My Favorite Movies

The greatest American film ever made simply timeless

The other Great Gangster film and a great intro to the works of Martin Scorsese

A lot of Crtics out there hate Tony Scott with a paasion.
Me i love his films and this is one of his best .
With a Script by Quintin Taratino and some truly wonderful acting ,this film is a must have in any DVD collection

Probaly The Great Hitchcock film as so many of his recurring themes are in this film.
Saw this on a 70 ml print a few years ago and it was the most beautiful film i had ever seen.
The French Critics of the 50s love this film and its easy to see why

In 1974 inbetween the 2 Godfather pics .
Francis Coppola turned out this low key masterpiece .
Contains a wonderful central part for the great Gene Hackman.
But the real star here is Walter Murchs sound design which gives the film a fantastic dimension.
One of the films of the 1970s this film is relevant today as it was then see it and be amazed

Tarantinos most mature work to date
Full of great performances but its Pam Grier And Robert Foster who give the film its great central roles.
Not as well regarded as QTs other films .
this is alost gem which deserves to be better known

Tony Scott Delivers again in spades with a great techno thriller.
Does what it says on the tin and its what Scott is best at and he is on top form here

Is it safe yes ,is this a good movie one of the best from the 1970s a cracking thriller which moves at a fantastic pace

if you see one great movie from the 1970s make sure it this .
Robert Townes Script and Roman Polanskis dark vision give this film a dark regal majesty all of its own

If anyone is heir to Tony Scotts action crown then its Michael Bay and this film shows why .
Its not called Bayhem for nothing you know

Yippe kay yay ,the orginal and still the best film in the series .
"now i have a machine gun ho ho ho"
genius

Proof if proof were nedded that William Friedkin is one of the great lost talents of american Cinema after this and The Exorcist He lost his way and only regained it with the similar To Live And Die In LA ,which even tries to outdo the car chase from this film and just falls a little short

if you dont like Sloopy fairytles ,then you need to see this film its brilliant
Lots of action and heart and most of all some great comedy moments from Peter Cook,Mel Smith and of course Billy Crystal as Miracle Max .
a film for all ages and of course the INgo Montoya line which is fantastic

Funny as hell and like a fine wine gets beter and better with age .
The cast is first rate and Robinsons Script is full of great lines
"We want the finest wines in all humanity ,we want them here and we want them now"

Ridley scott directs this war film with a brain.
Realistic action and a cracking narrative drive give this film a real edge which some war films lack.
And of course its not too gung ho either .
Lets not forget as Scott shows us this was a failed US mission

Funny Lines CHECK
mad Tony Scott Camera CHECK
Bruce willis being cool CHECK
Tons of all out action CHECK
This film has it all and then some.
It may not be pretty bu being a Tony Scott fan i love this movie

From the Mozart of Mayhem comes this his masterpiece.
Its combines elements of Peckinpah,Leone ,Melville,and others to give us a truly amazing yet thoughtful action film

a great 70s film noir from one of Hollywoods most underated directors
This plays like a Melville film and not giving the cast names adds to the drama.
Great chases too and cooler than a Cornetto at the polar ice cap

Cool sleek french Crime calssic from one of the masters of the genre .
The heist itself is a real nailbiter and the film contains some truly great acting

Probably THE greatest Western ever made.
Also more timley than ever as at the time America was embroiled In Vietnam and the film mirrors this with men out of place in a land that is not there own .
So pretty much the same as Iraq if you think about it
Would love to see the original 4 hour cut which accorrding to Paul Schrader is the greatest film ever made

Only the Coen brothers could take a dark story like this and fill it with off beat dialogue and actors.
If you see one of there films make sure it this one

if you hate private eye films you will love this .
Altman takes the genre and turns it on its head .
Eliot Gould is fantastic here as Marlowe giving the part more depth than i ever thought possible.
Great Camera work too from Vilmos Zgismond .
Again one of the key films of the last great movie decade the 70s

If you thought us brits could not do action comedy ,then this instant classic blows that idea out of the water.
A great supporting cast ,and lots of knowing references to Action movie directors make this film funny and just brilliant IMO

the Other Great epic Scorsese Gangster film
Unfairly compared with Good Fellas at the time this film is different in so many ways.
Shows why Martin Scorsese is one of the Best Directors working today

a cracking film saw it many years ago and then snapped up the dvd when it came out.
Landis is a hoot as one of the terrorists and the film is fun and packed full of director cameos

One of Quintien Tarantinos fave films and its easy to see why .
De Palma is always a good watch even when his films are ropey but this is a neglected classic and a must see also the poster is on my office wall

while everyone i know raves about Scarface,this is the better film .
Pacino here is simply fantastic as the steetwise gangster trying to go straight but being dragged down by the equally brilliant Sean Penn as his corrupt lawyer.
De Palma fills the film with his usual visual flair and both script and supporting cast make this a great watch

Vintage stuff from De Palma and a great central performance from John Lithgow as Cain
At least here DePalma
pays homage to himself as well as Hitch ,you can see he is having a ball and who cares if the film makes no sense it has great set pieces and a fantastic finale

Wish id seen it as Part of Grindhouse but this film still rocks .
QT harks back to a time when movies like this made more money than Mainstream movies.
Ignore what the critics say this is much better than Kill Bill 2 and the Soundtrack is as always with Taratino top drawer

During the 7os director Alan J Pakula made several dark thrillers including Klute and All The Presidents men.
Between those he made this dark political thriller about a sinister goverment corperation
Expertly shot by Gordon Willis this film captures the paranoia which lay at Americas Heart during this period

One of Dario Argentos masterpieces which makes most horror films look ordinary by comparison.
This tale of witchcraft at an all girls school contains some truly heartstopping moments and great visual flouriches which we have come to expect from The Italian Maestro .
Yes its weird but its also one of the most daring and original horror films of the past 40 years

Whilst American Slasher films are pretty tame by todays standards.
This is still pretty full on and also one of Argentos great works.
Was banned for a few years back in the stupid video nasties scare in the early 80s and has been on video but with a hell of a lot of cuts (pardon the pun) Now its been restored to the way Argento originally saw the film and my word is this film gory
Axe murders and other such nasties make this a tough watch.
But unlike those feeble Saw films,Argento uses his camera in such a clever way that he makes the audience unwilling voyeurs to the events onscreen.
Argento is the king of the So called Giallos and this is one of his best

The last great Argento film before Indifference set in for a few years until a return to form with Sleepless.
What it lacks in cohesive plot it more than makes up for in the Style department.
Contains a memorable camera shot of a bird in The Opera house which is truly amazing.
Combined with the Usual Argento gore factorthis is one film well worth seeking out

The master returns to what he does best The Giallo ans this is a welcome return to form.
The murder on the train at the start reminds me of both Hitchcock and DePalma in there prime and Argento still knows which buttons to push to get his audience jumping.
If you want an introduction to Argentos basic themes then this film is probaly the best one to start with as it contains all of them and a rather gory use of a clarinet as a murder weapon

The one that has been cut about and messed around withmore than any other of Argentos work.
if you see this on dvd try to get the Blue Undergound copy as its a stunning transfer of Argentos first international masterpiece.
The casting of David Hemmings is a masterstroke considering he was in Antonionis Blow up nearly 10 years earlier.
And of course this was Argentos first collaberation with Daria Nicolodi ,who was to become his muse over the next 12 years,the score adds a great dimension to the film too and its brilliantly directed to boot.
So forget your Friday the 13ths and your Screams this is way scarier than those movies and more original too

Great movie ,great script ,great acting ,great camerawork you name it this film has it.
Shows how Woodward and Burnstein Finally got the Watergate story and how it nearly cost them there jobs.
Marvellous supporting turns from Jason Robards as Be Bradlee and Hal Holbrook as the mysterious Deep Throat who helped get the inside track on who was involved.
The film also happens to be a great look at how journalists get the story

Takes its time but stick with it as it becomes a really great film over the course of 2 hours.
Mark Ruffalo finally gets a part worthy of his talents and Robert Downey Junior is ace as the odd reporter assigned to the case.
Jake Gyllenhaal shows again that he is a young actor to watch.
But the film Is David Finchers all the way full of all the touches we have come to expect from one of the more interesting Hollywood filmakers

The greatest chase movie cum musical ever featuring some great performances from James Brown ,Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.
Plus the usual in jokes from Landis about Chicago and other movies
Full of great chunks of quotable dialogue evn after nearly 30years this film is still fantastic
"did you get ma cheez whizz boy" nuff said

Say what you like about Tony Scott but he does know how to make big dumb action movies ,and tjis is one of his best.
The tension onboard the sub is brilliantly done and the scripit is packed with references to other submarine movies.
Also a lot of the cast went on to bigger roles most notably James Gandolfini ,who of course plays Tony Soprano in the show of the same name.
While critics look down on Scotts body of work there are some of us out there who cant get enough of his work

The mother of all spoof movies.
Taking the rise out of Disaster movies(Especially those of Irwin Allen)
This film is choc full of visual and spoken gags.
What makes it so funny is that everyone takes it seriously adding to the humour as lines such as "joey have you ever seen a grown man naked?"by keeping it totally straight .
if you dont laugh during this film you need your pulse taken FACT

The greatst bad film ever made
Hundreds of plastic chips invade Houston and cause Model Train crashes model power station crashes ans so on and so forth
Sometruly terrible dialogue spouted by some truly great actors
The giant bee hallucination is worth watching on its own.
And richard Widmak knows that this film is bad and has a ball as a pissed off general
i love this movie so bad its genius

Guilty Pleasure Ahoy!!!
From the master of Disaster Irwin Allen .
Loads of actors is miscast roles (Gene Hackman as a preacher ,come on !!!!!) try to escape an upturned cruise ship in the producers bath.
The best thing about 70s disater movies is the nasty streak that runs thru all of them ,folks you quite like die horribly,while Ernest Borgnine just gets more grumpy.
Annoying kids ,strange old men,Frank Drebin as the Captian,people opening doors they shouldnt,messy deaths its all here.
Critics hate these movies but me i love them

The film is described as "an Event"
and my god is it but for some truly great reasons.
For example Lorne Greene plays Ava Gardners Father when in real life there was only a few years age difference between them!!!!!
Charlton Heston Impersonates a Plank of wood,and Goerge Kennedy is at his oafish best.
The special effects arent too bad lots of screaming and messy deaths help and the final damburst is gripping.
but above all else its rubbish Dialogue,Brat Kids in Peril,characters who dissapear for no explained reason and Pam From Dallas in a black wig and tight t shirt
if you dont laugh at certain points thru this then you have no pulse.
surley a remake is coming?

Or guess which actors wont get burnt.
Probably the best of the 70s disater movies mainly because of the two lead actors.
McQueen is totally believable as a fireman and plays the part really well.
Newman too is convincing but its the other stars who i love watching
See Fred Astaire as A lovable Conman
See Richard Chamberlin pay for crap Wiring
See William Holden say "oh my god " a lot
See Robert Wagner get burnt to a cinder
and see Faye Dunaway looking gorgeous as Newmans Love interest
Yes its cheesy but it still holds up today if you see one 70s disater film make sure its this one

The Airport films are the base for the guys who created Airplane worked from ,and this entry in the series is a stonker in bad acting and crap special effects.
What makes these films great is seeing actors like James Stewart,and Jack Lemmon deliver some of the worst lines in film history.
the plot (plane crashes into sea and guys try to raise it ) is soo implausible its unreal.
but who cares when your having this much fun watching an all star cast get extremley wet
These movies died out in the 80s which was a shame as i love there badness its only now with films like Armageddon and The Day After Tomorrow that we learn to love the disaster movie genre

Come to think of it maybe i should write an essay on why i love these types of films.
The main reson i think is you can sit there and watch all the sterotypes being rolled out in front of your eyes and laugh at the same time.
I mean Honsetly singing nuns the bloke from CHIPS,George Kennedy being the gruffest man alive on earth,Karen Black Flying a plane ,whats not to love

David E Kelley gave us Ally Mcbeal he also gave us this brilliant monster movie.
When a giant croc starts taking bites out of the local populace its up to a motley band of folks to get to the heart of the mystery.
The reason this film works so well is the brilliant interplay between Brenda Gleeson as the Sheriff and Oliver Platt as the croc hunter.
the "he seemed taller"
line is one of the best around ,the film also contains some real jump out of your seat moments.
All monster movies should be like this one with tongue placed firmly in cheek

Long ago before Peter Jackson had trouble ending a film without folks saying goodbye for over 2 hours.
He made this his first feature which is a cracking little comedy Horror.
Shot on a budget of virtually nothing Jackson fills the film with great gory action and killer lines.
Jackson also bags a great part for himself in the role of Derek who had a few problems keeping his brains inside his head after a nasty fall.
If you like d ShauN of the dead then you will love this cult classic just as much and remeber
"Dereks Dont run"

The other great Peter Jackson Horror film again full of bad jokes and loads of nods to Evil Dead 2.
When Lionels brute of a mother is bitten by a deadly monkey its only the start of Lionels problems.
Pretty soon a whole load of crazed zombies are on the loose including a baby Zombie
(the Scene with Lionel in the park with this baby is a gem)
What with Kung Fu Priests,Wig Wearing teddy boy uncles and a party which can only be described as gory ,this is Jackson at his freewheeling best.
Later films have more prestige behind them ,but if you want to laugh and be offended at the same time then try some of Jacksons early work

Probably the most scariest film you will ever see.
Director Robert Wise shows you less and thats what makes the film so damn scary with the use of sound rather than visuals to fill your mind with terror.
Avoid the remake like the plague its terrible.
Its also a film to see where later masters of the genre such as Sam Raimi,John Carpenter and others took there inspiration from.
Dont watch this in the dark on your own its flipping scary.

Absolutley fantastic reminds me of Vintage Claude Chabrol with plenty of Twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way to the end.#
Based on the book by Harlen Coben this proves that the French have the edge over Hollywood when it comes to making thrillers.
Several themes are apparent most notably the Hitchcockian theme of the wrong man convicted of the crime ,but its handled in such a way that you start to wonder your self whether the wrong man did carry out said deed.
Lets hope that Hollywood stays away from a remake of this excellent thriller.
Dont Tell no one tell everyone how good this film is

An excellent inroduction to the Work of Master French film maker Claude Chabrol.
Based on a book by Ruth Rendell this film creeps up on you and ends with a shocking denoument.
Chabrol is often called the French Hitchcock and has over 50 films to his credit.
This is one of his best works with great performances from the 2 female leads.
If you want to explore french films further then i cannot recommend this film highly enough

Early Chabrol masterpiece with all the usual Chabrol touches applied.
The unsettling part of Chabrol films is that most take place in small villages and towns in France and the actions here are so shocking it adds to the overall uneasyness of the film.
Chabrol here believes the less you see the more sinister the film and it pays off handsomly here ,unfussy yet brilliant

French film Noir as Directed by the master of the genre Melville.
Here he cribs from directors such as Anthony Mann ,John Huston and Jules Dassin.
The robeery sequences are brillantly done and Alain Delon is brilliant as the dogged cop on Richard Crennas Trail.
Denuve is fantastic here as an icy Femme Fatale that both men are drawn to .
Typically the film is full of great dialogue and references to American Culture which is a constant theme of Melvilles crime pictures .
With its steely grey images and shots of a deserted Paris this is a fitting last work from a great director

ok i will admit i actually like this movie.
Where other folks find it about as entertaining as root canal work.
I enjoy its freewheeling nature.
The supporting make the film for me Mickey Rourke Looks Like a beat up bounty hunter and delivers his lines with a world weariness.
Walken is great as always as the TV exec with font problems.
The film is paked with Scotts usual frenectic style which keeps the story moving along nicely.
As long as you had a few beers and a takeaway this is perfect Friday night viewing fodder

Another De Palma gem which demands to be seen .
He may rip off other directors but De Palma knows how to keep you guessing with great camerawork and editing an American Argento?
I think so with films like this

Godard is one of the last true pioneers of film still working today.
During the 60s he and Truffaut and others turned the medium of film on its head.
This is is most challenging work of that period.
Made around the time of the Paris riots of that same year Godard flat out attacks everything in this film .
The heart of the film is of course the glorious tracking shot of the traffic jam which is packed full of funny and sometimes disturbing imagery .
If youy want to view the works of Godard start with A bout De Souffle or a Band Apart if you want to jump headlong into his visions then start with this although you may be left wondering what the hell you have just seen

If you want to see why Robert Altman is one of the key figures in American Cinema then watch this film which is his first masterpiece.
The different story strands and overlapping dialogue may put you off but dont let it.
What you have here is Altmans take on an America still coming to terms with Watergate and Vietnam.
The soundtrack is amazing too and the cast is all round brilliant.
Its easy to see where P.T.Anderson drew his inspiration from with films Like Magnolia and Boogie nights both which follow Altmans elements here

Ok my movie taste might be a bit high brow but i love Kevin Smith movies.
You cant go wrong with dick and fart jokes,Carrie Fisher as a nun and Mark Hamil sending himself up rotten as a chap called Cockknocker.
The cameos are great too especially Damon and Affleck in Good Will Hunting 2 and Chris Rock who invented a black Sesame street and was going to call it NWP.
But its Jay And Silent Bob who get the biggest laughs with there dirty minds and mouths they will have you in stiches.
It may not be deriguer to like these types of film but i love them all the same

Peter Sellers is one of my comedy heros and i have seen this film loads of times and i still find it funny.
The reason?
Well its all in the timing and Sellers is a master at this whether its trying to gain access to the castle or Interviewing suspects whilst destroying pianos.
The reason it works sooo well is that Clouseau is oblivious to the chaos that he causes.
Blake Edwards and Sellers had a Love hate relationship and Sellers would only go back to Edwards when his career was faltering.
But at the top of there game as here the films they made together are a lesson is comedic genius

If you saw this at the Movies my advice is graB the Tin Boxed editon of this film its really good.
Bruce kicks arse here the only way Bruce knows how.
Len Wiseman was seen by some as the wrong choice to direct this film but he does bring it all together rather well .
Ok soi its not that orginal and The Villain is a bit rubbish but you do get to see some great action MaggieQ looking sensational and Kevin Smith as A cop Hating computer nerd.
Bruce is back and its a welcome return Yippee Ky AYYY

