I Want Candy (2007) August 10, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : Uncategorized, comedy, New Movies , add a commentTwo film students head to London with their script which they believe will be the first step to Hollywood, they hook up with a dodgy film producer who agrees to finance the film, provided they can get porns hottest star Candy Fiveways (Carmen Electra).
I Want Candy’ it must be said is quite a sweet and charming film in a ‘The Full Monty’ kind of way, sadly though unlike that film, the laughs are few and far between it must be said, I think I went a full hour before a proper laugh, a very amusing scene that all I shall say “required wet wipes”!
The only selling point this film would seem to have is the chance for men to see Carmen Elektra in various sexy outfits and states of undress, something I’m sure you could see say in a Playboy dvd, if she has one that is, not that’d I’d know about that sort of thing!
Lightweight fluff all in all with a serious lack of laughs I’m afraid.
5/10
Mr Brooks (2007) August 7, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : Thriller, New Movies , add a commentKevin Costner (remember him?) stars as Earl Brooks, a highly respected local businessman man, loving Husband and Father, who hides a dark secret, a psychofrenic urge to kill.The urge proves too much and when he kills two lovers in their apartment he is seen and caught on film at the scene by a sleezy photographer.The photographer (Dane Cook) though doesn’t turn him into the Police or blackmail him though, he wants to learn to kill like Brooks and experience the ‘thrill’ first hand.
Costner is superb in this film and proves something that we tend to forget, what a very, very good actor he is.Equally good is the reliable William Hurt as Marshal, Mr Brook’s alter-ego, this was a great idea for the film as they discussed how they would solve issues and problems together in Mr Brook’s life.Supporting cast too is a fine one, Demi Moore is good as the Cop pursuing the killer, CSI Vegas’ Marg Heldenberger stars as Mr Brooks oblivious Wife, though I felt her character took a back seat during the second half of the movie.The lovely Reiko Aylesworth of 24 also puts in an appearance as the lawyer out to screw Demi Moore in a divorce proceedings against her money grabbing ex-husband.
The script is clever and intelligent with a good dose of black humour and some neat twists, including one all mighty one at the end!!!
Highly recommended.
9/10
Distrbia (2007) August 6, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : Thriller, New Movies , add a commentA teenager Kale (Shia LeBoef) is tagged and put under house arrest, during this time he becomes convinced his sinister neighbour Mr Turner (David Morse) is a serial killer, and with help from his friend’s Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) and new neighbour Ashley (Sarah Roemer) they set out to prove him guilty.
The first obvious comparison is “Rear Window”, this time though the voyeur ’spies’ on his neighbours not just with binoculars but with a video camera as well, he trawls the net too looking for clues and evidence.Nobody will believe him though, is he suffering from cabin fever, when it looks like he might catch him with guilty evidence, Mr Turner always delivers an alibi.
“Disturbia” is a thoroughly enjoyable, and very quirky, little thriller.There’s no unnecessary gore or T&A, just a good old fashioned tense, exciting and well paced little film from director D J Carusso (who has also directed a few episodes of ‘The Shield’)
8.5/10
Knocked Up (2007) August 5, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : Uncategorized, comedy, New Movies , add a commentSlobby jobless Ben (Set Rogan) can’t believe his luck when he meets an attractive charismatic career girl Alison (Katherine Heigel) in a bar, a one night stand and 2 months later and Alison is horrified to learn she is pregnant!
‘Knocked Up’ starts off as your by numbers ‘American Pie’ comedy but it soon becomes a very grown up, and very funny ‘adult’ comedy. When O say adult, I don’t mean T&A, this film deals with real relationships and all the troubles and anxieties that they entail.
As well as the charismatic Rogan and Heigel the supporting characters are excellent too,from Bens’ stoner mates (”Tell him not to jerk off with a noose around his neck - it’s dangerous”), Alison sister and brother in law(”You look like Babe Ruth’s gay brother… Gabe Ruth”) as well as smaller parts, in particular ‘Saturday Night Lives'’ Kristen Wiig as Jill, a snobby TV executive(”We don’t like liars in Hollywood”)
The film never sags during it’s lengthy 2 hour running time, even the trip to Vegas brings in the laughs with a hilarious conversation on magic mushrooms about the amount of chairs in their Hotel room (”Isn’t weird how chairs exist even when you’re not sitting on them?)
One of the best comedies of the year so far and, well why not, the feel good hit of the Summer!
9/10
Captivity (2007) August 4, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : Uncategorized, Horror, New Movies , 1 comment so farCaptivity hit the headlines earlier in the year when the billboards for the film were withdrawn in New York and LA after complaints, all ‘good publicity’ for the movie the producers no doubt thought, how wrong they were.Three weeks after it’s release it had only pulled in a miserable $3.6M, and registered just 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, oh dear, things aren’t looking good as I settle down to view the latest “torture-porn” flick vomited out of Hollywood.
Directed by “acclaimed director” Roland Joffe, he of “The Killing Fields” and “Super Mario Brothers”, which he likes to omit from his c.v. the question was, is this as bad as people say? Well in all honsety, yes it’s a very poor film, but it’s biggest crime is that it’s so dull.The “Saw” and “Hostel” film franchises are pretty average to poor horror movies but at least they’re fairly interesting, the first hour of this film was akin to watching paint dry.Things do pick up a little towards the end but by then you’ve gone past caring.
