Highlander

Highlander, 1986

The good name of Highlander has been tarnished by a series of underwhelming follow-ups but the original remains a downright classic.

Frenchie Christopher Lambert (Mortal Kombat) plays immortal Scotsman Connor MacLeod - over 400 years old but still up for a fight.

Mentored by the Egyptian born Ramirez (Sean Connery, Goldfinger) - MacLeod prepares for 'The Gathering' - the grand final for immortal warriors.

Standing in MacLeod's way is The Kurgan (Clancy Brown, The Shawshank Redemption) - whose 3000 years on earth have left him a little cynical and nasty. The Kurgan's people were originally so evil they would throw children into deep pits full of hungry dogs. This sort of form makes him an easy man to root against.

The idea of immortality (decapitation is the only way to finish off an immortal) has always fascinated me and it's well thrashed out here. The concept of 'The Quickening' is original and clever.

With a killer soundtrack by Queen and a wonderfully dreary snapshot of New York in the 1980's - Highlander is rewarding viewing.

I encourage you to watch the whole franchise of movies (plus the TV spin-off) but after all - 'there can be only one'.

Dark, ominous and intriguing - Highlander is a worthy addition to your video collection.

9/10

Nutbuckle

Copy Cat

Copy Cat, 1995

Harry Connick Jr. and Sigourney Weaver play a serial killer and psychiatrist with serious history in this not too subtle nod to The Silence of the Lambs.

Tormented by a violent encounter with the now incarcerated Darryl Lee Cullum (Connick Jr.), Helen Hudson (Weaver) prefers not to leave her house.

This proves an obstacle for two detectives who need her help solving a string of grizzly murders.

Copy Cat suffers from a 'made-for-TV feel' and Weaver's not at her best without a gorilla or alien to bounce off.

Holly Hunter (The Piano) and Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend's Wedding) play the detectives on the trail of the 'Copy Cat'.

This isn't going to blow your mind but it's worth a peek to see Harry Connick ham it up. He's really quite good.

5/10

Nutbuckle

A Simple Plan

A Simple Plan, 1998

Bill Paxton (Apollo 13) and Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa) play a rather unlikely pair of brothers in this snow covered late nineties thriller.

The siblings, along with an out of work local, stumble across a plane crash complete with rotting pilot and $4.4 million.

The cash spikes their attention more than the deceased pilot and a plan to split and keep the money is hatched.

But before they even get a chance to buy themselves a holiday - trouble strikes and the trio is at odds with one another.

A Simple Plan is an interesting, albeit far fetched look at human character and our decision making skills under pressure.

Billy Bob Thornton changes gears from downright stupid to impressively cunning while Paxton is his usual curious self.

A late cameo from Gary Cole will bring a smile to the face of Entourage fans.

A Simple Plan could well be described as a poor man's No Country For Old Men - but hey - you could be called worse.

6/10

Nutbuckle

The Fifth Element

The Fifth Element, 1997

On a completely different scale to this reviewer's past work featuring Bruce Willis, the Fifth Element is a resounding success.

Luc Besson's vivd glimpse of a future comes fully equipped with George Jetson like flying cars, whizz-bang healing tubes and a memorable voyage into the world of blue alien opera.

Corban Dallas (Willis) is a ultra-washed up military man spending his days in the taxi industry when destiny comes a callin' in the very pleasant shape of all thats powerful and good in the world Milla Jovovich. And wouldn't you know it, Corban and the smoldering Serbian hit it off in a race against the clock battle to save humanity against complete Evil, epitomised by the superbly goulish Zorg (Gary Oldman).

The highlight to this movie, however, comes in the form of Rush Hour's own comic star Chris Tucker who plays the outrageous philandering radio presenter Ruby Rhod who makes Prince look shy and intraverted. Please check this movie out if only for this reason. Please.

While the Fifth Element was never destined for critical acclaim, it sits handsomely alongside other favourites in many DVD collections. This is an innovatively shot movie with a killer score that sees Willis win over many fans as the chain smoking hard ass.

