Bird Box (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

Bird Box (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Bird Box is for sure one of the better Netflix Sci-Fi ‘originals’, benefiting from an A-list cast and some super tense direction. It’s not A Quiet Place but its tense for sure, even if it could have spent more time on the river than in the house.  Bullock is a strong, cold lead and the unseen monster is a powerful presence throughout. If they had stuck with the original book ending the film could have pushed a higher rating for sure.

Best Bit: The rapids

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (Netflix)

If You Liked this Try: A Quiet Place, 28 Days Later, 10 Cloverfield Lane 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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World War Z: Unrated (2013) – A Rewatched Quick Capsule Review

World War Z: Unrated (2013) – A Rewatched Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Sitting down to watch World War Z again after a few years what strikes me is just how intense the unrated cut of the film is.  The opening salvos of the film – from the traffic jam to the apartment block escape and even through to Jerusalem – are edge of seat.  And in fact those moments (and the several other extended and alternate takes) help the film work much better than it’s PG13 release which always felt less than the sum of its parts (I mean a bloodless Zombie film is pretty pointless).  It’s still flawed, with the heavily reshot last act still falling short of the far more dour and downbeat ending that was planned, but for sure World War Z works far better than I originally gave it credit for.

Best Bit: Apartment block escape

Worth A Rewatch: Yes

If You Liked this Try: 28 Days Later, Dawn Of The Dead (2004), Train To Busan 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Carriers (2009) – A Quick Capsule Review (Revisited)

Carriers (2009) – A Quick Capsule Review (Revisited)

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
28 Dawn of The Living Stands Laters. Although considering most of those rate in my top 10 horror movies of all time, the fact Carriers doesn’t sit too out of place along side some of them isn’t a bad thing. Thoughtful, shocking and well made it’s biggest issue it that it just, ultimately, isn’t scary enough.  But man it tries…

Best Bit:Tough choices.

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: 28 Days Later,  The Stand,  28 Weeks Later

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Redcon 1 – A Quick Capsule Review

Redcon 1 – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
A film can fail but still be worth watching.  For me that’s Redcon-1  – a film very much the less of the sum of its parts that ultimately is undone by its scope being far greater than its budget.  It has a few nice moments but all the way through you see quite quickly that whilst it wants to be 28 Weeks Later meets The Raid, it’s more like a Devil’s Playground meets The Silencer (Look ’em up folks).  There’s talent on display here – Strange is very good at the action scenes- but the film can’t pull off its set pieces and scares as, at every moment, it just feels like there wasn’t enough money to make the scenes big or spectacular enough.  So Redcon-1 is worth streaming for the effort and vision alone but sadly in truth little else works.

Best Bit: It’s scope

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (for effort)

If You Liked this Try: The Raid, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Here Alone (2016) – A Quick Capsule Review

Here Alone (2016) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Here Alone is a tense post apocalyptic thriller with some seriously dark twists and turns that manages to side step its obvious budget limitations for some incurably tense and atmospheric moments.  Yes it’s a bit overlong and repetitive but it mostly manages to be predictable and that goes a long way to helping you overlook some of the weaker elements.  Well worth checking out.

Best Bit: Into the house

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (Netflix)

If You Liked this Try: 28 Days Later, The Walking Dead, Maggie

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Phil’s Top 5… Zombie Films!

Phil’s Top 5… Zombie Films!

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five.   This time out: Zombie Films!

 

Close but no cigar: Night of The Living Dead, Return Of The Living Dead, Zombie Flesh Eaters

 

5 -Dawn Of The Dead (2004)
Zack Snider remakes a classic and makes an a film almost as good.   Great set pieces, excellent effects and fast zombies that really work. Just an excellent film.

 

4 -Day of The Dead
Day of The Dead is brutal.  From it’s gut ripping effects to it’s post-apocalyptic nialistic world stripped of hope this is one of the most oppressive horror films ever made.  And it’s brilliant.

 

3 – Dawn Of The Dead (1978)
Romeo made a stone clod classic in Dawn Of the Dead.  The fact that it exists in so many versions means you probably have never seen the whole film.  Romero’s cut,  An extended cut. The Fuci cut.  This aside Dawn is the grandfather of modern Zombie films and set the pace for all the imitators that followed.

 

2 – Shaun Of The Dead
Comedy horrors often fall flat.  Good low budget comedy horrors are rare as hens teeth.  Yet. Shaun of The Dead works.  Not just as a comedy but as, more importantly, a Zombie film.  It’s brutal and funny.

 

1 – 28 Days Later
Raw, stripped back and brutal, 28 Day’s Later isn’t technically a Zombie film according to Danny Boyle but it really it.  Introduced us to fast zombies/infected and proved that once again humans are more dangerous than the undead.  Unparalleled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dawn of The Dead (2004) – A Quick Capsule Review

Dawn of The Dead (2004) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
The 2004 remake of Dawn of The Dead is the template for HOW to remake a classic film.   Rather than just copy beat for beat, Snider (never known for his subtly) flips the tone, landing on a film that is as much action as it is horror.  And it works.  Yes for sure it has horror moments (Zombie baby anyone) but it’s in the action horror beats that the film really shines.  The cast do well (Rhames and Polly especially) and the fast zombies really helps the film keep a pace and sense of dread that older Zombie movies don’t always have. As a lover of Zombie films and Dawn of The Dead I was possibly the most cynical about this film.  But Snider delivered and the film remains highly watchable all these years later.

Best Bit: Gas canisters

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

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

★★★★★★★★★★


 

 

 

 

Patient Zero (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

Patient Zero (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Patient Zero is part 28 Days later, part Day Of The Dead. The problem is the film feels like a bottle episode of a TV series, created to save money, with almost no outside shots and an ending that just happens without really resolving anything.  Also considering the actors involved (Smith, Dormer) the acting is pretty rubbish, saved only by a really fun turn by  Stanley Tucci as a super infected.  There’s good idea here (although it treads very close to films we’ve seen before) but the films budget (or lack of) does little to help realise these ideas.

Best Bit: Stanley Tucci

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: 28 Days Later, Day Of The Dead, Train to Busan

★★★★★★★★★★


 

 

 

 

Cargo (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

Cargo (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Cargo is a different take on the zombie/plague movie that has family at the core of it’s story.  In a seemingly apocalyptic world a man races against time to find safe place for him and his daughter.  It’s a low key film for sure with minimal effects or violence but this more intimate narrative works well and overcomes the films obviously low budget.  It’s tense, clever and uses it’s key moments well.  It doesn’t break any new ground for sure but it’s a worthwhile watch if you like this genre.

Best Bit: Martin Freeman

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (Netflix)

If You Liked this Try: 28 Days Later, The Rain, Night of The Living Dead

 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

 

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The 25 Best… Horror Films of All Time

The 25 Best… Horror Films of All Time

by Phil Hobden Best... Other Cr*p

In our continuing regular feature, Phil (of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review)  along with podcaster Josh Morris, Writer Mike Parkin, Grosse Point Geek’s Will Strong and Motion Picture Manic Jamie Robinson breakdown the 25 Best Films Of a particular genre… 

This time out: The Best Horror Films of All Time

 

The close but no cigar Films: Dawn of The Dead, You’re Next, The Blair Witch Project, The Pact, Grave Encounters, Let The Right One In, The Evil Dead

 

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