Selma(2014) Set in 1965,this refers to the town in Alabama where Martin Luther King Jnr(David Oyelowo)organised a series of marches, culminating in a 50 mile one to Montgomery, Alabama, protesting at blacks not being able to register for voting due to intimidation. Oyelowo puts in a believable performance, catching the peaceful determination of King and also fine speech making skills. In a fairly wordy, but intelligent script it covers family problems with his wife(a fine performance from Carmen Ejogo) and different shades of opinion about the way forward in the black community. There are also some brutal, shocking scenes of white police brutality. Tom Wilkinson is Lyndon B Johnson, Dylan Baker as Edgar J Hoover. Also starring Tim Roth(Governor George Wallace), Oprah Winfrey,Nigel Thatch(Malcolm X), Lorraine Toussaint & Giovanni Ribisi. 7/10
Transformers: Dark of The Moon
Visual the film was stunning especially watching it on blu ray but the film is a jumbled mess it's all visuals but no substance. Having the late Leonard Nimoy back voicing a transformer Sentinel Prime was a nice touch and the altered Spock Star Trek line he was used was great it would have been so much better if he had been playing and vocing Galvatron like what he did in the Transformers Animated Movie it was for me a wasted opportunity. As Megatron in all the movies he seems to do fuck and Carly saying to him his just Sentinel Primes bitch I cringed. As the films go on they just get worse and with Optimus seemingly turning bad in number 5 it seems all too familiar after seeing this all tho we all know there's more to it.
I liked the first film then after that downhill, my fav Transformers film for me still the animated movie better film and the soundtracks.
6.3/10.
Suicide Squad (2016).
Finally got round to watching Suicide Squad & despite fearing the worst due to the very mixed bag of reviews I have to say that I actually quite liked it.The storyline was a complete mish-mash but with a great soundtrack,great effects & some nailed on performances by gorgeous Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn & Will Smith as Deadshot manages to pull it round.
Margot definitely steals the show as Harley Quinn & looked as hot as hell & there were plenty of one line quips thrown in,there were also cameo appearances by the Flash & Ben Affleck as Batman.
I do agree with the negatives about The Joker not getting enough airtime but I did kind of like Jared Leto's interpretation of The Joker which was completely different to Heath Ledger's much darker version (which I still prefer).
Overall ;Whilst not as good as the better Marvel/DC films ie Deadpool,Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy,Civil War etc it is still a good film in it's own right.7 out of 10.
Watership Down(1978) Fiver the rabbit predicts doom for the warren where he lives, and him and his friends leave to find a better life. Effectively animated, especially good are the woodland and burrow scenes and the rabbits mannerisms, this film captures the darkness of the book and is never afraid to deal with mortality. There's also a touch of spirituality/supernatural. It is enhanced by the suitable light classical soundtrack. The voices, including John Hurt, Richard Briers,Harry Andrews and Hannah Gordon are good too. 7/10
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - 9/10.
Very good, would have liked to see Mads get a couple more scenes, but can't really fault it.
If Felicity Jones is still due to be in another movie, then the theory I kinda like is Mara Jade related, although I doubt it. It would be a shame not to see Jyn Erson again, even though the ending was fitting.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - 9/10.
Great stuff, I prefer it to Harry Potter, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the film series play out. I'm happy to see that Jacob (Dan Fogler) will be returning for the second one, he's a funny guy, not sure about Jude Law's casting though, even though I do like him.
The Shallows 7/10 - really surprised by how good this was, a sort of stripped down version of Jaws. Blake Lively is excellent as the surfer stranded on a rock and stalked by a great white shark.
The House That Dripped Blood(1971)
An Amicus anthology of four frightening stories : "Method For Murder","Waxworks","Sweets To The Sweet" and "The Cloak".
"Sweets To The Sweet" stars Christopher Lee as a stern father,a true disciplinarian whose seemingly hard done by,cute little daughter is actually anything but.It goes on a bit too long but it does produce the most memorable moments of the film.
7/10
Cracks(2009) Tensions reach breaking point at a 1930s girls boarding school with the arrival of a new pupil. A nicely shot, superbly acted piece, particularly Eva Green as the offbeat, charismatic teacher who has many of the pupils under her spell until the new arrival( a fine performance from Maria Valverde), Green convincingly portrays a person whose small controlled world is undermined by the change. Juno Temple is very good too as the main pupil who worships the teacher, the only disappointment is Imogen Poots who doesn't get enough screen time. Also starring Sinead Cusack,Clemmie Dugdale, Ellie Nunn & Adele McCann. 7.5/10
Green Room (2015)
Thriller starring the late Anton Yelchin as a member of a down on their luck,struggling punk rock band who get offered to play at a gig at a roadhouse event held by Far Right Extremist types.Whilst at the gig they stumble across a crime scene & with the Club Owner (played by Patrick Stewart) & his gang members hellbent in not letting any witnesses be left alive & hence it becomes a game of cat & mouse of who lives & dies.
Overall a good film with twists & turns along the way & complete contrast of the roles Patrick Stewart usually plays.7 out of 10.
Don't Breathe (2016)
Thriller produced by Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) about a group of house burglars who get tipped off about a small fortune being locked away in the home of an old,blind war veteran who lives on his own.What looks like easy pickings for the group as they think what can be easier than robbing from a blind loner they couldn't be more wrong.As any film with an ex-war veteran in it shows their houses are usually armed to the teeth with weapons & this is no different.Also this isn't any ordinary house they are breaking into,this is a house that is far easier to break into than breaking out.
Overall this is a great film with more twists & turns than a F1 race track,with a fair few edge of your seat moments & the familiar cat & mouse fight for survival setting.
Great film; 8 out of 10.
Lake of Dracula(1971)
Perhaps the name Dracula was added to the title of the western release of Michio Yamamoto'smamoto's Japanese vampire film to try and make it more accessible?
Whatever the reason,Shin Kishida is excellent as the main vampire character that acts just like the legendary Count.
7/10