beermonsteruk Reviews

Gangster No. 1 (2000)

It's Who You Kill

[8/10 · 9 October 2020]

Ah Gangster No.1, the memories, where did the time go, saw this underrated gem at the pictures back when it came out as a young 16 year old with friends I've long since lost touch with, great times, anyway enough of the nostalgia trip, what was the film itself like? After a recent rewatch and trip down memory lane, it was just as good as I'd remembered, if not better.

Set mainly in London's swinging Sixties, alternating occasionally in the present day (2000), the story focuses on the unnamed gangster (brilliantly played by Paul Bettany, and Malcolm McDowell as the older gangster) and his rise through the criminal underworld, gangster, through the charismatic Freddie Mays, is taken into the firm and soon becomes Freddie's right hand man. Gangster immediately takes a shine to Mays and the obsession grows deeper and deeper, and is intensified when Mays grows close to the attractive Karen (Saffron Burrows) this further brings out Gangsters darkest side.

As things heat up, Gangster sees an opportunity to take over the firm as well as settle scores with Freddies rival, Gangster Lennie Taylor (played brilliantly by Jamie Foreman), the psychosis of Gangster becomes worse, and it's clear their isn't much he won't do to achieve his goal.

This was a good film, and does not get the recognition it deserves, Paul Bettany in particular does a fantastic job as the embittered psychotic Gangster, who as well as violent is also extremely creepy (see the silent scream scene, I still remember me and my mates reaction to that at the cinema), and performances from Malcolm McDowell, Jamie Foreman, David Thewlis and others are all to be applauded, and the director Paul Mcguigan done a fine job, maybe because of the time it came out, the same year as other gangster films such as Snatch, it got overlooked but if you want to see good performances and a good storyline, give this a watch, it's well worth it. 8/10

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

Love Lift Us Up Where We Belong

[8/10 · 2 August 2020]

1982 had some smash hit blockbusters, ET and Tootsie to name a few, but An Officer And A Gentlemen was also another hit, which further enhanced Richard Geres stardom (after an excellent performance in American Gigolo) after a well received performance as Zack Mayo, a Navy brat who has big ambitions himself to be a US Navy officer.

Zack Mayo's mother commited suicide when he was a boy so he grew up with his Father in Subic bay, a navy base in the Philippines, his Dad, (who seemed more interested in drinking and whoring than being a proper Father), had doubts about Zacks interest in a Naval career, Zack, determined not only to prove him wrong but also to himself, signs up to the Aviation Officer Candidate School.

As Zack goes against his father's wishes and signs up to 13 weeks at Officer Candidate School, he and his fellow recruits are put through an extremely tough and vigorous regime by the Drill Seargent Emil Foley (an excellent performance by Louis Gossett Jr), his tough and unrelenting style causes a fair few to drop out, also warning Zack and the others, about getting involved with the local girls from the area, though Zack and another recruit with whom he becomes friends with, Sid Worley, soon get involved with a couple of local Factory girls.

As Zack and Sid become close friends and both heavily involved with the girls, complications occur particularly when it's revealed Sid has a fiance back at home, and Zack too has problems well as the increasing tension with Drill Seargent Foley reaches boiling point, as well as a heartbreaking tragedy.

This film was a massive hit, and it's not hard to see why, and Richard Gere cemented his status here, a good performance, as well as the hit song by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warren, helped this as one of the biggest hit films of the year, a fine job by director Taylor Hickford, strongly recommended.

The Wrestler (2008)

Stunning Film Stunning Performance.

[9/10 · 31 May 2020]

A good friend of mine with good film taste told me many years ago to watch this film, having been a massive fan of WWF and WCW wrestling many years ago, with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Bret "Hitman" Hart and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin being some of my favourites along with many others of those eras, I finally decided to take my mates advice and give this a watch.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, and starring Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, this film tells the story of an ageing wrestler, well past his prime, and no longer wrestling to large crowds in big arenas or stadiums, he wrestles on weekends for independent promotions to small crowds but passionate fans nonetheless. As well as working in a supermarket for a manager he despises, he spends much of his time in a strip club, forming a friendship with an ageing stripper and single Mom, Cassidy. However, an opportunity for Randy to have a big match with his old rival The Ayatollah, in the 20 year anniversary of their old classic match from the 1980s, Randy and Ayatollah both agree on the bout.

