Review: Adam Wing. Any film that opens with a conversation between Jesus Christ and a room full of bald children has to be worth watching, right? The Visitor combines stunning imagery with devilish set-pieces, alongside a top-notch cast including John Huston, Mel Ferrer, Shelley Winters and Franco Nero as Jesus. That's right, Jesus! Who could ask for more? The first exchange is priceless. When Jesus asks a mysterious stranger (The Visitor), "Has it happened again?" The Visitor replies, "Her name is Katy Collins and she will be eight years old". Then, quite brilliantly, an overzealous soundtrack kicks in, rocking the TV speakers for all their worth. Be warned. It won't be the last time this happens. A bizarre mix of The Exorcist, The Omen and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Visitor certainly has its fair share of haters, humorously dubbed by critics as ‘a turkey made of cement...
- 10/7/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Joe Dante. Review: Adam Wing. Why is Joe Dante so inconsistently consistent? I look back over his career in movies and see some of my favourite films growing up. Dante's first film was released in the year I was born, and Piranha still has more teeth than a lot of horror movies made today. It wasn't until 1984 that I started paying attention though, with the release of one of my all time favourite movies, Gremlins. Innerspace followed in 1987, The New Batch arrived in 1990 and sandwiched somewhere in between was The 'Burbs. Starring Tom Hanks, Corey Feldman (of course, it was the '80s) and Carrie Fisher, The 'Burbs is the kind of movie that gets better with age. "There go the Goddamn brownies..." Joe's output became more infrequent in the 90s, with standouts being Small Soldiers in '98 and 2003's Looney Tunes: Back In Action. I only mention this...
- 9/15/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Takashi Miike. Review: Adam Wing. We all know that Takashi Miike is one of the hardest working directors in the world right now, he's been knocking out up to three pictures a year for as long as I can remember. The diversity - particularly in recent years - has been quite staggering, with Miike lending his talents to period pieces (Hara-kiri), children's movies (Yatterman) and even the occasional musical (For Loves Sake). In fact, he hasn't made a full-length horror movie since 2003, even if he did dabble in the genre with standout segments in Three... Extremes and the Masters of Horror series. Takashi Miike hasn't actually made that many horror movies but it's the genre he's most commonly associated with. One Missed Call was answered in 2003, Ichi the Killer lashed out in 2001 and Audition was released way back in 1999. Lesson of Evil has been a long time coming then,...
- 9/7/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Review: Adam Wing. Director: Kimani Ray Smith. Evil Feed is a new horror film that blends torture-porn excess with bruising Mma fight choreography. The Long Pig Restaurant, known in the underground world for its cannibalistic cuisine, has a new attraction. The Pit of Gore is where blood thirsty customers get to watch their chosen courses being slaughtered, as captured elite fighters are forced to battle to the death for their 'tendertainment'. See what they did there? Part of me suspects the filmmakers came up with the word 'tendertainment' first and the rest of the movie just kind of fell into place. Directed by Kimani Ray Smith, written by Smith, Aaron Au and Jana Mitsoula, and starring Laci J. Mailey, Terry Chen and Alyson Bath, Evil Feed came from the mind of Horror Film fanatic and prosthetics master Ryan Nicholson. With 'recommendations' from Jeffrey Dahmer, who claims it's his favourite place to eat,...
- 8/23/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: James Franco. Review: Adam Wing. If you're looking for a bright and breezy getaway this Easter, enjoying and enduring James Franco's Child of God will be far from your thoughts. Child of God is an American drama co-written and directed by Franco, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy and starring Scott Haze. It was selected to be screened at the 70th Venice International Film Festival and was also an official selection of the 2013 Toronto Film Festival. It's a hard sell, based on the third novel by Cormac, which was first published in 1973. Child of God depicts the life of a violent outcast - played with astonishing realism by Haze - in 1960s Tennessee. Lester Ballard, described by the author as "a child of God much like yourself perhaps", is one seriously disturbed individual. This being the 60s however, he is allowed to exist outside of social order.
- 4/5/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Donald G. Jackson, R.J. Kizer. Review: Adam Wing. Picture the scene. I was twelve years old at the time. Every Saturday night my dad would come home with a video from the rental store. He loved his action movies and I was introduced to the works of Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Seagal at a very young age. I couldn't get enough of film night and my love of action cinema came from there. One particular evening stands out to this day, it was the night my dad introduced us to Hell Comes to Frogtown. "What's it about then, Dad?" I enquired somewhat despondently. "Well it's about giant frogs taking over the world." I was disappointed. That was obvious. It sounded rubbish. Children don't disguise their feelings in the way that grown-ups do, so an air of unrest was inevitable as we gathered on the sofa to watch his latest acquisition.
