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Dunkirk (2017)
One of the worst war movies in recent years.
It's amazing how people can watch the same film and see something completely different. I honestly thought it was the worst film I've seen in recent years. Almost criminal. I was left cold because of the lack of emotion, basic character development, backstory, sense of urgency, sense of threat or any story, original or historical. Also outraged because of it's misrepresentation of the events. It was almost like they decided to take away all of the actual amazing historical story and make an abstract minimalist art film about an inconvenient single journey boat trip.
I can just see them in the board room when the plot was pitched. Exec: "but isn't it meant to be a film based on actual extraordinary events in a real war? Nolan: "Yes sort of." Exec: "but there are just three planes and 3 boats? And people standing in queues for 2 hours? No action at all? No enemy?" Nolan "there are a couple of enemy planes sir, and we'll repeat the same dogfight 3 times. Oh and a boy falls down some steps and bangs his head."
I agree with veteran signaller Alfred Baldwin, who was at Dunkirk in 1940, - "You had the impression of people standing waiting for a bus." It's actually upsetting me just thinking about it again. I thought it was a disgrace. I have over 300 war films in my collection. I won't let Dunkirk anywhere near it.
Delusion (2016)
If you like creepy supernatural thrillers or fantasy horrors like I do, definitely check this one out
I was genuinely surprised by this film. Its starts slow but stick with it. In the first 15 mins it's mainly an introduction to the lead character, a man called Frank who soon finds himself on a bizarre journey to find his dead ( or is she ) wife.
As noted by some other reviews, the quality of acting does vary, but it's never a distraction. In fact, the characters are excellent and this is one of the highlights of the film. The super natural element of the plot really adds another dimension - quite literally in some places. One moment it feels like a crime drama and the next moment you are well and truly down the rabbit hole and introduced to new weird and wonderful characters.
The use of varied locations and imaginative set design and blocking means that the scenes never outstay their welcome. The shooting style is understated and effective. The audience is never told or shown something they already know, which is a testament to the skill of the Director.
It's certainly not for everyone, but if you like creepy supernatural thrillers or fantasy horrors like I do, definitely check this one out.
I look forward to seeing what this team come up with in the future.
Dead End Drive-In (1986)
Teenage mutant post-apocalyptic punk party
Wow! This movie is more 80s than Purple Rain. And the music is better too.....well almost.
Although you would be mistaken for thinking that the 80s ingested it's self and spewed it's self back up causing a teenage mutant post-apocalyptic punk party - scratch that, you're probably right.
This movie is mental. And it works.
It's the distant future...maybe.....and the world ( or Australia ) is full of punks called cowboys who cause mayhem and destruction. The police are useless and dirty. A young jogger named Crabs takes his girlfriend to a drive in cinema.
This is where the movie takes a crazy turn. Crabs and his girlfriend find themselves stranded after their car's wheels are stolen. It turns out that there are hundreds of people stranded in the drive-in and there is no escape. It reminds me of an abstract reworking of The Prisoner TV series, and it works pretty well.
All of the characters, costumes, props and locations are cool. There is only one gripe - the drive in is meant to be cut off from the world with only an S-road outside with miles to the next settlement - at least that's how I understood it, but you can clearly see houses outside of the walls when crane shots are used. Not a major flaw by any stretch.
Talking of crane shots - The direction is excellent. The camera movements, framing and pace are spot on. As usual the Arrow video release is very good. The transfer looks great and the audio is excellent as too is the soundtrack.
All in all a quirky 80s Australian hidden gem and definitely worth checking out if you're an 80s fan.
More reviews at Ukfilms net
The Borderlands (2013)
A truly unique experience.
First of all I must say that I'm not a big fan or follower of horror films in general. There are so many generically bland horror films out there that it dulls the senses. The Borderlands does not fall into that category. I'd go as far as to say this is a marvel ( not the comic ) The filming style - head cameras and CCTV static cameras works amazingly well. It really pulls you into the moment.
The whole production is a triumph. The sounds, staging, understated effects, locations and direction are superb. It does have a low budget feel, but that is why it works so well. This takes the Blair Witch concept and turns it into something so much deeper and immersive.