As Randy suffers a heart attack after a hardcore match, seemingly from overtraining and steroid abuse, Randy is told he must retire, and any future involvement could result in his death. With Randy depressed at the prospect of never wrestling again, Cassidy suggests Randy get in touch with his estranged daughter, he does so, and despite her initially rebuffing him, she eventually agrees to a meet.

Stuck in his supermarket job, Randy misses wrestling, as it's the only thing he's been good at, and misses the adulation and respect he's given in that world, and he wonders if he should go through with the big fight, against Cassidys advice.

Without giving much away, this was a very good film, for wrestling and non wrestling fans alike, this wasn't just about the sport, it was about a man who struggles to connect with the World outside of his beloved profession, and as the film comes to a close, you get an insight into Randy's true feelings, a great moment. This film too was mostly praised those in the professional wrestling industry, with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper particularly being a fan, and Mickey Rourke himself changed the way he viewed the business, as wrestlers don't often get the respect of other athletes, despite their hectic training schedule. Whether you are a fan of wrestling or not, this is a must see, and Mickey Rourkes performance was definitely worthy of his Bafta. 9/10.

The Number 23 (2007)

The Number 23!

[6/10 · 27 May 2020]

I remember when this film came out in 2007 but for some reason I didn't see it at the time, then i stumbled across it many years later in a cheap dvd store so grabbed it, I like Jim Carrey as a comic actor but as this was billed as a horror i was intrigued to see how he'd fare in this.

Carrey stars as Walter Sparrow, a rather goofy, likeable animal control officer, and when he is bitten by a dog called Ned (which Sparrow comically refers to as nasty evil dog) it caused him to be late while meeting his wife in a bookstore, she then advises him to read a fairly old, scrappy looking book called "The Number 23", by Topsy Krets, so he does and is soon enthralled by the book, noting similarities between his own life, including the name/nickname of the books main character, "Fingerling".

The more Walter reads of the story he comes across a character called "the suicide blonde", who explains that the number 23 is cursed and appears everywhere around her, as he reads this, Walter too becomes obsessed with the number, as well as the main character, who he is convinced is somehow about him, his wife dismisses the idea but his son seems to agree with him and Walter is determined to find out more as well as track down the elusive Topsy Kretts, who it seems has no other body of work except for the novel Walter is reading, and a clerk at a bookstore, finds no information on Kretts.

As the story unfolds, it appears there is more to the whole story than meets the eye, as dark turns and twists occur, and we get an insight into Walters past, and just why he thinks the novel is somehow based on his life.

The film for me definitely lost a bit of steam as it went on, the constant flashes of Walter, as fingerling interacting with characters in the book became somewhat distracting after a while, and the more you learned about 23 it kind of took away the mystery, however the film was enjoyable in parts, and I did enjoy Carreys performance, even though I kept thinking he'd go full on rubberface mode (he didn't), it bought some humour into a somewhat bleak story.

Overall this film wasn't that good, but it was decent and I did thoroughly enjoy the first half hour or so, and I don't regret watching it I wouldn't go too far out of my way to endorse either.

6/10 Very mild recommendation.

Dead Man's Shoes (2004)

God Will Forgive Them!

[10/10 · 26 May 2020]

Wow! What a film, I remember seeing the DVD in a large store in Exeter, Devon, years ago and being grabbed by the brilliant DVD cover, I had to buy, and certainly didn't regret it, and for me this is still Shane Meadow's best work to date, and with his highly impressive résumé this is a massive compliment for this film, which seems to be pretty popular in the UK for those that have seen it, and it's not hard to see why.

Paddy Considine stars in a performance of a lifetime in this bleak gritty drama as the returning soldier Richard, coming back to the small Derbyshire town, he is accompanied by his younger, slightly mentally challenged brother Anthony (played brilliantly by Toby Kebbell), and it soon becomes clear what his motives are, and he is intent to settle some old scores, particularly with the way Richard feels his brother was mistreated.

We also see the old gang of small town drug dealers who Richard was once acquainted, and while the respected Richard went off to join the armed forces (I'm not sure which unit he joined it's implied it's an elite one), his younger brother was soon hanging around with the gang, sadly being used as a figure of fun for the group, them using him as an errand boy, with degrees of bullying taking place which seems to become more sinister, particularly from the cold hearted leader of the gang, Sunny (brilliantly played by ex British boxing champion Gary Stretch).

