The Balcony is Closed

Hello All.

Now that my Reviews of Quantum and the Dark Knight on Blu-Ray are published, I have decided to make those my final reviews, meaning that there will be no more new posts after these.

The site will remain open as an archive but as Siskel and Ebert once said, The Balcony is Closed.

My thanks to all of you who posted.

Sim W.

Blu-Ray Review - The Dark Knight (2008)

The Movie:

The Dark Knight continues one year after Batman Begins ended and this time Batman and Lt. Gordon are joined by new D.A. Harvey Dent as they wage war on the city’s crime syndicates, but things are going to get ugly when a new criminal known only as The Joker comes on the scene and unleashes the full extent of his insanity.

The Dark Knight is not just another superhero movie or a sequel, this is simply a terrific piece of movie making in its own right, dark, ambitious and hugely exciting, director Christopher Nolan keeps a tight hold on the reins and the late Heath Ledger lets his manic ness come to the forefront as the Joker, I wish I could say more but you really have to see this film for yourselves: 5 out of 5.

The Blu-Ray:

The Dark Knight arrives on Blu-Ray in a special IMAX presentation, in which certain scenes were shot using this format, the rest was shot with normal 35mm cameras, this will be outlined below.

The Video as I said is a special presentation, the IMAX footage expands to a 1.78:1 aspect ratio whilst the normal footage is the 2.35:1 footage which was used for theatre screenings, the clarity of the IMAX footage is sensational, allowing you to pause to study the shots to see the detail of it all, the regular footage looks good as well but don’t expect an eye popping video as the film is dipped in dark and muted colours, something I’m very glad to see replicated here.

The Audio is again very well done but viewers need be warned that the mix at times is a little uneven, with some areas louder than others, but apart from that, its clear and well done.

The Movie comes with 2 discs full of HD content, the first of which is sadly uneven like the film’s audio transfer, its called “Gotham Uncovered: The Creation of a Scene” and in various segments talks about the planning and production of various scenes from the film, my favorites being the use of the IMAX cameras on the Prologue and Hong Kong sequences as well as the creation of the Joker theme music, but most of the segments range from okay to boring.

Following that, we move to the second disc which is full of extras, which are outlined below in the three main sections:

Behind the Story:

Batman Tech: The first of two documentaries in this section, this details some of the technology Batman comics have had throughout the years and how that has mirrored real world technology, worth watching once but that’s about it.

Batman Unmasked: Batman Unmasked is the second of these documentaries and examines the psychology of Bruce Wayne/Batman as well as his gallery of villains, although it has some good sections (The exposure segment was very informative), the rest gets rather boring if you have seen any of the previous Batman DVD Documentaries.

Extras:

Gotham Tonight News Segments: This is easily one of the best extras on this set, here Mike Engel who appears briefly in the film hosts a faux news shows which has appearances from the actors in the film, the show stealer being Eric Roberts in his segment, I really enjoyed seeing these after I saw the film and that opinion hasn’t changed.

Still Galleries: Here a 4 photo galleries detailing conceptual art, the Joker’s cards from the destruction of the Judge’s car, production photos and the poster art, having really enjoyed the film and its ad campaign, it was nice to see it fully represented here.

Trailers and More:

Teaser and Theatrical Trailers: Easily my favourite extra on this set is the three main trailers for the film, with only the third one being the first released after Heath Ledger’s sad demise in January, I dare anyone to tell me they didn’t want to see the film after seeing these.

TV Ads: Here a 6 TV ads, although one or two are good, this extra is most likely worth watching once and then leaving it, sadly something you could also say with most of the extras on this set.

Final Thoughts:

Although the Dark Knight is a strong film that will and has mesmerized many, this Blu-Ray is sadly uneven, ranging from well done to boring, it also comes up trumps compared to the excellent work done on Iron Man, hopefully given the amount of money Warner Brothers has earned with this movie, they will do better next time around.

Film Review - Quantum of Solace (2008)

Quantum of Solace once again stars Daniel Craig as James Bond as he tries to avenge the death of Vesper Lynd as well as deal with a man named Dominic Greene, whose powerful influence could prove fatal for the world.

Quantum is a tough film to review and I’ll explain why because on its own it does deliver the goods, there are some good action scenes and some emotion as well but the movie is also the last half of the last movie, and I mean that literally but if I do have some complaints its that some of the hand to hand fight scenes are a little too hyper edited and the title song doesn’t fit the movie at all, where as “You Know my Name” did for the last one.

But all in all, I was very satisfied by this film and have no hesitation giving it a 4 out of 5.

The Balcony is Closed - For Now

Greetings friends.

Due to other commitments, I have decided to close this blog for the time being in order to determine its future, it may continue, it may not, I don't know at this stage.

But as the title says, the balcony is closed, for the moment.

Simon W.

Blu-Ray Review - Casino Royale: Collector's Edition (2006)

The Movie:

Casino Royale is the first of the new James Bond and also the first to star Daniel Craig in the title role following Pierce Brosnan’s departure, here he has been given his licence to kill and OO ranking for the first time and he’ll want to use if he intends to succeed at stopping Le Chiffre, a private banker for the world’s terrorist groups, as well as that, he finds himself in love with Vesper Lynd, a woman who will change him in more ways than one.

Out of all the Bond films, I tend to vote this one as my favourite as it feels more like a traditional action picture instead of a traditional Bond film, gone are the girls in bikini’s, the gadgetry and the cars and instead we get some real emotion as well as some terrific action sequences and a wonderful song by Chris Cornell, unfortunately at nearly 2.5 hours in length, the film runs a little long in the third act with the sinking house, despite that though, its terrific: 4 out of 5.

The Blu-Ray:

Casino Royale has now been issued in a brand new 2-disc Blu-Ray and 3-disc DVD edition in time for the upcoming Quantum of Solace; there are no differences in the extras between the two apart from having them on 2 discs on the DVD version and 1 on the Blu-Ray.

Another thing I want to add before I move onto reviewing the disc is that the film has received uncut status here in Australia as compared to America and England where the film was slightly toned down for the appropriate rating, the disc is also region coded for all regions and the packaging is very similar to last year’s Close Encounters 2-Disc, with a very nice slip case and a booklet in the disc holder itself.

The Video quality of the film is very good, the beginning in black and white was probably the nicest area as it felt like film due to the grain being used, the rest although it looks great, the colours sparkle and the skin tones aren’t too overdone, it looks a little too polished for my eyes.

The audio however is another story, it is truly immersive especially when the opening song kicks in, the music sounds good as does the gun sounds during the Freerunning chase, a great mix.

Disc 1 Extras:

Picture in Picture Commentary by Director Martin Campbell and Producer Michael Wilson: This is a very cool feature, Campbell and Wilson will appear in a small screen on the left and right of the screen and talk about the film, although I would like to have seen the PiP appear through the whole film, its still a very cool feature, the commentary itself doesn’t disappoint either, Campbell and Wilson have a great rapport with each other and it’s a nice follow up to their Goldeneye track, by far my favourite extra on this set.