The other great John Landis Horror film.
Its not as well known as American Werewolf but it contains all The Usual Neat Landis touches.
Here he plys fast and Loose with the conventions of both the Gangster and Vampire movies
Lots of in jokes abound including Cameos from Sam Raimi ,Dario Aregento and Regular Landis cameo man Frank Oz.
Hugely neglected and undervalued on its time of Release this film should be building up a strong cult following

Brilliant Werewolf Film which adds elements of Comedy to make it all the more watchable.
Landis is great at scaring you silly one moment and then making you laugh the next.
You will never Look at Tottenham Court Rd Tube station in the same way after you see the Werewolf stalking His prey in the confines of the station tunnels.
The special effects stand up great.
But Landis is king here with sly gentle digs at Us Brits and Nazi Zombies and a Great Pile Up In Piccadily its one of his best works all round.
And remember "Keep off the Moors ,and stick to the road"

One of the most Beautiful films ever made.
Malick shot the film during whats called Magic Hour where after the Sun has gone in there is still somelight left.
The film simply oozes beauty from every pore from the huge landscapes to the smallest intimate details.
The actors too are fine but its Malicks eye for detail that catches the viewer here
That he fell off the radar for almost 20 years is baffling until the masterful Thin Red Line

After 20yers of where did he go ?
Malick returns with all of his heart and passion in place.
A big movie packed full of intimate details it may Not Have Private Ryans guts.
But is has at its core a wonderful poetic vision which is simply striking

For years the so called "serious "film critics took a dim view of the Work of Steven Spielberg,despite his films being high class entertainment pictures,they felt Spielberg could not handle adult subject matter.
Here is where finallly they were proved wrong.
The film is a powerful watch and is shot in grainy black and white by Spielberg Regular Januz Kaminski.
The story is moving and one becomes caught up in the terrible events that we see unfold before are very eyes.
Those stupid enough to deny these events took place should watch this film and take stock of there flawed arguement

Spielberg Tells this story of revenge and pulls no punches .
He shows how far Israel was willing to go in order to eliminate those responsible for The tragedy At the Munich Games.
All of the team (perhaps bar Daniel craigs role) begin to doubt as whether the cause they are on is actually making any difference.
Spielberg also throws in some excellent tense and gripping moments including a Hotel Bomb and A telephone call with a destructive end.
Due to a lot of foreign actors being cast in roles the film has a much more European feel to it rather than a flag waving diatribe.
Again Spielberg is helped by a Fantastic John Williams score and great camera work and editing by his regular collaberators Januz Kaminiski and Michel Khan.
The film does have eniding hiccups towards its conclusion but overall these stands up as one of the Directors string of recent great works

From the maker of The Mummy and The Mummy returns comes this 24 carat diamond of a Cheesy but still good monster movie.
Cast members who might as well have "EAT ME" stamped on there head are picked off one by one by giant sea monsters.
The dialogue is terrible but that is part of the films overall brilliance.
You know that you should not like this movie but when it gives you action and Horror in spades you cant help ending up with abig grin on your face

The Final Part of Luhrmanns so called "RED CURTAIN "trilogy this is a great way to end it.
The film divides people i think like no other there are those people who hate the film and those like me who think its simply wonderful.
The costume and set design is simply astounding ans all the actors are clearly having fun in there roles.
But its the use of contempoary songs which make this Musical fly.
Luhrmann has always payed close attention to his music scores and this film is hard to beat in that department.
My fave sequence has to be Jim Broadbent singing like a Virgin to Richard Roxborugh simply beacause it remind s me of those great MGM musicals made by the Arthur Freed unit in the 40s and 50s

The greatest MGM musical of them alland a great spoof on the coming of sound to the movies as well.
No matter how many Times you see Gene Kelly jumping around in puddles it still manages to make you smile.
And "make em laugh" is still sensational after all this time
MGM was the dream factory during this period and this is one of there most masterful dreams ever filmed.
See this film and afterwards you will be smiling for the rest of the day

Vincete Minneli was MGM s resident artist with films like Gigi,The Band Wagon and Meet Me in St Louis under his belt.
But besides his musicals Minneli made some wonderful Dramas such as this and Some Came Running.
This film Tells a story of how Hollywood can turn your dreams to dust or gold depending on who you step on to get it.
Its no suprise that Martin Scorsese frequently sites Minneli as one of his favourite directors as themes in this film occur in his films as well.
Also catch the loose sequel of sorts Two Weeks In Another Town which is Minnelis fairwell to the studio system which made his name

Forget the Fast And The Furious ,this is one of the best chase movies around.
It also help to inspire Primal Scream to name on of there albums after it,and one of the tracks on that album is called Kowalski .
The plot is very basic but John A Alonzos camera work gives us a simply stunning view of America as The car speeds through various states.
A huge Cult favourite for many years Quintin Tarantino recently paid homage to the film by using the same 1970 Dodge which features here

People always prfer Hard Days Night to this ,but iam a huge fan of this film.
Lester lets his strong visual style run riot here with some trulysurreal moments.
The Beatles (Especially Ringo) are all funny and it helps that the tunes are pretty good too.
What helps is the suporting cast who bring a Gooonish element to the film which makes it a good watch .

Unfairly scorned at the time of its realease Andersons final part of his Mick Travis films is a scathing attack on pretty much everything political .
Mad Surgeons ,stoned tV makers,angry union bosses no one escapes Andersons venom here as all are as guilty as each other.
A film which given todays political climate harks back to a day when the battlelines were more clearly drawn

Some say that Steven Sodeberg helped Clooney direct his first film before this ,but her Clooney shows that when his looks fade he will become like Clint Eastwood and be a fantastic director.
The cast are all at the top of there game and Clooney evokes a period of Mass Paranoia in America with the deft touch of say A Scorsese or Hawks.
A masterpiece in the making and clocking in at around 90 mins better than most 3 hour Hollywood movies

This is one of my movies of 2007
Bay delivers here in spades with great set piece after great set piece.
Critics hated it saying it was too noisy and a no brainer.
But they missed the point the Highway chase and the Arrival of Optimus prime give the film a real WOW factor missing from a lot of these movies these days.
Bay is the perfect match for this kind of film and the Sub teen romance element works well too as boths the teens seem so real even in a totally unreal situation
A big gallumping Hollywood mass and all the better for it i say

If it wasnt for Martin Scorsese then Michael Powell would have died penny less and forgotten.
But Marty showed us how good a director Powell really was along with his partner Emeric Pressburger.
This film is wondeful to look at shot by Jack Cardiff in glorius black and white and colour.
Niven and Hunter are wonderful as the couple who have to convince the Angels of ther love .
Watch this once and you will see that not all british films of the period were stuffy class pictures.
Some like this were beautiful praises of the human heart

The wave of French Directors of the 50s and 60s were in awe of film makers such as Howard Hawks and John Ford.
Her Truffaut pays homage to his favourite Director Alfred Hitchcock ,who he had interviewed during the 60s.
The film is a classic revenge story of a woman who goes after a group of men who killed her Husband.
The template for Kill Bill is here but with more French Class to it as Truffaut like his compatriot Chabrol keeps the thriller element chugging along nicely.
It also Helps to have A score by Bernard Herrman who until a massive falling out was Hitchcocks musical collaberator on several films and who would later go on to work with Brian DePalma And Martin Scorsese.
If you think French films are all arty Nonsense then check out this great little movie and change your view

Tight and fantastic Chabrol Thriller where nothing is as Straightforward as it looks with more twists and turns than an alpine road.
Here again as in so many of his films Chabrol picks and probes at French Village life and uncovers infidelity and Murder at its Heart.
During the 70s Chabrol made a string of these films which are well worth catching up with if you get a chance

The Coen Brothers film everyone should see .
Totally off the wall and full of great actors in fantastic roles the reputation of this film has grown and grown.
Jeff Bridges was born to Play The Dude and John Goodman is wonderful as the ever soo slightly unhinged Walter (based On Film Director John Milus allegedly)
The film is really a kind of modern day Private Eye movie but with all of those conventions turned on there head.
Not Since Altmans Long Goodbye has a film had fun with this genre.
Roger Deakins camerawork is great and the script is as always razor sharp and full of memorable lines
And remember "the rug really tied the room together ,did it not"

If you thought Big Brother was new then 31 years ago Sidney Lumet attacked TV head on and his portents today seem all the more real.
Howard Beales Mad profit of the airwaves is a rating winner as he attacks all things American ,but as rating start to slide radical solutions are called for.
The cast and script are great and the vastly underated Lumet turns in another one of his masterpieces.
See this movie and see how even then TV was becoming a standing concern

Another great 70s film and this one is based on an actual event.
Pacino here is in Stunning form as a desperate bankrobber who ends up in Wayy over his head when a robbey turns into a seige and then a Media event.
John Cazale who would die way too young is wonderful as Pacinos accomplice who thinks Wyoming is a Foriegn country and is worried about his image in the press.
The film also handles the sexuality question really well without being moral or preachy.
Lumet is concerned here with the protagonists and there desperation which ratchets up the tension tenfold

Now when Arnold was in his prime this was his dumbest yet most fun 90 minutes ever.
Bad one liners loads of guns and stack on continuity errrors (The Self repairing Porche is the classic) this is the perfect 6 cans of lager and a takeaway movie.
Very much of its time as well this film reeks of the 80s but who cares when you are watching Arnold have a fight with a Giant Freddie Mercury Lookalike or watching him wipe out a small army on his own
Guilty pleasure you bet but what a guilty pleasure this is

Right how is this for a plotline.
Alien posses human bodies steals cars shoots guns and listens to loud rock music.
Sounds crazy but it works brilliantly here thanks to The Team at New Line who had given us A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 years before.
Its not as Scary as Nightmare but its faced paced and well acted with atongue placed firmly in its cheek

Some films die at the box office only to be rebron on DVD or Video .
This is one such case.
Kurt Russell is at the top of his game a the cynical Jack Burton who is drawn into a world of Chinese Street Gangs ,Evil Wizards,and Black Magic.
Carpenter keeps the whole thing moving along at a cracking pace and his script contains some truly immortal lines .
i honestly cannot recommend this gem highly enough

"HEY YOU GUYS"
Timeless classic from Spielberg and Director Richard Donner.
A whole genration has grown up loving tis Indiana Jones film with Kids.
Lots to keep the Adults Entertained too as Donner takes sly digs at 80s culture at that time.
Ranks alongside the Lost Boys as a great Adult/Kids Crossover 80s movie

If you have never seen any of Larry Cohens movies ,then you really are missing out on something special.
this one plays like a B movie king kong but hey who is Moaning when you get Great acting from Michael Moriarty ,Richard Roundtree andDavid Carradine.
Add to this Cohens delcious script (no pun Intended) and you get a great fun and sometimes scary Monster movie.
Sure the special effects are a touch tragic but that only adds to the fun .
And the use of New York Locations ,Most Notably the Chyrsler Building make this film a cult gem

The opther great Larry cohen Horror movie.
this one rips the American Consumer drean to shreds as victims are devoured by a mysterious addictive white gloop from the ground called the stuff.
Only Michael Moriarty in his usual Lowlife role and Paul Sorvino as a right wing Mercenary can save America from the evil corperate empire making the Stuff.
First saw this film when i was a kid and like all Cohens films its little seen but has more wit and Imagination than any of the recent big horror films.
If you ever see one film about killer food make sure its this one

Forget Star Wars this is the best Movie Trilogy for miles around .
Great zippy plots loads of gore special effects and great chases all neatly packaged in 3 90 minute movies.
Grab a few beers and watch Maniac cop wreek his own particulary nasty brand of Vegence on his victims

When Walter Hill is at the top of his game as he is here then he is heir apparent to the Great Sam Peckinpah.
Eerrie and unerving this film shows that macho posturing in no match for wily Cajuns.
Ry Cooders score is also magnificent as thay frequently are when he works with Hill.
And the all Male cast are on good form as the weekend warriors who become totally cut off from any real type of civilisation.
A allergory for The US involvement in Vietnam this film stands up well today as it did in 1981

Peckinpah delivers one of his most personal films here and its also one of his best.
A truly great western Full of great Western actors .
Slim Pickens Death is one of the most moving things ever shot
And James Coburn gives one of his greatest performances.
Keep your eyes peeled for Richard Jackel,Katy Jurado,Barry Sullivan ,Chil Wilis,and Peckinpah himself .
Cut to pieces by an indifferent Studio the restored versions on the Dvds are simply Beautiful films

After the truly awful Topaz Hitchcock returned to London with this amazing Thriller.
Full of Neat Hitchcock touches including the Camera backing away from a murder and a particulary Gruesome yet funny scene in the back of a Potato truck.
The cast are all uniformly excellent and Alec McCowen is fantastic a sthe policeman whos wife insists on cooking him gourmet meals which would hardly feed a sparrow.
This seems like An Homage to Chabrol whos films are greatly infuenced by Hitchcock also it could be that Hitch was a big food lover yet despised so called Haute Cusine.
Using the soon to be relocated Convent Garden Fruit market is another Stroke of genius as well .
Hitch would go on to make one more film the Flawed but fun Family Plot but this really is his last truly great movie

Possibly the best comic book adaption there is.
Everything the Xmen and recent Superman movies wanted to be this actually is.
Christian Bale is Simply great as Batman/Bruce Wayne bringing the dark and Sinister elements to the Batman persona so familiar to readers of the Alan Moore versions of the story.
The other star his is Christopher Nolan who brings all the elements together really well and knows that the fans of Batman dont want the high Camp Of Batman and Robin they want the Killing Joke Type Batman a man with demons which drive him on.
The supporting cast is great too with Gary Oldman and Michael Caine being the standouts .
Lets hope that Nolan continues this with the Dark Knight as he has already saved the franchise

Naked space vampires?
It could only be A Golan Globus production .
So bad its good monster flix where a race of Space vampires destroy London and Peter Firth says "oh My God " quite a lot while running around England looking for nude ladies and Preventing Patrick Stewart from over acting and trying to Get Steve Railsback to impersonate an actor rather than a large piece of wood (he fails miserably on both counts)
the thing is you can help enjoying this filmno matter how ridiculous the whole thing gets.
Another film for the Friday night six pack crowd and thats no bad thing in my book

DePalma is back to doing what he does best IE totally confusing his Audience with loads of outrageous plot twists.
This film was little seen in the Uk which is a shame because all the DePalma elements are here in spades including his usual fantastic visual style which makes his thrillers rattling good watches.
If you try not to think too much then this ranks alongside DePalmas classic 80s thrillers such as Blow Out and Body Double.
A future cult classic in the making i loved this film

Hugely underated gem from a underated director.
This takes the so called faked Moon landings one step further by having a Shady Goverment stage a fake Mars Landing and then kill off the Astronauts involved .
Eliot Gould is excellent as the journalist determined to uncover the truth at all costs and Sam Waterson is good value too as one of the escaped Astronauts.
If you get the chance to see this film the next time its on TV then do as its one of those tight Paranoia Thrillers which came out of Hollywood Before and after Watergate

Excellent 70s parnoia thriller from Sidney Pollack.
Why have all Redfords co workers Been Murdered?
Well with the help of Faye Dunaway he sets out on a peri;ous quest to find out just that.
The Acting here is superb and Max Von Sydow gives a great performance as an Understated assassin.
Along with The Parallax View All the Presidents Men and Capricorn one this is one of the best 70s thrillers around

Possibly Alan Parkers most rounded movie no doubt that it is his funniest.
The music is key here and its great stuff all the way the highlight being Andrew Strong singing Try A Little Tenderness which is just simply amaazing.
The script by Porridge Writer Dick Clement and Ian LaFrenais is good too full of funny dialogue and nods to other musicals.
Special Mention to Colm Meaney as the Elvis Loving dad who is one of a great number of ace performances in the film

A return to the kind of gentle humour of The Ealing Comedys of the late 40s early 50s.
This David Puttnham produed film is simply magical.
The culture clash between Texas Oilman and the scottish Villagers is wonderfully done and the fil contains some really wonderful moments.
The bits i always like are the Russian Fisherman Singing at the kaleigh,Fulton Makay explaining the price of sand to Mac and finally the Northen Lights phone call to Burt Lancaster.
Add to this the beautiful locations the fantastic score and you have a film that one can never grow tired of watching

Or High Noon in space as many critics see it.
Immensly enjoyable Sci-Fi film with Connery giving and excellent performance as an increasingly isolated Marshal on the Jupiter Moon mining project.
Hyams takes this Ridley Scott route and gives us a dark bleak vision of the world beyond Earth.
Jerry Goldsmiths score enhances this vision no end and the supporting cast ,most notably Peter Boyle as a dubious mine boss who wants Connery Out of the way add to a solid film which may not be as mind blowing as 2001 or Blade Runner but offers great entertainment none the less

Upon its initial relase one cinema had dropped Star Wars to show this film.
The film did soo badly that Star wars was bought back a few days later so much had the landscape of films changed during the course of The 70s that Freidkin was caught on the back foot and would almost have his career destroyed by this films reviews .
Now 30years later and with hindsight this film is fantastic and ranks alongside his best work.
The rope Bridge crossing is Friedkin working at the peak of his powers and his usual themes of men on the outside of society is put to great use as a group of desperate men carry out their desperate mission.
Tangerine Dream contribute the score and they would later go on to work With Michael Mann on the excellent Thief.
A flop then but a fantastic film now this deserves to be rediscovered as a lost classic

The benchmark of acting is here in the coffee shop scene between the two greatest Hollywood actors of there time.
But dont be fooled the rest of the film is stunning too.
Mann fills our screen with neon and Steel visuals and a masterful view of LA at night.
Mann knows how to cast too all the actors here are outstanding most notably Val Kilmer as DeNiros gambling mad Partner and Mann regular Wes Studi as one of Pacinos cops determined to bring De Niros crew down.
The action here is great and the main shootout feels horribly real this in no small part that Mann used ex SAS man Andy McNabb to teach the actors how to handle guns.
Quite simply a Masterpiece of crime film and one which demands countless viewings

Tom Cruise as A bad guy?
Well thanks to Michael Mann he gives an amazing performance as the cynical hitman Vincent.
Jamie Foxx matches Cruise all the way as The cab driver drawn into Vincents terrifying world.
Again Manns visuals are stunning and he sure knows how to stage an action sequence,the shoot out in the night club is matchless as Cruise blasts his way to his intended quarry .
Again too the script is strong with lots of interplay between the 2 leads and the final stand off is expertly handled

