REVIEW HATCHET 2 (DVD)

Film: Hatchet 2
UK Release date: Out now
Year: 2010
Certificate: 18
Director: Adam Green
Starring: Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, Tom Holland, R.A. Mihailoff
Running time: 90 mins
Genre: Horror
Reviewer: Adam Wing

Back in 2006 Adam Green made a name for himself with the release of 80’s horror homage, Hatchet. The reviews were largely positive, supported by a cast of legendary horror icons - including Kane Hodder, Robert Englund and Tony Todd - plenty of disposable teens and a whole host of gruesome set pieces. Green went on to write and direct Frozen, a classy little thriller set on a ski lift, and a promising sign of things to come. Now he returns to the Louisiana swamps to continue his twisted tale of titillation and torment. Hodder and Todd are along for the ride once more, with newbie scream queen Danielle Harris (Halloween) taking over from Tamara Feldman as the put upon teen Marybeth.

Picking up where the original ended, Marybeth escapes the clutches of the deformed, swamp-dwelling killer Victor Crowley, who looks more and more like Sloth’s Hillbilly cousin every day. After learning the truth about her family's connection to the hatchet-wielding madman, Marybeth returns to the swamps with an army of hunters (disposable fodder) to recover the bodies of her family (it’s a stretch) and get a little pay back along the way. Which is just another excuse for buckets of blood, relentless violence, occasional nudity and horror icon cameos aplenty. Green throws in a little back-story this time out, and more revealing perhaps, he also adds his name to the title; it now reads Adam Green’s Hatchet 2. There’s nothing like a little self-importance Adam, but you might want to hold off on the self-appreciation a little while longer.

I wasn’t a big fan of the original movie, but Frozen was certainly a step in the right direction, serving up a bucket load of tension with a side order of wince-inducing gore. Hatchet 2 sticks to the horror sequel template by throwing in an obligatory back-story and ramping up the gloopy gore to maximum effect. We might as well start with the killings, because there’s not a lot else going on in these backwater swamps. 

Adam Green has really gone to town on this one, drowning the screen in blood and - somewhat inevitably - doubling the films kill-rate. The opening ten minutes really set the scene, making it abundantly clear what to expect from the rest of the movie. It’s a ridiculous introduction, wallowing in cheap thrills that go for the gut - quite literally - but offer nothing new. The kills are largely uninspired this time round, but they’re certainly plentiful. Victims are smashed to a bloody pulp - repeatedly - all in the name of entertainment, and I’m sorry to say that it all grows tiresome really quickly.

Hodder does well with his dual-roles, and it’s always nice to see Tony Todd make an appearance. Danielle Harris on the other hand is largely wasted as the leading lady, only really called upon to exact bloody retribution in the final act, but she makes the most of her limited screen time with wide-eyed - not to mention bloodthirsty - enthusiasm. Crowley spends the majority of the movie stalking the new recruits and dispensing with them in a series of dreary, dim-witted and wearisome ways. 

The new characters add very little to the mix, on hand solely to provide Green with the ammunition he needs to show off his casually convincing FX work. There’s not a memorable moment between them, and Green has seen fit to drop the frat-boy humour of the original in favour of no laughs at all. The final smack down is almost worth the wait though, with Hatchet 2 ending on an over-indulgent high note of cinematic excess.

If Hatchet was homage to the 80’s slasher movie, Hatchet 2 is a fitting tribute to the inferior sequels that followed. Lacking in invention and wit, Adam Green’s second instalment ups the gore-factor ten-fold but loses every ounce of playful charm. Not even the gloriously gory denouement was able to wet my appetite for Hatchet 3, maybe that should read Adam Green’s Hatchet 3, there’s a chance he’ll be struggling for work after this.

REVIEW: UNINHABITED (DVD)

Film: Uninhabited
UK Release date: Out now
Year: 2010
Certificate: 15
Director: Bill Bennett
Starring: Geraldine Hakewill, Bob Baines, Tasia Zalar, Billy Millionis, Henry James
Running time: 93 mins
Genre: Horror
Country: Australia
Reviewer: Adam Wing

The Great Barrier Reef stretches for over 1600 miles off the Northeast coast of Australia; it’s the world’s largest coral reef and one of the seven natural wonders of the world. There are more than 600 islands in all, and Bill Bennett’s Uninhabited is set on one of them. A young couple go to a remote and deserted coral island for a camping holiday, only to find that a ghost seeking retribution for a past outrage has come back to haunt them.

Beth (Geraldine Hakewill) and her dim-witted boyfriend Harry (Henry James) arrive on the ‘deserted’ island for a short break, and before you can say, “this is a clichéd horror movie isn’t it?” they discover they’re not alone, because it wouldn’t be much of a horror movie if they were. Strange occurrences threaten to disrupt their peaceful getaway - footprints in the sand leading nowhere, old bones that suggest indigenous life, and the terrifying discovery that somebody has hung Beth’s washing out to dry.

