Nurse AKA Nurse 3-D (2013)

"My name is Abigail Russell. I look like a slut, but don't be fooled—this is merely a disguise to lure the dangerous predators who walk among us. This is their jungle, their breeding ground, and tonight I am on the hunt. These are the cheaters, the married, lying scum. They are like diseased cells cultured in alcoholic petri dishes that destroy unsuspecting families and infect millions of innocent vaginas. There is no cure for the married cock—only me, the nurse."

That is how Nurse begins. A title card explaining statistics of those who kill while in the medical profession and then scenes accompanied by the above words being narrated by the main character, a psychopathic nurse going by the name of Abigail Russell (played by Paz de la Huerta). You'll either go with it or you won't.

I'm always saying how much I enjoy movies that don't pretend to be anything other than whatever they're aiming for. I would never say that art is art, and trash is trash, and never the twain shall meet. Although that IS a pretty good general rule of thumb. Nurse is trash. It knows that it's trash, and it's happy to be trash from beginning to end. 

Riffing on material that will be familiar to anyone who has seen Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, or any one of the hundreds of other psycho thrillers from the past few decades, Nurse shows the unbalanced Abigail taking quite a shine to a nurse named Danni (Katrina Bowden). In between killing sleazy, cheating men, Abigail decides to do whatever it takes to get Danni closer to her. Unfortunately, she pushes too hard, simply showing herself up as the psycho that she is.

When watching Nurse, you're never more than a few minutes away from either some gratuitous nudity or some entertaining nastiness. It's that commitment to keep things so entertaining from start to finish that helps the movie become more than the sum of its parts. Trash plus trash plus more trash can become treasure, and that's the case here (admittedly, not everyone will agree with me). Director Douglas Aarniokoski, who also co-wrote the movie with David Loughery, seems to know just how to pitch everything, and he's helped immensely by the game cast.

Paz de la Huerta gives the kind of performance so bad that, in line with everything else in the movie, it transcends standard quality checks to become something wonderful. Bowden is as good as she usually is, and she's fast become someone I like seeing in movies, Corbin Bleu is fine as Bowden's boyfriend, which automatically puts him at risk, and Niecy Nash is a lot of fun as another nurse, Regina. Martin Donovan and Judd Nelson both get to play sleazebags, Boris Kodjoe is the detective who gets involved with the girls, and there's even a brief cameo for Kathleen Turner (which is, I assume, a tribute to her enduring status as one of the most memorable femme fatales, thanks to her turn in Body Heat).

If you go into this movie expecting something even remotely remembering a serious, tense thriller then you've only got yourself to blame if you end up baffled by the viewing experience. If, however, you know what you're letting yourself in for then you can just sit back and have a whale of a time.

7/10

http://www.amazon.com/Nurse-Blu-ray/dp/B00HW3EZXQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404610653&sr=8-1&keywords=nurse+3d

About Time (2013)

The oh-so-lovely British bandwagon that has been built and driven by Richard Curtis, for some years now, rolls merrily on with this, his latest slice of harmless comedy fluff.

When Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) is 21, he is told by his father (Bill Nighy) about a special trait that all of the male family members have. They can all travel back in time. This is, of course, huge news. After a few experimental trips, attempting to improve his love life, Tim quickly realises that it's not as easy as you might think to make changes that will alter your future for the better. Thankfully, that doesn't stop him from using his unique gift when he falls for the lovely Mary (Rachel McAdams), and that makes up the main premise of the movie.

For anyone expecting something akin to Groundhog Day, or even The Butterfly Effect, be forewarned now. This is not a movie that uses the time travel aspect all that well. It does have elements of both of those movies just mentioned, but many scenes play out with very little interest in the more fantastical aspect of the plot. In fact, there's at least one sequence that's completely redundant, just there to illustrate a point that could have been mentioned to Tim at any other time in the movie.

The blame for the shortcomings of the movie rests entirely with Curtis. As writer-director, it would appear that he is now at his happiest when churning out another inoffensive "Richard Curtis rom-com". I like many of his movies, don't get me wrong, but I think it's a shame to try and sell About Time as something a bit different from his previous works when it is, in fact, almost completely the same. It makes the whole thing feel very lazy. The generic pop soundtrack, the big emotional moment accompanied by a classic track, the narration from the main character. This is Curtis 101, by the numbers stuff. The fact that the characters played by Lindsay Duncan and Bill Nighy are simply credited as Mum and Dad really tells you all you need to know. Curtis can do this stuff in his sleep and, considering the lack of care taken with this script, maybe this time he did.

The cast all do quite well, I guess, with what they're given. Gleeson isn't exactly standard leading man material, but that makes his need to tweak things all the more believable. McAdams is always lovely to see onscreen AND I WON'T HEAR A BAD WORD AGAINST HER (*breathe, breathe*). Sorry about that, but she IS pretty hard to ever dislike. Nighy is a cool dad, while Duncan barely registers in the role of Mum (she's just not given anything to do), and Lydia Wilson is the requisite slightly tragic character, Kit Kat (AKA Tim's sister). Tom Hollander steals a few scenes as Harry, a very angry man that Tim ends up living with at one point, Richard Cordery is a dotty uncle, and Margot Robbie is captivating in a small role, as the first major love in Tim's life.

If you're in the mood for a romantic comedy then I'd suggest you go for many better examples ahead of this one. Hell, go for almost any other Richard Curtis movie and you'll get more entertainment value. If you're in the mood for a good time travel movie then, again, there are far too many superior movies that you could choose from. Want a mix of the two? Yep, I'm willing to be that there are still others that you can prioritise ahead of this. It's not terrible. It's just not really worth your time, ironically enough.

5/10

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Escape Plan (2013)

You don't watch a movie starring Sylvester Stallone, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, and expect logic and common sense to be the top priorities. I get that, I really do. But Escape Plan, which stars both men in lead roles, is even sillier and full of plot holes than it needs to be. It's so careless that the enjoyment factor is slightly ruined.