- 4/2/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Donald Cammell. Review: Adam Wing. Donald Cammell only made four movies, but his life off screen was far more eventful than the time he spent behind the camera. Cammell was born in Scotland, and wrote and co-directed his first feature, Performance, with Nicholas Roeg in 1968. Roeg got most of the credit for that film and achieved greater success as a result, but despite numerous attempts, Cammell didn't make another feature until Demon Seed in 1977. Shortly after his fourth film, 1995's Wild Side, Cammell committed suicide in Hollywood, the only place he had ever wanted to make movies. Furthermore, his wife claimed the wound was not immediately fatal and that he had asked for a mirror so that he could watch himself die. A claim that's been refuted by several sources since. You can see why the connection was made though, because he was certainly attracted to death, and his third film,...
- 3/17/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Ryohei Watanabe. Review: Adam Wing Included in the Third Window Films release of Ryohei Watanabe's impressive debut is a brief but insightful interview with the young director. In the closing moments of the interview, Watanabe admits that he isn't entirely happy with every aspect of his debut feature, but he hopes that audiences will appreciate and forgive the first film from a young director. He needn't worry. Shady is a stunning debut from a promising talent, made at the tender age of 24 with a budget of £10,000. It's the kind of movie that grabs a hold right from the outset, a captivating study of friendship that blows you away as the darkness sets in. Watanabe chose the title of his debut before he started writing, and he can't explain what it is that appealed to him about the word, but in truth, he couldn't have picked a better title for this bewitching thriller,...
- 3/14/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Caradog W. James. Review: Adam Wing. Low budget filmmakers tend to avoid high-concept science fiction, especially pitches that borrow heavily from the likes of Blade Runner, The Terminator and Robocop. Caradog James must like to mix it up a little, his feature debut was a Welsh comedy about racism. James wrote, directed and produced The Machine, a gritty sci-fi thriller that impressed audiences and critics alike at the Raindance Film Festival. In the not so distant future, Britain - still gripped by recession - is embroiled in a cold war with China. The Ministry of Defence has been working on a mechanised soldier, an intelligent robot with both the skills to do battle and the ability to keep the peace. Kind of like Robocop, only far, far prettier. Lead scientist Vincent McCarthy (Toby Stephens) has his own agenda; he plans to use the new technology to aid his sick daughter,...
- 3/12/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Nguyen Quang Dung. Review: Adam Wing. Vietnamese films aren't exactly easy to come by on our shores, especially martial arts movies filmed in 3D. The Lady Assassin is a feisty action adventure that makes the most of cutting edge technology, stunning locations and beautiful girls. Make no mistake about it, the female cast members of The Lady Assassin are absolutely stunning. So much so, it's easy to forgive the films textbook plotting and overambitious set pieces. Deadly women with dark secrets, evil outlaws, corrupt officials and group bathing sessions are the order of the day here. Nothing too gratuitous, that might upset the Vietnamese sensors, but there's more than enough titillation for those of us growing tired of wire-assisted wonderment. The Lady Assassin is one of the biggest box office hits in Vietnamese history, and as long as you keep your expectations down to a minimum, there's plenty for...
- 3/10/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Larry Cohen. Review: Adam Wing. There's a standout sequence midway through Larry Cohen's demented horror comedy where the stuff of the title comes out of a mattress and attacks a man lying on a bed by shooting him up the wall and onto the ceiling. Look a little closer and you might recognise that room from another popular horror movie. It was the exact same room used in the classic scene from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) where Johnny Depp's character is sucked into his bed and blood sprays everywhere. Coming your way courtesy of horror auteur Larry Cohen (director of the It’s Alive series and writer of the Maniac Cop trilogy), The Stuff is a tantalising treat for the taste buds, sharing flavours with cult oddities like Street Trash and B-movie classics such as The Blob. When a man discovers a tasty white substance bubbling out of the ground,...
- 3/3/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Kaare Andrews. Review: Adam Wing. What's that you say, Cabin Fever 3? What the hell happened to Cabin Fever 2? Spring Fever, you say? Nope. Still doesn't ring a bell. In all fairness, you'd be forgiven for missing the second part of this unwanted trilogy altogether. Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever was a mess of a movie, a film so terrifyingly bad even the director disowned it. To be fair to Ty West (The Innkeepers), the finished article was nothing like the film he envisaged, having abandoned the film at the start of post-production, but the studio stepped in and Cabin Fever 2 emerged, the product of too many cooks and not enough good taste. The original entry in the series, directed by Eli Roth, was one of the better cabin-in-the-woods movies, with unpredictable twists, a welcome dose of homage, sharp humour and gore aplenty. Now comes the horror sequel nobody asked for,...
- 2/25/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Don Siegel. Review: Adam Wing. Commissioned as the very first 'TV movie', Don Siegel's compelling thriller would be forgiven for being utterly forgettable. As it turns out, The Killers is a bit of a gem, complimented by great casting, strong performances and sparkling dialogue. "I gotta find out what makes a man decide not to run. Why all of a sudden he'd rather die." And so it begins. Hitman Charlie (Lee Marvin) can't quite work out why his high-priced victim, Johnny North (John Cassavetes), gives up without a fight. Obsessed with the answer, Charlie and his hot-headed partner, Lee (Clu Gulager), track down Johnny's associates, including Ronald Reagan in his last screen role, uncovering a complex web of crime and deceit along the way. The Killers is loosely inspired by the Ernest Hemingway story of the same name. It's the second Hollywood adaptation, first brought to life in...