Crew Commentary: This is a crew commentary hosted by Barbara Broccoli who also is one of the commentators, you hear from such people as Phil Meheux, David Arnold and others, it’s a good commentary but not a great one.

Know your Double O BD-Live Game: This is a special game created for this release, it was fun to play but most fans will find it boring after a while.

Disc 2 Extras:

Disc 2 holds the bulk of the extras, almost all of which are in 1080p apart from a few minor ones, but how good are they, read on to find out.

Deleted and Extended Scenes: here a 4 scenes that were cut from the film, showing Bond in hospital, spying on people and at a cricket match, the cricket match scene was good but the others were a bit dull, these 4 cuts join the 95% of Deleted Scenes that were best left out of the film.

Featurette – The Road to Casino Royale: This first video feature delves into the struggle to get the rights to the book as Cubby and Harry couldn’t secure them when they got the rights to Fleming’s books, most of the time is spent on the 50’s and 60’s versions of the story, but this feature was good and I enjoyed it.

Featurette – Ian Fleming’s Incredible Creation: This goes more into author Ian Fleming and his experiences in World War 2 as an intelligence agent in MI6, whilst okay, it’s not as good as the bio doc on the Living Daylights DVD.

Featurette – James Bond in the Bahamas: This feature goes into the history of Bond in the Bahamas and some of the locations used in some of the films that used it as a location, this feature I actually found to be rather boring, as it said very little about Casino Royale but it does have some amazing underwater footage.

Featurette – The Secret Road to Paradise: This feature continues the history of Bond and the Bahamas by going more in depth on a particular area of the Bahamas, as with the first feature on this subject, I don’t have much interest in the Bahamas so I didn’t hold much interest for me.

Featurette – Death in Venice: This is a more traditional production featurette and the only other use of interview footage with Daniel Craig and Eva Green; it goes into the sinking house finale of the film, an area that brought down the film for me, but this feature was an okay watch.

Featurette – Becoming Bond: This is one of 4 holdovers from the film’s first release, this is a general making of about the film and contains some very nice thoughts with Craig from the set of Golden Compass, its his honesty about taking the role and what to do with it that makes this feature.

Featurette – James Bond for Real: This feature is a general look at the stunt work in the film, which I thought was well done as it felt real and not computer generated, it goes into the Freerunning chase, the airport chase and the creation of the stunts in general, all in all, a good watch.

Featurette – Bond Girls are Forever: This was one of my favourite extras on this set, as Maryam D’Abo, who was in the Living Daylights, interviews and hosts this special on the history of the Bond girls and how the legacy has changed over the years, the girls interviewed are honest and D’Abo and Carey Lowell have a great time talking about working with Timothy Dalton, a great watch.

Featurette – The Art of the Freerun: Like the Bond Girls feature, this is one of the more enjoyable features, as it shows Sebastian Foucan at work, which is simply amazing to watch and marvel at, he also seems to have no regrets about being part of the Bond legacy, very good stuff.

Storyboard Sequence and Comparison – The Freerun Chase: This is both a storyboard sequence and comparison of the Freerun chase in the film and both are separate options, it was good to see but a general storyboards to screen feature would have been much better.

Featurette – Catching a Plane from Storyboards to Screen: This one I liked as it goes into the planning and shooting of the airport chase at Miami airport, the reason I enjoyed is because it shows the crew hard to work preparing a big action scene, fans should enjoy this as well.

Featurette – Filmmaker Profiles: This contains 6 filmmaker profiles ranging from Martin Campbell to David Arnold, they talk about their first reactions to Bond, how they signed up for the series and their work on Casino Royale, these were good to watch and again fans should find themselves satisfied.

Music Video – You Know my Name by Chris Cornell: This is most likely my favourite extra on this set after the PiP Commentary, it’s the original music video for the title song and I liked it mostly because I love the song so much.

Final Words:

It saddens me to say this, but this release is a big disappointment, although the sound mix, the PiP Commentary and the Music Video were good, the rest was very bland and the video features were to scattershot and glossy at times, if you already have the first release stick with that otherwise if you don’t, grab this one, you might enjoy it more than I did.

Film Review - TMNT (2007)

TMNT or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to name it correctly concerns the newest adventures of the four turtles who were mutated to human size via toxic waste dumped in their sewer, this time they have defeated their old nemesis the Shredder and this time have to stop his old clan now run by media mogul Max Winters from conquering the world once again.

How I felt about this film is pretty much the opinion I had of the 3 spider-man films, none of them for my money have been as good as the cartoon shows bearing their names, the CG animation is somewhat middle of the road and the absence of Shredder made me lose interest very quickly, I mean how can you off your main arch enemy, it feels like having a Star Wars film without Darth Vader and we all know what happened there.

I wish I could be more enthusiastic, but I have to give this a 1 out of 5 as to me, it just didn’t work.

Film Review - The Rock (1996)

The Rock concerns a retired US army officer played by Ed Harris who steals a powerful lethal gas and seizes control of Alcatraz in San Francisco where he plans to launch the gas unless benefits are paid to the families of soldiers who died in the line of fire, to stop him a biochemist played by Nicholas Cage as well as a team of soldiers have to storm Alcatraz in order to do just that.

The Rock is both a good movie and a bad movie all at once, I liked the storyline of the Ed Harris character as it felt like a nice departure from the more typical “Destroy the World” storyline that’s in most action pictures as well the casting of some great actors like Michael Biehn, Sean Connery and the late John Spencer but the plot of the rock turns into Die Hard on Alcatraz as Cage and Connery have to both foil the threat and save the hostages, swell.

But all in all, the Rock wasn’t that bad so I give it a 3 out of 5.

Editorial - The Actors Wasteland of Today

And now for my next editorial, I decide to read about another topic that’s actually only really come into my more prominent thoughts, and that is the nature of actors in today’s movies.

And some of you are asking: why am I writing about this, well I feel this is a big issue in the same vein as Warner Home Video changing their logos on older films and after The Dark Knight, the utter sludge of films that have come don’t seem as interesting nor as well written.

And for this editorial I want to use two examples, the first being Get Smart, here was a wonderful cast, Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp (yes folks, General Zod himself), Bill Murray and James Caan and on the crew one of the top action cinematographers Dean Semler, to me that is money in the bank as well as surefire laughs but instead, Director Peter Segal has them fight each other in a series of non stop action, stunts and Computer Generated fireballs, where is the material for these guys, I want them to make me laugh like crazy, not try to kill each other.

Another example is a movie called The Women, a chick flick in every sense of the word and also stars one of my favorite actresses, Annette Bening who was wonderful in Mars Attacks but yet as I looked at the cover sheet for the DVD, all I could think was “Bening deserves better”.

But in closing, both of these examples remind me of something my aunt told me, “Actors are only good as their scripts” and she is absolutely right, especially where Get Smart is concerned, these actors working today can only do so much with the material they’re given and when it’s not there, you can’t help but feel that the time you spend watching a movie that suffers from poor script material could be better spent elsewhere.

Fallout 3 - Initial Impressions

Greetings, Friends.

