GregHorrorShow: The Films Of 2014

I’ve seen some great films this year and finally got around to catching up on some of the films I’ve missed over the last few years.

It’ll probably be no surprise to anyone to hear that Guardians Of The Galaxy was my favourite film this year – with such a great mix of characters and some strong performances to boot, it didn’t matter that I had no knowledge of the comics. James Gunn did a very good job of making sure you cared about the characters but that the tone stayed light for the most part.

Of the films I’d missed previously I really enjoyed Argo, a film that cements Ben Affleck as a really great director. It was tense, well shot and an interesting story. Alongside that, on a more sci-fi tip, I liked Prometheus, Pacific Rim and Avatar. Pacific Rim in particular was an enjoyable mech-filled romp and I thought Prometheus was much better than the critics gave it credit for at the time.

Obviously having kids means I get to see some films that are aimed at a younger audience. The best two I saw this year were Frozen and Paddington. Paddington is one of the most British films I’ve seen in ages and is really a great watch, regardless of age. Likewise with Frozen, aside from the complete indoctrination imposed on me by my children, it genuinely is a lovely film and it’s nice to see a sibling bond as a central relationship as opposed to a romantic bond. Also the songs *are* great 😉

From the other kids stuff I watched, Mr. Peabody And Sherman was the new generation’s ‘Bill and Ted’, Boxtrolls was good but quite dark and Get Santa was a nice little Christmas film that I’d recommend checking out if you get the chance.

Another of my favourite films this year was the documentary I Am Ali, which was a fascinating look at the world famous sportsman using home recordings and interviews with his family and friends. It was a real insight, not only into the man himself but also into the fever that built up around him. I also saw The Place Beyond The Pines and 47 Ronin, both of which I enjoyed but didn’t really blow me away.

Two films that did have an impact, albeit for different reasons, were Zero Dark Thirty and Pride. Zero Dark Thirty I found completely compelling and coming to it as someone who watches Homeland, it fitted nicely into that US Black Ops/C.I.A mould. Pride is a great film, showcasing just how rough it was growing up gay in the UK during the 1980’s. It’s a bit of a hard watch at times but retains a light heartedness that is totally charming. Very enjoyable.

On a smaller scale I thought One Crazy Thing was a fun, cheeky look at the cost of internet stardom and how things stay online forever. While Set Fire To The Stars, telling the story of Dylan Thomas’ US tour in the 50’s, was interesting, if a touch depressing at times.

There are also some great films coming down the line including rom com Man Up, with Lake Bell and Simon Pegg; Legend with Tom Hardy and the Wachowski’s Jupiter Ascending, which looks stunning. Add to that Joss Whedon’s second Avengers film Age Of Ultron, Mad Max: Fury Road & Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie and 2015 could be another great year for film.

And a final shout out for one of my Twitter friends Jaz Moore who is hoping to get her horror comedy funded on Kickstarter. It’s called Ranger Danger and tells the story of a young forest ranger that suddenly realises he is working in a universe swarming with horror cliches! It looks like great fun so check out the trailer below and back it here if you like the look of it:

 

 

So that’s my look back at the films I saw this year and a few projects I’m looking forward to seeing in 2015. How about you guys? What were your favourites from this year and what are you looking forward to in 2015?

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GregHorrorShow: The Films Of 2013

I have been fortunate enough to see some fantastic films this year, so I have plenty of movies to shout about 🙂

I thoroughly enjoyed Haywire, which I thought was a great action flick with some awesome fight scenes. Hanna and Skyfall also impressed me, although I’m not sure Daniel Craig will ever top Casino Royale as Bond.

I saw some wonderful documentary films, namely Senna, King Of Kong, Indie Game: The Movie and Grounded: The Making Of ‘The Last Of Us’. Senna was a great piece of film-making, I can’t recommend it strongly enough. Of course I love games so the others were always going to be on interest to me but King Of Kong was brilliant. And to see what the actors went through to nail some parts of ‘The Last Of Us‘? Wow!

Jeff Bridges never lets me down and True Grit was no exception. Along with Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Brolin he gave a great performance to make this a must watch. I absolutely loved Wreck It Ralph and this is one of my children’s favourite films of the last few years.

Django Unchained was a fun ride and I enjoyed Jack Reacher, despite Tom Cruise being *nothing* like the character from the books. Reacher stands on it’s own two feet though and Child’s writing proves that it can still work without the character’s imposing stature.