- 2/13/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Brian De Palma. Review: Adam Wing. Some films defy description and ten minutes in the company of Phantom of the Paradise may have you questioning your own sanity. He sold his soul for rock-n-roll, that's what the tagline reads, but I'm guessing the devil would've given it straight back had he been forced to endure this misfiring cult classic in its entirety. I'm not sure where the phrase 'cult classic' was first used, these days it seems to be associated with any film, good or bad, that failed to find an audience. Sometimes they are certified classics, but that's rarely the case, most of the time the film was forgotten for a very good reason. Having said that, even great films are left on the shelf for far too long, and one man's Hitchcock is another man's Ed Wood. However, despite a sprinkling of jaunty showstoppers and a welcome dose of gothic splendour,...
- 2/5/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Upi. Review: Adam Wing. Bringing on the bizarre this week is psychological horror Shackled, a tantalising thriller from female director Upi. Shackled is a David Lynch style murder mystery from Indonesia, which was chosen to open the Terracotta Festival’s Horror All-Nighter last June. There's a murderer on the loose and two detectives are on his trail, but they'll have to get in line, because the number one suspect is also being stalked by a creepy old religious nut, a whispering nun with a really bad habit, an ex-prostitute with murder in mind, the girl next door and her domineering husband, and what can best be described as a giant Duracell bunny with an axe to grind. It doesn't take a genius to work out that things aren't what they seem in this dark and delirious world. Elang (Abimana Aryasatya) is haunted by images of bizarre murders involving a killer in a rabbit costume.
- 11/27/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Kim Hyeon-seok. Review: Adam Wing. In the not-so distant future, researchers at a deep-sea laboratory have finally succeeded in inventing a time machine. Heavily burdened by financial stress, head researcher Woo-seok is promised more funding from a mega-corporation, but only if he can successfully complete a test flight. Ji-wan tries to stop his colleague and lover, Young-eun, from going on the dangerous flight, but Woo-seok and Young-eun carry out the mission and travel to 11 A.M. the following day. They arrive to find their deep-sea laboratory on the verge of collapse. All the researchers have gone and somebody is out to kill them. Jae-yeong Jeong (Moss), Ok-bin Kim (Thirst) and Daniel Choi (Cyrano Agency) star in Kim Hyeon-seok's taut sci-fi thriller, a new film that attempts to juggle complex human emotions with lean action thrills. The opening act is certainly intriguing, as a ragtag team of scientists learn that...
- 11/26/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Michael J. Gallagher. Review: Adam Wing. Stop me if you've heard this one. We open in a suburban household, where a hot babysitter is having a conversation with the girl she's looking after. The young damsel is on the internet, chatting to strangers online. They talk about the dangers of chat rooms and the pitfalls of cyber-stalking. The young girl tries to scare the hot babysitter with a myth about a masked man who preys on unsuspecting users. After a few obligatory ass shots, the babysitter is butchered to death by a monster called Smiley, so called because he stitched his own eyes shut before carving his mouth into a smile. Nice. Then we cut to the opening titles. With Smiley, director Michael J. Gallagher isn't interested in bringing anything new to the table. He takes an attractive theme, both intriguing and current, and largely ignores it in favour...
- 11/14/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Don Mancini. Review: Adam Wing. You can't keep a Good Guy down. Writer/creator Don Mancini is back in the director's chair for only the second time, after his debut on 2004's horror comedy crossover, Seed of Chucky. The first outing for everybody's favourite demonic doll is still the best of the franchise, even if 1998's third sequel, Bride of Chucky, runs it a close second. After the disappointment of 2004's lacklustre entry in the series, Curse of Chucky finds us back in traditional horror territory, with Don taking his first stab at the slasher sub-genre. Brad Dourif reprises his role as both the voice of Chucky and Charles Lee Ray, in a film that promises to shed more light on the characters we've grown to love over the years. Brad's real life daughter takes centre stage, and fans of the Child's Play series can expect a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
- 11/5/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: John Carpenter. Review: Adam Wing. There's not a lot you can say about John Carpenter's Halloween that hasn't already been said, bar this; Halloween 35th Anniversary is available in a limited edition collector's steelbook and brand new high definition transfer. Anchor Bay has just released the definitive slasher movie on Blu-Ray for the first time in the U.K. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis (True Lies) and Donald Pleasence (Escape from New York), Halloween comes with an all new audio commentary with Carpenter and Curtis, a 59 minute documentary featuring Jamie Lee, a retrospective look 'On Location: 25 Years Later', trailers, TV spots and the extra scenes filmed for the TV edition of the movie. We all know the story. On Halloween night, 15 years ago, 6 year old Michael Myers brutally killed his older sister and was incarcerated in the Smith's Grove Sanatorium under the care of psychiatrist Sam Loomis. The...