I finally have Fallout 3 and I gotta say: "Holy Jesus", this game is so dense and varied and the look of the wasteland by day is simply marvelous.

But again, these are only initial impressions as I've not made very much progress through the game at the moment.

Take Care,

Sim W.

Film Review - Home Alone (1990)

Home Alone stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McAllister who is accidentally left home alone in his Chicago home after his family rush to the airport for a flight to Paris where they plan to spend Christmas with relatives that live there, but Kevin will have to deal with some unexpected trouble.

I’ll keep this one short and sweet folks, Home Alone is a movie that is of two minds as far as I’m concerned, Culkin is wonderful and has no problems carrying the weight of the film on his tiny shoulders as he goes about dealing with being left home on his own unfortunately the rest of the film is not as good and considering that Writer John Hughes did what I consider a modern day Christmas classic in Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase the year before this film’s release, this film disappoints by comparison.

Despite that, the good parts entertained me so I’m going to give it a 3 out of 5.

Editorial - Mad Max E-Mails

Earlier this year I contacted both Roadshow Entertainment and Warner Home Video regarding new Special Edition discs for Mad Max 1 and 2, Roadshow own the video rights of Mad Max and Warner own the video rights of Mad Max 2.

Here’s what Roadshow had to say:

My Head Office has advised that we cannot confirm if we will be doing anything for the 30^th Anniversary of Mad Max.

And here’s what Warner had to say:

Currently there are no plans to produce a Special Edition of Mad Max 2 in the near future however there could be a possibility further down the track.

From the tone of things, the e-mails sound hopeful that something will happen as both are the only two DVD’s left on my wanted list, if they are, they’ll keep it under wraps and release the info, it’s exciting to see and as that wise man once said: “Only time will Tell.”

Word of Warning - Quantum of Solace

Hi guys.

I'm just piping in to say that my review of Quantum of Solace will be late as I won't get to see the film until early December.

Just so you all know.

Film Review - Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Silence of the Lambs stars Jodie Foster as rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling who is recruited to her first major field case by her boss played by Scott Glenn in order to speak with a monstrous killer called Hannibal Lecter played by Anthony Hopkins so that the FBI can catch a serial killer called Buffalo Bill, but Starling will have to confront all she believes in order to stop this twisted madman.

Silence of the Lambs is a film that I admire very much, Jodie Foster’s performance is one of the greatest I’ve ever seen from any film and Jonathan Demme’s direction is tight and tense but unfortunately, the film creates a major flaw by essentially turning into a perverse slasher film in the second half as the kidnapping plot turns a little too sexual and once Foster gets inside the villain’s house, the film turns into an Alien style haunted house film.

Despite that though, this film deserves a 3 and a half out of 5.

Film Review - The Fugitive (1993)

The Fugitive was first released in 1993 and is based on a hit TV series from the 60’s, Harrison Ford stars as Dr. Richard Kimble, a respected Chicago doctor whose wife is murdered and he is the prime suspect, after managing to escape after a bus derails, Kimble goes on the run but determined to catch is US marshal Sam Gerard, played by Tommy Lee Jones.

I will say up front that I enjoyed this film a lot, it has some great energy and great performances by Ford and Jones, complimenting each other perfectly, the film also has some good stunt sequences, one in particular where Ford jumps off a dam to avoid capture is nearly exhilarating on its own.

If there were some problems I had with the film, it would be the front loading of action, Andrew Davis was the director of the movie and does a pretty good job but I do wish he kept a slightly tighter hold on the reins as the film does lose some of its footing in the second half, I felt that this held the film back from being a near classic of its genre.

Out of 5 I’m going to give this a 3 and a half, it has great energy in the beginning but runs out of it as the film winds down.

Editorial - The Summer Movies of 2008: The Knight that ruled them All

With this year’s blockbuster season now over, I thought it was time to take a retrospective look at the movies I saw as well as this season as a whole.

And my verdict is that this year was somewhat better than 2007 and 2006, both of which were not that good as the movies had wall to wall action and no plot, this year was about the same with Indy IV and Get Smart relying a lot on it rather than real screenplays but while Iron Man in May was a winner, taking the runner up spot, there was one that destroyed all that came against it.

And that was the Dark Knight; this has been covered elsewhere in both my review and editorial on its record breaking box office but this as well as Batman Begins from three years ago have set the bar not only for superhero movies but also summer films in general, having proved that a entertainment film can still have heart, ideas and reality in them and not be mindless action fests.

It will be interesting to look at next year’s lot and hopefully there will be some good ones, but as I’ve said before, only time will tell.

Film Review - Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Full Metal Jacket stars Vincent D’Onfrio as a new US Army recruit during the Vietnam War who goes through all the trials and tribulations of boot camp with the sergeant from hell played by R. Lee Ermey, but their training will not prepare them for what’s to come.

Although I enjoyed Full Metal Jacket, I have to admit that I also found it a little strange to watch, I enjoyed the visual look of the camp as well as the barracks, as it looked like a real setting rather than a stage but once the second half kicks in and we head for Vietnam, the film loses a lot of its energy and has the feel of being shot on a backlot.

All in all, I’m giving Full Metal Jacket a 3 out of 5 for while I enjoyed it, I also felt it was a little strange.

Film Review - V for Vendetta (2006)

V for Vendetta, based off the graphic novel by Alan Moore, stars Natalie Portman as Evey Hammond, a local TV station worker which is also under control of the totalitarian government, which V, voiced by Hugo Weaving is trying to free London from and after rescuing Hammond from a rape gang, he thinks the two of them together just might pull it off.

I enjoyed V for Vendetta and the ideas behind it but I found it seriously flawed, for one the first time we see V he talks for nearly 15 minutes which gets a little tiresome and the biggest problem I had was that like Superman Returns, the villain was weak and in this case, sorely miscast, someone like Terence Stamp would have been much better and it might have given the film the juice it needed.

All in all, 2 and a half is my final rating.

In Memorial: Stan Winston – 1946-2008

As I’ve noted in my reviews of Iron Man, Stan Winston, the effects master behind such films as Terminator, Aliens, Jurassic Park and Batman Returns, sadly passed away on June 15^th this year to multiple myeloma.

In my mind, this is a huge loss for film fans and the industry in general, as many films that benefited from the work he did on them really stuck in the minds of viewers, I mean the work on Iron Man from earlier in the year, the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, the Alien Queen in Aliens, the Terminator and T-1000 from T1 and T2 and so on and so forth.

Another area where this is a huge loss is that he also knew how to seamlessly integrate CG effects with the real thing, as seen in Iron Man, Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park, many other film companies have done good CG work such as ILM and WETA Digital, but Winston’s studio knew how to do it right.

On that note, it saddens me to write this but it also saddens me that very little fuss was made by the world press considering he won 4 Oscars, but again I can’t say I’m all that surprised either, as the press are far more interested in tabloid headlines from the likes of Paris Hilton, Angelina Jolie, Amy Winehouse etc etc, I know I might be trying to do the same thing with the press and their treatment of this but Winston was a true movie legend and film fans like myself will miss him dearly.

