Reviews

Salesman Roy Knable spends all his free time watching television, to the exasperation of his wife, Helen. One day, TV salesman Spike convinces Roy to buy a satellite dish offering 666 channels.

The new addition to Roy's home entertainment system sucks him and Helen into Hellvision, a realm run by Spike, who is an emissary of Satan.

For 24 hours, the couple must survive devilish parodies of TV programs if they want to return to reality alive......

Less of a film, more of a series of sketches bookended by a fantasy narrative, Stay Tuned is one of those films that was definitely turned down by lots of major stars, and was probably passed around numerous times before it received a really low budget, and some well known, at the time TV stars (no disrespect to Ritter and Dawber, they are great in this, but I sure people like Kurt Russell, Steve Martin, Martin Short et al, were given the script).

The fun lies within the shows that Hellvision produces. Some are wickedly satirical, and some really miss the mark. But the majority of them hit well and raise a chuckle or two. It's of it's time though, and watching today, it hasn't aged well in the age of streaming and so on so forth.

The effects are pretty ropey by today's standards, as the film was trying to emulate this wonderful effects in T2, just like many films did in the nineties.

As I said, it was aimed at a certain demographic when it was released over thirty years ago, and if this was seen by fresh eyes today, I'm pretty sure that nearly all of the jokes would fall flat.

It's still a lot of fun though.

Britain, at the height of World War II. To counter German advances in Europe, Churchill indirectly launched the daring Operation Postmaster: an unsanctioned, unauthorised, and unofficial suicide mission.

Orchestrated by Brigadier Colin Gubbins and Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming, they assemble a team to get things done.

As a result, the top-secret combat unit must use unconventional methods to destroy two German tug boats servicing the U-boats in the Atlantic, giving the Allies a fighting chance.

If the British capture them, they'll rot in jail. But if the Nazis find them, it's game over.

Can the outnumbered band of mavericks do the impossible and cheat death?.....

Guy Ritchie has come a long way since Lock Stock..... and has he had the career. It's a really odd but wonderful career. At one time, he was the darling of British cinema, and then he made that film with Madonna, which broke him a little. He then came back with Revolver, which, in my eyes is a bloody masterpiece, and gets better with each viewing. Then he want back to his roots with RocknRolla, and the. He went to Hollywood, made it big with Sherlock Holmes, and then after a couple of flops, started making secret films.

This is one of those secret films, well it is here in England, where it will no doubt go straight to Prime just like his last two films, which is a shame, because this is a good old fashioned romp, in the same vein of Inglorious B@st@rds, but just a little more bloated in the second act.

The cast are great, especially Cavill, who owns the film. He's bolshy, great at delivering zingers, and breathes life into the narrative. The rest of the gang pale in comparison when they share screen time with him.

It's not your typical Ritchie film, and the amazing dialogue that made his first two films so special, is desperately missing here, but it looks good, and never outstays its welcome. It's a shame that it will probably never see a cinema screen here in the UK.

Unfrosted is the cinematic equivalent of a Pop Tart. It's enjoyable while it lasts, but you know it's not good for you, and leaves you with an empty feeling straight after.

Michigan, 1963. Kellogg's and Post, sworn cereal rivals, race to create a pastry that will change the face of breakfast forever. A tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar, and menacing milkmen.....

First off, I can't understand the low score for this film. Granted, it's not the greatest film in the world, but Seinfeld has amassed a wonderful cast, and it's a very kooky film, not for all tastes, but it's always interesting, and never boring.

How much of the content is true is beyond me, it's probably just the fact that the two big cereal rivals were trying to bring out a breakfast pastry first, as the rest of the film and its narrative is just plain bonkers, but in a really good way.

Seinfeld has all the best lines, as this is more of a vanity project for him, to remind people that he still exists, and can still be relevant.

The cast though is amazing, it's like he's invited all of his best friends to be in this, and all the cast put in really good performances, and they really are against type.

It feels at times that Seinfeld is channelling Burton, as it becomes very strange at times, but if you go with the flow, there is a lot of fun to be had.

Would make a great double bill with Flamin' Hot.

Suffering from acute anxiety, young Miranda faces a new terror when a serial killer chooses her as his next target.

As he chases her through the woods, she soon finds the strength she never knew she had to elude her murderous tracker......

If there was ever a film about nepotism, this is the one film that would stand out from the crowd. It's a Simmons joint, and all of the family are involved, in what otherwise is, a stalk and shoot thriller.

