Director : Roberto De Feo and Paolo Strippoli– Cast Includes : Matilda Lutz, Francesco Russo, Will Merrick, Yuliia Sobol, Justin Korovkin
So I’m excited… why you may ask? well I just watched a new horror movie by two Italian filmmakers I’d never heard of and it was freaking AWESOME !! A CLASSIC HORROR STORY is directed by Italians Roberto De Feo and Paolo Strippoli and was made for 3 million euros, the film stars Matilda Lutz last seen in the brilliant Coralie Fargeat movie Revenge and was filmed in Apulia and Roma, Italy : the film starts with a bunch of strangers travelling in a RV through the countryside of southern Italy when an accident leaves them stranded in the woods, with no phone signal and with one of the party injured they must fight desperately to find away out and stay alive… what I found so enjoyable with A Classic Horror Story was that it felt like a mash up of some of my favorite horror movies, it had the creepy vibes of The Village and Midsommar, the brutality of Texas Chainsaw and the weirdness of Cabin in the Woods… I loved that the runtime was kept short & sweet, the way the story twists and turns like the arms of an octopus with it’s finale leaving you open mouthed like the end of a Shyamalan pic and the film’s unsettling violence that made me wince a few times… I really enjoyed the way the fear factor is ramped up when the mention of the three deities Ostro, Mastosso and Carcagnosso, that Purge like noise of the siren going off alerting the group that trouble is coming their way, this after digesting a scene of unimaginable horror moments before and that dinner table scene around an hour in with Matilda Lutz covered in blood, tied to a chair trying to scream for help is painful to watch : along with Lutz who shines as Elisa there’s also a wickid turn by Francesco Russo who plays Fabrizio : overall A Classic Horror Story is CREEPY, BLOODY and a DAMN GOOD TIME ★★★★
Director : Michael Sarnoski – Cast Includes : Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin
Along with being a wonderful actor Nicolas Cage brings passion to his craft in each and every film he stars in, whether he’s chasing a wild Jaguar in Nick Powell’s Primal, taking down a hippie cult in the surreal blood filled Mandy or beating the crap out of demonic animatronics in Willy’s Wonderland he’s an actor you can’t help but admire, he’s an Oscar winner that’s not only comfortable in A list blockbusters but will star in pretty much anything that he likes the sound of… PIG is the movie debut of writer Michael Sarnoski and sees Cage once again in terrific form playing Robin Feld a former chef who lives in the remote wilderness of Portand with his truffle foraging pig… I love the start of the film as it shows the bond between the two, his life is a simple one spending his days looking for truffles deep in the wilds of Oregon, he enjoys sharing his breakfast with his companion, his appearance is unkempt and you can see there’s something troubling his character, he has a tape recording he doesn’t want to listen and the pain is noticeable, so when out of the blue he’s attacked and his beloved pig is taken from him Feld must return to his former life, tackle his past and track down the no good sons of bitches that have taken something from him… LIKE all of his previous work that contain that hint of oddity Cage gives a rousing display, and this is why he’s one of my favorite actors, regardless of the role he’s an all in 100% committed actor and in PIG he carries this overwhelming loss on his shoulders, he’s consumed by it and in Cage style he shows us his pain and the kidnap of his friend is the final straw : PIG totally caught me off guard, it’s not your standard thriller with Sarnoski playing the emotional card and Cage delivering a powerful display of sincerity, there’s also a good showing from Alex Wolff who plays Amir who’s gets caught in the middle of the pig’s disappearance and it’s unusual story doesn’t play out the way you think it would : Overall PIG is MUST WATCH thriller that’s tender, melancholic and just BRILLIANT to watch ★★★★
Director : Leigh Janiak – Cast Includes : Sadie Sink, Kiana Madeira, Benjamin Flores Jr, Ryan Simpkins, Gillian Jacobs, Olivia Scott Welch, Ashley Zukerman, Maya Hawke
As you guys know I love my horror and especially the slasher genre, from the Italian Maestro’s Argento, Bava & Fulci to the American slice and dice Kings in Hitchcock, Carpenter, Craven & Cunningham, this blood lust is my movie jam, I love being scared so when over a week ago I sat down and watched the first in a trilogy of movies that was landing on Netflix based around the work of author R. L. Stine I was bubbling with excitement… for those in the dark Leigh Janiak is an american filmmaker, her only other feature film was 2014’s Honeymoon, she has also directed a few episode’s of Scream the TV series and the underrated Outcast… her latest is the trilogy of weekly movies titled FEAR STREET…
OMG !! firstly let me mention the cool freaking opening to Fear Street: Part One 1994 that took me back in time and kicked off this trilogy, Janiak obviously knows her shit, so the start & finish must rock your socks off right?… the setting is a bookshop in the Shadyside Mall where Heather is working late… the phone rings (the tone gives you chills like the one Casey Becker answers in Scream… you know… “You hang up on me again and I’ll gut you like a fish!”…. that one!!), the person on the end of the line hangs up and Heather continues to work until she notices books on the floor and then behind her a figure rushes past one of the book stands, Heather rounds the corner and… (well I’m not gona tell you what happened next, now am I?) Part One is all played out like a Wes Craven movie and this guy right here is lapping up every single insane minute of it… SHIT that bread slicer and that whole chaotic finale is soooo fucked up right !!