- 10/25/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Tobe Hooper. Review: Adam Wing. We all know how the story goes. "On the afternoon of August 18, 1973, five young people in a Volkswagen van ran out of gas on a farm road in South Texas. Four of them were never seen again. The next morning the one survivor, Sally Hardesty, was picked up on a roadside. Blood-caked and screaming murder, Sally said she had broken out of a window in Hell." Thirteen years separate the first two movies in the series, and that's a very long time in the world of horror. Tobe Hooper directed the original, one of the most shocking movies ever made. Raw, uncompromising and scary as Hell, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the most celebrated horror movies of all time. Any attempts at a sequel would, inevitably and potentially unfavourably, be compared to the original. For better or worse, changes were made stylistically.
- 10/21/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Danny Pang. Review: Adam Wing. The last time the Pang Brothers scored a hit was in 2006 with fantasy horror yarn, Re-cycle. Their collaborations have fared better than their solo offerings, but with The Detective, Diary and Abnormal Beauty under his belt, Oxide is the more reliable of the two. Danny has made some real clunkers along the way, including snooze-fest Forest of Death and In Love with the Dead. There's no doubting the visual prowess of either brother, but when it comes to great storytelling, fan favourites like The Eye and Bangkok Dangerous are fast becoming distant memories. Psycho-thriller Fairy Tale Killer is written and directed by Danny Pang, in collaboration with Thai director of photography Decha Srimantra (The Eye, Chocolate). In Lau Ching Wan (Mad Detective), Fairy Tale Killer has found a strong lead actor, but Danny also casts Wang Bao Qiang (Blind Shaft), Elanne Kwong (The Child's...
- 10/7/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Tobe Hooper. Review: Adam Wing. I'm ashamed to admit this, but I'd never even heard of Lifeforce before it dropped through my letterbox. Quite how this 80's favourite passed me by remains a mystery, but thanks to Arrow Video, I can now enjoy the fully-restored deluxe Blu-ray edition in the comfort of my own home. Originally released back in 1986, Lifeforce was directed by American horror maestro Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre) hot off the heels of Poltergeist. Known for pushing the envelope, for his 1986 release, Lifeforce, Hooper decided to adapt Colin Wilson's novel The Space Vampires and in doing so, created a horror/sci-fi with a massive cult following. Who else feels a little silly now? That'll be just me then. The opening act borrows heavily from Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece - both films were written by Dan O'Bannon - but with Hooper at the...
- 10/3/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Prachya Pinkaew. Review: Adam Wing. Thailand's top action movie director Prachya Pinkaew - the man behind Ong Bak and Chocolate - delivers another breakthrough in action cinema with The Kick, the first Thailand-Korea joint production. Cho Jae Hyun (Bad Guy), Ye Ji Won (Hanji), and taekwondo athletes Kim Kyung Suk and Na Tae Joo, form a family of Korean taekwondo masters living in Thailand. The Kick pits them against a gang of ruthless criminals, in an endearing action movie that mixes comedy, choreography and crocodiles to blistering effect. You can't have a Thai action movie without the presence of Petchtai Wongkamloo, the pintsized comedy sidekick whose smart mouth gave Tony Jaa a run for his money in Ong Bak and Warrior King. Wongkamloo is joined by the ever-so-striking JeeJa Yanin, kick-ass heroine of Chocolate and Raging Phoenix fame, who still manages to impress despite an alarming lack of screen time.
- 9/30/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Zhao Lin Shan. Review: Adam Wing. An epic tale of love, power and betrayal, The Assassins is another big screen account of the life and times of Cao Cao. Forgive us for lacking excitement over here, Cao Cao has appeared in more films than Samuel L. Jackson, though I'm pretty sure his box office success pales by comparison; he wouldn't quite cut it with a purple lightsaber either. In the early era of the Chinese Han Dynasty, Prime Minister Cao Cao (Chow Yun Fat) ventured to the east and savagely defeated China's greatest warrior, Lv Bu. He terrified every warlord in the country and crowned himself King of Wei. Meanwhile, young lovers Mu Shun (Tamaki Hiroshi) and Ling Jv (Crystal Liu Yi Fei) were taken from a prison camp to a hidden tomb where they spent five cruel years being trained as assassins for a secret mission. The Assassins...
- 9/16/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Taveewat Wantha. Review: Adam Wing. Stop me if you've heard this one. Black cats, Friday the 13th and horny teenagers on a remote desert island. Thunderstorms, warnings from all-knowing locals, bikini clad beauties, music video credentials, slow-mo, mindless pranks and things that go bump in the night. The only thing missing is a lank haired spirit, but we'll get to that part later. Welcome to the latest in a long line of Thai horror movies, directed by Taveewat Wantha (Sars Wars) and starring Natpassara Adulyamethasiri, Acharanat Ariyaritwikol and Chinawut Indracusin. It's been a while since I got (un)comfortable with a new Thai horror, probably because I've grown tired of the repetitive themes and token scares. The first thing that attracted me to Long Weekend (a.k.a. Thongsuk 13) was the choice of director. If you haven't already seen Wantha's Sars Wars, honestly, which cushion have you been hiding behind?...