The only plus point I can muster from this film is the eye candy that is Elisha Cuthbert, great to look at in a leather dress, but this doesn’t disguise the fact that she still can’t act for toffee.
Another major failing of the film is that for a horror/thriller it is neither suspenseful nor scary.The film just about fails on all levels really.
4.5/10
Blades Of Glory (2007) August 1, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : comedy, New Movies , add a commentWhen a comedy stars Will Ferrell and John Heder (Napolian Dynamite) you pretty much no what to expect.The two leads play Olympic ice skaters who are stripped of their gold medals and banned from the sport after a fight.Years later they discover a loop hole in the banning, they can compete as a pairs act, queue lots of starings at backsides and such like.
You either love or hate someone like Ferrell, I’m in the former.He’s starred in some great comedies in the past few years, such films as “Anchorman”, “Elf” and “Zoolander spring to mind, good films that are made funnier with this guy in.Even standard fare such as “Talladega Nights” is more watch able with this loveable baffoon in, and this is the case with “Blades Of Glory”.
There’s plenty of funny moments in the film, it’s nothing amazing, but having Ferrell, and Heder, as leads makes this an enjoyable, fun and totally daft film.
7.5/10
Spider-Man 3 (2007) July 19, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : Action/Thriller, Fantasy, New Movies , 1 comment so farThe first Spider-man movie for me, alongside ‘Batman Returns’, was, and still is one of the great comic book movie adaptations ever, great story, characters you cared about and some great action set pieces.The second Spidy movie gained even more plaudits, except for me, yeah it was still great to look at but it was strating to get boggged down in Peter Parker’s private life, and more so, Mary Jane’s.
So we come to Spider-man 3, and I have to admit was wasn’t expecting that much, but over-all I was pleasantly surprised.Let’s deal with the major minus point this film has, one inherited from the previous film, Mary bloody Jane.This character spends the entire movie, moaning and complaining about how her career isn’t panning out as hoped, how Spider-man is too busy to pay her enough attention.Please, if there’s a fourth outing can we please kill this irritating excuse for a woman off!The scene in the restaurant when Parker slaps her made me stand up and cheer, yes that’s how much she annoyed me.Another minor niggle was that there were a lot of villains for one movie, I thought Venom was nothing more than Spider-man with nasty pointy teeth.Let’s limit the amount of bad guys so that the one’s we do have get plenty of time to smash things up,fight Spider-man and generally cause havoc. Now onto the good stuff, again the film is a visual feast, the scenes involving Sandman were spectacular and also the scene early on involving the crane.An appearance by Bruce Campbell is always a bonus, especially when his character is a snooty French restauranter.The action is fast and furious, yeas it does get a little bogged down with the amount of characters but this is two hours of fine pop-corn entertainment.
8/10
Bridge To Terabithia (2007) July 18, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : Fantasy, New Movies , add a commentJoss Hutcherson plays Jess, a lonely bullied kid who befriends the school newbie Leslie (the superb AnnaSophia Robb), together they invent an imaginary world, Terabithia, which they explore to escape the drab mediocrity of their school and in Jess’ case home lives.
I have to admit I was expecting something along the lines of “The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe”, but I couldn’t be more wrong.The film is set in small town in modern day America, Joss’ parents show very little love or affection to him, something he becomes more aware of when at Leslie’s house when they ‘help’ paint a room.The film also deals with very adult themes, that as a child bad things can happen, you can lose people you love and care for.
The two leads are excellent, and for two actors barely in their teens they should have promising careers ahead of them, my only criticism is that I wish Zooey Deshanel would put a few pounds on, she does look a bit skinny nowadays!
8.5/10
The Number 23 (2007) July 17, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : Action/Thriller, New Movies , add a commentI have to admit, my expectation’s were pretty low for this flick.The reviews have been pretty scathing, and as it’s director was Joel Schumacher, who brought us the pretty lamentable ‘Batman And Robin’ and ‘8mm’, I really had my reservations. Well what a surprise, ‘The Number 23′ turned out to be quite an engaging thriller with a pretty smart script.
Jim Carey stars as Walter Sparrow, who on his birthday is bought a book which soon takes over his life ,as becomes obsessed by the similarities the number 23 encompasses.Carey is an actor I have a lot of time for, not only in comedy but time and time again in more ‘demanding’ roles such as ‘Man On The Moon’, ‘The Truman Show’ and ‘Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind’.Here again he holds his own with fine support from Virginia Madsen as his wife and Logan Lerman as their son Robin.
The twist is very clever and fairly believable and rounds of what was a very decent and quite unfairly criticised film
8/10
Vacancy (2007) July 16, 2007
Posted by robwilliams1967 in : Horror, New Movies , add a commentI had high hopes for this film.Things start of promisingly, if a little predictable.A bickering couple, Kate Beckinsale and Owen Wilson, break down in the middle of nowhere.They begrudgingly decide to stay the night at a run down motel.Soon though they start to hear strange noises but things really turn sinister when they discover some video tapes and realise they are to be the future stars of a snuff movie! So far so good.
**SPOILER ALERT**
What completely ruins this film is the appallingly lame ending.I was really expecting an evil twist to precedings but all you get is our heroine managing to dispatch with all the villains, call for the Police, and find that her husband wasn’t actually killed when stabbed by one of the gang!I can’t remember when I was so annoyed at a films finale, utterly lame, and one of the most disappointing movies of the year.
5/10