I was to discover that Part One was just the appertiser, what came next BLEW my mind and shook me to the core… in FEAR STREET: Part Two 1978Leigh Janiak truly captures the essence of summer camp in a horror movie, that Friday the 13th vibe is everywhere, you can smell & taste that rule breaking teen, the thrills of sex and spills of guts as the body count rises, it’s killer 70s score and like the first it’s obvious nods to horror’s of yesteryear… so right from the offset we have a quick recap of what happened in Part One and then it’s over to Deena and Josh travelling to the Berman’s house in hope of finding more answers and tracking down the witches hand… I just love EVERYTHING about this movie, it’s like a big cake with so may layers and a creamy yummy centre… not only are the scares more unforgiving, the violence a darker shade of cruel but it’s story is devilishly good too, entwined with the first and contains a few twists along the road to it’s insane crescendo… and don’t get me started on the wickid young cast such as the magnificent Kiana Madiera as Deena, McCabe Slye as Tommy, Ryan Simpkins as Alice but my pick and scream queen for the day is the incredible Sadie Sink her role as Ziggy will become iconic, from those opening 10 minutes as she’s chased and bullied by some of the other kids to that breathtaking blood splattered show down with the killer, her performance is far removed from that of MAD-Max in Stranger Things, she’s tough, independent and don’t suffer fools gladly, she’s quite the revelation…
And then onto FEAR STREET: Part Three 1666 where the story takes us back to the original settlement before it became Shadyside, when the curse first struck the town folk at a time when it was common to hang or burn someone for being different… the pace of Part Three may be slower but it’s tone is as dark if not darker than than the other two with chilling moments of dread filling it’s narrative including that disturbing chapel scene, Sarah being chased in the tunnels that gave me the feeling of Jack in The Shining, I still can’t shake that moment with the baby pigs, the sight of the rotten food you can almost smell, the removal of body parts and that gut wrenching hanging… the star of Part Three is without question Kiana Madiera she’s like a magnet, sucking you into Fear Street’s conclusion, Sarah’s story is both harrowing yet beautiful, showing us her forbidden love and with the help of some familiar faces Kiana like a ribbon ties everything together…
Leigh Janiak‘s FEAR STREET is a love letter to all us horror fans… Leigh’s given us a trilogy of darkness that not only pays homage to the great’s of yesteryear but she’s also created her own blueprint on a genre that’s been in need of refreshing new material… it’s like an adults only Stranger Things I found myself overecome with nostalgia, I was unnerved by it’s brutality, in love with it’s characters and bewitched by it’s storyline… WOW !! ★★★★★
Director : Cate Shortland – Cast Includes : Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Florence Pugh
Since Marvel have treated us to many solo-outings that have involved Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and Thor to say a BLACK WIDOW picture was long overdue is putting it mildly… I decided to ignore watching the movie at home as it was released on Disney Plus at the time and ventured a little further afield to my local big-screen, and just as I had hoped the wait was worth it and MCU’s latest did not disappoint : Cate Shortland’s movie is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War, and sees Natasha Romanoff on the run and forced to confront an old adversary that is linked to her past : my biggest take from the movie along with it’s darkly written storyline is the films delicious humor and Black Widow is full of great one liners that are smartly written and delivered superbly well by David Harbour’s Red Guardian and Florence Pugh’s assassin Yelena Belova… I loved Natasha’s backstory and the chemistry of those involved in this big cuddly dysfunctional Russian Spy family and along with the injection of humor it was the terrific big scale action scenes that caught the eye, from Black Widow’s first encounter with the Taskmaster in Norway, the epic fight scene between Natasha & Yelena, the prison escape involving Red Guardian and of course that final battle in the film’s last quarter that reminded me so much of a 70s Bond film : needless to say there’s nothing quite like watching any movie on the big screen and although the cinema was only half-full the atmosphere was enough to give Scarlett’sBlack Widow the send off she really deserves : CRAZY GOOD FUN ★★★★
