Film Review: Dead Snow

I have to say, I entered Dead Snow with some doubts. I mean, Nazi zombies? Really? Although at the same time, I have to admit it is a surprise it took someone this long to do it. Also, the cover of the Blu Ray has the mirthless pun "Ein! Zwei! Die!", which did even more to put me off, but I finally had a watch and was pleasantly surprised...

A group of Norwegian medical students journey to a remote cabin for a ski holiday, but after finding some treasure they awaken a horde of vengeful Nazi zombies.

Bear with me here, it's better than it sounds. Firstly, it manages the rarity of having a cast that is totally likable. And when they eventually start to get picked off, you do feel a bit sad. It's not something that happens much in this type of film, usually the students or whatever random teenagers that feature are so annoying that you can't wait to see them die! It's the first film I've seen since Hatchet where I've liked the soon to be murdered cast!

Another massive positive is that Dead Snow doesn't take itself too seriously, in fact in places it's downright hilarious, and you can see a huge influence from Sam Raimi's Evil Dead movies throughout (in fact Evil Dead 2, along with some other films, are name-checked near the start of the film.)

The films builds up nicely in the first half, complete with random stranger warning the students about the Nazi menace in the area (In the Second World War, villagers staged an uprising against looting Nazis, and killed or ran them off...or so they thought), then as soon as they find the treasure, all hell breaks loose!

It's a spectacular second half filled with some fantastic zombie carnage, and one or two brilliantly inventive moments (there's a great 'cliffhanger' moment), and a continuing sense of humour throughout.

The only real problem stems from the fact that there's not a whole lot you can do with the zombie genre of horror movie. Sure it's always great to see zombies terrorize people, and the hilarious ways the people battle back, and the Nazi element is an interesting twist, but when it boils down to it, it's been seen before.

Now, that's not the fault of the film, in fact it tries to make things a bit different by having slightly different zombies. Imagine a more developed version of the undead we saw in Romero's Land Of The Dead (but they are fast, not slow) and you may get an idea. The zombies seem almost methodical at times, and even have a commander, so have some kind of hierarchy (The commander actually uses binoculars at one point), so these aren't your usual eat and destroy ones. But don't worry, they do plenty of that if they have to!

While zombie films are never going to top the classics like Dawn/Day Of The Dead, they still prove entertaining and films like Dead Snow and The Horde (reviewed here) prove there's still some life in the undead.

****
Save the Nazi element it's not particularly original but Dead Snow is still a riotously entertaining zombie romp that will please gorehounds everywhere. Top stuff.

Film Review: My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Following on the heels of the first wave of American slasher films, that included the classics 'Halloween' and 'Friday The 13th', came 'My Bloody Valentine', with a score of others, mainly revolving around dates in the calender ('Happy Birthday To Me', 'Prom Night', 'Graduation Day') but there's something about 'My Bloody Valentine' that puts it ahead on the pack of the pretenders, but not quite reaching the heights of the escapades of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees.

20 years after a series of murders at the towns mine, stemming from an accident at the mine whilst people were at a party, Valentines Bluff decides to ignore the killers warnings of retribution and host a big Valentines party. You see, the killer, although incarcerated, Harry Warden (Peter Cowper) always promised to return if the townsfolk celebrated Valentine's Day again, and true enough, everyone starts suddenly dropping like flies.

There's nothing especially original about it all (now, more than ever) and none of the cast are as memorable as a Laurie Strode, but the story is quite gripping and the death scenes (and at the end of the day, that's what we are wanting to see) are superb.

That wasn't always the case though. Back on it's release in 1981, the MPAA cut 9 minutes of the film due to the excessive violence and gore, and it wasn't till 2009, when Lions Gate acquired the rights to the film, was the original footage put back in. And while compared to today's standards it could be seen as tame, it still provides the shocks lacking from similar films in the genre.

There's no real let up in the pace until near the end. The townspeople start getting picked off within 15 minutes of the opening titles, but as the film comes towards its conclusion it all slows down, as the remaining characters are running around trying to escape a mine (naturally, the kids of the town opt to have a party AT THE MINE, re-enforcing the rule that teenagers in horror films are the dumbest teenagers ever), and it does get a bit sluggish there.