Film Review - Deja Vu (2006)

Déjà vu stars Denzel Washington as a New Orleans police officer who is investigating the destruction of a boat in the area, but his work leads him to a special unit in control of a sophisticated time machine that could help him change the past to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

For the first half of Déjà vu, I was with the film for it had a good style thanks to director Tony Scott as well as a solid performance by Washington, but as it went into the second half and into the science of the time machine, it got very weird and for my money, lost a lot of its momentum and became bogged down with endless exposition scenes.

And because of that, this film gets 2 and a half out of 5.

DVD/Blu-Ray Review - Iron Man: Ultimate 2 Disc Edition

The Film:

Iron Man is a new big screen adaptation and stars Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire weapons developer Tony Stark who finds himself in captivity in Afghanistan, but after managing to escape his captors, he returns home and finds he’s a changed man, one wanting to protect the people he put in harm’s way.

Iron Man ranks second behind The Dark Knight (look for extensive coverage of that release soon) as the best film of the 08 blockbuster season, one that sadly misfired more than anything else, Downey is very solid as Stark as is Jeff Bridges though some might have trouble picturing The Dude as a villain but the real surprise was Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, after many misfires with female roles in these kinds of films, Paltrow hits every note perfectly as does director Jon Favreau and the late great Stan Winston with his effects work, one could not ask for a more fitting end to an amazing screen legacy sadly cut very short: 3 and a half out of 5.

The DVD:

Iron Man comes in a new single disc and 2 disc DVD edition as well as a 2-disc Blu-Ray edition, what I am looking at here is the 2 disc DVD edition and I suppose all of you reading this are probably asking themselves this: how do I feel about it?

Well first off, lets start off with the video quality and sadly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, certain scenes such as exterior shots look very good and have a real sparkle to them but some of the scenes in Afghanistan look very rough and some of the night scenes look too similar to last year’s Transformers, one last note is the use of player generated subtitles for the Afghan spoken in the film instead of the ones burned onto theatre prints, although its not that bad this time, I do wish this practice would cease, all in all the video gets a 3 out of 5.

Despite my problems with the video, the audio is a huger step up, excellently capturing the feel of the sound mix as it was heard in theatres, from the ear device used by Jeff Bridges to the feeling of flight created by Iron Man, this mix is a very good one and should please fans: 4 and a half out of 5.

And now, onto the extras which I will breakdown disc by disc:

Disc 1:

Deleted and Extended Scenes: Presented here are 11 deleted scenes which for the most part are good and there are a couple of gems to be found here, but like most deleted scenes, these were wisely left out as the film would become bogged down and overlong if they were left in.

Disc 2:

Featurette – I am Iron Man: This is a seven part look at the making of the film similar in style to the Beginning making of on the Phantom Menace DVD, this is actually a rather solid making of as it nicely goes into the shoot in a way that isn’t normally covered on most discs for newer films, one sad note however was the interview footage with Stan Winston who died not long after the film’s release and this film rightly serves as a fitting end to an amazing legacy, this legend and titan will be truly missed.

Featurette – The Invincible Iron Man: This is a six part look at the history of the Iron Man character as well as the famous villains, heroes and storylines that have come with him throughout the years, while I enjoyed this extra I wish that the “Demon in a Bottle” segment was longer, as I would like to have known more about that story.

Featurette – Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man: This is a near half hour look at the creation of the main visual effects of the film, whilst this feature was okay, watching people sitting in front of computer monitors does get tiresome after a while.

Robert Downey Jr. Screen Tests: Here are three screen tests with Robert Downey Jr. testing for the role of Tony Stark; personally I thought Downey’s casting was spot on so thumbs up for including the tests that got him the job.

The Actors Process: Here we see Downey as well as Jeff Bridges showing us rehearsals in their roles before shooting begins, I’m actually a little indifferent to this feature for while it’s a good inclusion pits a pity that we don’t get any between Downey and Paltrow, as they made a great pair.

The Onion “Iron Man Trailer” Segment: This is a weird extra concerning a faux E! style segment discussing the buzz to the film’s trailer, just like the actors feature, this left me indifferent.

Still Galleries: Presented here are four still galleries, concerning concepts, tech, production and posters, this is actually one of the better extras on this set as you get to see some of the original concepts devised for the movie.

The Blu-Ray version:

We aren’t done yet folks for I have now had a chance to look at the Blu-Ray version and in terms of comparing it to the 2-disc DVD version, there is actually a slight tilt in favor of the Blu-Ray version as the Video Quality to me anyway, felt more natural and less filtered as the DVD version, the audio was pretty much the 5.1 track from the DVD version but remixed for HD resolution, so only a marginal increase there.

On the extras front, there are only a couple of major exclusives, first is the hall of Armour which gives viewers a chance to examine up close the various Iron Man suits in the movie, personally I think this extra does not do the suits justice as they don’t have the same element of beauty that they had in the film.

Next is a BD-Live trivia quiz, which I have not looked at and last but not least is the teaser and theatrical trailers made for the film on Disc 2, the teaser and main trailers are good but the international trailers aren’t, one gets the feeling these were left off the DVD version due to disc space reasons.

Final Thoughts:

Iron Man is a great entertainment with top notch casting and effects but whilst the current DVD and Blu-Ray versions are good, they aren’t great, one gets the feeling that there will be a better release down the track but the film itself is the reason you should buy this.

Film Review - Tightrope (1984)

Tightrope stars Clint Eastwood as New Orleans police detective Wes Block, who is also quite kinky with women, so much so that he hand cuffs them to the bed, but when a mysterious killer starts killing women from that section of the city, Block must confront his own fears in order to do his job.

Tightrope is an interesting film as it shows Eastwood, normally the action star playing a real slouch but the movie itself I found uncomfortable to watch, its not that I didn’t hate it necessarily, far from it but I’ve never really been a fan of the use of sex in the movies and this did little to change that opinion.

Apart from all that, 3 out of 5 for Tightrope.

Editorial - Blu-Ray Disc: Cutting through the Kool-Aid

Continuing with my annual series of editorial features, I now aim my sights at the new Blu-Ray disc format and debate whether I feel it will succeed DVD as the next new format or not, cutting through the PR kool-aid as it were.

And to be fully honest, my answer actually divides two ways, on one hand Blu-Ray gaming which is in use on the PS3 discs I feel will very much outdo DVD gaming which is used by the PC and Xbox 360 formats due to the larger disc space, GTA IV’s Liberty City on the PS3 to me was very immersive and had some incredible detail and look, especially at night.

But on the other hand, Blu-Ray as a format for films sad to say is not that big of a leap over the current DVD format, which when introduced was a huge leap over VHS and lets face it, VHS was a very limited format, big tapes, a modified picture instead of the true widescreen picture and wear and tear on tapes.

DVD on the other hand, had the widescreen picture as it was in theatres, digital surround sound, interactive menus, chapter selections and for the first time, the ability to see making of documentaries and deleted scenes and other such extra material.