Director : Chris McKay – Cast Includes :Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, Sam Richardson
In the year 2051 the human race is at war with an Alien race known and the Whitespikes, the only way to prevent total extinction is for the Earth in 2022 to send troops and scientists through a wormhole to the future in hope of stopping annihilation by creating a toxin to rid the world of these fierce creatures : Jurassic World star Chris Pratt plays James Forester a family man & biology teacher who gets called up to join the fight in THE TOMORROW WAR : heads up before watching… if your not a fan of science fiction action movies then don’t both pressing play… leave your cynical side at the door, pour yourself a drink and get ready to to be entertained : along with it’s original concept the film also borrows ideas from others in it’s genre with filmmaker Chris McKay managing to create an exciting landscape for his Alien invasion pic to inhabit, the film’s pace is electric and is action packed, with it’s visuals, the design & movement of those Whitespikes really creeping me out as the 2hr plus runtime wizzes by… I really dug the wormhole execution, I was scared just watching the newbies get transported and that was before I saw those words on the computer screen come up in red “System Error”… as I was a big fan of Chuck and Sarah Walker it was nice seeing Yvonne Strahovski in another piece of action, the scene in which her character helps contain one of the Aliens in a cage under the ground is superb : with his recent Marvel outings and fighting Dinosaurs in Jurassic WorldChris Pratt has become quite the action star so it was easy in believing in his character, Edwin Hodge has a terrific role as Dorian who’s had three tours through the wormhole and looked every part of the war torn combat vet and it was fab seeing Sam Richardson again so soon after his hilarious turn in the horror comedy Werewolves Within : so if your looking for a few hours of escapism then Chris McKay’s The Tomorrow War is just the ticket : I HAD A BLAST ★★★½
Director : Randal Plunkett – Cast Includes :Katharine Isabelle, Hazel Doupe, Dermot Ward
THE GREEN SEA is the directorial debut of filmmaker Randal Plunkett and stars Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps) as a once famous rock singer turned isolated writer : whenever I come across an independent/low budget movie that I no very little about I always look for that small something that will keep me interested enough to keep watching it, whether it be a good performance, interesting premise or some scenery that’s too beautiful to disgard, the movie I’m watching needs to show me something… well Plunkett’s debut had me hooked from it’s moody angry beginnings, I loved it’s deliberately slow pace, haunting score, photogenic Irish landscape, an intriguing narrative that had me searching for answers, asking myself questions like “is the Kid real?” or “why is Katharine’s character so hell bent on destruction?” and that leads me to mention a compelling performance by Katharine Isabelle who in my opinion has rarely been better, Simone may be her most interesting, unlikeable and layered character since playing the surgery loving Mary in the Soska Sisters crazy horror American Mary, it really is terrific stuff from Isabelle, giving life to Simone a character with this mysterious past, soaked in self loathing, drinking to oblivion and tired of the world until that is she runs over a young girl whilst driving home drunk one night, the girl we only get to know as the Kid is played by Hazel Doupe who I last seen in the fantastic Float Like a Butterfly, it’s the Kid’s reveal and dynamic between the two actresses that gives Plunkett’s film it’s core… I really loved the way The Green Sea uses it’s many flashback scenario’s played out in a sort of dreamscape that give you a passenger seat into Simone’s past and whether or not you understand some of the innuendo’s shown you can’t help but feel some sort of redemption for the film’s characters during it’s painful climax : A SLOW BURNING GEM ★★★★