My favourite film of the year was a total surprise to me, as I hadn’t really enjoyed any other Richard Curtis films. About Time really struck a chord with me though and I love anything time travel related so that probably helped as well. It’s a great rom-com with a few neat twists on the time travel mechanic.

I finally got around to seeing Super 8 which I thought was great and reminded me of The Goonies, which is never a bad thing. Another contender for film of the year was Rush, which had stellar performances from its cast and an unbelievable (but true) story of two warring F1 drivers back in the 1970’s. Top stuff.

So here is the full list of films that I’d recommend from those I saw in 2013:

• Haywire
• True Grit
• Senna
• Hanna
• Wreck It Ralph
• King Of Kong
• Indie Game: The Movie
• The Raid
• About Time
• The World’s End
• 300
• Dead Space: Downfall
• Grounded: The Making Of ‘The Last Of Us’
• The Other Guys
• Dark Knight Rises
• Super 8
• Skyfall
• Rush
• Jack Reacher
• Django Unchained

What have you guys seen that stood out? Anything you’d recommend checking out?

The Raid – Review (Film)

I had heard only good things about The Raid from friends and various film blogs. I’d seen the director interviewed about his love of games and it seemed like the kind of film where you can enjoy, switch off and get blown away.

Thankfully The Raid didn’t disappoint, delivering a high octane mix of heavy gunfire and martial arts.

Taking place in Jakarta (the capital and largest city of Indonesia) it is the story of Rama, a cop in the city and father-to-be. His squad is called to an apartment block being run by a local crime lord and they are tasking with going in and flushing out any criminals that may be inside.

It’s a great premise and with the squad going up the building floor by floor it allows director Gareth Evans to put a lot of spectacular set pieces into action. A lot of those are gun based battles in corridors and stairwells but there is plenty of fist fighting action to be had as well.

Characters in The Raid use the traditional Indonesian martial art ‘Pencak Silat’ and there are some great fights in the film. If you’re not someone that likes gore it might be best to avoid this one though, as there are gunshot wounds and snapped bones all over the place.

The story itself wasn’t really anything special, unfortunately. And the film appears to have fallen into the same trap many games do in that the action is glorious but there isn’t much behind it to back it up.

The Raid certainly delivers a popcorn action punch and if you’re looking for some fun fighting/gun action then you could do a lot worse than this. I look forward to seeing what Gareth Evans comes up with next.

Rating: 8/10

Haywire – Review (Film)

Haywire opens with an explosive, brutal fight scene and barely pauses for breath until the credits roll.

It tells the story of Mallory Kane (played by MMA fighter Gina Carano), a mercenary of sorts who works for a shady company that has ties to the US government.

They handle all sorts of ‘operations’, ranging from hostage rescues to espionage. Soon enough Mallory realises something isn’t quite right and a conspiracy plot against her comes to light.

As the film begins this is all already in the past. As Mallory makes an escape she ends up accompanied by a civilian, who she tells her story to and we get to see the events through flashbacks.

I really enjoyed Haywire, it had a good (if slightly predictable) storyline and Gina Carano was impressive as Mallory. Obviously her fighting background helped in terms of the physical scenes but she also acted well.

She had great support from a cast featuring Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas and Michael Fassbender. Channing Tatum also surprised me as I had heard from a few people that his general acting was poor. I don’t agree and while his character wasn’t massively demanding he did enough here to convince you. And finally a nice (if small) appearance from Bill Paxton never hurts 🙂

Overall I thought Haywire was great. Nicely paced and with some spectacular fight scenes, it isn’t one for the fainthearted but if you like action movies then you should definitely check this one out.

Rating: 9/10

True Grit (2010) – Review (Film)

I haven’t seen the original 1969 film True Grit so news of the remake didn’t initially grab me. However, once I saw that the 2010 version had Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin attached I was interested.

The fact it was done by The Coen Brothers also helped, they usually deliver great films with some good dialogue.

True Grit tells the story of Mattie Ross (played excellently by Hailee Steinfeld), a 14 year old whose father is killed by an outlaw called Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). As Chaney has fled the county her only option for revenge is to hire a US Marshall to track him down.

Unfortunately for her the only real candidate is Rooster Cogburn, a formerly brilliant but now very drunk Marshall, played by Jeff Bridges who is as superb as ever.

Eventually they team up with Texas Ranger LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) who is also on Chaney’s trail and head out to track the outlaw down.

True Grit is a very enjoyable film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Some of the interplay between characters is brilliant and Steinfeld gives Ross enough sass while maintaining an air of innocence that makes you really root for her.