It's soon made clear just what type of revenge Richard has in mind, and its soon apparent this ex soldier is not someone you would want coming after you, as the gang soon discover, and Sunny and his firm have to get rid of Richard once and for all, but Richard is extremely cunning, and the sequence of events become more sinister and as the storyline takes an even darker turn, with a devastating blow I did not see coming.

Stunning performances from all those involved, I don't want to give too much away but Paddy Considine in particular, gave an Oscar winning performance as the avenging soldier, with Toby Kebbell a close second, the members of the gang too played their parts well, and despite their despicable treatment of Anthony often seemed innocently humourous in their own setting, and the film did have some comical moments, but the dark nature of the film stays with you for quite some time, with a fantastic soundtrack to boot, this was a perfect watch for me, Shane Meadows should be forever proud of this masterpiece, this is undoubtedly one of my favourite films, which sadly seems to be seen by so few, if you get the chance, watch this film, you won't regret it.

Falling Down (1993)

Not Economically Viable!!

[9/10 · 25 May 2020]

What a performance! I'd seen this film many moons ago and always remember Michael Douglas's stunning performance but needed to revisit this, it was even better than I'd remembered, not just Michaels stunning performance but the film itself.

Michael Douglas stars as William "D-Fens" Foster, an everyday man recently divorced and fired from his job, is sitting in his car, frustrated, stuck in a massive, seemingly never ending traffic jam, and on a boiling hot day, to make matters worse, his air conditioning then fails, Foster at the end of his tether, simply abandons his car, stating he is "going home", this is the start of a very eventful and unforgettable day, and not just for Foster.

As Foster enters a Korean owned convenience store, he is frustrated by the owner refusing change and poor use of English, charging 85cents for a Can of Cola is the final straw, and the start of Foster's rampage, after smashing up the store, he calmy pays the man 50cents for the Cola and leaves.

Things don't end there as Foster is harassed and threatened by Gangs for simply invading their private property, Foster is not amused and again events take a turn for the worse as violence ensues.

As the chain of events spiral out of control, Foster seems hell-bent on simply seeing his daughter on her birthday, but his ex wife has a restraining order on him, and wants him nowhere near her or their young child.

As these events occur, a soon to be retired Police Officer Prendegrast, links them together and despite his colleagues initial disbelief, rightly insists all these occurrences are caused by one man.

This films brilliance has many layers, and many themes explored, discrimination (the black man protesting outside the bank, that he is "not economically viable", this seems to strike a chord with Foster), poverty, the gap between rich and poor as well as mental health, Foster is clearly having a mental breakdown, we see certain scenes that his anger has been boiling over for some time, in those days the issue of struggling mental health was not widely as available or talked about, especially with men, Prendegrast, too has these issues as his own wife is struggling, one of the reasons he too is retiring and was on desk duty.

As well as being very deep, the film is also extremely humorous at times, (Foster asking terrified customers of a burger joint if they are enjoying their meal after firing a machine gun particularly had me in stitches), and Douglas brought so much to the role, humour, frustration, anger, as well as lamenting his old family life, this is an Oscar winning performance from not only Douglas but the director Joel Schumacher, this is amongst his best in a very fine selection of work, this film is highly recommended, ignore the liberal haters, this film is a classic. 9/10

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

9, 10 Never Sleep Again!!!

[9/10 · 24 March 2020]

A Nightmare on Elm Street, the iconic horror classic that spawned several sequels and even a remake, but this remains arguably the best of the bunch, and in Freddie Kruger still remains one of the most memorable horror antagonists of all time.

A classic set in my favourite decade, the 1980s, a group of 4 students (including a young Johnny Depp) seem to plagued by mysterious nightmares, Tina Gray in particular seems to bear brunt of these vicious nightmares involving a strange burned man in a hat and red and black sweater, with knives for fingernails (Freddie Kruger).

As the nightmares become more real, and even more vicious, tragedy strikes Tina and her wild boyfriend Rod Lane is wrongly accused and Tina's friend Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) is determined to prove his innocence, only her father Police chief Donald (John Saxon) isn't convinced.