Harry is reluctant to believe at first, but he does make rather funky wind chimes out of the bones and there’s a good chance he was relieved that someone had done the washing for him. After a laborious set up, a serious lack of tension and zero chemistry between the two leads, Harry and Beth conclude that the bizarre incidents are most likely the result of kids trying to spook them. This doesn’t terrify them though (have they not seen Eden Lake?), and its pretty obvious from the start that they don’t watch horror movies back home, in fact I’d be very surprised if Harry made it past pre-school.

To be fair to Beth, she seems like an intelligent girl. A little too intelligent perhaps, except when it comes to spotting boyfriend potential. Hakewill remains a likeable screen presence, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s easy on the eye. Harry on the other hand, well he’s a bit thick really, and Henry James struggles with any emotion beyond merciless confusion. Even when Beth discovers video footage of Harry sleeping on their camera, he passes it off as an ‘overreaction’, blaming the kids for taking the joke too far. Instead of fleeing for his life, he convinces Beth to turn it into a game, encouraging her to wear face paint while they hunt the perpetrators down. Have to be honest here, I kind of lost respect for Beth at this point.

Uninhabited takes an upward turn when a couple of non-English strangers arrive on the island, but any sense of curiosity is short lived. Bill Bennett, who wrote, direct and produced this listless thriller, seems obliged to stay stranded, ensuring the faint whiff of chills, thrills and tension are kept at bay. Nothing of note actually happens at all, even the pleasing cinematography loses its appeal after a while. It’s not until an hour in that the script sparks to life, with Beth making a startling discovery. Not that Harry is blessed with the intelligence of a garden gnome, that would be too much to ask, instead she discovers an island journal, abandoned in a nearby hut many moons before.

Bennett does attempt to build tension in the final act, but his half-hearted scares rarely succeed. It doesn’t help of course that we have zero compassion for Harry, though the latter scenes involving Beth are a little more suspenseful. It’s all a little too late though, and the twist in the tale can be seen a mile off, unless your name is Harry and you’re punching well above your weight. At the end of the day, Uninhabited is the perfect title for a horror movie that has nothing new to say. A film in which nothing happens until the final act, and the revelations that follow are clearly signposted throughout.

An emotionless entity with no redeeming qualities - not Harry, this time I was talking about the film. Dull, devoid of life and truly terrifying… the thought of sitting through Bill Bennett’s pedestrian thriller again, that is.

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE: EASTER BUNNY, KILL! KILL! (DVD)

Film: Easter Bunny Kill! Kill!

UK Release date: 22nd August 2011

Year: 2006

Certificate: 18

Running time: 90 mins

Director: Chad Ferrin

Starring: Timothy Muskatel, Ricardo Grey, Charlotte Marie, Trent Haaga, David Z. Stamp, Wolf Dangler

Genre: Horror

Format: DVD

Country: USA

Unspeakable (2000) was Chad Ferrin's first twisted feature. Shot for $20,000, it was released by Troma, and after moderate success he went on to write, produce and direct The Ghouls, a no-budget horror opus shot for considerably less. A segment of the film Tales from the Crapper (2004), a direct-to-DVD effort starring Ron Jeremy followed, but having been granted a release date finally in the UK this month, it’s his next outing, Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! that demands our attention, and hopefully showcases Ferrin's undeniable talents. Can it really be as good as its title suggests?

Remington, a murderous looter, cons his way into a mother’s heart, putting on a fatherly façade to her cherished son, Nicholas. But the second she leaves for work, a torrent of abuse rains down on the gentle boy.

Remington heads out for some hookers and invites his dilettante-child molester-drug-dealer buddy over to abuse Nicholas, whose only comfort is in confiding with his new pet bunny.

When Nicholas is nowhere to be found, someone wearing the mask of the beloved holiday hopper shows up ready to deliver a blood-splattered night of unspeakable terror – is anybody safe from a rampaging rabbit on the hunt for more than just eggs…

He Said: Are you ready to swim in a sea of depravity? With its blend of twisted humour and gross-out visuals, Ferrin’s movie may test the tolerance of many viewers (who, let's face it, with such an insane title, won't be watching anyway) but it does at least offer some entertainment, especially in the latter stages when an over-talky first hour is forgotten thanks to some obnoxious characters being dispatched in the most brutal way possible.

She said: Putting the bunny back in the box is out of the question, especially when it comes equipped with a range of weapons that would put even Batman to shame. Hammers, drills, guns, flashlights and cleansing products - no household item is safe from barbaric bunnies with murder in mind. The rest of the characters don’t fair too well either, but we wont lose any sleep over that, Easter Bunny’s cast list reads like a State Prison football team. Spanish burglars, titillating prostitutes and drug pushing paedophiles don’t exactly evoke sympathy, so there’s a good chance you’ll be rooting for Roger all the way.

He said: The strangely affectionate Remington, played with such panache by Timothy Muskatel, is the star of the show, although Charlotte Marie almost steals it with a pair of noteworthy showstoppers, distracting the viewer from the typically threadbare plot, relying on stereotypes to tells its weak story before settling on a final twist that won't surprise many, but at least gives the chain of events more than just shackles that would otherwise tie it down even further.