Stallone plays Ray Breslin, a man who can escape from pretty much any prison that's been designed. He's so good at it that he's made it his job. He gets incarcerated, under a false identity. He gets out. The prison gets a report that details the weaknesses in their security. When he's offered a bumper fee, Ray allows himself to be grabbed and thrown into another prison. This time, however, things are even tougher than usual. His colleagues have no idea where he is, the prison warden (Jim Caviezel) knows of his reputation and wants to make sure that he doesn't leave, and the prison is full of transparent cells, making for a much tougher challenge. The only plus point comes in the unlikely form of a prisoner named Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger).

Directed by Mikael Hafstrom, and written by Miles Chapman and Jason Keller, this is a film that really could have had anyone behind the camera. There doesn't seem to be any individual style stamped on the thing. That's fine, however, because everything is geared towards getting Sly and Arnie working together onscreen, and that is often enough to carry the whole thing along. Yes, the two worked together on The Expendables movies, but this time around they get to do more than reel off one-liners and cash in on nostalgia.

Both of the leading men are great. They've still got it when it comes to delivering the action. I've never been a fan of Jim Caviezel - I can't think of a leading man with less charisma in the past couple of decades (well, maybe Edward Burns, but that's it) - and, while he does slightly better than usual here, this is another performance that hasn't converted me. It's a part that's crying out for Eric Roberts, of course, and Caviezel sure as hell ain't no Roberts. Faran Tahir does just fine with his part, another prisoner who ends up being important to the grand plan, and Sam Neill is great as the prison doctor, a man who tries to do his job without thinking of the bigger picture. Vincent D'onofrio, Amy Ryan and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson also do well as Sly's colleagues.

Escape Plan is entertaining. It doesn't require too much concentration, the cast have fun and you will root for Sly to win the day. It's a shame, then, that everything wasn't just tightened up ever so slightly. The details revealed to viewers that are supposed to make you think "aaahhhhhhhhh, very smart" just end up highlighting the fact that it all hinges on good fortune and other characters being blind, stupid, or both. The fact that there isn't even one great set-piece is another disappointment.

You'll be able to watch and enjoy this movie, but I don't think it's one that will end up being revisited all that much. Disposable fun, boosted by the charismatic leads.

6/10

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Drive Angry (2011)

Beginning with Nicolas Cage literally driving out of hell, Drive Angry is not a film that you will ever find described by the word "subtle". In fact, it's perhaps best summed up by the scene in which Cage shoots a lot of bad guys while swigging on a bottle of bourbon and having sex with a naked blonde. It's a scene that should be laughably bad, yet it plays out as a sequence that's hugely entertaining. It's still laughable, but in a good way.

What's the plot anyway? Cage plays a man named Milton, a runaway from hell who is being followed by The Accountant (William Fichtner). Milton is determined to stop a baby being sacrificed by Jonah King (Billy Burke), a cult leader who wants to make hell on earth. And on his quest to stop Jonah he ends up gaining a companion in the shapely . . . . . . . . shape of Amber Heard (playing a character named Piper). David Morse appears for a few minutes, Tom Atkins also gets to make an appearance, and Christa Campbell makes quite an impression with her limited screentime, but everyone takes a back seat to the feeling of excess, the CGI effects bandied around to enhance the 3D experience, and Cage going for yet another whacky turn.

I have to take a moment here to mention the one thing that bugs me most about Drive Angry. It's a little thing, yet it sits in my mind and flashes like a big, neon sign. The character played by Amber Heard is, as is made clear quite early on, someone who is both tough and has a strong urge to always do right by people. Her actions, words and general attitude show this. So the fact that the film-makers choose to show her holding a cigarette for one scene, about an hour or so into the movie, just doesn't make any sense. It's as if they thought she'd definitely smoke to make her more obviously tough, and then that decision was reversed at the last moment. Keep your eyes peeled. She holds a cigarette. When next shown, she's still holding it. And then she throws it to the ground, at no point actually smoking the damn thing.

Anyway, ranting aside, the rest of the movie does exactly what it should do. It entertains without ever getting close to any sign of intelligence. The performances from most of the main players are deliriously over the top. Cage is, of course, no stranger to this type of thing, Fichtner has a number of scene-stealing moments, and Burke simply tries to match them (although he can't). Heard is a good addition, mainly because I think she's always a good addition, Atkins is The Atkins, and Morse reminds viewers that not everyone in such a raucous movie has to turn everything up to 11.

Patrick Lussier is the director of this madness, and he also co-wrote the script with Todd Farmer (who gave himself a couple of great moments onscreen, too). I guess the script went something like this: Nic Cage drives, oooohhh Amber Heard, Fichtner is cool, Nic Cage drives some more . . . . . . or sits beside Amber Heard in a car, guns, guns, guns, boobies, boobies and guns and blood and booze, Cage drives again (note to self - he HAS to drive angry, otherwise the title makes us look stupid), Fichtner is cool again, ATKINS, more driving in the angriest way possible, etc. etc.

It's easy to mock this because it's not a good film. Yet, it's pretty great in the way it so unashamedly lays all of its cards on the table from the very beginning and then delivers one ridiculous set-piece after another en route to the grand finale. There are even some RAWK songs on the soundtrack that sound like parodies, somehow just adding to the appeal of the whole thing.

If Trey Parker and Matt Stone ever made an action movie (a non-puppet action movie) then I'd imagine that the end result would be Drive Angry. As difficult as it may be to believe, I mean that as a compliment.

6/10

http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Angry-Blu-ray-Nicolas-Cage/dp/B004EPYZOY/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1404503971&sr=1-3&keywords=drive+angry

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

Considering How To Train Your Dragon was one of my favourite animated movies in recent years, my expectations were high for this sequel. Some early glowing reviews pushed those expectations even higher. While I disagree with some who think that this is even better than the first movie, I have to say that it comes pretty close (in fact, I rate it equally). I left the cinema happy, looking forward to whenever I get to watch it again in the comfort of my own home.

