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stephen-hoyland
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Runaway Car (1997)
So bad It's almost funny!
A 'Runaway car'....and that's about It!This pile of trash has got to be one of the worst movies of the 90's. 'TV Movies' tend to be pretty poor - with the rare exception - at the best of times, but this agonizing turkey Is too much for the senses. Even the youngest of children would no doubt foster a hatred for the parents who made It suffer this almost 2 hours of wretchedness,Including 90 minutes of the unstoppable car. Did the script-writer,producer,or - errr - anybody think we'd not ask the simple question 'why not switch the engine off'? Or at least disable It by tearing out the wiring,ripping off the dashboard or any of a host of other ways to disable the engine? Runaway trains?yes,fine. A bus with a bomb on board?Okay. But a car, and an automatic one to boot? (An automatic Is a self-driving car, the kind of vehicle used In the U.K. by the disabled, but which for some reason Is the preferred drive of our friends In the U.S.,most of whom are apparently Incapable of driving a real car!).I've never been a fan of Judge Reinhold and when I saw that he was the 'star' of this one I didn't hold my breath. Boy am I glad about that!If you have the will of Iron required to sit through this,I guarantee you'll never bother to watch It again!
Delivery Man (2013)
A remake Just 18-Months after the original......?
The basic premise of this movie Is......lots of children sue their 'Sperm-Donor' father. I would have had no problem with giving this Movie the lowest possible score - but It would be unfair to severely criticise the actors and crew for what Is clearly Writer and Director Ken Scott's problem! Just 2 short years before this Movie, our Mr.Scott wrote AND directed 'Starbuck' (2011), Identical to 'Delivery Man'(which he also wrote & directed) In every way (even down to our main man having exactly 142 disgruntled offspring)! Whilst 'Starbuck' only grossed around £15k on It's first weekend (the fact that It had French dialogue can't have helped It's popularity), Ken Scott must have realised that he was sitting on a Cracking Script - and so, less than 2 years later,behold.....Delivery Man! Only this time with a budget of £26 Million and an opening weekend take of £8 Million! Fittingly,perhaps,'Starbuck' Is generally considered the best of the two,and don't take my word for It....check out the votes here on IMDb and elsewhere and, of course - see them both for yourselves! It's an Interesting journey.
Gravity (2013)
Dull and Boring
Judging by the high votes,my opinion seems to be a pretty unusual one, but come on......A Hundred Million dollars for THIS? How can a Director with so much cash at his disposal allow scenes to be left In the finished Movie where Bubbles can clearly be seen In the Underwater shots?(See 'Goofs' for 'best' example). We would be forgiven for thinking that In this day-and-age, Writers,Directors,Producers,(i.e. The whole Movie-making world)would,with such Information technology freely available on such a massive scale,no longer make obvious mistakes regarding the laws of Physics In Space. Sadly, many such silly mistakes are evident throughout this Movie and there really Is no excuse for It. But the main problem Is...It's boring! Okay,so space Is pretty empty (on a Human scale,of course) and so we can't expect much In terms of 'Interesting' photography at the best of times,but let's face It,In this case the vast majority of the dialogue Is far from thrilling either. Science Fiction has always been a favourite of mine,but this certainly won't be one I'll ever watch again. I barely managed to stay awake.
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Roll out the same old barrel......
I was hoping for much more - sadly,we've seen It all before. Since the brilliant and awe-Inspiring 'Roots',nothing In this genre has been at all special and '12 years a slave' Is no exception. As unexciting as It Is predictable,this Movie gives us nothing new and Just re-treads old ground. We've seen enough of pre-emancipation stories. We KNOW what a terrible time slaves In America had without constant reminders like this. Black folk have enough reason to hate White folk without stirring up hackneyed old stories. If you can watch this the whole way through without falling asleep waiting for something exciting to happen then good for you. Giving this Movie 'top marks' just because of feelings of guilt(If you are white) or because of solidarity and mutual hatred of the Slavers (If you are black) Is a naive decision. This boring piece of Americana will soon be forgotten. As the song goes..."Tell me the same old story....".
