Topic: Never Ending Movie Marathon (short reviews)

[samuelrichardscott]

NYC Tornado (2008)

Overview:
What appears to be harmless little whirlwinds and dust devils turns out to be a precursor to something a lot more deadlier and ends up threatening New York City's very existence.

My Thoughts:
NYC Tornado is a fairly typical made for television natural disaster movie, directed by Tibor Takacs. As made obvious by the title, this follows a windstorm as it hits New York City and as per usual with these low-budget disaster TV movies, the special effects let it down a bit. I've seen worse, but it lacks that shine. The cast meddle their way through the standard script with no real notable performances although Trekkies may be drawn in by Nicole de Boer's main role. All in all, NYC Tornado is standard stuff through and through, suffering the usual budgetry dilemmas. This isn't very good, but it is certainly watchable and if you're a fan of the genre like me, it's worth a rental. A generous 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Social Network (2010)

Overview:
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.

My Thoughts:
Despite being a massive fan of Fincher, I neglected this movie on release due to the fact I'm just not a facebook person. However, I did watch it last year and was surprised that I enjoyed it. On rewatch, it holds up. The cast are essentially what make this movie. Jesse Eisenberg is great as Zuckerberg, but the real star here for me was Andrew Garfield as his ex-best friend. Justin Timberlake continues to surprise with his acting as Napster founder Sean Parker and Rashida Jones doesn't go amiss either for a bit of skirt. Obviously a lot of this has been creatively developed and I doubt we will never know the full and true events surrounding Facebook, but the film keeps you interested and doesn't take any sides by not showing anybody involved in a positive light. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Valentine (2001)

Overview:
Best friends Kate (Marley Shelton - Never Been Kissed), Paige (Denise Richards - The World Is Not Enough), Shelly (Katherine Heigl - Under Seige 2), Dorothy (Jessica Capshaw) and Lily (Jessica Cauffiel - Road Trip) are young women looking for a relationship...a Valentine to die for.
And this year they might just get their wish.
The boy they all knew (David Boreanaz - Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and tormented years ago at a Valentine's dance is being hunted by the police, suspected of murder and now they all start to receive strange and menacing Valentine messages.  As the threats of violence intensify each of the women realize that any man she knows could be a vicious killer. 
A twist-filled thriller directed by Jamie Blanks (Urban Legends) for fans of stalker-shocker terror where there's nothing like a valentine.

My Thoughts:
With the success of the Scream movies, the late nineties and early 2000's saw a bit of a comeback for the slasher movie. Valentine is one of the box office efforts from Warner in an attempt to cash-in, putting some of the hot stars of the time together including David Boreanaz, Marley Shelton, Denise Richards and Katherine Heigl. Unfortunately, the movie is so by-the-numbers it doesn't have anything to set it above all the similar movies out there. Gore is kept to a minimum and the story we've seen a million times before. It's certainly watchable, but it's nothing new. Rent it. 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Losers (2010)

Overview:
An explosive action tale of betrayal and revenge, The Losers centres around the members of an elite Special Forces unit sent to the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. But the team soon find that they have become the target of a deadly double cross by a powerful enemy known only as Max. Now presumed dead, the group makes plans to avenge themselves and clear their names, joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda. The Losers stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) as Clay; Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek) as Aisha; Chris Evans (Fantastic Four) as Jensen and Idris Elba (The Wire) as Roque, in an incredible action adventure that has to be seen to be believed!