All of the main cast members return in a story that picks up, of course, some time after the events of the first movie. The island of Berk is now a bit of a dragon haven since everyone has been shown the way forward by young Hiccup (Jay Baruchel). In fact, most of Hiccup's friends enjoy spending their days dragon racing, with sheep being collected for points, while our hero disappears to fly around the clouds with Toothless, mapping out other territories. On one of his journeys, Hiccup finds out that a ship full of heavies are hunting dragons to take back to the fearsome Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou). Drago wants to build, and lead, a dragon army. As if that wasn't enough to process, Hiccup also meets his mother (Cate Blanchett), a woman thought dead for years and years.

Taking a darker path than the first movie, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is, consequently, ever so slightly less fun. That's not a major problem, however, as everything is mixed together so perfectly. The characters are all as enjoyable to spend time with as they were the first time around, the dragons are just as colourful and cute as ever (and sometimes fierce), and the animation is just about as gorgeous as you can get.

Director Dean DeBlois, who also wrote the script based on the book series by Cressida Cowell, does a fantastic job, exploring themes of responsibility, treachery and loss this time around. The film has a number of emotional ups and downs, but it's all pitched perfectly at the level of the target age group.

The vocal cast all do a great job again, for the most part. Baruchel is good fun, joined once more by America Ferrera, T. J. Miller, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Kristen Wiig. Gerard Butler and Craig Ferguson also return as, respectively, Stoick (Hiccup's father) and Gobber. Hounsou is an impressive villain, truly mean and menacing whenever he's onscreen. The only voice that doesn't quite work is Blanchett. I get what she's going for, but it just ends up coming out as a bit of a garbled mess, to my ears.

I don't think I can adequately convey how much love I have for these movies. They get everything right. Everything. Even in my late thirties, I now want a dragon. I want to fly through the air, skimming the tops of clouds as I go. I want to be just like any one of the good-natured dragon riders shown onscreen. If that is how I feel when watching the movies then I can only guess how they fire up the imaginations of the kids watching everything onscreen.

Even in the densely-populated field of quality animated movies, this soars above the rest.

9/10.

Be sure to pick up the first movie, if you haven't already - http://www.amazon.com/Train-Your-Dragon-Blu-ray-Digital/dp/B00I0VTPWA/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1404459519&sr=1-3&keywords=how+to+train+your+dragon

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Dead Mary (2007)

A bunch of friends meeting up to spend some time together in an isolated cottage in the middle of some woods. What could possibly go wrong? Yes, Dead Mary is another horror movie that proves to be derivative of both The Evil Dead and any horror that has used the ol' Bloody Mary urban legend. Being derivative isn't always a terrible thing, especially in the horror genre. It's not unheard of for films to be derivative and yet also manage to end up feeling fresh. Unfortunately, that's not the case here.

Dominique Swain plays Kim, and Jefferson Brown is Matt. The two have recently broken up, but are now joining their friends for a weekend that should involve alcohol, sunshine and plenty of reminiscing about old times. The rest of the group is made up of Eve (Marie-Josee Colburn), Baker (Steven McCarthy) and Lily (Maggie Castle), and Dash (Michael Majeski) and Amber (Reagan Pasternak). It's everything that you'd expect, with the various tensions and banter, until someone suggests that they take turns at Dead Mary. A few people give it a go, heading into the dark bathroom with a candle to look into the mirror and say her name a number of times, and that's when things start going downhill. It's not long until the friends are dealing with death, division and . . . . . . . . . strange goings on, to put it mildly.

Let me just say that Dead Mary isn't actually a bad film. The script, by Christopher Warre Smets and Peter Sheldrick, could be greatly improved, and the direction by Robert Wilson is pedestrian stuff, complete with fade-outs and fade-ins that give the impression that it was a TV movie (I would assume), but it does okay with the familiar material, and the cast do a decent job.

Swain seems to be the lead, although the film doesn't really have the required focus for viewers to really get behind her, and she does just fine. Colburn starts off as a potentially interesting character, but is then sidelined far too quickly. Which leaves Brown, McCarthy, Castle, Majeski and Pasternak. The latter two aren't as likable, simply due to the way in which they're sketched out, but at least everyone is identifiable enough, as opposed to the bland groupings that sometimes end up populating these generic horror movies.

The worst thing about the movie is that it feels so half-baked and muddled. Once things start to go off the rails it all becomes quite random, while also never reaching its full potential. Characters bicker with one another, and often about the most pointless things. Highlighting the problems with the script, the second half of the movie creates a dynamic which sees the group accusing one of their own for horrible events that they just witnessed, despite the fact that what they witnessed proves that something supernatural is going on.

One or two gore gags show that there was some good work done, yet more would have been appreciated. There isn't really any tension, and no genuine scares, so some blood 'n' guts sprinkled liberally throughout the proceedings should have been a nice, easy way to distract from the weaker elements. Alas, that didn't happen.

Dead Mary isn't a terrible film, as I already said. However, it is distinctly below average.

4/10

http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Mary-Unrated-Dominique-Swain/dp/B000ION762/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1404365857&sr=1-1&keywords=dead+mary

Tower Block (2012)

A simple, effective premise. If you don't mess up the other aspects of a movie then, sometimes, that's all you need. And Tower Block certainly has that. The characters, thanks to a solid script by James Moran, are all pretty good, and this thriller cuts to the chase quickly, proving to be an effective, taut, piece of work.

It all starts off with a quick description of what tower blocks once were, and what many have now become. They were a great solution to the housing problem decades ago, but now have been left to rot away, no longer the vertical suburbs full of friendly neighbours. Then viewers are shown a young man being chased. He's beaten. A young woman (Becky, played by Sheridan Smith) who comes out to help is also beaten, but not as badly. Fast forward to some time later. The police visit the tower block, and are hoping to find anyone who can help them solve the murder of the young man. There aren't many people left, as many have been rehoused and only the top floor is still occupied. Nobody is talking. Nobody wants to get involved, to risk getting themselves in trouble with the wrong people. But they can't avoid trouble when a sniper decides to trap them on their floor, and pick them off whenever he gets a clean shot.