It doesn't break any moulds, Miranda is in a car with her step father, they bump into JK Simmons, who for some reason is on a murder spree, kills her step father, and she barely escapes, but Simmons is in hot pursuit.

We find out that he is a lecturer, and he snaps when one of his students berates him, and does what any nutter would do, and take it out on innocent people for no good reason. There isn't really an explanation as to why he is hell bent on catching Miranda, but it's a fun journey whilst it lasts.

It's pure hokum from beginning to end, and the final act is pretty mediocre, but for a secret film, it has some good production values.

While shooting a war film, the director attempts to liven up proceedings by dropping the principle actors into the middle of a real jungle, claiming he is going to capture their performance with hidden cameras.

The hapless group including action superstar Tug Speedman, drug-addled comedy star Jeff Portnoy, and po-faced method man Kirk Lazarus, are completely unaware when a series of unfortunate events leads them into the middle of a real war zone......

This is one of those films that the more you see it, the more you appreciate the film for what it is, a blistering satire on Hollywood and the stars that act like divas. The first time I saw this film though, I didn't care for it, I thought it was unfunny, and over bloated, especially during the second act.

I stand by the majority of the second act, especially when Speedman is taken hostage and we all go through the Simple Jack routine, as because of this, we are denied more screen time from the real stars of the film, namely Downey Jr, Cruise, and Black. These three make the film, as, apart from Black, are totally playing against type.

Cruise is amazing in this, he really sends himself up, and just plays Grossman so seriously, so to the point, that you could really imagine that there are people in Hollywood just like him. Grossman is a total fool, but he's the best thing in the film.

Downey Jr certainly deserved his Oscar nomination, you actually forget that you're watching the actor, you begin to believe that Lazarus is the real actor playing a character, he's really that good in this, and should really take on more roles like this. 2008 was really the year for Downey Jr, and he deserves every accolade going.

It's a fun film, the first and third act are brilliantly satirical and hilarious, but the second act lets the side down a little.

It would make a wonderful double bill with The Player.

Ruthless Essex gangster Pat Tate peddles pills, snorts coke and crushes anyone who gets in his way of his quest for power.

Yet, he ends up in prison after being double-crossed.

Undeterred, he establishes himself inside, and prepares for his release, when he plans to reclaim his turf with violence and no mercy......

If you're reading this, or watching the third film whilst looking at the reviews, you're probably invested in the franchise (which, at the time of writing, was about to go into its seventh instalment), and will continue to watch them as long as they keep making them. They more than likely will do, because each one makes more money than the last.

It's more of the same here. Fairbrass continues to dazzle as Pat Tate, and we spend the majority of the film with his narrative, taking lots of drugs, calling people the C word, and knocking heads together.

There is a plot of some sort. It has to do with drugs and money, Pat is in Spain, and is awaiting his friends to join him and bringing him 20 large.

Of course it goes awry, and there are a lot of fights, swearing and threats, whilst there are some cracking dance music from the nineties in the background.

For what it is, it's a good old time, because it doesn't change direction, and just flows with the other films.

Rita crashes into Dr. Frank Bryant's life wanting an education, although she has no idea what she's asking. Her brash sincerity earns the respect of the doctor who has previously resigned himself to a life of empty lectures and booze.

Rita's character is a breath of fresh air for Bryant, and he begins to care about someone, or something, for the first time since his wife left him.

As each begins to wake up to life in his or her own way, her story comes to a close as an inspiring tale of self-discovery and of the power choice that comes through education......

This is one of those films that I caught by surprise and was perturbed at myself for never seeing it before. My local independent cinema has mystery showings of films every month, and May 2024's mystery screening was this, master class of a film.

I could have spent the whole duration of the film in Bryant's office with Rita and he discussing literature, it's that fascinating, and the performances are magnificent. Caine for the previous few years was almost starring in everything, and his choice of projects were very iffy. But here, he puts in a performance of a lifetime as Bryant, whose life has turned into one big tragedy.

He knows his livelihood and personal life ar on the slide, and him seeking solace in a bottle of alcohol, just adds to his melancholia.

Then Rita e tears his life, and he sees something in her, something he should have done to himself when he was her age, and he is as envious of her as much as he admires her, which in turn, makes him feel life a little more, but at the same time, adds to his woes.