Did I mention Jovovich looks fit dressed only in bandages? and just a tip - I'm not referring to tutankhamun like attire

Hilarious fun.

9/10

Midbus

Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights, 1997

One of Hollywood's most interesting directors, Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, There Will Be Blood), followed up 1996's Hard Eight with the generous and rich Boogie Nights.

Putting together one of the 90's best ensemble casts, Thomas Anderson uses more than two and a half hours giving us a tour of the porn industry in the 1970's & 80's.

Mark Wahlberg builds on his good work in The Basketball Diaries as Eddie Adams - a likeable teenager who will eventually become one of porn's biggest names - Dirk Diggler.

The cast is jammed with some of Thomas Anderson's favourites - John C Rielly (Chicago), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and William H Macy (Fargo) are all superb.

Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda) is well cast as a young man with a head full of dreams, while Burt Reynolds is perfectly porno. Julianne Moore (Hannibal) and Heather Graham (The Hangover) more than hold up their end of the bargain, the former showing her considerable talent.

Throw in the likes of Phillip Baker Hall (Magnolia) and Luis Guzman (Carlito's Way) and it's basically a case of 'you name it, they're in it.

Thomas Anderson's work here is sharp - his tracking shots put you right in the heart of porn's most lavish parties.

You'll enjoy the whole ride but the highlight for me comes late in the piece - an incredibly well shot and acted scene played out to the sounds of Rick Springfield and Jessie's Girl. Movie gold.

It's more than just a big cock.

8/10

Nutbuckle

Knowing

Knowing, 2009.

Nicolas Cage, oscar winner and the biggest action star of the 90s (see The Rock, Con Air & Face/Off) was on a big run of strike outs when this reviewer decided to part with his $15 of his hardest earned to see his latest offering. Bangkok Dangerous, The Wicker Man remake, Next & Ghost Rider were all akin to having tabasco sauce forcefully shoved into one's eyeballs. Quite simply, big Nic needed this film to do well at the box office and for it to be entertaining for his legions of loyal, if not growing somewhat impatient, follwers.

Well, this film goes someway to redemption. The film was a huge box office success taking over $180M worldwide.

The film centres on a series of apocalyptic events, as predicted by a troubled young school girl in the 1950s. A university professor, Cage, takes it upon himself to decipher to girl's predictions in order to prevent any future disasters. Edge of your seat special effects and a surprisingly strong sense of tension throughout keep this film moving along nicely.

It is hard to take Cage seriously these days though in many ways, whether it be the hair plugs or the fact that it is laughable to think of him as a professor.

Early in the film, heavy focus is placed on his relationship with his son and troubles he confronts in moving on from his wife allow him to explore his other side (he did win an Oscar. No really, he did) which hasn't been seen much at all since 2002's Adaptation.

This is an entertaining film which this reviewer believes most will enjoy, although it was hard not to think back to Cameron Poe or Stanley Goodspeed.

6/10

Willo

Independence Day

Independence Day, 1996

On July 2 the question that has always been asked "Are we alone in the universe?" is answered when aliens arrived and these guys are not here for peace. When the aliens atack the world must unite in order to stop them. With the help of computer technician David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) and Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) the aliens are destroyed and humanity saved.

Bill Pullman plays the President of United States fairly well and helps save the day by joining the fight and who does an amazing speech before the final battle scene. It seemed that the world "would not go quietly into night on this our independence day".

7/10

Drowd

Alien Quadrilogy

Alien (1979) - Alien Resurrection (1997).

This series of four films, featuring the greatest heroine of the Sci Fi genre, needs no introduction. Despite more recent spin offs that have seen a bastardization of two franchises, Predator Vs Alien, the original series stands alone as one of the most successful in combining horror, action and science fiction.

Largely due to the brilliance of directors Ridley Scott, combat film specialist James Cameron, David Fincher and to a lesser extent Jean-Pierre Jeunet, all four of these movies approach the battle between humans and a remorseless killing machine known as the Alien.

