Reviews by Lexi

''Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be.''

Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.

Nicole Kidman: Lady Sarah Ashley

''Welcome to Australia!''

Director Baz Luhrmann gives us his new vision Australia, and what a joy it results in being. Let's just begin by saying that all my expectations were met and in a way exceeded them, in the guise of being educational, historical and in essence, capturing the spirit and power of the mesmerizing land of Australia. It's dreamy yet sometimes rough, chaotic yet beautiful,and plagued with racism yet rays of hope lying with the rare handful of good souls, among the inhabitants.



The strengths of Australia really are numerous in number, not to mention it stays true to Baz's style and nature. Being loud, vibrant and charged with wild energy and visual flair. The history here on offer, is most important, we learn, of the aborigines plight, the unfairness that the white men bring to their land, and the unfair taking off their children. The so called Lost Generations. This instantly told me that Australia wasn't to be your usual overblown Box Office Epic Romance, this told me Australia was to be something of substance, and ultimately something to learn from.
"Australia" is set in the northern part of the country in the early stage of World War II. Due to a misfortune, an English aristocrat named Lady Sarah Ashley receives a vast cattle station which prompts English cattle barons to scheme to take this land. With no other option, she joins forces with Drover, to drive a 2,000-herd of cattle across hundreds of miles through the merciless desert at the heart of Australia. Drover and Ashley also face the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese first hand who only months earlier attacked Pearl Harbor.
With the help of fantastic acting, a brilliant screenplay, incredible directing, and breathtaking cinematography the film manages to become the greatest Australian film of all time. The powerful scenes and the remarkable scenery will send the viewer through the darkest chapter in Australian history. The film offers a chance for anyone to highly respect what Aboriginal people went through during the time and to know that much like Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, they are sorry.

''Mama say, I Galapa. I magic-man. I wizard-man!''

For all it's historical information and seriousness, Australia isn't without it's fun and unrelenting charm. We have breath taking landscapes, humourous characters and a load of charming Australian subtleties, on display for us to feast upon.
Nicole Kidman as Lady Sarah Ashley, really displays some of the finest charisma charged performances of her career. She does often pick some questionable roles, however, Australia is the best film she's done to date. Her energy and disposition holds a life of itself, even her horse riding abilities, are to be commended, whole heartedly.
Hugh Jackman as Drover, also gives one of his best performances to date, and giving an actual decent Australian accent justice. Although he is an Aussie. Jackman adds another triumph to his roles in this ace up the sleeve, the macho, morally correct, and strong Drover hero of Australia. Also giving one of the best romances with Nicole, this year 2008.
Brandon Walters as Nullah, really was the cutest treasures amongst the gems of Baz's crowning achievement. Nullah has a sweet innocence and mighty heart accompanied with a playful nature and temperament. His grandfather King George, also show, the plight of the Aborigines well, and shows the land's true people. Right from the stories beginning, Nullah narrates the happenings for us, drawing us in, to this wondrous world of wonder.
David Wenham as Neil Fletcher, gives us one of the best villains of 2008. Fletcher is a man, whom audiences will love to hate. Wenham succeeds in making a truly snake of a man. A man unafraid of killing his own flesh and blood even.
Bryan Brown as Carney, I found irritating and a pointless character.

Lady Sarah Ashley: Let's go home.
Drover: There's no place like it.

Australia's Music and cinematography is simply breathtaking in it's majestic scope and execution. Baz really knows how to impress, not just with colourful pictures, such as maps and newspapers, but he actually shows us Australia in all it's glory. Giving us wonderful aerial shots of lush wilderness, mountains and terrain usually unseen for us mere mortals.
The duration of Australia may be one of it's weaknesses, yet the unrivaled attention to detail and hypnotic story-telling, more than make up for it. We have nothing but pure admiration, for the whole tale after it's finished, because it's a journey of multiple roads for all characters in it's wake.

''Mrs. Boss! We gotta get those fat cheeky bulls into that big bloody metal ship!''

Overall, this film, this Australia, is Baz Luhrmann's greatest film yet. A true spectacle, featuring the best costumes, scenery, passion, humour, romance and wildest adventure to offer. Unsurprisingly enough, good old Classic, Wizard of Oz pops up, and surprisingly Baz Luhrmann's Australia is another classic in years to come. As the beginning informs us, wait for the finale, Australia is a masterful adventure with an educational point, and crickey, does it hit home.

''This is our country...''

"Oh My God, you know Superman too? Geez I'm feeling a connection... have you heard of Garfield?".

In New York a story that is centered on a Hand Held Video camera/DV type filming. A Group of people we see their lives until a mysterious creature attacks the city throwing everything into chaos...

Lizzy Caplan: Marlena Diamond

Well I was opened minded about this and in actual fact, it blew me away! Artistic license why a monstrous creature would specifically tear off the head of the Statue Of Liberty?
yet if you go with the flow it's pretty damn realistic.
The realism is it's strong point. The whole film due to it's different style is like going from the shallow end of a swimming pool, thus representing your normal everyday films then plunging into the deep end with this unique style and alternative method.
The whole angle of telling a story from this home video camera is a unique medium in Storytelling which i applaud.
Now the guy behind the TV Series Lost(which i adore!) J.J. Abrams is the producer. His imprint and style certainly comes out on this combined with Matt Reeves directing really churns out something unique.