Body Snatchers (1993)
I'd hoped for a little more!
Okay, so we've all seen the 1950's and 1970's versions of 'Invasion of the body Snatchers' - If you are hoping for something a little better then I'm sorry to say that you won't find It here! This sad affair Is quite blatantly a Rip-off of the aforementioned Movies and to make matters worse......the entire story takes place on a (rather small) United States army base! I find It difficult to understand why the producers decided to Invest In such an obviously poor're-make'. Why couldn't they choose a new name,Instead of Implying that this Garbage Is In some way connected to the real..."INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS?"
Growth (2010)
Well worth watching!
Come on,you detractors......what do you expect on a tiny budget of $300,000? For a spend of that size the overall production values of this Movie are excellent. The story Is Interesting and the plot has a few surprises which gradually reveal the connection between the Island and Its Inhabitants and the Girl who's arrived to stake her claim to It. I also found It different enough to keep me Interested-a pretty fresh Idea and while some of the science Is a bit silly the story Is solid enough. Those Movie buffs out there who understand all the variables that go to make a decent film will,I'm sure,give this the thumbs-up. It would have still got mine at 10x the budget. This Is a good dose of Science-Horror and I recommend It to all fans of the same.
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
Marlon Brando Can't handle an English accent!
How this pathetic debacle has managed to scrape such a high score Is beyond all comprehension. Was Marlon Brando REALLY an Oscar winner? The pathetic, fat half-wit can't even manage a half-decent English accent! His must rank as the all-time useless attempt at pretending to be English.It's not just Inaccurate - It's weird,totally strange. If you want to enjoy an historically accurate version of these events then watch the 1935 'Mutiny on the Bounty' - with the masterful Charles Laughton; and at least Clarke Gable can manage a convincing English accent. This movie Is a pointless and pathetic disgrace. Americans are absolutely useless at historical reproduction - apart from 'Cowboys and Indians' -perhaps because they've got no history!
Freaks (1932)
A true classic
I first saw this Movie on the UK's Channel 4 In 1982-until then,It had been banned In this country since production! Why,one may ask? The word 'Freak' simply means 'unusual' or 'Irregular', It's as simple as that! In no way whatsoever are the 'freaks' In this piece of historical mastery made fun of-If anything,they are treated with respect-and of course,It's the 'Freaks' who come out on top In the Movie! Far from being negative,'Freaks' shows the viewer that outward appearances are In no way Indicative of the person within-and,other than the 2 'Baddies' of the story-the (so-called) 'Freaks' are treated normally by all the members of the circus.This Movie was well made and very sympathetic to the plight of those poor,unfortunate people who In those days had little choice but to exhibit themselves. The Storyline Is superb - without giving anything away,It's a story of love and loyalty,of people joining together and In doing so,winning over adversity.This laudable little gem Is a classic which never got the praise It deserved. Never before-and,sadly,since-have the disabled community been given the chance to shine on the big screen as In this Movie,particularly when one considers the view which people held at this period In history of the disabled and deformed. Why It was banned for so long Is a mystery - perhaps the censors preferred to take the view -"out of sight,out of mind"? A must-see for all.
Independence Day (1996)
Horrendous garbage with good special effects!