The Alien species is largely based on a hive concept with a Queen Alien introduced in the second installment but it was without doubt the infamous chest burster that had audiences aghast in 1979 and unlike in space, everyone heard them scream. The basic xenophobia ingrained in all of us on some level is enhanced when the foreign can gestate inside our bodies next to the heart, the symbolic emotional core in all of us. This series was also groundbreaking in its portrayal of gender in science fiction with many suprised that the female character Ripley would be the one to survive time and time again. Even more were suprised by the conflicting imagery of a nurturing mother juxtaposed with the shooting of advanced weaponry and protecting her young. The idea of an evil company (read corporation) was also relatively new in the late 1970s and early 1980s and has been replicated many times since to the point where viewers in the 21st century are used to profit driven executives making their subordinates expendable.

Many fans of the series regularly debate over which installment rates the highest. Alien and Aliens were certainly difficult acts to follow. Production was heavily influenced by studio executives during the shooting of Alien 3, to the point where Fincher would no doubt have drawn parallels between Fox and the dreaded Weyland-Yutani Corporation. This reviewer tends to rate the first two installments equally, followed by 3 and then Resurrection. Each to their own of course.

There is little doubt that this series has fans of all persuasions. Fans of action movies, horror, science fiction and even the feminist movement can find something in these four excellent films. Worth the box set.

Snap says 9.5/10

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, 2007

Blog readers will soon come to learn that Phillip Seymour Hoffman is this reviewer's favourite actor - an honour I'm sure he lists on his bulging CV.

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead isn't the best film he's in but it's a good place to start my Seymour Hoffman review fest.

Hoffman and his brother (Ethan Hawke, Reality Bites) decide robbing mom and dad's jewellery store is a great way to get them out of a financial jam. Surprise surprise, it's not as fool proof as they first thought.

Along for the ride are Marisa Tomei (PSH clearly punching above his weight in this one) and Albert Finney - both very good in supporting roles.

Full of moral dilemmas, giving into vices and general panic - Before The Devil Knows You're Dead is very dark but undeniably gripping.

Directed by Sidney Lumet (who teamed up with Al Pacino in the seventies for Serpico), BTDKYD deserves 7/10.

Nutbuckle

Saw

Spawning the most successful horror franchise of its generation, this film is not for the squirmish. The brainchild of two Aussie blokes (Leigh Whannel & James Wan, the former playing the character of Adam) who went on to make millions from this film and its five sequels (with more in the pipeline).

The film begins with the aforementioned Adam and Lawrence (Cary Elwes) dazed, confused and chained in an abandoned warehouse. Through sharply executed flashbacks and the perspective of investigating officers (one of whom is played by Danny Glover of Predator 2 fame) the audience is dragged through the deviant plots developed by the man known only as the Jigsaw Killer until the brilliant climax which will have you gagging for more...luckily there is more. Heaps more.

This film attracted a stellar cast and the flashback scenes are crisp while the pace of the movie doesn't slow for a moment.

An impressively fresh take on this genre which breathed new life into it.

9/10

Willo

Arachnophobia

Arachnophobia, 1990

A lot of cool things happened in 1990, I was in prep riding trikes, Essendon and Collingwood duked it out at quarter time in the grand final and a little movie called Arachnophobia hit the big screen.

A particularly nasty spider jumps from South to North America and roots itself silly - producing an army of eight legged monsters.

New in town, Jeff Daniels has to shrug off his own phobia to help stop the spiders before they bite and kill EVERYONE.

As usual - Daniels is pretty likeable and so is this movie. Kiddies - here's a tip - if your mum says you can only hire a PG rated movie - grab this; you'll shit your pants.

8/10 Nutbuckle

The Mist

The Mist, 2007

In stark contrast to the previously reviewed 'The Happening' - The Mist hits the mark in a similar genre.

Director Frank Darabont turns a Stevn King story (with King's help) into an edge of your seat jitter fest.