- 9/6/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Sion Sono. Review: Adam Wing. After completing work on his famed ‘Hate Trilogy’ - Guilty of Romance, Cold Fish and Love Exposure respectively - prolific Japanese director Sion Sono sought refuge in the arms of moving drama. The Land of Hope is a haunting tale that depicts a family's struggle to survive the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake and the resulting nuclear crisis. Though based on fact, the film is set in the fictional Nagashima prefecture. The name Nagashima comes from a combination of Fukushima, Nagasaki and Hiroshima; three Japanese cities affected by nuclear incidents. It was on Friday, 11 March 2011 that the Great East Japan Earthquake took place, followed by a tsunami that ripped through the heart and hearts of the Hamadori region. Thousands of lives were lost, and in the aftermath of the disaster, the outer housings of two of the six reactors at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma exploded.
- 8/27/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Peter Chan. Review: Adam Wing. "There’s more to this than meets the eye". That's what we said about Donnie Yen's Wu Xia back in 2011. U.K. audiences will get the chance to find out for themselves this month but it comes at a price. As well as the obvious name change (part and parcel these days) twenty minutes have been removed from the running time, putting less emphasis on character and more focus on action. Some people will welcome the change of emphasis, while others will detest the shift in focus. Wu Xia is a whip-smart crime drama with action undertones, Dragon however, feels faster and looser by comparison. Your level of enjoyment very much depends upon how you like your Yen delivered. In addition to choreographing the fight sequences, Donnie stars as a mild mannered paper maker who wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Unless...
- 8/19/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Park Chan-wook. Review: Adam Wing. Following the death of her father, India Stoker (Wasikowska) meets her charismatic uncle; a man she never knew existed. When he moves in to comfort India and her mother, Evelyn (Kidman), the two find that the newest member of the family might actually be their worst nightmare. It’s clear from the start that there’s more to this family than meets the eye, and the arrival of Charles (Goode) stirs up trouble for the entire clan. Everybody is acting strange and Park Chan-wook takes great pride in stirring the pot, adding extra spice to the darkness bubbling under the surface. India is a curious beast, somewhere between Clare Danes and Winona Ryder. In fact, there were times when I expected Christina Ricci to knock on the door and introduce herself as a distant cousin. Mia Wasikowska (Jayne Eyre) is extraordinary though, putting the capital ‘P’ in peculiar.
- 8/16/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Roar Uthaug. Review: Adam Wing. In 2006 Roar Uthaug took us on an unnerving journey into the heart of fear. Cold Prey wasn’t just a slasher movie; it was pretty much the perfect slasher movie. Beautiful cinematography and relentless scares combined to create one of the smartest horror movies of the year. Uthaug returned as co-writer – along with regular collaborator Thomas Moldestad – for the highly anticipated sequel, a follow up that delivered on almost every level. Moldestad isn’t the only regular returning to the fold, scream queen Ingrid Bolso Berdal (Cold Prey’s femme fatale) takes centre stage in the short but sweet action thriller, Escape. Ten years after the Black Plague ravaged their country; a poor family sets out on a journey to find a new home. On a remote mountain pass they’re attacked by a band of vicious thugs, led by the devilishly devious Dagmar...
- 7/26/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Piyapan Choopetch Review: Adam Wing. Picture the scene. Sigourney Weaver is giving birth to a dying franchise, American werewolves are fleeing from Paris, giant snakes are taking chunks out of J-Lo’s arse and Jennifer Love Hewitt’s breasts are teasing a psychotic fisherman. It gets worse. Warwick Davis is searching for pots of gold (in space), Guillermo del Toro is unleashing swarms of tap dancing cockroaches and Andrew Divoff is granting wishes to a disillusioned horror fan base. With the exception of Scream 2, 1997 wasn’t the best year for horror. Though I still have a soft spot for Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Golden Globes. 1998 saw the release of Ringu… and the Dentist 2 but we’ll let that go for now. You might be wondering why I’m telling you this? Well here goes. Had My Ex 2 – Haunted Lover arrived in 1997; there’s a good chance I’d...
- 6/26/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Zack Snyder. Review: Adam Wing. I’ve always had a problem with Superman. I could blame it on his terrible dress sense I suppose, the unflappable Ken-doll haircut or that pointless disguise, but the thing that really bugs me about Clark Kent’s alter ego is his unrelenting selflessness. He’s just too damn heroic. Not the worst trait for a Superhero I hear you cry, but recent comic book adaptations have thrust flawed yet fearless protagonists into the fray. Batman wrestles with inner-demons all of the time, as does Iron Man, but Superman isn’t human and therein lies the problem. It’s not like he doesn’t show signs of human weakness, but with God-like stature and an alien upbringing, it’s not always easy to connect with the son of Jor-El. Zack Snyder was a strange choice of director for me too, but then, back in...