The film doesn’t shy away from the violence of the old West and at times shows just how fragile the difference between life and death could be.

It showcases some fantastic scenery and the film looks gorgeous for the most part. Shot in New Mexico this is a film that, in my opinion, you can justify getting on Blu-Ray.

I’m not a big fan of Westerns, nor am I well versed in the genre but True Grit is a fantastic film – regardless of your stance on Westerns.

Rating: 9/10

GregHorrorShow: The Films Of 2012

I think 2012 has been one of my more prolific film watching years in recent times – granted 99% of these were on DVD but I still got to see some great stuff. Here’s what I’d recommend seeing:

• Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
• District 9
• Star Trek
• Thor
• The Road
• The Losers
• Moon
• Seven Psychopaths
• The Avengers
• 13 Assassins
• The Town
• Total Recall (1987)
• The Artist
• Drive
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Let me start with my favourite film of 2012, which will probably come as no surprise to anyone who read the review, Marvel’s Avengers Assemble (or just The Avengers as I like to call it 😆 ). I’m not a comic book guy although I had seen the films based around these characters (Thor also made the list – really enjoyed that) but I am a big Joss Whedon fan and I was glad to see him deliver in such style. I can’t wait to check this out again soon.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World was a film I wished I’d seen in the cinema but just never got around to it. Very quirky and definitely one for the geeks 😆

I thought District 9 raised some really good points about segregation and class issues, while also being a thoroughly entertaining sci-fi flick. I’ve never been a Star Trek fan but I liked the ‘reboot’ and the highlight for me was Karl Urban as ‘Bones’ – great casting and a spot on performance.

I was prepared for The Road as I had read the book and it was as depressing and bleak as I expected. Wonderful acting from Viggo Mortensen – he’s become one of those actors I trust, I’ll always give the film a chance if he’s involved, a talented actor.

A big surprise for me was The Losers which was one my favourite films of the last few years – it’s how I imagine a Battlefield: Bad Company film would be. Funny with larger than life characters and some huge explosions. Very cool.

Another actor I’ve grown to trust is Sam Rockwell, who I rate as one of the best in his generation. Moon cements this and Rockwell is outstanding. This is a great film that is both sad and moving. Really recommended. Rockwell was also in Seven Psychopaths, alongside Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken and Colin Farrell. I thought that was a great film as well. Very funny in places with some memorable performances.

13 Assassins was a crazy movie that took bloodshed to a new level. With some great swordplay and interesting characters this was one foreign language film that really delivered. Ben Affleck seems to be getting better and better behind the camera. The Town was a well crafted and nicely shot heist flick that was full of great acting. I liked the sense of tension and sinister undercurrent that ran throughout.

As a blast from the past I watched Total Recall (1987), which I’d previously only seen on VHS (yep that long). I barely remembered any of it to be honest so it was fun to check it out and discuss the various theories on the film with LeftyFlip.

I finally got round to seeing The Artist, which I thought was good – maybe not quite as great as everyone said but definitely worth watching. Another big film of last year that I caught up with was Drive, which I thought was fantastic. I think the ‘more-style-than-substance’ arguments I’d seen are valid but it’s still a cool, if violent, crime flick.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol lived up to it’s blockbuster billing and I really enjoyed the chemistry between the characters – I hope they bring them back together for another one.

So there you go, those are the films I watched this year that I think you should check out. Any I missed? I do have a backlog (including True Grit, which I *really* must watch soon) but any suggestions are most welcome.

Clash Of The Titans – Review (Film)

Clash of The Titans appeared on my radar a few years ago, seemingly taking it’s cue in tone from the recent God Of War games. I was excited to see how the film played out and well… Liam Neeson as Zeus?! What wasn’t to like?

The film tells the story of Perseus, a baby found by a fisherman in the arms of his dead mother on a boat. Clash Of The Titans shows Perseus’ journey as he learns of his origin and ends up embroiled in a fight between mortals and gods.

Sadly, other than Neeson, the acting isn’t particularly great. I felt a stronger cast could really have benefited the film although the special effects were fairly impressive.

There are several big set pieces that showcase the CGI of Clash Of The Titans and overall I’d say they are used just enough to keep you interested. At times some of the dialogue dragged and unfortunately I found myself losing interest at a few points, which is disappointing.

Clash Of The Titans is by no means a terrible film – it’s certainly watchable as a big popcorn blockbuster but it lacks substance (perhaps because it was used mainly as a set up for the second film?). I wouldn’t say avoid this film but it left me wondering how good it could’ve been with a few tweaks to the cast and story.