It's an amazing piece of cinema, and Walter's and Caine are at the top of their game here. It's funny, very funny in places, but it has the same distinct flavour of the Kitchen Sink drama that was popular in the sixties.

Two groups of adventurers race to salvage a doomed ship's treasure hours after it has been crippled by a tidal wave.

When the gold-diggers enter the overturned liner through a hole cut by the coastguard they discover more survivors still trapped on board and struggle to carry out their plans before the ocean finally claims the wrecked vessel......

As soon as you see Michael Caine in a fake boat with what is literally people throwing buckets of water at the boat, you know you are watching something special. Made at a time when Caine was just doing it for the money, the film tries really hard to be serious, but thanks to the script, and some wonderfully bad characters, it's hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

So we have two separate teams, the good guys and the bad guys essentially, and they are after what ever loot is on the glorious Poseidon, and obviously the other characters who never crossed Gene Hackmans path in the first one.

It's just not exciting, despite the fact that it does this genre by the disaster movie book checklist. With the amount of disaster films that were released in the seventies, audiences were getting a little fed up of watching people perilously climbing a dodgy ladder, even if they are blind, or being hunted by Kojak.

If, like me, you are a fan of bad films, this has to be seen, because there are moments of pure stupid genius, which entertains.

If you want a credible disaster movie, with characters you care for, you won't find it here.

William Foster is a brilliant neuroscientist who loses his wife, son and two daughters in a tragic car accident.

Utilising cutting-edge technology, William comes up with a daring and unprecedented plan to download their memories and clone their bodies.

As the experiment begins to spiral out of control, Foster soon finds himself at odds with his dubious boss, a reluctant accomplice, a police task force and the physical laws of science......

First things first, this film is pure hokum. It's absolutely rubbish with its concept, a sort of I, Robot, meets The Sixth Day. But my goodness, is this film entertaining.

And it's all down to Reeves, as a Neuroscientist, a Neuroscientist of all things, but he has that 'Whoa, Dude' linger when he speaks, and you just cannot take him seriously as a Neuroscientist, but that's just the charm of the man.

But it's not down to Reeves, it's the script, it stinks, and there are some unintentional laugh out loud moments. My favourite when Reeves sees a blatantly obvious dead soldier and says the immortal line 'this man is dead'. It had me in firs of laughter, and this is within the first ten minutes of the film.

The rest of the film doesn't fare much better, as it doesn't really make much sense, but you have to forgive the film, as it's just so entertaining for all the wrong reasons.

If you do see this film, it's a solid 'good' bad movie. It's never boring, Reeves is always entertaining, and the ending, whoa.....

When their late police captain gets linked to drug cartels, wisecracking Miami cops Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett embark on a dangerous mission to clear his name......

When Adil and Bilall took over the franchise back in 2020, they were really up against it. It had been 17 years since the last entry, and the buddy cop sub genre was a little old hat. But they revived the franchise and the sub genre, and didn't just deliver a great movie, they made an out and out old school blockbuster.

So it's a case of if it isn't broke, don't try to fix it.

It starts just like the third one did, Lowry driving really fast, and Burnett maundering to Lowry about how he feels nauseous, and their chemistry is still blistering after almost thirty years. You really do believe that these guys have lived in each others pockets for that length of time, and it's the foundation of the film.

Lowry is getting married, and at the wedding reception, Burnett suffers a cardiac arrest on the dance floor. Obviously he survives, but he thinks he's invincible, and because of this, Lawrence steals every scene that he is in. He's hilarious, and some of the material he has is gold, especially when he has a conversation with Lowry about how he was a donkey in a former life.

With this being a Bruckheimer production, you expect the action to be slick and frenetic, and for the film to look beautiful. Bruckheimer once again proves that he is one of the best producers in the world, as every set piece is inventive, and leaves room for the cast to have that essential banter that makes the franchise work.

There is one particular set piece with a fan favourite that will absolutely knock your socks off, and come the end of the film, the titular Bad Boys give them the respect that they deserve.

My only gripe with the film is that the secret bad guy is blatantly obvious, as he is quite famous, and without him being one of the bad guys, his casting would have been a little pointless.

Smith is Smith in this film, he does his usual schtick, and he entertains, and there is a reference to that incident in the final act. Say what you want to say about his personal life, it has never affected me, and I think he still has that screen presence he's always had.

