T2: Trainspotting – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

T2: Trainspotting – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
T2 Trainspotting is a brilliant film. Not the film you expected. Or even wanted.  But brilliantly done.   It’s a film that, maybe for the first time ever on screen, captures what it’s like to be lost in life at a time where its hard to change who you are and when the dreams of life settle to the reality.  As a 40 year old who at times feels the failure to be what he wanted to be, whose settled in life on a path different to what he thought and sees a future so different from what he imagined, it was always going to be a story that would hit a nerve.  And it did.  For the first time in a long time I had to reflect about a film.  Sit quietly and take it all in.

It won’t be for everyone, not even for every fan of Boyle’s groundbreaking original and it certainly lacks the intensity, raw energy and exuberance that Trainspotting delivered.  But like the film,  I’m not 19 anymore either so my life has slowed down and it feels right the film should reflect that.  The fact that the film leaves you at the end feeling that you wanted more from it, feels oddly like it was actually the point.

So on it’s own merits then it’s a well told story , excellently directed,  superbly performed (especially Ewan Bremner’s Spud) about what it’s like to be closer to the end than the beginning and what it’s like to feel lost in your own mind. I liked it a lot.

Best Bit: The cubicle

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Trainspotting, Go, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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The 25 Best… 90’s Movies!

The 25 Best… 90’s Movies!

by Phil Hobden Best... Other Cr*p

In our latest regular feature, coming out the first Friday of each month, 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 each major film decade.

 

This time out: The 1990’s

The close but no cigar Films: Apollo 13, Fight Club, Schindler’s List, Speed, The Usual Suspects, Dumb and Dumber, The Silence Of The Lambs, Waynes World, Empire Records, In the Line Of Fire, JKF

 

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My life In Movies… (Best Film from EVERY Year I’ve Been Alive)

My life In Movies… (Best Film from EVERY Year I’ve Been Alive)

by Phil Hobden Best... Other Cr*p

A look at the BEST films, one from each of my years on this planet…. (Yes ’86 and ’84 was impossible to split!)

… And yes a few do differ from my Annual ‘Film of The Year’.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing!!!

The 70’s

1976 – The Outlaw Josey wales
1977 – Star Wars
1978 – Dawn Of The Dead
1979 – Alien

The 80’s

1980 – Empire Strikes Back
1981 – Raiders Of The Lost Ark
1982 – The Thing
1983 – The Return Of The Jedi
1984 – Ghostbusters/ Gremlins
1985 – The Goonies
1986 – Aliens/ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off/ Top Gun
1987 – The Lost Boys
1988 – Die Hard
1989 – Tango & Cash

The 90’s

1990 – Goodfellas
1991 – Terminator 2 Judgement Day
1992 – Reservoir Dogs
1993 – The Nightmare Before Christmas
1994 – Pulp Fiction
1995 – Heat
1996 – Trainspotting
1997 – Con Air
1998 – Lock Stock & Two Smoking barells
1999 – Fight Club

The 2000’s 

2000 – Snatch
2001 – Black Hawk Down
2002 – 28 days Later
2003 – Love Actually
2004 – Shaun Of The Dead
2005 – Serenity
2006 – Children of Men
2007 – Bourne Ultimatum
2008 – The Dark Knight
2009 – Slumdog Millonaire
2010 – The Social Network

The 10’s 

2011 – Hugo
2012 – Skyfall
2013 – Rush
2014 – Wolf Of Wall Street
2015 – Whiplash
2016 – The Nice Guys

Phil Hobden
Editor – Phil’s Quick Capsule Review

The Young Offenders – A Quick Capsule Review

The Young Offenders – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Every so often you find a gem of a film that you’ve never heard of.  The Young Offenders is that film.  Stacked full of charm wit and invention this low budget tale of two petty criminals on the look out for a major score has more heart and wit than most of Hollywood’s output in the last few years combined.  Winning performances, clever direction and a tight script make this a must watch.

Best Bit: The House fight

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Trainspotting, Twin Town, Headrush

IMDB Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

 

Author: Phil Hobden

T2: Trainspotting – A (Not so) Quick Capsule Review

T2: Trainspotting – A (Not so) Quick Capsule Review

by Phil's Quick Review Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
T2 Trainspotting is a brilliant film. Not the film you expected. Or even wanted.  But brilliantly done.   It’s a film that, maybe for the first time ever on screen, captures what it’s like to be lost in life at a time where its hard to change who you are and when the dreams of life settle to the reality.  As a 40 year old who at times feels the failure to be what he wanted to be, whose settled in life on a path different to what he thought and sees a future so different from what he imagined, it was always going to be a story that would hit a nerve.

And it did.  For the first time in a long time I had to reflect about a film.  Sit quietly and take it all in.

It won’t be for everyone, not even for every fan of Boyle’s groundbreaking original and it certainly lacks the intensity, raw energy and exuberance that Trainspotting delivered.  But like the film,  I’m not 19 anymore either so my life has slowed down and it feels right the film should reflect that.  The fact that the film leaves you at the end feeling that you wanted more from it, feels oddly like it was actually the point.

So on it’s own merits then it’s a well told story , excellently directed,  superbly performed (especially Ewan Bremner’s Spud) about what it’s like to be closer to the end than the beginning and what it’s like to feel lost in your own mind. I liked it a lot.

Best Bit: The cubicle

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Trainspotting, Go, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels

IMDB Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

 

Author: Phil Hobden

Trainspotting – A Classic Quick Capsule Review

Trainspotting – A Classic Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Trainspotting defined a generation.  It’s THAT important as a film. It set the culture for 90’s Britain and showed how to adapt the unadaptable.  It launched careers, cemented Boyle as one of  THE up and coming directors in the UK and sold millions in soundtrack albums.  But more than that is was an adrenaline shot in the arm of the British film industry.  Years later it still stands up as a great film and re-watching it just cemented it further as the classic it is.