Following the Abbott family who are forced to venture into pastures new as they quickly realise that the alien creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path : A QUIET PLACE Part II opens up with a flashback… Day 1 starts with happier times where we get to see the the small American town where the Abbott’s lived right before the Alien invasion took place, there’s smiles aplenty as the kids are playing baseball, we get to see Brody’s Pizzeria an obvious nod to Spielberg’sJaws and we get our first look at a new character Emmett played by Cillian Murphy, a family man watching the baseball when his and everyone’s life changes forever : if your a horror fan then the darkness of the Cinema is the best place to watch A Quiet Place Part II as Polly Morgan’s imaginative camera work, the muted sound with flashes of screeching, screaming Alien attacks and the tension with each scene as the family attempt to navigate their now crushed world without making a sound is unbearable : I know I touched on this after 2018’s first movie but I have to say how impressed I am with Millie Simmonds who’s easily the star of this sequel, her character Regan is fearless & clever and the train and boat yard scenes with Cillian are terrific to watch, Emily Blunt of course is superb, the pain Evelyn feels in defending her children & insurmountable loss is the backbone of the movie, from heartfelt moments such as leaving her wedding ring on the cross and her fight with the creature whilst carrying two oxygen tanks is formidable, Peaky BlinderCillian Murphy is a welcome additon to the cast, his character Emmett plays a pivotel role in the Abbott families survival and The Undoing’s young star Noah Jupe is once again fabulous, that scene where Marcus is running out of air in the safe had my pulse racing and my knuckles turning white as I gripped the arms of the chair, nearly knocking my popcorn all over the place : it’s no mean feat to direct a sequel that stands up well alongside it’s original yet somehow John Krasinksi has managed just that… yes if I was being slightly picky the film finishes rather abruptly and could have benefitted with an extra thirty minutes… but since a third film in the franchise has been green lit with no other than Jeff “Midnight Special” Nichols directing then I’ll let this one pass and look forward to another chapter where being quiet is the new norm : TERRIFYING ★★★★
Here’s the trailer for HALLOWEEN KILLS… I’m a huge fan of Michael Myers and the film franchise that was started back in ’78 by Carpenter spawning numerous sequels and remakes, so the thought of visiting the cinema this October for another dose of Haddonfield has me all excited… I know what your thinking… you just can’t beat the originals and yep you would be right, but there was something fresh I took away from David Gordon Green’sHalloween back in 2018,I didn’t think it was as atmospheric as Carpenter’s masterpiece or as nasty as the Rob Zombie remake but I did love it’s story by Green &Mcbride, the film was well shot with it’sscares coming thick and fast and Myers was in devilishly good form, I really enjoyed the Judy Greer casting and of course seeing Jamie Lee return as Laurie Strode was the icing… so after you’ve watched the trailer for the sequel below why not (like I’m about to do) revisit the Halloween franchise, and see which ones are you favorite… Halloween Kills scares this October…
After a remote mine collapses in north Canada, a team is sent on a rescue mission to save them : with writing credits that include Armageddon, The Saint, Jumanji, Die Hard with a Vengeance and directing credits on 2004’s The Punisher and mob thriller Kill the Irishman in 2011 Jonathan Hensleigh is behind the wheel again & it sure is fun to have him back… THE ICE ROAD stars Liam Neeson as Mike, a hard working no nonsence truck driver who along with his brother Gurty a war veteran who suffers from aphasia takes on a well paid job (some would say a suicide mission) to drive a rig across icy terrain in a bid to save a whole bunch of trapped miners who are slowly running out of air… I really loved the concept behind The Ice Road and like the majority of Neeson’s action romps it’s kept simple, the action and pace is exciting, the effects and photography are effective without being too much in your face and it’s support cast including Legion’s Amber Midthunder, Marcus Thomas who plays Gurty, the always reliable Holt McCallany, The Matrix star Laurence Fishburne and Benjamin Walker all do well in their respective roles : my only slight negative is I felt Hensleigh missed a trick in not capatalising on Gurty’s mechanical talent, maybe he should have fleshed out the story a tad to give his character and others a little more depth, since he also wrote the story I wonder if there was more available but was left on the cutting room floor? this being said the Icy road scenes involving the three resuce trucks, the drama of the miners trapped fighting for their lives, that insane bridge finale and Neeson’s reliable match stick chewing presence certainly makes up for any shortcomings and I finished the movie with a smile on my face, enjoying what I had seen and would certainly recommend The Ice Road to others ★★★½