If you want to see what the term Bayhem means then watch his sequel to the massively Succesful Bad Boys.
Forget developing the leads or backstory just fill the screen with Jaw dropping Car Chases Mind Boggling shootouts and non stop action .
It may be big and Dumb and some folks may hate it but boy Bay does not do things by half here with mad camrea angles and editing he is clearly having a ball and filling the shoes of his Mentor Tony Scott amazingly well.
Yes we need movies with strong stories and decent acting which gain critical kudos .
But we also need films like this to strike a happy balance between the two and boy this really does strike a balance

Watch the Directors cut of this film if you can find it the story is better paced .
One of Spilebergs most critically abused movies.
The film centres around events in La after the bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1941.
The comedy here is broad and it sure aint subtle but you do get some great gags along the way.
The standout sequence here if of course the Jitterbug contest/Fight which escalates in to a grandiose piece of filmaking with bodies and punches flying in the mayhem.
The cast is decent here too Belushi is clearly having a Ball as Wild Bill Kelso a slightly demented fighter pilot and Dan Akroyd is good value as A tank Commander.
But the smaller roles are the ones i like most Notably Murray Hamilton and Eddie Deezen as the two ferris wheel lookouts.
Toshiro Mifune and Christopher Lee as the 2 Warring Axis Submarine commanders,Slick Pickens as Hollis (Holly)Wood ,The Late great Warren Oates as Madman Maddox and of Course Robert Stack as The Dumbo loving General Stillwell who virtually walks off with the movie along with Ned Beatty as The Guncrazy Ward Douglas.
Keep your eyes peeled too for Directors John Landis ,Penny Marshall,and Sam Fuller In cameo parts.
OK so its a bit of a mess and there is Way too much screaming but that said it is alot of fun if you dont take it too seriously

Just saw the Final Cut Yesterday and my god its good.
Ridley Scott has given us the best version of His film yet,and i have to say for the first time i have sat down and Enjoyed the film in all its fine detail.
Ford gives a top class performance as the permantly pissed off Deckard (On the DVD you see that he was pissed off on the set as well)
But its the supporting roles which drive the story as well.
Edward James Olmos as the street talking Gaff,M Emmet Walsh as Fords Cynical Boss and Daryl Hannah,Brion James and Sean Young as the repicants.
Buts its Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty who stands out here and his death Speech is absolutley riviting and moving at the same time.
Add to this Scotts knack for beautiful Visuals and Vangelis score beefed up here for the Dvd and you have a film which knocks Star Wars for six
A Flawed masterpiece on its first release,its now thanks to Scotts care a Definitve Masterpiece

Ok first the negatives.
The film seems to be cut about badly ,its almost as Though we are waiting fo r a directors cut when it comes to DVD,This is notable with Cuba Goodings part which appears in one good scene and then vanishes for the rest of the film it was really frustrating.
Also it did not feel like A Ridley Scott movie its as though the producers reigned him in and only let him loose during the drug bust sequence.
That said the story is fantastic and Denzel Washington gives another top class performance.
Crowe and Actor who i can tkae or leave is good too as the cop determined to stay honest and bring his quarry to justice.
Not Scotts best vintage then but miles better than a Good Year

The thinking persons action movie.
Based on the graphic novel this has more discussion points and dark politics than most average Hollywood Movies.
Hugo Weaving gives a great performance as The hero? V full of great quotes and speeches yet at the same time adding a sense of danger and menace to his role.
Natalie Portman here shows just how good an actress she can be as Evey she is totally realistic as the girl who becomes a woman with Vs help.The parts with her in the cell are some of the best parts of the film .
Having some of the Best of Brit acting in supporting roles is a good move too.
With Stepehn Rea,John Hurt ,Stephen Fry and Tim Piggot Smith all giving good support.
This is an Action film which deals with issues that could become reality and it handles them with great apolmb and harks back to those great Sci Fi films of the 70s such as Soylent Green and The Andromeda Strain.
But the Action really seals the film also and i feel this is a cult classic for the future

My own personal Favourite Tony Scott film.
Denzel Washington gives another one of his great performances a The Alcholic body guard Creasy who swears revenge on the gang who kidnapped the girl in his protection played by Dakota Fanning.
All the usual Scott Touches are here including fast action and Kinetic editing and of course the Genius that is Christopher Walken.
The difference here is that Scott injects the realtionship between Washington and Fanning with some decent interplay between the 2 actors giving this sometimes violent film a emotional core .
If you want to see how Tony Scott films look then start with this its a winner all the way

one of Pekinpah most difficult and widely discussed films most notable for the rape scene,which contributed to the film being banned in the UK for almost 30 years.
Apart from the scene which is still a tough watch Peckinpah Builds the tension nicely as Hoffman is made a fool of not only by the villagers but by his young wife.
The final standoff ranks along side Peckinpahs best work with agreat use of Editing and Music to convey the desperate siege that Hoffman finds himself in wher he must overcome his fears and kill in order to protect the slow witted Henry Niles and His wife.
The ending is fantastic and the film as a whole may be dated but still packs a punch even after all these years

Excellent documentary covering the rise and fall and rise again of one of the Cinemas most vilified genres.
All the main players are dealt with here including John Carpenter and Wes Craven.
And there is even room for other lesser known kings of the genre including Sean S Cunnigham and Fred Walton.
The films covered to are great Halloween ,Nightmare on Em Street ,The crap Silent Night Deadly Night and the sadly Neglected Happy Bithday to me and My Bloody Valentine.
Whats important to remeber is that though most So Called Critics hated these movies.
The next wave of directors such As Eli Roth ,Rober Rodriquez and Quinten Tarantino loved these films and have incorperated a lot of there stuff into there own work.
And besides i could listen to Tom Savini all night long there is a guy who knows special FX

The 7os was probably the last great decade for American movies and this excellent documentary deals with the films and the issues which caused them to be made.
Of course the usual Suspects are covered Scorsese, Coppola,Lucas but other film makers such as Schatzenberg ,Friedkin,Ashby and Schader also get a look in.
Also great actors such as Schnider And Christie also give ther view on the turbulant decade.
Best talking heads are Marty of Course and Peter Bogdanovich who tell of there highs and lows in the mad time Tinseltown found itself in.
And of course there is clips from all those great films from The GodFather,to Network to Nashville to PaperMoon.
If you want a starter into one of films most brilliant periods use this doc and then see the films it features i give you my word you will want to seek more of the films out after

Shorter than the Decade Under the Influence film about 70s film makers.
But still packed full of great stories and great clips as well .
Dennis Hopper is funny as he reflects back on how crazy he was.
And Roger Corman giving all those great filmakers a start by meddling around with an editing machine
Again this film gives you the foundations to go on and view the films featured in the clips ,all of which in some shape or form chaged the landscape of film forever

Simply one of the best British SciFi films ever made .
Nigel Kneale was one of the best writers in the genre and Hammer finally got the funds to adapt this fantastic piece .
Ward Baker uses London locations with out resorting to the usual Phone box red bus Cliche.
Andrew Keir gives a wonderful performance as the slightly mad Bernard Quatermass called in to investigate a sinister excavation in A London Tube station.
He is given able supprt by James Donald as as fellow boffin and Julian Glover as A cynical General who gets his just deserts.
The climax is brilliant and though some of the FX are abit wobbly the film still sstands up today.
It will be interesting to see if the alleged resurrected Hammer will return to this story as i think it would be a great film to update in the light of shows like Doctor Who and Torchwood

Vincent Price gives one of the performances of his career as the Murderous Edward Lionheart who swears revenge on the critics who slated him.
The neat trick is he uses Shakespear to kill his foes off including Beheading,A pound of Flesh ,and my fave baking Robert Morleys Poodles in a pie and force feeding them to him until he chokes.
Only Ian Hendry as one of the critics can stop him and comice relief is provided by Milo O Shea and Eric Sykes as 2 inept policemen.
The film is packed full of visual clues to Shakespeare plays and is immensely fun and gory at the same time.
Special Mention To Diana Rigg as Prices Daughter whos own duaghter Rachel Stirling played the same part along side Jim Broadbent in the Recent London Stage production maybe we will get a remake ,but nothing can touch this great bit of english Horror

compared to Guy ritchies attempt at gangster films this is a balls out classic.
Hoskins give one of his best Performances as Harold a man who has embraced Thatcherism to a whole and will let nothing stand in his way even the IRA .
Helen Mirren gives great support as the women behind the throne who sometimes has more brains than Harolds cronies .
The final scene shows Hoskins at his best and the whole film takes place in a time when greed was becoming good and the basics were forgotten which would prove Harolds and the countrys undoing

Woody Allen these days gets it in the neck from loads of people for not making films a s good as this .
While his recent works have been patchy Annie Hall stands out as one of his best.
Full of typical Allen Humour the film is supposledly Based on Keaton and Allens Realtionship at that time.
Christopher Walken has a great part as Keatons Demented Brother ,and Allen does loads of things that you sont expect in a normal film Talking direct to the Audience,Bringing in Marshall McCluan to shoot down a Boring Film Critic,Switching to Animation Etc
This all adds to the fun of the film as a whole and With Gordon Willis as DP we get a lovely view of New York.
Allens best film and also a good place to start if you want to study his work

"From this day on the official Langauge of San Marcos will be Swedish"
One of Allens early gems full of greta visual and Written jokes.
Here Allen plays on his Nebbishness as Fielding Mellish a New Yorker Drawn into A South American Revolution.
The film Has Sly Digs at US foreign policy and how often these countries change leaders.
The best jokes are in the courtroom scene especially with J Edgar Hoover Working Undercover.
And dont worry if a Joke falls flat there always seems to be another good one shortly afterwards.
and remeber
"All children under 16 years old are now ......16 Years Old"

This was always going to be a difficult book to adapt but Credit to Mike Nichols and Buck Henry they do a great job .
Alan Arkin is wonderful as Yossarian a Pilot who will do literally anything to get out of fighting.
Nichols fills the film with agreat cast Including Orson Welles ,Jon Voight and Martin Balsam.
The comic effect is pretty good but there are some truly shocking moments along the way (The Death of Hungry Joe being the most notable)
Greeted with indifference on it intial realease this has beome a cult classic thanks to a younger generation of directors Such as Steven Soderberg giving it high praise.
I happen to think along with Silkwood and Virginia Wolf its one of Nichols best films

Forget mel Gibsons Remake Payback .
This is the film that Cemented LeeMarvin as An actor.
Here he is Icily tough as Walker a Man left for dead by His Partner and Ex Wife who comes back and smashes and Kills his way to the top of The Organisation in order to get the money he is owed.
Sounds simple right ?
Well Boorman turns the genre on its head with adizzing use of sound and Visuals,most notable when we see and hear Marvin walking along a corridor .
A flop in 1967 the film is now quite rightly Regarded as A masterpiece and films such a The Limey have paid tribute to it.
It also lead to Marvin and Boorman becoming life long friends even though they only made one more film together the Excellent Hell In The Pacific

If you want to get to know Dylans work then Watch Martin Scorseses excellent Documentary No Direction Home before Watching this as this film Deals with Dylans various "Lives "
and is utterly wonderful.
Having 6 actors play Dylan seems to be a touch of madness ,but here its a touch of Genius
All the sctors give fantastic performances but of course the one that stands above all the others is Cate Blanchett as Electric and Going mad Dylan .
She totally captures Dylan at a moment when people who thought he was a Folk messiah were calling him "Judas" for selling out and Going electric.
Blanchett on this showing is fast becoming the best actress of her Generation.
Also Christian Bale is becoming the actor of his with his nuanced role as Folk and Religious Dylan.#
Special credit to Director Of Photography Edward Lachman who shoots back from Brilliant Clour to steely Black and white with stunning ease.
You may get a little confused but the soundtrack and acting more than compensate.
Finally look for all the visual and spoken references to several key Dylan songs in the film.

Camp horror classic which is ripe for rediscovery.
Price uses a Neat trick in using the Curse of the Pharohs to dispatch the doctors who failed to save his wife.
All the time he is pusued By Peter Jeffery as the sardonic and very funny Inspector Trout.
Price has a field day here as The doctor who has to use a Phonograph plugged into his neck to talk and who loves nothing better than a waltz with his Clockwork Wizards Playing along.
The production design By Brian Eatwell and the nasty deaths make this film a whole lot of fun .
One Of AIP 'S finest pictures lets hope no one decides to remake it

Not as good as the first (mainly due to Robert Quarry as a rival Dr)
But still plenty of fun to be had with great production Design (again by Brian Eatwell)
And a lovley nasty streak running throughout.
Here Phibes dispatches his victims using all manner of nifty tricks (the bed is my fave)
And again Price as Phibes has a ball with some great facial expressions.
And Peter Jeffery As Trout adds to the fun as He again pusues the good Doctor (The Scene with Terry Thomas is a delight as are TroutS Lines)
Rumour has it a third movie was planned and its a shame they never got round to making it as i really enjoy watching these tongue in cheek horror classics

if you want to watch this noir masterpeice make sure its Walter Murchs version which dispatches with the credits over that brilliant tracking shot.
This is the version that Welles wanted before Universal took the film away from him and Murch has gone back and put all the missing bits back in.
True Heston is not the worlds greatest actor But Welles as Corrupt Cop Hank Quinlan and wondeful cameos from Joseph Cotten,Mecedes McCambridge ,Dennis Weaver and Of course Marlene Dietrich (who delivers the brilliant final line of dialogue in the film)
Also its easy to see where Directors like De Palma,Coppola ,Altman and others drew there inspiration from.
Welles was a true maverick and this film shows why.
A noir masterpiece and a film that demands repeated viewing

The Vision that Fuller never lived to see is a masterpiece in filmaking.
Both Fuller and Marvin were vetrans of this conflict.
And both star and director deliver a brilliant war film ,that some how is not held in higher regard.
Fuller attaches Huaman faces to his young cast ,as we see through there eyes the horror of World War 2.
Robert Carradine plays a role loosely based on Fuller including a Cigar .
And the battle scenes are extremly well done .
The restoration gives more backstory and as a result we feel more sympathy for the young men in the field of battle.
look out to For Chabrol regular Stephan Audran as a french Woman.
Savour this truley great war film

Forget The Talented Mr Ripley.
Wenders version Of Highsmiths Book Ripleys Game is THE best version of her work.
Hopper who was off his head on drink and drugs at this point in his career ,gives a brilliant performance as Ripley
a man with semmingly no soul who convinces Bruno Ganz that he is dying and sets hin to work as A freelance assasin.
Although the film is Shot in Germany it plays like a hard boiled American Noir.
Wenders plays on this by Using the Directors Sam Fuller and Nic Ray in cameo roles ,both who of course had been masters of the genre.
Wenders fills his film with some gret set pieces too including Fullers fall down some steps and Ganz attempting to murder someone on a train.
Wenders has come in for a drubbing in recent years i feel unfairly so and this film should be viwed if only to redress critical balance towards his other films.

A film which has come in for some stick due to its fx.
But this reviewer enjoyed the film immensly.
Smith is Brilliant as a man who may be coming undone after so much time on his own.
The scenes in Adesolate New York are a wonder to behold as Smith and his sole companion Sam(the dog is great by the way)
Roam the streets hunting and killing time.
When Smith is on his own or talking to his dog or even show room dummies he is utterly convincing.
The final act feels abit rushed ,but the flashbacks work well and there are some truly scary moments along the way.
Also in these days of films that take ages to end the running time is just right.
one to savour a blockbuster with brains

You have to give credit to Danny Boyle, he knows his Sci fi films.
the elements from classic films such as Alien ,outland and 2001 are tied into this brillant story about a mission to the sun.
Boyle uses the skills of his cast to full extent ,and Alex Garlands script is full of knowing nods to some of the greats of the genre.
Cillain Murphy is great as the man who could save the mission
And the production Design and Camerawork on this film are second to none.
Boyle along with Michael Winterbottom is becoming one of those British directors to watch
And yet again here he comes up trumps in this classy film

Having seen Essex Boys i wasnt expecting much from this London Gangster film.
It may not be The Long Good Friday ,but bloddy hell its not half bad.
Yes its violent ,but these guys were so off there head most of the time all they knew was violence.
The cast is excellent with Craig Fairbrass delivering a truly terrifying performance as a coked up villain.
Ricci Harnett should be one to watch for the future and the presence of Billy Murray and Frank Harper gives the film some kudos.
A cult film in the making and not as bad as i thought it would be

This could have been one of those horrible Disease of the Week TV movies that American television churns out.
But in the hands of 1st time director Sarah Polley we get a wondefully moving film dealing with a difficult subject matter.
Polley never batters you over the head with sentiments and grandstanding acting or Visuals.
She simply weaves a touching story of forgotten love.
The small cast never showboats and all of them give neatly measured performances.
But its Julie Christie probably the best actress of her genaration who shines here delivering a performance of Heartbraking Power whilst never resorting to knowing tugs at the heartstrings.
Great Use of Neil Young on the soundtrack and some great moving moments makes this an Understated treat which packs a real emotional punch

If you moan about the State of Our NHS then watch this film and prepared to be stunned.
Here Moore shows how the biggest superpower in the world deals with its sick by refusing them basic medical care or by taking away there hard earned cash.
Patients who can afford to pay are dumped on the street or left to die when they could have been saved if there treatement had been approved .
Meanwhile health insurance companies grow fat off the profits of other folks misfortune.
Moore seems geniuinely staggered when he sees that Nations such as Canada ,France and Of course the Uk have a much better standard of care than in the USA.
The most ironic part is that even Cuba the old so called Enemy is more willing to Help heros of 9/11 than the US goverment is.
As Tony Benn points out in this eye opening film.
"IF anybody tried to abolish the NHS ,there would be rioting in the streets"
See this film and be grateful that its all free the next time your waiting at A&E for over an hour !!!! .