She said: If you’re only in it for the carnage you’re in for an agonising wait. Ferrin’s fifth feature is slower out the blocks than a talented tortoise, and it’s not until the final act that the screen turns a sinister shade of red. The first act is surprisingly effective, performances are stronger than you might expect from a low budget horror movie, and the bunny’s bonnet is choc-full of twisted humour and worthwhile exchanges. The second act drags its heels like a hare in need of a hose down.

He said: It will probably never be confused with a classic. The characters act like morons, the dialogue they spit out is suitably inane (“was he born special or was there some kind of accident” is one of the finest), and a script so pedestrian for the most part slaps together its elements in a less-than-thrilling manner; it’s ninety minute running time feeling almost as bloated as pigging down three chocolate eggs and their scrumptious fillings.

She said: It’s not until David Z. Stamp’s Ray Mann arrives on the scene that events take a turn for the clinically depraved. His drug dealing child molester is genuinely creepy, even if his ‘pocket full of goodies’ aren’t afforded the screen time they truly deserve. It’s Timothy Muskatell’s Remington that holds the film together though, and despite the despicable nature of his character, there’s something oddly affecting about his performance - he comes on like a cross between Ron Jeremy and Joe Spinell’s Maniac.

He said: Truth be told, it’s better than it should be. The production values are pretty good for a low-budget affair, with some slick editing working effectively with every kill, and considering the flimsiness of the script, Ferrin gets some very good performances from his main cast – even if Ricardo Grey’s Nicholas is too much to bear (most notably when he dances to his father’s favourite song) and the equally annoying Jorge (Jose I. Lopez), who quite frankly demands a brutal exit.

She said: Chad Ferrin knows how to deliver an entertaining set piece, and from here on in Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! comes alive with the sound of screaming. Ferrin nails it - quite literally in fact - and the last half hour is choc-full of milky goodness and tasty treats. For some inexplicable reason I didn’t see the ending coming, which is rare in this day and age, and all the more obvious when I choose to reflect. That said, the warped final reel smacks of family sitcom, not to mention the promise of a sequel or two.

He said: It’s perfect fodder for a trash-horror fest, with its titillating hookers in glorious close-ups, a sublime scene when prostitute Candy goes searching for a broom to mop up the mess, some brutal toolbox murders akin to Hooper’s classic, and even a wildly happy, completely out of place, emotional ending reminiscent to a Nicholas Sparks novel – just make sure you don’t run out of tissue paper…

She said: Raw, uncompromising and darkly comic, Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! ends on a high note - buoyantly bouncing away with my will. It sure takes its time to get there, but clearly this bunny has learnt a thing or two - Chad Ferrin’s gut-punching gore fest stands out as a low budget horror movie worth its weight in gold-en foil.

He said: Handling the gory action with flair, while adding solid performances and darkly comic humour, Ferrin’s Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! isn’t substantial enough in story-telling to be a classic, but it is an effective combination of ridiculous stereotypes and raw bloodshed - an Easter delight that shouldn’t be hidden.

REVIEW: SUICIDE CLUB (DVD)

Film: Suicide Club
UK Release date: 19th September 2011
Year: 2001
Certificate: 18
Director: Shion Sono
Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Masatoshi Nagase, Mai Hosho, Tamao Sato, Takashi Nomura
Running time: 99 mins
Genre: Horror
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Subtitles: English
Reviewer: Adam Wing

When it comes to celebrated movie openings, you wont find any more memorable than Sion Sono’s 2001 cult hit Suicide Club, available for the first time in the UK courtesy of Cine Du Monde - 54 high school girls, one subway station and a southbound ticket to hell. The police believe it to be the first of a string of suicides, but their investigation takes a sinister turn when a sports bag is discovered at the scene of one of the alleged incidents. The contents suggest an altogether different investigation is in order, taking Detective Kuroda (Ryo Ishibashi) and his team of officers on an unexpected, horrifying and deeply disturbing journey into the depths of depravity.

A girl called Kiyoko - known to investigating officers as The Bat - suspects that she has found the answers on a strange website, one that shows red and white dots matching up to the number of suspected suicide victims. At around the same time, a mysterious stranger calls Kuroda at work - a young boy with what sounds like a speech impediment. He warns Kuroda of another mass suicide set to take place at the same station as before. Add to the mix the appearance of Genesis and his horde of twisted henchman; a girl called Mitsuko (Saya Hagiwara) who gets caught up in the case, and the regular bombardment of girl band sensation Dessert, and what you are witnessing is anything but ordinary.

If you’re not convinced as to what kind of journey Sono is taking you on, you will be by the time the first act comes to it’s darkly comic conclusion. As part of a joke - attempting to poke fun at the 54 students who killed themselves at the subway station - a group of classmates stand on the edge of a school roof and imitate the events that transpired. It’s a deeply disturbing moment, laced with the blackest humour, and Sono handles it beautifully. Suicide Club can best be described as a relentless stream of arresting imagery, backed by light-hearted musical numbers and jovial dance routines. One such moment captures the mood brilliantly; as a catchy tune rings out to the sight of overdose attempts, group hangings and culinary disasters. Just when you think Sono has reached the peak of his prowess, he takes his film down a completely different path.

