Heat (1995) - Caught this on Blu-ray and it still stands up as one of the best films of the 90's. The iconic scene where Pacino and DeNiro meet together on screen for the first time is pure movie magic.
The Magnificent Seven (1960) - I picked this DVD up for a quid in Poundland and thoroughly enjoyed it again. Yul Brynner is Chris, a gun for hire, who is approached by some Mexican farmers whose town is pillaged on a regular basis by a group of bandits and they want to fight back. Chris agrees to help them and rounds up another six of the best fighters he can find and they set about protecting the villagers from these bandits. Such a brilliant film with a cast you could only dream of: Yul Brunner, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughan, Eli Wallach etc. It really is a 'magnificent' movie. One of the all-time greats.
The Matrix (1999) - I had the Matrix trilogy on Blu-ray for Christmas, so thought I'd give the first movie a spin. It looks incredible in HD, I have to admit.
Matrix Reloaded - Neo (Reeves) once more goes back into the Matrix and unravels more of its secrets. Although the weakest of the trilogy, it still packs enough entertainment into its running time to keep things interesting. The Blu-ray looks stunning, too.
Matrix Revolutions - The trilogy concludes with this real rollercoaster ride that packs more CGI into a single frame than I think I've ever seen before or since. However, it's brilliantly done and the final showdown in Zion is a cracker. Once again, the Blu-ray is flawless - the detail is incredible.
Inglourious Basterds (2009) - After the misjudged misfire that was
Death Proof I had low hopes for this one. However, Tarantino has sneaked in at the last minute and crafted what is arguably the best film of the decade. The script is flawless, the performances pitch perfect - and who can resist a film that gives a nod to Hugo Stiglitz? I'm impressed that Tarantino even knows who he is. Absolutely brilliant. See it now!
The Gray Man (2009) - A very grim portrayal of Albert Fish and the police hunt to catch him. It's made even more grim by the fact that it is a true story. The film is never too graphic, but neither does it flinch from its subject matter. The 1920's and 30's are perfectly recreated on screen and the film boasts some astonishing performances. Well worth a look.
Terminator: Salvation (2009) - This time round Christian Bale is John Connor, freedom fighter for the resistance. It looks very impressive, but I got the feeling Bale was a bit miscast here. Very enjoyable nonetheless - although the central premise made me chuckle, it was like 'Why don't we just hit the 'off' button?'
Drag Me to Hell (2009)- A beleagured bank clerk refuses an old woman's request for an extension on her loan and invokes her ire and the old woman, after a brawl in a car park, curses her. The bank clerk has 3 days to save herself from this curse. I thought it was a lot of fun and competently put together by Raimi.
Mirrors (2009) - An acceptable remake of the Korean film
Into the Mirror (which is obviously the better film). Kiefer Sutherland is okay-ish in the lead role, as a man who takes a nightwatchman's job at an old, abandoned building and begins to realise there's something living behind the mirrors. It's the usual American horror nonsense, but it's fairly engaging nonetheless. Not bad, but no great shakes either.
Stuck (2007) - Brandi (Mena Suvari) is driving home late one night and knocks over homeless man Thomas Bardo (Stephen Rea). Only problem is, he's stuck in her car windshield - and Brandi, terrified (and stoned on drugs) simply drives home and parks the car up in the garage, leaving Thomas badly wounded and stuck in the windshield. Rather than help, she just carries on normally and goes into work. Things quickly start unravelling, though, and Brandi starts to lose the plot more and more. Brandi is suitably callous and cold and you really get to hating her in a big way. Even more horrible is that it's based on actual events. I thought it was a one-off event, but apparently it's a common phenomenon in the US. Look it up, I found at least a dozen similar news stories from the US over the last few years.
Last House on the Left (2009) - F*ck me, that was one rough ride. For once here's a remake that most certainly does not tone down its elements. There is no shying away from the rape scene either, which is not something Hollywood often tackles head on like this (unless it stars Jodie Foster and is Oscar-worthy). This was brutal, savage and extremely confrontational. I'd even say that, as a whole, it's better than Craven's original (as was
Hills Have Eyes remake IMO). If only all remakes were as good as this. Don't be put off, this is strong, potent and extremely violent. The performances all round are excellent, the plot follows a logical linear course and it's very well scripted. This is well worth your time.
The New York Ripper (1982) - I picked up the Blue Underground Blu-ray and it's a knockout disc. The HD transfer really does breathe new life into this notorious classic. The only downside was seeing the gay porn mags in such detail LOL. Surprised this disc slipped through customs, as Amazon had clearly marked on the box what was inside. Guess no-one at Customs cares anymore.
Zombies on Broadway (1945) - Two bungling
PR men working for ruthless gangster Ace are given the impossible task of delivering a real zombie for when Ace's new nightspot 'The Zombie Hut' opens. So they set off to capture a real zombie and get more than they bargained for. It's mostly played for laughs but it's all good fun and Lugosi puts in a solid turn as the mysterious and cunning Dr Reynaud. Harmless entertainment and I rather enjoyed it!
Dead Snow (2009) - Good, gory zombie fum from Norway that pays homage to the likes of
The Evil Dead (which is freely referenced). A group of friends go to a remote cabin in the snowy wastes of Norway and unwittingly resurrect a bunch of Nazi zombies. Cue lots of screaming, blood, guts and gore and you end up with a really fun mix. I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. Recommended.
Hell Ride (2008) - This is either a work of utter comic genius or it's the worst film ever made - I'm still undecided! Whichever it is, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a really odd film and everyone in it seems to be wondering why they're in it, judging by their faces. Michael Madsen just wanders through the whole film with a 'What the f*ck am I doing here? What does it all mean?' look on his face. And at one point, when two other characters are having a conversation, for no apparent reason he blows across the top of his beer bottle, laughs, and says 'Look, I'm an owl.' I must confess, I laughed out loud at that. Then there's the conversation about how great the dust is. By that point I was scratching my head and yet really enjoying myself. This is a damn hard film to define. It just....'is'.
This film is so utterly bizarre I can't even properly categorize what it is. A biker movie, yes. What happens? I'm not entirely sure.
Recommended. I think...?