A-TEAM DVD review

Out now on DVD is this 're-imagining' of the classic 80's TV show.

SPLICE DVD review

Out now on DVD and Blu-Ray is this Adrien Brody starring horror. Read my review and find out more, after the jump...

RIP LESLIE NIELSEN

Today saw a sad farewell to one of cinema's greatest comedic actors, Leslie Nielsen. Always able to keep a straight face no matter what else was going on around him, he was a man of many talents.


Mr Nielsen, you will be missed.

Obscurity Files #30 - Combat Academy

With The American in cinemas this weekend, let's have a look at George Clooney's film debut from 1986. Today it's Combat Academy...

THE WALKING DEAD episode four

Zombie time again folks. Here's my review of episode four of the FX series.

Hammer and Tongs Collection: review

Out now on DVD is this new compendium of work from the master music video makers, Hammer and Tongs.

More after the jump...

HEARTBREAKER DVD review

Out now on DVD is the French romantic comedy, Heartbreaker.

Check out the trailer and read my review, after the jump...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

With Machete out in cinemas this week and to celebrate that most American of traditions that I don't really understand, here's Eli Roth's awesome Grindhouse trailer for Thanksgiving, one of the selection of shorts that were shown as part of the original Grindhouse package between Death Proof and Planet Terror.

Finally, people get to see Eli Roth have his head cut off. If Machete can get the full feature treatment, I don't see why this trailer can't too. It's long been rumoured that Eli Roth's got a feature version in production, and if the final film's anywhere near as schlocky as the trailer, I'll be there.

YEAH? I'M LIAM NEESON AND I'VE GOT A GUN. WHAT OF IT?

CHRONOFINCHICAL

Following up my article on David Lynch's Lost Highway as part of hopelies.com's CHRONOLYNCHICAL (a look at all of Lynch's films, in as near chronological order as Adam can get them), I've also contributed to the new strand of articles based on David Fincher's filmography, the awesomely titled CHRONOFINCHICAL. Click on the image above to go to my review of David Fincher's Alien 3, but I recommend people also check out the other contributions to the project, as there's some interesting looks at one of the greatest filmmakers working today.

WHATEVER WORKS DVD review

Out now on DVD is the long awaited pairing of Larry David and Woody Allen.

Watch the trailer and read my review, after the jump...

Obscurity Files #29 - Nuns On The Run

With Harry Potter currently showing on virtually every cinema screen in the UK, I thought I'd take a look back at an early film featuring Hagrid himself, Robbie Coltrane. Today it's Nuns On The Run.

More after the jump...

THE WALKING DEAD episode three

The third episode aired on FX on friday. Read my review after the jump...

ARCADE FIRE - The Suburbs

Finding its way onto the internet this week, this latest music video for Arcade Fire's The Suburbs hints towards a much larger collaboration between them and director Spike Jonze. Of course Jonze made his name making music videos, but he seems to be doing more and more again these days.


I'm a big fan of Arcade Fire, and they (along with this song from their third album) are a good fit for the stylings of Spike Jonze. A project between them has been mooted for a while now, and apparently what we see here is just part of a bigger sci-fi tale they've written together called Scenes From The Suburbs. Part District 9 and part Kids, it involves a group of skater kids and the friendships that start dissolving between them when one of their group "changes". Looking at the basic story I can gleam from watching this video, it kind of reminds me of the story for Akira, albeit on a smaller scale. It's too early to tell what direction this story will take, but I'm excited to see more of this group of teens and the dystopian world they live in.

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows- The Good News and The Bad News

That's today folks!!!!

THE NATALIE PORTMAN NEWS

This nice new poster for Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan has just been released. It may not be as stylishly abstract as the previous ones, but it's still damn pretty. It's a shame we have to wait until January to see it....

There's also a new red band trailer for David Gordon Green's Your Highness. It looks pretty bad, with about as much effort put into finding laughs as there was to creating believable English accents. To be fair Portman looks like the best thing in it, maybe because for some reason Zooey Deschanel appears to be mute. I was a fan of David Gordon Green's indie films and I can understand his desire to move into comedy, but this looks more Pineapple Dance Studios than Pineapple Express.

EASY A review

Just about still in cinemas is the new Emma Stone starring high school comedy.

Read my review and find out more, after the jump...

What's Trampling All Over My Treasured Childhood Memories This Week?

Oh god that looks bad. Like, worse than Twilight bad. In fact, even more so when you realise it doesn't have this guy in it...

All I can say is, come back Teen Wolf Too, all is forgiven. To do away with the curse inflicted on us by watching that crap, let's watch the trailer for the original film to balance it out.

Ahh, that's better.

TOURNAMENT DVD review

Out now on DVD is this new Death Race style thriller.

Read my review and find out more, after the jump...

THE KARATE KID DVD review

Now out on DVD and Blu-Ray is the remake of the 80's classic, The Karate Kid.

Read my review and find out more, after the jump...

Superfluous Pre-Title Bumph Through The Ages

Apparently Darren Aronofsky has had the sense to do away with the pointless pre-amble that was 'X-Men Origins' for his upcoming Wolverine sequel, and has opted for the slightly less vague 'The Wolverine' instead.