The said creature is stereotypical yet effective, reminded me when i first saw it of some undersea mutation,also looking like something out of Halo or Silent Hill. It's little hybrids flaking off reminding me of the flood or nightly ghoulish entities.
There was some old memorable songs at the party bit which amused me. Was interesting to see into these people's lives which pretty much felt like an insight into their world.
The last film i saw that was like DV footage was Open Water which i wasn't overly impressed with.
Cloverfield pulls off this genre better than any other previous movie.
Like the series Lost J.J. Abrams has an ending and conclusion I'd notice anywhere which leaves more questions than answers hanging in the balance. That's not a bad thing it's something i admire due to the fact it adds a level of mystery and wonderment.
Cloverfield will leave your mind to make up it's own evaluation and will spark your imagination long after the last credit has died.

''You're not good enough for her. That's it. That's fact. That's science. Beth McIntyre is like from a whole nother planet, man. She's beautiful, she's charming. And you, I love you, but let's face it you're kind of a douchebag. And going to Japan is not going to fix that.''

Simply put, the film is an amazingly visceral experience. It's studio logo, production logo, film. No credits whatsoever, which just adds to the overall immediacy of it. If you've been following it to any degree whatsoever, you know that it's shot entirely with hand-held cameras. The characters also run. A lot. So immediately, I think this will be a love hate experience. My own reaction to it was that it again, added to the immersion, and I didn't find it to be really distracting at all. Many people I saw it with said they couldn't even watch the screen at times, so buyer beware. It also will anger those who need all the details, and need to have every loose end tied up (or even a majority of them). The entire film is the tape found after the events of the film are over. That's it. There is no set up, and no hold-your-hand-for-you resolution (or really, much of one at all). It's unconventional, and I enjoyed the ending. I definitely have to applaud the decision to not simply make a cookie cutter action film that is easy to watch. I think it will be interesting to watch how it does at the box office though.
After that...I feel like there isn't much that can be said about the acting, and that should be a credit to it. It absolutely feels like you are experiencing this with the characters, who feel more or less exactly like real people. After leaving the cinema, I was on edge for a good deal of time, as I tried to shake that level of immersion. The film has also surprisingly humorous dialogue, and I would say that our respective audience, laughed more than they screamed with terror glazed eyes.

Cloverfield definitely will not be everybody's cup of tea, but if you're already anxious to see it, I have no doubt that you'll be pleased. It was a relatively unique experience, and again I want to applaud the decision to make it in this unique way.

''It's like a nightmare! It's like a nightmare!''

''It's an alethiometer. It’s a truth measure - a golden compass. It enables you to see what others wish to hide.... You can ask any sort of question you can imagine. Once you've got your question framed...''

In a parallel universe, young Lyra Belacqua journeys to the far North to save her best friend and other kidnapped children from terrible experiments by a mysterious organization.

Dakota Blue Richards: Lyra

His Dark Materials: The Northern Lights, the original name for the book, in England. What a mysterious, enticing title for a book. The Golden Compass? Well, it doesn't quite have the same effect on us, does it? The use of the American name of the book for the film really didn't falter my opinion of the film, but as early warning signs come, it doesn't get much more obvious than this. We should have assumed from the start, that this was going to be a very different venture, to the book.

''There are many universes and many Earths parallel to each other. Worlds like yours, where people's souls live inside their bodies, and worlds like mine, where they walk beside us, as animal spirits we call daemons.''

As a huge fan of Philip Pullman's epic trilogy, I had been eagerly anticipating this film adaptation for a long while. I had fallen in love with the books a while back, not due to the fantastical elements, but due to the way it introduced this fantastical parallel universe to the reader in a slow, subtle, familiar way and made it feel real and tangible. The books are gritty, rugged and at times violent, and the stories' themes are philosophical and even spiritual in a way. It grieves me to say that the film misses the point, concentrating instead, on the fantasy, the action and the giant talking polar bears.
Franchises and series like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings have never apologized about their overt paganism. Likewise, The Chronicles of Narnia have never been accused of being subtle as a Christian allegory. These series, in both literary and film forms, have been massive hits due to their unapologetic natures that speak truths to their ardent fan bases. British writer Philip Pullman's darkly subversive anti-religious fantasy books have also been hugely successful, more so overseas than here in the States. Stripped of the books' overt atheistic messages, The Golden Compass takes a reverse psychology approach in its film treatment and oddly positions itself as an apology for Pullman's work. The result is a tepid affair that joins a long line of fantasy films about children discovering they are the chosen ones destined to save the world. At least this film is refreshing in its stance on girl-power as represented in the main character Lyra, played wonderfully by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards, who apparently is a graduate of the Dakota Fanning school of acting. Whether or not this tactic to strip the film of its soul (much like the Magesiterium strips children of their daemons) will make the film broadly appealing enough to warrant a franchise has yet to be determined.