The conclusion of the film is a bit 'wacky' also, and almost screams "sequel" at the viewer, but that was never to be. The film picked up a cult following, and was then brought back to public attention (also in 2009) with the remake (which was a 3D affair), and shockingly, that was a remake which this reviewer didn't actually mind. Not a patch on the original, which you can finally see uncut, after all these years (if you have a multi-region DVD player, that is.)

***1/2
Whilst not containing the power and effect of Halloween or Friday The 13th, My Bloody Valentine was a surprisingly good slasher film, only let down by a forgettable teenage cast and ending which really lags.

Film Review: Warrior

Whilst it's certainly not the first film to feature forms of Ultimate Fighting or MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), 'Warrior' is probably going to be the benchmark. Elliciting memories of what Rocky did for boxing movies is the best comparison to make, and while there is a lot in common between the two films I'm going try not to compare and contrast between the two, because, much like boxing and MMA, they are very different beasts.

That hasn't stopped some reviewers though. I'm sure some of you have seen the bus advert for 'Warrior', declaring it was like "All the Rocky movies rolled into one" (I can't remember the publication, but it's a terrible comparison.) If you are going in expecting that you will be getting talking love interest robots that talk, men in cut off shirts hugging in the sea, subplots about children's jewellery etc, you may be disappointed.

But anyway, 'Warrior' tells the story of two brothers, Tommy (Tom Hardy) and Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), two men who haven't seen each other in years and have very little in common. Brendan is a school teacher who is married with kids, but facing steep bills and possible bankruptcy.

Little is known about Tommy, other than he was in the Marines and has showed back up in town, seemingly on a mission to get as far in the MMA world as possible. One thing the two brothers have in common is a fractured relationship with their estranged, alcoholic father Paddy (Nick Nolte) and their separate roads lead to a huge MMA tournement, where their paths inevitably cross.

While the story is a trifle cliched, it doesn't stop it being enthralling. And for the most part the tone of the film is very serious, particularly the relationship between the brothers and their father, that pulls no punches at all (no pun intended.) The only downside really is some of the subplots (namely one involving Brendan's students trying to watch him fight) almost seem like something from a different, cheesier film.

The performances throughout the film are superb, from Edgerton's subtle underdog family man to Hardy's slightly unhinged wrecking machine (damn it, just made an unintentional Rocky reference, apologies), but also brilliant is Nick Nolte. I know there's plenty of joke mileage to get out of it not taking a lot of effort for him to play an alcoholic, but it's a fantastic, heart breaking performance from a guy who should be in more films. Nolte always seems to have the small roles lately, it's great to see him given such a substantial character.

Also keep an eye out for former WWE superstar Kurt Angle as the feared Russian competitor Koba, who is odds on favourite to win the competition. Was quite amusing to see the very American athlete playing a Russian. I guess Dolph Lundgren was busy!

When we get to the tournement, we get to the fighting (although we get some smaller matches earlier), and these are superb. Obviously, I don't know much about MMA, but these were thrillingly shot, and brought out such a reaction from me at times, you'd think I was watching it live. Heart-poundingly good!

Without giving too much away (and this could be read as a positive rather than a negative), but at the end of the film I was desperate for it to continue. Things were left unanswered and unresolved, but anytime you want a 139 minute film (and it doesn't feel that long at all) to continue, the filmmakers must be doing something right.

****
Despite being a little corny in places, Warrior is a superb film, that whilst being more about the relationship between brothers and their father, still has plenty to please fight films. Great performances from the leads, and welcome back Nick Nolte. Highly recommended. 

Film Review: The Pack (La Meute)

Recently every French horror film I've seen has just been fantastic. From the brilliant zombie romp 'The Horde', to the genre-stupefying Martyrs, everything the country seems to produce has outclassed anything this country or the States could muster.

So when I heard about another French movie that seemed to get a bit of praise, and featured monsters, in 'The Pack' (or La Meute) I was keen to see it. But sadly, I was left disappointed overall.

