Watchmen (2009)

Less visionary, and more a faithfully adaptation of the acclaimed comic book. The acting is pretty hit and miss, but overall this pretty much lives up to the hype and deserves to been seen on the big screen.

Janck 4 stars


90% Sin City, 10% X-Men. And I mean that as a compliment.

Mitch 4 stars

Sunshine (2007)

I re-watched this on blu-ray, and in spite of it's flaws, Sunshine is a near perfect blend of science fiction, cinematography, film score, and ultimately a tale of humanity. For me, Danny Boyle had already shown he was an accomplished director way before the Slumdog accolades came along.


4.5 stars

The Strangers (2008)

Genuinely tense (surprisingly for Hollywood) ''terror-porn'' delivers chilling suspense. Best lock the doors.



3.5 stars

Biggie and Tupac (2002)

East Coast vs West Coast vs Death Row Records.

3 stars

Mýrin (2006) aka "Jar City"

A well put together and chilly thriller from Iceland.

4 stars

Shotgun Stories (2007)

Centering on rednecks Boy, Kid, Son and Mark Hayes this blood feud tale has the best character names ever committed to celluloid, throw in some delicious visuals and confident acting to make this a film that ticks all the right boxes.

4 stars

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Didn't quite work for me, but still found most the performances relatively enjoyable.

2.5 stars

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Watching Hellboy 2 I couldn't help but think this is everything the Star Wars prequels could have been. Wild and fantastic, some wonderful storytelling and decent humour to boot.. (Right Hand of Doom) fingers crossed for another sequel.

Janck 4 stars


Really enjoyed this (not just because of the blu-ray delivering stunning high definition). You can't help but love the weirdness of del Toro's peripheral characters which give this film it's own charm. It's golden.

Mitch 4 stars

Pineapple Express (2008)

Silly, but harmless stoner movie; and certainly one of the weaker outputs from the Apatow 'laughter' factory. James Franco is pretty good as the drug dealer though.


2.5 stars

The Visitor (2007)

A touching piece of fiction, as can only be expected from writer/director Scott Templeton.

4 stars

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Long live the Western; not seen one in ages. Both Bale and Crowe are very good in this battle of wits and wills. Not an outright classic, but will not disappoint. Also another standout performance from Ben Foster, (no, not the Man Utd keeper.)


4 stars

Monster House (2006)

A charming family movie that, in my opinion, beats anything Pixar have thrown up in recent years. Maybe it's because I'm reminded of the kind of adventures I'd get up to as a kid (that'll be the Spielberg influence..) or maybe it's just the wonderful animations, cracking humour and frights that leave me with a smile every time I watch Monster House.

Janck 4 stars (March 2008)


Finally got round to watching this enjoyable kids adventure of the 'own back yard' variety. Both comic and spooky, this animated tale is worth checking out.


Mitch 3.5 stars

Funny Games (2007)

Don't cry over spilt eggs.


3 stars

Hancock (2008)

Mitch : Entertaining enough no-brainer popcorn movie. Even Oscar nominees (Will Smith) and Oscar winners (Charlize Theron) need a break from proper movies once in a while.
3 stars

Janck : Better than expected, although I enjoyed the first half a fair bit more than the latter.
3 stars

Clockers (1995)

Too many connections to The Wire to mention in a glib one line review, but if you love The Wire you'll probably quite like Clockers.

3.5 stars

Escapist, The (2008)

Not quite a great escape movie, but still a thoroughly enjoyable one.

3.5 stars

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

Having watched Letters from Iwo Jima a few months back, I thought I should was this, it's companion movie. Based around the iconic flag raising on the island, Clint Eastwood focuses on the US side of the story, and pulls off another triumph. The background CGI is very impressive too - you may barely notice it is there.


4 stars

Breach (2007)

Nicely put together FBI drama, based on true events and one of the worst cases of espionage in US history. Solid acting from a strong cast.


4 stars