Haunter(2013) Set in 1980s Canada a teenager realises she is repeating the same day again and again, when she attempts to amend this, it opens a world of problems as she begins to realise why it is happening. Initially, I felt this was gonna be a modern take on the classic film Dead Of Night or a supernatural take on Groundhog Day, but luckily it goes its own inventive way, being generally creepy and/or entertaining for most of its length. It is also helped by an effective lead performance by Abigail Breslin, The ending is slightly confusing,however. Also starring Peter Outerbridge, Michele Holden,Stephen McHattie(very good as The Pale Man), David Hewlett & Eleanor Zichy. 6.5/10
Jack Reacher - never go back 7/10 not quite as good as the first but entertaining.
Robbery Under Arms(1957)
A Jack Lee action film starring Peter Finch as Captain Starlight,leader of a bushranger gang in nineteenth century Australia who looks out for his two sons after they decide to join him.Also starring Maureen Swanson and Ronald Lewis.
7/10
New Jack City(1991)
Mario Van Peebles made his directorial debut with this slick gangster film dressed up as blaxploitation.An excellent cast including Ice-T,Chris Rock,Judd Nelson, Allen Payne,Mario Van Peebles himself and the late Bill Nunn handle proceedings very well and Wesley Snipes stands out as Nino Brown,putting in a charismatic turn that would fit right in with the classic scoundrels portrayed by Jimmy Cagney or Edward G.Robinson.Ultimately the message is,no matter how cool a villain you are,drugs are no good and profiting from their distribution is wrong and you're going to hell for it.Maybe could have done with a few more action scenes but overall,a great debut from a talented director.
8/10
Curse Of The Faceless Man(1958)
A petrified gladiator is found in the remains of Pompeii by archeologists and soon,people start dying.Could there be a connection?. Of course there is,Edward L.Cahn's film is very well shot and genuinely spooky in places but also,rather predictable.
6/10
Wake In Fright (1971) An Australian thriller in which a teacher played by Gary Bond becomes stranded in an Outback town when he loses his money in a gambling game. It's then he loses more as he falls into the often brutish ways of the local men. A film which feels real, feels like you imagine an Outback town would have been at the time.The camerawork excellently depicts the woozy ' drunken' scenes. Pretty disturbing and shocking at times . Bond, playing a rather superior, snobby character, skilfully plays his 'descent'. However, its the excellent Donald Pleasance as the local who tends to steal scenes. Also starring Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay, Jack Thompson,Al Thomas & John Meillon. 7.5/10
Some words of warning.
The hunting scenes depicted in this film were taken during an actual kangaroo hunt by professional licensed hunters.
For this reason and because the survival of the Australian kangaroo is seriously threatened, these scenes were shown uncut after consultation with the leading animal welfare organisations in Australia and the United Kingdom.
I found them rather distressing.
Calvary (2014) A father in a small Irish town has personal and religious crises following a death threat during a confession. Quite wordy, but intelligent, well written with the odd witty line. A good cast too with Brendan Gleeson as the father, also Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aiden Gillan, Dylan Moran, Isaach De Bankole, M Emmett Walsh, Marie-Josee Croze , Killan Scott & Orla O'Rourke. 6.5/10
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Tom Cruise being Tom Cruise doing what Tom Cruise does....decent watch even with all the cheeseball one liners.
7.5/10
Jason Bourne
Matt Damon being Matt Damon doing what Matt Damon does (only better than Tom Cruise)
Excellent watch,definitely would recommend this.
9/10
The Boy
People is crazy....I ain't baby sitting no creepy arsed doll....nor can I accept the little f#$ker was real!!!!(lessons will be learnt)
Decent horror/ish movie with a nice twist!
7/5/10
Starfish(2016)
Bill Clark's independent drama stars Tom Riley and Nicole Froggart as couple whose lives are turned upside down when Tom(Riley)is diagnosed with sepsis.As his condition worsens,surgeons remove his lower face and his limbs.Heartbreaking stuff that in the hands of director Clark,avoids sensationalism and instead focuses on the sensitive and personal traumas of the illness.The raw and brilliant performances from Tom Riley and Joanne Froggart help capture human emotion at its most intimate.
9/10
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
The original and still by far the best in the franchise. Robert Englund is brilliant as the iconic boogeyman stalking the kids in their dreams in a slasher movie that thirty-two years later remains one of the most memorable ever created in the genre. Great Halloween fun with Freddy!
4/5