The Golden Compass manages to remain dull and unimaginative. Its idea that these people (who inhabit an alternate 'Earth) have their souls on their outside is an interesting one, yet on screen, we are supposed to relate to these characters by way of their animal accomplices, for instance: Lord Asriel's (Craig) is a beastly feline: strong and powerful who knows what's what; Marisa Coulter (Kidman) has a monkey of some sort; suggesting not a playful and cheeky persona but one that could change from good to aggressive very quickly; the other example is of the hero; Lyra Belacqua (Richards) whose daemon keeps changing from cat to bird to chipmunk suggesting she hasn't quite 'found herself' yet although the fact she's only about ten probably has something to do with this. Fine, you think but the faceless enemy soldiers that guard utopian government looking buildings as disturbing experiments go on inside are all accompanied with either Doberman dogs or wolves – do the guards not have personalities? This is a glaring lack of consistency.

''It's an alethiometer. It tells the truth. You are meant to have it. You keep the alethiometer to yourself, it's of the utmost importance to yourself, to all of us, and perhaps to all creation.''

The actual character hero of Lyra was also a problem. There are too many scenes that rely on child acting in this film and what's more, Lyra goes about her adventure as if she's twenty years older that what she actually is. She is smarter than she should be; braver and more of a leader than she should be. More often than not, she achieves things adult characters cannot: persuading the polar bear to join them; destroying the 'cutting' device and being able to negotiate her way out of death with a king polar bear who is a hundred times more powerful than she is. Of course if she was any older, the film would be Tomb Raider mixed with Narnia but that's a different story. I'm sure there was faithful material to the book somewhere in The Golden Compass but there's me thinking it was perhaps going to go down the route of Indiana Jones or The Mummy, how wrong I was. The film sets up its idea for its narrative in a similar adventure way, what with the mentioning of the alternative world (our world) and the giving of the compass to Lyra and yet it totally ignores its roots from here on. This film basically turns into a recruitment process with Kidman's and Craig's characters hovering around in the background although never creating a presence, this is cannon fodder for nine year olds, but then there's the complicated narrative and the fact other films of this genre, were for people of all ages anyway.

What we are led to believe is that in this world, they haven't made the technological advancements like cars and aeroplanes (their cars resemble horse and carts without the horses and they fly around in blimps) yet build vast utopias, that still find room to house criminals of some description, whose main aim is to 'cut' away the souls of children at the first mention of the word 'dust' – yes, it's that bizarre. Mangled in with this, the character of Iorek Byrnison (McKellan - who is a CGI Polar Bear hilariously resembling a down and out P.I. in a film noir when first introduced) is given a sub-plot involving him rediscovering his 'armour' (metaphor for masculinity) and from there, he develops into a really guilty example of a fatherly figure for Lyra after it's established she lost her father previously. Thrown in amongst all this tosh is a CGI fist-fight between two polar bears trying to prove who is 'king'.

It is the right time to mention the cast: Nicole Kidman delivers an eerie and chilling rendition of Marisa Coulter; a person who knows people high up in whatever hierarchy the school has. She also seems to get nastier and nastier as the film progresses but some of her lines she's given do not aid her in her career: "I'll find you, Lyra(!)" Oh, how evil. But the biggest disappointment is Daniel Craig who's present for about three scenes and then vanishes – this'll be the easiest pay-cheque he'll ever pick up, unless they make a sequel. In short, avoid this film even if you are a fan of the genre.

''One compass remains, however, and only one who can read it.''

''And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.''

A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire.

Kristen Stewart: Bella Swan

After reading so many positive reviews of Twilight from Critics and friends alike, I was more than willing to give the apparently awesome Teen Vampire story a chance. After actually seeing this seemingly appetizing vision I'm somewhat baffled as to what everyone is going on about. Either the critics are on drugs or they have succumbed to the swarms of angst ridden female fans, (and some male supporters) being payed off in the process. It would seem to me that as soon as this so called Twilight, I was bored to tears with it's sloppy narration and poorly structured plot. Having not read the book previously the film has done a thorough job of putting me off reading it.



The acting is truly abysmal, for a start, not helping me to take it seriously at all.
Pretty boy Robert Pattinson portraying the sulky Edward Cullen, is a pouting, emotionless, pale faced lout whom will have the girls drooling over for his feminine looks. We have him weakly formulating a strange romance with Kristen Stewart as new arrival Bella Swan, who doesn't so much as act but only utilizes her looks and nothing else. I'm actually shocked how critics have been fooled by this disgusting piece of film, and I'm sure a few jobs will be lost when audiences see what a drab, unsophisticated piece of shoddiness this is. Twilight could have been the next best adaptation since Harry Potter but ends up being a cross between Underwold, Buffy & Covenant. If you do go and view this at the cinema, more than likely, the majority will be either A fans of the book, or B girls who after a soppy romantic fix. God knows, after hearing some comments, how people can endure this monstrosity multiple times and not resist the need to systematically vomit or succumb to sleep. It honestly, in the politest way possible is like watching newly used paint on a wall dry.