Blu-Ray only really refines that to include more interactive material and take a 2 disc set like the one made for Bonnie and Clyde to use as an example and fit it on one disc, which I like and think is a cool idea but in terms of Audio/Visual improvements, to me it was razor thin between this and an upscaled DVD and as a friend pointed out to me, its also the same movie, whether you loved it or hated it.

And its also how I would describe this format in terms of films, Blu-Ray just feels like a razor thin improvement and not that great big of a leap over DVD as that format was over VHS, I know this won’t win me many friends but its just one persons honest opinion.

Film Review - Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead stars Simon Pegg in the title role of Shaun, an electronics worker in the suburbs of London and whose girlfriend is starting to hate him because of his roommate Ed, played by Nick Frost, but one day things in this suburb start to get a little unusual.

Compared to Hot Fuzz, which would come three years after this film, I didn’t enjoy Shaun as much, I felt that the storyline felt like a movie version of their TV series Spaced but with zombies added in and I also felt that the mix of comedy and horror didn’t quite work, but it wasn’t a bad film by any means, it was one I felt that was a little uneven.

In closing, 3 out of 5 for Shaun of the Dead.

Film Review - Back to the Future (1985)

Back to the Future was first released in 1985 and stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a teenager who accidentally travels through time to 1955 and also accidentally prevents his parents first meeting, and if he doesn’t get them together soon, he won’t even exist.

Like some other movies I’ve reviewed, this one was 50/50 for me, I really enjoyed the performances by Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd as his friend who helps him to get back home and I also enjoyed the brisk pace and sweet yet sincere tone the film has.

But I also felt that the film was a little bit of its time, the film was made in the time where Steven Spielberg and John Hughes ruled the box office and although they’ve made some good films on they’re own terms, the mix of the two in terms of ideas I felt detracted slightly from the film.

Out of 5, I give it a 3 and a half, Fox and Lloyd are great but the story leapfrogged a little too much at times.

Film Review - Doomsday (2008)

Doomsday is a British movie which concerns a lethal virus that spreads throughout the UK so badly that Scotland is quarantined, but 25 years later there are rumors of survivors so newcomer Rhona Mitra is assigned a special strike team to clarify the truth, but what they find is not what they seemed.

It saddens me to say this, but this movie was a huge disappointment, it started it off well but when it went into the Mad Max stuff with one character almost a clone of Wez from Mad Max 2, the film went downhill very quickly and turned into another Mad Max imitation.

All in all, a 1 out of 5, as the film left me very disappointed in the end.

Film Review - Mars Attacks! (1996)

Mars Attacks! stars an all star cast of Hollywood stars including Jack Nicholson in a dual role, Pierce Brosnan, Michael J. Fox and Sarah Jessica Parker among others as Martians invade Earth and decide to demolish it as well as kill all humans, including all the sexy mamas.

And by the judging the tone, I actually loved Mars Attacks, it has a great sense of style and humor and it also contains the first instance of the head in a jar later seen in Futurama, although you have a cavalcade of stars, the real stars were Annette Bening as a hippie and Frank Welker doing all of the Martian vocals also helps to steal the show.

All in all, a firm 4 out of 5 for Mars Attacks, great fun.

Editorial - Warner Home Video and the Ever Changing Logos

As another of these topics that sit in the wastelands of my head waiting to bear fruit and escape to a place beyond that vermin on machines, this editorial is not aimed at the studio in question, but a particular trend of theirs.

Which is replacing their older logos with the newer one; I know what you’re thinking straight away: “why is it such a big deal?” well I’ll tell you why punk, it’s a practice I find totally despicable as well as condescending and insulting to younger film fans like myself who were not even born when some of these films were made.

And there are two examples I would like to use for this editorial: Mad Max 2 and Christmas Vacation, now Mad Max 2 the DVD version opened with the original logo the studio used at that time but specially modified to fit within the prologue of the film which was in 4:3 window box before opening the film to widescreen, for the Blu-Ray restoration, this logo was replaced with the modern day logo used by the studio and already in widescreen, which in my eyes, broke the illusion and feel that director George Miller wanted to create with the opening of the film.

The next example: Christmas Vacation, once the still frame Warner Communications logo came up, the song started almost immediately after it, again it creates a mood and feel intended by the filmmakers but once again, a modern day logo takes it place and like in Mad Max 2, the mood and feel is broken because of it.

Now this won’t be all that bad as the recently released Dirty Harry collection is said to contain the original logos from the time of their release, as I only own the original Dirty Harry which does contain the original logo, I sincerely hope that it’s a step in the right direction for the studio.

In closing, this is not an attack on Warner Home Video itself, as the company has produced some great releases for its vintage films, its just one practice of theirs that I find very insulting to younger film fans like myself and also breaks a mood and feel that the filmmakers have in mind, hopefully starting with the Dirty Harry collection, this trend will see its way out but as a wise man once said: Only time will tell.

DVD News - The Dark Knight

Hi everyone.

In some VERY cool news, both DVDTimes.co.uk and DVDactive.com have announced the DVD and Blu-Ray editions of the Dark Knight for release on December 9th.

Australian stores should get it around that time but if you want to know more please go to the following sites listed above, HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

Edit: The DVD and Blu-Ray editions will be released in Australia on December 10th.

Film Review - Speed (1994)

Speed stars Keanu Reeves and Jeff Daniels as a pair of SWAT police officers who find themselves put to the ultimate test when a bomber played by Dennis Hopper hijacks a bus with a bomb that if it goes below 50 miles an hour, it explodes and now the chase begins to stop it.

Which is also the problem I had with the film, its pretty much a non stop chase movie that combines elements from both Die Hard and Mad Max 2, which I consider the two finest action movies ever made, here its all just action and thrills and chases which become all too familiar and repetitive, but I didn’t hate this movie altogether as there were some good performances but even they couldn’t lift what I thought was another run of the mill action film that goes non stop and has no plot to base itself on.

In short, this deserves a 2 and a half out of 5.

Film Review - Highlander (1986)

Highlander stars Christopher Lambert as Connor Macleod, born in 1518 in the village of Glenfinnen in Scotland, he is later cast out after becoming an Immortal and has since wandered through the centuries until 1985 New York City, when another known as the Kurgen (Clancy Brown) and others have come for an event called the Gathering, where in the end, there will be only one.

I really loved Highlander, and the heart and soul of the film is Lambert, who does a great job portraying Connor as a man who is literally world weary, having seen it all with his own eyes and lost his love at the same time, Brown is no slouch as Kurgen and neither is Sean Connery as Ramirez and Roxanne Hart as Brenda, one must also mention the great songs by Queen and the script that actually has the balls to wrap everything up this time around.

4 and a half for Highlander.

Film Review - Ghostbusters (1984)

Ghostbusters stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as college students thrown out over their experiments that decide to become paranormal pest exterminators called “Ghostbusters”, but after their exploits make them a success, they have to deal with a more powerful ghost, one that could bring about the apocalypse.