It's another wonderful entry in the franchise, and I hope that they continue to make these films, because they are so much fun to watch.

Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but never manage to find. For the band of tombaroli, thieves of ancient grave goods and archaeological wonders, the Chimera means redemption from work and the dream of easy wealth.

For Arthur, the Chimera looks like the woman he lost, Beniamina.

To find her, Arthur challenges the invisible, searches everywhere, goes inside the earth -- in search of the door to the afterlife of which myths speak.

In an adventurous journey between the living and the dead, between forests and cities, between celebrations and solitudes, the intertwined destinies of these characters unfold, all in search of the Chimera......

La Chimera is an oddity of a film, fresh fro the dirge that what Challengers, Josh O' Connor excels as Arthur, an almost otherworldly being who may or may not be on the path to purgatory. Or maybe he is already there.

He has lost the love f his life, and all we have to remind her by is a strand of red wool, but that strand is the tree of life for Arthur, and his quest.

But what is his quest. He seems almost defeated throughout the film, wearing bland clothes, eating bland food, and just existing. And that is until meets Italia, a beautiful, mysterious woman, who is working for Isabella Rossellini. The film has many strands, many avenues to explore, and some exploring it may need to take, to truly appreciate this wonderful gem.

You don't get many films as exquisitely mysterious as this. It almost fools the viewer into thinking that it's a number of different films. There were hints, of Wenders, Lynch, and even Burton at some points, but it has its own unique originality to the whole proceeding.

The more I write, the more I ponder the film and its message. It's a haunting piece of cinema, which you grip you, and not release you until the end, even though it's a hardly tense film.

The film has a poetic balance that compliments the narrative, and its rich camerawork. If you have not seen this, I urge you too, it's a masterpiece.

The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time......

The music Bio-pic has had a little resurgence in the past few years, thanks to Queen and Elton John. We have only just had the Bob Marley one, that covered over more of his controversial parts of his life, and now we have this, another Biopic that likes to play it a little on the safe side.

Winehouse was a pretty amazing songwriter, but come on, she was more famous for her drinking and her personal life, which this film seems too scared to tell it just how it was.

All you have to do is google her name, and you can see just how much of a ticking time mob she was. I mean, where was Pete Docherty in this film? Where was her infamous last performance where she was totally incoherent? This film just wants to focus on her, her Back To Black album, and the marriage that nobody really cared about.

Abela nails it as Winehouse. She is totally amazing in the role, and she is unfortunately let down by the writing. Winehouse was allegedly bulimic. This gets washed over in a very short scene at the beginning of the film where her housemate mentions her vomiting. It's never mentioned in the film.

And again, her dad was allegedly pushing and pushing her, driving her to the brink. But here Marian plays him like a saint, he's very good, but it's all a little deceptive.

If you want the true story, see Asif Kapadia's brilliant 'Amy' documentary. If you want the fairy tale. See this.

It's okay. Watch it for Abela.

A lonely hair stylist becomes obsessed with the lives of her clients and descends into murderous madness......

The stylist could have been another slasher film. It could have easily been about some weird woman who kills their victims for their hair. Essentially, it is, but the film delves so much deeper than that, which is thankfully what the makers do, as they could have gone for the buzz cut, which would have probably garnered more viewers.

Townsend is wonderful as Claire, a girl who has lots of problems with self esteem and confidence, and takes her victims scales for escape. As when she dons her victims hair, she is sent into another world, and the film is beautiful when this is evident.

There is a sub plot about some woman getting married, and her stylist has bunked on her, so she asks Claire. Claire takes this as a huge compliment, and becomes more involved with her as the films narrative begins to struggle a little with Claire, and it becomes very uncomfortable when Claire becomes a little obsessed with the bride to be. She invites her round for a drink, and you can feel Claires anxiety when she first gets to the brides house.

It's a wonderful piece of storytelling, as you become empathetic toward Claire, and begin to care less about her victims, which is very uniques when it comes to films like these. Claire is the epitome of the anti-hero. You know what she is doing is very wrong, but you cannot help but like her, even at some points hoping that she overcomes her problems, and gets better. And especially, you don't want her to get caught.

You want her to be careful, but lo and behold, the third act happens, and it goes straight of the window, but you always knew it was coming.

It's a very good looking film, the cast are great, and it's really worth seeking out.....

After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight.

In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they're locked inside with no normal little girl......