Two years after being left for dead, a retired hitman sets in motion a carefully crafted revenge plan against the killer : I remember watching Daniel Benmayor‘s Tracers back in 2015 and being a little underwhelmed, it was an average movie with very little to write home about apart from some promising action sequences, roll on 6 years and we have the latest from the Spanish filmmaker XTREMO and HOLY BALLS this movie totally gave me a white knuckle ride, it’s pure guilt free entertainment and although the story is similar to those that’s come before there’s just something about the films star Teo García who plays Máximo that gives Xtremo that extra bite, the intensity and cruel nature of those bone crunchin, sword fighting, nail gun tooting action scenes are reminiscent of John Wick and The Raid but stamped with Benmayor‘s own filmmaking flare and so much fun to watch : along with Garcia’s Maximo Xtremo has a whole bunch of badass characters including Sergio Peris-Mencheta’s Finito a real nasty son of a bitch who gives us the audience someone to hate during those early parts of the movie, Óscar Jaenada’s Lucero who grew up with Maximo but turns all power hungry by attempting to kill everyone in his path, and then we have the kickass Maria played by the beautiful spaniard Andrea Duro who works for Lucero, that scene with Maria and Maximo on the training matt is a delight, we get to witness their undoubted connection, their passion & energy burns through the screen : so if your a fan of these high tempo, high body count action movies that are well choreographed & filmed in the most beautiful of places (in this case Barcelona), even containing bits of humor in the midst of all the violence (such as Lucero handing a delicious looking cake to one of his henchman and returning 5mins later to find it’s been eaten) then Xtremo will fit the bill and may give you a new hero to root for…. let’s hope the movie’s a success and Benmayor gets to film a sequel : EXPLOSIVE FUN ★★★★
A criminal mastermind unleashes a form of justice that will terrifyin a new chapter from the book of Saw : Let’s dive straight in and get to the nitty gritty… DON’T listen to anybody who says that SPIRAL is like Fincher’s Se7en or that the movie is shifting in a new direction NO it is not : Darren Lynn Bousman’s movie is NOT a new beginning it’s just a pure and evil continuation of the dark & gory horror franchise that I love with every insane horror bone in my body : Bousman himself is a veteran of the SAW movies directing Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, so let’s be honest Lionsgate wasn’t about to change the formula were they? and can you blame them…. yes Spiral is a tad predictable, but the writing is sharp with it’s focus on police corruption, it’s pace is quick and it’s creativity in setting up those grizzly murders is top draw and kept my butt clenched throughout… the cast ain’t too shabby either with stand out roles from Chris Rock who actually suits playing a lead detective, Samuel L Jackson, Max Minghella and Marisol Nichols who all fuel to this well oiled horror franchise : so if you’ve been a fan since 2004 and love your horror to contain plenty of blood and twisted carnage then SPIRAL will fill that 90min void with it’s own cruel blend of sick entertainment ★★★½
A prequel feature following a young Cruella de Vil : Craig Gillespie directs CRUELLA like Joel Schumacher directed his Batman movies with passion & enthusiasim, using the screen as his canvas by splashing color throughout his sets and giving us some of the most exciting and vibrant costumes I’ve seen put to film : I love Dodie Smith’s novel and of course the 60s animated gem The Hundred and One Dalmatians and yes I even have a soft spot for the Glenn Close‘s 1996 movie but if I’m honest neither compare to watching Emma Stone transform herself into this excitingly fresh, refreshing edgy Cruella de Vil, there’s a bubbly confidence that oozes from Stone, an actress who just keeps getting better and better with each role so watching her take on this iconic Jekyll and Hyde persona, dressing in the coolest of clothes, pulling her trademark faces and filling the screen with so much energy was an absolute delight : there’s so many crazy good scenes in Cruella like the Baroness party where the team try and steal the necklace, the prison break, those early childhood moments captured giddly by the maestro that is Nicolas Karakatsanis and each and every time Cruella sabotages one of the Baroness’s fashion shows : it’s over two hours of joyous cinema that lifts you up and puts a smile on your face, with characters such as Jasper & Horace played by Joel Fry and the brilliant Paul Walter Hauser respectively, Estella’s side-kick the adorable Buddy (and of course the master of disguise Wink), a bouncy soundtrack that matches it’s 70s setting and a Disney Villain in Baroness von Hellman done justice by the wonderfully delicious Emma Thompson : so if you fancy a giggle then take yourself to the cinema and watch CRUELLA you’ll have a wickidly good time ★★★★½