For a short period of time, Suicide Club finds itself in similar territory to Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, where potential suicide is put aside in favour of sadistic torture and homicidal tendencies. It’s an unexpected change of direction - one that comes with delirious rock-opera trimmings - but Sono continues to shock and surprise like its going out of fashion. The final act switches gear again, returning to the scene of the crime and twisting the knife even further. The denouement doesn’t always convince, and a few lingering plot holes serve only to frustrate. In 2006, Sono attempted to plug these holes with sequel-come-prequel Noriko’s Dinner Table. The follow up depicts events that take place before and after the incidents of Suicide Club. Sono went on to say that he had originally envisaged a trilogy, but in reality the chance of making three feature films was slim.

Considering what happened when Ryo Ishibashi tried to find a new wife in Takashi Miike’s Audition, you’d think he would steer clear of put upon roles in deeply deranged thrillers. In Suicide Club he plays much the same character, a hard working father with an uncanny knack for bleak endings. With so many characters coming and going, it’s hard to pick out a standout performance. Musician turned actor Rolly Teranishi makes an immediate and lasting impression as celebrity-in-waiting Genesis, but in hindsight that might have something to do with his sudden and unexpected appearance. 


The abundance of unexplored characters serves only to highlight the films biggest weakness - Sono’s refusal to structure his ideas in a coherent and satisfactory manner. There’s a lot going on in Suicide Club, and ideas bombard the screen left, right and centre. Themes are explored and then dropped - often in favour of gory mayhem and J-pop dance routines - leaving the underlying message somewhat confused. His ability to shock was never in question though, a statement made clear by the opening stampede.

Suicide fads, subliminal messages and social commentary provide Sono with another opportunity to enthral the masses. Suicide Club touches on current themes and fears, but Sono’s film will best be remembered for it’s harrowing tone, twisted humour and startling set pieces - washed down with a catchy pop number or two. Flawed yet fearless, Suicide Club will forever remain a sign of things to come from an unmistakable talent.

GUILTY PLEASURE: COUNTRY STRONG (DVD)

"When that ooooooooold song comes on... come on, you know you want to. A rising country-music songwriter (the extremely likeable Garrett Hedlund) hits it off with a fallen star (Gwyneth Paltrow) and together they conjure up his ascent and her comeback, leading to romantic complications involving her husband/manager (the underrated Tim McGraw) and a beauty queen-turned-singer (the adorable Leighton Meester).

An uplifting story about the life of a country singer and her return to musical stardom, Country Strong has a strong cast, four excellent leads, and a half decent story, helped by an absolutely cracking soundtrack that does most of the talking. It’s not original by any stretch of the imagination, but there are enough twists to keep you interested. That said though, I never realised those country folk put it about so much – good stuff.”

REVIEW: SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO (DVD)

Based on the 1974 anime TV series, Space Battleship Yamato is a live action adaptation directed by Takashi Yamazaki. In the distant future, the depleted forces of humanity lose a major battle to alien invaders the Gamilas, retreating back to a radiation-soaked, nigh-uninhabitable Earth. Man has one last shot at redemption, a toxin-killing device supposedly sent by a benevolent species, located on the distant planet of Iscandar.

Earth’s only hope is the giant star-cruising battleship Yamato, armed with a wave motion cannon capable of mass destruction. The Yamato is launched with an overly familiar ragtag crew of personnel, including angst-ridden hotshot Susumu Kodai (Takuya Kimura), Captain Birdseye Okita (Tsutomu Yamazaki), and super hot fighter pilot Yuki (Meisa Kuroki). The Yamato must race against time and across treacherous space to find the mysterious device and defeat the insidious Gamilas.

Not being familiar with the original series, English-dubbed translation (Star Blazers) or the many animated features released in the 70s, I’m coming in cold for this live-action debut. Having said that, there are elements of Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica to be found if you look hard enough. Citing influence on a modern sci-fi adventure movie smacks of 'cheap shot' though, and for the most part, Space Battleship Yamato beats to the sound of its own drum. The first thing that catches your eye (and rightly so) is the stunning effects. Some ships only have it where it counts, kid, but Yamato is one of the most impressive spaceships I’ve ever seen. The CGI isn’t perfect - ground assaults lack realism and the enemy robots are a little too glossy - but the dog fights and aerial encounters pack a spectacular punch.

Numerous though they are, the action sequences are perhaps a little too brief, occasionally lacking the riotous impact expected of modern day sci-fi fare. Takashi Yamazaki doesn’t always get the balance right, this being a Japanese production; it’s only natural to expect over-reaching sentiment and unapologetic emotion. Whether we should blame the director, the actors or the screenplay remains unclear, but much of the action feels soulless, entertaining in a superficial manner, but devoid of heart and drive. For all its technical whiz-bang, Battleship Yamato feels like a personality vacuum at times, with Takuya Kimura lacking the rugged charm associated with memorable space captains, and Meisa Kuroki making an impact based on looks alone - Yuki is also found guilty of lurching from whiny teenager to lustful heroine in seconds.