- 6/24/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Franck Khalfoun. Review: Adam Wing. Back in 1980 Maniac was accused of taking both the slasher film and the use of gory effects to unnecessary levels of distaste. I’m pretty sure special effects maestro Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead) is proud of that accolade. In case you’re unfamiliar with the story, Frank Zitto (Joe Spinell) – abused by his mother as a child – takes out his frustration on innocent women by scalping them and using their hair as wigs for his collection of mannequins. Everybody’s got a hobby, right? Utilising a Carpenter-esque score, Lustig (Maniac Cop) and Savini created a suspenseful, effects ridden cult classic. Maniac was a twisted affair, supported by a memorable lead performance that still resonates today. Talking of twists, even by today’s standards, it’s the twist in the tale that sets Maniac apart from its contemporise. Perverse, contorted and drowning in a sea of gruesome imagery,...
- 6/14/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: John Moore. Review: Adam Wing. When is a Die Hard movie not a Die Hard movie? Bruce Willis is back in action as John McClane, the heroic New York cop with a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or at least, that’s how the story is supposed to go. Over the course of five movies John McClane has suffered the same fate as Lethal Weapon’s Martin Riggs, almost in reverse. We fell in love with Riggs because he was vulnerable, edgy and teetering on the brink. He was also a smart ass. By the end of part four Riggs was a family man, a comedy sidekick and a lot less interesting.
- 6/11/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Takashi Miike. Review: Adam Wing. I don’t know what it is that draws Takashi Miike to projects but you could never accuse the man of being one-dimensional. In the past three years alone he has directed two samurai movies, a superhero film and a farcical children’s adventure. He has two movies scheduled for release next year and three films from 2012 that have yet to see the light of day on western shores. For Love’s Sake – a fascinating blend of High School Musical, Crows Zero and West Side Story – is the first to hit UK shelves, courtesy of Third Window Films. In 2001 Miike directed one of my favourite movies, a quirky zombie musical called The Happiness of the Katakuris. Combining elements of Kim Jee-Woon’s The Quiet Family and Christmas favourite The Sound of Music, Katakuris was an offbeat masterpiece infused with claymation set pieces, twisted humour and karaoke singalongs.
- 6/7/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: H.B. Halicki. Review: Adam Wing. Leaving Jerry Bruckheimer’s glimmering remake in the dust, the original Gone in 60 Seconds is available in high definition for the first time in the UK. Featuring one of cinemas greatest car chases, the 1974 version follows top car thief Pace (H.B. Halicki) and his crew as they find themselves entangled in a drug smuggling plot. Caught in the underworld of stealing and selling on sought after vehicles, Pace must lead his guys to freedom as the police close in. The climatic chase sequence is a sight to behold, a fast and furious 40 minutes of blistering action, which sees 93 vehicles destroyed in electrifying style. H.B. Halicki wrote, directed, produced and starred in the movie. I say wrote, there was no official script for the film and much of what transpired was either ad-libbed or improvised as they went along. It’s a telling fact...
- 6/3/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Michael Taverna. Review: Adam Wing. Arriving approximately fifteen years too late, Apartment 1303 is a terrifying shocker based on the highly acclaimed (that’s what it says here) J-horror film of the same name. I say terrifying but what I really mean is terrifyingly bad. I say shocker but what I really mean is shocking. Starring Mischa Barton (The Oc, The Sixth Sense), Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle) and Julianne Michelle (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), Apartment 1303 is released through Koch Media this June, available to buy on DVD, Blu-ray and VOD. I was starting to think the curse of the J-horror remake had passed, but this 2012 offering is further proof that you can’t keep a dead girl down. Hollywood will continue to raid the vaults of Asian cinema over the next few years, with remakes of Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance looking most likely to offend,...
- 5/22/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Yeun Sang-ho. Review: Adam Wing. There’s a good chance Uncle Walt won’t be getting in line to adapt this ultra-violent Korean animation, available for the first time in the UK courtesy of Terracotta Distribution. The King of Pigs premiered at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival and has played at various international festivals since then, including the Director’s Fortnight 2012, making it the first animated Korean film to screen at the Festival de Cannes. It’s a darkly disturbing thriller, brutal and brilliant, complex and compelling. There is a talking cat that pops up from time to time, but I wouldn’t want to give Eddy Murphy the wrong idea about this one. Directed by Yeun Sang-ho, with the voice talent of Yang Ik-june and Kim Kkobbi (Breathless), The King of Pigs is a harrowing experience from start to finish, a startling vision that refuses to shy away...
