that it surpasses the other 90 minutes I had just watched. In short, you don’t need to bother with this one. The 9th instalment is not memorable in any real way, shape or form, and is instantly forgettable apart from the last few seconds.

 

Jason X (2001)

Jason in Space. That is essentially what this film is. Again, this is New Line Cinema producing, and they’ve honestly lost the plot. The idea was that after the final few seconds of the previous film setting up a crossover, that crossover got stuck in development hell, and instead of just wait it out, they thought they would make another film that completely ignores the fact that JASON GOT SENT TO HELL and just brings him back with the power of ‘just because’. Again though, this should have been called Friday the 13th: Part X. The fact they call it Jason X is even more frustrating because they are acknowledging its the tenth film but dropping the overall title of the franchise and just focusing on Jason. Now, after that petty rant, let’s talk about the film. It’s dire, it really is. It’s set in the year 2455…. sure. And as its in space, and its a film from 2001, we get a lot of CGI effects. And they are awful. It’s not even the fact that they are dated by today’s standards, they are awful even by 2001 standards. Some of the effects remind me of graphics from the days of the Super Nintendo, and that was the early 1990’s. The acting is also terrible. Actors either seem like they don’t know why they’re there and they’re bored as all hell, or on the flipside, they are over-acting to the roof and beyond. In an attempt to ‘advance the franchise’ it just completely backfires. Despite Jason having a few good kills, it seems so awkward to have him in this futuristic setting. He is ‘updated’ to ‘Uber Jason’ (the worst name for a character, so bad they don’t even call him that in the film, just the credits), but this only happens in the last 15 minutes. And when it now feels less awkward for him being there, he doesn’t really do much of anything. Kind of like Super Shredder from TMNT II: Secret of the Ooze (1991), its nice to see, but disappointing in execution. Overall, this is tiring hard with Jason Goes to Hell as being the worst entry in the Friday the 13th franchise. I’m glad it didn’t continue in this direction, and that the next film in the franchise, would be the long awaited crossover.

 

Detroit (2017)

This film was timely released on the 50th anniversary of the 5 days that the city of Detroit burned from riots. For those who don’t know, after many years of segregation and foul treatment from an extremely white and aggressive police force, the African American community began the riots in attempt to make the higher ups see sense and treat them equally. The first 20 minutes of this film is showing all of that unfold, and how it affects those who actively take part, and those who want nothing to do with it. It also shows how the police force dealt with certain situations, for better or for worse. But then the main focus of the film shifts to the Algiers Motel, when what started out as a joke ends in pretty horrendous results. Without spoiling anything specific, the focus is on the events in this Motel, and what happens is pretty brutal and horrible. There will be many points where you’ll feel uncomfortable, even a woman further down the aisle from me left for a minute or two just because she needed a break from it all. So if you’re of a faint heart, then maybe be careful before going into this. It all works to its advantage and for the amount of brutality and horrific things that are shown, it nails home the huge issues that were going on in Detroit at the time. How corrupt certain parties were, how innocent people would be caught in the crossfire, both black and white. And the profound effects it would have on those involved and how it affected them later in life. Detroit is an extremely powerful film that showcases its points very well. Sometimes with very little audible dialogue and just through action alone, you understand whats being said at every point. And for that, providing you can handle a lot of brutality, it gets a high recommendation from me.

 

That’s all for this week folks! As always, I hope you enjoyed reading the reviews, watching the trailer and hopefully checking out some of these movies for yourself! Have a fantastic week, and I’ll see you next time!

Adam xx