It's been done before, the trailer kills the film. If the studio had some faith in the audience, this could've been a surprise movie, much like From Dusk 'Til Dawn, but then I suppose, back then, we didn't have the miracle of the spoilerific internet.

If the trailer just gave us the set up, but kept the same title card that it had, people would be be curious, and curious people come to the cinema in droves. Just look at the trailer for Longlegs. It gives you absolutely nothing. I know Nicolas Cage plays a serial killer, but nothing else. And it's my most anticipated film this year. So far.

So we know that the titular character is a vampire, so we spend the first thirty minutes waiting for the reveal, so we have to make friends with the rag tag team. Who are a little boring to be honest. We've seen them all before, and we are all playing the game of 'who dies first?'. But thanks to the trailer, we know that Dan Steven's will make it to the end, because he has the line 'I hate Ballet'.

But again, the film tries to do a last act twist, and to be honest, it's not very good, and completely ruins the fun we had before this. Oh no!!! She's Dracula's daughter. How do we know it's Dracula? Because he's played by special guest star Matthew Goode.

But other than than, it's a short and sharp funny film. The gore is pretty good, if not inventive, and the performances are pretty affable, even if the characters are pretty mundane.

Katie flees a backwoods cult and takes a job at a care centre for special needs adults in her determination to do some good with her life.

But despite her best intentions, Katie can't escape the signs that "the devils" are coming for Stephanie, a woman with Down syndrome she cares for, who keeps getting sicker despite Katie's rituals to ward off evil spirits......

It's an interesting concept, that has been done a dozen times before, but here we are working with people with learning difficulties, which grabbed my attention from the get go.

But Plot Summary aside, there really is little going on here. The main lead is good in her role, but she is limited to looking a little shaken when she has flashbacks, being endearing to the people she is working with, and then trying to convince people that she isn't insane.

If the story was more focused on her trying to come to terms with her PTSD, rather than making it a showcase for people with learning difficulties (which is a little exploitative if I'm honest) then it could have been a great psychological drama, rather than a film where a woman puts cow parts under a bed, living in a car.

It's not terrible, it just maunders on, and you can just feel a great film trying to come out.

When Karate champion Michael Rivers wins the last tournament of his career, shady businessman Ron Hall offers him the opportunity to fight in an illegal Kumite in Bulgaria against the world's best martial artists.

When Michael declines, Hall has his daughter kidnapped and, in order to rescue her, Rivers is left with no choice but to compete in the deadly tournament.

Arriving in Bulgaria, he finds out that he is not the only fighter whose loved one was taken.

Rivers enlists the help of trainers special guest star Master Tai Bo, and special guest star China O' Brien, but will it be enough for him to win the tournament and save his daughter's life?.....

For a lot of people, much like myself, Friday night at the video store was a huge part of my growing up, and my love of the movies. Yes, I love Terence Malick, and the films of Wim Wenders, but nothing gets my blood pumping when a star of the eightie's has a new film coming out. Stallone, Van Damme, Schwarzenegger, and sometimes even Seagal. Any film that had the word 'Kickboxer', 'American', or 'Revenge' in the title was a must, especially if there was a picture of some random bloke doing a roundhouse kick.

And then we had the straight to video martial arts films, which always featured Bolo, Merhi, Blanks, Rothrock, and that weird looking bloke from Bloodsport 3 who was in The Matrix. All brilliant rubbish. But rubbish all the same.

And if you were very lucky, David Carradine would pop up as the special guest villain.

Here, we have what is essentially another Bloodsport, from the music, to the amazing songs, and then the lead up to the meat of the movie, the titular Kumite, hosted by Dark Angel, and a hulking bad guy, who likes to enter opponents bedrooms and look at them laying on their bed. Just to intimidate them.

Watching this, I was constantly asking myself the question, 'how many past stars turned down this movie?'. They must've asked Van Damme, Dudikoff, Norris, Eric Douglas, Wilson, Dascascos et al.

But it doesn't matter, if you're a fan of eighties action martial arts movies, this has it all. Wonderful fights, wonderful banter at the gym, training montages with Blanks laughing, even though his life is crushed, and Rothrock looking. Extremely. Plastic. But it's still Rothrock, and she kicks someone anyway.

Everyone is having a ball, and I was too, it took me back to a time when life was simpler, and the hardest thing to do was realise that Bloodsport hadn't been rewound when you rented it out.

It took me to a good place.