- 5/13/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Andres Baiz. Review: Adam Wing. Sometimes you watch a film that reawakens your love of cinema. Other times you’ll watch a movie you know nothing about, with zero hype, limited expectations and no knowledge of what to expect. The Hidden Face, A Spanish thriller starring Quim Gutierrez, Martina Garcia and Maria Soledad Rodriguez, is the type of film that punches you in the face repeatedly with cinematic joy. So do yourself a favour. Dodge the trailers and avoid the spoilers. Just sit back and enjoy one of the most riveting thrillers of the year, and I’ll do my best not to give too much away. After the sudden disappearance of his girlfriend, a young composer (Gutierrez) is left in a new home with his life in pieces and the suspicions of the local police force at his door. He gets over the heartbreak a little too quickly for their liking,...
- 5/11/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Various. Review: Adam Wing. Stephen R. Covey once said, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” That’s certainly the case with The ABCs of Death, a 2012 American anthology horror film produced by Ant Timpson and Tim League. Their plan was simple, one movie consisting of 26 short films, shot by up and coming directors from 15 countries. Each director was assigned a letter of the alphabet and given free rein in choosing a word to create a story involving death. While the individual chapters were always going to be a little hit and miss, depending on your taste in horror, the quality of filmmakers is undeniable. Marcel Sarmiento (Deadgirl), Noboru Iguchi (The Machine Girl), Yudai Yamaguchi (Tamami), Ti West (The Innkeepers), Banjong Pisanthanakun (Shutter), Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way to Die) and our very own Ben Wheatley (Kill List) lend their skills to a disjointed, occasionally offensive, often engaging and highly recommended movie going experience.
- 5/9/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Choi Dong Hun. Review: Adam Wing. Those that describe Choi Dong Hun’s The Thieves as Korea's answer to Ocean's Eleven are selling the film a little short, even though the original George Clooney outing was a blast from start to finish. They certainly share a lot in common – both films revolve around a casino heist and bring together a highly skilled team of professionals each with their own agenda – but The Thieves blend of goofball humour, quirky romance, affecting drama and inventive action sequences gives it an identity of its own. There’s a good reason why The Thieves is one of the highest-grossing Korean films of all time. Choi Dong Hun's return to heist movie territory brings together a stunning array of Korean and Chinese stars. Lee Jung Jae, Kim Yoon Seok, Jeon Ji Hyun and Kim Hye Su are joined by Kim Hae Suk, Oh Dal...
- 5/7/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Rob Zombie. Review: Adam Wing. Rob Zombie is the filmmaking equivalent of marmite, you either love him or you hate him, there doesn’t seem to be much middle ground. So let me tell you where I stand. The Devils Rejects is – in my humble opinion – one of the best American horror movies of the last ten years, and I quite liked his take on Halloween as well. Fans of Zombie’s music will know that The Lords of Salem is a song from his third solo album, Educated Horses. The song is based on the Salem witchcraft trials of the 17th century and was nominated for a Grammy, despite never being released as a single. The movie is written, produced and directed by Zombie himself, starring off-screen wife Sheri Moon Zombie, whose naked ass he so clearly adores. Followers of Sheri’s backside will be happy to know...
- 5/6/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Soi Cheang. Review: Adam Wing. Motorway finds Soi Cheang (Accident) once again teaming up with producer Johnnie To for the latest Milkyway production. Which can only mean one thing, it’s time for another bout of adrenaline-fuelled cool. Realism is the name of the game in Soi Cheang’s latest thrill ride, with exhilarating car chases and jaw-dropping stunts shying away from Bruckheimer style and sheen. You’ll actually feel like you’re part of the action when the pedal hits the metal, alongside Initial D stars Shawn Yue and Anthony Wong, no strangers to unadulterated racing action. Yue and Wong play elite traffic cops in a secret police unit that upholds the law in unmarked police cars. Gordon Lam, Barbie Hsu, Michelle Ye and Josie Ho are along for the ride, not to mention some really fast cars and an icy cool exterior long associated with the Milkyway brand.
- 4/18/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Ben Wheatley. Review: Adam Wing. Ben Wheatley’s breakthrough movie, Kill List, was a deserved hit with critics. Mostly. The ending however, had audiences and critics divided. I loved it by the way. Kill List was a difficult film to categorise. Was it a horror film, a hitman movie, a family drama, a supernatural thriller or something in between? I think I just answered my own question on that one. With his follow up, Sightseers, there’s little doubt about his chosen genre. Alice Lowe and Steve Oram star as Tina and Chris respectively, setting out on a road trip through the British Isles in Chris’ beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. Tina’s led a sheltered life up to now and her ‘ailing’ Mother isn’t making things easy for her, but Chris is determined to show her his world. He’ll probably start with the Crich Tramway Museum, before moving on to Ribblehead Viaduct,...
- 4/15/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Jack Perez. Review: Adam Wing. When you’re presented with a movie called ‘Some Guy Who Kills People’, a film directed by Jack Perez, the man behind Wild Things 2 and Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus, hopes (quite naturally) aren’t high. From executive producer John Landis (American Werewolf in London), Some Guy stars Kevin Corrigan, Barry Bostwick and our very own Lucy Davis (The Office). Low expectations can be a blessing in disguise but I should’ve had more faith because Some Guy is a darkly comic, ever-so-slightly stupid horror comedy with emphasis very much on the ‘c’ word. Ken Boyd (Corrigan) is a small-town loner who likes to draw, making ends meet at the local ice-cream parlour. Fresh out the loony bin, where he spent several years recovering from the horrific torture he suffered at the hands of the high school basketball jocks, Ken just wants to be left alone.