In the middle of nowhere, Charlotte (Emilie Dequenne) picks up a hitchhiker, Max (Benjamin Biolay) and they make their way to a roadside restaurant. But whilst there, Max vanishes, and only when Charlotte returns later that night to try and find him she finds out he is the son of the mysterious restaurant owner, La Spack (Yolande Moreau) who has been abducted people to feed to her undead 'children', a pack of flesh eating monsters.

Charlotte's only hope is the former sheriff (who,spends the entire time of the film wearing a shirt with the slogan 'FUCK ON THE FIRST DATE' for no reason whatsoever) who becomes suspicious of the dodgy restaurant.

As interesting as that sounds, I can assure you it isn't. The major problem stems from the fact that the film takes forever to get going. Whilst I don't mind slowly paced films, this just drags on and on, and even when the hideous brood of creatures finally appear, even that is pretty dull.

Now, don't get me wrong there are a few legitimately good moments in the film, and some fantastic gore, but it's all just too few and far between. There's also a nicely creepy performance from Moreau as the restaurant owner and brood 'mother'.

The make-up effects on the creatures (when we finally see them) are quite impressive also, and they are suitably scary, but with so build up to them, interest struggles to remain.

Even the ending dragged on a bit for me, and this isn't a long film we are talking about here, it's pretty much done within 80 minutes, but couldn't even hold my interest for that. Other than the aforementioned plus points, there's not a whole hell of a lot here to recommend it.

**
Some nice gore and shocks aside, this is pretty dull horror that somehow manages to make even an 80 minute run time drag.

Film Review: The Toxic Avenger

The film that put Troma Entertainment on the map is, in many ways, hard to review. On one hand, it's considered a cult classic, and I would fully agree with that sentiment. But, you can't help but face the inescapable fact that it is terrible. In an entertaining way, of course, but the fact remains.

Melvin (Mark Torgl) is a hapless, nerdy mop boy at Tromaville Health Club who is taunted and bullied by the not-very-pleasant-at-all gym goers, which culminates in him taking a header out of a window and into a passing vat of toxic waste. This unleashes his alter ego and turns into the hulking Toxic Avenger, a monster who will stop at nothing to make every wrong-doer in Tromaville pay.

And boy, are there a lot of wrong-doers in Tromaville! Seemingly intent on ignoring any kind of subtly and being as politically incorrect as possible, the filmmakers cram the film full of the vile scum imaginable. The aforementioned health club bullies like to run over ethnic minorities and children on the side (and taking photos of the results!), robbers holding up fast food restaurants shoot guide dogs...the list goes on. Thankfully the film is so insanely over the top all these bad eggs seem like caricatures, nothing seems really REAL.

Although not everyone shares my views. Actor Patrick Kilpatrick (who went on to feature in Eraser, The Replacement Killers, Under Siege 2 etc) actually walked out of the film after being asked to point a shotgun at a baby. OK, on second thought, not everything seems like a caricature...

If it does to you, however, the punishments for them fit the crime. If anything, the savaging dealt out on bullies and scum bags of the film is even worse than what they do! Eyeballs are wrenched out, a man is turned into a human ice cream (much worse than it sounds), arms are torn off...

So the film is pretty violent, to put it mildly. But is it any good?

Even though the acting is universally dreadful, and, bar a few set pieces and the make up effects, looking like it was filmed on the worlds tightest budget, the whole thing is gloriously entertaining. It may be dumber than a bag of hammers, but its hilariously funny, totally un-PC and ridiculously over the top. And the most important thing of all is that it's meant to be.

The Toxic Avenger is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, hell, it's not even a lot of horror fans idea of a good movie, but it's a just a ton of crazy, gory fun.

***
Poorly acted it may be, but Toxic Avenger is a hugely entertaining gorefest that will thrill splatter-fans everywhere. Although, they probably have already seen it. Everyone else should take a deep breath, not take it too seriously, and have a watch.

Film Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Even though I had never read John Le Carre's book, or watched the BBC's 1979 adaptation starring Alec Guinness, I was still looking forward to this new film version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with a great deal of anticipation.

And while I was excited at seeing the top drawer English cast that had been assembled together (Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, the ubiquitous Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds and Benedict Cumberbatch), the main reason for wanting to see it was for the director, Tomas Alfredson, whose last film was, of course, the excellent 'Let The Right One In'.