Takuya does occasionally get it right, which is why I’m reluctant to blame the cast members, but much like the romance that develops between the two leads, any attempts at drama lack depth. The actors can only work with what they’ve got, and from that perspective they do a great job, but they’re let down by a director who should’ve known better. Had he toned down the emotional blackmail in favour of actual storytelling, I may have cared about their plights more. The decision to indulge a faceless enemy is disappointing too; battling hordes of gleaming robots is fun for a while, but I’ll take fighting wretched hives of scum and villainy any day of the week thanks. Yamato is in dire need of a big bad - a reason to fear the darkness if you will - without it Yamazaki’s film lacks a genuine sense of peril.

Perhaps a follow up would put pay to these minor quibbles, and having done big business back home, the likeliness of a sequel appears quite high. If you like your sci-fi movies laced with Steven Tyler rock ballads and emotional downpours, Space Battleship Yamato hits the target every time. The over-reliance on wave cannons and warp speed suggests a lack of fresh ideas - as does the insistence on slow-mo and foolhardy heroism - but fans of the original series will find much to enjoy here.

If you’re looking for character, depth and emotion, you’ve come to the wrong place, but if its big-ass battleships with laser cannons you’re after, welcome aboard the Space Battleship Yamato. A fast-paced adventure with signs of something spectacular lurking beneath the glossy exterior. Yamato’s first big screen mission fails to break new ground, and the uninitiated run the risk of leaving unfulfilled, but if its popcorn munching fun you’re after you could certainly do far worse. AW

REVIEW: ROGUE NINJA (DVD)

Film: Rogue Ninja
UK Release date: 5th September 2011
Certificate: 18
Director: Seiji Chiba
Starring: Mika Hijii, Masayuki Izumi, Mituki Koga, Kentarou Shimazu
Running time: 70 mins
Genre: Martial Arts/Action
Country: Japan
Reviewer: Adam Wing

Seiji Chiba sure loves his ninja movies. The Kunoichi: Ninja Girl, Alien vs. Ninja, Evil Ninja - its safe to assume that he’s comfortable within the action genre. Fans on these shores are likely to be familiar with Alien vs. Ninja, an action spoof that was little more than a sixty-minute fight sequence. There was enough mutilation and mayhem to keep you from reaching for the remote control though, even if it lacked the invention of some of its siblings.

Rogue Ninja lacks anything approaching comedy aliens, with Chiba instead choosing to take his latest foray incredibly seriously. It's the 16th Century, a period of civil war in Japan, and stuck right in the middle are the Iga ninja. Rather than stand firm against the Nobunaga Oda and the Koga ninja that have joined forces, the Iga turn on themselves, dispensing with each other and saving enemy clans the trouble. Its all part of a power struggle between the Iga high leaders and the Iga lesser leaders, a power struggle ninja Ukagami (Mika Hijii) is all too familiar with.

Being somewhat easy on the eye, she gains the attention of the lesser ninja’s leader. He’s bored of the women in his life, but then, how many ways can a woman please a man if she’s bound and gagged in his quarters? We know he’s evil by the way he treats his women, killing them before telling his comrades to rape them before they get too cold. Nice. Now he wants Ukagami, and he's willing to do anything he can to possess her, including killing her and I’m guessing, passing her dead body around like a tube of Pringles at a house party.

Ukagami has a brother called Kino, they’re not blood related and he belongs to the Koga family, but Kino was raised by Ukagami’s parents and they treat each other like kin. Kamari is the token love interest; or rather he would be, if ninja’s were permitted to marry. In order to get to Ukagami, the lesser ninja’s leader kidnaps Kamari and draws her to him, culminating in a bloody battle that wont end well.

For a film that clocks in at just over an hour, there’s a lot of exposition to wade through. The characters in Rogue Ninja sure like to talk, conspiring, deliberating, or just plain standing around putting the world to rights - you sometimes get the feeling that the world of Rogue Ninja is set inside a giant girl’s bathroom. It’s a low budget affair, which explains why most of the movie is set in a forest, but Rogue Ninja becomes very repetitive as a result. The characters stand beneath trees, have a chat, get involved in a fight, chat some more - then they move on and do it all over again.

The action sequences are the films only saving grace. The battle scenes are tightly choreographed - fast, fluid and energetic - but it’s fair to expect that of Seiji Chiba by now, if he still hasn’t got the hang of ninja action then all hope is lost. Unfortunately there’s nothing to separate one action sequence from the next, with the battle scenes possessing less personality than the great oaks they’re hidden within. Furthermore, Rogue Ninja seems to have landed on DVD without a final act. The final battle takes place midway through the movie; the surviving characters have a little chat and then the movie ends. It’s not like there isn’t more of the story to tell, but the ending feels rushed and incomplete - maybe they ran out of trees.

With a final battle that takes place in, what looks like, the same cave as Alien vs. Ninja, Chiba could be accused of making the same film again - without the rubber costumes and without the comedy. Rogue Ninja has very little going for it beyond attractive leads and entertaining fight choreography. As for me - I kind of miss the alien.