Having watched this twice - once shortly after release and again last night - all I'm left with Is memories of cringing embarrassment.Flag- waving,'good old US of A' types will love It,everyone else will squirm In their seats. Basically,Invading Aliens are thwarted by Will Smith. But wait - Is that REALLY the American president flying a Jet-fighter and saving the Earth? What a guy!(What a joke more like!). In fact,I'm not sure which premise Is the most ludicrous - the president-cum-fighter pilot or the crop-spraying fighter-pilot. Yes,you heard right - a middle-aged,alcoholic crop-sprayer who's only ever flown a Cessna becomes a Tee-total,stone-cold sober Jet-fighter Ace pilot In....wait for It...two hours!Even If we put reality on hold for a while and pretend that the difference between a light Aircraft and a fighter- 'plane ISN'T like comparing a hedge trimmer to a combine harvester,we then need to get our heads around a hopeless drunk becoming totally drink free AND sober In literally a couple of hours IN ADDITION to his crash-course In fighter pilot training! What an absolute load of garbage! The special effects are quite good,there's no doubt about that,but the 'Mega-cliched' storyline Is sickening. Even the pre-schoolers will be baffled by this one. If you'r a 'Gung-Ho',flag-waving yank,you may just manage to watch this movie with tongue firmly In cheek,but weather you can do so without flushing with embarrassment Is another matter. Everyone else over the age of three will be hard-pressed to take It even a little seriously. If the script had been changed a little to make this a comedy,I'd have liked It. But It wasn't.And I didn't.
The Wicker Man (2006)
An Insult to the original
When I discovered that Nicolas Cage was the star of this remake I didn't hold out too much hope.(By the way,what's happened to his teeth? He's developed a speech Impediment and should demand a refund from his dental surgeon)! This pathetic load of boring garbage Is an Insult to the unique,strange,scary and deep original. I would urge anyone to see the original version first - try to get the uncut one - and then compare the two. Of course,there IS no comparison In reality.....this Is a pathetic and very weak 'version' and,even If I'd not seen the original,I don't think I'd have changed my vote.As for the budget of £40,000,000,where did It go?On what was this huge sum spent? Like the £63,000,000 spent on the 'thrilling'(NOT!)World trade centre,one can only assume that most of It went Into the pocket of Mr.Nicolas Kim Coppola(erm,sorry,I mean Mr.Nicolas Cage!) Avoid at all costs - It's a waste of time and money.
Stalin (1992)
Brilliant,awesome;Duvall Is a genius!
I could watch this film over and over again - why It was a TV Movie rather than a box-office smash I will never know. Robert Duvall Is absolutely flawless In his portrayal of Stalin - we're talking Oscar-deserving acting here! Roshan Seth as the creepy,selfish, arrogant Laventy Beria Is superb;Colin Jeavons as Yagoda;Jim Carter as Sergo;the great Maximilian Schell as Lenin (what fantastic make-up;I thought Lenin had been reincarnated)!The list goes on,a marvellous mix of International actors who blend beautifully to recreate the lives,times and crimes of Stalin,his entourage and his enemies,both real and Imagined. I've studied Stalin a lot over the years and this film Is about as historically accurate as one could get. This piece of pure genius Is a must-see. Absolutely fantastic In every respect!
World Trade Center (2006)
Laughable,predictable and boring!
I've TRIED to like Nicolas Cage - believe me,I've tried - but the man Is so boring and totally un-versatile It's like seeing the same character In every last thing he's been In! The fact that his real name Is Coppola (Yes,his Dads' brother Is Francis Ford Coppola)and that he alleges to have changed his name to 'avoid the connection and make It on his own merit',he nevertheless had his career kick-started by his uncle Francis. In short,two hours of him being stuck under a pile of rubble Is enough for him to show his entire gamut of acting 'skills'. Now,to the Movie Itself. An absolute pile of flag-waving garbage - and that's about It,really. We might,of course,ask - 'what the hell was the huge, $63,000,000 budget spent on' (other than lining the pockets of Cage and Co.)? I've tried to work It out but other than a few million cups of expensive coffee for the cast and crew,well,who knows? There's just nothing good to be said about this embarrassing pile of Cinematic refuse. Oliver stone - and Mr.Cage,of course - must have been laughing all the way to the bank. If anyone outside of the 'good old US of A' has anything good to say about It, It'll be a miracle. Don't waste your time on this....and demand a refund.