It was a film that not only was one of the greatest horror movies ever made, but one of those rare films that actually transcended the genre. It was a masterpiece. So Alfredson's follow up was also going to be something I'd pay close attention to.

George Smiley (Oldman) is an MI5 operative forced into retirement along with his superior Control (Hurt), but after details emerge of a possible Soviet spy within the group, he is called back in to investigate. The story (based during the time of the Cold War) goes back and forth to piece together the events as they play out.

As with 'Let The Right One In', TTSS is not really a film for the casual film-goer. But with the starry British cast, that's exactly the audience it seems to attract.

You may know the sort of person I mean - last seen at a cinema for more palatable stuff like 'The Kings Speech' or 'Mamma Mia!', and they may get quite stymied by the incredibly deliberate pacing of TTSS. In fact, during the Sunday afternoon screening I went to, 10 people walked out! Out of a full screen, but still the most walk outs I have ever witnessed at a film.

As well as the deliberate pace, no attempt to made to tell the audience what is a flash back and what isn't. That isn't a negative by any means, in fact it brings along a great payoff later in the film.

What put a couple of the walkers off (or so it seemed) was the violence. Not having seen the BBC adaptation, I can only assume it was constrained by what can be shown on the BBC at the time. This has flashes of violence, but it was quite brutal when it occurs. Very similar in fact to 'Let The Right One In' in that respect.

The film is full of great performances, with obviously all the attention on Oldman's Smiley, which is already being tipped for an Oscar nomination. This isn't a manic performance from Oldman like you've seen in Leon, True Romance or State Of Grace, it's a subtle performance, best highlighted in a scene where he tells his young partner (Cumberbatch) a story about what happened to a lighter that was given to him by his wife.

Last years Oscar winner Colin Firth is also great (the odd times he is in it) as Haydon, the lecherous colleage of Smileys at MI6. I would have loved to have seen more scenes with Oldman and Firth though, the screen really lit up the couple of substantial scenes they have together.

With all these great performances (and I struggle to think of a duff showing from any of the cast), I still wasn't totally blown away by the film though. It's not quite a five star movie, but probably one of the best British movies of this year.

There are more Le Carre novels that feature the George Smiley character (one of which, Smiley's People, was also adapted by the BBC), so I hope that Oldman and Alfredson return, because unlike the ignorant people who seem to demand explosions in their movies every 30 seconds, I would love to see more.

****
Not quite the 5 star masterpiece I was hoping for, but a fantastic film with great performances from all and more masterful direction from Tomas Alfredson, showing he's just as suited in this genre as horror. Recommended.

Film Review: Fast And Furious 5 (Fast Five)

It's fair to say I haven't exactly been a massive fan of the Fast And (The) Furious franchise. I didn't really mind the first one, saw a bit of the second one (the ridiculously titled '2 Fast 2 Furious'), and never bothered with the others. It seems the films have had their ups and downs with it's main stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker both leaving at various points, only to both return in 2009's 4th installment  'Fast & Furious' (not to be mistaken with the original, 'The Fast And The Furious.)

Both Walker and Diesel return for Fast Five, which was given the hideously clunky title 'Fast And Furious 5: Rio Heist' upon it's release in the UK. Couldn't see anything wrong with the title 'Fast Five' myself, it's not as if people are going to get confused when they see the two leads on a poster, there's precious little else that they are in.

The film is given a further burst of testosterone with the casting of Dwayne Johnson as Federal Agent Luke Hobbs, who is given the task of bringing in Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O' Conner (Walker), as well as Toretto's sister Mia (fellow 'Fast' original Jordanna Brewster) after a daring prison transport break.

As these things tend to go, the fugitives need to do 'one last job' so they can escape forever, but robbing an evil drug lord (Joaquim de Almeida, totally underused) is going to be even harder than it sounds.

Nothing about the film is particularly original or surprising. In fact, most of it quite predictable. What isn't predictable, however is how much fun it all is. The action sequences are fantastic, from the opening 'jailbreak' to the climatic chase through the streets of Rio, these are probably the best you'll see this year. Jaw droppingly good in places.

