Kung Kuan

Child’s Play.

I’ve always been a big fan of Horror movies. When I was a kid I would often sit up watching scary stuff on TV that was totally unsuitable for a child of my age (but please don’t go saying anything about this to my mum and dad as they were completely unaware of my viewing half the time!).

Saying this, there are a lot of Horror films that do not interest me at all. I have no time for movies that are unnecessarily gratuitous because I enjoy being frightened rather than revolted. In fact, I find some Horror films totally abhorrent. For example, I would never sit and watch anything like ‘Saw’, ‘The Human Centipede’ or ‘Hostel’ simply because I do not get any pleasure from seeing people being tortured… I’m funny like that. Another movie that really turns my stomach is ‘The Exorcist’. However, I made the terrible mistake of actually watching this one…

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Goodfellas: A die-hard classic

Smoother than a King and Allen suit and cut as well as a vain footballer’s hairstyle the film Goodfellas is a staple for anyones film collection. Set in the 1950s, 60s and 70s the epic move spans the life of one man- Henry Hill (Ray Liotta). The film starts with Henry and two other gangsters, Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and Jimmy Conway (Robert DeNiro), driving in a car with a dead body in the trunk- certainly not your average fairytale.

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Carnage

If you have not yet seen the film Carnage, then it is one that is worth putting down on your rental list for the future. I watched the film last night, and was amazed at how funny it was, especially since the entire film was located in one room and a hallway. If I had been watching the film without any sound on, I may have been more interested in the executive office furniture, than anything else.

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Run Fatboy Run — a film for all, even if you hate running!

Dennis does not want to grow up. Ever. He really doesn’t and he isn’t afraid of that. Thing is…his girlfriend is now about to become his wife. And this presents a problem…

Dennis stays upstairs…it’s moments before he’s set to head off and get married, and he is all a panic. He’s thinking of anything other than getting married, but it isn’t working! Then he feels himself legging it out of the house and away from everyone, and he keeps running until he can’t run anymore.

And he regrets it. That’s really where this film, featuring brit comedy hero Simon pegg, begins. It begins funny and it just gets funnier, and, with a cast featuring Thandie Newton and Dylan Moran, it’s worth your time if you enjoy a damn good laugh.

Whit seems like the complete package. Worse, you can throw anything you like at this man…

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Super 8? Really?

When advertisements for Super 8 hit the TV and the big-screen, I, like many people, was highly excited. How could I not be? As a life-long Spielberg fan I’d seen and loved them all, from the early ones to the more recent masterpieces (excluding the last Indiana Jones film, which was less fantastic than promised, unfortunately). And this…this film looked like it had all the hall-marks of a modern-day classic. In the style of The Goonies I had no doubt in my mind that this film was going to set a new bench-mark in cinematic history…

Then I sat down and watched the film in the cinema and held my head in my hands…yes the film was good, but a classic? I fear not.

I definitely expected much more than what director JJ Abrams delivered

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Inside Man

Featuring a determined Clive Owen acting as the most mysterious bank robber we’ve seen in years, Inside Man – a Spike Lee joint – burst onto our screen a few years ago and still remains intriguing and very much watchable. One of the more original heist movies of the last decade – and yes, Sarah Jane Szikora , I think you owe me £10 now as I definitely win that bet! – Inside Man marked a new kind of bank robbery movie. One which focussed on acting and suspense over action and raw fire-power. In other words, it was just what we needed: something new and invigorating that could inject new life into what was beginning to turn into a stubborn and lifeless genre.

Inside Man begins when a bank – New York’s largest, in fact – is taken hostage by a seemingly typical gang of robbers. Clad in the same uniform, to start with we’re convinced this is all about the money. But as the tension increases and a detective (played by a well-casted Denzel Washington) gets closer to what he’s sure is the truth, deadly secrets begin to unravel.

I for one would have liked to see a bit more variety in the pacing of this movie

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Dean Koontz’s Intensity.

When it comes to movie adaptations of Dean Koontz novels, there are very few decent ones to choose from (and many are undeniably lousy!)… But exactly why this is the case remains a mystery. After all, most of Mr Koontz’s work does not demand a big budget or masses of special effects; it merely requires a script that remains faithful to the original story and a bunch of half-decent actors. And that is exactly what makes ‘Intensity'such a great film.

I had the good fortune of coming across this movie on some obscure TV channel purely by accident. And to be honest, when I realised that it was an adaptation of a Koontz novel, I did not hold out much hope… However, to my utter amazement it turned out to be an absolute corker!

