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

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

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