Also brilliant was the masterstroke to add Dwayne Johnson to the cast. Hobbs is the quintessential movie hardcase, spouting macho dialogue every scene he's in, and just pounding the crap out of anyone that crosses his path (at one point he actually does a throat rip, in a 12 certificate movie - that must be a first), and of course this all leads to a fantastic fight scene between Hobbs and Toretto, which should have gone on much longer (and it wasn't a short fight either!)

Another plus for me was scaling back the 'car porn' of the first film. While there is still plenty of the "Look at this car...now look at THIS car" stuff going on, it's very much more an action film. In comparison, it's like when the Best Of The Best films stopped being about martial arts competitions and turned into actioners, but with better results.

The film is reminiscent in places of an 80s action film. Minimal plot, very stupid (and believe me, I mean very stupid) and with huge action sequences, but where the similarities end is the main problem with the film, and the same problem which hampered my enjoyment of the first one. And Pitch Black. And Running Scared. I think you may see where I'm going with this...

I've always found Vin Diesel and Paul Walker to be severely lacking in the charisma department, and most of the time their acting (although not exactly a priority in this kind of film) is wooden to put it mildly. Putting them on screen with Johnson, probably the most naturally charismatic action stars in years really shows how tiresome they can be. During car chases and fight scenes, obviously this is fine. But their presence seems to dullen all the parts in between.

But there's not much that can be done about that, they are the stars of the show, and no doubt will be when the 6th chapter hits cinemas in 2013 (and if you stay after the first batch of credits, you'll have a nice tease for that), but at the end of the day for a film that isn't just a sequel, but a 4th sequel to be as entertaining as Fast Five, that's good work indeed.

***1/5
Big, dumb, OTT stuff, and great fun. Possibly the most fun of all the 'Fast...' movies. Dwayne Johnson is brilliant and deserves a spin-off, but the bland combo of Diesel and Walker drags things down a bit. If you're looking for a stupid action film, look no further.

Film Review: Troll Hunter

It's not often that a foreign language cult movie hits your local multiplex, normally they are reserved for a few weeks at a nearby art house, followed by a swift Blu Ray and DVD release.

Oddly, this isn't the case for Troll Hunter, originally released in Norway last year, and only now seeing the light of day in this country. Backed by a big marketing campaign which included amusing 'Troll Hunting Guides' in some DVD cases, I was suitably intrigued by the whole thing, and the trailer with it's 'Teddy Bears Picnic' backing music (still genius) promised a lot.

But, after all that, I was disappointed...

Troll Hunter is a 'found footage' film that follows a group of students investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding the killings of bears, and soon come across an equally mysterious hunter, who they follow and discover he's not hunting what they think, but trolls. Of course. They follow him as he looks for the trolls responsible...

As much as I wanted to like this, I was quite bored for long stretches. Not to say the film doesn't have its moments - the initial 'Troll revelation' is hilarious, and a good part of all the troll action (particularly the 'final' troll at the end of the film) is great stuff, but too much of the film dragged for me. And considering the film ran an hour and forty minutes, that's not good.

Some of it is down to the same problem I have with most 'found footage' films: "Why is this bit in here if they were editing the footage down to the important stuff?". And the conclusion of the film ("This was the end of the footage that was found") was so abrupt it seemed that the filmmakers couldn't think of a good way to end it, except for a small (Norwegian) political swipe.

It's a one watch kind of thing, with good performances (particularly Otto Jespersen as the weary titular character), and some great troll action (I guess that's the term you use for it) but ultimately I found it to be a bit tiresome.

**
It had it's moments, and at least it's original, but I was restless too many times and the films 100 minute running time seemed double that. Unless you really, really like trolls you may want to give it a miss.

Gig Review: Norfolk Spectacular Arena Stage (4/9/11): Ginger Wildheart/Terrorvision

Against all better judgement we descended on the Norfolk Spectacular this past weekend to watch the bands they housed on their 'Arena Stage'. For the uninitiated, first off - lucky you. But allow me to fill you in.