Best Bit: Lust for Life! 

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Shallow Grave, T2 Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire

IMDB Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

 

Author: Phil Hobden

Phil’s Top 5… Danny Boyle Films

Phil’s Top 5… Danny Boyle 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: To celebrate the upcoming release of T2: Trainspotting here are my top 5 Danny Boyle Films!

 

Close but no cigar: Sunshine, 127 Hours, The Beach

 

 
5 – Steve Jobs
Based on Walter Isaacson biography and taking a rather unconventional approach, Steve Jobs was an awesome look at one of technology’s greatest characters, delivered in a way only Danny Boyle would dare.  Oh and an award nominated script by the maestro Aaron Sorkin… what more could you ask.

4 – Shallow Grave
Years on, Danny Boyle’s low budget debut Shallow Grave is still a damn good film and one that launched us the careers of two of the UK’s most known actors. Tense, tightly directed and thrilling. 

 

3 – Slumdog Millionaire
Showing the Boyle can turn his style to almost any narrative, Slumdog tells a colourful love story set against a bizarre story of a street kid and a TV game show. Excellent performances and well a deserved Oscar win for Boyle. 

2 – 28 Days Later
Simply put one of the best Zombie/Horror films ever made, one of the best low budget films ever made, one of the best British films ever made.  

 

1 – Trainspotting
Iconic. Groundbreaking. Masterpiece.  Trainspotting is all this and more. It’s also damn harrowing and gave us a soundtrack that defined a generation.  A must see.  

 

 

Phil’s Top 5… Film Soundtrack Albums

Phil’s Top 5… Film Soundtrack Albums

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:Film Soundtrack Albums!

So to be clear here we are not talking actual film soundtracks but the released OST soundtrack albums that are related on iTunes and (in the old days) CD’s.

Close but no cigar:O Brother Where Art Thou?, Reservoir Dogs, Goodfellas, Fight Club, Saturday Night Fever, Drive, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Shooting Fish 


5 – Trainspotting
Danny Boyle’s stand out 90’s British film also delivered a stand out multi platinum selling soundtrack album.  From Iggy Pop To Pulp, it was as eclectic as they come and, as most great OST’s should, it stood alone from the film.  A perfect slice of 90’s British film.

 

4 – The Blues Brothers
One of the best musicals delivers a stand out soundtrack with classic after classic performed by the charismatic Jake & Elwood.  Add in Ray Charles, Cab Caloway, Aretha Franklin and James Brown and you have a perfect slice of Rhythm & Blues.

 

3 – Quadrophenia

One of my favourite albums of all time, Quadrophenia is a journey which stand alongside some of The Who’s best works as well as alongside some of the best concept albums of the 60’s & 70’s.  It’s just brilliant. 

 

2 – Pulp Fiction
Tarantino delivers yet another standout soundtrack after the delights of Reservoir Dogs.  It was an album that adorned the CD collection of almost ever 90’s student and even manages to transcend the film itself.  Continuing his trend for catchy rarely heard tracks with equally catchy dialogue snippets, Pulp Fiction is a slice of a genius director at his best.

 

1 – Natural Born Killers
Yup.  Controversial for some but the Trent Reznor produced album for the Oliver Stone film is like an audio version the film itself, weaving in music, audio and sounds to deliver what is essential an audio play of the movie.  From L7 to Dr Dre and almost everything in between it’s a pulse pounding concept album in it’s own right.  Essential.

 

 

Phil’s Top 5 (ish)… Movie Posters of All Time!

Phil’s Top 5 (ish)… Movie Posters of All Time!

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: Movie Posters!

Never underestimate how crucial Movie Posters are to getting bums on seats. An iconic poster can make a film.  It’s impossible to pick just 5 so here are a selection in NO order of my top movie posters!

 

 

 

Phil’s Top 5… British Films

Phil’s Top 5… British Films

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p

In a new semi-regular feature each week Phil takes a lookout a different movie related Top Five… this time out: British Films!

NB: Okay this will be British as in made in Britain, by a British director and a mostly British cast.  They MAY be funded by Americans or have American producers but they are at their core British!

 

Close but no cigar: Withnail & I, Dr No, Monty Pythons and The Holy Grail, The Full Monty

 

5 – Get Carter
THE revenge film, even all these years later, few films top the pure class of Michael Caine and Get Carter.

4 – Four Weddings & A Funeral
Four Weddings gave us the renaissance of British films, it gave us Hugh Grant, cemented Richard Curtis as one of the best comedy writers in the world and delivered the best opening scene in comedy history.  Oh and it made grown men cry.

3 – 28 Days Later
Best Zombie film (that’s not a zombie film obviously), 28 Days Later is a stand out of British and horror cinema.  Raw, violent and visceral 28 Day’s Later delivers time and time again on repeat viewing.

2 – Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock is for me the best directorial debut of ANY filmmaker ever.  Bold claim I know but seriously when was the last time you watched this film?  Even twenty years on it’s still class and, as was typical of the decade, a killer soundtrack to boot.  A million film tried to copy it but none bettered.

1 – Trainspotting
The style, the direction, the cast, the marketing, the soundtrack and probably at least another fifty reasons if you looked hard enough, Transpotting is just one of the best films of all time period, let alone British films.  It’s no easy watch but it stands as a masterclass in adapting an “unfilmable” book.