My Thoughts:
As comic book properties become hotter and hotter and show no sign of slowing down, it means studios are chancing the lesser known comic books. One of these is The Losers, which I had never heard of until the trailers for the movie started appearing. Starring Chris Evans, Zoe Saldana and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Losers didn't fair as well as hoped at the box office and I really don't know why. Sure, it's not the greatest movie ever, but if you like a lot of OTT action mixed with a bit of humour, then you can do far worse than picking this one up. The story is fun, the casting is pretty good and the special effects above average. If you liked The A Team, then I recommend this as it has many similarities. 3.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Youth in Revolt (2009)

Overview:
Michael Cera stars in this offbeat coming-of-age comedy based on the series of teen novels by CD Payne. 16-year-old Nick Twisp (Cera) is a teenage smalltown outcast who is as obsessed by Fellini, Serge Gainsbourg and existentialism as he is with disposing of his virginity as soon as possible. During a temporary relocation from his hometown to a distant trailer park he meets the beautiful and intelligent Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday), and is soon besotted. Standing in his way are Sheeni's jealous ex-boyfriend Trent (Jonathan B. Wright) and Nick's recently divorced parents (Steve Buscemi and Jean Smart), not to mention Nick's mother's boyfriends (Zach Galifianakis and Ray Liotta). To attract Sheeni's attention Nick develops a bad boy Gallic alter-ego called Francois - but the path of true love never runs smooth, even for the French...

My Thoughts:
Youth in Revolt is a difficult film to pinpoint. A comedy with hidden tones, it relies heavily on the strength of the cast which includes Michael Cera, Ari Graynor, Ray Liotta, Steve Buscemi and Zach Galifianakis and they all make for an enjoyable indie movie. The story is fun and pans out really well, whilst the characters are all very different, yet seem to work together very well. Justin Long makes an interesting cameo (though nowhere near as good as his cameo in Zack & Miri Make a Porno) and the occasional action piece is well shot. Miguel Arteta is mainly a television director, only doing several movies, but I've enjoyed those movies I've seen (The Good Girl, Cedar Rapids and this). Hopefully he gets behind the movie camera more often, Recommended. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Condemned (2007)

Overview:
Action thriller starring 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin as Jack Conrad, a death-row prisoner in a corrupt Central American prison who is 'purchased' by a wealthy television producer to take part in an illegal reality game show. Brought to a desolate island, Conrad finds himself trapped in a fight to the death against nine other condemned killers from all corners of the world. With no possible escape, and millions of viewers watching the uncensored violence online, Conrad must use all his strength to remain the last man standing and earn his only chance of freedom.

My Thoughts:
Kind of a cross between Big Brother, Battle Royale and The Running Man, The Condemned is a mixed bag. The storyline of prisoners being used to fight to the death in order to win their freedom has been done before but this manages to keep the action going hard enough for you not to really notice that or the sketchy plotlines. Steve Austin and Vinnie Jones are welcome cast members and it was strange seeing Madeleine West post-Neighbours. There are a few films where prisoners take part in illegal fights like Undisputed which IIRC I liked a little better than this, but The Condemned was entertaining enough for some throwaway fun. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

End of Watch (2012)

Overview:
Two young officers are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel, during a routine traffic stop.

My Thoughts:
This one caught me from nowhere. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena play a couple of cops who graduated from the academy a couple of years previously and work in South Central LA - a notorious gang district. Gyllenhaal's character is also studying pre-law so puts a video camera on him and his partner so he can learn from his daily patrols, and it is these cameras that give us the views from the cops in such a fantastic way, throwing you right into the middle of the action. You care about what happens to the characters, there is plenty of drama and action, the storyline is well written, effects are perfect and not OTT and it's all done on a non-Hollywood budget of just $7m. Possibly the best Hollywood cop movie since Training Day. Highly recommended. 4.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Flashdance (1983)

Overview:
The music, the dancing, the romance, the leg warmers... Oh, what a feeling! Get ready to re-experience all the drama as Alex (Jennifer Beals) bravely fights her way out of the welding gear, off the stripper pole and onto the dance-school floor.
Flashdance, the pop-culture phenomenon of the '80s, is back and flashier than ever with brand-new featurettes exploring the history, the look, the music and much more! Academy Award®-winner* for Best Song, "Flashdance–What A Feeling," it's the hit film that inspired a generation.