When Nancy's dreams intensify, her mother takes her to a dream specialist, and when she inexplicably brings something out of her nightmare, her parents are forced to tell her the truth about notorious child murderer Fred Kruger, killed by an angry mob of parents, it seems he has taken his revenge by haunting the dreams of the children of the parents of Elm Street.

Nancy is determined to bring his murderous rampage to an end, by falling asleep and attempting one final battle, perhaps even bringing him out of her nightmare into the real world.

An iconic horror which screams the 1980s, influenced by films earlier in the decade and even the 70s, this took on a life of its own, a monster which invades ones dreams (nightmares) is a very formidable foe, for everyone has to fall asleep at some point, right? This is a must see for any horror fans and those that love B-Movies (while not listed as such it does have many elements of B-Movies, and I say that as a good thing). And the cast was good here too, great selection and directing by Wes Craven.

A party horror film if you like, this is a great film to watch with a group of friends on a beer filled evening, so order the beers and a pizza, put your feet up and enjoy, a horror classic.

8.5(rounded to 9)/10

Sightseers (2012)

Worth Killing For

[7/10 · 10 February 2020]

After being very impressed with Kill List and A Field In England, I am going through Ben Wheatley's work, High Rise while not spectacular was still enjoyable enough, and Sightseers was next on my list.

Starring Steve Oram and Alice Lowe as a couple (Chris and Tina) about to go on a caravanning holiday, Tina's elderly and overbearing mother doesn't want Tina going and is openly hostile to Chris, but they end up going anyway much to her annoyance.

As the holiday starts Chris is annoyed by an ignorant man littering, he points out the man's littering only to be rudely ignored, he ends up taking matters into his own hands particularly after seeing the man continually littering, almost as if to deliberately antagonize Chris, tragedy soon ensues, seemingly accidental, though Chris seems rather pleased with himself either way.

As the holiday goes on, more people start to irritate Chris, who continues to brand out justification for his subsequent homicidal actions and eventually Tina gets it on the action herself, some seemingly out of pure jealousy after Chris befriends an eccentric man with an unusual vehicle, and the pair seem hellbent on their mayhem and destructive behaviour.

This was an enjoyable film and while not brilliant was a good, solid watch with lots of entertaining moments, the couple, like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, are believable in their affections and jealousies, with some great dark humour and a good soundtrack to boot, Ben Wheatley has a thumbs up from me, and the acting, particularly from Oram, was top notch, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of his performances. Well worth a watch, particularly if you like Black comedy and low budget Britflicks.

7.5/10

Burnt Offerings (1976)

Slow Burner and very creepy.

[8/10 · 27 January 2020]

Creepy old school haunted house horror, sounds right up my street, I wasn't put off by hearing it's a slow burner, slow burners can be good, slow burners can be scary, and this is both of those.

Directed by Dan Curtis, this holds an impressive cast of Oliver Reed, Bette Davis and Burgess Meredith, amongst others. Ben Rolf (Oliver Reed), his wife Marian (Karen Black) and son, along with Ben's bubbly, fun loving Aunt Elizabeth, (Bette Davis) are interested in renting an old 19th century house for the summer, meeting an unusual Brother and Sister, Arnold and Rosalyn Allardyce, can't believe how cheap the deal is, thinking there's a catch, there is, they have to look after the Allardyces elderly Mother, the eventually agree to the strange terms.

It isn't long before unusual occurrences happen, starting small, the seemingly dead plants in the greenhouse are showing signs of life, and Marian seems to be particularly "loving" the house, and is the only one who tends the Allardyces elderly mother, not allowing anyone else to speak to her.

Things become more even more bizarre, Aunt Elizabeth seems to be have been stripped of her previous energy, becoming drained and permanently tired, and feeling sickly, and Ben himself has a strange encounter in the swimming pool with his son, and is affected by nightmares and visions of a vivid dream that occurred as a boy.

It's clear the house has some of power and hold over the family, and Ben is increasing alarmed as events take a turn for the worse, Marian, however, has almost become part of the house itself, even more obsessive over the reclusive elderly mother of the siblings.

This is a great slow burner, with a haunting and atmospheric score, there isn't much in the way of jump scares but there's always an overwhelming sense of dread and terror building up, made better by an impressive cast, with Meredith shining in a small role as the creepy, eccentric Arnold Allardyce. This is a must see for fans of old school horror and particular those with a fondness for old, haunted houses, strongly recommended.