The acting is spot on. Especially the two lead characters, Deacon & Grey.
The character interactions are believable and well developed. A combination of excellent script writing and talented actors. The village setting works well. The village locals and the teenage yobs all help to increase the claustrophobia. In fact I think the village could have been developed a little further, but hey, its an 87 mins film which is brilliantly paced, so I can't really complain.
The premise of Vatican investigators, seems a tall feet to pull off considering that the film is set in southern England, but it is pulled off brilliantly. The production team really planned these aspects very well. Every scenario and location is exploited for maximum production value. The attention to detail in regards to the props and the historical research means that the limitations of the source footage just enhances the realism.
It does take a few minutes to get used to this style of filming - I am an avid hater of shaky-cam in modern productions, both low budget and Hollywood, but in this case, it's brilliant. In fact, it's not really as shaky as a hand held camera as they are attached to the head.
Whether you are a fan of horror or not, I thoroughly recommend that you experience The Borderlands for yourself. I'm sure it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for those looking for a true immersive experience that's a little off the beaten track, check it out! More reviews at UKfilms net
Empire of Ash (1988)
Has it all at first glance....ultimately disappointing.
Empire of has a lot going for it at first glance. Plenty of action, lots of guns, lots of armour clad vehicles, topless girls, rock soundtrack and plenty of extras. The direction is decent for the most part too in a TV movie style.
The main problem is that the story is disjointed at best, completely absent for the most part. It feels like at some parts, the film makers actually forgot what the plot was, so they through in a few minutes of topless girls to distract the viewer long enough to pick up wherever they liked. The acting is atrocious for the most part. It's unclear who the lead characters are and the dialogue makes no sense. None of these things would usually put me off, but this one is just too difficult to actually be convinced at any level.
There are some excellent action scenes mixed in with some ridiculously poor action which is a real shame.
There seems to be two lead female characters both of whom get their kit off which seems sensible. Then there are a number of other characters who's characters are not really developed enough to really get a grasp of. There is a religious element thrown in which really is very vague and half hearted.
It has a similar vibe to Death Run which I reviewed a few months back for UKfilms net. But where Death Run succeeded on a pocket money budget, Empire of Ash fails. The production value of Empire of Ash is miles better than Death Run, the make-up is not dissimilar but its clear that there was a costume designer involved in this one.
To sum it up I would have to say that it looks good, the sets, costumes and props are good. The leafy locations are not so great and the lack of any decent plot let it down massively.
Omega Cop (1990)
A hidden B-movie gem
A post apocalyptic action movie with lots of karate, guns, explosions, strange make up and Batman ( Adam West ) in the command centre. What's not to like? Well....nothing really, it's actually pretty good. In a B-Movie cheese-fest kinda way.
The Director Paul Kyriazi only ever directed 5 films. Mostly martial arts based. He is no Tarantino, nor is he on par with Enzo G Castellari, but he does a pretty decent job. I only have one gripe - now I'm a fan of 70s & 80s grindhouse movies and as such, I love a bit of camera zoom to add some drama, but Kyriazi goes slightly overboard. Practically every scene feature multiple zoom shots. A minor issue really.
The story involves some kind of apocalyptic solar flares which seems to have wiped out most of the population. It's a bit vague and not really explored in much detail, but who cares.
This movie seems to have taken influence from films such as The Bronx Warriors. Some of the makeup is identical. It works. Where it fails to meet the grand scale compared to Bronx Warriors, it makes up for in action. The fight scenes are solid. Not quite as good as some of the other budget martial arts films such as the No Retreat No Surrender series, but a decent effort all the same. The supporting cast are all more than competent. The characters are well defined and they deliver their cheesy dialogue with pride. The two lead characters on the other hand leave a lot to be desired. Ronald L. Marchini who play John Travis comes across as a poor man's Chuck Norris ( Oh how glorious that would have been ) - He's a decent martial artist, but he's no actor. But again, this doesn't seem to matter. After the first few minutes, your brain begins to accept that the character actually talks like he's re-sighting lines and has a facial movement problem. No big deal. Chuck Katzakian who plays Wraith on the other hand, doesn't really have any redeeming features. He doesn't fight, he cannot communicate very well and he looks very hot in his leather Nazi SS uniform.