The Descent (2005)
Dark and Dreary
A group of teenage girls go caving where they become stalked by a band of Humanoid creatures('Crawlers')who have evolved to life In the caves. While there's certainly a few suspenseful moments that will make you 'jump',what spoilt It for me was the 'silliness' of It all - I'll elaborate.... From living for however-many generations In the deep,dark caves,the creatures have become,unsurprisingly,blind. They've also lost their skin-colour and are albino. But humanoids living underground In total darkness,In a constantly freezing-cold and wet environment,would surely encourage the growth of body hair? Strangely,these creatures are completely devoid of any hair - even If they'ed manage to overcome the cold In some other evolutionary way,why would they lose their hair? It doesn't make sense. Such creatures would - with the loss of one sense(sight)have a compensatory Increase of other senses - and Indeed,these cave dwellers rely mainly on sound,having developed a highly-evolved hearing ability. This Is exemplified In a scene where a 'Crawler' passes within Inches of two girls who,staying silent,aren't detected by the creature - but surely such powerful hearing would have detected the girls breath or pounding heartbeats? And what about their sense of SMELL? We would expect this,too,to be equally evolved and surely the Crawler could have smelt the girls breath and body-odour (from a mile away,let alone just a few Inches!). Then,we have the 'night-vision'! As most people know,these superb devices gather the tiniest amounts of light,e.g. Starlight,or-on cloudy nights-even the almost indiscernible atmospheric light,and make It possible to 'see In the dark'. But,In a totally lightless,deep dark cave,there Is NO light whatsoever - night vision will not work at all In these conditions. Now,I know some people will think me petty-but for me,a horror or science-based movie has to be correct In such matters. It's those details which make the subject believable,makes you think 'Wow,this really could happen',and when the movie-makers don't bother to think these things through It spoils the whole film. All they need do Is bring In a couple of Science advisers,specialists In the particular fields of the Movies' subject matter,and such errors won't occur. My final 'complaint' - why oh why does It have to be a bunch of female teens who absolutely don't fit the bill of skilled cavers? Couldn't they have added just one thirty-something, professional woman?After all,had they done so,'killing her off' early In the film could have been the catalyst for the girls getting Into that whole load of trouble! It can't have been easy to film In all those confined spaces and I give credit for that,and the script Is quite good. If you like a movie that has the girls hiding behind a cushion,pillow or couch - then yes,It's worth a watch. But It could have been made better with a little extra thought.
New Guy (2003)
Creepy and Different!
I like a Movie that offers something a little strange and different-and this one ticks all the boxes! If you're Into explosive action then this certainly Isn't the Movie for you - but If you like Intelligent,'Twilight Zone-Ish' stuff, then you're gonna love this! I had to watch twice In order to fully get to grips with the Intricacies, but I must confess to have enjoyed It even more the second time around! It's deep-even profound-and you need to understand It to fully appreciate It. The Script Is clever-almost unique even-and while the acting Isn't fantastic,It's definitely adequate,particularly when you consider the strange storyline,which must have been difficult for the actors to translate to screen. It's different,It's special,It's worth a watch-or two! I love It and will be watching for a third time,maybe a fourth,or even a fifth......!
Stake Land (2010)
Superb post-Apocalyptic road movie
None-stop action Is the order of the day In this excellent Post- apocalypse movie. The world has been overrun by Vampire-zombies. At the start,a young lad Is the only survivor as his family are killed by a zombie whilst preparing to leave to try to find a place of safety. He's saved by the guy who he calls simply 'mister'-played superbly by Nick Damici- and so we follow the two as they travel North In search of a place known as 'Eden',the last known human outpost In North America.As well as the Vampire-Zombies,the pair have to battle various religious cults which have sprung up,particularly 'the Brotherhood' who see the Zombies as being sent by God to destroy the unfaithful. The fact that this Is In effect a 'Road Movie' with an ever-changing landscape makes It even more Interesting. The photography Is excellent. This Is one of the best Movies of It's genre I've ever seen and makes a refreshing difference from the 'usual' Zombie-based films,particularly as we don't have half of the film 'wasted' by showing us how It all began - the young lad(Martin) fills us In on the details In voice-overs as the story progresses.Nick Damici Is an actor who I'll certainly be looking out for In the future.