''I know what you are. You're impossibly fast. And strong. Your skin is pale white, and ice cold. Your eyes change colour, and sometimes you speak like, like you're from a different time. You never eat or drink anything. You don't go out in the sunlight.''

Twilight abuses the Vampire lore in many ways, opting for our sucker friends to have glittery skin in sunlight(More like sweat visually), playing baseball in stormy weather, and also being able to have a reflection in a mirror. All of these and more crash this nightmare into unbelievability and beyond, causing me to lose hope for Vamp films in general. Being a fan of Bram Stokers Dracula and Interview with the Vampire, this Twilight is a wet dream of teenage hormones realized. It's got no class of a sophisticated vampire whatsoever, also lacking a decent nemesis or threat throughout. When a problem is presented in the guise of three evil Vampires, we are too bored to even give a damn about our characters or even what is to transpire next.

Granted Twilight isn't a complete catastrophe, it's got some good qualities here and there, that seperate tedium from torture. The music for one seems to be good in places, as is the parts where Bella visits Edward's family. It just takes too long for these to kick in.
Before we even get to the juicy segments we are given supposedly romantic encounters between our pair. Their acting and slushy antics are about as frozen as Edward Cullen's facials appear to be. A frosty love that's about as easy to believe, as blooming Freddy Kruger or King Kong materializing before us from a hurricane of misconception. Which in other words is unbelievable, in every formulated way possible.
Billy Burke as Charlie Swan also seems to be lost throughout these strange happenings as Bella's mistreated father. Not to mention Native American friends who are brushed aside with Bella's infatuation and dazzling romance with Edward. After seeing this it's fair to say, you will want to grow up fast if this the most imagination they can conjure up on the screen for us. The realism has just sizzled from view and burst abruptly out the window.

As for Director Catherine Hardwicke, has she even bothered to read the book? Or watch any Vampire films of late? I'd say she hasn't bothered doing much if this is the best she can give us. Her direction to me, seems to be poorly threaded together, resulting in a rushed, heightened, chaotic jumble of genres that makes me embarrassed to bear witness to. I mean Melissa Rosenberg screenplay is as flimsy as paper in a storm, it seems to move at a slug's pace, while Stephenie Meyer Novel is systematically raped by this on-screen apparition. You could say that I'm not easily impressed but I'm having on by a thread as to what to be impressed by as I come out of this venture. My girlfriend is as confused as I am, as it finishes, and she was the one that wanted to see this. I'm at a crossroad as to what to think. It's nearly Christmas and Twilight seems to be the only film people talk about. Simply put God help us if this is the best we can get. Hopefully in the next few weeks a certain two films will redeem my flattened cinema viewing and give me something better to feast upon.

''Death is peaceful - easy. Life is harder.''

Albert Wesker: [to Dr. Isaacs] Continue with your research, Doctor... while it is still YOUR research.


Milla Jovovich: Alice

Oded Fehr: Carlos Olivera

Ali Larter: Claire Redfield

Iain Glen: Dr. Isaacs

Survivors of the Raccoon City catastrophe travel across the Nevada desert, hoping to make it to Alaska. Alice joins the caravan and their fight against the evil Umbrella Corp.

The third installment, draws inspiration from a range of films like 6th Day and Matrix yet in one hand offers different aspects to the world of Resident Evil breathing life and some new ideas into the franchise, while on the other hand it is extremely unlike the resident evil we all know, it is at times more like the games than the first two.
Examples: The world has ended more or less and the Zombies have taken over the surface is very unlike the games, but the film is full of things from the games, but used subtly enough so as not to shove it in your face. The whole trapped obstacle course at the beginning screams the games (while the set is different the whole designated area with deadly traps is very RE).
The plot is driven forth by finding documents/notebooks again very RE and the Umbrella Lab looks brilliant, better than anything they designed in the games by far.

Now for the plot, it was very simple, but then the film would have suffered from a very detailed plot, what was more important were the characters which were far superior to the previous films, and I suspect it has to do with Russel being appointed Director. Easily Anderson's best writing for characters although it's punch scenes seem to be a little less grand than the other films (the laser corridor in re and the nemesis shootout with the STARS in Apocalypse) and the biggest disappointment was there were no monsters in the film apart from the staple Dogs and Zombies, the crows, while cool don't count and the Tyrant is only in it at the end. But that is more to do with budget than the script.

The acting was far better in this film, and for once the supporting characters were well enough done for you to care about them or even just get a sense that they are real people in a bad situation. Unlike RE:A in which the main characters were planks and the support characters basically were just warm props.

The action scenes were done excellently, although at the beginning there is a little of the shot too close cut too fast syndrome but that evens out in the later scenes. The gore was good, not over the top like some rubbish zombie film but not as mild as the other RE films.

The ending was a little off, and lacked the big WHAM that Anderson usually ends the RE films with, I think less would have been more for this films ending, when you see it you will know what I mean.

Bring on the sequel and Wesker!

Pending Changes...

''You're a mouse.''

''You people have no imagination! ''


The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian.