If you love these films, you'll adore this.

After reclaiming the boxing championship title, Rocky plans to retire and live with his wife, Adrian. However, during an exhibition match, Rocky's friend Apollo Creed is mercilessly beaten to death by hulking Russian newcomer Ivan Drago.

Rocky vows payback against Drago and flies to Russia to train for a Christmas Day fight. Despite their different training methods, Rocky and Drago both wage a long and intense match......

He got rid of the infernal robot, and that's the best thing that a director has ever done to a film. Aside from the opening, and the final five minutes, you would have had to have seen the film multiple times to see what Stallone has changed. I've seen Rocky IV so many times, that I know what comes next, so a lot of it was surprising to me, but this version usurps the original cut of this childhood favourite.

Who am I kidding, I still think that this film is a masterpiece from beginning to end. Yes it has its problems, and Russia is shown in a bad light, nut the film is almost flawless.

You get the 'previously on Rocky', the family time, Creed's death, the argument, the montage, the motivational speech, the montage, the reconciliation, the montage, and then the main event.

It's a couple of minutes shy of 90 minutes, and this film just flies by. Stallone was at the top of his game when he made this, and he knows it. It's one of the most predictable films ever made, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

It's a knockout......

Ocean's Twelve AKA, the one were it went all meta, and I still don't know if it was a work of genius, or just an excuse to get Bruce Willis in the film. After all, he was the original choice to play Danny Ocean.

Three years after pulling an impossible heist of a three-casino vault Danny Ocean and his wife Tess have been found and fingered by Terry Benedict (metaphorically, not literally). Mr. Benedict has promised the provider of the information to show restraint and give the clan two weeks to repay him with interest to the tune of over $190 million.

Without a job that can provide that kind of pay off, the gang must accept the challenge of premier thief Francois Toulour to see who can steal a famous work of art first and claim the title of greatest thief ever......

Ocean's Twelve is the weakest of the trilogy, but it's still way cooler than my wardrobe was in 2004.

All appears well with our gang at the beginning of the film, but before you can say 'he has the best walk in the world' Andy Garcia shows up demanding his money back. So what do the gang do, they decide to travel to Europe, wear really cool clothes, and just have a lot of fun chemistry between them all. And of course, once again, Soderbergh involves the audience, making you feel like you are part of the team.

The only problem is, and before you can say Catherine Zeta-Jones, it all feels a little like 1999's Entrapment. But instead of having an ageing character as the protagonist, we get Clooney and co acting cool, sometimes acting a little stupid, but always looking cool.

But the big thing here, the main gimmick is Julia Roberts. Or should I say Julia Roberts playing Tess, playing Tess, playing Julia Roberts. This scene is pretty amazing, as she just looks really embarrassed, and before you can say special guest star, Bruce Willis turns playing himself playing cool. And it's an absolute blast.

It does falter in some parts, it goes for a wider scope, but I feel it would've been a winner if Ocean's Twelce wasn't 'Danny goes on a lads holiday'

The humour is still there, and the cast seem to enjoy the self deprecating humour, but even though it's still enjoyable, it's a pretty empty film.

Danny Ocean's friend Reuben goes into business with Willy Bank, a ruthless casino owner, who then cuts Reuben out. Reuben then suffers a heart attack.

Danny and the rest of his crew go to him. Danny gives Bank the opportunity to do what is right but when he refuses, Danny sets out to get him back by taking him down.

He plans to make sure his new casino flops. He brings in tech wiz Roman Nagel to help crack the system at Bank's hotel.

Eventually they discover that they need more money to pull it off, so Ocean turns to Terry Benedict, the casino owner, he once robbed, who agrees on the condition that he steal something important to Bank......

Third times the charm for the Ocean's series after the lacklustre second film. Again, we are treated to watching rich, beautiful people, having lots of fun, and wearing really nice clothes. But his time, Al Pacino is the bad guy, which is a wonderful move by the studio. It's also a wonderful move basing the film in Vegas once more, as it can get as debaucherous as it wants to be. And it really does.

The plot is simple. He hurt their friend, they're going to hurt him were it hurts the most, in his pocket.

So cue lots of amazing music by David Holme, wonderful cinematography, exciting set pieces, and one of the weirdest noses in cinematic history.

It's a breeze of a film, and you really get involve with the characters, because we've been the other member of Danny's team since day one. The film makes you part of the team, and it's great to be involved with the gang.

