The Meyerowitz Stories (2017) Solid work but dreary and depressing.

I normally hate movies which base the whole story on someone dying, a bit like this movie which is purposely slow, starts when relatives mainly the distant siblings all come together and try to pretend that everything is normal and everything is loving when inside there is a hidden resentment and hatred.

This movie may be very true to life and Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller & Dustin Hoffman work believably in this dark drama surrounded by wit & moans.

I definitely don’t want to see this film again, I enjoyed the actor’s,I enjoyed the performances, but it was just too dreary, Hoffman has the best lines and character, he still knows how to transfer the written word into gold on a screen.

As a side note I really hope Adam Sandler leaves all the teenage Happy Gilmore stuff alone now & focuses on some meaty roles, he has real acting talent when he is not shouting or walking around like an oversized baby, I would love to see him as a killer or a cheating husband.

6/10

‘Criminal Activities’Trying to be too clever.film review 2015

The film starts off well, a group of friends meet up over coffee and one of them mentions that he has a friend with information about stock that is only going up in the near future, they all agree to go in it together and raise the funds to invest.

The movie then copies the theme to Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and creates a sense of panic and a need to raise a certain amount of money before their lives become threatened.

It was nice to see Michael Pitt again after ‘Boardwalk Empire’ & ‘Funny Games’ but the scene stopping moment comes when John Travolta shows up with his new wig, I say wig, I am guessing it is some kind of implant,black paint,superglue attachment, either way a close friend should have pulled him to one side and told him to grow old gracefully or go and get some fake hair that actually looks like hair, not the stinky raccoon he is using at the moment.

Back to the film and it just tried to hard to be slick and clever, a lot of the plot and dialogue has been used for similar films in the last twenty years and by the time the big reveal comes near the end,I just did not care.

4/10

KO

 

Maze Runner: ‘The Scorch Trials’ How to ruin the legacy of the 1st.film review 2015

The first film was a cracker, filled with suspense,mystery and excitement.

I was looking forward to more of the same in Maze Runner 2, how disappointed can one be in a film,well for me, very!

The film carriers on from the first,the escaped kids are being taken to a safe area,from there the film is filled with moments and scenes that go nowhere,zombie like characters in the style of the ‘walking dead’ weird monsters and a chase team.

The people responsible for this sequel need a smelly cold fish slapped against their face continuously until some brain function returns,Bloody dreadful film.

1/10

KO

John Wick (2015) Movie Review;A great action packed film

One thing that struck me while watching this film is that Keanu starred in one of the biggest action sci-fi’s of all time but no producer has but him in a real action film,well it’s their loss because he delivers in a cold and calculated way, Keanu plays a bad ass hitman who is forced to come out of retirement due the local mafia treating him like a nobody.

This is not a film to take seriously,it reminds me those films that Arnold and Sly made over again in the 80’s and early 90’s, the director and writer pull it off, the story feels fresh and the action is delivered to match the story rather make up for the lack of one.

I would not be surprised if a John Wick 2 comes out next year, I hope so!

7.5/10

KO

Birdman(2015) Movie Review; A realistic depressing film!

I adore Michael Keaton, I think he has been vastly under used in film, I am happy for the actor and that he has performed in an award-winning film but I can’t say I enjoyed this film.

It’s about a celebrity TV star who wants to claw back some popularity and fame by showing people that he can act,added to this he fights his own demons from within which doesn’t really connect to the points of interest in the film.

Edward Norton is already a modern-day legend in the movie business, he lets no one down in this film,but the script is somewhat depressing,this feels like a realistic portrayal of what it’s like to put on your own show on broadway,if this is what you are looking for great, if you are looking for an entertaining film that keeps you captivated give this one a miss.

5/10

KO

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes(2014) Movie Review; As Boring as the Title sounds

I really enjoyed the first installment, you had the quirky but enjoyable James Franco, matched with an interested story which builds as the film goes on.

In this follow-up you have a cast you don’t care about and apes that after twenty minutes become as robotic as the robots in the film transformers, such a disappointing follow-up to a great remake.

I got 90% of the way in and turned off!

4/10

ko

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014) Movie Review- Scary film, but awful ending!