Fun yet Interesting Film from seasoned Director Mike Nichols.
Hanks plays a Congressman with a nice line in Ladies and Drinking who through sheer charm Manages to gain Funds for the war against the Russians in Afghanistan
With the help of Julia Roberts a s a rich patron and Phillip seymour Hoffman as a CIA agent with anger issues,Wison manages to pull it off.
Aaron Sorkin who created the West Wing delivers a Funny political comedy that never talks down to its audience and is full of neat dialogue and touches.
Nichols is a pro at this kind of film and his cast are all very good.
But its Seymour Hoffman ,who is fast becoming a top notch actor who steals the film as Gust ,with his handog features and Penchant for bugging officials ,he is a wonderfully drawn person and by the end of the film you kind of warm to his sledge hammer personality

In 1979 most Scifi Movies had shown space as a wondeful place to visit.
Scott and His crew decided to "dirty" things up and give space an almost contemporay feel.
As with all the great Moster films the less you see the more scared you become.
Scott ratchets up the tension with the aid of dark and Dank visuals and Jerry Goldsmiths wonderful score.
Many critics have seen the film as a Metaphor for pregnancy and sex and it is easy to see why espically in the notable chest burst sequence (which of course Scott told none of the actors what was about to happen).
HR Gigers creatures have the desired scare effect and the final confrontation is gripping stuff.
More recently Danny Boyle ppaid homage to this film with his own Sunshine a film which has alot in common with this Scotts first Masterpiece.
Just remeber In Space no one can hear you scream

When i was younger my sister would watch this film time and time again on video to the point i hated this film.
Now some 10 Years later i learned to love it again.
The songs are fab ,my fave being Greased Lightning.
The plotline for a musical is fairly risque too ,with Sex, Pregnancy and other vices bought to the fore.
Nostalgia is always a good seller and this film has it in spades with memorable bits like The Prom Dance,The Drag race and the Final happy ending.
Normally i avoid musicals like the plague ,but if you dont like this film then in my humble opinion you have no soul
Grease after all this time is still the word

A fantastic Italian Gangster movie which traces the fate of a group of friends across the 7os and 80s
The film neatly combines real life events in Italy such a s The terrorist campaign of the Red Brigade and the lives of these disperate gangsters.
Similar in many ways to the work Of Martin Scorcese the film contains some standout moments including a bombing of a Railway station and a daring prison escape through to the final act on the steps of a church.
This along with a great soundtrack show how Italian Cinema is still as Cutting edge as it was in the days of Leone and Fellini

The Western is Agenre they say is dead ,But thanks to one or two films like this its still moving along.
Crowe and Bale give tremendous performances as outlaw and rancher respectively.
Mangold who has built up a fine body of work build the tension along nicely and the film contains some excellent gunfights.
Crowe has the showier part as the desperado with a hint of decency.
While Bale matches him as a man who sees one last chance to keep hold of all he owns by escorting Crowe to the Yuma Train.
The cast is rounded out by Peter Fonda as A bounty Hunter and a cast of realative unkowns as Crowes less than honurable gang.
It may not be Leone or Peckinpah ,But James Mangold has turned in a strong and exciting western

Now that Clint Eastwood has stopped making westerns ,it seemed that no director would take up the mantle .
The most unlikely Director to pick it up Is Kevin Costner.
After the debacle of Waterworld and The postman, it was difficult to imagine That Costner could make ANY film .
But this film i feel is even better than Dances With Wolves and is an Overlooked gem.
Costner keeps his pacing slow and shows us Beautiful vistas of the West.
He also gets another 100% brilliant performance out of Robert Duvall as His wolrd weary Colleague in the saddle.
Duvall excels in this roles and brings gravitas to this already brilliant film.
Thefinal Shoot out is bloody and pardon the pun ,brillantly executed as Costner and Duvall face off Against Michael Gambons hired guns.
A brilliant western which i feel in time will be given classic staus in the western genre

Brilliant action movie with a wicked sense of the absurd.
Owen plays a Carrot Chomping stranger with anice line in disposing of bad guys .
After he unwillingly acquires a newborn baby the plot goes into the back seat as He is Pursued by a wonderfully demented turn from Paul Giamatti.
This film takes gun fights to the next level so you get gunfights in mid air,gun fights on conveyor belts ,gunfights during sex its just huge fun.
Bellucci is Gorgeous and the film has a nice line in the Gun culture in the US.
Not a big hit on its intial relase this ifeel is A DVD classic in the making ,and any film where carrots are used as a weapon gets my vote everytime .
Great fun

Brillant Drama Comedy dealing with the Difficult subjec t of Teen Pregnancy.
The films plus points are the fact that the Adults are not just one dimensional Sterotypes and they are in some respects Sympathetic towards Junos Situation.
This is down to Jason Reitmans great casting of the adult roles with Jennifer Garner and JK Simmons in standout roles.
The other key point is that Junos angst is deftly handled ,Ellen Page and Michael Cera are utterly belivable as the unwitting parents and the whole film rarely feels forced or laboured ,pardon the pun .
Reitman never judges his 2 teen leads and whats happenend ,instead he focuses on Junos quest to have her child adopted and this story pays off handsomly.
Finall word about the music which adds to the films warmth and charm and keeps the narrative ticking along nicely.
A little gem of a film which tackles its subject matter with great aplomb

From the folks who bought you Bridget Jones and Atonement.
Comes this great big dumb action flick.
Ok the plots weak but the final shoot outs are cleverly done and there are some neat performances in the film.
Jason Bateman has the most fun aS a Washed up lawyer.
While Alicia Keys is pretty good in her 1st acting role.
Not the film to take a date to then .
But given that the action movie has been a bit stale of late its good to see new blood trying to kick life into it.
A future cult fave methinks

After afew missteps Soderbergh got his career back on track with the brilliant Out Of Sight and then followed it with this homage to British and American Gangster films of the 60s .
There are elements of Get Carter and Point Blank in here and he even uses fottage from Loach's film Poor Cow
Stamp is terrific as Wilson a one man army on a quest to avenge the death of his daughter.
He is ably supported by a fine suppoting cast Including Luis Guzman as a Guide through La's less savoury areas.
Barry Newman as A ruthless head of security
And Peter Fonda as A 60s sellout.
Sodebergh uses every trick in his box of tricks to keep the tempo just right and the film feels very much like the films its paying lip service to.
A hard edged film then But not without some geniune rewards

After giving us his view on the Kennedy Assasination,Oliver Stone deals with the most contreversial president in American History Richard M Nixon.
Afigure who divides opinion to this day.
Stone covers Nixon's political career from his wilderness years to his final downfall over Watergate.
Its a lot of ground but Stone has a Top Notch cast to give the story real punch.
Hopkins may not be Nixon but he gives a wonderful performance capturing every flaw the man had.
He is given able support by Joan Allen as Pat Nixon,James Woods as HR Haldman,JT Walsh as John Erlichman,and ED Harris as Howard Hunt.
In fact all the cast is excellent and special mention to Robert Richadrson for his excellent camera work.
A long film yes and like the Man Flawed but still a brillant film none the less

James Woods is a great actor and this i personally think is his finest hour.
Based on a true story Woods plays Richard Boyle a sleazy photographer who becomes embroiled in the War in El Salvador .
At first he sees it as an excuse to have a good time but soon he is drawn into the conflict and is drawn into even more danger .
Stone is highly crititical of American policy and Communist policy here.
He pulls no punches showing how innocent people are the biggest losers in these conflicts.
Woods gives a staggering performance as Boyle .
Whilst Platoon stole the limelight its this film where we see Stone really come into his own
An Early masterpiece from a director who splits opinion down the middle with his films

Ok i will admit it this is one of my favourite Bond films.
Why?
Well the action is great and Moore has some great lines.
Many say that the series lost its way under Moore ,but i happen to like his Bond films for there tongue in cheek humour and rattling good strory lines.
Sure the story is a bit clunky in places,but the minature jet sequence the car on the railway and the Tuk Tuk chase soon compensate for that.
After Moore Dalton took it way too seriously .
Me any film where Bond tellsa Tiger to sit gets my vote

After the awfulness of Die Another Day ,Director of Goldeneye Martin Campbell was bought back to give the series a well deserved shot in the arm.
And boy does he pull it off .
Danile Craig proves a revalation as a Bond with a more human side to his ego,he gives the part a lot more light and shade.
The action here is good old fashioned stunt work and hardly any CGI which messed up the previous Movie.
The free running sequence at the start and the airport chase are some of the best things in the Whole Bond series.
The girls are great the Villain is top draw .
The future for the Bond Franchise for the moment looks secure.
An instant Bond film Classic

Hugely Underrated Bond movie ,which at the time recived an unfair mauling by the critics due to the casting of Lazenby as Bond.
With Hindsight the film is now one of the best in the series with a blistering score by John Barry (His Best in my view) and some great action set pieces.
Diana Rigg matches Bond all the way as Tracy who unlike later Bond girls is not just window dressing .
As with Daniel Craig Years later Lazenby gives Bond a Human side and we even see Bond get married only for things to take a tragic turn .
Of all the Bond films this one improves with age like a fine wine of which 007 would no doubt approve

The Bond film which set the template for the others which followed it.
This was the film where the gadgets started to kick in and the villains started to become memorable.
Everything is here The Aston Martin with the ejector seat.
The Henchman with the killer bowler hat .
The villains outlandish scheme.
Connery is perfection as he prevents Goldfinger from taking out his evil plan.
Ken Adams sets will take your breath away and of course theres that theme tune sung by Shirley Bassy.
It may have dated here and there but this is the fil which made Bond truly a global franchise

Mnay critics have been unduly harsh about the Moore films but this is one of his best.
Under Bond veteran Guy Hamiltons direction Moore adds a bit more tongue in cheek to the role.
The story line is pretty good too Drugs and Voodoo and tarot all mix to give Moore a good start to his Bond role.
The action sequences are ace as well most notably the speedboat chase,The Plane Escape and the Duble Decker Bus chase.
Kotto is a great villain and Seymour never looked more alluring as Solitare.
Of course the Theme song By Wings is the best Bond theme by a Country mile.
Later Bonds with Moore could get a bit silly but here the balance is Finely struck

Dalton was laways a bit po faced as Bond for me the 1st time round .
But since his ace Turn in Hot Fuzz it maybe time to look again at how he gave the series a boost at a time when it was starting to look a bit ragged.
Dalton gives Bond a slightly meaner streak than Moore and it pays off rather well.
The big let down here is the Bond Girl and the villians they just dont stand up to the ones of the past.
That said the action is solid and the script is too
Not vintage Bond then but after the indifferent View to A kill a welcome re invention of Bond

Along With Live and Let Die and For Your Eyes .
This is top notch Bond all the way.
Who can forget Richard Kiel as the Huge Scary Jaws.
The fantastic Underwater Lotus
And the massive soundstage built to house the battle on Strombergs Container ship.
Its all great fun packed with good humour fast action and beautiful women.
Its just a shame that after this they went too far with the same template fro the rotten Moonraker.
Stiil good fun all the same and one of the best Bonds in the series

Or the Bond which came down to earth after the nonsense of Moonraker.
Aside from the Terrible score this Bond has Aged pretty well.
This is due to a story which goes easy on gadgets in favour of Character instead.
Thats not to say that it skimps on Action.
The funny and Hairaising 2CV chase is a standout.
As is the assault on the Villains lair.
John Glen who had beeen a 2nd unit director on previous Bonds does a pretty decent job of handling the action.
And the 2 hours go rattling by.
One to savour

After 6 years away Bond was back and i for one thought this was a massive return to form.
Brosnan combines all the elements of the best Bonds to deliver a Cracking performance.
The action most notably the Tank chase in St Petersburg is well put together .
And the Bond girls give as good as they get.
Only Bean as the Bad Guy lets the side down a little ,but your having so much fun watching Bond that you wont care .
Its no suprise that Martin Campbell was Called back in to do Casino Royale as this film proves he is a perfect match for the Bond genre

After the disaster of the Ladykillers the Coens Return here to something like there best.
A beautifully shot and in some parts extremly Violent movie.
Javier Baredem is outstanding as an Assasin whos more relentless then the Terminator and he is well cast in the role.
Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones too are great and the film contains all the usual Quirky parts that we have come to expect from the Coen Brothers.
The biggest Star here though is Director of Photography Roger Deakins.
As with Fargo his shot skills are second to none giving us wide view of the desolate Texas Plians which reminded me of Badlands.
And moody dark shots cast in light and shadow ,simply put he deserves an Oscasr for his work on the film.
The ending is odd but dont let that put you off ,proof if proof were needed that the Coens have not lost theer touch .
A slow burning triumph

The 2nd in Romeros Zombie films in also a funny critique of American Consuemer soicety.
Where do you get a horror film that not only has gore but social commentary as well.
Produced by Dario Argento and Scored By him as well .
Romeros cast hole up in a disused shopping centre clear it of Zombies and then proceed to live it up while terror rages outside until.........well you can guess the rest.
Tom Savinis make up is fab and while the film looks dated in parts its still as relevant today as it was in 1979.
Horror is a Genre most Crtics despise more fool them as this is one of the best in the genre

Only Romero could take the War on terror and make a zombie film with it.
Romero here comments on American policy both at home and Abroad with Dennis Hopper basically doing Donal Rumsfield as the Leader of of gated Community.
Simon Baker and Asia Argento are great as the folks on the outside doing what they can to survive and of course then there is the zombies .
Here they are starting to become more aware of what is going on which eventually leads to the final showdown .
As always there is loads of Romero gore and Action and while it may not be as good as Dawn its still an Entertaining horror none the less

A rare ecxception to the remake rule,in that this one is not terrible.
Snyder takes all the elements that made the original film great and uses them to brilliant effect.
He also pays homage to the original film by filing his with cast members and knowing references to it.
Great opening sequence using Johnny Cash too.
The Actors are all pretty good and the terror and Gore balance is welll struck adding to the overall tone of the film.
Amodern Horror film with brains and Brawn

Peter Berg is fast becoming a director of some repute and this film confirms this statement.
Dealing with a tricky and relevant subject matter could have raised issues but thanks to a tidy script ,near casting and a great action sequence the film moves along well.
The cast are good Foxx could do this role in his sleep ,but its Jennifer Garner ,Jason Bateman and Chris Cooper as his team who give solid and entertaining performances.
The best performnce of all though Is Ashraf Barhom as a Saudi Police chief.
His role is well fleshed out and is better than most Arab as Standard terrorist roles,we see his family and how the Team befriend him.
Which is all very neatly hadled.
Special metion for Jeremy Piven as a Hyperactive Liason Officer and Danny Huston as A shady attorney general.
As the film is produced by Michael Mann ,the final shoot out feels very real ,and berg stages the action with adeft hand.
The film does lag in places but overall i personally was pleasntly suprised by this film

Sequels that are better than the original are more rare than Hens teeth.
Thats why Joe Dante should be given extra credit here for creating a totally off the wall sequel to an Already classic film.
Dante packs his film with knowing references to other films such as Batman,Rambo 2,The Wizard of Oz and Invasion of the Bodysnatchers.
The cast too are uniformly great with John Glover stealing the show as Daniel Clamp and Christopher Lee as A sinister Prof.
The Gremlins here come in various guises,Spider Gremlin,female Gremlin and of Course clever Gremlin (voiced by Tony Randall)
The filmakers are clearly having a ball and the film is a pure delight from start to finish.
There is even a Cameo for Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
Not as Scary as the first film then ,but still a whole lot of fun

Or Blair Witch meets Godzilla.
Excellent movie which delivers thrills and scares in equal measure.
The film could also be seen as a View on America after 9/11 but as a whole its extremly entertaining.
The shaky camerawork may put some people off but in my view it enhances the terror we are seeing on the screen.
The special Fxs are brilliant and the whole film clocks in at a decent 84 mins which of course is in real time over the course of the film .
By focusing on a Small group of people Matt Reeves and Producer JJ Abrahams have pulled offf the fisrt big event Movie of 2008.
One word though No Sequel Please it would be pointless

Kevin Costner as a serial Killer!!!!!
Well trust me it works suprisingly well all things considerd.
Costner plays a succesful businessman with a loving wife and a Healthy daughter he seems to have everything ......but
Costner is first rate a man who seems so normal when he commits acts of violence its truly shocking.
He is helped no end by William Hurt as his alter ego who compells Brooks to kill Semmingly innocent people.
The weak link is Demi Moore as A cop withMarriage issueson Costners trail .
Her story goes nowhere and one wants to get back to Costner and Hurt and Dane Cook as a Would be killer.
That said the film is laced with black comedy and if you dont like Kevin Costner then this film proves what a good actor he can be

After recent sickly sweet movies Director Lasse Hallstrom delivers on the promise he showed with his first feature MY Life as A dog.
Richard Gere (excellent)plays Clifford Irving a man who pursuades a large publishing house that he has gained Access to the reclusive millionare Howard Hughes.
Aided by Alfred Molina (who is the best thing in the film) he build a web of lies which grows bigger with every con they pull.
The story never drags as we See Gere and Molina tangle not only with Hughes but with the US goverment.
Gere potrays Irving as aman prepared to risk every thing to prove his story is genuine.
even when events spiral totally out of control he still has hope.
The supporting cast are great and its a shame that this film has been overlooked in the Oscar stakes as the 2 leads deliver career best performances.
A little gem which i advise you to seeek out on DVD

The film that first Really put Spielberg on the map has everyting.
Chills ,action ,Laughs and best of all a great script and cast.
Benchleys book was no classic But Spielberg turned in what became known as the First "Event " movie of its type.
The threat of the shark is sustaine by what you dont see rather than what you do,and John Williams now classic score embelishes this element of unknown terror.
Schinder is great as the family man thrown into this shark problem.
While Dreyfuss and most Notably Shaw are knockout as 2 men who approach the whole shark question fron 2 angles.
The film is of course most notable for Shaws Brilliant USS Indianapolis monologue which has become simply timeless.
In fact the whole film still stands up today .
Spielbergs first classic and as we know now there would be many many more to come

Forget the godawful remake ,this 1980 classic is one of John Carpenter best films.
Basically the film is a classic old fashioned ghost story about murder and revenge.
But in the hands of Carpenter this becomes a Scary old fashioned teat.
Carpenter uses the ghostly fog to create some great suspense and as always with Carpenter the film is packed with references to other Horror films and Directors eg Hitchcock and the Town Doctor named Dr Phibes!!!
Nevertheless this in joke stuff never gets in the way of the films premise and of course we get to see Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis acting together alongside each other.
gripping from the start in may not be as Graphic as Carpenters later films but it sure beats the crappy remake hands down