ONE TO WATCH: SOURCE CODE (DVD)

"Taut, exciting, and refreshingly easy to follow for a time-travel yarn, Source Code sees Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) on a mission to identify a bomber who destroyed a train just hours earlier and who plans to kill thousands more with a much larger explosion in the heart of Chicago.

If you’re uncertain how a movie set almost entirely around eight minutes of action can possibly sustain your interest for an hour and a half, with the same explosion dominating the screen time and time again, fear not. A top-secret program, named 'Source Code', allows Colter to exist briefly as another man in the parallel reality of the doomed commuter train. Each time he returns to the train, Colter has just eight minutes to uncover the bomber's identity. So far, so easy.

Better still, the more he learns, the more convinced he becomes that he can prevent the deadly blast from ever happening, and you’ll be hoping he does just that in order to save the gorgeous Michelle Monaghan. Director Duncan Jones (Moon) grabs your attention from the outset, then layers on the suspense to unbearable levels, as every time the beleaguered Stevens gets close to solving the riddle and saving the girl, the bomb explodes and he’s whisked back into reality.

There may be brief moments of repetition that hinder its pace, the melodramatic finale goes on a touch too long (mainly involving Stevens relationship with his father), other characters on-board the train are too stereotyped, and when the list of suspects is finally whittled down to one, a lack of a decent set-piece disappoints. However, the cast are on top form, especially  Gyllenhaal, the visuals and soundtrack is superb, and there’s a nifty little twist in the tail that transforms this story from decent to very good indeed.”

REVIEW: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (CINEMA)

Film: Rise of the planet of the apes

UK Release date: 11th August 2011

Certificate: PG

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow

Genre: Action/Adventure

Running time: 105 mins

Country: USA

Format: Cinema

Reviewer: Adam Wing

Grown men dressed in monkey costumes - I’ve always had a problem with Planet of the Apes. Looking back now, it’s hard to ignore the majesty of Charlton Heston’s original, but the four films that followed are a mixed bag of cinematic curiosity. Tim Burton’s 2001 remake was a hit and miss affair, successfully updating the effects but adding little beyond Donnie Wahlberg’s bland astronaut shtick and a ‘screw you Hollywood’ ending. I quite enjoyed it at the time, but in hindsight, it’s hard to take the whole thing seriously. Grown men in monkey costumes - I mean really.

Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) is wise to take us back to the origin of the species, serving up a new beginning for the franchise and discovering a vaccine for man-in-furry-suit syndrome in the process - I guess that’s modern technology for you. Andy Serkis is on hand - yet again - to provide motion capture support for Caesar, Rise of the Ape’s newly crowned King of the Swingers. Brian Cox, John Lithgow, James Franco and Freida Pinto provide human ‘interest’, but you’ll be hard pushed to notice. It’s the damn dirty Apes that take centre stage on this one, and you won’t take your eyes off them for a second.

An origin story - based on a novel by Pierre Boulle - set in present day San Francisco, where experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of war. Caesar's mother is one of many primates caught in the jungle and brought to present-day San Francisco, where she's experimented on in the labs of a drug-research corporation. After a demonstration goes wrong, the experimental programme is closed down, to the horror of Will Rodman, a troubled young scientist in search of a cure for Alzheimer's. His father Charles, who lives with him, suffers from dementia. Will takes the last of the experimental subject’s home (that would be Caesar then) and feeds the experimental cure to both dad and ape. Meanwhile, a manned space-rocket has blasted off to Mars - not sure what that’s all about...

The decision to build a film around Caesar's uprising is a wise and necessary development, and the technical achievement is staggering. With the exception of Franco’s Will Rodman, the human characters lack definition. Freida Pinto has token love interest tattooed across her forehead, Cox is wasted in an insignificant supporting role, and both Tom Felton and David Oyelowo provide pantomime villainy but little else. Lithgow’s ailing father supplies Will with rationalisation, rhyme and reason, but there’s nothing particularly mind blowing about the events that unfold. The two father and son dynamics are in place to provide dramatic weight, but its Caesar’s journey from pet to prisoner to general that bears fruit, and when Caesar’s army take charge, Wyatt’s wily reboot knocks the competition for six.

Whether it be the circus orang-utan that hides his intelligence in order to fit in, Caesar’s faith in a reluctant accomplice, or Apes rendition of Stripe from Gremlins (a hideously intimidating creation), Rise comes alive when the humans take a backseat. Wyatt doesn’t forget the built in fanbase either, Rick Jaffa’s script gets the balance just right, with the formality of incorporating memorable dialogue (one in particular comes with a neat twist) never feeling forced. In fact, just when you expect Wyatt to drop the ball in much the same way as Lucas did with Vader’s ill-advised “Nooo”, he takes his vision to unexpected heights. It goes without saying that the apes would have to talk - it’s a moment that could’ve and should’ve divided audiences the world over - but Wyatt nails it emphatically. Powerful, striking and instantly memorable, Caesar’s delivery is a standout moment in a series rebooted and reborn.