Directed by James Nunn and Ronnie Thomson, Tower Block gets so much right that it's easy to forget any flaws/potential plotholes. Unlike Comedown or Citadel, to name two other movies that tried to effectively utilise a tower block setting, this actually provides some thrills while also feeling grounded in something coming close to reality.

The cast and characters work really well. Smith makes for a likable lead, she's tough and believable, and hasn't let the tower block life grind her down. Ralph Brown and Jill Baker are an elderly couple who quickly show what they're made of, Julie Graham is a mother almost always thinking of her son, played by Harry McEntire, first, and Russell Tovey plays a young man who has spent too much time trying to escape into a bottle of booze. Montserrat Lombard is stuck playing a terrible mother, and Jack O'Connell adds yet another bad boy role to his filmography, playing a man who takes protection money from the tenants without offering any actual protection, until he ends up working with them all to stay alive.

The script certainly gives everyone a great launchpad to start from, making the characters easily identifiable, while also rounding them out as the situation unfolds. While it fair rattles along for a lot of the runtime, coming in at just under the 90-minute mark, it never feels rushed, and none of the character developments ever feel as if they've just come out of nowhere.

Tower Block is well worth your time, as far as I'm concerned. It's a lean, mean, thrill machine. Or you can just take that sentence and replace it with something that sounds better. There's at least one cracking jump scare, a few good bits of gore, plenty of scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and a satisfying final reel. In other words, it's perfect popcorn entertainment.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/Tower-Block-Blu-ray-Sheridan-Smith/dp/B00C7A8X1Y/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1404243181&sr=1-2&keywords=tower+block

Battle Of The Damned (2013)

Writer-director Christopher Hatton is a man after my own heart, judging by this enjoyable slice of daft entertainment. He's a man who writes a script that involves not-quite-zombies aka infected and some weaponised robots. He then gets Dolph Lundgren for the main role. Job done, basically.

Battle Of The Damned isn't, as you may already have guessed, high art. It doesn't benefit from a big budget or a deluge of original ideas. However, it benefits from Lundgren as the lead character, named Max Gatling (yes, his surname is GATLING), and pacing that helps it to play out as a pleasant diversion, rather than a bit of a chore.

Gatling has made his way into a dangerous city, full of people afflicted by a deadly virus, because he is tasked with collecting a young woman named Jude (Melanie Zanetti). Jude's father wants her back home, safe. While fending off the not-quite-zombies who keep rushing around him, Gatling finds Jude and explains the situation to her. Unfortunately, that doesn't take into account what Jude wants. She's been surviving, thanks to her inclusion in a group of survivors led by Duke (David Field). She also has a boyfriend (Reese, played by Matt Doran). Are they all going to make their way out of the city together, or is she expected to leave the others behind? It soon becomes clear what Gatling would prefer, but the whole operation starts to look more and more impossible with every passing minute. And then the robots appear.

Making the most of some great locations in Malaysia, from what I can gather, Battle Of The Damned is a film that can't ever overcome its shortcomings, despite trying hard, but throws enough elements onscreen that some of them stick. Hatton makes up for the technical aspect of the movie by making sure that there are just enough fun and/or cheesy moments throughout for fans of this kind of schlocky fare to enjoy.

In case I didn't make it clear earlier, Lundgren is the best person onscreen (but, of course, he often is). Zanetti and Doran are a bit . . . . . . flat, so it's good to have the character played by Field, who is at least a bit more interesting. Jen Sung, Lydia Look and Oda Maria make up the rest of the gang, with each one having at least one majorly cliched moment apiece.

I've gone on for far too long when all you needed to know was in the first paragraph. Not-quite-zombies, weaponised robots, and Lundgren being as tough as usual. Judge it by any standard criteria and it will be deemed a failure. Judge it as disposable fun for undemanding action movie fans and it does the job.

5/10

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Damned-Blu-ray-Dolph-Lundgren/dp/B00GOYC3ME/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1404188216&sr=1-3&keywords=battle+of+the+damned

The House Bunny (2008)

Anna Faris stars in this light comedy, one that you may already be predisposed to love or hate, depending on how you feel when you see the Happy Madison logo pop up at the start. Faris is as good as ever, but it's a shame that the movie isn't better, despite a pretty great cast supporting her.

Faris is Shelley Darlingson, a Playboy bunny who ends up having to leave the Playboy mansion. She has nowhere to live, and no skills that seem relevant to any other aspect of modern life, but that doesn't matter when she chances upon a sorority house in need of a house mother. Well, they need a lot more than that. The girls are down in the dumps, they're unpopular, and can't see any way to turn things around They will lose their house if they don't get at least 30 pledges and also improve their standing in a few other ways. Shelley may not know much, but she does know how to give the girls a makeover, and may be able to help them achieve their goals.

Director Fred Wolf goes through the motions here. There's a montage or two, some lively pop tunes, and everything is light and colourful. The script by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith is predictable, not that funny, and often requires more suspension of disbelief than I could muster. I don't mind the ridiculous premise, but I did get irritated when a main character who wasn't supposed to have two cents to her name suddenly had enough for shopping trips, makeovers and an extravagant theme party.

I'd dismiss this as unwatchable nonsense if it wasn't for the cast, all trying to do their best with the material. Faris has been elevating weak comedies for over a decade now, but it's good to see her working with a cast all trying equally hard. Christopher McDonald and Beverly D'Angelo are the two veterans making things hard for the sorority house, Hugh Hefner has an amusing cameo, and Sarah Wright and Rachel Specter are the popular girls in a nearby sorority house who look down their noses at the main characters. Colin Hanks is fine, if a bit bland, as Oliver, a man who Shelley ends up taking a shine to, and Tyson Ritter is given the thankless role of a shallow, potential love interest for Emma Stone's character.

Oh, did I just mention Emma Stone? Yes I did. She's another big bonus here. Her comedic talent is well utilised, especially in the first half that allows her to go "full dork". Kat Dennings is another one of the main ladies, and she's also good fun, while Katharine McPhee, Rumer Willis, and Dana Goodman also stand out, for a variety of reasons.