A chilling true story of the supernatural, a violent murder and an unknown evil that shocked even the experienced paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren : If like me your a fan of The Conjuring franchise and invested in it’s characters and the horror universe it plays out in then Michael Chaves movie will get under your skin and deliver plenty of knee jerks, shivers and chewing of finger nails, yes of course I was disappointed to hear James Wan wasn’t returning to the franchise he started but after watching Michael Chaves brilliant directorial debut The Curse of La Llorona I was more than happy to enjoy another chapter of Conjuring : the third film of course sees the return of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren a real life husband and wife team of paranormal investigators who are now looking into the possession of David a young boy from Connecticut and the alarming events that followed : I watched this movie on the big screen, allowing the darkness of the movie theatre to consume me I was ready…. or so I thought…. in typical Conjuring fashion those sudden ear bursting moments of screaching SOUND really caught me off guard, especially at the beginning of the movie when David is being tormented by some evil entity and Ed & Lorraine with the help of some family members & a local priest are trying to perform an exorcism really startled me…. and AGAIN when David goes all Regan on the dining room table the SOUND matching the horrific intensity of the scene, really standing my hair on end : loved the nod to The Exorcist early on as Father Gordon arrives standing outside the Glatzel house looking up at the window, so poetic, Ed & Lorraine’s love story arch with it’s emotion and early flashback are beautifully handled (that gazebo scene had me like niagara falls), the supporting cast that includes Fringe’sJohn Noble (when is he not great eh?) & Ruairi O’Connor who I last seen in Teen Spirit are excellent and along with the well worked screenplay written by Aquaman’s David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick it’s the chemistry of it’s two stars Wilson and Farmiga that once again deliver believable and emotional characterisation of the Warren’s, this third film has more backstory allowing both stars to grow their respective roles even further : overall THE CONJURING 3 is a superb entry into the franchise and one that has everything you’d want from a horror movie : it’s super SCARY, has a COMPELLING and facinating story and the ATMOSPHERE you could cut with a knife★★★★
A woman wakes in a cryogenic chamber with no recollection of how she got there : Oxygène is yet another example of why I’m bonkers over French filmmaker Alexandre Aja, he’s currently in My Top 10 filmmakers directing horror/scifi, I mean his debut is still one of the scariest slasher movies in the last 20 years in High Tension, he’s directed good remakes of The Hills Have Eyes and Piranha 3D, the supernatural Mirrors that starred Kiefer Sutherland certainly had it’s moments, the brilliant Daniel Radcliffe led Horns just blew me away and 2019’s Crawl made my best of list that year, an aligator pic that’s delicious on every level, fast paced, inventive and downright scary……. now it’s 2021 and I’ve just watched the magnificent Frenchman’s latest Oxygène and WOW it’s bloody good : shot during last year pandemic and starring Inglourious BasterdsMélanie Laurent this is one helluva nerve shredder, from those opening ten minutes your sucked into a claustrophobic mind melt trying to find out answers to what’s going on as you discover the main character has just woken up in a medical cryo chamber, her oxygen levels are dangerously low and she has to first find out how she ended up in this cryo whilst trying to preserve as much oxygen as she can whilst trying to deal with the internal workings of the chamber that’s only assisted by a rather creepy AI named Milo : Christie LeBlanc’s screenplay debut and the acting by Laurent are what makes Oxygène such a facinating (I still can’t stop thinking about it), utterly engrossing (watching the change of emotion from Laurent as she discovers that little bit more about herself and her where-abouts as her Oxygen decreases) and it’s disturbing reveal (it’s crushing yet hopeful depending on which side of the fence you sit) : overall Oxygène is another hugely enjoyable nail biter from Alexandre Aja and one I can’t wait to revisit ★★★★½