You will feel instantly cool after seeing this.

.......I shall say this only once.

If you can get past the french accent Poots puts on sounding like Officer Crabtree from Allo Allo, there is a wonderful tense thriller here.

Debutante Rose Dugdale enjoys a life of wealth and privilege, but her rebellious nature soon leads her down a militant path.

Amongst the political turmoil of the 1970s, her sympathy towards the IRA's conflict evolves into radicalisation, culminating in an armed raid on an Irish estate with three comrades.

However, when her simple heist takes a violent turn, is Rose prepared to face the devastating consequences.....

It's a simple house raid movie, with the main character wanting to steal expensive things to fund the IRA. But what makes this stand out from other films in this genre is the relationships that she builds with people on the outside, and her dropping her guise because she becomes endeared to them. The other thing that begs the question, is just how much of her narrative is in her mind? Has she been somewhat brainwashed by the IRA, as they know that she is a reckless person with privileges.

The cast are pretty amazing, especially the two friends she inadvertently makes in her quest, as you are answering the question, do they know who she is? Do thy have an idea? We are put in this position, because we are so involved with Rose, we cannot help but pity her, because she is a very vulnerable person.

If you get a chance to see it, please do, it's a very tense thriller.

In my opinion, the last Planet Of the Apes trilogy is possibly one of the finest live action trilogies ever made. But Hollywood loves mon(k)ey, so here we are again once more.

Set several generations in the future following Caesar's reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows.

As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike......

As always, the effects are second to none, the apes look stunning, and they are seamless. And then there's the film.

I knew I wasn't going to like this from the moment i started rolling my eyes in the cinema when I saw the trailer for the what seems, fiftieth time, and I'm not exaggerating with that. Maybe a little. But I've seen the trailer in nearly every film I've seen in the last two months, so unfortunately, it got my back up a little.

The first act is a maundering mess, we plod along with exposition and the mysticism that the films have held for the best part of sixty years. And it felt like sixty years.

The film picks up a little when we are introduced to the second act, and the special guest star, but by then, because of the maundering opening, I began to care less about what was happening, and what the protagonists were trying to achieve.

Maybe I was just against this because of the amount of times that I have seen the trailer, so I'm going to give it another chance, as the last three POTA films were first class.

But it might be part of a new trilogy, because if this does make money, the studios would be bananas not to make another one.

With an elaborate scheme to strike it rich etched on his mind, slick con artist Danny Ocean contacts his friend and right-hand man Rusty the day he gets out of prison.

Eager to get to work, the two partners in crime assemble a hand-picked team of specialists to rinse the impenetrable vault of stone-faced Las Vegas casino magnate Terry Benedict--$160 million in cash from the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand, to be precise.

However, such a robbery attempt is without parallel in the annals of crime. Can the A-list stars pull off the perfect heist and live to tell the tale whilst having the time of their lives wearing fancy clothes and living it up in Sin City.....

And that it is all the film is, just a whole lot of fun starring the biggest names at the time in Hollywood. They all look good, the film is slicker than an otter in a vaseline factory, and the most important thing is, we are having as much fun as the cast are.

Clooney, Pitt, and Garcia are the standouts, Garcia is chewing scenery whenever he is on screen, and that walk, that amazing Garcia swagger is amazing.

Cheadle lets the side down with that awful accent, but it's all in good fun. It's a film that never gets boring, and despite some of the wardrobe choices (particularly Garcia), it's aged as well as its stars.

He's a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment.

And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy, and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. Which in all fairness, is a pretty amazing job, as you get to work with Emily Blunt all day.....

When I first heard that the studios were going to make a movie of another beloved TV series, a lot of things came to mind. Charlies Angels, The Mod Squad, The A-Team, and various other hollywoodised TV series turned into a big budget movie.

Them the trailer came out, and I must say, it really whet my appetite. Gosling is a bonafide movie star, and this has everything going for it. Namely the film getting some guts and featuring some proper old school stunts. And my goodness, does it not disappoint.

This is an old fashioned blockbuster of the highest order, and it reminded me of the summer of 1994, when we had big movies such as Maverick ans True Lies, films that were made specifically for the summer. At a time when the stars name was enough to sell the movie. These days, star power has gone down the drain, but his film took me back 30 years, because it doesn't really care about plausibility, it doesn't really care about a fluid narrative, it just wants the viewer to have fun, and the best part of it. The film is having a lot of fun too.