Ghostbusters serves as almost a model for how comedies of this type should be made, on one hand the three leads as well as Ernie Hudson are very funny bouncing off each other as well as a fun chemistry between Murray and Sigourney Weaver and on the other, the film contains some great scenes of fear as well as some terrific special effects work done by Richard Edlund.

In closing, this is great fun and deserves a 4 out of 5.

Blu-Ray Review - Die Hard (1988)

The Movie:

Die Hard stars Bruce Willis as NYPD officer John McClane who has come to visit his estranged family for Christmas in LA, but before he does that he will have to save his wife and the other workers from a team of terrorists who have seized control of the office building where she works.

Die Hard is nothing short of a true classic and for my money the best action film after Mad Max 2, Willis is on top form and Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber is also just delightful, director John McTiernan brilliantly uses the Fox Plaza and the surroundings of it to give the film a real world feel, the music by Michael Kamen and the effects by Richard Edlund are also superior here: 5 out of 5.

The Blu-Ray:

Sadly, as great as this movie is, the Blu-ray does not do it justice, don’t get me wrong the sound is very good and also very loud but the visuals at times look a little too soft and as with the Blu-Ray of Mad Max 2, doesn’t quite immerse you into the film the way that the DVD version does.

The menu design also is a little clunky with no top menu and only a pop up menu that comes up during the film and returns to it after the extras you select have played, another big letdown is that only a handful of extras from the brilliant 2-disc version on DVD have been ported over, below is a full list of the extras from that version.

Audio Commentary by Director John McTiernan and Production Designer Jackson DeGovia
Scene-Specific Commentary by Special Effects Supervisor Richard Edlund
Text Commentary by Various Cast and Crew Members and Film Historian Eric Licthenfeld
From The Vault:
- Outtakes
---- "The Vault" (2 Audio Options) (6:12)
---- "Turning Off The Power" (3:23)
- 'The Newscasts' (7:58)
- 2 Magazine Articles
The Cutting Room:
- Scene Editing Workshop
- Multi-Camera Shooting
---- Scene R165G (0:24)
---- Scene 167 (1:08)
---- Scene 167A (0:42)
- Audio Mixing
- "Why Letterbox?" featurette (3:22)
- Glossary
Interactive Slide Show (9:26)
The Script
Ad Campaign:
- 3 Theatrical Trailers
- 7 TV Spots (3:37, Note: These are absent on the Australian version of this release)
- 'Making-Of' featurette (7:22)

Here are ones that have been ported over:

Audio Commentary by Director John McTiernan and Production Designer Jackson DeGovia
Scene-Specific Commentary by Special Effects Supervisor Richard Edlund
The Newscasts
Interactive Slide Show
3 Theatrical Trailers
7 TV Spots

And now, the ones that are sadly missing:

Text Commentary by Various Cast and Crew Members and Film Historian Eric Licthenfeld
From The Vault:
- Outtakes
---- "The Vault" (2 Audio Options) (6:12)
---- "Turning Off The Power" (3:23)
- 2 Magazine Articles
The Cutting Room:
- Scene Editing Workshop
- Multi-Camera Shooting
---- Scene R165G (0:24)
---- Scene 167 (1:08)
---- Scene 167A (0:42)
- Audio Mixing
- "Why Letterbox?" featurette (3:22)
- Glossary
'Making-Of' featurette (7:22)

As you can see, this is a little disappointing, especially considering that Blu-Ray could have held all of this stuff no problems but sadly again, Fox will withhold this stuff for a new Blu-Ray edition that has everything from the double disc DVD and essentially pull the same shit they pulled with DVD, pure Fucking Marvelous.

Overall:

Die Hard is a 5 star classic film in every sense of the word but the Blu-Ray edition does very little right and hell of a lot wrong and I can’t help but feel that a better version will come out with everything intact and the disc itself is also just not that great an improvement on the 2-disc DVD version, my advise is too hang on to that and skip this unless you simply have to have it no questions asked.

Blu-Ray Review: Mad Max 2 (1981)

The Movie:

Mad Max 2 or The Road Warrior as its known to US film fans is the second in the Mad Max series and sees the return of Mel Gibson in the title role and in a new environment: the Wastelands of tomorrow and in this he has to help a group of strangers in charge of an oil refinery escape to the coast with their prize and fend off the marauders who lurk in the darkness.

Mad Max 2 is the type of sequel I alluded to in my editorial regarding sequels, which is that whilst its as good as the original film that came before it, it also needs the first film to properly work and the viewer to have seen it but apart from that the movie is also a masterpiece of action cinema with director George Miller setting a bar only Christopher Nolan, James Cameron and John McTiernan have managed to step up too with some of their action pictures: 5 out of 5.

The Blu-Ray:

Mad Max 2 has now been issued on the new Blu-Ray format and I’m pleased to report that for the most part, the film excels its clear that it has undergone a brand new restoration and it looks great and really shows the unmistakable outback where the film was shot (Broken Hill, NSW for those who are wondering).

The audio is sadly not as good as the video for while it sounds clearer, it doesn’t bring you into the environment of the film as a DVD mix does and with a film like this which relies so much on the sound, it’s a bit disappointing.

One last thing I want to bring up is that while the disc correctly gives us the Australian version of the film, it changes the Warner Brothers logo to a modern day one in widescreen instead of the original logo from the film’s original release which was modified to fit in the opening, I know this is nitpicking but I really hate this practice and want it to end, the same thing happened on Christmas Vacation and its no better here.

The Extras:

Audio Commentary by Director/Co-Writer George Miller and Cinematographer Dean Semler: This is a wonderful track that fans will find delightful, its clear from the first go that the two are old friends and are having a blast reminiscing about the film, possibly the best commentary track I’ve heard since John Carpenter and Kurt Russell’s track for Big Trouble in Little China.

Introduction by Film Critic/Historian Leonard Maltin: Maltin provides a nice intro that older fans may not enjoy so much but younger fans like myself will find very appealing.

Theatrical Trailer: This is the US Trailer for the film and focuses on the chases and stunts instead of the plot, a nice change and sets the mood very well also, a huge thumbs up to Warner’s for including this.

Overall:

While this Blu-Ray of Mad Max 2 is very nice, to me it just feels like a step in the right direction towards a legitimate special edition of the film with the original logo intact as well the extras presented here and a new making of documentary plus the vintage featurette that's been seen elsewhere, but this feels good so I say get it as it’s the next best thing.

Film Review - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is the second FF movie with Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis as the fantastic four and this time, Mr. Fantastic is planning to marry the invisible woman but at the same time, a mysterious entity known as the Silver Surfer is wreaking havoc and their wedding plans will have to be put on hold.

Rise of the Silver Surfer is an okay comic book film, mainly due to Doug Jones as the body of the Silver Surfer, he really does outdo himself but the voice by Lawrence Fishburne feels trite and forced and the rest of the film is just weak and one last thing, Jessica Alba has been consistently voted as the world’s most beautiful woman and here she wears a blonde wig which makes her look like a freak, whoever thought of this should be shot in the leg.

On top of all this, this movie gets a 2 out of 5 as it all feels mechanical and forced most of the time.

