Well what with it being over 3 months since my last post I wouldn't be surprised if you had thought me lost to the world but fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your point of view) I'm back! For those who are interested, I've now shifted from the UK to Australia where I am preparing for my very first hot Christmas- never have I before put up a Christmas tree with shorts on but what do you know, it is possible.
Unfortunately my absence cannot be explained by me disappearing to watch movies continuously on loop in a darkened room and so it is more than likely that posts will be a bit fewer and farther between than they used to be (especially considering heading outdoors is more viable now what with there being a sun in the sky that actually warms me when I am standing under it).
Not sure what the next post is going to be on but it will only be a matter of time before we all find out. Welcome back readers, I hope it's not 3 months before my next post.
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Trailered: Machine Gun Preacher [2011]
The true story of Sam Childers who moves to Africa to save children from a life of hardship
Friday, 16 December 2011
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Reviewed: Final Destination 5 [2011]
15 - 92mins - Horror/Thriller - 26th August 2011
The first Final Destination (the one with the plane) was a very original piece of work that had most of us enjoying some horror and gore in a novel and new way. By the time the second came out (the motorway pile up) in 2003 it could still be classed as a popcorn movie but they really raised the ingenuity of the death scenes making it a reasonable way to waste an hour and a half. By number 3 (roller coaster) and 4 (Nascar) I didn't see the point in them anymore as you had to sit through an identical plot for 5/6/7 death scenes that, if truth be told, were not great. So when I heard the announcement of a fifth, I really didn't get it. Perhaps they are jumping on the 3D bandwagon like everyone else?
As expected it duly delivered not a lot in the way of entertainment. In Final Destination 5, a group of co-workers set off for a weekend of team building exercises. However on the way to their destination, a bridge that they are crossing collapses and kills all of them. Unbeknownst to the audience this was just a premonition of the event (ironically I never saw it coming...) and after a commotion Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto) manages to convince some of his fellow employees to get off of the bus. The bridge then collapses and their lives are saved. Over the next few days though the survivors start to die in strange circumstances as Death tries to restore order to the world.
Friday, 26 August 2011
Trailered: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance [2012]
Release Dates:
- 17th February 2012 (USA) -
- 22nd February 2012 (UK) -
Directors: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Johnny Blaze (Cage) returns to our screens as the stunt motorcyclist turned hell blazing vigilante who tackles the evils that no others dare. In the original he took on the son of the Devil, Blackheart and the sequel sees him raise the bar to take on the Devil himself who is trying to take a human form. Watching the original hardly blew me away and was poor for the most part so the thought of a sequel does not fill me with much hope at all.
The only thing going for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is that it will take a lot for it to be worse than the original. At least from the trailer it looks like the CGI has been raised up a notch and the film is going to have its fair share of action and entertaining car chases to keep me interested. Also can anyone help me to distinguish between the Ghost Rider series and Drive Angry which are so similar in many ways? I can't see myself heading to the cinema for this so instead I'll wait at home for Cage's career to pull out from its nose dive.
Rating: D
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Reviewed: Cowboys & Aliens [2011]
12A - 118mins - Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller - 17th August 2011
Finally my prayers to the Hollywood top dogs for a bit of originality have been answered in the form of Cowboys & Aliens, a sci-fi thriller (which puts me in even more of an optimistic mood due to it being one of my preferred genres of choice). Yes it is based on a graphic novel and yes technology in the wild west has been implemented before but this isn't a sequel/prequel and as a concept is very fresh.
Daniel Craig plays Jake, a cowboy who wakes up in the middle of nowhere with no recollection of who he is, where he has been or how he got there. In fact the only clue given to him is a strange metallic bracelet that he is unable to remove from his arm. After making his way to the nearest town he soon makes himself known to the locals and is identified as a dangerous and wanted man guilty of several crimes including stealing gold from local rancher Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). After being arrested and readied for transport, alien spaceships appear out of nowhere and start snatching people away and blowing up the surrounding countryside. Jake's bracelet transforms itself into a weapon and he is able to drive the aliens away.
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Trailered: Machine Gun Preacher [2011]
- 23rd September 2011 (USA) -
- 18th November 2011 (UK) -
Director: Marc Forster
Based on the true story of Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing biker who found God. Seeing the troubles in East Africa, he heads over to help repair homes destroyed by civil war where he encounters the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a renegade militia that forces youngsters to become soldiers. Determined to make a difference, Sam leads armed missions deep into enemy territory to retrieve kidnapped children and help restore peace to their lives.
The true life inspirational stories tend to do quite well in the box office but that's usually because the audience can in some way relate to the characters. This is less likely for Machine Gun Preacher which although has a story worth telling does not quite capture my imagination in the way it might others. Hence...
Rating: C
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
Or 'like' the Fanatical About Films facebook page to stay up to date with the latest reviews.
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