Adam West has a small role as Travis's man on the radio, which works well and helps to break up the onslaught of running and fighting scenes.
The costumes are good, nothing exciting but good enough. The sets are limited but again, good enough. It looks like they though about the locations and used the budget wisely. Most of the scenes are set in one of the Five locations.
There are some continuity problems, which I suppose should be expected but some are just a little too obvious. Spoiler alert***** One at the end is totally ridiculous. Travis Runs from an exploding building in boots, combats, shirt and cap. He runs towards the lake, he jumps in the air, he dives towards the lake in slow motion.......hold on......first we see that somehow, mid-air, his cap and shirt have disappeared.......next we see that he still has khaki trousers on.....oh no....hold on.....they are shorts!!..........and he is now bare footed.
All in all a hidden gem and definitely recommended for B-Movie fans. The UK DVD release that I have is a double film pack twinned with Psycho cop. There is no release information on the cover or disc at all. There is a sequel called Karate cop, by a different director which I will be reviewing soon on UKFilms net.
Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
If you're looking for an excuse to top yourself, this is the film for you
The movie looks great, the directing is excellent, the lighting and locations are good, the atmosphere builds nicely. The effects are good if a little too sparse. The bulk of the special effects are limited to a few scenes and really could have been employed more to ad some magic. The acting is top notch, but this is THE MOST DEPRESSING MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN. How this can be aimed at kids I do not know, they will be crying their eyes out at the end and there is really no need for it. What a horrific end to a promising story. This film will ruin your day guaranteed. After watching this movie, I couldn't go to bed, I had to watch another movie just to try to forget this one.
Flight of Black Angel (1991)
Mildly Entertaining
I bought this movie on DVD as I am a big fan of Iron Eagle and Flight Of Black Angel was suggested as a similar type movie.
Firstly, I must say that I approached this with an open mind. I realized that this wasn't a big budget movie and didn't expect it to wow me, but reading the reviews here made me hopeful that this might be pretty good.
The movie starts very slow. The acting in the opening scenes is mediocre at best. The direction is pretty good, but relies heavily on slow zooms to invoke suspense and atmosphere - this works to some degree but is overdone to the point of becoming boring. The lighting is pretty bad on some scenes.
As the story develops, it starts to gather some momentum. The acting seems to improve a little and the script is OK for the most part. The flight sequences are taken straight out of Iron Eagle which kind of works, but having seen Iron Eagle, I couldn't help make comparisons and it becomes evident that compared to that, the script and acting doesn't come close. Another annoying thing form me is that some of the scenes show the bombing of US troops and anti-aircraft weapons - these are taken straight from Iron Eagle and you can see the uniforms of the middle eastern enemies from IE who are meant to be US in this movie, but if I hadn't mentioned it you may not have noticed :-)
The second half of the movie works much better, the pace is just about right and the introduction of new characters lifts the whole thing.
Overall I would say this movie is maybe worth a look if there is nothing else on TV but I wouldn't suggest going out of your way to see it.
The Order (2003)
Atmospheric, Mysterious and Entertaining
I bought this movie on DVD mainly due to the fact that it was only £3 and the synopsis sounded interesting. I looked up the movie on IMDb and after reading the reviews by others, I was not looking forward to watching it.
However, I did watch the movie and was pleasantly surprised. The plot is strong, the acting is good and the direction is just right for the mood of the film. The atmosphere does meander between dark and light hearted, sometimes during the course of a single sentence, but it kind of works.
Heath Ledger gives a solid performance especially considering that his character has many depths and motivations which sometimes clash.
My only criticism would be that a lot of ground is covered story wise and there are many scenes and sub plots which could have been developed more given and extra few hours. There were occasions where I would be watching an important scene whilst pondering the previous one. Not necessarily a bad thing.
All in all I feel this movie is under rated. It does require some concentration, and I would pause it if you have to leave the room, but it is enjoyable and intriguing and at the end I felt it was 98 minutes well spent.