Rating: 5/10

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble – Review (Film)

 

*This review is entirely spoiler free, for anyone who hasn’t seen the film yet (what are you waiting for? Go now!)*

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Where to start?

The great acting?

The brilliant special effects?

The amazing script?

Ok, ok. Let’s back this up a bit before I fall into an abyss of gushing.

Joss Whedon is probably my favourite person in the audiovisual world – Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly/Serenity, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog… the man can do no wrong. He even wrote the screenplay for Toy Story for heaven’s sake!

BUT there is always that flicker of doubt. ‘Joss Whedon to helm Avengers movie’ was the headline. Joy was the initial reaction (although I didn’t have any idea what the Avengers were beyond being a team of superheroes) but as time went on I did think – can he deliver with this? It’s a HUGE movie and look at the people involved.

I needn’t have worried at all – Marvel’s Avengers Assemble (to give the film it’s full title) is an absolutely fantastic movie.

Getting all of these actors – the majority of whom have their own films as these characters already – to team up and share the screen shows some serious management ability.

And they all deliver – I’m not really a fan of Scarlett Johannson but she was great as Black Widow. Mark Ruffalo was the big doubt for me but he is the best Hulk I’ve seen on the big screen. The rest of the cast are all on form – Robert Downey Jr continues to impress me, I used to really dislike him but in the last 4 or 5 years he has won me over.

Speaking with others who’ve seen the film the big hook for everyone appears to be the comedy and wit that flows through the script – it’s classic Whedon for those of us who know his work. The balance of seriousness and comedy is so well done you can’t help but get swept up in the sheer enthusiasm the film has.

I have no intention of discussing the plot or anything that might spoil the film. It’s a nice bit of background to have seen the accompanying films (Iron Man/Captain America/Thor) but by no means essential. This is a self contained film that tells you everything you need to know about what is going on.

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble is the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen. To actually get that many characters & actors together, have them feel genuinely like a team and for the movie not to totally suck is great. Go see it!

Rating: 10/10

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull – Review (Film)

Oh Indy. Somewhere along the line you’ve been replaced in our hearts by Nathan Drake. The answer isn’t to make a film that feels like I’m watching a selection of cut scenes from Uncharted 😦

I had high hopes for The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. I loved the previous three Indiana Jones films and Die Hard 4.0 turned out kind of ok, right?

Unfortunately this movie feels like a cash in. There were a few highlights but the whole thing just felt decidedly average. I’m willing to look past the fact that Harrison Ford is probably too old to play Indy now (hell The Expendables was enjoyable and Sly, Arnie et al are in their twlight years 😆 ) but this just didn’t feel like an Indy film.

Maybe that’s nostalgia talking and if I try to force my rose tinted glasses off for a moment what do I see? An average, big budget, blockbuster with a, frankly, ludicrous ending (even for an Indy film).

I wouldn’t say don’t watch this but just set your expectations low. You might enjoy Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull but sadly this is nowhere near the quality of the other Indy films.

Rating: 5/10

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World – Review (Film)

I’m a fan of Edgar Wright’s work – Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and Spaced are all great in my opinion. So I was looking forward to his interpretation of the Scott Pilgrim comic books.

Sometimes the spirit of a written work can be lost in translation to a different media and while I haven’t read the books, from what I’ve seen of them this film does a good job of capturing the feel of Scott Pilgrim’s world.

Pilgrim is a slacker who plays in a band. After meeting a girl, Ramona Flowers, he decides he has to win her over and sets about trying to make her his girlfriend – despite the fact he already has one.

To date Ramona he has to defeat her 7 evil exes, which sets up some great game-inspired fight scenes. I enjoyed the stylised way Wright handled the film, although I’m not sure everyone will like that direction.

Certainly I suspect it’ll be a love-or-hate movie. Personally I really enjoyed it and thought it was well worth a watch.

Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are great in the lead roles and Kieran Culkin is excellent as Wallace Wells, Scott’s roommate. The whole movie is pretty well cast, even the actors in smaller roles bring a lot to the table and it’s always nice to see Jason Schwartzman on the big screen.

Overall this is a difficult movie to recommend to a broad audience. If you’re into games I would say you’ll enjoy this, there are a host of little in-jokes/homages that you will have fun spotting. However it might be a little bit too far down the rabbit hole for your average viewer. Having said that, it’s certainly a watchable film – you just need to suspend reality for a while 🙂

Rating: 8/10