Bloodline (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

Bloodline (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Bloodline feels so much like a movie version of TV show Dexter (well the good seasons at least) that it should throw the iconic TV show an ‘Inspired by’ credit. Look Bloodline isn’t bad.  It’s just totally forgettable other than one fact… it’s full on gory and nudity that reminds me of the video nasties back in the 80’s.   And in an age of 12 rated horror films it felt pretty fresh and unique.  Other than that not much to recommend here…

Best Bit: The film is 80’s level gory

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Dexter (TV), Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Seven 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Game Night (2018) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

Game Night (2018) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Game Night is a fantastic film, highly original, funny and real treat.  The story of a group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery, Game Night runs with it’s concept brilliantly throwing in a few twists and turns along the way with some smart humour and winning performances from the talented cast.  What sets this film aside is that it’s directed and shot with real flair.  Simply put Game Night is well worth a watch and could ned up being on my top 10 list for 2018.

Best Bit: The Egg

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: The Game, Horrible Bosses, Manhattan Murder Mystery

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock opens  fast food chicken shop. Yup the guy who ate nothing but McDonalds for a month goes after the fast food industry again to dispute their claims that it is now healthier, more natural and organic. Holy Chicken may lack the humour and originality of the original Super Size Me but it doesn’t lack any of the bite as Spurlock goes after everything from the marketing to distribution to Big Chicken, breaking down just how flawed and fake the industry really is.  In short Super Size Me 2 is super entertaining but we’ve seen this before which ultimately takes away a degree of the films bite.

Best Bit: The grand opening

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Super Size Me, McLibel, Food Inc

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Guns Akimbo (2020) – A Quick Capsule Review

Guns Akimbo (2020) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Those expecting a Harry Potter style family film from former boy wizard Daniel Radcliffe will be very disappointed as the actor continues his push as far away from that character as possible with another adult themed, über violent and slick action ‘comedy’ in Guns Akimbo.  Co-starring rising star Samara Weaving, the film is the debut by director Jason Lei Howden who brings energy, insanity and a shed load of creative deaths to this comic booked styled feature.  Sure it’s not perfect – too much CGI and too OTT for it’s own good at times – but it’s a load of fun and, in the right mindset, easy to forgive it’s short comings.  In short then I really enjoyed Guns Akimbo and highly recommend checking it out when it hits the UK.

Best Bit: The final shoot out

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Office Uprising, Mayhem, Shoot ‘Em Up

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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The Kitchen (2019)- A Quick Capsule Review

The Kitchen (2019)- A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Mob films have always been very ‘male’ focused with women often relegated to the role of wife or Goomah.  Along comes The Kitchen taking the typical mob movie and inverting it as the story of three mob wives who have to take over their husbands criminal empire after they are sent away to prison.  It’s a great idea and it gives usually comic actors Haddish and McCarthy some seriously meaty roles to get their teeth into.  And for the most part it works well. Okay so it’s never THAT believable but the ride is good enough that mostly you don’t care.  Recommended.

Best Bit:McCarthy playing it straight

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Goodfellas, Shooting the Mafia, Ocean’s Eight

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Mid90s (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

Mid90s (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Mid90s is the debut directorial effort by actor & comedian Jonah Hill, a skateboarding coming of age story set in LA in the…  well, I’ll let you guess.  In short it’s a revelation.  Hill delivers a super authentic film with a naturalistic cast, unflashy direction and a killer lead performance by Sunny Suljić in his first headlining role. Mid90s is at times a brutal look at growing up, with the highs and lows as Sunny encounters love, lust, friendship loneliness and self-discovery.

Best Bit:Jonah Hill modest direction

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Stand By Me, Booksmart, Eighth Grade

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Avengers Assemble (2012) – A Rewatched Quick Capsule Review

Avengers Assemble (2012) – A Rewatched Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
So Disney Plus launched and I went back to where it all started.  Yes Avengers Assemble changed the landscape of modern cinema.  Yup Iron Man was more significant in terms of launching the MCU but The Avengers/ Avengers Assemble showed that a multi-layered set up across multiple films and characters could be brought together in a film that gave (almost) everyone their moment in the sun whilst being coherent, fun and full of memorable moments (and quibble lines). It also nailed the Hulk after multiple miss steps.  Avengers Assemble is still the best of all the Avengers movies AND one of the best MCU films.  It also wipes the floor with Justice League but you already knew that.  Essential.

Best Bit: Attack on New York

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Iron Man, Thor , Captain America

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Hell Fest (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

Hell Fest (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Hell Fest takes the standard slasher tropes we’ve seen a hundred times before and does absolutely nothing new with them.  Like not a thing. Nadda. Zip. It’s like Scream never happened. Okay so, to be fair,  it does set the events at a horror theme park which is kinda different but save for a few moments doesn’t really make the most of it.  Honestly in a way I kinda like the lack of post modernness about it all but this is very much a by-the numbers slasher film that only really worth watching for a few decent & gory kills.

Best Bit: It’s gory

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Halloween (2018), Happy Death Day, The Final Girls

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Arlington Road (1999) – A Quick Capsule Review

Arlington Road (1999) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Arlington Road is a more than competent, well directed and acted thriller with a game changing ending that you just don’t see coming and elevated the film from being just pretty good to being great. The film IS more than its twist however and to be fair Robbins, snarling his way through the film, is great value whilst Bridges is excellent at being ‘on edge’.  The films preposterous for sure but if you buy into it (and I really did) it’s superb, cleverly laid out fun.  It’s aged pretty and Arlington Road remains a memorable 90’s thriller that’s well worth revisiting.

Best Bit: THAT ending

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Primal Fear, The Sixth Sense, Blown Away

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Kill Chain (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

Kill Chain (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
On the surface Kill Chain looks like yet another direct to DVD/streaming Nicolas Cage movie.  And to be honest under the surface it pretty much is as well.  It pains me to think how far Cage has fallen of late.  Far from his Leaving las Vegas days, Cage now sits with Willis, Cusack, Travolta and many others in direct to crap hell, churning out movie after movie with little care for content or quality. To be fair Kill Chain is more interesting than most and at least puts forward an interesting concept.  Sad thing here is Cage mostly just book ends a wider (and more interesting) linked narrative.  It’s still not amazing but it’s a start.

Best Bit: Hotel fight

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Wild At Heart, Con Air, The Rock 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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