Scorsese's first artistic triumph ,is in part a love letter to the streets of New York he grew up in.
It also happens to contain sveral key elements which feature time and time again in his work.
Most notably religion, violence and loyalty.
In fact this film is almost a template for later classics such a s Goodfellas,Casino and the Departed.
De Niro holds your attention as the unstable Johnny Boy he is so powerful in fact the backers of the film thought he was actually a street hood raher than an actor.
Kietel has the less flashy part but he excels as A man torn apart by religious guilt and the need to save Johnny Boy and his Cousin Theresa.
Ultimatly both these forces will bring him down and lead to the films shocking conclusion.
The film as Always is packed full of great music and brill New York Street Dialogue.
It may be a slow moving picture but its a picture which still packs a huge punch even today

As the film says Play Loud!!!!
Scorsese captures the Bands last concert in 1976 and comes up with one of the best concert films in the process.
The Band deliver a knockout setlist including "The Night they drove Old Dixie Down" and the Wonderful "it makes no difference"
The key also are the great specail guests Including Neil Young,Joni Mitchell,Van Morrisonand of course Bob Dylan.
All give show stopping performances neatly laced with interviews with The Band .
The film is all the more poigniant since some of the cast have passed away since the film came out.
All in all if you dont like this concert film then you dont like music as its a classic of the genre

Unlike Errol Flyns dashing version.
Tony Richardsons film shows how the heads of the British army combined to lead one of the biggest blunders in Miliatry history.
Almost a critique of American Involvemet in Vietnam ,the film shows how the generals were riven by class suspicion ,buffonery,and delusions of granduier.
Trevor Howard is ace as the Pompus Lord Cardigan,more worried about Black Bottles on Tables than the wellfare of his soldiers.
And Sir John Gielgud is wonderful as a Lord who sees the whole thing as some big adventure.
Only David Hemmings as A ranking officer appears aware of the doom these men are facing.
Greeted with Critical Derision at its time of relase ,the fil is sorely Underated with Richard Williams Animation ,And David Watkins stunning camera and Richardsons assured direction this is a Classic Antiwar film ,and one which deserves a bigger reputation

A Mob Movie directed by a British Director
Forget About it!!!
Mike Newell creates a Understated classic of the Genre and 2 of the best actors on The planet deliver 2 knockout performances.
Depp as The FBI agent who infiltrates the mafia ,is outstanding as he is drawn deeper and deeper into the life and begins to enjoy it more and more.
As a Result he loses touch with his wife and any sense of a normal life .
Pacino here is fantastic too As Lefty he gives a touching performance as a Small time hood who works hard but has always been stepped over when it comes to be the Boss.
Always Broke and Always smoking even though Lefty is A killer Pacino gives him a Human face that makes the part more endearing.
Add Michael Madsen and Anne Heche into this cast and a Stunning Screenplay and the film climbs into Masterpiece territory

One of the Best French new wave movies there is.
Truffauts love story with a twist is full of memorable moments and makes most modern romantic films look like dead ducks.
The 3 leads are all great and Jeanne Moreau is at her most alluring here.
The film feels as though it was shoot on the hoof thanks to ace Ciematographer Rauol Coulthards stunning camerawork.
Truffaut would later beaccused by more of his extreme contempories for selling out and making films aimed more at the popular market.
I for one feel this is unfair as Truffaut is still as Relevant today as he was back in 1959.
A masterpeice then from a master director

Godards first breakthrough feature has plenty to recommend it .
And is in my opnion and Ideal start for those wanting to study the French New wave directors of the early 60s.
Belmondo is coolness personified as Godard turns him into a French Humprey Bogart who swallows up American Culture as he embarks on his life of crime.
Jean Seberg is fantastic too as his Gilrfriend ,who will eventually cause his downfall.
Godard fills his film with neat tricks including Jump cuts and Breaking the so called Fourth Wall.
Aslo look out too for Godard himself and fellow directors Jean Pierre Mellvile and Claud Chabrol.
While later Godard works are Steeped in Heavy politics and messages this is Cinema at its most purest form and is still as Groundbreaking today as it was in 1960

Fellinis masterpeice and packed full of rich filmaking detail.
From the shot of Jesus dangling from the helicopter to the beautiful women in Fellinis cast everything about this film is pefect.
The plot deals with Fellinis own personal Creative block at the time with Mastroianni in Fellinis role.
If all directors had a block like this beautiful film then it would be amazing.
Homaged by Paul Mazursky in Alex In Wonderland and Woody Allen in Stardust Memories.
This film shows how cinema can be a truly beautiful and Unique art form .
Not as Overindulgent as Fellinis later works ,this is one of Italian Cinemas greatest works of art

Hugely enjoyable and Underated gem From Director John Badham.
Fox is bratty movie actor who teams up with James Woods in order to research a part for his new movie.
The only thing is Woods Hates Fox with a passion and with dsome truly great lines proceeds to tell him so.
Woods is great here as the rude and Abrupt cop ably matched by Fox as the guy he cant get rid of.
Badham packs the film with plenty of action and both that and the laughs come thick and fast.
Nothing to tax the brain here but a great ball of fun none the less

Ahh yes Big dumb movie with lashings of action a ridiculous story line and lots of laugh out loud moments.
Statham is good value As Chev Chelios a man injected with a poison which means he has to keep his adrenalin levels up or he dies.
Sounds silly?
Well it is but you will be having too much fun to care As Statham slugs and Smashes his way to the final showdown.
Subtle this film is not and it wont win any serious movie prizes.
But my god its fun and Statham builds on the 2 Excellent Transpoter films here

Brilliant and sometimes touching story of Ian Curtis lead Singer of Joy Division who died aged 23.
Directed by noted photographer Anton Corbijn (he shot the Albun cover for U2s Joshua tree)
This is an outstanding piece of filmaking.
Sam riley who plays Curtis gives an amazing Debut performance as a man ill at ease with the pressures of Fame and trapped in a Love triangle where he wants to hurt no one,add to that Curtis was Struggling with Epilepsy.
The filmakers nevr turn this movie into another Ray Or Walk The Line ,when dealing with Curtis problems ,instead your heart goes out to a man who only wanted to do the right thing.
Add to that a Great soundtrack and great Black and White camerawork and you have an excellent Boipic of one of the key figures in British music

Despite all the hype poured upon Fight Club ,This along with Zodiac is David Finchers best film.
Its the unrelenting darkness and the final sting in the tail which make this a way above average serial killer movie.
In light of all the 2nd rate Movies that have followed it (Im talking about those Godawful Saw movies for one) this film still has the power to scare even after all this time.
The secret being its what Fincher neglects to show you,which leaves your mind free to wonder.
Yes there is gore but its ameans to an end and never feels like exploitation.
Add to this 2 great lead performances and Finchers knack for making everything look so damn bleak and you have Along with Silence Of The Lambs one of the best films of this genre.
A dark and frightning masterpiece

A tough watch ,but an honest and well staged depiction of what Happened to United Airlines 93 on September 11 2001.
Greengrass has done this type of film before most notably with Bloody Sunday.
Here though the film is all the more powerful as events are still fairly recent.
The passengers are shown as ordinary people who react to there situation in An Extraordinary way.
Greengrass never resorts to cheap tugging at the heart strings filmaking of America is great Filmaking either.
What we get here is raw powerful stuff made all the more real by having people who were on the ground that day recreating there roles in the unfolding drama.
A film that needed to be made and a film that everyone should see at least once.

An excellent depiction of one of the Key elements in Northen Irelands Troubles.
The shooting of unarmed civilians by the British Military lead to IRA membership increasing and further loss of life on both sides.
Paul Greengrass uses the same docudrama approach that he would later use on United 93 and as there its simply Brilliant.
James Nesbit is Outstanding in the central role and the film is so well done you forget at times its a recreation of the event.
Avital film of one of the key moments in modern history ,this deserves to be watched.
As a footnote a public enquiry is still ongoing at the time of writingits been of the longest in UK legal history

While Everyone raves about Rocky and Rambo ,this in my view is Stallone at his very best.
As Ineffectual Sherrif Freddy Hefflin he delivers a performance that we never knew he was capable of.
The supporting cast help with strong performances fron DeNiro, Keitel,Peter Berg and a ace turn from Ray Liotta as Heflins unhingeg friend.
But this is Stallones movie all the way and he turns in a role full of human Emotion and understated dignity adding Credibility to Mangolds knockout direction.
Afilm that has become lost in a field of quality Thrillers ,this is one film i can recommend as being a lost underrated classic

Being a huge fan of documentaries i felt i had to see this one.
And im glad i did ,over the course of 4 hours Marcel Ophuls tells the often shocking story of France Under occupation.
This is the best doc out there and even though its long you never lose interest as the Story unfolds.
Ophuls shows both sides of France during the War.
Those who fought against Nazi tyrany and those who collaberated with the Nazis.
What emerges is a Nation divided where Anti English and Anti semitic would re emerge thanks to a ruthless propaganda machine.
We see a pompus German Officer Deny any wrongs were commited ,A frenchman who fought along side the SS,a pair of brothers who fought in the resistance,and a woman who was wrongly denounced as a Collaborator.
Add to this politicians such as Sir Antony Eden and Ophuls builds a fantastic narrative.
The film was not shown on French TV until 1981 as many of its revalations were thought Too shocking.
Even today the film revaels facts which question the myth of French Resistance during the war.
An essential film dealing with the darkest parts of European History

only Brian DePalma could combine Vertigo and Rear Window and come up with this trashy classic .
All the key De Palma elements fall into place as Craig Wasson plays an actor who suffers from fear of confined spaces who witnesses a Gruesome murder (with a drill) and then is thrown in a world of Murder and Mayhem.
The plot makes no sense and the whole premise is barmy.
But Depalma is having so much fun here chances are you just wont care very much of its time and wondefully over the top.
Films like this should be preserved for all time a Schlock classic from the master

The film which started Critics comparing DePalma with Hitchcock and to be fair its themes are fairly similar.
The obvious being the Bernard Herrman Music score and a particulary gruesome murder in the Torn Curtain ,Psycho style.
But we also see the start odf the Depalma touches too.
These include Split screen,Long Tracking shots,odd endings,Use of the colour White e.t.c.
All of these would reappaer in his later work.
Many folks hate DePalmaand his graphic violence and Hitch Homages.
But i personally feel he is one of the more undervalued of that wave of Directors from the 70s and works like this i hold in very high regard.
An excellent introduction to his work and a film that matures with age

The film that first Gave PT Anderson worldwide recognition.
Harking back to Robert Altmans 1970s ensemble cast dramas Andersons film tells the story of the rise and fall of a Star in the 70s porn industry.
Een though the subject is porn Anderson decides to fill his story with belivable actors rather than loads of flesh shots.
Mark Wahlberg is excellent as the young naive Eddy who becomes Dirk Diggler and drives himself and his colleague (A wonderful John C Reily) down a road towards drugs and robbery Culiminating in a wondeful sequence with Alfred Molina and some fire crackers.
Juilanne Moore is fine as the porn star with a past ,and Don Cheadle has great fun as a wannabe cowboy.
Burt Reynolds is amazing as Porn boss Jack Horner and Finally William H Macy is simply majestic as a put upon husband.
A film paked with great lines and stunning period music this would show what a talent Anderson was to become

After paying tribute to Robert Altman with Boogie Nights Anderson goes all out again in tribute to his directing hero in this multi layered story of modern life.
Like Altmans Masterful Short cuts Anderson is like a circus plate spinner keeping different strands of the story going at once and adding a lot of quirky moments along the way.
These Include Ricky Jay's opening dialogue about chance ,the cast all lip synching to One ,and a shower of Frogs.
On top of a great cast is a standout performance from Tom Crusie as Male Sex guru Frank TJ Makey.
While his public image is one of strong willed determination ,his private life is falling apart.
Cruise shows here that when given the chance he really can act .
Add to this Andersons stock cast of great actors including Phillip Baker Hall,Phillip Seymour Hoffman,Julianne Moore and the always wonderful William H Macy and you have probably the best Altman Film Altman never made.
A long film to be sure but one which gives the viewer some great rewards along the way

One of Altmans later masterworks after a fallow period during the 80s .
This sees the king of multi Linear story telling at his absolute best.
With a wonderful ensemble cast even the usually rubbish Andie Macdowell is good in this incredible film.
If you do decide to but this film then go for the Criterion Edtion which comes with a cracking doc on the making of the film ,Tim Robbins interview with the great man ,and Raymond Cavers original book.
Much better than the UK DVD which has just the film.
Its also a film to watch with Magnolia and Crash to see where those films got there ideas from.
That said while both films are good they will never top Altman at the top of His game ,which he is here

If your a film buff like me then this doc will blow your mind.
If your not then there is still plenty here to keep you interested.
In an era of boring movie channels that we have now i long for a channel like Z.
Programmer Jerry Harvey took huge risks showing films that had fallen off the radar or had been infairly lambasted by Critics.
He screened the full length Version of Leones masterful Once Upon a Time In America,The wonderful and hated Heavens Gate and more obscure films from directors Such as Claude Chabrol,Robert Altmanand ,and Visconti
But while the story covers the Z channels daring ,it also shows that its Programmer Jerry Harvey was A driven man who would go into his own heart of Darkness and finally kill himself and his second wife.
With contributions from Tarantino,Altman and others this film made me crave a film channel that took risks as Z had done if only.

The movie which is said to have killed the Western and did kill the career of its director and studio,is a severly misunderstood piece of work.
Yes the film is long and in some parts a touch dull but my god if films like this were made today it would probably win tons of Oscars.
The film is gorgeous to look at and Ciminos attention to period detail pays off Handsomly.
What probably killed the movie more than anything else was nervous UA suits who screened the film in its orginal version then got cold feet when critics savaged it.
Cutting the film hindered rather than helped it and its only thanks to certain film historians that we now get to see the film almost as it was.
Brilliantly acted and some fantastic action scenes ,this is one lost masterpiece undeserving of its awful reputation

Decent and exciting heist movie from the writers of Porridge and Auf Weidersen Pet.
Based on actual events which took place in London in 1971 the film is not as Some cirtics have pointed out another run of the line gangster flick.
Yes there are gangsters but the main focus is on the gang ,the robbery and how the goverment tried to hush the whole affair up in the press.
Staham is on good form here and shows again that he can act unlike someother action heros.
He is ably supported by a cast which includes David Suchet as a London porn King and Saffron Burrows as the woman who brings the bak job to his gang.
The period is brillantly evoked and director Roger Donaldson adds the right amount of humour and action to an already interesting plotline.
If your expecting some cokerney gangster flick then this aint it .
This is a well crafted well written robbery movie which delivers in spades

Excellent Thriller from British Director Peter Travis who had previously worked with Paul Greengrass on the excellent Omagh.
There are lots of good elements here and the cast is uniformly good .
The mutiple story strand works well and every time you went back the filmakers gave you a little more info to drive the plot further along.
Add to that a fantastic carchase through Spanish Streets and a decent running time and you have all the elements of a great thriller .

Collective films rarely work but yet some how this one does and is a rather wonderful treat .
Some of the Greatest directing talents in the business give us 18 5 minute films on the different areas of Paris.
This means we get Sylvain Chomet's wondeful mime love story.
The Coen Brothers giving Steve Buscemia hard time on the Metro ,Tom Twyker with his sped up love story.Alphonise Curaon with his one shot track story and best of the lot are Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands in Gerad Depardius film and Alexander Paynes wondeful and touching film towards the end.
Yes some of the films make no sense and some a re boring as hell but overall this is filmaking at its very best with plenty of moments to keep your interest up.
Afilm for the Heart as well as the soul

While Bertoluccis later work such as The Last Emperor gains kudos.
Alot of his earky work is absolutley stunning.
This European film Noir is one of his best works most notably for Vittorio Storatos Camerawork which adds to the films tone and pace.
Although the film seems to be dealing with just Political Murder there is so much going on that the film grips from the start.
What helps the film also is the fact that Marcello the lead is so indifferent to the things going on around him that even though weshould despise his cowardice and his actions ,we cant help being drawn into his world by the end of the film.
A tough film to watch then ,but one film that evetually gives the viewer plenty of scope to think on what they have just witnessed

If yout expecting a fast action Thriller then forget it.Tony Gilroys debut as A director harks back to those dark political films of the 1970s and is all the better for it.
Clooney is excellent as A law firm fixer with massive personal problems who is drawn into a darker world when his mentor (a ace Tom Wilkinson) goes barmy and uncovers the truth .
This of course upsets one of two shady men in suits and there legal representative (A deserved Oscar For Tilda Swinton) are forced to take drastic measures to stop them losing the case.
The film does take a while to kick in ,but once the story develops it proves to be hugely enjoyable.
No one in this film is whiter than white even Claytons boss ( a standout role for director Sydney Pollack) has motives for keeping the lid screwed down on the events which could destroy the case.
The film may not appeal to the Shoot em up car chase brigade.
But those who like there thrillers to make them think will not be let down

Or Cronenberg Comes to London .
Blimey this is pretty strong in places ,but then we have come to expect that from Cronenberg as he goes where other directors will never venture whne it comes to taboo breaking.
Viggo Mortensen delivers a riveting performance as a Russian Mobster in some parts you forget he is an Actor his performance is that good.
Naomi Watts too excels in a less showy role but one which is essential to the story.
Only Vincent Cassels role seems a bit OTT in the film but i guess thats to counterbalance Mortensens understated acting.
London as Depicted here is not the usual Cliche of Red Phone Boxes and Black Cabs ,instead Cronenbergs eye is turned to the rougher edges of the city that the tourists never see.
Add to that Steve Knights excellent Script (The same chap who used to write for Jasper Carrot by the Way)
And the directors eye for the shocking the Fight in the Baths ,The murder of an Informer ,The removal of Fingers from a Corpse and you have a film which is challenging yet interesting at the same time

The other great Werewolf Movie.
Released around the Same time as American Werewolf ,this film has a tongue in Cheek approcah to the genre ,mainly due to the fact that Joe Dante loves subverting Genres and paying Homage at the same time.
Who else would name all his parts in the film after pevious directors of Werewolf movies ,Terry Fisher,Fred Francis,George Waggner etc.
Who else would put Dick Miller ,Roger Corman and The scriptwriter John Sayles in funny cameo parts.
Only Dante can do this and still provide a scary story with Great special effects by Rob Bottin and get away with it.
Lots of Fun and eclipsed by other films ,this is still pretty good despite it age