Ben Barnes: Prince Caspian

Prince Caspian is the 2nd installment of the Narnia series following The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
What follows is the Pevensie returning to Narnia after one year has passed for them, they possess all the memories of them growing up as Kings and Queens.
They return to Narnia to find it a new and changed land having endured a gap of 1300 years without them.

We are treated to a new people in the form of the non-magical, Elizabethan Spanish-like, depicted Telmarines.
Prince Caspian played by Ben Barnes, has an exotic Spanish flavoured accent that sounds more like Antonio Banderas. He's a handsome young new comer and a fine addition to a vibrant array of casting.
Sergio Castellitto as King Miraz Caspian's murderous Uncle is a good villain, ruthless and power hungry.

A battle between good and evil takes place in Caspian. Due to the duel aspect of the final battle, the writers decided to add a more straightforward siege to compensate for the machine warfare at the conclusion.
The scene reminiscent of a Minas Tirith battle from Return of the King, adds some nice weight and action, allowing the plot to progress a tad faster and be more interesting than without.

By utilizing it as a chance to show the fallibilities of both Caspian and Peter, it lends more credibility to the idea of resurrecting a former evil to help in the fight against the tyrant Miraz.

Caspian bears alot of similarities to Rings for examples the Telmarines look like Gondor people visually and we have Trees fighting and helping, not to mention a man made of water at a river scene that looked like Arwen's scene in Fellowship.
Although Caspian succeeds in feeling more darker and adult to it's predecessor The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which was lighter, colourful and more kiddish and magic laden.

Directed once again by quaint director Andrew Adamson who utilizes the land of New Zealand with it's lovely landscapes and settings to breathe life into Prince Caspian the fabled story by Brit C.S Lewis.

Incredible creatures, immense battles, a mysterious Aslan and a White Witch trying to claw her way back into the realms of Narnia. Prince Caspian delivers a family film which can be loved by lovers of the books or family fantasy enthusiasts alike.

Pending Changes...

Shaun: Do you want anything from the shop?
Ed: Cornetto.

A man decides to turn his moribund life around by winning back his ex-girlfriend, reconciling his relationship with his mother, and dealing with an entire community that has returned from the dead to eat the living.

Simon Pegg: Shaun

''Who died and made you fucking king of the zombies?''

The great British sit-com has undergone something of a revival in recent years. Galvanized by the new wave of smart, sassy imports from the US, the Brits have girded their loins and produced a spate of quality comedies that have banished memories of the bland, identity dross of the late eighties and early nineties.
Shaun of the Dead is the continuation of what went before; of a similar format yet in a completely new setting, with new characters, plus new cast members and for the first time a feature-length run time for the big screen. So how does it play out? Even with such a departure from the original setting, the history of TV to cinema adaptations is a dodgy one to say the least. Fortunately for those of us who already fans or (more likely) if you've never seen the series before, prepare to be impressed.



The style is all it's own. With inventive direction and editing making the visual impact which fans will instantly recognise, to the writing which importantly is firstly genuinely funny, interspersed with references to popular culture of the past two decades, always with a self-knowing grin, a wink to the viewer rather than a pretentious nod. And of course several self-references and in-jokes of the TV series all fill in the gaps between the tastefully presented killings. There is blood, after all this is a "rom-zom-com" or "romantic zombie comedy" - a self-proclaimed new genre and rightly so. This is as about as original as it gets. They actually manage to pull off humour, violence, decapitations, action, romance, suspense, sadness and joy all within the space of 90 minutes.
Spaced, a wholly original and delightfully quirky comic bagatelle which has built up a small but dedicated following in the UK. Now writer/actor Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright have teamed up once again to give us Shaun of the Dead which is, in a nutshell, a feature-length episode of Spaced (with added zombies). Happily timed to coincide with the Hollywood remake of the 1978 classic shocker Dawn of the Dead, Shaun is the perfect antidote: Irreverent, warm and very funny.

''Ed, this is serious!''

Shaun is your stereotypical sit-com loser: An ineffectual slob in a dead-end job, he is terminally afraid of commitment and spends all his time with his flat-mate Ed (Nick Frost, also from Spaced) who is an even bigger loser. After his girlfriend dumps him, Shaun and Ed seek solace in their local pub the Winchester - a good old-fashioned English hostelry with warm beer and pork scratchings which is infamous for its lock-ins. They stagger home in a state of advanced refreshment, unaware that the dead are now walking the earth. Indeed, it takes Shaun a little while to work it out the following morning despite interacting with a few of them (one of the recurring themes is that most of us go through the drudgery of our daily routines in a trance close to inertia).

When the penny drops, Shaun resolves to rescue his mother and his (ex) girlfriend and generally stand up for himself for the first time in his life. There is not much more of a plot than that. The film, like Spaced relies on a flawless script, observational humour and the theatre of the absurd. Pegg has perfected this in his writing but he is also a surprisingly good actor. It helps that he has surrounded himself with the pick of the British comedy fraternity who seem to have been lining up (literally in one scene) for a cameo. The stars of similarly acclaimed series' such as Black Books, The Office and Little Britain are all on show here as well as Jessica Stevenson, Pegg's Spaced co-writer, who plays a jolly-hockey-sticks human vigilante with a stiff-upper lip and can-do attitude ready to give those nasty zombie's what-for.
Veteran support comes from Penelope Wilton (a sit-com stalwart from a bygone age) as Shaun's curtain-twitching mother and Bill Nighy as her fearsome second husband who performs one of the most dignified and poignant descents into zombieness ever caught on camera.