Film Review - Christine (1983)

Christine was first released in 1983 and stars Keith Gordon as a teenager named Arnie Cunningham who spots an old car whilst driving with his best friend played by John Stockwell, he instantly falls in love with the car, a 1958 Plymouth Fury, but his friends also start to notice a change in Arnie, a dark change.

So what did I think of this movie, well I didn’t think that the film was as good as it could have been, I thought that it didn’t spend enough time of Arnie’s transformation from high school nerd to charismatic hipster nor did it show more of Christine as the car from hell, both of were good ideas but they didn’t have the oomph that they should of.

One thing I did like though were the few scenes with Christine as the satanic car who does away with her victims, the direction by John Carpenter, who later made Big Trouble in Little China works best in these moments.

Out of 5, I will give this a 2 and a half, it had some great ideas in it that sadly didn’t reach their full potential.

Editorial - The Star Wars Trilogy: More than Just Movies

Throughout the latter years of our movie history, there has been one set of films on almost everyone’s lips, one set that has warmed its way into the deepest of our hearts and one that fans and critics will never forget.

And that is: The Star Wars Trilogy.

I don’t think there is one person on Earth that has not got an opinion of it since Star Wars was first released on cinema screens all over the world in 1977, it became clear then that movie audiences had seen something special and unique, a movie that later became a phenomenon and global box office smash, and the reasons are obvious as you watch the film today: the groundbreaking special effects work, the storyline of good vs. evil and the mother of all screen villains – Lord Darth Vader.

But if fans thought that film was something to behold, 3 years later in 1980, came its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back and here was the shock: this film was better than the original Star Wars movie, with Irvin Kershner and Lawrence Kasdan now on board, Empire took the series down a dark path, with a more serious tone, much bigger special effects sequences and four words that later became legend: “I am your father”, what was a person to do and when it was over, what was going to happen next?

Unfortunately, the answer to those questions would have to wait until 1983, when the third and last film in the trilogy, Return of the Jedi debuted in theatres worldwide, and audiences got the answers they wanted as well as a return to the tone of the original Star Wars film, Jedi has gotten a more mixed response over the years, mainly due to the Ewoks, who many feel lighten the mood of the film, I personally feel Jedi gets a bit of a bum wrap as there are several great sequences in the film and the film also has a nice conclusion to it as well as the most dazzling special effects I’ve ever seen.

But despite Jedi’s flaws, it’s impossible to separate the trilogy without losing a chunk of the puzzle it creates, but these movies are more than just movies, they’re in some ways memories, of the past, of more innocent times, of family and friends and Christmases and birthdays to name a few, yes indeed, this trilogy has continued to endure and delight new generations in the years since their debut and the Force will always be strong with them.

Film Review - Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is the last of the Star Wars films and after two movies, we finally get to see just how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader but before that we see Anakin and Obi Wan battling the vile General Grievous, Yoda on the Wookie home world with an appearance by a fan favorite and so on and so forth.

And now, I was very disappointed with this entry in the series, whilst the Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones were fun popcorn action adventure fare which unfortunately ran a little long, this one was a true failure, though some of the CG work that opens the film is good, this film really should have had a more mature tone like The Empire Strikes Back, which had a dark tone throughout whereas here director George Lucas puts in too much comedy and it waters down the tension in places.

2 and a half for Revenge of the Sith.

Film Review - Aliens (1986)

Aliens is the second movie in the Alien series and stars Sigourney Weaver once again as Ellen Ripley, haunted by nightmares of the alien that destroyed her crew in the first film, this time nearly 60 years have past and she has to return with a squad of marines after a colony loses contact, but when they get there, they’ll need all the help they can get.

I’ll keep this one short and sweet, Aliens is one of the most exhilarating experiences I have ever had watching a film, director James Cameron really knows how to direct action scenes and the Alien effects by the late Stan Winston are very cool to watch as well as some great dialogue, if there is a down side however it is the fact that it needs viewers to have watched the original film beforehand, so heed this advice.

All in all, this film deserves a firm 4 and a half out of 5.

Film Review - Top Gun (1986)

Top Gun stars Tom Cruise in the role that put him on the Hollywood A list, ace navy fighter pilot Maverick who along with his partner Goose played by Anthony Edwards are sent to the top fighter pilot school known as Top Gun, whilst there Maverick develops a rivalry with another pilot code named Iceman, played by Val Kilmer and the two will have to put themselves to the test if they want to be the best of the best.

I enjoyed Top Gun for what it was, a fun popcorn film with some great music such as "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins and the action scenes including the aerial photography are second to none, making the viewers believe they’re that high in the air but on a negative note, the film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and the late Don Simpson who also made the first two Beverly Hills Cop films in between this film and compared to those, this one doesn’t measure up.

But despite that, Top Gun gets 3 out of 5.

Film Review - Die Hard 4.0 (2007)

Die Hard 4.0, released as Live Free or Die Hard in the US, sees the return of John McClane (Bruce Willis) and deal with Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) who is systemically shutting down the US with a computer program known as a “fire sale”, McClane’s only hope in stopping Gabriel lies in Matthew Farrell (Justin Long).

In my honest opinion, I thought Die Hard 4.0 wasn’t any good; one reason was that the stunts felt too much like a rehash of scenes from Mad Max 2, True Lies and Speed, being that they involve a Jet, a collapsing freeway and a truck, the stunts as well were also a little over the top and bordered on the ridiculous.

One other reason was the weak villain; the previous films had Alan Rickman, William Sadler and Jeremy Irons, all great actors on their own terms and could hold their own against McClane, here Olyphant talks big but doesn’t really hold a lot of menace in the way that Gruber did in the original film.

But if there was one thing that really left me crushed, it was the censoring of the infamous “Yippee-Ki-Yay” line, since appearing in the original film the line has become one of the most iconic quotes in movie history, despite its use of profanity, to me, this line was a must in this film and I was hugely disappointed that it was censored.

Another beef was the absence of the symphonic Ode to Joy, which is another icon of the series and was missing from this film entirely, which was another huge disappointment.

One highlight though was Bruce Willis, it was a blessing and a curse to see him play McClane once more, the blessing being that he completely makes the character his own, getting into his skin in a way that no one else could, but the curse is that Willis is starting to get a little too old to play the part.

Bottom line, see this film if you must, but if you’re anything like me and only enjoyed the original, save your money for when the film hits DVD and decide for yourselves.

Film Review - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Close Encounters was first released in 1977 and stars Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary, who works for a power company and whilst out working one night he notices a strange light in the sky, one that he’s never seen before and is determined to find out what it is, no matter the cost.

I know that this film has a large following, but I can’t say I was all that impressed with the film, Steven Spielberg writes and directs this film and although he does a good job at directing the film, I really wish the film had focused on Neary’s obsession with the bright light he saw whilst out on the job some more, it is a great idea and one that sadly isn’t used as well as it could have been.

But the film wasn’t all bad, the special effects on the spaceships were very well done, they move with a real fluidity and are very much in the frame rather than now where CGI effects dominate the scene and stick out like a sore thumb.