The Norfolk Spectacular, primarily is a festival for today's pop acts. Which are a lot worse than when I was a kid, or when anyone was I guess. But acts like N-Dubz, Tinnie Tempah and Chipmunk graced the main stage over the weekend, and organizers added a alternative stage at a later date. Kudos to them to actually bother, but based on the rather poor turnout (I hear the indie day on the Saturday had an even lower one!) I can't see them doing it again.

After we had to brave the queue for 90 minutes (which was full of utter scum, by the way. Imagine parents giving their fat, 12 year old kids cider and cigarettes and you'll start to scratch the surface of the disgusting excuses for humanity we had to withstand), we were let in and we headed to the aforementioned 'Arena Stage', which in actuality was where they hold the auctions for livestock. Classy right?

As a side note, I would have been majorly pissed off if I had bought a main stage ticket. Not because I'd shelled out almost £40 to see a bunch of children's entertainers (thanks Charlie Brooker for that one) play the same song all day, but the fact I'd paid £40 for a ticket that I could have got for £15 the day before the festival started. You see, at one point the stages were totally separate, but recently it was decided that anyone could see any stage, and when the UEA knocked the Arena tickets down to £15, well that meant you could see any stage for £15 for the day.

Anyhow, when we got to the cattle shed, it was pretty empty with just 30 minutes till the first act, and it never really filled up much all day. The busiest it got was when it started raining outside and the chavs from the main stage poured in, and managed to block both fire exits with their mere presence.

The acts then. It kicked off as we, and about 2 other people watched blues duo Dove & Boweevil (***) who did impress, even with an extremely short running time. The singing half of the act (Dove, obviously) had a great voice, but it's hard to get any sort of impression when a setlist lasts 15 minutes.

We never saw any of Cutback, and there was a bonus band not listed on the poster, who had the 80s hair metal vibe about them, seemed very enthusiastic but suffered from some poor sound further back, and were that memorable I can't even think of their name...

The Burning Crows (***) impressed whilst they were onstage, but the fact I repeatedly forgot their name as soon as they left (and again whilst typing this), and couldn't remember any of their songs is never a good sign.

You have to remember, that most of the acts (up till a certain point) only had about 20 minutes to make an impression, and that can be incredibly hard when you have act after act come out, as the next two bands found...

Dead Red (*) were another instantly forgettable band, only notable for having a female vocalist. Can't remember anything about them other than that. Equally bad were The Dirty Tricks (*), who were memorable at least, but for only being a totally insipid 'indie rock' band with a head numbing guitar sound. Naturally this is when the chavs descended due to the rain, and they ate it up. Speaks volumes.

After that onslaught, we just wanted Ginger and Terrorvision on the stage, but we had more to come. And when a bunch of indie kid looking guys wandered on the stage, we didn't have much in the way of expectations for Big Num (****), but we were dead wrong! The frontman opened his mouth and it was like Bon Scott reborn, very much an AC/DC style of band, but with individuality so they weren't just an AC/DC sound-a-like band. Highly recommended if you get a chance to take them out.

Slaves To Gravity (***) seemed to take the whole 'lack of crowd' thing a bit personally, although they quite rightly pointed out that everyone needed to cheer up. Fair point, everyone who wasn't in the front row looked miserable and bored. They were at a rock gig on a Sunday afternoon, cheer up! Slaves themselves were alright, was surprised to learn they were still going. A reasonable set, nothing more, nothing less.

The Qemists (*) represented the absolute nadir of the entire day. Seemingly a holdover from the main stage (and judging by the spotty little herberts that suddenly appeared, that must have been the case), they were just a really terrible version of Pendulum. But lacking any kind of originality. Or memorable songs. It started being mildly amusing, and they didn't play many songs but the ones they did play seemed to roll on for an eternity. Awful.

Thank God then, for Ginger Wildheart And Friends (*****), who salvaged the entire day with a fantastic set. Backed up by a brilliant band (Rich Jones, Willie Dowling, Ritch Battersby and 'Random' Jon Poole) they played everything from Wildhearts classics (Sick Of Drugs, My Baby Is A Headfuck, Suckerpunch) to newer material (Mazel Tov Cocktail and a hilariously renamed You Took The Sunshine From Norfolk) to even some Silver Ginger 5 stuff, which I had been waiting years to see live. Things were slightly disrupted by the usual pissed up, balding, middle aged guys throwing themselves against everyone, whilst not having the slightest idea what song was being played. Ah well, never mind - it was a great set...

