Collateral is a laser-precise action thriller, that as per usual for macho auteur Michael Mann, also stops to pause for the introspective moment from time to time, certainly more than your average studio shoot ‘em up. This was a theatrical five-timer for me, and it’s a movie I’ve revisited numerous times on DVD and Blu-ray;…
In 2008, eclectic filmmaker Gus Van Sant released two films: Paranoid Park, a challenging and formally adventurous indie, and the more classically structured but no less emotionally stirring biopic Milk. I’ve long been fascinated by Van Sant’s interesting and unpredictable career, and his film about San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly…
Credit must be given to director Reed Morano with her feature film debut Meadowland – she’s taken incredibly dark and troubling material and turned it into an inherently compelling, extremely raw, and often times painful cinematic experience, one that’s wholly engrossing, but that will test the strength of most viewers. Given that the film is…
Despite the smooth polish of its trailers and the flashy on-set stills teased through the Summer, Spectre has been a production mired in difficulties and put together more hastily than you’d imagine considering its mammoth budget (estimated at $300-$350 million, the second most expensive film ever made). Filming commenced in December 2014 during the height…
It’s like Superbad with zombies! If a zombie apocolypse had taken over the movie Superbad and thrown in a few scouts then it would of created this wonderfully addicitive Horror Comedy. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse revolves around three scouts, on the eve of their last camp-out who discover that a zombie virus has…
Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies is a good story that’s well told, thoroughly absorbing, and spectacular in terms of production values. Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance are wonderful, with the latter putting on a subtle acting clinic for the ages, and the former reminding us how consistently excellent he is as our American everyman. The…
ENTOURAGE THE MOVIE IS AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY AND DVD ON 26TH OCTOBER After eight hugely successful seasons on HBO, Hollywood-set comedy-drama Entourage makes the leap to the big screen. Reprising his role as A-list star Vincent Chase is Adrian Grenier, an actor both as laid-back and beloved as his character. The role of Vincent Chase…
Danny Boyle’s riveting and unconventional biopic Steve Jobs is a complete knock-out from start to finish, and as bracingly un-Hollywood as this sort of material is going to get. This is laser-precise filmmaking, acted with extreme gusto, written with absurd skill, and shot and cut in a manner that suggests erudite style without ever feeling…
Bronson was the film that brought director Nicolas Winding Refn and actor Tom Hardy into my cinematic sights, and since then, I’ve followed both artists with intense fervor and anticipation. This film is like nothing else I’ve ever seen, and even if it blends elements from other films within its framework, the overall originality of…
When you think about horror films, it’s certain that many will spring to mind – because the fact is that there are a lot for you to choose from. Hollywood has been making this type of film for years, and it seems that the audience just can’t get enough of them. Whether we enjoy them,…
Fury is a reminder of how hellish life must’ve been like for guys suffering through tank warfare during WWII. This is another film that’s been making the HD movie channel rounds of late, and I always stop on it for a few beats, because it thoroughly kicks ass at almost every opportunity. Embracing the gung-ho…
Morally probing, moodily stylish, and intensely acted by all, French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve’s thoroughly gripping and realistically violent kidnapping/revenge thriller Prisoners is one of the finest American crime movies in years, a film that has both a commercially satisfying mystery and thoughtful meditations on evil and the necessity/desire for retribution at its bleak and…
Tales of Halloween is a 10 segment anthology directed by 11 of Horrors biggest filmmakers, including Neil Marshall (The Descent), Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, III and IV), Lucky McKee (The Woman) and Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider!). Tales of Halloween all takes place in one suburban town, which in one frightful night consists of…
As the lights dim and the journey begins the BBFC certificate warns that Sicario contains “images of dead bodies”. And they’re not lying. The opening scene sets the grisly tone for Denis Villeneuve’s cartel thriller with a precise execution, as an FBI Kidnap Response Team storm an Arizona bungalow and makes a chilling discovery. Leading…
If you’re looking for a film to stream this weekend, look no further than Back To The Movies’ new weekly feature. Every Thursday we’ll be serving up hot tips on the best that Netflix has to offer, from forgotten gems and timeless classics through to modern masterpieces and essential documentaries. Written and directed by Tobias…
After being plucked from the battlefields of WW2 Europe (Saving Private Ryan) and reawakened on a faraway ice world (Interstellar), Matt Damon is back and in need of rescue once again. Stranded on the red planet after a surface evacuation goes wrong, Mark Watney (Damon) must use all of his mechanical and botanical prowess to…