2012: Doomsday (2008)
Pretty good considering the budget!
It seems to me that the vast majority of the so-called 'reviews' of this movie are people just 'having a go' at Christians - little wonder that Islam Is taking over the world while ever people from Christian countries attack their own faith!Why can't people rate this Movie on It's acting,special effects and photography Instead of using It as an excuse to attack Christians? Considering the relatively tiny budget of just £250k, this Isn't a bad job at all. Of course It's far fetched - but people love films like The Matrix,Mars attacks and similar stuff which are laughably stupid and unbelievable - but entertaining despite that.There's a lot of hypocrites about,In other words. The special effects are good - again,considering the budget - and Cliff De Young Is a damn good actor, just take a look at the many films he's been In! Okay,so the films premise Is silly,but as I say, most of the highest-rated movies of all time have a ridiculous and unbelievable storyline. The many Christian churches - Protestantism,Catholicism,Baptists,Wesleyan,Coptic,Orthodox,Mormons, witnesses and hundreds more - serve only to confuse the Issue. All organised religion Is false - Jesus tells us himself through Matthew In the new testament that those who pray In churches are Hypocrites - one should pray alone,In private,In ones 'chamber'(bedroom or other private place).Reading the book of Matthew reveals the one truth about Christianity - be good,be nice to people,pray for forgiveness of your sins each day - and THAT'S IT! Remember - MEN have created organised religion\churches, NOT Jesus! Neither did Jesus suggest as much - as he himself said,those who attend church expecting to be 'forgiven' have already blown their chance of redemption,likewise those who give 'charity' by having their picture taken whilst handing over those big cardboard cheques will be shunned by God - Alms(charity) should be given In private,known only to the giver,the receiver and God. Jesus makes It absolutely clear In Matthew that ones relationship with Christ and God Is a private matter for each Individual. DON'T SHUN Christianity BECAUSE OF ORGANISED RELIGION - YOU DO NOT HAVE TO JOIN ANY CHURCH TO BE A 'GOOD' Christian!! Read Matthew In the authorised(King James) bible and make up your own mind. Don't laugh at Christians because of the silly story to this film.
Robot Monster (1953)
So terrible that It's worth watching!
Although I give this movie the lowest possible score - because It really and truly Is the worst script and acting of all time - nevertheless It's worth a watch for the laughs. The 'Robot monster' (a man In a Gorilla suit with a diving helmet on his head) announces himself thus - "I am Ro-man from the planet Ro-man" and It's all down hill from there! When Ro-man talks to the Chief Ro-man (on planet Ro-man) we can tell who Is who as the boss holds a wire coat-hanger! Sadly,the director committed suicide within a year or two of the films release, the story being that the criticisms just became too much for him. It'd be pointless to reveal any of the Storyline - not that there's much to say,of course - but If you enjoy a truly, laughably terrible film,then get watching. Oh,and It was voted No.1 In the UK's Channel 4 'Top 10 worst movies of all time' In the late 1980's. Enjoy!
Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da (2010)
Superb Thriller from South Korea!
I'd never had expected such a deep and shocking movie would ever have come out of South Korea - this film just goes to show what exceptional Producers,Directors and Actors there are In South Korea and what a massive contribution these people are making to the International Movie scene. I won't spoil your viewing pleasure by revealing any details - suffice It to say that you won't be disappointed. Basically, the pregnant girlfriend of a young Cop Is brutally - VERY brutally - murdered by a serial killer. The Cop then goes on a personal vendetta to not only bring this Sicko to justice,but to Physically and psychologically destroy him whilst doing so! The movie Is very graphic but not gratuitously so - the nastiness Is an Integral part of the movie as a whole. The South Korean film Industry deserve our praise for such an excellent film. I've watched both the dubbed version and the subtitled version. I strongly recommend the subtitled version.