Despite all the high praise, it must be acknowledged that Shaun of the Dead is still a spoof - a comic tool that you could argue is as low a form of wit as sarcasm. But where it scores highly is in its respect for the original material. Most spoofs (the Scary Movie franchise, for example) are vicious lampoons that unmercifully mock the films they are taking off. Shaun of the Dead gently pokes fun but doesn't lose sight of the fact that if something is worth parodying, it must have some merit. Pegg is also careful to ensure that his film can stand up on its own - there is barely a minute goes by without a very good joke and despite the light-heartedness, there are some satisfyingly scary moments and ample gore.

What is most encouraging is that us Brits have started playing to our strengths. It took a long time for comedy writers to realise that making an English version of Friends is doomed to failure (in the same way that The Office will not work with an American make-over). We should celebrate the Britishness of this film, laugh knowingly at the in gags, and be proud that it doesn't take a huge budget or movie stars to entertain people at the cinema.

Ed: There's a girl in the garden.
Shaun: What?
Ed: In the garden, there is a girl.

''Little things used to mean so much to Shelly - I used to think they were kind of trivial. Believe me, nothing is trivial.''

A man brutally murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder.

Brandon Lee: Eric Draven

Comic book movies have always struck a chord with me. I don't know whether it's their visual style, the special effects, the performances of the actors as compared to the comic itself, or the interpretation of the graphic novel's storyline by the filmmakers that interests me the most, but I've always been enthralled by a bleak story that places a tragic hero in the midst of a towering city, whose choices and actions determine the fate of himself and those around him. Often a comic book can provide the bare essentials for an excellent story, but more often, the filmmakers or producers scrap the idea of a storyline and aim primarily for the exploitation of special effects. In the case of The Crow, this is not true: this is one of the films, that has ever captured the true essence of the comic book it's based on, expanded upon its virtues and added its own style to complement the base storyline of the story.



On October 30th, a night that has come to be known as Devil's Night, in reference to the hundreds of fires set by dangerous gangs, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas) are brutally attacked in their downtown apartment. Shelly is raped by the gang and Eric is thrown out of a five-story window, dying almost instantly. They leave behind a close friend and younger-sister figure, Sarah (Rochelle Davis), endless rainy nights in the city, and infinite sorrow on those who knew them.
Their deaths left a score unsettled, and as a result, an ancient legend becomes reality, as a mystical crow descends from the Heavens who normally carries souls to the land of the dead, brings Eric Draven's soul back to life so he can exact revenge on the men who killed him and his fiance. He dresses himself in torn black clothing, boots, and paints his face like a sad clown. He is invincible, for he is already dead, and sets out on a quest for retribution, seeking out each one of his murderers one by one. He is helped along the way by two people, Sarah and Officer Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), who stayed with Shelly until she died, against an army of arsonist gangsters led by the mysteriously incestuous Top Dollar (Michael Wincott), who is the orchestrator of Devil's Night, and inspires his troops with quotes and dialogue from Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradise Lost." With the crow leading the way, Eric Draven sets out to redeem his soul and regain his justice in a city that has never stopped raining since his death.

''Greed is for amateurs. Disorder, chaos, anarchy: now that's fun!''

From its opening shot right to its final seconds, The Crow is a depressingly gripping film. A truly fantastic and faithful adaptation of James O'Barr's comic book series, this film draws its inspiration from both the comic book and earlier films such as Fritz Lang's "Metropolis." The story is set against the backdrop of a broken city ruled by an underground society of arsonists, where the police can do nothing to stop them and the children run wild in the streets. The buildings tower high over the urban streets, overlooking a sad foundation without law, justice or order - you know everything about this world with one shot. The production design and cinematography combines to create an atmosphere in a society without hope, accentuated only further by a Middle-East inspired score by Graeme Revell, and choicy tunes by Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult.

Director Alex Proyas claims he has never seen a sequel to his film on the basis that no one could do justice to the main character like Brandon Lee... I agree with him. Lee's performance as the vengeful soul is one of the greatest I have ever seen on film. He exhibits confidence, cunning and menace, while at the same time communicating just enough pain and depression to stay true to his character. You know what he's capable of, and at the same time his emotional weaknesses. If I can think of any flaw to this film I would mention the incestuous relationship between Funboy and his sister. It was not a subplot, thankfully, but it didn't seem necessary in a film that was already disturbing enough.

Made with passion, performed with intensity, designed with precision and influence, "The Crow" is an unheralded masterpiece of the 20th Century. It is heartbreaking to think that this film almost dodged release - if that had happened, no one would ever have known the degree of Brandon Lee's acting capabilities. The man had a fiery presence and was articulate and powerful with his delivery - indeed, with one great film, he has become a martyr for the exposition of this character.