I can't, despite the game cast, class this as a good movie. It's not. But it does just enough to make it worth a watch, especially if you're in the mood for something simple, light, and full of pretty women.

5/10

http://www.amazon.com/The-House-Bunny-Anna-Faris/dp/B0018CNNV2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1402725342&sr=8-2&keywords=the+house+bunny

One day I hope to be a bunny. Or buy one (the pet kind). Or just pretend to be Hugh Hefner in a very nice dressing gown. So please feel free to remember me whenever you're visiting Amazon and see my book there.

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

And American folks can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395945752&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=TJs+ramshackle+mov

As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.

It's A Disaster (2012)

A very small-scale disaster movie, It's A Disaster isn't all that concerned with disaster at all, at least not in the traditional sense. It's a comedy about relationship disasters, although it also happens to take place during an actual, relatively unseen, disaster.

Tracy (Julia Stiles) is taking her new boyfriend, Glen (David Cross), to a brunch that will allow him to meet a few of her friends. Also in attendance are Buck (Kevin M. Brennan) and Lexi (Rachel Boston), Shane (Jeff Grace) and Hedy (America Ferrera), and hosts Pete (Blaise Miller) and Emma (Erinn Hayes). Things start off as tense and awkward as these things normally do, but the tension rises up a notch when Pete and Emma make an announcement. And then a bunch of dirty bombs explode nearby, which really looks likely to spoil the whole day.

Written and directed by Todd Berger, this is a small film that never tries to pretend otherwise. Thankfully, one or two scenes help to remind viewers of a whole world outside the house that the characters are stuck in. The majority of the movie, however, concerns mounting pressure amongst eight people inside four walls.

The cast all do a decent job. Stiles is someone I don't usually really like, for some reason, but she's very good in this role. Cross is as enjoyable as ever, Miller, Hayes and Grace are all just fine, and Ferrera is a lot of fun (especially when deciding that her time might be better spent creating a drug concoction to help her get wasted). It's Brennan and Boston who bring the ensemble down. They're not necessarily bad, they're just stuck with the weakest characters, a couple painted in comedic brushstrokes that feel too broad compared to the rest of the film.

Aside from the treatment of those two characters, the script is a good mix of relationship stuff that we've all seen many times before, some fun character moments, and a few great lines. It's not the most original premise, that much is obvious from the opening scenes, but it does enough to win viewers over by the time it gets to the end.

I doubt most people will like it as much as I did though, and I still can't quite put my finger on why I liked it so much. Give it a go anyway, and thank or curse me when the end credits roll.

7/10

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Disaster-Blu-ray-David-Cross/dp/B00C3DIYDM/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1402801232&sr=1-3&keywords=it%27s+a+disaster

V/H/S/2 (2013)

A horror anthology sequel to V/H/S, as if you couldn't guess, V/H/S/2 follows the template set by the first movie. Some people enter a house and start checking out videotapes, only to find some very disturbing footage. This time around, however, the people investigating are actual private investigators, as opposed to the unruly louts of the first film, and there's even some added explanation given to why VHS is the preferred format (an explanation that was in place for the first movie, though never explicitly detailed, according to interviews I read at the time with some of the film-makers).

There are four tales this time, instead of five, and they are as follows:
1) Adam Wingard plays a man who receives a bionic eye implant, a small camera. When he heads home it's not long until he's seeing things that shouldn't be there. Is the eye faulty, or is it working far better than envisaged?
2) A cyclist, filming his ride with a helmet-cam, gets caught up in a zombie outbreak in the middle of some woods.
3) A number of investigative reporters are allowed in to the premises of a secretive cult. Unfortunately, they're allowed in just as the people inside are preparing for their own warped rapture.
4) A slumber party is interrupted by malevolent aliens.

The cast members here aren't as important as the directors, or even the format itself. I'm sorry to let them down so abruptly, that's just the way of it. This movie, and the one preceding it, is all about utilising the found footage form most effectively, while also allowing for modern versions of traditional horror premises to be played out. Simon Barrett, Jason Eisener and Adam Wingard return, joined this time by Gregg Hale, Eduardo Sanchez, Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Evans.

While the movie, overall, is a slight step down from the first movie, mainly due to a lack of originality with the story ideas, there aren't any tales that stand out as being the worst of the bunch. Most people tend to find the third tale, "Safe Haven", the best, which should please Evans and Tjahjanto, and while the others may suffer slightly in comparison, they're not awful. Well, not to me anyway.

If you liked V/H/S then you should like this. Be warned, there's plenty of shaky-cam throughout. Thankfully, the pace and scares, albeit mainly jump scares, make it worth suffering through the more jittery moments.

7/10

http://www.amazon.com/V-H-S-2-Blu-ray/dp/B00DI012QA/ref=sr_1_4?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1402687894&sr=1-4&keywords=vhs+2

Grace (2009)

Grace is a thoroughly unpleasant horror movie, and also a very good one. I don't recommend it to any pregnant women, or new mothers, but I do recommend it to horror fans after something a bit different. It's rooted in a very real fear, and somehow manages to never feel too unbelievable, despite how things pan out.

Jordan Ladd stars as Madeline Matheson, a woman heavily pregnant with what she hopes will be her first child. She's been pregnant a number of times before, you see, and never made it to full term. This time around, she is determined to do everything her way, and her husband (Stephen Park) is willing to go along with it all, even if that means visiting a more unorthodox medical consultant (Samantha Ferris). But despite all of the precautions, things start to spin out of control. Whatever happens, Madeline is determined to look after her baby, even if her baby might not be the bundle of joy she expects.

Written and directed by Paul Solet, Grace is a smart piece of work. It may take things to extremes, but at the centre of events it's all about the lengths that a mother will go to in order to look after her child. Not only is this shown by the main character of Madeline, but also her mother-in-law (played by Gabrielle Rose), a woman who still treats her adult son like a small child, and who still thinks back on her days of breastfeeding with great fondness. Is there any time when mother and child are bonded more closely?

