Better Watch Out (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

Better Watch Out (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Better Watch Out is a real treat.  Released last year, it’s already hit many people’s best Christmas films list and I can see why – it’s clever, witty and OTT.  It also throws more than a few curve balls in along the way which really elevates it beyond the usual run of the mill Christmas horror films.  Levi Miller delivers a stunning central performance as the kid in lust with his babysitter and for a film tied very much to one location, it always manages to be inventive and surprising.  Better Watch Out is a must for horror fans (and fans of subversive Christmas films)

Best Bit: Oh so THAT’s the film

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Krampas, Jack Frost, The Babysitter, Home Alone

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
If you’ve seen other of the previous Lego films, The Lego Ninjago Movie will feel very familiar. That’s not a bad thing – after all it’s a format that’s worked for the video game franchises for years.   Yup it’s funny, silly and totally forgettable.  It’s also fair to say that it’s not going to challenge anyone’s brains but the film does feel a little like the returns are slightly diminishing after each new instalment with a degree of predictability setting in.  BUT kids will love it and it certainly passed the time…

Best Bit: L-Loyd

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Thoroughbreds (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

Thoroughbreds (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Thoroughbreds has been reviewed as a combination of American Psycho and Heathers. It’s not. It’s far from that essential. But it’s still pretty good.  A dark thriller (it say’s comedy – it’s not) that delivers a strong character study of two rather disturbed young women. Set mostly in one location, the film does well with it’s strong cast who both deliver memorable performances and the film delivers a nice punch at the end and some very clever camerawork.  So your life wont be missing if you dont want Thoroughbreds but those who do will be reward with a neat little film.

Best Bit: The long take

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Heathers, American Psycho, The Last Super

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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LA 92 (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

LA 92 (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
LA 92 is hard hitting documentary that looks back at the 1992 LA riots, caused by the brutal beating of Rodney King and the acquittal of those responsible.  National Geographic pulls together archival footage from the riots, the trial and the subsequent fallout. It paints a disturbing and heartbreaking picture of a broken country where class and race were still deadly flash points.  An essential watch for anyone with an interest in modern history…

Best Bit: It stays with you or days

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (Netflix)

If You Liked this Try:Burn Motherf*cker Burn, O.J.: Made in America, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
A year on Spiderman: Homecoming is still a top draw Marvel film.  Keaton’s Vulture, Holland’s Peter Parker, even the support from Favreau and Downey Jr enhance the film and it’s still great to see a teenage Spiderman (yes I’m looking at you Garfield).  There’s still pacing issues (second time around the film takes a while to get going) but it’s worth it for scenes like that in the car and the odd Ferris reference.

Best Bit: The car

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Spiderman, Spiderman 2, Ant-Man

 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

 

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Sharknado Week: Sharknado 5 Global Swarming – A Quick Capsule Review

Sharknado Week: Sharknado 5 Global Swarming – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Global Swarming… Yup it’s back and this time it’s travelling across the Globe. It’s as insane as you’d imagine and oddly the rather bad Katie Price cameo isn’t the worst acting in it (Tara Reid who once shone in American Pie is beyond phoning it in these days).  Yup each country has it’s own unique set of cameos as the film goes from one set piece to the next, in one country to the next, with zero logic or story effort.  But who cares when it’s this fun. And it IS fun, probably the fact the most fun since the second Sharkndao film all those years ago.  It wont convert new fans for sure but as a piece of forgettable fun the Sharknado films always deliver.

Best Bit: Sidney Opera house

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Sharknado, Lavalantula, Sharknado 2: The Second One

Sharknado Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

 

 

Author: Phil Hobden

 

 

 

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Podcast: Ross And Phil Hijack – The Smoking Lamb #83

Podcast: Ross And Phil Hijack – The Smoking Lamb #83

by RossAndPhil The Podcasts

On this episode of the podcast we hand over our partners and friends at The Smoking Lamb for a revisit of their Christmas 2017 special episode featuring Phil from Ross And Phil Talk Movies.  Basically I’m filling here whilst Ross And Phil is on hiatus (back August!) but it’s a great episode!

Find out more about The Smoking Lamb here or subscribe to the podcast via Soundcloud or Apple Podcasts

#RossAndPhil #RossAndPhilTalkMovies #MoviePodcasts

For more on Phil Hobden check out www.philhobden.co.uk
For more on Ross Boyask search @RossBoyask on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook

   

 

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The Greatest Showman (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

The Greatest Showman (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
The Greatest Showman ended up being one of my favourite films of 2017, and 6 months into 2018 it’s still up there for one of the best films I’ve rewatched this year.  It’s just bloody great.  From it’s expert staging to it’s epic songs, The Greatest Showman is just pure entertainment from start to finish.  And yes we know it’s not the true story of PT Barnham but who cares when whats on display is this damn good.  Essential.

Best Bit: The Otherside

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy AND but the soundtrack

If You Liked this Try:  Moulin Rouge, Mamma Mia, La La Land

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Ravenous – A Quick Capsule Review

Ravenous – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Ravenous is a unique take on the zombie movie, feeling more like a Canadian 28 Days Later than a plodding Dawn Of The Dead rip off.  This latest Netflix released exclusive delivers scares, shocks and surprises as a zombie plague ravages a rural Quebec town and a band of strangers are forced to band together to survive.  What you have is an admittedly low budget fair but highly effective with good use of it’s budget and effects.  Well worth a watch.

Best Bit: Smoke. Field. Dead.

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (Netflix)

If You Liked this Try: 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Day Of The Dead

★★★★★★★★★★