The chemistry between Gosling and Blunt is the glue that keeps the film together, as they are amazing, and there relationship keeps you invested in the film. Yes, there is a plot about a missing movie star, and that Gosling is the person of interest, but it's just a high concept that would make Joel Silver and Jerry Bruckheimer proud.

The action is plentiful, the locales beautiful, and the choice of music is just a chefs kiss, you will never listen to Against All Odds in the same way again (Okay it's called Take A look At Me Now, but who cares).

It's one of the most liveliest summer blockbusters of recent times, and it will be a firm favourite for years to come.

And it could have been so close to that 2017 Baywatch......

In a near future, normal life on Earth has been decimated. Paul and his two sons, Thomas and Joseph, have been living a half-life - tranquility by day and torment by night.

Every night, after the sun sets, they face the unrelenting attacks of a mysterious and violent evil.

One day, when Thomas doesn't return home before sundown, Paul must leave the safety of their fortified farm to find him. A battle ensues that forces the family to execute a desperate plan to survive......

First off, I have no idea why this film has the title it has, but it's a curiosity for sure, just like the film. If you know me, I'm a Cage completist, he's a legend and when he is in a film in any type of role, he lifts the film beyond it's plot and narrative, and in the last ten years, his output hasn't been the best, but my goodness, when he's in a good film, that film is golden. Think of Dream Scenario, Mandy, Joe, Color Out Of Space, and Pig, you know Cage can be wonderful. And here we are again.

At first glance, Arcadian could be nothing more than your average Friday night monster movie. Think of A Quiet Place, or even It Comes At Night, and you would be forgiven for thinking that this film is going down the same route. It really isn't.

Cage is living on a farm of some sort with his two teenage sons who squabble all the time, so not only is the fight outside, it's also inside. It references Covid subliminally, but that is what the film is about. Imagine being in total lockdown at night, the time of sundowning, and when people are tired after a hard days work, and you have a nifty arc of the film.

Cage is a strict father, but it's in the best interests of his children, he wants them to be safe, and he wants them to learn and grow up quickly, as at night he dictates to them how the house should be lockdowned.

Outside of the nuclear family, the children are discovering themselves very quickly, and in the old adage of a teen (we all were once) they think that they are pretty invincible.

It's a film of two halves. The first half is the audience getting to know the dynamics of the family, and the other people that the kids meet, whilst Cage is just taking it easy with a cigar, knowing that the night will soon come.

The second part of the film just goes all out, and it feels like a monster movie crossed with 28 Days Later. It's pretty terrifying in parts, and it remains pretty tense right up until the end.

But I fear it's going to be one of those films with Cage that will be lost in the seas of time, as it didn't do very well at the box office, and it's sitting pretty now on Shudder.

It's really worth seeing.

When a group of friends recklessly violates the sacred rule of Tarot readings - never use someone else's deck - they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards.

One by one, they come face to face with fate and end up in a race against death to escape the future foretold in their readings......

Another month, another really bad horror movie. Late Night With The Devil aside, 2024 could be one of the worst years for horror. Night Swim, and Imaginary were very bad, but my goodness, this really is up there for one of the biggest letdowns in horror. The premise is brilliant, and the history of the cards and the readings are pretty expansive, but the makers here have really messed up such a wonderful premise.

If you have seen the trailer, you genuinely have seen everything 'scary' that the films have to offer. It's not all bad, almost, the first ten minutes are pretty entertaining, and for this part of the film, you really are invested in the characters, even though they are your cookie cutter gang of misfits that have infected these types of horror films since 'Scream' changed the way horror films were made.

After this, the film nosedives into obvious jump scares, and it has a weird air of Final Destination about it, as the film very slowly picks out each member of the film one by one to their very predictable demise. And that's another thing that is maundering about the film. It's obviously a PG-13 in the states for the box office, as the film is devoid of any gore, aside from a couple of blood spatters, which is a shame, as if they upped the ante with the gore, they could have gone all out with this film, but no, they want the money, not audience enjoyment.

Speaking of Final Destination, you can bet your bottom dollar that this film will spawn a breadth of sequels, because this will make a fair bit of wedge, and the studios will milk this for every penny it's worth.

It's a very bland boring film with pretty poor performances, and a terrible ending.

There ou go, I've read your fortune. You will miss a very poor film.....