8/10.

The Fog (1980)

There's Something In The Fog!

[8/10 · 26 January 2020]

The Fog, an atmospheric film by legendary director John Carpenter, a creepy ghost story set in the seaside town of Antonio Bay, this was a hit at the box office, and holds up today, also spawned a remake (which I have no intention of watching).

The close knit coastal town of Antonio Bay is celebrating 100 years of its founding, and the whole town are looking forward to it's celebrations, when at midnight, strange occurrences start happening, several residents notice this, including Nick Castle (Tom Atkins), who picks up hitchhiker Elizabeth (Jaime Lee Curtis), whom he begins a relationship with. More strangeness is in the air, as a group of men from the town are out on a nights drinking and fishing, are murdered by an unknown entity.

The following day even more strange phenomena occurs, and local radio DJ Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau) notices strange voices on the radio, as well as a piece of wood mysteriously changing words as well as suddenly burning.

People in the town suspect something is not right, one of the wives of the missing (dead) fisherman is worried, as is Nick and Elizabeth, Nick being a friend of the dead, and when they discover what has happened to the bodies, Nick realises unnatural forces are at hand.

The towns priest, Father Malone (Hal Halbrook), discovers a horrifying discovery about the town and how it was founded, and why these strange occurrences are happening, usually with an extremely strange, glowing fog, and it seems the events and murders relating to this, is all down to revenge, which Malone is trying to make amends for their forefathers sins.

This is a good ghost story, another thumbs up for John Carpenter here, this isn't overly scary for me, but it does have the creep factor, and it also holds up well on rewatches, the Seaside resort particularly adding a great atmosphere to the films already impressive cinematography, and a good cast also helps, don't bother watching the remake, watch this original instead.

8/10 strong recommendation.

The Wanderers (1979)

They Call Me The Wanderer.

[10/10 · 23 January 2020]

1979 had 2 great "gang" films out, The Warriors, and The Wanderers, but while The Warriors was pretty much all about the gang warfare, the Wanderers was actually a lot deeper, (not that the warriors isn't a great film, it is,) and expands on friendships, gangs, gang rivalries, racism (imagine that classroom scene appearing in a movie today?) Girls, and general coming of age stuff young lads go through.

Set in early 1960s New York, in the multiracial and multiethnic Bronx, to a fantastic soundtrack, the classic old songs go down a treat here, and from the opening scene of the Fordham Baldies strutting down the street to The Four Season's "Walk Like A Man" this sets the tone of the movie for me.

Aside from the great soundtrack, the film has plenty else to offer particularly the characters, we get to know the Wanderers, an Italian American gang of close knit friends, mainly dealing with Richie and Joey, as well as Turkey, a fellow Wanderer who has aspirations to join The Fordham Baldies, plus the arrival of Perry, an out of towner recently moved to New York, who steps in to save the Wanderers from a sticky situation and therefore becomes their newest member, welcomed with open arms, adds to their confidence.

Speaking of the Fordham Baldies, they are one of the most feared gangs of the Bronx, led by the huge Terror, the Wanderers have trouble with this gang, and are saved from a vicious beating by newcomer Perry, who subsequently joins the Wanderers.

Other notable gangs include the Del Bombers, the toughest of the black gangs, led by the charismatic Clinton Stitch, The Wongs, a Chinese gang, and the mysterious Irish-American gang, The Ducky Boys.

As you may imagine, their is trouble ahead with these gangs, some of whom are not always enemies, and the conclusion of the film was very satisfying for me, and includes a great battle near the films climax.

This film deals with so much here, set in the early 60s, this film deals with many social changes coming from the late 50s/early 60s into the gradual transformation to the swinging 60s (See Richie turning his back on a young Bob Dylan in the folk club singing "The Times They-Are A Changing" and returning to the old songs he's used to), as well as the JFK assassination, and the Marines actively recruiting (Vietnam war) young men, I cannot understand why this film is not held in higher regard, as for me this is up there with the likes of American Graffiti and Stand By Me as one of the all time Great coming of age movies.

Excellent film, must see.

9.5/10

The Long Good Friday (1980)

I've Put Money In All Your Pockets!!

[10/10 · 23 January 2020]

Director John Mackenzie's finest hour, and the same could be said for Bob Hoskins, who steals the show in an already highly impressive cast, (so many well known faces appear here) Helen Mirren being an absolute gem as the loyal wife of Hoskins Gangster turned highly successful businessman Harold Shand.