Hugely negelected dark comedy gem from Joe Dante ,Featuring a Wondeful performance from Tom Hanks.
When Hanks new Neighbours move in his Blowhard neighbour convinces him that they are Extremly dark folks indeed.
Aided By Bruce Dern as a Suburban Vietnam nut and Corey Feldman as A younger Neighbour.
Hanks is drawn into a darkly comic world which takes the rise out of Suburbia.
Here Again Dante shows his deft touch combining brilliant Knockabout humour and dark Murderous moments.
Middling boxoffice at its time of Release this film is even funnier today with the Advent of Neighbour hood watch groups and such like.
A destined to be cult classic

Leones last film and one which the studio cut to ribbons on its first release.
That version of the film is cut to under 2 hours makes no sense and is utterly terrible.
The restored version at nearly 4 hours long is an epic account of Friendship and betrayl across the decades.
Sein New Yorks jewish Community the films pace is slow put packed full of stand out moments .
Leone paces the film so that we see and hear how New York has Changed As Noodles(played by Robert DeNiro) and Max (a standout James Woods)
fall in and out of friendship.
Aided by a top rate cast and of course Ennio Morricones haunting score ,this is filmaking at its very best .
Different from other Gangster Classics such a s The Godfather and Goodfellas this film is a feast for the eye and the brain and should be watched at least once in a life times

Robert DeNiros first real shot at comedy and its a winner all the way .
Thanks to some neat interplay between him and the marvellous Charles Grodin thsi film is A vastly undrrrated gem from the Director of the 1st Beverly Hills Cop.
George Gallos script is full of crackling dialogue as the mismatched pair are forced to run for their lives from the F.B.I (A dry Yaphet Kotto) the Mafia (a Sweay Dennis Farina)and a rival Bounty Hunter (a brillaint John Ashton)
Add to that lots of great action and you get a film which deserves to go back on the Critical radar as an Action Comedy Gem

Bizzare ,strange and simply Beautiful , this is what the French film directors excel at and this film is one of the best from the early 80s which saw another crop of directors pick up the mantle from there new wave counterparts of the 60s and run with it.
Beineix along With Luc Besson was one of the innovators of this group and this off beat thriller still remains his best film.
A humble post boy who lives in a room filled with car wrecks becomes obsessed with a beautiful opera singer.
Unfortunatley for him he becomes embroled in a world of crooked cops and Hearing aid wearing assasins.
His only hope are a couple who live in a black sparsley furnished room .
Sounds odd?
Well stick with it ,the film is much more interesting than some US thrillers and contains some great set pieces.
The score of classical music combined with Philip Rousseouts stunning camerawork create a cool French classic

A real stonewall B movie classic from Roger Cormans New world studios.
A film that contains a real political message but yet at the sme time contains all the usual Traits of Explotation Cinema.
Paul Bartel who in my view is a very neglected director handles the naked ladies random Violence and dark black humour deftly and smartly.
Stallone is tops as a Racer with an Attitude and the film zips along at a merry old pace.
B movies tend not to be constricted by studio bigwigs and here that lack of tampering pays of handsomly .
Corman is a true pioneer giving careers to Scorsese,Dante Demme and others .
And his New World B pictures of this period are real gems like this one.
A great intro into the world of the B movie

Chabrol is best known for his thrillers in the Hitchcock mould .
But this film is a radical departure from earlier classics like Le Boucher and Que Bete mer.
A gang of terrorists simply called Nada kidnap a US senator and drag him to there country hideout.
Meanwhile the police close the net leading to a bloody shoot out.
Sounds straightforward but in a master like Chabrols Hands the film becomes a totally different beast.
The police here are just as bad as the gang,and use all kinds of extreme measures to gain the location of The ambassador.
Eventually the police will result to murder .
The film caused a great stir on it Initial Screening in France , and is still one of the best critiques on how even the state is willing to make sacrifises so that justice can be served.
Its possibly one of Chabrols best films

Pedro Almodovar has made some of the Greatest films in Spanish Cinema and he is at the forefront of a long line of Spanish and Latin American Directors whos films have crossed over into the mainstream.
Here his subject of Coma Patients and the people they leave behind is handled with real human emotion.
Even the more unsavoury parts of the story are Handled with Aplomb by a master director who has always given actors chance to shine.
After years of trying to shock with earlier works such as Tie Me Up Tie me down.
Almodovar has become a true Autuer and his films combine the best OF Douglas Sirk and Rainer Fassbinder.
A master work from a master craftsman

If you want to get into French Movies then this gem is the pefect place to start.
Totally offbeat,Typically French and full of wonderful shots and ideas this is what French filmakers do best .
Audrey Tautou is spellbinding as the lead whos sole purpose in life is to make people happy so happy in fact her own life is in a mess until love comes along.
Jeunet returned to his native France after the mess of Alien Ressurection.
This film is more in line with his works with Mark Caro including City of Lost Chilldren and Delicatessen.
You will laugh out loud and there are some moments which really tug at those heart strings all in all the perfect Romantic Comedy including a High Flying Gnome

Stunning film from a film maker who nows how to make great Movies.
A civil War story grafted onto a fantasy movie should not work but in the hands of Del Toro we get a film which trounces any Fantasy dreck Holywood could turn out.
Unlike Del Toros American Films such as Hellboy and Mimic,his Spanish Language films are much more poetic but at the same time Brutal in places as well.
The muder of the Spanish Rebel at the start is fairly nasty and by no means does this end all happily ever after.
That siad the little girl in the lead is Amazing and the Creatures played by Doug Jones are memorable to say the least .
A fairy story with a hard edge and a film to watch in tandem with Del Toros own The Devils Backbone which itself is a pretty good movie

A camp classic bought to you from the Director of the Orginal Get Carter.
Mike Hodges movie has everything.
Corny Dialogue ,massive overacting from Brian Blessed,The Beautiful Ornella Muti.
An evil Max Von Sydow and of course THAT Queen score.
While Star Wars is widely discussed and disected this movie just gets along with the job of giving you a rollocking good time.
No matter how many times you see Hawkmen and Timothy Dalton Figting with our Hero on a Moving bed of spikes ,you cant help ending up with abig grin plastered across your face
"GORDONS ALIVE"
Simply timeless stuff

There was a time after Good Will Hunting Where Gus Van Sant made some truly dire movies.
Then in a complete about face hereturned to his Indy roots first with Gerry and Later with Last Days .
In between those 2 films he gave us this which is one of the best films he has made.
Loosly based on Alan Clarkes 1989 film of the same name,this film deals with a high school masscare by 2 students.
Van Sant gives his teens plenty of light and shade as he builds up to the horrifying event itself .
The largely unknown cast give loads of debth to the story and Van Sant would even have us feel sympathy for the teen killers.
The film never grandstands the issue its trying to convey and by the time the film ends you feel as if you have learnt a lesson about teenagers and there hopes and fears.
Add to this questions of Gun control and you have one of the most interesting US films of the last 10 years.

Brilliant spin on the vampire movie genre with plenty of horror and Action to sustain interest.
The 30 days of night theme works really well and Harnett who normally is an Actor i avoid is on pretty good form here .
It helps that the supporting cast are all fine too ,especially Melissa George as Harnetts Estranged wife and Danny Huston in an Amazing as Marlow the Head Vampire who almost walks away with the film.
David Slade knows his horror onions and lays on the gore and special FX in a measured style which directors Like Eli Roth could learn from.
The horror genre needs films which challenge standard horror conventions and this film does that impeccably

Ok this is no classic in fact its terrible.
Awful Montage Sequences ,really bad Acting and some glaring cotinuity errors.
But its what we call a Guilty Pleasure meaning you never admit to liking it but you remeber certain bits (Cobras Car,The Night Slasher,Brigitte Nielsen trying to act)
Very very much of it time and as with all action films of that time there is that great bit when we see the hero assemble his guns for the final shoot out and Carees them like they were female.
Stallone wanted this to be his Dirty Harry,but not even having some of the cast of that film here can stop you laughing at Stallone trying to be serious .
Dont look for a message ,just wonder how they could get away with making films like this

George Clooneys debut film as a director is a funnny sometimes downright bizarre story involving a Gameshow host and The CIA.
Based on the book by Chuck Barris ,the film tells of how Barris created shows like the Dating Game and The Gong Show while at the same time apparently working as A contract killer for the CIA .
Is the story True ?
Well frankly who knows ,But in Clooneys and top writer Charlie Kaufmans hands your too gripped to care whats real and whats not.
Its to actor Sam Rockwells credit that a guy like Barris ,even though he is a total jerk ,still manages to gain our sympathy.
He may be a killer and a Loudmouth Blowhard who treats his Girl friend (a understated Drew Barrymore) Terribly.
But yet we cant help liking him despite that.
Clooney directs with a true artistic vision and the remaining cast Including Julia Roberts and Rutger Hauer all give top Notch performances.
Clooneys later films may have drawn all the plaudits,but this is my personal favourite as it has so much going for it .
A small gem on its own terms

Interesting Doc about the worlds greatest music festival.
If like me you have never been ,then this film is a good guide to the kind of vibe .
It also traces the festivals history from Hippy love in to Thatchers nightmare to Family day out,laced with great clips of bands and people along the way .
Others folks have criticed the lack of music on here but on the 2nd dvd you get complete performances and there is the fun bit on the 1st disc of picking which bands to watch so im not complaning.
Musical highlights on the film include Pressure drop form Toots and the Maytals,Coldplay going balistic and sending the audience into a frenzy.
Primal Scream probaly deafening half of Somerset with Swazstika Eyes,Joe Strummer losing it brilliantly on Straight to hell. Radiohead keeping in simple with Fake Plastic Trees,Richie Havens falling off his stool,and David Bowie returning 30years later with a bril rendition of Heros.
Besides the music you get to see lots of Funny hats ,funny drugs ,drunk tired and just plain mad people,Keith allen and Damian Hirst in various stages of Drunkeness and Joe Strummers warm and dry wit .
Michael Eavis watches over it all with a sense of amusement and the film is packed full of emtion and fun.
No Woodstock then but i dont think that was the plan watch and see how the festival mirrors the change in this country over the last 30 years

One of the most overlooked Thrillers of the 1970s .
Robert Shaw plays and English Mercenary who along with his cohorts Hijack a New York Subway train at rush hour.
There Demands are simple pay 1 million dollars in 1 hour or Hostages start dying.
Its up to Walter Matthau as a Transport cop to deal with the Hijackers and to save the hostages.
Peter Stones Script is full of killer dialogue and loads of Jibes at how slow local Goverment moves unless its given a jolt.
Tony Roberts has a Brilliant Cameo as Acynical deputy Mayor who forces his rather Inept boss to seize the day despite the fact he is laid up in bed with the flu.
Tha cast in great and Shaw amd Matthau make great sparring partners.
The film also contains one of the best endings ever ,and it will be interesting to see What Tony Scott and Denzil Washington come up with when they complete the remake.
Chances are they will be hard pushed to top this 70s classic

Kubricks masterpiece has inspired more directors including Spielberg Lucas and many others.
A film where you are forced to think as well as watch.
Kubrick conjures up some truly astonishing visuals and uses Strauss Blue Danube to brillaint effect.
This was one of the first films i stayed up on my own late to watch on BBC 2 and a few years ago i saw a 70mm print in London and oh my god to see the film on a big screen is a totally fantastic experience.
Many attack Kubrick for being too cold and celebral ,but my own opinion is that he was a true maverick never happier when breaking down the boundaries of technology.
Geoffry Unworths Camera and Doug Trumbulls fx still feel ad fresh and vibrant today and certain parts ,The Dawn Of Man,the deactivation of Hal have become part of film culture.
This is the Citizen Kane of Sci Fi movies

Once again when it comes to neat Thrillers The French can really deliver in spades.
Many have compared this film To Heat,But for me this film stands on its own merits as a Hard tough gritty action film.
Depardieu is great a s the driven cop who will stop at nothing to get what he once ,even if it means trampling on others to get it,he is a drunk and a Moral Coward but yet Some how he almost wins out.
On the Flip side Auteuil is outstanding as the cop who may bend the rules but has the devotion of his force and more of a human side to his nature.
When he is framed for murder we Sympathise with him as his world begins to crumble .
And when finally he gets his justice it feels right.
The action parts are deftly handled and the whole film has a unique quality to it that keeps you interested all the way through.
Another Winner in the French Movie Cannon

Matin Scorsese has already directed 2 great music films with the Last Waltz And No Direction Home,and with this he shows again that when it comes to Music he is simply A genius,.
If you want a History of The Stones then Look elsewhere,Scorsese is more interested in showing us how good a live band the Stones Still are.
Crikey does he pull it off,the band are fab and the set contains old classics and some more obscure Numbers ,my fave of these was Some Girls and Faraway Eyes.
Even the Classics like Brown Sugar and Tumbling dice sound fresh and new.
Mick Jagger is a great showman and Keith and Ronnie carry out there riffing buddies act to a tee while Charlie looks on with a knowing look in his eye.
The Camerawork is Stunning and the guests Most Notably Buddy Guy keep things on a Rocking Pace.
It shows you how good a film is when folks clap along and Sing in the Cinema Audience and this film will cause you to do both .
Great Stuff

From the writer of the orginal Italian Job ,comes this cracking comic war movie.
When Clint Eastwood gains the knowledge that a bank behind German Lines Contains $16 million in gold ,he sets out with his band of men to seize it before the Generals arrive.
With him are Don Rickles (excellent) as a Hustler keen to make a quick buck.
Telly Savalas (Fab) as Clints C/O who just wants to find some women.
And last but by no means least Donald Sutherland as Oddball ,a Tank commander with one or two gears missing.
Sutherland is clearly having a ball here with his Dog impressions and his tanks playing Hank Williams JNR.
The film is packed with great action sequences and the final Western type is a Blast .
No one takes it too seriously and as a Viewer you shouldnt either, loads of fun

Excellent Comedy Heist film ,very much of its time but still full of enough one liners and a cracking Quincy Jones score to give it classic status.
Caine is On good form here as Charlie Croker ,the gang mastermind who also gets to deliver one of the most quoted lines in film history (i wont repeat it here,fans know the line i mean)
The supporting cast also shines here with Benny Hill and Noel Coward being the most memorable.
But for me its the Job itself that seals the film .
3 Mini Coopers being Chased thru the Streets of Turin has now become one of the Best chases in screeen history.
Remy Juliennes stunts are hair raising and the lack of special fxs makes them all too real.
The ending is just right and the film script crackles with digs at Europeans and British class.
I could list a better way to spend 99 mins ,but right now i cant think of any.

This is the self preservation society

The true mother of all slasher movies.
Hitchcock used his TV crew and shot in Black and white to keep the Budget down.
The film Followed hot on the Heels of North By North west and the contrast is stunning.
Gone are the high class imagery and Cary Grant dapperness.
Instead Hitch gives us Shower Murders and stuffed Corpses.
The shower scene itself even after years of Spoofing in other movies ,still has the power to shock and the murder of the private Detective is also stilll shocking too.
Many of the things we now come to expect in slasher films have their genesis here.
The Final Reveal of the Killer,The Grusome Murders.
All have become staples of the genre.
What we forget is That Hitchcock was breaking new ground here and movies would never be the same after Janet Leigh Stepped into the shower

After the screwball comedy great That was Raising Arizona,The Coens changed tack again with this off the wall gangster movie.
Loosly based on Red Harvest by Dashinel Hammet, the Coens create a film where no one is loyal and muder awaits those who betray trust.
Gabriel Byrne is top notch as Tom a guy who is smarter than he looks playing both ends of each other.
Finney is as Usual amazing as Leo a Bull headed Irish Gangster who has one of the most Memorable Sequences in the film set to the tune of Danny Boy.
Tuturro is great a gay oily ratfink who Tries to double cross everybody and gets his just deserts.
Add to this great turns From J E Freeman and Jon Polito as rival gangsters and you have a typical Coen movie.
Not as memorable as later works by the Coens but still an outstanding work by two truly talented directors

Stunning French Thriller from Master Director Claude Chabrol.
When Charles sees his son knocked down and killed in a hit and run accident ,he vows revenge on the person responsible.
His tirless hunt leads him to Paul a rather obnoxious fellow who alienates nearly everyone around him with his beastly behaviour.
The film is a straightforward revenge saga ,but in a master like Chabrols hands we get more twists and turns than one could have expected.
The opening Sequence is stunning and Chabrol build the tension by using his probing camera style,the party sequence is a good example as the guests stay where they are making akward conversation as the camera probes around the room .
Will Charles carry out his mission or will he be exposed?
Chabrol is once again on top form here proving what a master at his craft he is.
once seen never forgotten

Slightly Lighter than Standard Chabrol fare,this movie still has enough to recommend it ,if your a novice to his more darker works.
Huppert who is probably one of the best actresses in Europe gives another top drawer performance as Female Confidence trickster who along with her partner (A wonderful Michel Serrault) is drawn in to a dangerous world of cross and double cross ,which can only have one fatal outcome.
This was Chabrols 50th film and all the elements that make his other best works interesting are on display here ,but with a touch of Galic humour thrown in .
Huppert always shines in Chabrols films and this is no exception.
Another winner from the French master

After the TV show ended ,the Pythons were keen to break the film market.
This there 1st feature came about thanks to the backing of several Rock Groups who almost saw the Python troupe as a Rock and Roll band.
And so with 2 warring directors and a Permantly drunk Graham Chapman ,they set about creating there first big screen masterpiece.
Full of great sketches (The Rude French Knight is my fave,followed by the Constitutional Peasant)
Ther is not much in the way of narrative drive but plenty of Fourth wall breaking ,Blood and Gore and flying Animals to keep you laughing like a drain .
Add to that some Neil Innes songs and some great animation from Terry Gilliam and you have the makings of a comedy classic so good they turned it into a Musical

The comedy version of Orwell's 1984
But dont let that put you off.
This is along with 12 Monkeys Terry Gilliams finest work.
Surrealism ,Horror,comedy and Sci Fi all meet here in Gilliams Warped vision.
Jonathan Pryce is great aS Sam Lowry a man done in by the state.
The cast is ffull of great actors and DeNiro has a ball a a renegade plumber.
in fact this film becomes more relevant to our own society as the years go by.
And to think Universal Studios messed it up on its first release savages