Summer blockbusters rarely put character and emotion before action spectacle - they certainly don’t do it with apes - but Wyatt’s opening gambit feels like a breath of fresh air in a stagnant summer of soulless robots and regurgitated pirate ships. With an explosive finale set upon the Golden Gate Bridge, Rise aims high and hits its target with ruthless efficiency. There’s no question as to which you’ll be rooting for, Caesar’s wide-eyed delivery is sure to see both child and parent hanging spare tyres in the back yard.

Make sure you stick around for the final credits too, and a denouement that revels in its own simplicity. Eat your heart out Tim; Hollywood has a new jungle V.I.P. In a world overrun by inferior reboots and pointless remakes, Rise of the Planet of the Apes takes over the throne and crowns itself king.

REVIEW: SALT OF LIFE (CINEMA)

Film: Salt of Life

UK Release Date: 12th August 2011

UK Distributor: Artificial Eye

Classification: 12A

Running Time: 86mins

Director: Gianni di Gregorio

Starring: Gianni di Gregorio, Valeria De Franciscis, Alfonso Santagata, Elisabetta Piccolomini, Valeria Cavalli

Genre: Comedy

Country: Italy

Year of Production: 2011

Format: Cinema

Reviewer: Daryl Wing

Director Gianni di Gregorio follows his debut, Mid-August Lunch (2008), with a film that could easily be confused as a sequel, as Valeria de Franciscis reprises her role as Gianni’s demanding mother and the auteur once again bags the lead. Can a wife and daughter in tow change our pestered protagonist’s luck, will the familiar plot of debt and drinking be spiced up with a bit of dating, or has this lovelorn cook over salted the porridge? Click on the top image for full review...

REVIEW: 5150 ELM'S WAY (DVD)

Film: 5150 Elm's Way

UK Release date: Out now

Year: 2009

Certificate: 18

Director: Eric Tessier

Starring: Marc-Andre Grondin, Normand D'Amour, Sonia Vachon, Mylene St.Sauveur

Genre: Thriller

Country: Canada

Reviewer: Adam Wing

A French language Canadian horror movie set at the end of a quiet street in a small town - a street that just so happens to have the word ‘Elm’ in the title. Alarm bells should be ringing already for Yannick (Marc-André Grondin), an intelligent teenager who stumbles upon the Beaulieu residence after a biking accident. Jacques (Normand D’Amour) insists that Yannick has knocked at the wrong house, but nothing can prepare him for the terror that waits behind door 5150.

Jacques is a psychopath and a fanatic, determined to rid the world of evil. His wife Maude (Sonia Vachon) has long put up with his physical abuse, but stays with her murderous husband to ensure the security of their youngest daughter Anne (Élodie Larivière), a tormented child suffering since birth from severe mental illness. Oldest daughter Michelle (Mylène St-Sauveur) is following in her fathers footsteps, hoping to take over the family business one day, but how can you understand the mind of a psychopath, even if he is your father?

Horrific beatings follow, with a sideline in torture and torment - that is until Jacques offers Yannick a chance at redemption. Yannick becomes a pawn in the deadliest game of chess - one victory and he’s free to go. Sounds so straightforward, doesn’t it? What follows is both shocking and surprising, with 5150 Elms Way joining a long list of hidden gems shimmering in the golden glow of world cinema.

Performances are strong throughout, with well-written characters and emotional depth. Elms Way starts life as a horror movie, but the second act finds it moving towards slow-burning drama, with characters taking centre stage over harrowing brutality. Maude is emotionally conflicted but Michelle has a penchant for violence. Jacques is torn between the love of his daughter and the realisation that she doesn’t quite get it, and Yannick knows full well that he’s caught in the middle.

It’s a delicate balancing act, and you have to admire the actors for making it work so effectively, overlooking the occasional inconsistency is made so much easier when you have well-drawn drama to fall back on. In fact, it’s rare in this day and age to discover a horror movie that doesn’t depend upon gut-wrenching violence and dumb teen fodder. Most French language horror films are well versed in the red stuff, and even though Elms Way has its fair share of claret and blues, it never feels like you’re watching a film that depends upon it.

Eric Tessier’s undiscovered gem was released in the same year as Pontypool, another unexpected Canadian crowd pleaser - the much talked about zombie virus thriller set in a small Ontario town. Pontypool has made something of a name for itself, and 5150 Elms way deserves the same fate. Horror fanatics will be pleased to learn that it rediscovers its roots in the final act - with a turn of events that are almost inspired - and the extra dramatic depth gives Elms Way the weight it needs to pull through. One of the character arcs lacks closure, but for the most part 5150 Elms Way doesn’t make a wrong move.

Slow burning, dark and disturbing, with a wickedly sinister final act, 5150 Elms Way deserves to find a wider audience on these shores. Horror movies rarely put character first, but Eric Tessier knows that true terror comes from within, and you’re sure to have problems forgetting Jacques Beaulieu as the final piece is placed. Checkmate indeed.

REVIEW: HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (DVD)

Film: Hobo with a shotgun
UK Release date: Out Now
Year: 2011
Certificate: 18
Director: Jason Eisener
Starring: Rutger Hauer, Pasha Ebrahimi, Robb Wells, Brian Downey
Running time: 82 mins
Genre: Action
Reviewer: Adam Wing

“You can’t solve all the worlds problems with a shotgun.” Whether or not that be true, one thing’s for sure, this particular hobo is going to die trying - delivering justice one shell at a time.