Harold Shand is a dynamic man, first seen swaggering out of Heathrow airport to a very catchy synth soundtrack (some call the music dated, I call it a time capsule), this seems a man of great importance, picked up from the airport, he is very excited about the very real prospect of a massive multi million pound deal, developing on the docklands, with big money being invested from an American firm, everything seems to be running smoothly.

Although due to events at the start of the film, someone seems to be hellbent on ruining everything for him, killing members of his firm, blowing up one of his pubs, Shand is furious, who is doing this to him? Especially with so much at stake, and while initially not too worried, he starts to take it extremely personally.

He needs to nip this in the bud pronto, otherwise the Americans may pull out of the deal, he immediately reverts back to his old violent ways, proving to everyone he really does run London, he needs to find out who's the man responsible, which includes a chilling and iconic scene involving meat hooks, an absolute classic scene, ("I've put money in all yer pockets", Shand bellows at his rivals), but will he resolve his problems in time? Especially with the American Mob desperate for answers.

This is one of the all time greats, certainly one of my favourite films, a classic Gangster drama, with a first rate cast, and some great scenes of Old London, the scene of Harold Shand standing on his boat with tower bridge in the background, is particularly mesmerising, as well as some great locations, some old London pubs, this really shows the London of a distant bygone era, making me almost nostalgic for a time before I was even born.

As well as the locales and the landmarks, the cast here should be given much credit, besides Hoskins and Mirren the stars of the show, the support cast are great, too many to name off hand but many recognisable faces, and it's a shame John Mackenzie never came to these great heights again, but what a film this is, one everyone involved should be enormously proud to have been apart of, I would have loved to have seen this in its day at the pictures, a Masterpiece.

10/10.

The Shining (1980)

The Grand Opera Of Horror Films

[10/10 · 22 January 2020]

What can I say about this film? The first time I saw this was many years ago as a teenager, a few friends and I were up drinking, watching movies, when my friend suggested this, said he heard it was scary, none of us had seen it, and seeing as it was gone midnight, we thought why not, it scared the hell out of us, it was fantastic, I've seen the film countless times since then and while it no longer creeps me out in the same way as a young fresh faced teen, it still entertains me nonetheless.

From the opening scenes of the movie, I was hooked straight away, the cinematography and the films score were absolutely hypnotic, really draws you into the whole eerie atmosphere and sense of impending doom.

The film starts with Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) being offered a job as caretaker of the Overlook Hotel during the winter months, his son Danny already seems to know he has been offered the job, being told so by Tony, his seemingly imaginary friend who lives in his throat.

Jack, his wife Wendy and Danny travel to the Overlook Hotel on its last day open before the shutdown, getting their as the guests and members of staff are leaving. They meet with Manager Mr Ullman and the Overlook Chef, Dick Halloran, who has an instant connection with Danny due to certain abilities they both share, Halloran calls it "Shining", they can see certain things, speak to each other telepathically and even sense impending danger, Danny senses something bad in the Overlook and Halloran warns him to stay away from one room in particular.

After a short period, Jack himself is starting to become more withdrawn, and his behaviour strange, it seems the bad things Danny sensed are starting to affect Jack, and some very strange and sinister forces are at work within the Overlook, and they don't like Danny's gift.

This for me is an absolute cinematic masterpiece in horror, Kubrick's whole style here may not be for everyone (Stephen King himself hated what Kubrick did to his excellent Novel), but it works wonders for me, the music, the suspense, the cinematography, the overlook itself is a wonderfully isolated and creepy building whom no-one in their right mind would want to spend the winter months their amidst all the madness, some complain about the acting but for me it's not a problem, this is a horror film a bit of over the top and hammy is fine by me.

This will be always hold a place in my heart, and will always be one of my all time favourite horrors, turn off the lights, and enjoy.

10/10. Classic Horror.

Class of 1984 (1982)

A Class Of It's Own!

[9/10 · 21 January 2020]

Ah, Class Of 1984, this is one of the great cult films of the 80's, I've watched this countless times and intend to again soon, always goes down well with a few beers during an evening over a weekend (has to be watched at night :-) don't watch this in the daytime).