Out of 5 I’m going to give this a 3, it has good special effects but the story is too muddled.

Editorial - Sequels: Why do most never measure up?

And now, we come to a topic that is on most movie goers lists for many years, the nature of sequels and why most never measure up.

And why I feel most never measure up to their previous counterparts lies in three examples I will present: Ghostbusters 2, Robocop 2 and Highlander 2.

I know what you’re thinking: what do those three have in common; well for my money all three represent possibly the three worst sequels ever made as they are truly a mess and made purely because the originals that came before them were such smash hits, the studios just had to make them but instead they just feel like total cash ins with little to no effort to actually do their originals justice and most likely relying on wall to wall action and special effects to try and top the original film.

As for the other end of the spectrum, there is probably only one sequel that I would vote as being better than the original and that is “The Empire Strikes Back”, I know it’s a “well, duh” vote, but to me it really builds on the original Star Wars and creates a better and well made film and another I want to mention, “Mad Max 2” is an example of a sequel as good as the original but also one that simply could not exist without the original movie behind it.

Mad Max 2 is also an example of what I feel constitutes a genuine sequel, one that not necessarily ends with a cliffhanger for another film but one that has a beginning, middle and end all its own and leaves you satisfied to the point that you may not want to see a third to follow it.

So there you have it folks, all of these mentioned above are what I consider the nature of movie sequels and their various incarnations to how they relate to movie goers.

Film Review - Ghostbusters II (1989)

Ghostbusters II takes place 5 years after the events of the original film and sees the four Ghostbusters gone their own ways and seen as lunatics after causing millions of dollars in damage to New York, but after a river of slime begins to emerge from the sewers as well as a demon hiding in a 16^th century painting, the city might want to change its mind.

Like the Robocop and Highlander sequels that followed, Ghostbusters II is a mess of a film that should not have happened, although its not a mess in terms of those sequels, this one has no energy or humor, just wall to wall special effects that feel recycled from the first film and Bill Murray is forced to carry the film on his own, but even he feels tired of the role in places and personally, I don’t blame him.

All in all, 1 out of 5 for this one, avoid it at all costs.

Film Review - Highlander II (1991)

Highlander II picks up about 25 years after the end of the first movie and this time, the story concerns Connor as an old man and the Earth is now under the protection of an artificial Shield following the collapse of the ozone layer, but when an environmentalist tells him that the ozone could be normal again, Connor has to find a way to help.

And now the fun part, Highlander II is an absolute mess of a film that never should have been made, there I said it, the first Highlander wrapped up everything to the point that there was no need for a part 2, but as usual we got one anyway and like Robocop 2, it’s a complete disaster that makes the same mistakes that film did, getting rid of the story elements and replacing it with wall to wall action and contradictions of events past, when will these people learn.

So yeah, 0 out of 5 for yet another mess of a sequel.

Film Review - Misery (1990)

Misery was first released in 1990 and stars James Caan as a novelist named Paul Sheldon who has just finished the book that will kill off his character named Misery Chastain, after getting into a car accident he is rescued by a former nurse named Annie Wilkes played very well by Kathy Bates, but there is more to her than meets the eye.

So what did I think of Misery, well to be honest I thought the film was very bizarre and a little sick in places, I couldn’t help but think that the movie degenerated into a sick and twisted love story between the characters played by Caan and Bates and there is also no clear indication in the film as to exactly why Wilkes keeps Sheldon in her home and because of this I couldn’t help but feel that the movie went along the direction it did.

But I didn’t think that badly of it, I really enjoyed the performances by Caan and Bates as well as the supporting performances by screen legend Lauren Bacall as Sheldon’s editor and Richard Farnsworth as the town sheriff, I also enjoyed the photography by Barry Sonnenfeld who would later become a director, these I helped elevate the film.

Out of 5, I will give this a 3, it has some good performances but the story is too unsure of itself.

Film Review - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Raiders of the Lost Ark was first released in 1981 and stars Harrison Ford as archaeologist Indiana Jones, who is seeking the Ark of the Covenant, but he’ll have to contend with the Nazi’s first in order to get it.

Here is where I have to be honest, even though I greatly enjoyed Raiders, I thought that Mad Max 2, directed by George Miller and released a few months after this film did a much better job at creating action in a way that was exhilarating, exciting and scary almost all at once.

Out of 5, this gets a 4, it’s a great film but I thought that Miller did it better with his film.

Editorial - The Dark Knight: A Phenomenon without Rules, A Success of Anarchy and a Money load of Chaos

As I sit here writing this editorial, The Dark Knight has now become the second highest grossing film in American Box office History behind Titanic’s $600 million haul from 1997, with its total currently at around $502 million dollars and possibly going higher, it’s destroyed Iron Man and Indy IV to become the years highest grossing film, but there’s one question some of you are probably asking: Why and How is it making all this money?

Well, in my book there are three main reasons the movie has done the business it has, first off for better or worse is Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker, ever since his tragic and unexpected death in January, the media have made a firestorm about his role in the film and ever since Peter Travers, the film critic of Rolling Stone magazine posted his review saying Ledger should receive a posthumous Oscar for his work, many people who normally wouldn’t see the film have flocked to do so (and trust me, the screening in Mt. Gambier I attended was PACKED, with people coming in droves).

Another would definitely have to be the brilliant marketing campaign; the trailers and the posters created for the film brilliantly captured the films spirit and also the very impressive viral marketing with such sites as gothamcablenews.com and thehahahatimes.com also giving fans more about the film, both Warner Brothers and Christopher Nolan deserve major applause for the marketing of the film.

And last but definitely not least, the movie itself has become the movie event that not only Batman fans but also movie fans have been waiting for, yes folks the film itself is actually that good, my opinion of the film has been covered elsewhere but I also want to add that this could very well be the movie event of the decade.

So there you go folks, three reasons why I feel The Dark Knight has become the success it has, and on one last note: huge congratulations to all involved for making this happen and as for Heath, well a sincere thank you on behalf of the world audience for putting a smile on our face.

Film Review - Beverly Hills Cop 2 (1987)

Beverly Hills Cop 2 was first released in 1987 and sees Eddie Murphy reprise his role as Axel Foley, the Detroit Detective who raised hell in Cop 1, this time Foley’s friend Bogomil is gunned down whilst on a case and Axel travels back to Beverly Hills and teams up with Taggart and Rosewood played by John Ashton and Judge Reinhold also from C1 to find out how.

Beverly Hills Cop 2 for me was a film that was split into two distinct halves, the first being a very funny comedy with some great chemistry between Murphy, Reinhold and Ashton, seeing the three work together was a great joy and for me, carried the film to being a somewhat decent sequel.

But Cop 2 had one fatal weakness that was just as strong as the film’s strength, near wall to wall action; personally I find this to be a mixed blessing and Tony Scott, brother of Ridley and the director of the film, doesn’t really make the action justifiable when what we want is more of Murphy, Reinhold and Ashton.

Out of 5, I will give this a 2 and a half, as while Murphy, Ashton and Reinhold are great to watch together, the action felt very routine.