Hmmm... I suppose it's shorter to say at least.

THE WALKING DEAD episode two

The second episode of the new zombie epic aired on FX last night. Read my review after the jump...

Obscurity Files #28 - Once Bitten

With the new version of A Christmas Carol out on DVD this week, I thought I'd take a look back at one of Jim Carrey's forgotten films. Today it's the vampire comedy Once Bitten.

More after the jump...

Dino De Laurentiis - The Posters

As a way of paying respect to the legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis who died yesterday at 91, I thought I'd take a look at where I'm used to seeing his name...at the top of the credits on some of the worlds most famous film posters. I'm not necessarily looking at the most obvious ones, but I'm going to work backwards and pick out some of my favourites from a wide array of titles. Trust me though...these are all classics.


Check them out after the jump...

Reasons to be Fearful 1.2.3

After all the hopes I had at the start of the year, 2010 ended up being a bit crap at the cinema, especially for comedies. Well, having looked at these next three trailers for upcoming releases, we may well look back on 2010 being a bit of a classic in comparison. Oh dear...

Hitting the webs this week with all the subtlety of a desperately ageing comedian in a fat suit, we have Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (aka Big Mommas House 3). Do you want to know what's funnier than one guy wearing a fat suit in drag? Well, the answer's sure not two. It's interesting that in the ten years since the first film, the make-up appears to have got worse (or maybe that's just cheaper, like the laughs), and I imagine Lawrence's paycheck has risen the more his dignity has fallen. It's a living I suppose.

Firstly, there's nothing more lazy than using Danny Elfman as a temp track in your trailer. Oooh, it's a mysterious wonderland where anything is possible! Again! Starring the corpulent (jolly and chubby) Kevin James, this looks like Paul Blart: Mall Cop but with more elephant shit-shovelling, complete with the monkey from Pirates of the Caribbean as a comedy sidekick. If this isn't just Night at the Museum...but in a zoo, I'll be shocked. At least it's not out for a while, appearing on our screens...

It's November mate.

I'll be honest that my feeling for this film have been damaged exponentially from the amount of times I've been forced to sit through that damned Jack Black Orange ad at the cinema (I'm up to 14 at last count); but still, it doesn't look great. Pissing all over a classic story, this film (the most of which I think is in the trailer) looks really bad, and even the appearance of Jason Segel and TJ Miller can't save it for me. As for what they're selling it on, the following claim inspires zero confidence.

Gulliver's Travels arrives in cinemas on December 26th, so if you're looking for a way to ruin Boxing day for all the family, you have your answer.


Not to sound too defeatist about next years crop of comedy releases, but 2011 may end up being the year the laughter died. Here's hoping it's a banner year for drama and horror. Please.

THE WALKING DEAD episode one

The first episode of the new zombie epic aired on FX last night. Read my review after the jump...

Obscurity Files #27 - The Pallbearer

With Let Me In out in cinemas from today, I thought I'd take a look at director Matt Reeves' debut. Today it's the David Schwimmer vehicle, The Pallbearer.

More after the jump...

What's The Worst Tagline Of The Week?

Any idea what the worst tagline I've seen this week is? Could it be...

FROM

That's a bit bland, but at least it's 'inspirational'. Maybe it's...

FROM

Breakfast TV will never be interesting, just ask Adrian Chiles. Both rubbish taglines, but Shakespeare in comparison to...

FROM

If anyone has any idea what that means, answers on a postcard please.


n.b. Don't send me answers on postcards please.

Hammer and Tongs Collection

Creators of some of the finest music videos ever, if you're of a certain age you'll have grown up watching MTV and appreciating the work of Hammer and Tongs. Working with some of the biggest names in British music (Blur, Radiohead, Pulp), they've given us some of the most memorable music videos ever; then under the guise of Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith branched out into feature films, delivering personal favourites of mine, Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy and Son Of Rambow. These guys have one impressive showreel. 

If you're a fan of music videos you may have bought the Palm Directors Label collections back in 2003. Bringing together the respective works of directors like Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham and Michel Gondry, they were quite exhaustive collections that left no stone unturned. When they were released there was much speculation as to who would get a boxset next...only for the series to hit an abrupt end. I always wanted to see a Hammer and Tongs DVD collection, and it looks like I'm finally getting my wish thanks to Optimum.

This DVD is loaded with all the classics music videos (including their more recent outings), along with a bunch of short films, commentaries and interviews to boot. It's available to pre-order now at Amazon, and will be released on November 15th to tie in with the release of the Hammer and Tongs 'presented' film, A Town Called Panic.

As a taster of what to expect I could show you the sad tale of one lonely milk carton in Blur's iconic Coffee and TV, I could show you the demented puppetry of Supergrass' Pumping On Your Stereo...but I'm pretty sure you'll have seen them. Instead here's a personal favourite that exudes the lo-fi charm of most of their work, Vampire Weekend's A-Punk.

PREDATORS DVD review

The new Adrien Brody starring sequel is now out on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Watch the trailer and read my review, after the jump...