- 4/11/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Sam Raimi. Review: Adam Wing. If I were to choose a colour to depict the last week of my life it would have to be green. Not only did I follow the yellow brick road to London (it was more like a railway track to be honest) to watch the hit stage show Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, I also found time to slip into my ruby slippers and catch up with Dorothy in the classic 1939 film version, The Wizard of Oz. So it seemed like a good idea to complete a hat trick of sorts (everybody else is doing them so why can’t I?), don my 3D glasses, jump into the nearest hot air balloon and cook up a storm with Oz The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi (The Spiderman Trilogy) and starring James Franco,...
- 4/10/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Pang Ho-Cheung. Review: Adam Wing. Vulgarity, profanity and popping candy are the order of the day in Pang Ho-Cheung’s (Dream Home, Love in a Puff) latest box-office smash, not only a number one box-office hit back home but also one of the highest grossing Hong Kong films of 2012. A voice over warns of impending profanity, in itself a blessing and a curse, which sets the scene for smart arsed cynicism, outrageous comedy and the occasional unsuspecting mule. Pang's latest effort was filmed in just twelve days on a shoestring budget, and much of the dialogue was written or improvised on set, which didn’t prevent it from acquiring a number of international accolades as well as three nominations at the 49th Golden Horse Awards, namely Best Actor (Chapman To), Best Supporting Actor (Ronald Cheng) and Best Supporting Actress (Dada Chan). To (Chapman To), a long-time movie producer, has...
- 4/9/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Aleksander Nordaas. Review: Adam Wing. We can probably blame Troll Hunter for this. With stunning effects, lush scenery, strong performances and an inventive screenplay, André Øvredal’s second feature was one of the strangest and strongest horror movies of 2010. Thale walks the same path, dealing in mythical creatures, Norwegian folklore, a sprinkling of dark comedy and the promise of horror, but loses its footing when it comes to quality entertainment. Two cleaners, one cabin and an encounter with a mythical creature called Thale, that’s what you get with this disappointingly dreary Scandinavian creature feature. Leo (Jon Sigve Skard) and Elvis (Erlend Nervold) are crime scene cleaners, not that Elvis really has the stomach for it anymore. On their latest job they head down to the basement and discover Thale (Silje Reinåmo), unquestionably supernatural and mostly naked. It’s not long before Leo and Elvis believe they’ve discovered a real life huldra.
- 3/15/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Jaume Balaguero. Review: Adam Wing. I’m not sure what it says about the viewer’s state of mind when they find themselves caring more about the welfare of the psychopath than they do the hapless victim. That could well be the case however if you choose to spend a night in the company of Luis Tosar’s twisted janitor, keeping the residents anything but quiet in Jaume Balaguero’s latest psychological horror. Tosar was outstanding in 2009’s Cell 211 and he repeats the feat here with a sympathetic, oddly engaging performance that demands your full attention. That’s not to say the victim is any less engaging, but Marta Etura’s Clara plays second fiddle to Tosar’s convoluted conductor. She’s a cheery presence, all sweetness and smiles, and her inner beauty is matched only by her stunning looks. Jaume Balaguero (Rec) leaves the world of shaky cam...
- 3/6/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Jaume Balaguero. Review: Adam Wing. I’m not sure what it says about the viewer’s state of mind when they find themselves caring more about the welfare of the psychopath than they do the hapless victim. That could well be the case however if you choose to spend a night in the company of Luis Tosar’s twisted janitor, keeping the residents anything but quiet in Jaume Balaguero’s latest psychological horror. Tosar was outstanding in 2009’s Cell 211 and he repeats the feat here with a sympathetic, oddly engaging performance that demands your full attention. That’s not to say the victim is any less engaging, but Marta Etura’s Clara plays second fiddle to Tosar’s convoluted conductor. She’s a cheery presence, all sweetness and smiles, and her inner beauty is matched only by her stunning looks. Jaume Balaguero (Rec) leaves the world of shaky cam...
- 3/6/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Ben Affleck. Review: Adam Wing.You couldn’t make it up if you tried. Ben Affleck’s movie career that is, not the plot of this genre defying award winner. The fact that both tales are based on fact only adds to the intrigue, with the star of Gigli and Forces of Nature (remember that?) taking his self-proclaimed ‘second act’ to brand new heights. If Gone Baby Gone and The Town suggested a desire to follow in the footsteps of Eastwood and Clooney, Argo provides proof that one day he might well surpass them. Based on real events, Argo kicks off in 1979 with the Iranian revolution reaching boiling point. In a nail biting opener, militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 hostages alive. Six Americans escape the chaos and take refuge in the home of Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor. It’s only a matter of time before...
- 3/5/2013
- 24framespersecond.net
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