My Thoughts:
This is my first viewing of one of the most iconic movies of the eighties. Starring Jennifer Beals and Michael Nouri it was a film that was never destined to do well, but somehow grabbed the imagination of young women at the time who essentially made it the success that it is today. The storyline is rather obvious from the outset but Adrian Lyne did a reasonable job at selecting his cast to make it a worthwhile viewing. The soundtrack is undeniably full of pure eighties cheese but managed to win an Oscar and a Grammy, with the soundtrack becoming a huge seller. Overall, it's a movie that you know isn't great, has some dodgy dialogue and choreography but has a certain charm to it. Rent it. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Bad Santa (2003)

Overview:
Outlandish Christmas comedy from director Terry Zwigoff. Billy Bob Thornton is Willie T. Stokes, a washed-up, wise-cracking Department Store Santa who can't help but be more naughty than nice. Underneath his ill-fitting red suit, Willie is actually a safecracker who makes one big score every year - on Christmas Eve. As shoppers head home from the mall, this Santa and his ingenious Elf - Willie's midget partner-in crime Marcus (Tony Cox) - crack the store safe and make off with their own holiday stash. But then comes Phoenix. Here Santa and his Elf find their annual heist endangered by a pesky store manager (John Ritter), a savvy mall detective (Bernie Mac), a sexy Santa fan (Lauren Graham) and an innocent but beleaguered 8-year-old misfit (Brett Kelly) who decides to believe that Willie - as intoxicated, acid-tongued and felonious as he seems to be - is the real Santa he's been seeking.

My Thoughts:
Is nothing sacred anymore? Thankfully not, because even on its 5th+ viewing, Bad Santa is hilarious. Billy Bob Thornton and Tony Cox play Santa and his elf who rob the shop they are working at every year brilliantly but it's Santa's drink problem and penchant for anal sex with the larger woman that cracked me up throughout. Lauren Graham is the barmaid with a Santa fetish and the supporting cast of Bernie Mac and John Ritter add to the laughs. However,it's the youngster Brett Kelly that deserves all the praise here, playing a bewildered 8-year old perfectly. If you like your humour dirty and you're not easily offended, Bad Santa comes recommended. I can't wait for Bad Santa 2 in 2013! 4/5

[DSig]

Man I am right there with you .. if you have a sacred cow someone will come along a slaughter it (Thank you Frank Zappa) 

And they way they do it with "Bad Santa" and even a little more in "Badder Santa" .. oh my.  I think  Lauren Graham adn Billy Bob Thornton and John Ritter (who was hilarious in "Switching Channels" and of course the late Bernie Mac  were all great in this.  Great story, great dialog and excellent acting.  One of my season favorites .. though some in the family don't quite appreciate it.

Happy Holidays

[samuelrichardscott]

Nitro Circus: The Movie (2012)

Overview:
Travis Pastrana and his tight-knit, highly-skilled, adrenaline-addicted friends bring their impossible, ridiculous, insane and hysterical adventures to the big screen for the first time.

My Thoughts:
I've been a fan of Nitro Circus for a few years now, ever since I first caught the show on television. Being very much a cross between The X Games and Jackass, Nitro Circus follows Travis Pastrana and his friends as they take part in mental stunts and prepare for a big live show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Whilst the movie is indeed full of ridiculous moments, it has been presented in a way where a lot of background is given to the television show, yet it doesn't really share the same sort of comraderie between the guys and feels a (little) bit more serious. This is for the big fans of the tv show only IMO. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)

Overview:
Berlin, 1942. Eight-year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country. All he knows is that his father was promoted and he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no-one to play with. Then he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pajamas. Bruno's friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation, as their secret meetings result in a friendship that has startling and devastating consequences.