Ladd is fantastic as Madeline, believably desperate for what she views as her deserved shot at motherhood. She may make some dubious decisions during the movie, but they're always with good reason, in her mind. The script treats her well, and she responds with one of the best performances that I've seen her give. Park is sidelined for most of the film, but Ferris and Rose both do very well, with the former being sympathetic to Madeline's state of mind while the latter spends most of the movie subtly undermining her daughter-in-law and scheming to get everything exactly as she wants it. Malcolm Stewart, Kate Herriot, and Serge Houde also do good work in supporting roles.

Grace deserves a bit more recognition. I encourage all horror movie fans to check it out and, if they like it, recommend it to others. It's certainly more interesting and satisfying than something like Paranormal Activity 28: Ghostnado!

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Blu-ray-Jordan-Ladd/dp/B002GRMVI4/ref=sr_1_4?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1402628465&sr=1-4&keywords=grace

Leprechaun's Revenge (2012)

If you haven't seen any of Drew Daywalt's short horror movies, under the FEWDIO banner, then head to YouTube now and check them out. Bedfellows remains my favourite (Creep and Mockingbird are also brilliant), but so many of them are perfect little gems that you really can just go through them all. Drew is clearly a very talented man. And when he's not making horror movies he's creating astoundingly successful children's books. Well, one so far. The Day The Crayons Quit. Which makes viewing Leprechaun's Revenge a frustrating experience. It's not all that bad for a TV movie, but fans of Mr. Daywalt know that he's capable of something much better.

The story is quite simple, and gets moving quite quickly. Karen (Courtney Halverson) is out hunting with her grandfather (William Devane) when she spies something in the woods and also gets her hand marked with a red clover. It turns out that a vicious leprechaun has sprung to life, and Karen has a limited window of time to destroy it before she is doomed. Convincing her father, the local Sheriff (Billy Zane), isn't going to be easy, but she won't be able to do it alone.

There's a bit more to it than that, with a backstory about how the main family involved are descended from people who made their fortune by, well, not being nice to a leprechaun, but that just about sums it up. It's a creature feature, with a leprechaun that's far removed from the other main leprechaun known to cinema fans, but it also has some good jump scares interspersed randomly throughout as the main character succumbs to visions of what she knows is coming after her.

The direction is solid, and the script by Anthony C. Ferrante tries to do a decent job (especially when poking fun at itself), but it's not long until cracks start to appear and the movie crumbles to a state that it can't recover from. The potential for genuine scares soon dissipates, to be replaced by more standard jumps and moments of ridiculousness. Worst of all, the last few minutes feel really rushed and anti-climactic.

Halverson is fine in the main role, and Devane and Zane are both people I always enjoy watching onscreen. Zane deserves bonus points for his straight delivery during the moment in which he relates a personal tragedy that's one of the funniest I have heard in a movie of this kind. Thankfully, the comedic aspect of the material is always intentional, I think. Dave Davis is the young man who wants to help Halverson stay safe, understandably, and Azure Parsons makes a great impression with her few scenes, playing another officer of the law caught up in the madness.

It's a bit of fun, no more and no less. Worth watching if it comes on the TV and you can't be bothered to reach for the remote control, but I hope to see something much better whenever Daywalt is allowed to make a feature film completely on his own terms.

5/10

You can buy it here, under the title "Red Clover" - http://www.amazon.com/Red-Clover/dp/B00E99FYD6/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1402686976&sr=1-1&keywords=leprechaun%27s+revenge

Freeway II: Confessions Of A Trickbaby (1999)

Just as Freeway was a twisted riff on Little Red Riding Hood, Freeway II: Confessions Of A Trickbaby is a twisted riff on Hansel & Gretel. Unfortunately, it's just not as good as the first movie, although that's not to say that it doesn't have its moments.

Natasha Lyonne has the lead role this time, as Crystal, and she ends up getting herself in enough trouble to be thrown into juvenile prison. She's not about to stay there for long, however, and soon makes good her escape with a young woman named Angela (Maria Celedonio). Unfortunately, Angela is a bit more unstable than Crystal, which can often lead to people being killed. Still, that won't matter if they can just get to the potential safe haven provided by Sister Gomez.

Once again written and directed by Matthew Bright, there may be some stylistic similarities on display here, but this shouldn't be viewed as a sequel to Freeway. Consider it more a distant cousin, a younger one that tries to act up and emulate you when it comes to visit during the holidays.

Lyonne is good in the main role, but she's not particularly easy to root for as she ends up spending more and more time averting her gaze from the obvious problems that her companion has. Celedonio gets to cut loose and embrace her freaky side as Angela, and she does just fine. Vincent Gallo appears in a small, but highly amusing, role, David Alan Grier is a very sleazy lawyer, and fans of John Landis may enjoy seeing him in his cameo.

Bright has a bizarre filmography, with Bundy being, arguably, the movie in which he comes closest to normality, but it's a shame that he has been unable, so far, to get anywhere close to the greatness of his debut feature. Everyone wants to see Tiptoes, but not necessarily for the right reasons. This movie may well prove to be the most disappointing to fans. It's not a clever reworking of the familiar material, and it's just not as much fun as it should be.

Worth a watch, but not one to revisit, and I doubt that anyone will end up choosing it as a firm favourite.

5/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Confessions-Trickbaby-SPA-Freeway-II/dp/B003TN8V2E/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1402536474&sr=1-1&keywords=freeway+2+confessions+of+a+trickbaby

Freeway (1996)

Written and directed by Matthew Bright, Freeway is a deliriously demented riff on Little Red Riding Hood. It's sleazy, often ridiculous, and a hell of a lot of fun.

Reese Witherspoon stars as Vanessa Lutz, a young woman travelling to stay with her grandmother after her mother and stepfather are once more carted off to jail. Vanessa accepts a lift from a pleasant man named Bob (Kiefer Sutherland), but it's not long until friction develops, and Vanessa finds herself in a whole lot of trouble.

As entertaining as it is crude and obvious, Freeway is often tasteless, occasionally tense, and darkly comedic throughout. It's also polished enough to make it all more palatable, considering just how potentially dark a number of moments are. You may forget how many boxes are checked off by the time the end credits roll, but Bright includes drug addiction, prostitution, child molestation, and much more on this winding journey to grandma's house.

