Film Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

James Thurber’s short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a well-known and popular tale that has already been adapted for the big screen in 1947, with Danny Kaye in the title role. 

Ben Stiller’s take on Walter Mitty is more of a re-imagining of the 1947 film rather than an adaptation of the short story, seeing as both films stray from their original source. 

Review - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

It's The Hunger Games... but with more balls!

Undoubtedly, the best thing to have come out of the Twilight phenomenon was decision to make the The Hunger Games franchise, a series of films based on the popular and fantastic books written by Suzanne Collins.

The Counsellor – Film Review

The announcer at my screening began the show by saying, “this isn’t Die Hard, you actually have to pay attention” and to some extent that is correct. 

The plot soldiers on at an undulating pace and demands your attention, lest you be discarded by the wayside. But to call it the most sophisticated narrative ever would be a lie similar in size to that of my gaping mouth during the most outrageous sex scene you’ll see all year. Cameron Diaz plus Ferrari minus morals? Yes please.

Thor Dark World : Film Review

Following on from the events of Thor and Avengers Assemble, we're back in Asgard: Thor's fighting for peace, Jane's still waiting for his return to Earth, Loki is shacked up in prison and Odin's still a massive dick.

Thor, as a character, is undeniably a bit bland but Chris Hemsworth manages to, thankfully, make the eponymous muscle-bound dumb blonde more likeable this time round but it's the silver-tongued Loki, complete with daddy issues and increasingly Snape-like hair, that steals the show, yet again. Tom Hiddleston has a way of delivering every line as if he were performing Shakespeare and manages to inspire sympathy for a character that by all rights should have most people shouting, 'get over it!'. The film's strength lies in the warring relationship and chemistry between the 'brothers', Thor and Loki. Cinematography, again, is gorgeous: from Mario's Rainbow Road to Asgard to the towering golden citadel.

Bad Grandpa – Film Review

Born out of a sketch from Jackass, Bad Grandpa sees Johnny Knoxville resume his role as 86-year-old Irving Zisman in a wonderfully crude adventure of his own.

Gravity - Film Review

Gravity has been out in the US for weeks. Everyone on the other side of the Atlantic loves it, pretty much without exception. It isn't out in the UK until November 8th. I got to see it because I'm a jammy sod who responds to emails quicker than others. 

Film Review - Filth with James McAvoy

FILTH is a novel by Irvine Welsh, he of Trainspotting legend, and it's also a film by Jon Baird and starring Scotch Heartthrob James McAvoy. It's also very good indeed.

But we'll get to the praise in a moment. First, what's the film about?

It's about a Scottish copper called Bruce (McAvoy) who is a manipulative, drunk, coked up, whore mongering, womanising, sociopathic scumbag, and his attempts to get a promotion within the Lothian police force. Unfortunately there are several other "polis" after the job as well, namely a rookie played by Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), a woman played by Imogen Poots (28 Weeks Later), a gruff old plod and a daft old sod.

Rush - Film Review

Although Oscar season is far away Ron Howard's new film Rush has already been tipped to be a hot contender at the Academy Awards and on watching it you can see why. Despite being about cars and racing drivers it is not just a film for petrolheads, yet it feels like a Formula 1 race packed full of drama, emotion, tension and heart stopping moments. The last hour will certainly take you breath away!

Film Four FrightFest - Monday

It's the final day of the FrightFest and I'm actually sorry it's ending. This weekend has given me a new respect for a genre I'd written off as throwaway schlock, and I'm gonna keep my eyes open for new movies by some of the people who showcased work here. 

Film Four FrightFest - Sunday

Enter ye the Sunday of fear! 

I've been having a right old time at the Film4 FrightFest this weekend. Seen some movies I never would have looked at otherwise, and I've enjoyed damn near all of them. Check out the coverage of Friday and Saturday, plus my review of Chuck Steel: Raging Balls of Steel Justice and the author Chris Welsh's interview with Paranormal Diaries director Kevin Gates. 

Chuck Steel in Raging Balls of Steel Justice

Chuck Steel is a maverick, a renegade, lone wolf, loose cannon cop on the edge who doesn't play by the rules! He's got a kick-ass car, a leather jacket and a chin like half a loaf of bread. He's also made of like clay or something.

Film Four FrightFest - Saturday

Day 2 at the Film Four FrightFest, and I'm genuinely loving it. I don't usually care for horror films (apart from the original Halloween franchise, which is brilliant) because it's all so cliché. Even subverting the clichés has become cliché at this point, so I find the whole genre fairly derivative, but this weekend has shut my mouth. 

Film Four FrightFest - Friday

While the majority of everyone else at Wireless was swanning around Leeds Festival in their own filth and whipping bottles at each other while Fun played weakly in the background, I was busy doing some actual bloody work. And by Bloody Work I mean watching horror films at the Film4 FrightFest.

REVIEW - Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Based on a series of young adult fantasy books, Mortal Instruments follows the "normal person discovers a magical world" formula that's so very popular with girls ages 12 to 30 odd.  

Kick-Ass 2 - Review

Let's face the facts. Kick-Ass 2 was never going to be as good as the phenomenal first film, but it could have been better. It is undoubtedly a mess, but an enjoyable one that will make you laugh, will move you and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

AHA! He’s Done It Again!

"You’ll get a shock when you go to uni"- Ah yes the famous words that come out of every parents lips when on their weekly rant about doing your washing. 

Although it pains me to say it, my parents were right, I did get a shock.

REVIEW - 2 Guns

I knew next to nothing about "2 Guns" going in. I didn't know that it's based on a graphic novel (although I should have, because everything else is) and I didn't know Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormakur, who did Contraband with Mark Wahlberg a year or so back, had directed it and I didn't know it also starred Bill Paxton, James Marsden and Edward James Olmos.

Red 2: Film Review

I enjoyed RED. It came out of nowhere as a real sleeper action movie, with no huge press machine behind it or anything, and really surprised me.

Sharknado - Film Review and Epic Scene.

I'm not sure where to start with this review of SyFy Channel's newest production. Do I tell you it's terrible, which it is, or do I tell you that it's amazing, which it ALSO is?

Or do I tell you to go around your house locating and burning every book on science and nature that you can find before you watch it? Because not a word in any of those will apply to Sharknado.

The basic gist of the film is that a tornado out at sea fills with water. And also sharks. The tornado then moves inland, carrying the sharks with it. Exactly what these hundreds of sharks were up to off the coast of LA isn't addressed, because that'd take time away from the main spectacle of sharks shaking loose their tornado coils and wreaking big-toothed havoc on a whole bunch of people. They land in swimming pools, flooded houses and even, in one scene, on the roof of a car. Obviously the shark bites through the metal to attack the passengers. Why wouldn't it?

Pacific Rim - Review

Let me tell you something about me. I bloody love giant monsters. I love giant monsters from space. 





I doubly love giant sea monsters. Pacific Rim has giant sea monsters that also happen to be, sort of, from space. Prepare yourselves for a gushing review.