The population of a small town ends up inside the local supermarket as an eerie looking mist envelops the area. What starts out as a harmless bit of fog turns seriously sinister as all sorts of things spring from the dark.

As you'd expect, chaos starts to rule and the result makes for pretty tense stuff.

The largely unknown Thomas Jane (small bits in Face Off and Magnolia) does a sound job leading the way but this is about the mist, not the acting.

Pretty memorable ending too. Underrated movie.

8/10

Nutbuckle

The Happening

The Happening, 2008

Old mate Shyamalan backs out a turd of a movie with Marky Mark caught up in the putrid mess.

They say Entourage is loosely based on Wahlberg's experiences - well if that's the case - The Happening makes Medellin look like Ben Hur.

People start dropping like flies - watching one climb up the wall would be more fun.

Pooey.

1/10

Nutbuckle

P.S: It seem the good people at Empire Magazine agree with me on this one - they rank The Happening 8th on their list of the 'Worst Movies Ever'.

http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-worst-movies-ever/default.asp?film=8

Air Force One

(1997) Directed by Wolfgang Petersen. With Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close

This movie takes presidential politics to new heights as Harrison Ford aka The President says "get off my plane" to a highly organised and trained group of terrorists. These terrorists look to use The President as leverage to free their commander from a eastern European gulag. Gary Oldman plays the terrorist leader to perfection and the seemingly immortal Glenn Close plays a Vice President under siege from Chiefs of Staff wanting to give up on former air force pilot President James Marshall.

This is a classic action film in the tradition of Under Seige and popcorn flick lovers will not go away disappointed. Harrison Ford shows his age in scenes that involve a lot of physicality but more than makes up for it with his consistent and firm delivery of powerful dialogue.

When stacked up against other 'one against many' action movies, this one ticks all the boxes for mindless, check your intellect at the door, entertainment and if you dont expect anything else, you will come to the same conclusion as this reviewer.

Snap says 7/10

Tombstone

Tombstone, 1993

Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton and Sam Elliot

Tombstone is the story of legendary law maker Wyatt Earp and the infamous battle of the O.K Coral in Tombstone.

The movie starts with Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell, Backdraft) arriving is Arizona to start a new life with his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliot, Road House) and Morgan (Bill Paxton, A Simple Plan) along with their wives. Wyatt has retired from law enforcement and just wants to settle down and become rich. Also tagging along with Earps is Wyatts good friend John 'Doc' Holliday (Val Kilmer, The Doors) who is a well known gambler and gunfighter.

When the local marshall is killed by the leader of a gang known as the Cowboys Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Booth, Rapid Fire) arguments begin to brew with earps and holliday. Due to the lack of law in Tombstone Virgil becomes town marshall with Morgan as his deputy. With the arguments getting worse with the cowboys Virgil requests the help of Wyatt and Doc Holliday to help him and Morgan disarm 5 Cowboys at the O.K Coral resulting in the infamous gunfight and the death of 4 cowboys.

The result from the deaths at the O.K coral the cowboys fight back causing grief in the earp family. After the attacks on the Earp family Wyatt, Holliday and few loyal companions set out to finish the cow boys once and for all. After the death of Curly Bill the cow boys are now led by Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn, Navy Seals).

Tombstone ends with Wyatt avenging his family and living happily ever after.

It is always difficult when movies are based around true events. Who knows what really happened at the shoot out at the O.K Coral but I believe Tombstone depicts it perfectly. Russell plays the famous law man very well but the most outstanding role goes to Kilmer as Doc Holliday
8/10

Drowd

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004

This reviewer is not often attracted to a movie that features in the 'arthouse' rows at the local video store. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet is not the combination usually rented unless Carrey is burrowing his head out of an electronic rhinoceros' back-door. Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman don't set this reviewer's entertainment-buds alight.

This said, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is perhaps the most electrifying film of its decade which leaves the audience fragile and forces them to ponder life's big questions.