My Thoughts:
Pros:
- The ending is very well thought out. I kind of expected it but it was still rather powerful.
- Vera Farmiga's English accent is damn near perfect. Not many non-British stars can pull it off.
- The kids playing Shmuel and Bruno did a very good job of showing naiveity as to what was happening.
Cons:
- Okay, it's a British produced movie, but why are all the accents of the German characters, the Queen's English?
- There is no way the guards would allow a jewish boy to be able to speak at the gate with a non-jewish boy for so long.
Overall:
It's very well cast and the ending is excellent, but it does occasionally feel a little insulting to your intelligence. Still, I would say it is recommended viewing. 3.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

4.3.2.1. (2010)

Overview:
From the BAFTA winning British Actor/ Writer/ Director Noel Clarke comes 4.3.2.1, a sexy, gripping thriller following three days in the lives of four very different girls. Starring some of Britain and America’s most exciting rising stars including Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew, Wild Child), Tamsin Egerton (St. Trinian’s), Ophelia Lovibond (Nowhere Boy, London Boulevard) and Shanika Warren-Markland (Adulthood), the four intricately woven stories are about four best friends who become involved in a major diamond heist.
Whilst Jo (Emma Roberts) is chained down in a dead end supermarket job, her friends are all out on their own separate adventures: Cassandra (Tamsin Egerton) is jetting off to New York to meet her internet boyfriend; Kerrys (Shanika Warren-Markland) is on a one woman crusade fighting for female liberation and Shannon (Ophelia Lovibond) is on a one way trip to meet her maker. But a chance encounter with some diamond thieves sends their separate worlds on a collision course with not only each other, but fate itself. These 4 girls are about to have 3 days they will never forget, spanning to 2 cities. That is… if they survive.

My Thoughts:
Pros:
- The cameo roles from Kevin Smith and Michelle Ryan. Their characters were easily the highlight.
- Emma Roberts. Talent must run in the family.
- Although the story had a couple of plot holes, Noel Clarke did a fairly good job of linking all the individual plot lines and characters together.
Cons:
- Tamsin Egerton and Shanika Warren-Markland were the weak links in the cast.
- The movie deserved a better ending, though the set-up to a possible sequel was okay.
- Dialogue wasn't as sharp as Clarke's previous efforts like Kidulthood.
Overall:
Not bad, but Noel Clarke is capable of better IMO. Rent it. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Chisum (1970)

Overview:
his late John Wayne Western casts 'The Duke' as real-life ranch owner John Chisum, battling to save his land from a ruthless developer (Forrest Tucker). Based on the events of New Mexico's 1878 Lincoln County War, which saw Chisum enlisting the help of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid to protect what was rightfully his.

My Thoughts:
Supposedly based on true events, Chisum is far from the best western out there, and certainly not my favourite John Wayne western at that. There isn't really anything in Chisum to put it ahead of many of the similar movies with standard acting, dialogue and action throughout. Of course, some creative liberties have been taken in order to make the story a bit fuller but the story of the Lincoln War has been portrayed better elsewhere - even in Young Guns in the eighties. Rent it. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Overview:
After losing all their money to London crime boss Hatchet Harry (P.H. Moriarty) in a card game, twentysomething friends Eddy (Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), Soap (Dexter Fletcher) and Bacon (Jason Statham) decide to steal from their drug-dealing neighbour, Dog. Using guns stolen from burglars in the employ of Harry, the quartet carry out their heist, leaving their money at Eddy's. However, as they set about disposing of the evidence, they are unaware that there is more to their firearms than they thought...

My Thoughts:
Pros:
- Brilliantly cast. Everyone from Nick Moran to Vinnie Jones, Dexter Fletcher to Jason Statham.
- The story evolves fast but is easy to keep up with. Sub-lots interlace perfectly.
- I loved the way it's narrated. Freeze frame, cockney geezer style.
Cons:
- Possibly single-handedly responsible for a slew of crap mockney gangster movies.
Overall:
- If you haven't seen it, then what are you waiting for? Snatch is more polished, but Lock Stock is still highly recommended from me. 4.5/5