Rutger Hauer has long been deserving of a comeback, and a homeless vigilante with vengeance on mind could be just the ticket - we’ll call him Hobo for now. Hobo has a dream, to set up his own gardening business, ridding the world of unwanted landscape. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side though, and there’s a good chance he’s just pushed his cart into the wrong city, where crime prevails and an overlord reigns with violent and bloody malice.

It’s a neon-filtered world - Mad Max with glitter balls - filled to the brim with armed robbers, corrupt cops and abused prostitutes. Hobo abandons his plans and turns vigilante, in order to deliver justice the only way he knows how - with a 20-gauge shotgun of course. Mayhem ensues as he tries to clean up the streets and make the city a better place for future generations. With the city's evil crime boss Drake (Brian Downey) standing in his way, will the Hobo's own brand of street justice prevail? In a city besieged by gore, bloodshed, hookers and profanity, everybody’s favourite Hobo may have finally met his match.

Hobo with a Shotgun will never be mistaken for high art, but Jason Eisener’s energetic offering certainly gives Sushi Typhoon a run for its money. A Canadian splatter-fest influenced by the films coming out of Japan, Hobo started life as a fake trailer made to promote the release of Tarantino and Rodriguez’ double feature Grindhouse. It’s the second Grindhouse trailer to be made into a film, but unlike Danny Trejo’s Machete, Hobo with a Shotgun goes the distance with a relentless pouring of bloodshed, brutality and twisted humour.

Subtlety has no place on the crime-littered streets of Hope Town, and over-the-top performances are waiting at every turn. Brian Downey’s Blake is probably the worst offender; chewing up the screen at every opportunity, but his on-screen sons are on hand to ensure that it stays in the family. Ivan (Nick Bateman) and Slick (Gregory Smith) aren’t the sharpest tools in the box, but they certainly know their way around a crime scene. They set out for revenge on Hobo when he comes to the aid of Abby (Molly Dunsworth), a kind hearted prostitute who has a run in with Slick.

Abby has found herself a new dream, not to mention a new business partner, and she can’t wait to tell her old clients that her legs are closed for business. Hobo heads off to the pawnshop to purchase a lawnmower, but three robbers pick the wrong time and place to make a stand and before you know it, Hobo has a difficult decision to make. Will it be the long sought-after lawnmower or a $49.99 shotgun? One killing spree, dozens of criminals and a paedophile Santa later and the answer is clear, Hobo with a Shotgun is taking out the trash the only way he knows how.

Considering the tactlessness of Hobo, Hauer brings warmth, compassion and humanity to a role that really wasn’t asking for any. Whether it be his grizzly warning to the babies in a hospital ward, or the early scenes in which his dreams of buying a lawnmower come to light, Rutger adds unexpected depth to a one-dimensional role that fast becomes his best performance in years. Eisener keeps the film moving at a relentless pace, upping the ante at every turn. Wait ’til you get a load of the armoured hit-men sent out to destroy Hobo, they call themselves The Plague but they’d look more at home in an early episode of Doctor Who. It’s deliriously deranged from start to finish, a guilty pleasure of the highest order, and I only hope that he continues to make films of this quality.

With its 80’s vibe and glamorised violence, there’s no mistaking Hauer’s resurrection for an award-winning masterpiece - even if his performance digs far deeper than you might anticipate. Eisener’s love of trashy, cult cinema flows from every frame, and I’ll be curious to see what he does next. Lets hope he doesn’t tone it down too much, or turn in a string of sequels starring Christopher Lambert and Adrian Paul.

Hobo with a Shotgun takes a lone idea and runs wild with it, leaving a trail of death, destruction and headless corpses in its wake. “When life gives you razor blades… you make a baseball bat covered in razor blades.” That’s Hobo with a Shotgun to a tee - loud, proud and well endowed, delivering anarchic entertainment one frame at a time.

GOOD NIGHT IN: THE DOOR (DVD)

“Responsible for the death of his seven-year-old daughter, David (the always good to watch Mads Mikkelsen), a once successful painter, has lost control over his seemingly pointless existence. After five years of anguish, he discovers a door which will give him the opportunity to turn back time and prevent her death.

Directed by Anno Saul (Kebab Connection), and starring the drop-dead gorgeous Jessica Schwarz, a film combining time-travel with horror and family drama seems a curious mix, with comparisons to The Time Traveller’s Wife (2009) not entirely inaccurate. Once again, there’s more focus on the family’s relationships affected by such a horrific turn of events, which quite frankly is a relief, because every time the film ventures into creepiness, Saul attempts to perforate our eardrums with some unremarkable hubbub.

The plot will certainly keep you interested until it reaches its slightly farcical climax involving the appearance of another family undergoing similar atrocities, but the introduction of a guilt-free neighbour and some clever twists and acts of brutality, plus some lush visuals, make for an entertaining time-travel thriller that wins praise for not being a complete mind-screw.”