Carrey gives his most polished performance as the troubled Joel Barish, while Winslet (Clementine) complements the comedic veteran in a way that should shame the Academy for years to come for its lack of recognition.

An excellent support cast that features Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson and an uncharacteristically inspired Kirsten Dunst provide the bulk of the creatively woven 'plot' that nestles around the apparent destiny which Joel and Clementine share.

There is no need to delve into story here, this is a journey which any film buff or casual observer should take. You will not be disappointed, however, be careful if you're watching it alone, moral support is often required.

11/10

ok - 10

Midbus

The King of Kong

The King of Kong, 2007

Think you're good at Donkey Kong? Think again. This hilarious and moving documentary follows nice guy Steve Wiebe's quest to be recognised as one of the world's truly great arcade gamers. To do so he has to overcome the politics of the old school gaming world - run by some of Earth's most interesting characters.

His nemesis Billy Mitchell could be film's greatest villain - his monologues are breathtakingly good.

"No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It's sort of like the abortion issue."

For anyone who spent a few too many dollars in milk bar arcade machines as a youngster - this is the doco for you.
If you didn't - don't fret - just immerse yourself in a good vs evil story and cheer on Wiebe!

And the best part? It's all real. DAD......WIPE MY BUTT!

9/10

Nutbuckle

The Marine

The Marine, 2006

This film starring World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) mega star John Cena and T2's Robert Patrick is a product of WWE Films, the studio known for bringing us such classics as The Condemned and See No Evil.

Filmed in Australia, a fact quite obvious to the keen eye, the story starts with Cena (a US Marine stationed in Iraq) laying the smackdown on the bad guys with a couple of moves from his pro wrestling repertoire.

The story kicks off in earnest when the T-1000 kidnaps Cena's wife (the very luscious Kimber from Nip/Tuck) following a bungled jewellery store heist. Cena decides to inform the proper authorities, allowing them to follow procedure and get his wife back while he goes for 9 holes.....NOT! I don't think!

Upon discovering his wife's kidnapping Cena redefinies what it means to 'go to town' on the baddies. This film has more explosions per minute than any film since Simon Phoenix hit the silver screen & there is a great nod that all fans of the Terminator franchise will enjoy. The action is pulsating which compensates, partly, for the wafer thin storyline and predictibility of the characters involved.

This is a fun action flick, Indie loving plonkers will turn an eyebrow up at this I've no doubt but if you take it for what it is you'll enjoy the ride.

5/10
Willo

Rocky Balboa

(2006) Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver.

It is difficult to separate this film from the five previous installments that defined a genre. Without doubt Stallone relies on Rocky I-V to help establish the character that is arguably the greatest underdog of cinematic history. Despite the advantages of almost three decades of cultural and pop references, Rocky Balboa is without doubt the greatest boxing film of all time.

Choosing to shoot the film in high definition, before it became popular in Hollywood, Stallone demonstrates his directorial nous and the look of the film is spectacular as a result. Viewers are taken through a journey early in the film to remind all of the love Rocky has lost and the gaping hole in his heart that has emerged as a result.

Viewers are confronted with a Rocky who has lost his wife, is estranged from his son, and is operating a restaurant where he is constantly reminded of what he used to be. Surrounded by memorabilia and forced to retell stories and pose for digital snaps that already have a nostalgic feel.

Two key monologues determine the direction of this film. The first has Rocky convincing the boxing tribunal to take a risk and give someone the right to "do what they want to do and be who they want to be". The second, is a public argument where Rocky convinces his son to take the hits that life deals out and be true to himself.

Many readers will no doubt be asking "what about the boxing?". The fight scenes remain the most realistic of the franchise and gone are the nuclear type explosions made popular in Rocky III and IV.

However, like all true masterpieces this film transcends its setting and subject matter and calls on all of us to ask whether we can put ourselves in the ring of life, knowing that we may take a beating. This film reminds us all that true inspiration still exists and that the ability to move forward despite impossible odds is the defining characteristic of the human spirit.