To begin with, the screenplay has all of the same suspense as the novel. The acting is pretty solid on the most part (Molly Parker is maybe a little over the top at times…), although any minor faults are quickly covered up by the superb performance of John C. McGinley. Man, is he scaaary as Edgler Foreman Vess!!!! In fact, why even consider laser hair removal clinics when nutjob Edgler can make your whiskers fall out with fear? He really does fit the part to a tee!

If you are a fan of Dean Koontz’s novels and you’ve been hunting around for a decent film adaptation, then look no further than ‘Intensity’; it is most certainly the best of the bunch!

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Date Night

I’ve been catching up with a few of the better comedy movies of 2010 which somehow managed to evade me. Date Night is in my opinion one of the most enjoyable films which last year had to offer.

Date Night features Steve Carell (star of the American Office) and Tina Fey (from 30 Rock) as a bored New Jersey couple, showing all of the signs that they are locked into a stagnant and monotonous routine. A misunderstanding at a restaurant sends them spiralling into a world of vice and crime which the duo are comically unsuited. The films themes of rejuvenating a stale relationship are clearly aimed at a relatively mature audience but the two main characters are engaging and endearing enough that it will hold the attention of a younger audience as well. Additionally, the jokes are universal enough that it will take you on an enjoyable journey even if you can’t directly identify with the protagonists.

The energy which Steve Carell brings to his performance helps the dialogue to zip along and the sarcastic yet effervescent manner which Tina Fey delivers lines is very funny and perfectly suited to the fun loving but world weary character which she plays. There’s a fair bit of excitement with some elaborate and dramatic action sequences and some good physical comedy mixed in for relief. The supporting cast also do a particularly good job, with a great tongue in cheek performance from Mark Warburg.

I was impressed that Date Night managed to deliver when it seems to aim at such a wide audience but it certainly is the perfect movie to revitalise a boring evening with your other half.

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Brutal & Shocking: The Killer Inside Me

Featuring the acting excellence of Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson, The Killer Inside Me is possibly one of the most unique crime thrillers to appear in the past few years. That’s for two reasons: firstly, the subject matter never shies away from showing violence – both where men and women are concerned – and secondly, it’s almost romantic in parts, making it anything but easy to review. Brutal, horrifying, yet also captivating with some of its beautiful moments, Casey Affleck does a great job in the lead role of an unhinged Sheriff who coolly goes about a series of callous murders.

In West Texas, a storm is brewing, and Sheriff Lou finds himself in a fix he needs to get out of. What starts off as a simple murder to set things straight slowly turns into a nightmare that racks up the body count. In Lou’s town, nobody gets in his way, right up until the last scene which will have you holding your breathe in anticipation.

A Michael Winterbottom film, critics have argued that the distance from the characters makes the film less appealing than it could have been. While there’s truth in that statement, it would seem a bit harsh to not give the film a fair amount of credit; it’s a gutsy endeavour, and one that should be praised for its commitment to telling the story properly, without cutting corners. I think my friend doug hyde said it best when he told me “you’ll want to see it, but when you do you’ll wish you weren’t seeing certain parts”. Doug was right on that count. If you’re not a fan of brutal violence, make sure you have the cushions at the ready.

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Gasland, By Josh Fox

Gasland, by Josh Fox, is not just any documentary on a secret yet wide-spread issue that is unknowingly – and in some cases very knowingly – affecting a population. In fact, as time goes on, it may transpire to be the most important documentary of our times. Why? Because this is a subject that is as affecting – if not more so – as Global Warming, and as harrowingly fantastical as the Thalidomide scandal of a few years ago. This, people, is the story of what happens when all other avenues have been exploited – of what happens when a government scrambles to get clear of one problem, but in doing so creates a legacy of others.

In short, the title refers to the large areas in America – soon to be accompanied by mainland Europe – which are and have been mined for their natural gases. Using a system called “Hydraulic Fracturing”, or simply “Fracking”, drills bury into the earth to a colossal depth, release charges and in doing so free-up natural gases with enormous energy potential. There’s just one problem: in doing so, the ground water is often contaminated. Although there is a monetary incentive to the people of the US for their land to be leased for this activity, the money cannot restore the natural order. Because of this, as soon as the process begins, in many places the water becomes tainted. Not just for now, but for life.

It’s a truly frightening story; one that seems much too far-fetched to be true. But as the evidence mounts and the statistics discern an alarming pattern of deception at the highest level, the truth seem s repulsive. What we are left with is a complex mess of red-tape and legal issues, intermingled with the rights of a people who did not know what they were signing-up for…

Don’t watch Alan Partridge Online tonight and don’t watch a comedy. Watch Gasland. We need to wake up to this, and there is no better time than now.

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