Two Sightseerscharter a seaplane and it’s experienced crew to fly to a remote part of the Australian coast called Hells Reef when their fun turns into a real nightmare after a man-eating shark wants them for lunch : there’s been many imitators since Spielberg released his classic 1975 movie JAWS, some have relied on poor CGI with no story, others have decided on the gore route with cheese-o-rama dialogue often with actors that the studio have found dossing around some local shopping mall or the like but on the odd occassion a film comes out that takes elements from those good ones that have come before, giving the viewer an enjoyable ride and Martin Wilson’s film debut GREAT WHITE is one of them movies : I really love the way the film starts with Luke and Tracy enjoying as couples do the beauty of their surroundings then boom, the attack comes from nowhere, a circling predator, the sail mast and the chilling last moments of Tracy floating, unconcious in the waters depths : The films cast is led by The Bold and the Beautiful’s Katrina Bowden and Aussie actor Aaron Jakubenko who was last seen in Tidelands, Kaz & Charlie run their own business, owning a seaplane and taking passengers to some of the scenic spots in the country, I loved Katrina & Aaron’s energy, their chemistry and both are believable in their respective roles, their joined by the talented trio of Tim Kano, Kimie Tsukakoshi who play the tourists out to see the beauty of the area and Te Kohe Tuhaka’s Benny a likeable part of the crew stealing many of the scenes with his humor and deadpan stares, some of the film was shot just north of Brisbane on the Redcliffe Peninsula and the photography by Tony O’Loughlan really captures the fear, mystery and beauty above and below the surface of the ocean, I was also impressed by Tim Count’s haunting music that seemed to fit each scene of Wilson’s movie so well : So if your looking for one of those Syfy Shark movies with a bloodbath and cheap thrills such as Sharknado or Trailer Park Shark then don’t waste your time with Martin Wilson’sGreat White a film that’s much more polished, much more of a tension driven, white knuckle ride that slowly builds in it’s first and finishes with an exciting, pulse racing climax, a film that overall I thoroughly enjoyed and I expect in years to come with multiple viewings it will garner it’s own fan base ★★★★
“I'm a mog - half man, half dog. I'm my own best friend” - Spaceballs (1987)
“I once stole a pornographic book that was printed in Braille. I used to rub the dirty parts” - Bananas (1971)
“Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic and so am I” - What About Bob? (1991)
“Yeah I called her up, she gave me a bunch of crap about me not listening to her, or something, I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention” - Dumb and Dumber (1994)
“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son” - Animal House (1978)
“Like a midget at a urinal, I was going to have to stay on my toes” - Naked Gun 33 ½ : The Final Insult (1994)
"Yes, it's true. This man has no dick" - Ghost Busters (1984)
"I have nipples, Greg. Could you milk me?" - Meet the Parents (2000)
Movie Taglines
"They called him 'Fast Eddie'... He was a winner... He was a loser... He was a hustler" - THE HUSTLER (1961)
"For Three Men The Civil War Wasn't Hell. It Was Practice!" - THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY (1966)
"The night HE came home" - HALLOWEEN (1978)
"All the power on earth can't change destiny" - THE GODFATHER PART III
"In space, no one can hear you scream" - ALIEN (1979)
"Be afraid. Be very afraid" - THE FLY (1986)
"Cruise like Thunder" - DAYS OF THUNDER (1990)
"Same Make. Same Model. New Mission." - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991)
"Houston, we have a problem" - APOLLO 13 (1995)
"The greatest fairy tale never told" - SHREK (2001)
"We've Sensed It. We've Seen The Signs. Now... It's Happening." - THE HAPPENING (2008)
Movie Trivia
DJANGO UNCHAINED is the first time in 16 years that Leonardo DiCaprio didn't get the top billing
In John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN Michael Myers' mask is actually a Captain Kirk mask which was altered for the film
On the set of 1982's THE THING the whole cast and crew was male
BLAZING SADDLES was shot on the same MOVIE set as Yul Bryner's WESTWORLD
The first TWILIGHT movie is the only film in the saga to not receive any Razzie Award nominations
In a deleted scene from James Cameron's ALIENS Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) daughter was played by Elizabeth Inglis, Sigourney Weaver's real-life mother
Prints of the movie INCEPTION were shipped to theaters under the name "Hour Glass"
The Dude from the superb THE BIG LEBOWSKI says "man" 147 times in the movie
absolutebadasses 