Set in a very violent school where the unruly kids seem to rule and the teachers powerless to stop them(sound familiar?) many of the students openly carry knives, take drugs and generally cause carnage, one gang in particular, rule above the others, led by the ruthless Peter Stegman (played superbly by Timothy Van Patten), this particular gang seem to be at odds with new music Teacher, Andrew Norris (Perry King).

Norris seems stunned none of the other teachers seem to want to do anything about the unruly behaviour and when he meets fellow teacher Terry (played by legendary actor Roddy McDowall), he tells Norris to keep his head down and accept things as they are, but Norris refuses, wanting to help the students who want to learn, and hopefully kick out Stegman and his crew.

As Norris wants to put together an orchestra, he finds himself clashing further with Stegman, who despite his general destructive behaviour, shows stunning talent (an absolutely brilliant piano scene, "Stegmans theme") he is rebuffed by Norris, who is repulsed by Stegman and his gangs attitude, and he is determined to catch the gang in the act of violence, drug dealing and even pimping, which the police know of their activities but cannot do anything without concrete evidence, and much more carnage and mayhem ensues.

This is a fantastic movie, an underground classic with infinite rewatch value, and the soundtrack (which includes Alice Cooper's "We Are The Future" and Teenage Head's "Ain't Got No Sense") has a great punk vibe throughout, a dark film, with violence and even sexual violence, so not for the faint hearted, but if you like dark, 80s Cult/B-Movies with a punk rock soundtrack with extreme violence, this is for you, wonderfully directed by Mark L Lester, and with a fantastic cast, get the beers and pizza in and enjoy.

9/10 Highly recommended.

Kill List (2011)

Very Dark and Entertaining Psychological Thriller.

[9/10 · 19 January 2020]

Kill List, recommended to me by a very good friend who's taste in films and TV shows I respect a great deal, so I was keen to give this a go. Directed by Ben Wheatley and starring Neil Maskell (who was pretty well known in England after The Football Factory, also in the disturbing yet highly entertaining TV series Utopia), Michael Smiley (Spaced) and Myanna Buring (Ripper Street), so a very strong cast as the main three characters, I had a feeling from the very start of the film that I would enjoy this film, I was proved right.

Jay (Maskell) and his wife Shel (Buring) seem to be at odds with each other after Jay has not worked for 9 months, (which even their young son comments on) following a mysterious incident which happened in Kiev, leaving Jay mentally and physically traumatized. Shel throws a dinner party for them and Jays best friend Gal (Smiley) and his new girlfriend Fiona, this is where things get very interesting.

Jay and Gal are best friends, extremely close, they used to be Ex British special forces, now working as skilled contact killers for various mysterious organisations, despite this, they appear quite likeable lads, having a kind of usual macho bromance you may expect, sometimes violent, often comical, there are some humorous moments in this film, their friendship appears very genuine and realistic, they genuinely care for each other, as well as Jays wife, whom despite their constant arguments, they too genuinely love each other.

Gal has a very generous job offer for himself and Jay, and despite initial reservations, Jay accepts the job, all they have to do is assassinate three people, sounds easy right? Wrong.

As they get underway with their mission, they notice something's not quite right, the victims seem to recognise Jay, even thanking him, for what, who knows, but something is clearly not right, and why is Fiona popping round to see Shel all of a sudden?

They are clearly dealing with a very shadowy and sinister organisation who will not let them simply walk away from their task at any cost, leaving them very unsettled, Jay in particular is clearly losing the plot, becoming very unstable and violent.

Without spoiling anything this is a very dark film, I wouldn't pigeonhole it into any one category, it can fit under many, as their is horror, crime, mystery and even some comedy, I personally loved it, their are some very disturbing themes going on and some extremely violent scenes, so this is certainly not for the faint hearted, but if you want a solid engaging film, and don't mind films with plenty of darkness in them, this is highly recommended, and Ben Wheatley has proved himself a fantastic director here, as well as an excellent cast, all were terrific, particularly Neil Maskell, as the likeable yet borderline psychotic Jay. This is highly recommended.

