Recent viewings over the last few weeks:
Red Lights - Cillian Murphy's as good as ever but it's so unfocussed and all over the place with a couple of fairly obvious twists. A disappointing follow-up to the far superior Buried
Elevator - a group of varied people (ie stereotypes) on their way to a Wall Street party get stuck in a lift with a ticking bomb. It's Devil-lite but captivating enough for its short duration
The Perfect Host - a bank robber on the run takes refuge in Niles from Frasier's house just before a dinner party but realises he's made the wrong choice. It's a really enjoyable low-budget thriller which throws in a few too many twists for it's own good but I really enjoyed it overall. David Hyde Pierce is excellent in the role, as a more unhinged Niles.
This Film Is Not Yet Rated - excellent documentary on the corruption that runs through the MPAA. The investigative journalism angle uncovers some worrying secrets on how the organisation operates and their double standards and hypocrisy is thoroughly alarming. It really makes you realise how good a job the BBFC actually do. And I mean that sincerely.
The Haunting of Sorority Row/ The Deadly Pledge - watched this on Netflix thinking it was a slasher but it's more of a supernatural horror. One of those awful tame made-for-tv horrors which little to recommend it. It's one of those sorority films where all the girls are so obsessed with getting into Theta Mega Sigma Pi Delta Or Whatever that I just don't care and don't understand what's so special about that sort of thing. Utter rubbish
Wilderness Survival For Girls - another lazy lying-in-bed-on-Netflix choice. 3 girls' quest for survival is tested on a weekend away to a remote cabin in the woods when they take a potentially dangerous intruder hostage. Crap.
The Traveler - Val Kilmer plays a mysterious stranger who walks into a police station to confessed to 6 murders which haven't happened yet. It's really obvious stuff but engaging enough and Kilmer's pretty good in it
Iron Man 3 - much better than Iron Man 2. Comic book purists might get their knickers in a twist due to the portrayal of one of the characters but it's funny, smart, silly and has a nice human story at its heart.
The ABCs of Death - 26 short films relating to each letter of the alphabet. The films are of varying quality and having the title at the end of each film makes it feel like a punchline but it's definitely worth a watch. It speaks volumes about the film that even though a fair few of them were awful the 2 hours didn't drag at all
The Hitcher - one of my favourite thrillers ever. Just perfection. It wastes no time getting into the setup and once it does it doesn't relent. Rutger Haueur is incredible in the role as the sadistic antagonist.
The Hitcher II: I’ve Been Waiting - rubbish retread of the original which doesn't even attempt to look like it's bothered
Rumpelstiltskin - I saw this 90's 'horror' film years ago on Sky Movies and have always wanted to see it since to check if it was as ridiculously poor as my youthful brains initial assessment. Mark Jones' Rumpelstiltskin makes Mark Jones' Leprechaun look like Citizen Kane. It's so dumb but so 90's.
Dolls - probably need to see more Charles Band stuff to get a better handle on it but if Dolls is as good as they get I'll just give them a miss. I get the feeling that these films have the nostalgic factor going for them more than anything else although the girlfriend really liked it.
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