''Can't rain all the time...''

''It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don't really know what the truth is. I don't suppose anybody will ever really know. Nine of us now seem to feel that the defendant is innocent, but we're just gambling on probabilities - we may be wrong. We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don't know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that's something that's very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's SURE. We nine can't understand how you three are still so sure. Maybe you can tell us.''

A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.

Henry Fonda: Juror #8

12 Angry Men is obviously one of the best films in existence. It is proof that, for a film to be great, it does not need extensive scenery or luscious locations, elaborate costumes or fancy effects, merely perfect acting all in one room.
The twelve angry men are the twelve jurors of a murder case. An eighteen-year-old boy from a slum background is accused of stabbing his father to death and faces the electric chair if found guilty. Eleven of the men believe the boy to be guilty, only one man(Henry Fonda) has doubts. Can he manage to convince the others as well?



The court case provides only a framework, however. The film's greatness lies in its bringing-together of twelve different men who have never met each other before and the interaction of their characters as each man brings his own background and life experiences into the case. Thus, we have the hesitant football coach (Martin Balsam), the shy, uncertain bank clerk (John Fiedler), the aggressive call company director (Lee J. Cobb), the authoritative broker (E.G. Marshall), the self-conscious slum dweller (Jack Klugman), the solid, dependable painter (Edward Binns), the selfish salesman (Jack Warden), the calm, collected architect (Fonda), the thoughtful, observant older man (Joseph Sweeney), the racially bigoted garage owner (Ed Begley), the East European watchmaker (George Voskovec) and the beefcake advertising agent (Robert Webber) who has plenty of chat and little else.

Juror #10: Bright? He's a common ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English.
Juror #11: Doesn't even speak good English.

Almost the entirety of the film, takes place in merely one room, the jury room, where the men have retired to consider their verdict. The viewer finds him or herself sweating it out with the jury as the heat rises, literally and metaphorically, among the men as they make their way towards their final verdict. Interestingly, the jurors (apart from two at the end) are never named. They do not need to be. Their characters speak for themselves.

Henry Fonda is eminently suitable and excellently believable as the dissenter who brings home the importance of a jury's duty to examine evidence thoroughly and without prejudice. Joseph Sweeney is delightful as Juror No. 9, the quiet but shrewd old man who misses nothing, whilst E.G. Marshall brings his usual firmness and authority to the role of Juror No. 4. All the actors shine but perhaps the best performance is that of Lee J. Cobb as Juror No. 3, the hard, stubborn, aggressive, vindictive avenger who is reduced to breaking down when forced to confront the failure of his relationship with his own son.
Several of the stars of '12 Angry Men' became household names. Henry Fonda continued his distinguished career until his death in 1982, as well as fathering Jane and Peter. Lee J. Cobb landed the major role of Judge Henry Garth in 'The Virginian'. E.G. Marshall enjoyed a long, reputable career on film and t.v., including playing Joseph P. Kennedy in the 'Kennedy' mini-series. Jack Klugman was 'Quincy' whilst John Fiedler voiced Piglet in the 'Winnie The Pooh' films and cartoons.

''One man is dead. Another man's life is at stake. If there is a reasonable doubt in your minds as to the guilt of the accused, a reasonable doubt, then you must bring me a verdict of Not Guilty. If, however, there's no reasonable doubt, then you must, in good conscience, find the accused Guilty.''

Oscar-winning cinematographer Boris Kaufman focuses in on the heart of what director Sidney Lumet and writer Reginald Rose are attempting to convey to the audience through the brilliant acting of all concerned. Watch as the jurors vote to make it six to six. The camera hones in for just the right lighting, facial expression, and angle to show the anguish and torment in the souls of these twelve angry men. It flashes to the key juror #8(Fonda) from time to time at just the right moment for the full effect of his deep conviction that the eighteen year old should have a fair consideration of all the evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty of killing his father. The use of shade and shadow, especially when the thunder storm crackles outside is used to show the tempest that rages inside the jury room. The heat that eventually makes even juror #4(Marshall) sweat, complements the pressure of the arguments and debates the atmosphere throughout the single room.

Twelve Angry Men is actually based upon a television play. These were transmitted live back in the 1950s because the video tape didn't exist back then, so we can speak of theater. The movie itself has very much the same feel to it. I like the interactiveness between the actors and the modern theater performance, used back then. In recent movies we can see all too often an actor caring about his/her facial expressions when filmed and caring about the voice at the studio dubbing stage. In this film everything, you see and hear looks 100% natural.
I am especially overwhelmed by the values transmitted by the main characters. Honest Hank (Henry Fonda) is of course the most likeable character. E.G. Marshall stands out as well. But it's the great, late Lee J. Cobb who runs away with the movie in his final scene. Very powerful.
All this is simultaneous with a musical score by Kenyon Hopkins that matches mood to action in a perfect blend of all essential elements making this one of the best Hollywood films ever.

''However you decide, your verdict must be unanimous. In the event you find the accused 'Guilty', the bench will not entertain a recommendation for mercy. The death sentence is mandatory in this case. You're faced with a grave responsibility. Thank you, gentlemen.''