Sick Of Drugs
My Baby Is A Headfuck
Suckerpunch
Taxi/Cheers
Mazel Tov Cocktail
Caffeine Bomb
You Took The Sunshine From New York
Vanilla Radio
Girls Are Better Than Boys
Brain Sugar
Sonic Shake
I Wanna Go Where The People Go

Terrorvision (****) rounded the day off nicely, and whilst I enjoyed them, I just didn't know as many of their songs as I did Ginger and Co. but they were terrifically entertaining, in particular frontman Tony Wright taking some potshots at the main stage ("This may be a cattle shed, but the sheep are over there!") before launching into a very appropriate 'Friends and Family' ("There's a party over here, fuck you over there!"). A top end to the day.

I honestly can't see next years Norfolk Spectacular featuring any kind of alternative stage, due to the total lack of interest shown this year. I'm still puzzled as to where the people went, they'd sold over 500 tickets and attendance barely crept over 100 tops. It's a shame as this sort of thing is exactly what this region needs. But if the crowds are mostly unenthusiastic, what can you do?

Film Review: Red State

After the rather poor showing in his last film 'Cop Out', I was understandably a bit nervous about Kevin Smiths latest 'Red State'. Like 'Cop Out' it was a departure from the usual sort of thing Smith does, and the last time that happened was the much derided (but actually quite sweet I thought) 'Jersey Girl'.

Red State is a departure not just from the 'View Askewniverse' and comedy/drama but from anything Smith has ever done before. It's a very serious film about a very serious subject (not to say there isn't the odd amusing moment in it) and Smith handles it with aplomb.

Answering an online invitation for sex, three teenage boys found themselves kidnapped by religious fundamentalists that have nasty plans for them. Or as Smith himself put it "Three teenage boys go looking for sex, but find God".

So far, so horror film right? Wrong. Most of the criticisms I have seen for Red State is from people expecting a balls out horror movie, and that just isn't Red State. Sure, it's horrific enough with the subject matter and there are a few quite unpleasant scenes, but nothing you'd classify as horror. It's plenty disturbing, mainly because this could quite easily happen in real life.

What also enhances the film is it's low budget. Apparently it's Smiths lowest budget since Chasing Amy, and the film really benefits with the glossiness that most other filmmakers would give it (and they'd turn it into a horror film, also.)

Smith has assembled a fantastic cast too, Michael Parks being the standout as the utterly bonkers preacher Abin Cooper. Parks puts his all into the performance, and is genuinely creepy throughout, almost believable at times. Similarly, and sadly not with as much screen time is Melissa Leo as Sara, one of Coopers flock.

A relative latecomer in the film is John Goodman as the ATF agent tasked with taking down the fundamentalists. While he never really gives a substandard performance, this is probably one of the best roles he's had in years. And Stephen Root is fantastic in a small role as the Sheriff of the town, who is guarding a secret of his own.

There's also a lot of other great actors in small roles. Viewers of Breaking Bad and Mad Men will recognise a face or two throughout. But that is where the only problem with the film lies. All this talent, and they don't have enough screen time (with the exception of Parks and Goodman). I just wish it was 10 or 15 minutes longer so we could spend more time with these characters. Especially Stephen Root, whose character almost felt relegated when Goodmans showed up.

But it's a minor quibble in a great film. And while I wouldn't have minded that extra time, the film doesn't outstay it's welcome, which is always a good thing and possesses more shocking moments than a horror movie version of this ever could.

After this, Smith is doing a project close to his heart - hockey movie 'Hit Somebody', and then rumours have it that he is leaving directing to concentrate on his ever expanding podcast network. I sincerely hope that this isn't the case, because Red State proves that Smith is capable of doing more than Jay and Silent Bob, and 'Cop Out' was a misstep (Hell, even I questioned his flare of a director during my review of that). Worth checking out whether you're a Smith fan or not.