Witherspoon is on top form in the lead role, alternating between unbelievable naivete and tough sassiness, depending on the situation. It's a performance on a par with her turn as Tracy Flick. Sutherland is equally enjoyable, initially charming and kind before revealing a more predatory nature within. Dan Hedaya and Wolfgang Bodison are both fun as a pair of cops trying to find a serial killer, Brooke Shields does a great job as a protective wife, and Brittany Murphy adds another slightly kooky role to her long list of slightly kooky roles. In fact, with Amanda Plummer also here in a small role, the movie could easily overbalance into twitchy lunatic mode, but it doesn't.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
Bright is smart enough to tie everything in to the fairytale that he's working from without overdoing everything. Most of them are hard to miss - the red jacket worn by Vanessa, the surname of a character clueing you in to their role in the story - but others are . . . . . . . okay, also hard to miss, but that doesn't matter. Overlaying the original tale with a layer of trashy fun allows it to feel enjoyably unique, even as it hits a lot of obvious beats.

Freeway isn't a film to recommend to everyone, but I recommend it to everyone anyway. If you dig it then you will REALLY dig it. If you don't then I'm sure it won't be the worst that you've sat through.
                                                                                                                                                       
9/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Freeway/dp/B0000517CV/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1402535501&sr=1-3&keywords=freeway

Hansel & Gretel (2013)

Fairytales have been bringing in some big bucks over the past few years. Or they've been trying to, at least. TV shows and movies based, sometimes very loosely, on the classic stories that entertained many of us as children have been doing pretty well with teens and older viewers. Stuff like Grimm, Once Upon A Time, Snow White & The Huntsman, and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. So it was only a matter of time until the Asylum got involved. And here is their contribution.

Be warned, some minor spoilers may follow, for those who like to view a movie without knowing ANY of the details beforehand.

Brent Lydic and Stephanie Greco play the brother and sister, with the both of them in great danger from a witch (Lilith, played by Dee Wallace) who already has a number of potential victims in her basement, ready to make into meals. Will Hansel & Gretel be able to escape?

Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, this is pretty solid stuff. The reasons I warned of minor spoilers above is because I wasn't sure whether or not to mention that the witch was played by Dee Wallace, but it would be hard to review the movie without mentioning it, especially as she's the most recognisable name in the cast list. But I'll get back to the acting later. Anyway, Ferrante does a decent, if unspectacular, job in the director's chair. Some more spit and polish could have really made this into a little gem, but the final product is passable anyway, not exactly great but not bad either.

The script by Jose Prendes has a few good ideas sprinkled throughout, including the different effects of the magic treats created by the witch. Unfortunately, there are also many moments, especially in the first half, that just reek of cliche, and then there's a second half that suffers a bit of an identity crisis, trying to spin the fairytale plates while it also attempts to make everything feel a bit like a Wrong Turn movie.

Lydic and Greco do okay, and Sara Fletcher and Clark Perry stand out from the small selection of other people trying to avoid being put into the oven. Steve Hanks, Trish Coren and M. Steven Felty are a few of the adults who may be able to help the witch's victims, or may now. And then there's Wallace, who has some fun as Lilith. It's actually not the wild and over the top performance that viewers might expect, but that just makes the occasional outbursts all the more enjoyable.

I'd advise any fans of this kind of movie to go for any of the other recent versions of the tale ahead of this one. Although, having said that, this isn't as bad as it could have been.

5/10

http://www.amazon.com/Hansel-Gretel-Dee-Wallace/dp/B009X484OS/ref=sr_1_11?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1399926186&sr=1-11&keywords=hansel+and+gretel

Pit And The Pendulum (1961)

Another adaptation of some classic Edgar Allan Poe by Roger Corman, and once again starring the magnificent Vincent Price, Pit And The Pendulum is an atmospheric and macabre slice of entertainment, as you would expect considering the people involved.

Price plays Nicholas Medina, a man who has recently lost his wife (Barbara Steele). When her brother (John Kerr) comes to visit, in an attempt to figure out just what really happened, it soon becomes clear that Nicholas is hiding something. But is it something sinister, or is it a past tragedy that has haunted him, and also his sister (Luana Anders), for many years? Perhaps the family doctor (Antony Carbone) can help.

From the cast members (Steele and Anders, at any rate) to the set design to the colour scheme used, Pit And The Pendulum is a gorgeous film, almost as rich and satisfying as The Masque Of The Red Death, a film with many obvious similarities to this one.

The script by Richard Matheson may not stick as rigidly to the material by Poe as purists might like, but it maintains the essence of his work and leads to a finale that feels exactly as it should, in terms of potential terror and nastiness.

Corman directs with confidence, making the most out of a few set-pieces and allowing himself room for some nice artistic flourishes. It's the kind of work that may make fans regret the path that his career took, after he saw how the dollar was easier to get a hold without any qualms about artistic integrity. I'm not knocking the man for the choice that he made, and the many careers that he's helped launch, but I AM sad that only a few of his movies seem to show what he was really capable of.

Price is on his usual top form, gracious and possibly hiding madness behind that charming smile, while Kerr and Carbone pitch their performances just perfectly, playing more level-headed characters without ever being overshadowed by that magnificent central performance. Anders is a ray of loveliness in a rather dark and dire environment, and Steele is given another role that makes the most of her haunting beauty.

Superior horror entertainment from start to finish, and what a finish it is, Pit And The Pendulum is a film that every self-respecting fan of the genre should see. And then buy. And then see again and again.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/The-Raven-Pendulum-Tales-Terror/dp/B005AMJ36U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1399588222&sr=8-2&keywords=pit+and+the+pendulum

The Arrow edition, however, is the way to go - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pit-Pendulum-Blu-ray-Vincent-Price/dp/B00IJE1QL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402699173&sr=8-1&keywords=pit+and+the+pendulum

Don't forget to help me to convince my wife that movie reviews aren't a complete waste of my time and energy whenever you're visiting Amazon. My book is available there.