''Whatcha got ain't nothin new. This country's hard on people, you can't stop what's coming, it ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity.''

Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande. Nothing ever goes smoothly sometimes and before you know it he's on the run from a psychopathic cold killer.

Josh Brolin: Llewelyn Moss.

Javier Bardem: Anton Chigurh.

Relentless in method, challenging in presentation, and unforgettable in execution; The Coen Brothers' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's acclaimed novel borders upon pure genius in its characters and suspenseful build up, but sacrifices much of the clarity (though not the power) of its narration in the strict adherence to its source material. Boasting some of the finest performances of the year, the Coen's fantastically intricate thriller demands an astute mind and a perceptive eye to decipher the multi-layered parallels that lie in No Country for Old Men.



Having watched the two Oscar heavyweights No country for old men and There will be blood round about the same time period on the big screen, I can't help noticing the sharp contrast in audio style, while Blood came with background music so overwhelming that it threatens to take over foreground, Old men had only silence, natural sound and dialogue, with no music at all. There is no right or wrong: each style serves its particular purpose. Imagine the scene in Old men with Llewelyn Moss in the middle of the night in a sunken hollow strewn with a few abandoned vehicles and dead bodies. As the menacing headlight of an ominous looking vehicle at the top of a slope threatens to approach, any kind of music would do more harm than good to the blood-chilling atmosphere present.

In their inimitable fashion, the Coen Brothers crafted this adopted story through a mesmerizing plot line that is ever elusive, giving you the slip every time you feel that you have got the hang of things. The plot line looks simple: a common young man who stumbles across two million dollars becomes the prey of a serial killer who is after the money (and his life), while a season sheriff comes after both – an almost standard cat-and-mouse story. But there are more than initially meets the eye.
Moss the everyday man protagonist is not your ordinary reckless young man next door. Seasoned Vietnam veteran, he shows his stuff when chased by a ferocious killing bloodhound, hurriedly loading his pistol but never losing control, and firing it when the canine's deadly teeth is within three feet of his throat. He is undoubtedly the prey, but not one that rolls over and play dead. But this is really the hunter's show. Javier Bardem (The sea inside) whom has won every Best Supporting Actor in sight is good enough to give Daniel Day-Lewis a run for his money had he been put in the contest for Best Actor, to which he has every right. The most amazing thing is that while his physical appearance is at times even comical (mainly due to the ridiculous hair style), his mere presence is so chilling that it makes Jason Voorhees, Norman Bates and Hannibal Lector look like Disney villains.

''I always figured when I got older, God would sorta come inta my life somehow. And he didn't. I don't blame him. If I was him I would have the same opinion of me that he does.''

As the movie follows the standard cat-and-mouse crime thriller development, the audience may be so hung to the edge of their seats that they forget temporarily that this is indeed the Coen Brothers. The climatic showdown that they tricked you into expecting never presents itself. Everything seems to fall apart in the last third of the movie, or does it?
For some people it may do, but these certain individuals lack sophistication in plain terms; Necessary train of thought or depth albeit an ability to see between the lines. Clearly No Country is going for it's source Novel and this Story is not a straight line but one of complication, one of poetic reflection. The ending to me was a marvel, like a newly born ray of sunshine upon ones face. The words reflecting deeper meaning and wisdom, that shamefully are wasted upon mainstream audiences. For those gracious enough to embrace the ending for what it is, will certainly come off all the better for it, not to mention inspiring and awe defining.

The cat-and-mouse game ended almost as an afterthought, with none of the excitement the audience thought they had been promised. The focus has long since shifted to depiction of Bell, as one of the old men, in the title, one of disconnection and unparalleled from the main story yet ultimately part of it regardless. If you think back, most of the small roles (starting with the attendant of the now famous and memorable gas station scene at the start of the story) are old individuals. While the audience might have forgotten, the directors/screen writers have not. They haven't abandoned the concept, that this movie is trying to show why this desolate, seemingly endless horizon, Texas country is quite literally no country for old men. Added to this is the final touch, the accident; showing how karmic life and reality can be.

There was so many great scenes in No Countrythat it is hard to cover it all in a single review. The tension, the sounds, the beats, the uses of silence all are definitely used to perfection. Had me jumping on numerous occasions in the cinema, and that part with Anton waiting for his pursuer after finding the transmitter was amazingly shocking.
Without a doubt this film has you on the edge of your seat. The audience I saw this with didn't appreciate it. They didn't see the bigger picture, the gritty realism, the beautiful poetry of that ending, and if you see the words in that finale; allow them to sink in, then truly it will blow you away.
Best film of 2007-2008 I've seen to date. The level of acting and vision is unsurpassed, and it will draw you in and stay with you. Definitely want to watch again and again, there's so much crammed in this. You will soak it up like a sponge. A masterpiece. Unrivaled entertainment; a haunting thriller and an unrivaled story adaptation.

''Yeah, I'm going to bring you something, alright. I decided to make you a special project of mine. You ain't going have to come looking for me at all.''