****
If you don't go in expecting a horror, you'll come out with a lot more than if you did. Just a shame some of the cast only get small roles, you want to see more of them!

New Podcast: Documentary Roundup

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Film Review: Final Destination 5

Even with the last Final Destination film being called THE Final Destination, another installment in the franchise was inevitable. And, here we are - only 2 years after that with Final Destination 5. With most franchises I'd be a bit tired of things by now, but I dig the Final Destination movies. They aren't great by any stretch of the imagination, but it's always fun to see the huge accident at the start, then watch as the increasingly annoying and often cookie cutter cliche characters get knocked off in a hilarious ways.

It's also the second time a Final Destination film has been in 3-D. Now, I'll go see a cheesy horror film like this in 3-D still, and it was quite amusing at times, but not exactly essential in that format.

This time the big accident is a bridge collapse, and as ever it's quite the sight. Not a patch on the road accident in the second FD film (which was my overall favourite, by the way), but it sets up the usual premonition and escape before the accident REALLY happens shenanigans. There's the usual FBI agent who wants to get to the truth, and it all sort of mirrors the original film, including toning down on the humour. But it has to be said, they did still cast David Koechner who is best known for his comedy roles as the boss of the unfortunate souls who are getting picked off.

After the accident, the freak occurence deaths start happening, and include such original situations such as acupuncture, and in what was a bit of a slog for me and my squeamishness of anything to do with eyes, a laser eye surgery scene. Yikes!

Tony Todd returns to the franchise as well as mysterious coroner William Bludworth, who was last seen in the second film (and last heard in the third.) He's not in it much, but he does impart the information that makes this entry into the franchise a bit different: if you cheat death, you can kill someone and they take your place, whilst you live out their remaining years. It's cool that something new is tried with the formula, but surprised it took them to the fourth sequel to try it!

That bit of information takes the film in a slightly different direction for a bit, which is refreshing, and the films conclusion wrapped things up masterfully in my opinion. In a series of a movies so dumb, I thought it was a really smart way to conclude things. But, chances are a 6th film will be on the way in the next two or three years, undoing all the good work done at the end.

In the end, if you liked the other films, you'll like this one. It's just more of the same really. Bad acting, annoying characters, entertaining deaths...but at least this time it feels a bit different at the same time.

***
The Final Destination franchise rumbles on, but at least tries to add something new to the mix, and wraps the whole series up nicely. Recommended for fans.

TV Review: Page Eight

A bit of a first for me here, reviewing (or even watching) a BBC drama, but after one look at the star studded cast for David Hares spy drama Page Eight had me change my tune quite rapidly.

Bill Nighy plays Johnny Worricker, a MI5 officer who, after the mysterious death of best friend and MI5 head Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon), tries to uncover the truth behind an equally mysterious document that threatens to rock both the organization and the government itself. Meanwhile the connections between next door neighbour and political activist Nancy Pierpan (Rachel Weisz) seem to present themselves.

As long as you don't go in expecting a rollercoaster of thrills and excitement, you'll get a lot out of Page Eight. It's brilliantly written and acted, with a great performance from Nighy as Warricker. Be prepared though, Warricker is in pretty much every scene during the films 98 minute running time.

Michael Gambon steals pretty much every scene he is in, as he is prone to do, and Ralph Fiennes is brilliant as the Prime Minister, Alec Beasely, even though he is not in it much. And Rachel Weisz, who I normally find to be pretty annoying (although I'm only basing that on stuff like The Mummy series really) acquits herself well as the possible 'love interest'.

The whole thing is VERY English though, with it's mentions of The X-Factor and Warricker wandering around with a Waitrose bag at one point. It makes no effort to 'Americanize' itself, and while that leaves it dreary in places, it's very admirable and the slow moments are few and far between.

Apparently, David Hare (who also wrote The Hours and The Reader) has stated that he'd like to make more Johnny Warricker films if this one is a success, and I'd like to see more. It would be very interesting to see where the story could go after the events of this one. Let's hope it happens.

****
Not the most exciting spy drama you'll ever see, but has got the best writing and performances you're likely to see on British TV this year. Check it out.

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