9/10.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

I'll Be Back

[10/10 · 23 December 2019]

The long awaited sequel, T2: Judgement Day, was it worth the wait? Definitely! Is it better than the first? Not in my opinion. Is it still a classic? Hell yeah! This absolute monster box office hit took the world by storm in 1991 and to me is still the definitive 90s big budget (Sci-Fi) action movie, just as the original was very much an 80s movie this is very much a 90s film (in a good way, I don't view it as dated, it's of its time) and yet still holds up to this day. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton return in their roles along with some familiar faces from the first, and Robert Patrick and Edward Furlong appear in main roles.

Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor is no longer the target of Termination (her son is now 10) and she is institutionalised at a psychiatric facility under the orders of Doctor Silberman, in contrast to her bubbly upbeat persona of the first film, she is now a hardened and highly skilled warrior, frustrated at no one believing her as well as being denied release due to constant violent outbursts, determined to continue former lover Kyle Reese's mission and keep her beloved son alive, has to find an escape.

Meanwhile her son John Connor (Furlong), a young delinquent, believing his mother to be crazy, is suddenly made aware of the importance of his existence (and realising his mother was not lying after all) when confronted by a seemingly murderous policeman (Robert Patrick), Arnie reappears as The unstoppable Terminator only this time he's been programmed to protect John Connor from a seemingly even more powerful Terminator (the liquid T-1000).

A thrilling cat and mouse game occurs between The T-800 and Furlongs John Connor, and Patrick's Metallic Liquid T-1000 who has morphing abilities and immune to mechanical damage, how will they defeat a seemingly unstoppable foe who will stop at nothing to eliminate Sarah's young son.

This is a classic sci-fi action blockbuster the pinnacle of its genre and one of the biggest hits of the 90s, and while not as dark and tension filled as it's predecessor (theirs more comic relief here and Arnies Terminator has almost been given a human makeover by the young future leader of the resistance), it is certainly more action packed, while I personally preferred the first (though both films receive a 10 from me), I can understand why some people prefer the 2nd, and these films are still held up very highly by fans of the genre, action as well as catchphrases galore, which many who were around at that time would remember well.

Do yourselves a favour if you can and watch the Special edition Directors cut as theirs some great extra footage including a cameo from Michael Biehns Kyle Reese, a great film to rewatch once in a while too, so whether you've seen this or not, sit back, put your feet up, and enjoy, I've nothing more to add, other than this, like the 1984 original, is an easy 10/10, essential viewing.

The Terminator (1984)

The Godather of Sci fi Movies

[10/10 · 18 December 2019]

Wow, this is one of them films I try and watch once a year, it's that good, a true classic, many film lovers I know agree with me and I usually always see someone's face light up when mentioning this classic (as well the excellent sequel T2)

On the surface, cyborg comes back from the future to kill a woman to stop her unborn child ever being born, sounds like a B-Movie script right?? If so, then this has gotta be the best B-Movie in history (and I absolutely love B-Movies) this film is more than any one genre, Sci-Fi, B-Movie, thriller, horror , this film has it all, even some romance thrown in, the point is it's one of the best films of its kind, one of my all time favourites. We get a glimpse of a nightmarish future where machines rule the world and then back in (present day) 1984 LA, two men (one man, one cyborg) are transported onto the LA streets both looking for a carefree young Sarah Connor, one wants to protect her, the other wants to Terminate her so the machines can continue to rule in the future and her unborn son seems to be the key to stopping them, definitely a mouthful of a plot to keep up with, so we have a cat and mouse game going as her would be killer is an unstoppable Cyborg, a T-800.

The tension is present throughout pretty much the whole film, the film also screams 1980s in the best possible way, the dark brooding neo noir atmosphere, the music, the lighting, the tech-noir nightclub, theirs barely no time to rest, their is tension, drama, action right from the get go to the thrilling climax.

The cast are fantastic here, Michael Biehn as a young soldier sent to protect Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor, but the real star of the show is Arnie himself, a career defining role in an impressive film career of action packed hits, but none better is he here, a truly terrifying machine who will stop at nothing.

James Cameron done a brilliant job with this and the direct sequel T2, but for me the original edges it due to the sheer bleakness of the plot, the films set mostly at night and I recommend watching it in the evening believe me it is not the same watching in the daytime. Some critics say as with all films of a certain age that its dated, special effects not good compared to today, etc etc, forget all that and just enjoy the film, immerse yourself fully and pretend your in 1984 and the films just come out. I'm hoping to watch this again soon, as it's such a personal favourite, so get the beers and some food in, and enjoy the ride, an easy 10/10.