The best Monty Python Movie by far,and of course the most talked about.
1st called Jesus Christ Lust For Glory by Eric Idle,the boys set about attacking organised relgion using the best weapon at there disposal Humour.
With only Jones directing this time the film has much more of a plot than Grail ,but is still packed with laughs.
Best Bits Well Romans Go Home graffti,The PFJ,What Have the Romans Done For US,Biggus Dickus,The Stoning,i could go on.
Chapman is on fine form here as Brian ,and the rest of the gang get to play a myraid of parts.
Keep your eyes peeled for Spike Milligan and George Harrison (who saved the film when EMI dropped out)
And of course dont forget to look on the brightside of life.
The Pythons finest hour THE LUCKY BASTARDS!!!!!l

Although this film is over 10 years old its still as powerful as it was back in 1995.
3 youths from an estate on the outskirts of Paris are drawn togehter when a friend of theres is placed in hospital after anight of rioting.
During the film we see how dull urban life can be ,and how the Police are seen as the enemy after the riots .
Vinz (an excellent Vincent Cassell) comes into possesion of a Gun which sets of a chain of events over a 24 hour period.
Hubert is the sensible one ,looking for a way out of his dull life and staying on the right side of the law.
Said follows the others but is sometimes the voice of reason when the others fall out.
Vinz only knows violence and is hell bent on revenge.
The film is never preachy and the director is keen to show how youth all over the world suffer the same problems .
Kassovitz took the bold step of shooting in black and white and this pays of handsomly as the film delivers a real knockout punch at its climax.
Since the film was made we have seen more riots in France in recent years ,which shows the message of the film is still very much a powerful one
Essential viewing

Based on a true story ,this film is one of the most powerful films of recent years.
Told through the eyes of a fellow named Rocket we see how the so called City Of God turns from promised land to warring gang slum.
Rocket tells us the individual stories spanning across 2 decades from simple street crimes to full on drug wars with semi automatic weapons.
We meet Little Dice who will become a dangerous unhinged drug baron .
We meet Knock Out Ned an Honest man drawn into a world of Vilolence and crime.
All the time Rocket just wants to stay alive and realise his dream of becoming a phtographer.
The film is reminicent of early Scorsese works with its decade spanning story and criminal violence.
Yet at the same time the film has its own unique voice ,one of the streets of Brazil where life can be ended in the blink of an eye.
A film which pulls no punches in its depiction of violence and is all the better for it

If you thought Animation was all about Disney then prepare to think again.
Along with the Arrdman Features this film is a total triumph and contains the most off the wall persons you will ever see.
When her Grandson is kidnapped by the French Mafia.Madame Souza and his Faithful dog Bruno set out to find him.
Sounds staightforward ,But thanks to director Syvain Chomets eye for the absurd it becomes a wondefully funny and moving film.
Higlights include 2cv Strech Limos,The Pedalo Ride across the ocean and Meeting the famous triplets and ther Bizzare eating habits.
Most of all Bruno the dog who steals the whole film ,whether he is barking at Trains or coming in Handy as a spare tyre he never fails to amuse.
Also the soundtrack to this film is great and the running time means the film never drags.
Dont be put off by the fact the film is French ,the lack of Dialouge allows the visual style of the film to grow.

If Spaceballs worked only in Parts then this Star Wars spoof works all the way.
Seriously i have never laughed so much in ages
Hardly any of the Jokes fall flat and refences to Other movies had me in pieces laughing.
Fave parts Peter as Han Solo moving a couch on to The Milenium Falcon.
John Willams and His Orchestra turning up in the desert .
Cleveland as RD2 d2 and of course Stewie as Darth Vader.
Half the Length of Star wars and 15 times more funny i cannot praise this enough.
More please Family Guy Team

There was a time not so long ago ,when Steve Martin Used to be Funny.
This film shows how funny he was and pays homage to those great film Noirs of the 40s and 50s.
Martin Plays Rigby Reardon a PI assinged to a case by a beautiful Woman Played by Rachel Ward which involves Cheese,Pjamas,and Nazis.
The neat trick here is that Martin is playing off actors from actual Film Noir Movies Including Bogart,Cagney,Lake ,Davies ,Laughton ,Milland,Stanwyck et al.
The film is shot alongside old footage so it appears that Matrin is Telling Bogart to "Wear a Tie" or being shot at by Alan Ladd.
It works really well and add to that Matins and Reiners penchant for good jokes and you get a great combination.
Just dont mention the Cleaning Woman

William Wyler is probably one of the most neglected American directors of his time
While his peers such as Howard Hawks ,John Ford,and John Huston are showered with praise Wylers body of work ranks alongside there's for breadth and scale.
Here Wyler delivers an Excellent Homeseige film without resorting to the showy techniques that ruined the 1990 remake.
Bogart was dying of cancer by this time but still manages to deliver a performance of geniuine menace, hell he even threatens to beat the little kid up .
March lends gravitas to his role as the head of the family who is forced to take Bogart head on and try to beat him at his own game .
Some parts of the film feel satgey and very much of there time.
But like alot of films around this period most notably Nicholas Rays Bigger than Life this film brings film noir touches right on to middle Americas door step

Farce like this is something i love and despite the film lagging in one or Two places i really enjoyed this homage to the great slam door farces of the 30s and 40s.
Benben and Masterson are great as the soon to be divorced couple working in the radio station where several murders take place over the course of one evening.
What makes the film work is the great supporting cast including Chris Lloyd,Ned Beatty,Bobcat Goldwait,Harvey Korman and George Burns.
Unfairly lambasted on Release the film is pure fun and calling the film a dog is tadd harsh.
Yes there are better examples of this types around ,but you could do a lot worse than rediscover this film

Fantastic homage to the great screwball comedies of the golden Hollywodd era.
Ryan O Neal plays the Cary Grant like figure whos world is thrown into Chaos by first the arrival of Babara Streisand and then by the confusion caused by three exact suitcases.
Bogdanovich knows his stuff packing the film with great one liners and plenty of slapstick visual humour.
It also helps that the supporting cast are game for some fun too .
And to cap it all we get one of the funniest chases around the streets of San Francisco involving all the great Visual chase gags you can think of.
If only modern comedies could be more like this one full of laughs and fun

The kind of film s that Hollywood does not make anymore and its a shame that they dont as this one is a cracker.
John Milius is very much a mans ,mans kind of director and although this film contains a lot of Milius themes.
The film tones it down and gives us An almost Boys Own type of Adventure
Connery is on Top Form as The Arab Chieftain who kidnaps Candice Bergen (feisty and giving as good as she gets) who pits his wits against Teddy Roosvelt (A wonderful Brian Keith)
With a neat cameo from the Great John Huston ,Milius packs his film with tons of great action and some ace dilaogue.
A great companion Piece to Hustons own The Man Who Would Be King and plenty to keep your eye on the screen ,This is Still Milius best film

While Star wars is a franchise which can divide moviegoers ,i have yet to meet a person who says they dont like these films.
After the flop of 1941 George Lucas asked Stevn Spileberg to helm this homage to those great serial action films of the 30s and 40s.
What we get is still as much fun as it was in 1981.
Ford is great as Indiana Jones who freely admits that he is making it up as he goes along.
The supporting cast is darn good too with Ronald Lacey and Paul Freeman excelling as the Nazis and Karen Allen ,John rhys Davis as Indys helping hands.
Spielberg is clearly having fun her with snakes ,runaway boulders Street Chases and my own favourite the tuck chase which includes some of the best stuntwork ever filmed.
Sure it plays fast and loose with History ,but with lashings of nods to other classic films and of course that score you cant hel but be won over by the end ,a Classic

The second film in the series does have some great moments to recommend it.
The most notable being the opening Busby Berkley Homage set to" Anything goes" in which Spielberg again shows why he is one of the best filmakers working today.
The mine train chase is also pretty darn good and still stands up.
But two things really hamper the film .
Fisrt Willy Scott (Kate Capshaw) screaming really really starts to annoy halway through the film , its almost you would wish that the Bugs would devour her.
Its not Capshaws fault Per se(she would later become Spielbergs wife) its just the script gives here nothing to do apart from scream.
Secondly the Villains dont work as they do in the other films there parts feel underwritten and lacking bite.
On the plus Spielberg loves his gross moments and again Ford proves that Indy is a world class hero.
Flawed then but still pretty good

This is more like it ,Gone is the dark edge of the second film,instead we get wall to wall action and in some parts the film is very very funny.
Casting Connery as Indys dad was a masterstroke on Spilebergs account .
Connery matches Ford in the Action stakes and he even gets to kiss the girl too.
The nazis as always make great pantomime Villians and the return OF John Rhys Davis is always welcome.
Once again the action is top grade with a boat cahse and the tank sequence being standouts .
Spielberg gives the film a more human face here too and the whole thing is a treat from start to finish .
The ideal Satuday Morning Serial writ large these films are still great fun

Shane Meadows along With Michael Winterbottom are Brit directors who make interesting films.
Here Meadows turns his eye to the era of the early 80s and all the problems of that period in this country.
With Nods to Truffauts 400 Blows and the work of Lindsay Anderson and Ken loach.
Meadows excels at evoking the period and his cast of realative unknowns add to the films excellence.
Thomas Turgoose is outstanding as the young Shaun who becomes one of the Skinhead gang in order to escape the pain of losing his father.
Stephen Graham is sensational as the loutish Combo who sees himself in Shaun ,and whos act of violence cahnge the whole course of the film from light to dark.
A tough watch in some places ,But well rewarding in others ,Meadows proves again what a great talent he is

Paddy Considine simply controls this film as the unhinged but methodical Richard.
When his younger brother is Killed by a local gang his revenge starts off Funny but then thanks to Shane Meadows twisted direction the film takes a turn for the gory and dark.
Where some films go all out for gore the Violence here is shocking because its all so sudden and real its like a Slasher Movie Directed bY MIke Leigh if you can imagine such a thing.
The acting is all first rate and the film is well shot and directed by Shane Meadows
A British film with Guts and Brains and one i cannnot recommend enough

Somebody at work reckoned i would enjoy this movie and do you know something ?
Its really good fun .
When Daniels father passes away then the Funeral should be a matter of routine.
What happens next involves Hallcinogenic drugs ,Blackmail, naked men ,Old Folks Pooh and Gay Dwarfs.
Sounds like a recipie for disaster but in Director Frank Oz's hands we get a funny British Farce.
The cast of well known Brit faces give good value as they contend with the mess as it develops most notable are Alan Tudyk as accidently drugged Boyfriend,Daisy Donovan as his desprate girlfriend,Andy Nyman as the hapless best friend and Peter Vaughn as a Grouchy Uncle.
Peter Dinklage is great fun as the guy with all the secrets and the laughs come thick at fast as the funeral becomes more and more frantic.
Memories of classic Brit Comedies loom large ,But thats no bad thing when your having this much fun.
Short, funny and well acted this is an Overlooked gem and one that deserves to be seen

Much Better Than Ang Lee's Hulk as all the heavy bits are dealt with in the opening credits and we can cut straight to the chase.
Norton is a brooding presence as Bruce Banner giving the role more punch than the previous movie.
The biigest flaw in casting is Liv Tyler she cannot match Jennifer Connelly in the acting stakes and it kind of puts a kybosh on the film as a whole.
the rest of the cast have no such problems as William Hurt ,Tim Roth and Tim Blake Nelson all give good performances.
Louis Leterrier (who made the Transporter movies) has a good knack for action sequences and keeps the film zipping along at a fair old pace,nice idea to use the music from the TV show and cast Lou Ferringo in a cameo part and the Tribute to Bill Bixby when Norton is Watching TV at the start.
Compared with Ironman there are some problems ,maybe because Downey Jnr was fantastic in that film and the final showdown is a touch abrupt but on the whole Marvel strike Gold with re booting this franchise ,lets hope the next one will be just as good

Interesting yet not entirley whole music doc about the Heady days of Britpop (Horrible word) Dealing with some of the main players in that scene.
Chunks of the doc are taken up with the Blur V Oasis chart battle ,which while interesting is not the whole picture.
Bands like RadioHead,S.F.A.and The Verve barely get a mention which is the main prob with this film.
That said the Oasis lads are on top form ,Jarvis Cocker amuses and Damon Albarn come across as a total git.
Its also interesting to see How New Labour rode in the wake of the music and then cleared off once it had come to power.
Maybe in 10 years we will get a more rounded doc film ,but until then this film time capsules a vital moment in British Music

Outstanding Music doc dealing with the 26 rampant months when The Sex Pistols were abigger threat to the nation than Hyper Inflation.
Julien Temples film concentrates on the Band rather than Malcom McClaren (who here comes across as an awful individual)
Temple also uses clips of News footage of the 70s period to show waht utter Chaos the nation was in when the pistols arrived .
Of all the band in John Lydon who is the most honest an razor sharp be he criticisng the goverment or the manager of the band or indeed Sids descent into Heroin addictiction.

Temple also uses clips of Tommy Cooper ,Norman Wisdom and Even Rod HUll and Emu to show how the Pistols were steeped in the Music Hall Tradition.
Add to this some great music and That Notorious Bill Grundy Interview and you see why the Sex Pistols still matter some 30 years after there implosion

This film was unfairly given a right hammering by the Critics when it first came out in 1986.

But one night i watched its first showing on Channel 4 and i thought it was stunning.
Predating Moulin Rouge by some 15 years Julien Temples film maybe flawed in someplaces but the soundtrack and the stunning visuals more than compensate.

The 2 leads are a s bland as Oatmeal and the story set against the backdrop of the Notting Hill riots does lose focus.
But why carp when you have David Bowie singing the title track and Dancing on a Giant Typewriter,Sade singing "Killer Blow"
Gil Evans ripping thru"Selling out" and of course
Ray Davis crooning "Quite Life"
Add to this Steve Berkoff,Jame Fox ,Alan Freeman and that wondeful tracking shot at the start and you have film bursting with energy and ideas.
Now perhaps it time to re evalue this film a s a lost masterpiece ,flawed yes but still a masterpeice

Absolutley insane action movie from the maker of the Night watch films which were massive hits in his mother Russia.
McAvoy (excellent) plays Wes a loser who's life is as dull as ditch water ,that is until he bumps into Fox (Jolie) who changes his life toatlly when she recruits him to a group of Assasins called the Fraternity.
From here on in nothing he does will ever be the same again.
As an action film this film delivers in spades with kinectic gunfights ,great chases,and a duel on a train which has to be seen to be believed .
If you are familiar with the directors other work ,you will know how he takes the standard action composites and turns then into gold with mad camera angles and stunning visuals.
Jloie and Freeman are good fun but McAvoy is the real star here who knew he had this kind of role in him .
The film may not be for all tastes but trust me you could do a lot worse.
And Timur Bekmabetov is going to be an Alist action director pretty soon with films like this ,a winner all the way

Made after a Drunken bet between the director and Joe Strummer ,Financed by future Working Title producer Eric Fellner on travellers cheques and featuring a cast of the Pogues,Elvis Costello,Jim Jarmuch and Courtney Love this has to be the most off the wall movie you will ever see.
Cox is a huge Spagetti Western fan and here on a small budget he has a ball paying tribute to them.
Some of the bad guys are addicted to Coffee,Dennis Hoppers role is named after the German Industry figure head who exploited the Jews in Wolrd War 2 And Joe Strummer looks like he has a permanent hangover.
Roundly hated by most i have a massive soft spot for this movie and feel its cultdom is long overdue

The so called "decent" critics have given this film an Unfair grilling ,here is my view.
Firstly its a lot of fun ,Smith seems to be enjoying playing a deadbeat super hero and gives another solid performance, he is helped no end by Jason Bateman as his PR guy and Charlize Theron as Batemans suspicious wife, both of them have loads of screen time and dont let Smith walk off with the movie.
Secondly Peter Berg is becoming a soild action director ,the Opening set piece and other parts of the film are always watchable as Berg keeps things moving along swiftly ,he also handles the domestic parts of the film with a deft hand.
The 2nd part of the film does wobble a bit and the lack of a real villain is a problem .
But any film which has a Michael Mann cameo and A drunk Will Smith more than makes up for those faults.
So ignore the Critics Hancock is a solid movie with lots to offer

Sublime mix of old and New wartime footage focusing on the build up Towards D Day through the eys of Tom a raw recruit to The British Army.
Finaced by The Imperial War Museum and Rarely seen for many years ,this film has plenty to recommend it.
The most notable being Stanley Kubricks DP of choice John Alcotts fantastic black and white camera work which along with actual wartime footage of The Blitz and Other key moments keep the interest factor high.
Director Cooper shows us how Tom is changed by ther process of Training up until the final point of the landing on the Beaches Of Normandy.
While this Is no Saving Private Ryan the film gives a human side to a global event which changed everything

Proof if proof were needed that when it comes to classy thrillers ,the French can match anything the US has to offer.
Yvan Attal plays a photographer going thru a messy divorce who is drawn into a world of Blackmail and murder by a jealous schoolfriend seeking revenge.
At first his nemisis had the upper hand but soon the tables turn leading to a final standoff.
What makes this film so good is the elements of Filmakers such as DePalma and Hitchcock in its plot lines.
Bodies dissapear and reappear and seemingly innocent objects take on vital meanings .
The 2 main protagonists are both excellent and there are some very exciting moments.
Not as High profile as Tell No One but eqaully as Good,and adapted from a book by the Writer of Get Carter Ted Lewis .
a must see French Thriller
o

Brilliant film based on a true story.
Towards the End of the war a group of Jews are forced to copy British Money in order to topple the British Enconomy.
To reach this end they are better treated by the Nazis than other Jews in the camp although the fear of death is never far away.
What gives thehowe the actors purvey how there mere survival will rest on Producing the Elusive fake Dollar for Himmler and the Reich.
By stalling and sabotaging there effots the tension builds well and the film conveys the power that the Nazis had over there captors .
The film also contains several moving moments right up until the closing shots.
An interesting story which needed to be told