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

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As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.

Milius (2013)

John Milius has had his hand in more major movies than you could possibly imagine. Every inch the alpha male, he's never been a shy man, which makes him a great subject for a documentary. This particular examination of his life chooses to relate various anecdotes in between allowing other people to heap praise upon the main man.

Francis Ford Coppola, George Hamilton, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, Oliver Stone, Steven Spielberg, Sam Elliott - that's a great list of names. Each and every one of those men have plenty of compliments for the larger-than-life Milius, and every one of them does a good job of reminding viewers just why they should love the cinematic output of someone who is so often neglected by film fans. There are also quotes from his children, and various studio executives, as well as some others (too many for me to mention here).

If I listed all of the films that the man helped to craft I would be here all day, and you would get bored. Suffice to say, Milius is more than just the man who gave Conan The Barbarian a decent movie. But even if he hadn't done much more, that alone would have been enough to win him a fairly big fanbase.

As a look at the man, and his movies, this is good stuff. There are no major revelations here, and no probing insight into the life that turned Milius the boy into Milius the man he is today. Although it doesn't paint Milius as a saint, something that I'm sure he would have strenuously objected to anyway, it does serve as nothing more than an outright celebration of the man, warts and all. There's nothing wrong with that, it's a fun watch and this man deserves to have some more people appreciate his work, but it's worth noting for the benefit of anyone after anything a bit deeper.

Recommended for anyone who grew up with no small amount of affection for macho flicks from the '70s and '80s, from Apocalypse Now to Red Dawn, and from Dirty Harry to Dillinger, this is fun for fans, and anyone who might become a fan after remembering how much pleasure they have derived from the featured films over the years.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Milius-DVD-Joey-Figueroa/dp/B00ECVPP62/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399737995&sr=8-1&keywords=milius

And while shopping around, don't forget my book that I won't let people forget.

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

And American folks can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395945752&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=TJs+ramshackle+mov

As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.

Bachelorette (2012)

Kirsten Dunst plays Regan, a tense, controlling young woman who starts to fret when she finds out that her friend, Becky (Rebel Wilson), is about to get married. Becky wasn't supposed to be the first one of the group to get married, as Regan reminds Gena (Lizzy Caplan) and Katie (Isla Fisher). Things weren't supposed to happen that way. Regardless, the time comes around for the bachelorette party, something that Becky wants to be a quiet affair. It doesn't pan out that way, of course.

Written and directed by Leslye Headland, based on her own play, Bachelorette is saved from being completely unwatchable by Kaplan and Adam Scott (playing Clyde, the ex-boyfriend of Caplan's character). James Marsden also puts in another great performance - the more I think about it, the more I like Marsden - and Rebel Wilson is likable enough in her role. But that's where the good stuff ends.

While I watched this movie I started to suspect that it was from a first-time director. Some of the mistakes here aren't that bad, but then there are glaring flaws that unsettle the whole thing, and ultimately sink it completely.

First of all, most of the characters are loathsome. Movies can feature loathsome characters, but this lot really take the biscuit. And there's no reason to believe that they would be friends. As the old saying goes: "with friends like these, who needs enemies?"

Second, stemming from the first, everything that goes wrong and puts the characters under pressure is caused by the characters themselves. Everything onscreen here could have been easily avoided if the lead characters weren't so selfish/stupid.

None of the drama is effective, none of the comedy is funny, and you may spend most of the movie, as I did, just wishing for it to end. It doesn't help that Dunst and Fisher aren't on good form, although they may have simply been unable to overcome the weak material.

The silver lining for Leslye Headland is that she can only get better from here.

2/10

http://www.amazon.com/Bachelorette-Blu-ray-Wilson/dp/B00B17U2VS/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1399528406&sr=1-3&keywords=bachelorette

Remember, I watch a lot of films so that you don't have to. YOU can help me feel better about that by spending just a few pounds/dollars/*insert currency here* on TJ's Ramshackle Movie Guide, as every copy of my book sold gets a few pounds in my pocket, and gets you a good read (if I say so myself).

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

And American folks can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395945752&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=TJs+ramshackle+mov

As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.

Robot & Frank (2012)

An affecting drama with just a dash of sci-fi in the mix, Robot & Frank is a great little film that manages to impress viewers without the need for any unnecessary frills. Of course, Frank Langella being fantastic in the main role is a huge plus.

Langella plays Frank, a man who used to be a jewel thief but who now has to get used to the quiet life. Well, that's what his son (James Marsden) and daughter (Liv Tyler) are hoping for. His son even gives him a gift, a robot butler, to both help him around the house and keep him company. But it's not long until Frank realises that the robot may be able to give him a second shot at his favourite, though illegal, career.

Written by Christopher D. Ford, this is a beautiful little film, one that mixes in a few great characters with a small amount of humour and a story arc that viewers will genuinely care about as things play out. It's a seemingly simple drama that's freshened up slightly thanks to the small sci-fi touches throughout, and also thanks to the great cast. As well as Langella, Marsden and Tyler (who isn't onscreen for very long at all), there are also decent turns from Susan Sarandon (a real highlight in her relatively small role), Peter Sarsgaard and Jeremy Sisto, among others.

Director Jake Schreier does well by the material, never overdoing the emotional button-pushing until a final 10-15 minutes that really earns the right to tug at the heartstrings of anyone watching. There are one or two surprises, but none of them will leave viewers feeling cheated.

It's a shame that, perhaps, some people may avoid this because the word "robot" is in the title, while others may seek it out expecting something more sleek and shiny. It's a drama, first and foremost, about aspects of the human condition (growing old, becoming vulnerable, etc.), but it also uses the near-future world that it presents to highlight just how so much can stay the same while so much else changes.

Almost a dictionary definition of the word "unassuming", Robot & Frank might just end up impressing you as much as it impressed me. It's sweet without being sickly, moving without being TOO heavy-handed, and simply entertaining from beginning to end.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/Robot-Frank-Langella/dp/B00AENNHOE/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1398298580&sr=1-2&keywords=robot+and+frank