2 Lava 2 Lantula (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

2 Lava 2 Lantula (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
It’s not winning any Academy Awards but 2 Lava 2 Lantula is fun, silly and hilarious with a surprisingly knowing script that manages to comically reference a host of 80’s and 90’s films and TV shows with style and charm.  Guttenberg is terrible, the cast seem lost half the time and the effects are shoddy.  BUT it’s more fun than the last 3 Transformers movies combined and if you are in that kind of mood few films will hit the spot better.  Enjoy with curry and beer.  

Best Bit: Police Academy reunion!

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Lavalantula, Sharknado, Sharnkdao The Fourth Awakens

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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The Greatest Showman (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

The Greatest Showman (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
I’m always undecided with Hugh Jackman.  For every Logan, there’s been a Wolverine or Les Mis.  This in mind (and many other factors) it’s fair to say that The Greatest Showman wasn’t top of my list but dragged on a Sunday afternoon I thought I’d give it a chance.  I hated it.  For the first ten minutes at least.  Then something happened.  It’s positive message, uplifting songs, striking photography and committed performance by Jackman (and an roundly excellent cast) bowled me over.  Much like he did for the crowds that came to his shows, the film got me. It has issues (the start is pretty dire and teh CGI lacking) but damn I was surprised just how much I enjoyed it.

Best Bit: This Is Me

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Cinema

If You Liked this Try: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Little Shop of Horrors, LA LA Land

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
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 ★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Author: Phil Hobden

Raw (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Raw (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Raw is a visceral, bloody, hardcore look at family, desire and, er, cannibalism.  Arriving on a sea of hype – people walking out of screenings, vomiting, fainting and everything in between it’s a film that has a lot of live up to.   And for once it does.   One of the most intimate looks on film at the taboo of eating  human flesh, it’s a film that lives and dies on it’s central performance by Garance Marillier .  Which is lucky because she delivers.   In spades.  I can’t say enough good things about Raw.  It’s a hard watch but one WELL worth it.  Believe the hype.

Best Bit: Waking up…

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Cannibal Holocaust, Ravenous, Alive

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Justice League (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

Justice League (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Justice League isn’t the worst film ever as some critics will have you believe.  BUT it’s also a long way from being good.  DC’s Sniderverse continues it’s desire to make some of the best superhero of all time as dull as possible with the introductions of the latest batch – Aquaman (Underdeveloped), Cyborg (Terrible design & CGI) and The Flash (Not a patch on the TV version) along side an increasingly bored Batfleck, Sulky Superman and the actually still good Wonder Woman.  They team up, they fight CGI things and little else happens.  Nothing has weight, people com back from the dead (and we don’t really get to see the wider implications of this, despite it being a major story point) and SuperJoss crash lands Snider’s film with the help of a script polish (you know its him as the moments stand out like a sore thumb) and CGI moustache removal (it’s as bad as it sounds).  For me it’s the weakest of the DCEU (but the margins between this, Man Of Steel and Suicide Squad are VERY slim) and pretty much kills any further spin off’s dead.

Best Bit: Wonder Woman. Again.

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Wonder Woman, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Dark Knight 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Flatliners (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Flatliners (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
The misnomer here is that Flatliners 2017 is a worse film that the star packed original.  It’s not.  That one was pretty rubbish as well. This said there was an opportunity here to do something interesting with the tale of a group of medical students who mess with nature to find out if there really was an ‘afterlife’.  This wasn’t that film.  Look it’s far from terrible (well maybe a few times) but a hokey script, an unconvincing cast and a run time that doesn’t justify itself just makes you realise life is too short to be watching films like this.  Sadly to be labelled with a Do Not Resuscitate.

Best Bit: Dr Sutherland!

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Avoid

If You Liked this Try: Flatliners (1990), A Cure For Wellness, Jacobs Ladder

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Cult of Chucky (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Cult of Chucky (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Cult of Chucky is a fun 7th entry into the never ending Child’s Play/ Chucky series, working as a direct sequel to 2013’s Curse Of Chucky but revisiting characters from the original Childs Play all those years ago.   Set most in an asylum and focusing on Fiona Dourif’s Nica it’s pretty much more of the same with Chucky offing people one by one.  Tilly is fun, both Dourif’s are great and the gore, whilst not plentiful, does eventually come. Wont make new fans for sure BUT it’s one of the better entry’s.

Best Bit: Dourif once again

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Bride Of Chucky, Child’s Play, Child’s Play 3

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Prevenge (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Prevenge (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Prevenge is a cracking independent pitch black horror comedy starring, written and directed by the actually pregnant Alice Lowe.  Seeking revenge for something from her past, Lowe’s Ruth brutally slays what at first look sleek a series of unconnected victims. But are they?  To be fair the why is kinda given away early on but the how, when and where?  That’s the best part.  Mixing brutal deaths with dark humour, Prevenge is one of the most unique films I’ve seen in a while and a real must watch.

Best Bit: Disco Dan

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Sightseers, Raw, Personal Shopper

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Gerald’s Game (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Gerald’s Game (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Gerald’s Game is yet another 2017 Stephen King adaptation.  This one sits between the most excellent I.T and the less than excellent (but still not as bad as everyone says!) The Dark Tower. With some strong central performances, a tight story and a nippy run time it works well, even if the tones and story is a little bit familiar.   Another strong Netflix original…

Best Bit: Netflix Hits again

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (Netflix)

If You Liked this Try: IT, The Stand, Fifty Shades Of Grey, Misery

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
So this is a turn up for the books – Blade Runner 2049 (Still a terrible DTV title) ends up being one of the best films of 2017.  Who saw that coming?  To be fair teaming up Reynolds, Deakins and director Villeneuve was a good starting point but still this was a sequel that nobody really wanted to a film that I still feel was a TOUCH overrated.  All this aside at nearly 3 hours in length, sitting in a terribly uncomfortable cinema with the worst audience i’ve shared a film with in a long time STILL didn’t dent my affection for this slow burn sci-fi wonder. Visually stunning, expertly performed and amazing direction.  A must watch. 

Best Bit: Deakins cinematography

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Blade Runner, Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens, Strange Days

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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