This film contains some of the most breathtaking car chases you will ever see and thats good because in other areas it does wobble a bit.
Ok bad stuff out the way first Sean Bean and Jonthan Pryce are terrible in this film .
Bean is annoying to the point you want De Niro to kill him and Pryce has obviusly read the big book of Irish Terrorist acting and overdoes his part totally.
Apart from these flaws the film is exciting and the rapport between DE Niro and Reno never feels forced.
Skarsgard (An actor hugley underated in my opninon ) is tops as the double crossing Gregor nad the wonderful Michael Londale puts in a neat cameo.
But when all is said and done its the car chases that make this film what it is.
Thanks to Frankenheimer deciding to go old school and use real stunt drivers as opposed to CGI one gets the feeling you are in a real car chase ,the second chase through Paris is awesome stuff .
4 stars for the car chaese then 3 for the rest of the film None for Pryce and Bean

The kind of movie i thought Hollywood never made any more .
A huge sweeping epic with a fantastic central performance From Daniel Day Lewis .
As Plainview he simply commands the screen with his John Huston like voice and permanent scowl.
Paul Thomas Anderson who gave us Boogie Nights and Magnloia truly comes of age here aided By Robert Elswits Camera ,Jack Fisks Beautiful production design and Johnny Greewood of Radioheads wondeful score.
The film contains elements of Welles ,Malick and Of Course John Huston yet still manages to tell an orginal story.
Paul Dano is Great as The Twins who draw Plainview into there web and the first silent 11minutes of the film are truly amazing.
A modern epic and a modern masterpiece highly ,highly recomended

Even if your not a fan of ballet then this film has plenty going for it.
Powell and Pressbuger would inspire future genarations of Filmakers with there work ,most notbaly Martin Scorsese who uses his camera in the same way as Powell that of an Artist.
Its easy to forget also that this film was made 3 years after the end of World war 2 when Britain was still recovering from those scars.
Jack Cardiffs stunning camera and use of colour help give the film its dramatic drive,and the 10 minute Red Shoe ballet sequence remains still one of the most beautiful commited to film .
Its amazing to think that these films were dismissed as mere confections when they contain some of the most beautiful images commited to film.
Like Scorsese i have become a huge fan of Powell and Pressburgers work ,and if your not then this is a the perfect place to start

Funny light comedy with plenty of Odd touches to keep you amused.
When Black Becomes magnetized and wipes all the video tapes in his Friends (Def)shop ,its arace against time to remake or Swede the films he wiped.
After a slow start the film becomes a charming odd ball fantasy .
The movie remakes (Ghostbusters,Driving Miss Daisy,Robocop et al) are Hilarious and in some cases better than the actual movies.
The story is moving and touching in parts and the whole cast is uniformly fine .
Gondry who gave us winners such as The science of Sleep and Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind ,gives us another quirky potential cult movie.
Look out too for cameos from Kid Creole and Sigourney Weaver.
Huge fun

its hard to imagine Pixar topping Toy story,but they have done it here and then some.
The Animation is simply stunning ,the earth city scapes that Wall E works in reminded me of Will Smiths New York in Iam Legend and the scenes in the Axiom are stunning .
The story is simple and quite straight forward what makes it soo winning is the realtionship between Wall E and Eva.
Although they are just robots,there chemistry feels more real than any number of Bland romantic comedies..
That said Pixar ladle on the laughs too with defective robots and refernces to Alien,Aliens,Blade Runner ,2001 ,Star Wars and the great use of Hello Dolly on video .
These guys realise that adults will want something from an Animated film so by adding these knowing winks to other films they get big laughs.
One wonders what Pixar will do next as this is a fantastic work ,oh and the Short is ace too .

Mezmerizing Doc about the events at the Olympics in Munich in 1972.
Macdonald plays the film almost like a feature movie using footage from the event and interviews with those involved.
What the film shows more than anything else was how organized the terrorist group were and How naive the German Authorities were when it came to dealing with these men.
By using the Olympics the Palestinians were able to show the world the cause they were fighting for and the Germans showed how much of a hash they made of the rescue of the hostages.
An Excellent Companion piece to Spielbergs Munich Film and an excellent film on its own merits

The Who are one of the greatest Bands ever and this Doc covers the key periods of there music from Early 60s Mod to all out stadium noise fest of the 70s.
Foutunately there is no rubbish voiceover and the clips are in no particular order which add to the movies greatness.
Outstanding moments include The Rock and Roll Circus Version of "A Quick One Whiles He's Away" which is astounding.
A studio based take of "Who Are You" and of Course a Live version of "Wont Get Fooled Again"
Inbetween we Get Pete ,Rog snd Jon being serious and Ketih and Ringo being sloshed and larking about.
A perfect filmed intro to the music of the Who

Luc Besson takes a standard Hitman movie and gives it a soul suoprising for such a Violent film.

Jean Reno is great as Leon a hitman with his own code of ethics who is forced to take Portman under his wing when her family are killed by corrupt cops.

leon sets about showing his protege the tricks of the trade so that she can gain her revenge on the men Led by Gary Oldman who killed her brother.
The film looks great and the action parts are well handled as Leon takes on NYPD and nearly wins.
But its Oldman who is totally brilliant as Stansfield who steal the show ,wether he is killing folks to Beethoven or Shooting at Old Ladies he is totally out there and brilliant too.
Also see if you can spot where Hot Fuzz got the peace Lilly refence from.
Its a a shame Besson only makes films like this rarely these days as this is one of his best

Guilty Pleasures time .
From the Producing Team that bought you Jaws comes this bizzare and funny Movie.
Ok so compared to Jaws this film is a bit silly but there is plenty to keep you watching as Caine battles Pirates

Just as Batman Begins bought the Franchise back to life then Chris Nolan steps it up to the next level and this film is a Masterpiece.
It may be nearly 3 hours long but thanks to Nolans Direction and Script the pace never ever drags in this film and the time flys by.
Its vital in a film like this that you have a good cast and the one here is no exception ,Bale is brilliant as Batman adding the right sort of dark and light to the part which the comic books dwell on
Eckhart more than holds his own as Harvey Dent and Oldman ,Freeman and Michael Caine as a wily Old Alfred get plenty of screen time ,only Gyllenhaal's part feels a touch underdone but she is good too.

But it is Heath Ledger who looms over this film and its easy to see why .
Where Jacks Joker was over the Top and Grandiose, Ledger is one part funny and 15 parts off the chain so much that when he is on the screen you cant take your eyes off him.
Nolan layers on the action and the Batbike sequence is simply outstanding.

Easily the best film of this year it will be interesting to see where Nolan takes Batman next ,i for one cant wait .

Good old fashioned Brit horror from the Makers of Tales from the Crypt
Amicus films excelled at these kind of short story movies and this one has some nasty shockers including Tom Baker as An Artist who comes a cropper when usin Voodoo on his collleagues,Terry Thomas as A bullying Husband who gets his just desserts and Curt Jugens as A cojurer who steals a rope trick and ends up in a big mess.
Some of the stories work better than others and by today's standards its not that scary ,but if like me you grew up watching these films late night on the BBC then its always good fun watching these films

Vintage Brit Horror at its finest with a top cast and aselection of weird stories to keep you entertained.
When a Young Robert Powell is asked to interview the inmates of a Lunatic Asylum he is drawn into there stories of Dismeberment,Invisible clothes ,Imaginary Friends and Killer Robots.
Its sounds a bit cheesy and in some places it is but its a whole lot of fun as well .
Amicus who produced this movie were famous for ther anthology horror movies and this is one of the best ones .
If you love Brit Horror films of the 60s and 70s then this is right up your alley in the days before gore became the standard.

lets be Honest here Ritchies last two films have been dire to say the least ,so its good to have him back to some sort of form .
Unlike Snatch and Lock Stock the film has a more serious tone to it ,sure there are funny lines but what with Toby Kebbles crack head Rockstar and Karl Rogens sinister Russian Ritchie takes his knockabout fun a little bit further.
The actors who play the Wild Bunch get a lot of the Comedy with Gerad Butler and Tom Hardy and a secret gay romance being a laugh and Butler being pursued by a Hitman who simply wont die.
Tom Wilkinson is fun as An Old School gangster But its Mark Strong as Archie his right hand man who gets my vote in this cast his back hand slap and gangster nous make him a standout in a fine cast.
True the last act feels too neat and certain parts feel a bit undercooked but this is Ritchie back with a bang now lets see where he goes from here.

Wow what can you say about this film ,if Ben Affleck stays in the Directors chair he could be a director to watch and judging by this film a Major director to boot.
Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane the story of Child abduction and deeper secrets in rural Boston is well shot well acted and well written.
Nothing feels tacked on here as Casey Affleck (brilliant) plays a street wise dectective with a nose for the things that the real cops overlook.
The reationship between him and Michelle Monaghan as his partner feeels cerdible and real and Affleck carries the part well against major heavy weight acting talent in the shape of Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris.
The closing act of the film puts the viewer on the spot and forces us to ask the question "What would we do "
An astounding debut from Ben Affleck and a film i urge you all to see if you find Affleck the actor a one trick pony

Another slice of Gritty La Cop noir from the guys involved with Training Day and Dark Blue.
This film may not be on a par with those films but it still packs a pretty mean punch.
Reeves plays a hardbitten LA cop whose rule bending comes back to bite him when one of his ex partners is killed in a raid on a supermarket.

Proof that sometimes US cinema does not have to be jingoistic to tell a tale of courage and daring.
Based on the book by Tom Wolfe ,Phil Kaufmans film profiles the early stages uf the space race from Chuck Yeager (well played by Sam Shepard) To John Glenn(the ever relaible Ed Harris)
The film chronicles the pain and joy suffered by the Men and Wives of the most important race in world History.
Even though the canvass of the film is broad Kaufman never loses sight of how ordinary these astronauts were and the dangers they faced.
Although the film runs at over 3 hours the pace never flags and there are plenty of memorable moments.
Add to this Bill Contis rousing score and you get a classic epic film

Totally bonkers Sci Fi/Horror film from the Director of The Descent and Dog Soldiers.

You have to hand it to Neil Marshall while other Brit films ar all corsets and Top hats at least he is carving out a name for himself as a director of fun action filled movies.
Marsall packs his film with olenty of homages too.
From the John Carpenter typre opening titles to the Mad Max Road warrior chase at the end Marshall has made what you would call a Grindhouse movie .
Sure it does get silly in parts but how can you not like a film with beheadings people being eaten and a car chase set to Frankie Goes to Hollywoods 2 Tribes.

Fail to engae your brain and you will love this movie immensly a future cult classic

There was a time in the 70s when director Michael Ritchie was a hot talent with films like this one and Prime Cut ,An Almost Perfect Affair and Smile.
By the 80s he was reduced to directing crud like the Golden Child so its good to see his talent put to great use here.
Redford plays a John McCay a young candidate for the Senate who starts a No Hoper but ends up on top.
The film shows how by changing his views and being told what to say by his aide (An Excellent Peter Boyle) he arrives at high office without semmingly standing for anything.
Ritchie was a dab hand at satire and here he is clearly having a field day as the humour is very subtle to say the least.
The film is just as Relevant as it was in 1972 and in this time of Blah Politics it certainly strikes a cord

Simply brilliant doc on one of the most influential groups to come out of Manchester.
Grant Gee shows us how the musci of the band was developed out of a City which was dying on its feet.
We also get amazing rare footage of the band in Concert and at work with the mad Genius of Martin Hannet.
All the surviving band members give there thoughts along with Tony Wilson,Paul Morley and many others.
And then there is the music which is simply breathtaking and powerful.
An excellent triple Bill Along with Control and 24hR Party people and a film made with passion

It is a known fact that Roman Polanski is a genius ,its also a known fact that his private life is one of great controversy.
This film deals with the criminal case involving Polanski and rape of a 13 year old girl.
What emerges from the film is that the case was by no means open and shut and was prescided over by a judge who was bent on fame rather than the inner workings of the case.
It also shows how the US media declared open war on Polanski and that the european media was more sympathetic towards Polanskis plight.
In the end through the use of stock footage and current interviews it is the viewer who is left to decide Polanskis guilt and indoing so the film would show how trials of celebs would become a media circus where somtimes true justice can be lost

The company that had it all but in the end was lost in a sea of corperate greed.

Alex Gibney relates the story of Enron in all its gory detail from embelishing accounts to cutting off the State of Californias power ,there was no level that the company would stoop to in order to make tons of money ,or so it seemed for while the company appeared to be on the up Behind the Scenes fake company names were swirling Enrons increasing debt all around in ordeer to hide the truth.
The film shows how Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling lied to the american public and how the big banks such as City Bank and Chase helped Enron Spread the wealth around.
Gibney shows us how the company had people who blew corperate funds on Strippers ,extreme sports and learjets and that when the fall finally came the same guys walked away with Millions of Dollars while ordinary Citizens lost there jobs.
Hearing Enron traders cutting off power is disturbing and Gibney asks plenty of questions of Corperate America.
A film to ponder on given current economic conditions and a excellent piece of film making also

Not vintage Coen Brothers ,but still pretty funny none the less.
Only the coens could make a movie 95 mins Long where not everything is tied up in a neat little bow at the end.
The cast give the film its edge and all are on good form here.
Its good to see Clooney play a total scumbag and Pitt to play an Airhead,and Malkovich swearing like a trooper is always good value.
Tilda Swinton once again proves what a good actress she is and Frances Mc Dormand and Richard Jenkins excel in there parts.
But for great cameos nothing can top David Rache and JK Simmons and there achingly funny breifings ,they were so good in fact The Coens should write them a film.
A few flaws harmed the film and not having Roger Deakins as DP meant the film was lacking the usual Coens sheen ,but on the whole the Coen Brothers prove once again that they are miles ahead of everyone else .

Somebody must have given D J Caruso The Tony Scott big dumb action movie book for his birthday ,becuase boy this film reminds me of Scott on all cylinders.
Yes it rips off North By North West ,Enemy of the State and The Game but when your enjoying the slick action set pieces who really cares?
Caruso and His leads work well together and for a movie so dumb at least ther is a spark between the 2
Ad to this strong support from Rosario Dawson.Mike Chiklis and of course Billy Bob Thornton and you get a superior Beer and a takeaway movie.
The carchase and the stealth plane sequence are really well handled and you cant help but get swept away enjoying yourself with the whole thing.
Great stuff

Just when you think Brian De Palma has lost his touch the old fox restores your faith and gives you a good movie.

DePalma here tells a story similar to Casualties Of War his film about Vietnam.
Here Iraq is the place where a terrible deed takes place which leads to some shocking moments.
DePalma uses different types of filmaking to tell his story be it You Tube Webcams and ordinary DV Cameras .
The unknown cast are excellent as a the soldiers fed up with being bombed and who resort to the most basic inhumane treatment to gain revenge.
Its easy to see how DePalma was accused of Treason by making this film ,but people need to be made to see how soldiers can be driven to these vile acts.
Only in the hands of a master like DePalma can a story like this feel powerful and relevant

Bond returns but even though i liked this film as with many others i feel there is Some Bondness missing and too much Bourne creeping in.

I know its lazy to mention the Bourne films ,but its hard not too when Car Chases, Boat chases et al are shot in that frenectic Bourne style.
This makes the film a solid action movie with avery good Daniel Craig but lack of Gadgets and Q meant the film was good not great.
It seems to happen that when Martin Campbell gives us an Outstanding Bond the next directors give only good ones.#
Maybe Campbell should be bought back as there is an Interesting story forming here.
Special Mention for Matieu Almaric as a sleazy yet interesting Villain and Judy Dench and Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner and M
No wash out then but one hopes for better next time out

The late Sydney Pollack made some interesting films in his career none more so than this Violent culture clash movie starring the always Great Robert Mitchum.
Long Before Ridely Scotts Black Rain Pollack shows how the Japanese customs ,even its crime are rife with honour and tradition.
Mitchum is on great form here as the world weary war vetran who is a massive fist in a world where even the villans tread lightly.
Scrader ,who would retun to Japan 10 years later with Mishima and Robert Towne ,who of course wrote Chinatown deliver a pacy script with plenty of twists and turns to keep you gripped to the end.
Pollack handles the climax of the film deftly as Mitchum and Ken Takakura face off in contrasting styles.
One of Pollacks more interesting films this ranks along some of the best films of the 1970s a real lost gem

Whatever it is that Frank Darabont does with Steven King stuff to make it just brilliant i would really love to know.
Once again Darabont delivers a scary and sometimes shocking film while handling a seemingly routine story.
The cat is first rate with Marcia Gay Harden and Thomas Jane doing good work and Toby Jones outstanding as a meek store clerk who winds up kicking butt.
Darabonts script feels well put together and all the parts no matter how small help push the story along to one of the bleakest endings in American Cinema.
A film overlooked on its realease this is a film with Brains as well as Action i cannot recommend this film enough

Peckinpahs most personal film and the title which has kept the panel of Im sorry i havent a clue entertained for years.
The film was seen as a turkey by some on its first release and now seen as Peckinpahs last say on his lifestyle.
Its no wonder that many actors site Warren Oates as there fave actor because here he i simply amazing as the burnt out pianist chasing that last chance of happiness.
Of course the viloence is till there 22 people get it because of this guys head but a sense of melancoly hangs over the film as Oates drinks and Shoots his way across Mexico.
When i first say this on Moviedrome many years ago i thought it was the oddest thing i had ever seen ,but now after seeing the rest of the directors work i see how its one of the best films in Peckinpahs canon.
A film of great power and a cult classic for all time

From the director of One Day in September comes another amazing true story.
When Joe Simpson and Simon Yates set out to climb a mountain in the Andes, little did they know it would turn into a battle of endurance against some of the worst conditions known to man.
The moral dilema at the centre of the film is handled very well as Yates has to make an agonizing decision and one which would cause uproar in the climbing community.
Macdonald paces the film like a Hollywood movie and both climbers narration aids the story no end.
In some parts the film even has some funny moments amid all the drama, such as Simpson with a Boney M tune stuck in his head and feeling good as he wees himself.
Overall though the film is amazing from the beautiful Andes to the pain of crawling over rocks with a broken leg everything here reeks of high quality filmaking

One of the best disater movies of the 1970s this deserves more kudos than it gets
Richard Lester directs a fine british cast and fills the film with his usual Lester touches which add to the films quality.
The film is also a clever critique of the State of Britain around the time the film was made.
The ship much like the country itself has seen better days and even the ships entertainer feels he is fighting a losing battle.
A long neglected film which deserves to be seen again