OK so Halloween is just round the corner so I thought it would be a good idea to scare my wife half to death with a psycho on the run type film! ( I even told her it was a true story just to get her more into it :))

The start of the film is interesting, .. there was a serial killler 60 years ago that murdered young couples who were making out in cars in the woods, nobody ever caught him, and guess what? Yep, you guessed it, there has just been another murder, and the M.O matches the killer from yesteryear.

I have to admit, I jumped more than I would like to admit, the nutcase who is  racewalking around this small town like he is training for the next olympics, is pretty scary, he just looks intimidating and let’s just say he holds nothing back!

You will spend the first two-thirds of the film guessing who this lunatic is, you will then spend the finale of the film, if you are like us, thinking what a crap ending to what had been a real smart and interesting horror, if there is such a thing??

So, if your bored with revisiting Jason and Freddie this Halloween, give this a whirl, just be warned about the ending or turn off with fifteen minutes to go!

9/10 AND 3/10 FOR THE ENDING.

KO

Rudderless ( 2014) Movie Review – Real film making at it’s best ! 8/10

This film in my opinon is one of the best in 2014.

A father is torn apart when he loses his son, months later he comes across some tape recordings that his son had made prior to passing.

The writing is first class and William H Macy delivers what is a perfect example to any director out there that sometimes less is more.

When I read the synopsis I was not that excited, the film blew me away, it’s smart, interesting and avoids the normal path that most of these type of films tend to go down.

A mention must go to the music performed in the film, it is lyrically delicious at times.

Billy Crudup was mesmerizing throughout, you see agony,pain and joy written across his face and you are instantly happy to follow him on a journey filled with twists,turns and heartbreak.

Real film making at it’s best !

8/10

KO

Red:Sammy Hagar autobiography (2012)Book review – Hagar has many faces!

Before starting this book I had heard of Sammy Hagar and Van Halen but I would have struggled to name a song for you.

This book is interesting but it feels very one-sided most of the times, there are very few regrets made or mistakes admitted.

The book is actually more enjoyable from a business point of view than it is from the rock star element, I am sure if you were a die-hard Van Halen fan you would feel different but for me I found it interesting that Sammy decided to start a HUGE business empire on the back of a rock career,half way through the book I started viewing some songs on Youtube, I have to say a lot of his and Van Halens songs dont age that well, if you put them on in your house the people next door would presume you were having a 80’s party.

Entrepreneurs will struggle to gain any inside tips as Sammy Hagar arrived at most of his ventures with millions already in the bank, it’s not like he went from a paper round to owning very successful businesses, I have respect for what he has done and is obviously no mug but when it comes to running and planning ahead but I found it very hard to relate to the man.

On one hand he preachers that he is an OK good guy who treats everyone with respect, in the next breath he is bragging about sleeping with thousands of groupies in a tent under the stage…

When you read about his exploits you imagine a pure crazy and destructive life style, when you look at Youtube, some of the band interviews are amazingly cringeworthy, the band look like teenagers that never grew up, their only impulse is to show off the booze and drugs that they have available hidden all over the stage, the most interesting thing about the footage is Sammy, who almost comes off as sad Dad trying to be cool with his teenage kids, It made me think that Mr Hagar is very good at putting on a face, one for his music, and one for his business,I suspect the real person lies behind his business and  his music exploits are more of a front.

7/10

KO

 

Sex Tape (2014) Movie Review – A patronizing film with no chemistry!

This movie patronizes the majority of its audience and alienates the rest, I remember before I got married and had kids, I would always see films that represented young parents and feel quite nauseous, there seemed something quite depressing about their plight that I could not relate to, now I have kids and have slept what feels like a million sleepless nights, I feel patronized by these type of films, but more so in this film.

It’s a film about how a couples sex drive disappears when they have a couple of kids, you never really see any relationship between the parents and the kids so from the off you don’t really believe that Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel are parents, added to this they don’t seem like a convincing couple, I don’t buy that they like each other, never mind love each other, there is no on screen chemistry, which leaves you with a lot of over the top reactions.

Plot, they make a porn film that gets shared with all their friends and family. #YAWN!!!!!!!!

3/10

KO