Snap says 10/10.

The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense, 1999

Righto, before we get underway this reviewer has to declare something. I love Bruce Willis, I believe Toni Collette is a very talented actress and I don't mind a sniff at M Night Shalalalalah.

However I hated this movie.

It felt the like watching two bottom of the ladder football teams run around the field clumsily, and by the time it came to the result, i was beyond caring.

Don't get me wrong, the M Night 'twist' is a corker but that's about all this movie has to offer. Willis is a cardboard cut-out of his usual self while I just hoped that Haley Joel Osment would join his 'dead people' (in hell, i suspect) for the duration.

There is no movie in history that depends SO heavily on its last 5 minutes to to justify the audiences' attention for the previous 102.

If you have somehow missed this, please run along to rent it ONLY if you are a fan of CBS dramas featuring Jeniffer Love Hewitt.

In a snapshot - poorly acted, amateurish script and at least unbreakable had samuel l jackson.

3/10 (2.9 for the ending)

Midbus

The Insider

The Insider, 1999

Michael Mann follows up the razzle dazzle of 1995's Heat with an explosive-free look at Big Tobacco and life inside Amercia's current affairs world.

The prolific Al Pacino plays a Sixty Minutes producer hungry on finding the next great yarn and stumbles across a greying and vulnerable Rusty Crowe.

The boy from Romper Stomper wrestles with whether he should blow the whistle on the Tobacco industry for much of the next two hours.

It's long, intricate and lulls a couple of times but is ultimately worth the effort. Pacino is more subtle than in his previous outing (The Devil's Advocate, 1997) and Rusty looks ready to explode at any minute.

Christopher Plummer and the excellent Phillip Baker Hall are right at home as media types while it's nice to see Vinny Chase's publicist (Debi Mazar) not shrieking obscenities down the phone for once.

At 151 minutes it's no walk in the park but The Insider is worthy of your prolonged concentration.

8/10

Nutbuckle

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker (2008)

This film from Kathryn 'don't call me James Cameron's ex' Bigelow (Point Break) is the most intense war movie seen since Saving Private Ryan, but for so many different reasons.

Whereas SPR had plenty of Spielberg's 'mates' onboard dropping dimes into his Yarmulke affording him the ability to stage the haunting events of D-Day, this film succeeds for exactly the opposite reason.

Made on a budget of only $11 million and shot just a few kilometres from the Iraq border in neighbouring Jordan, it is expertly shot, directed and edited throwing the viewer head first into the action witnessed by the small group of protagonists. This is a raw and intense exercise in film making.

From the opening scene the viewer is thrust into the eyes of an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) unit stationed in Baghdad. They are forced to overcome internal disunity, worries back home and the ever present threat of the often hostile Baghdad natives all the while trying to simply finish their tour.

Jeremy Renner (the bad guy from SWAT, I think) is excellent in the lead role, he doesn't look like your convential leading man which helps his performance immensely. I mean, would it be credible if we were forced to believe that someone who looked like Brad Pitt would be defusing road side bombs in Iraq?

What this film does that so few are able to is to get the audience to feel what the characters feel. This is accomplished by showing each of them in many different situations (from combat scenes & roadside detonations to drinkin' & family life) throughout the course of the story thus creating a level of complexity rarely seen and the raw atmosphere that is created by Bigelow, which one has to think is attributable to the low budget and shooting on (near) location.

9/10

willo

Under Siege

Under Siege, 1992

A cook and former navy seal Casey Ryback (Steven Segal, Above the Law) works on a US Navy Battleship known as the USS Missouri on its final voyage before becoming part of Naval history. When the ship gets taken over by a rouge CIA Agent William Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive) and ship excutive officer Commander Krill (Gary Buesy, Point Break).

