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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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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One Cut of The Dead (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

One Cut of The Dead (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
One Cut of The Dead is a Japanese Zombie film with a massive difference. And to discuss that I need to go into a few spoilers.  So I’ll say this first: One Cut of The Dead is really good and, if you love Zombie movies, this is a VERY clever and unique take on that.  Reading on from here? There be SPOILERS.  Probably not since Shaun of The Dead has a Zombie film subverted the genre quite as well as One Cut of The Dead does. Okay so it’s not THAT good (Shaun is a true masterpiece) but still One Cut is super clever with it’s three act structure that pulls the rug from under you more than once.  No doubt you’ll start by going “Wait… what the hell is he talking about. This shit is CHEAP” but I urge you to let that play out because pretty quickly you’ll see all isn’t quite what you think. It’s VERY are you get something unique in this genre but One Cut of The Dead really is something you haven’t seen before.

Best Bit: Oh wait. Oh Nice.

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Dawn of The Dead, Return Of The Living Dead, Shaun of The Dead

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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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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The Invisible Man (2020) – A Quick Capsule Review

The Invisible Man (2020) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
The Invisible Man was original set to be part of the Dark Universe, starring Johnny Depp and was no doubt in-line for a similar critical battering to Tom Cruise’s The Mummy.    Thankfully the rights were instead picked up by horror maestro Jason Blum and what we get instead is a super tense, scary, atmospheric and very modern take on gaslighting & domestic abuse.  With a touch of old school horror thrown in for, er, fun.   The Invisible Man  is really good, probably better than it has any right to be, and this sits heavily on the shoulders of lead Elisabeth Moss who gives a spectacularly unglamorous portrayal of the put upon lead.  But it’s more than that.  The direction is on point, hinting at things that may or may not be there and leading you to be as paranoid as the film lead.  I’ve always had a soft spot of Blumhouse films and once again they deliver with the very original, very scary and very fun horror.

Best Bit: The first reveal 

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Cinema

If You Liked this Try: Hollow Man, The Invisible Man (1933), Memoirs of an Invisible Man

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Ghostbusters (1984) – A Hall of Fame Quick Capsule Review

Ghostbusters (1984) – A Hall of Fame Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Hall of Fame Quick Review
Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
What needs to be said about one of THE definitive, classic films of the 1980’s?  Not much other than Ghostbusters has it all – great cast (including PEAK Bill Murray), great story, iconic locations, funny as hell, scary (for kids at least) and one of the best theme tunes ever.  Hell it even pioneered in film marketing YEARS before Jurassic Park & Batman came along.  Few people could argue against the fact that Ghostbusters is anything less than grade A classic.
If you haven’t seen it already… don’t bother.  You’re already dead…

Best Bit: StayPuff Marshmallow man

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: The Goonies, Scrooged, Ghostbusters 2

★★★★★★★★★★

Hall-of-Fame

 

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Ford V Ferrari (aka Le Mans ’66) – A Quick Capsule Review

Ford V Ferrari (aka Le Mans ’66) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Le Mans ’66 tells the story of the battle between Ford & Ferrari for dominance at the famed race event in the 60’s.  Well actually that’s not right because really it’s the battle between Shelby and Ford that sits at the heart of this true life tale. It’s a great story – full of twists, turns and surprises.  It’s also a damn good film as well, with director James Mangold once again delivering a tense (but never over the top) film that allows Damon and Bale to really shine.  Once you get past Bale’s accent. For a film closer to there hours than two it flies by and the racing is everything you ant it to be. Had I seen this in 2020 it would have hit my best of teh year list for sure.

Best Bit: Le Mans

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Cinema

If You Liked this Try: Senna, Rush, Le Mans

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Dolemite Is My Name (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

Dolemite Is My Name (2019) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
It’s been a while but after nearly 20+ years without making an essential film, Eddie Murphy makes the come back of come backs with a truly standout performance in the excellent Dolemite Is My Name.  Telling the true to life (ish) story of Rudy Ray Moore, Murphy is back at his sweary best but never forgets to make his subject someone you really care about.  Honestly this is probably his best performance since Coming To America and he’s obviously relishing every second. The film? Equally excellent and for sure one of 2019’s best films.

Best Bit: Eddie Murphy

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (Netflix)

If You Liked this Try: Coming To America, Dolemite, Coffy 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Uncut Gems (2020) – A Quick Capsule Review

Uncut Gems (2020) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Uncut Gems is not an easy film to watch.  It’s exhausting – a two hour plus film that runs at 100 metre sprint pace… a wall of sound and noise, of shouting and aggression, of violence and people.  But it’s a bloody good one.  Sandler delivers a performance that reminds you that not only can he act (and is far better than the dross Netflix has him starring in) but in fact given the right material he could hold his own with anyone.  in fact, as the story unfolds, Sandler creates a character you oddly sympathise with him even though he is as far from likeable as you can get. It’s pretty criminal that he was snubbed at the Oscars (as was the film and directors the Safdie’s).  Outside Sandler the film is still just as good – from its direction to its support cast and phenomenal score.  Sure Uncut Gems won’t be for everyone but if you want a film that pushes your sense to the limit, that’s unlike anything I’ve seen in years then Uncut Gem is for you.

Best Bit: THAT ending

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Cinema

If You Liked this Try: The King Of New York, Good Time, Punch Drunk Love

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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The Gentleman (2020) – A Quick Capsule Review

The Gentleman (2020) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Okay so Guy Richie returning to familiar ground isn’t always a guarantee of success (See Revolver) but after years of playing in someone else’s sandpit, the British director’s return to the genre he helped revive, feels long overdue and very much welcome. The Gentleman won’t be for everyone – it drops it’s fair amount of C-bombs & violence alongside a cast that are dialing up the Ham to factor 15 – but for fans of the directors earlier works this is a rare treat.  What Richie has crafted here is an old school 18 rated UK crime film released in the cinema (something quite rare these days) with suave, swagger and style where the cast look like they are having the time of their lives (even if Matthew McConaughey is outclassing them all playing it dead straight). The Gentleman is funny when it needs to be, sharp when it wants to be and menacing when you least expect it. In short: I bloody loved it.  Special note to Hugh Grant who obviously is having the time of his life.

Best Bit:McConaughey playing it like he’s in an Oscar contender.

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Cinema

If You Liked this Try: Snatch, RocknRolla, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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