Chung Hing sam lam (1994) aka "Chungking Express"

To be honest I thought I was sitting down to a high octane HK action movie and then it turned out to be not just a love story but TWO love stories connected by a takeaway food stand.. But these are two beautifully crated pop-culture tales that made for perfect viewing on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

4 stars

Surf's Up (2007)

Enough fun to keep tweens or girlfriends occupied.

3 stars

Rambo (2008)

With a body count that would make many other movies blush, Rambo returns for it's fourth instalment. Directed by Stallone, we are offered an uncompromising look at war-torn Burma. The violence is bloody and gory; with almost a videogame-esque abandon that none of it really matters to the viewer. Bloody entertaining I thought. And what's wrong with that?


4 stars

Rocky Balboa (2006)

More of the same from Stallone, but still enough to make you smile.

Janck 3.5 stars


Surprisingly thin on actual boxing, but Stallone manages to craft a tale with plenty of heart. Keep your guard up, son.


Mitch 3.5 stars

1408 (2007)

It has some genuine creepy moments until the things that go bump in the night get a little over the top and the film seems to drift off somewhat..

Janck 3.5 stars




For all the movie's shocks and scares, this never really gels together. The film suggests that real fears are borne out of one's own experiences; my only fear was that there was little payoff with this one.

Mitch 3 stars

Invincible (2006)

Feelgood movie about an Average Joe living the American dream and finding unlikely sporting success in 1970s Philadelphia.. didn't I watch this movie a few days ago?!

3 stars

I'm Not There (2007)

Deliberately jumbled biopic where 6 actors take on the life of Bob Dylan. Unsurprisingly, the end result is jumbled. Good acting in places; but this don't maketh the movie. I'm losing patience with director Todd Haynes, I didn't think Far From Heaven was that great either.


3 stars

Boys Don't Cry (1999)

I found the first half of Boy's Don't Cry a little slow and spent most of it deciding if Swank could pass for a boy or not. However, the gripping drama of this tale did get it's hooks into me and I ended up thoroughly enjoying this story of the American Heartlands.

4 stars

Brother (2000)

Takeshi Kitano takes his uncompromising style of Yakuza warfare to the streets of LA. I can't help but think this would've been a better movie had the action stayed in Japan, rather than the "United Gangsters of Benetton" story that developed Stateside.

3 stars

Zoo (2007)

Equine love.

3 stars

Rocky (1976)

Until this week I'd somehow managed to go my entire life without watching Rocky (or any of the sequels for that matter), and my opinion on the film having now seen it.. A somewhat schmaltzy but ultimately feel good film that I'm sure will still have it fans when Stallone makes "Rocky 100" in 2046.

3.5 stars

The Pledge (2001)

Some smart acting from a great cast (Jack Nicholson, Benicio Del Toro, Mickey Rourke, Jane Tennison etc..) and a nicely weighty plot helped me to forget some of the traumas earlier in the weekend to enjoy a very good movie indeed.

4 stars

The Matador (2005)

In my opinion this a real cracker of a movie, it'll make you smile and at times maybe even let out a smirk.. Definitely a hit!

4 stars

The Number 23 (2007)

Is Joel 'Batman & Robin' Schumacher attempting film noir? I don't know, but whatever this film is it doesn't really work.

Janck 2 stars


Spoonfed mystery/crime/thriller for the masses. It is entertaining enough though; I've seen films with far worse pay-offs than this one.


Mitch 3 stars

Magicians (2007)

More Paul Daniels than Harry Houdini.

2 stars

Black Snake Moan (2006)

Not the best film I watched yesterday, but it's okay. And that is about as excited I can get about BSM.

3 stars