With the help of the lovely Jordan Tate, also known as Miss July 89 (Erika Eleniak, Baywatch), who appears in a very steamy seen of jumping out of cake in nothing but a very small naval jacket and captains hat, ryback must stop krill and strannix offloading the cargo of naval warheads and save the ship and crew. Lets just say I was a very excited young man when I saw Miss July 89 pop out of the cake

Undersiege has it all gun fights, hand to hand combat and finishing with a classic segal knife fight. If you liked Segal in Above the law, Hard to Kill and Marked for Death you will love him in Under Siege

8/10

Drowd

(500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer, 2009

The dude from Third Rock gets it done in a smart, funny, romantically scented comedy. Playing his leading lady - Zooey Deschanel - who pulls off cute bitch with aplomb.

JGL is a seriously good actor (see Mysterious Skin rather than him getting hacked up in Halloween H20) and he carries the audience with him throughout this one.

The lanky guy from Criminal Minds bobs up - but this is a two-hander and both are terrific. Snazzy dance sequence, Temper Trap on the soundtrack and a narrator with a cool voice - how can you go wrong.

Lads - if the girlfriend grabs this one at the video store - use it as leverage to rent District 9 but watch it with her anyway.

7/10

Nutbuckle

Face Off

FACE OFF (1997)
(Cage, Travolta, Allen, Nivola)

by the midbus

After spending 138 minutes with Castor Troy and Sean Archer, any red-blooded male could comfortably speak their names in the same breath as Tango & Cash, Lowrie and Burnett or Vega and Winnfield.

This is one of John Woo's best voyages into Hollwood, complete with slow motion doves, extravagant weaponry, tip-top 90s effects and a hard-hitting cast. As Troy, and Archer for that matter, Cage steals the show in his best performance since Stanley Goodspeed in the equally gripping crash-boom feast, The Rock.

Without 'spoiling' the plot, Archer (Travolta, Cage) must get his hands dirty in the criminal world of the comatose'd Troy (Cage, Travolta... are you keeping up?) after a state of the art temporary facial transplant. And wouldn't you know it, comas are a funny thing, Troy wakes up to unleash his wrath upon everything Archer holds dear.

If you're after Woody Allen like dialogue or a Hans Zimmer awe inspiring score, please bypass the collection of $200 and go directly to jail. This is tits out fun, with big guns, great chases, a smooth, reinvigorated Travolta and a tasty script which leaves the punter asking the question: 'There couldn't be Face Off 2, could there?'

I know at least one reviewer out there who hopes so.

'Peach, I could eat a peach for hours'

8/10

Shutter Island

Shutter Island, 2010

This effort from one of the few directors who can be called great in both the 20th and 21st centuries, Martin Scorsese, is a thoroughly enjoyable and superb, if predictable, thriller. Scorsese has combined with the greatest actor of his generation, Leo "My Man" Decaprio and managed to deliver a intriguing story that maintains the fascination of the audience throughout and even managed to stump a few of the less astute paying customers.

Whilst this reviewer wont go into terrible detail with the plot, Shutter Island will not disappoint movie goers who understand the pit falls of adapting a novel for the silver screen. Scorsese must have found it difficult to stump fans of the 2003 best seller and as a result the main reveal towards the end is about as predictable as a packet of twisties. Fortunately it leaves no questions unanswered and one can look forward to the alternate ending options on the Blu Ray release sometime in 2011.

Fans of indie flicks with plot lines concerning teenage angst and unwanted pregnancy need not apply as Shutter Island appeals to the more sophisticated movie goer. With Decaprio at the height of his game and a support cast including the mahatma himself, Ben Kingsley this flick is well worth your $20 (halves in a choc top combo), your $5.95 (twelve months later as a two night new release) and 1/5th of your $12 (as part of five weekly movies package that include at least two movies with sex scenes - the other three movies used as cover for your wanking weekend).

Snap rates it 8/10.

Introduction

What is the list ? The list is a group of dudes in their twenties (is Edo 30 yet?) with an interest in all of life's interesting things.

Here you'll find movie reviews and general film discussion. The reviews will be written by a range of 'Listers' from the enigmatic Drowd to the forthright Willo.

Read away.