Altitude (2010)
Director did his best with a terrible script!
Oh Dear! The opening scenes show us that the script-writers know very little about human flight - where are the headphones for the people on the light aircraft? As anyone who's flown In a Cessna or a helicopter will know,headphones are essential kit! That said - and forgetting the many other technical 'Faux pas'throughout this movie - there are enough weird happenings to keep us Interested as we progress through It. Basically, a bunch of kids with a ridiculously young female Pilot get Into a strange and increasingly frightening situation aboard a light aircraft......and that's about It! How this movie cost above a few hundred dollars Is another matter! Those who like science-fiction coupled with 'regular' events won't be too disappointed. The rest of us? Well......?!?!?
The Purge (2013)
Fodder for Morons!
A Re-hash of so many similar Movies - family trapped In house fighting for survival. The reasoning behind the 12-hour Purge Is never satisfactorily explained,other than It's a short period once-a-year during which there are no laws and everyone can do has he or she sees fit. Rather than huge Gangs causing havoc - race-war,religious war,etc, as one would expect - Instead,It's neighbour-on-neighbour. Quite how this release of pent-up animalistic anger makes for a good America(Including unemployment down to a mere 1%)we shall never know. Everything takes place Inside the one house and we are fed the usual "walking-around-slowly-In-the-dark-with-flash-lights" routine. Yeah,how fresh and unique! A ridiculous premise and lousy script made bearable by some pretty decent acting. Sadly,we are left still waiting for that special little something that never happens. Massive anti-climax. Don't bother watching unless you've no paint to watch drying!BLOOPER.....The guy Is tied up In the chair with the duct-tape down from his mouth....In the next scene,where he tips the chair over,the tape Is back around his face!And directors get paid tens of thousands or more for missing obvious mess-ups like that!
The Thaw (2009)
Super script - Cracking Movie!
For me,they don't come much better than this. I particularly like Science- based and\or Sci-Fi Movies and the more contemporary the better.Like most enthusiasts of this genre, for me a good Science Movie has to have a believable premise - and,with perhaps a small stretch of the Imagination - this one fits the bill. Plenty of "scary-jumpy" moments,small twists and all sorts of things going on prevent us from getting bored The script Is exceptional and my only complaint Is that two or three of the actors - mentioning no names - just weren't right for the part,or - to put It another way - couldn't act their way out of a paper bag! Well worth seeing twice.
After Earth (2013)
I want my money back!
Utterly boring for 90% of the time - and the remaining 10%,well,we've all seen It before! Storyline - Spacecraft leaves Planet to which Humans fled a thousand years ago; said Spacecraft crashes on a planet,coincidently that planet Is Earth,now a hostile environment for mere Humans. But wait.....are Mr.Smith and son really the ONLY survivors to come out of the wreck alive? Well,we don't really know,seeing as neither Smith bothers to check any of the other poor chaps spread around the place!Oh,and don't wrecked Spacecraft - like wrecked anything one assumes - burn or at least smoke,or throw a few sparks,or creak and groan? Not this one-the second It hits,all Is quiet as the grave. Due to Smith seniors' bad leg,Smith Junior has to go on a 100km trek to recover a beacon In the tail part of the ship-which sort of 'fell-off' during re-entry.....Er,well,just entry considering they're not from Earth-and so begins the "Will smith and Son Show!!!" Vey much like a modern version of "Walkabout" only utter Garbage.An embarrassing,cringing cliché' from start to finish,I'm both surprised and disappointed to discover that Will Smith Is so pretentious to think his son can act anything like he can. Perhaps If Wills' part had been written with him being more 'Hands-on' Involved It could have been a bit Improved -but not much. Watch out for the 'diving' Katai,folding In his 'wings' like a diving bird....meanwhile,the ACTUAL diving bird thats' chasing him keeps It's wings outstretched!Oooops!!
Earth's Final Hours (2011)
Worst sci-fi ever?
Okay, so I'm not known to be over-generous with my comments but this film promised much but never delivered! My incredulity was stretched to the limit within the first couple of minutes - a small piece of 'white hole debris' hits Earth and 'coincidentally' strikes the very scientist who's been searching for It!! Then, this stuff having made a hole In his chest the size of a Soccer ball, he manages to speak a couple of lines before he dies - despite the fact that his heart and lungs are clearly gone! Now,this debris has caused the Earth to stop rotating, slowing down over the next few hours until It will eventually stop altogether - bad news for all as the end of the world Is here! As the earth slows, a kind of 'fire-lightening' caused by cosmic rays getting through the emerging gaps In the Earths magnetic field, begin to strike people - but not members of the random public,It appears - just nasty FBI men and other baddies In the movie!(That Is, except the FBI man who helps his son to save the Earth!) I appreciate Science-based movies which respect the limits and possibilities of physics, and after all,quantum Physics and string theory are weird and amazing enough to fuel science-fiction films to the end of time,but this one Is just plain silly. Not once do we see whats going on In other parts of the world or even on the streets of the US - It seems that only the main characters are witnessing and\or suffering from the Earth-slowing effects. A terrible script - much more could have been done with the subject matter - and where the nearly £2 million budget went I could'n't say. What I will say Is -give It a miss.
Wake Wood (2009)
Marvelously different!
The Inhabitants of a small and very close-knit Irish town have an apparently ancient method of bringing a dead person back to life for 3 days by harnessing the energy of a fresh cadaver. What made me connect with this movie so well was the fact that the 'resurrections' had neither religious nor evil connotations - not a 'black magic' or occult procedure but rather something which could best be described as having a Pseudo- scientific basis. For example,a 'relic' of the person to be resurrected Is required - hair,bone,nail-clippings,that sort of thing - and this brings to mind the fact that DNA seems to be a major part of the ritual (although weather or not the townsfolk are aware of this Is never actually disclosed).The story revolves around a young couple - he a veterinary surgeon - who have recently moved to town. They lost their 8-year-old daughter after she was savaged by a dog and are offered the opportunity of having her returned to them for the 3 days that the ritual lasts, In order that they can then 'say goodbye' properly and come to terms with their loss. In order for the ritual to work, the person being 'brought back' must have been dead for less than one year - and therein lies the problem! So desperate are the couple to see daughter Alice again that they tell what they see as a 'white lie' - Alice has,in fact,been dead for over 13 months and NOT the 11 months,2 weeks and 2 days which Is what they tell Arthur!So Alice comes back - but she's all 'wrong', and any more detail would spoil It! A little dull and dreary - the constant wet weather doesn't help - but an interesting and very creepy story with some exceptional acting particularly from Timothy Spall as Arthur. My only regret Is that the story-line could have been expanded somewhat. Well worth watching.
Identity Theft (2007)
Good Script makes up for bad acting!
Okay,don't laugh - the acting Is so terrible that even the 'cop' who doesn't have a single line fails to carry It off, but as the film progresses the main actors do manage to carry It off so fair play to them. The story-line Is actually very good - A young bad-boy drug addict gets shot up and stumbles Into the path of a Mexican valets' car. The valet picks up the lads wallet and - thinking the boy Is dead - uses his I.D. to solve his problem as an illegal immigrant. While the boy recovers In hospital the Valet not only creates a complete new identity but rises to the top - executive status,property,the lot (rather too quickly for my liking) meanwhile our erstwhile bad-boy has seen the light,found the AA as well as love and got a tough job In a warehouse. And so begins the chaos of double-identity and the pitfalls for both those involved. Most of the bit-part actors are terrible but the main characters do manage to redeem It for the rest.