19/11/2012

Breaking Dawn Part 2

So this one continues exactly off the back of the last one.  Bella is still annoying beyond belief (not helped by Kristen Stewart sighing after every sentence), Edward  is still smug and annoying.  The Volturi are back finally and there is a pretty epic battle which is what this series has been calling out for but too little too late and then they hit you with the biggest stinker in the world of script/story writing... SPOILER ALERT... oh but that didn't really happen, aka it was all a dream and everyone is fine and in love and the world is wonderful (wow that's original, no one's done that before... oh wait... no, it's been done to death)!!!  Unacceptable and frankly I don't know why I am even surprised.  At least it's all over now!

17/11/2012

BloodRayne

Is this the worst film ever made?  It's got to be a contender!  The story is so full of holes it barely makes sense, the dialogue is shocking and just the overall production is beyond crap!  Which when you consider the big names involved is quite frankly unbelievable.  This is an insult to the game of the same name and when you consider that the game was so popular that the central character made a topless appearance in Playboy.  Just shocking!!!

16/11/2012

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

So I finally got around to watching Scott Pilgrim and it was well worth the wait, although I'd have much rather seen it earlier but whatever!  It is brilliantly ridiculous, fantastically stylish and completely over the top.  This is definitely the sort of film where some people are just not going to get it.  That's fine, each to their own, but I thought this was a thoroughly enjoyable film and very different from anything else out there.  Can Edgar Wright get it wrong?

30/10/2012

Dark Shadows

It's a Tim Burton film so you can count on a few things, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and dark and mysterious vibe. Well you won't be disappointed as all of those things are present. You may however be a little disappointed in the story which is a little weak. The acting is all very good, the style is brilliant and the script has some very good moments and Eva Green is pretty hot, especially in the red dress! The story just needed a little more mystery, the whole premise was revealed far too soon.

18/10/2012

Source Code

Way back on the 10th December 2010, just before I completed Film Year by watching 365 films in 365 days in 2011, I posted a trailer for a film called Source Code. So some 678 days later I have finally watched it and... I really shouldn't have waited so long. I really enjoyed this film, there are elements of mystery (some you should see coming) and the story is told very well. The acting was all very well done and it's quite a clever concept. A very enjoyable film and probably better than 80% of the crap I watched in 2011.

16/10/2012

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

This is one hundred and forty eight minutes of rubbish! If it had been played at normal speed it would have been about an hour long. There are so many things wrong with this film, the over use of slow motion action sequences accompanied by the same annoying dramatic music sequence, Shia LaBeouf, the constant crappy monologues from Optimus Prime all the way through the film. At the heart there was a reasonable story that tied in with real world events but even that couldn't come close to saving it. At no point did I feel any connection with any of the characters, ultimately this was yet another painful and boring film from Michael Bay, oh and good news looks like there is another one to come in 2014!!! 

15/10/2012

Super 8

What would happen if you mashed together two films, say The Goonies and Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Well you would probably end up with a film that would resemble Super 8.  This is a brilliant film, a real old fashioned feel good adventure.  They really don't make enough films like this anymore.  It has a good story and good mix of characters and plenty of excitement and mystery. 

The story follows a group of school friends who are trying to make a zombie film when they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Excellent film!

Date Night

Awkward and very funny. Steve Carell and Tina Fey are excellent together and more than believable in this romantic night out that goes very very wrong. There are more than enough funny moments to keep you entertained. My favourites have to be the backwards suit and the pole dancing which was completely cringe worthy! This is a film that you could quite easily sit through with the Mrs without trying to kill yourself with the infra-red beam on the remote (unlike some films they'll make you watch)! A good fun story with some excellent comedic actors and a whole host of surprising cameos.

Dredd 3D

I shall start by saying that I am not a fan of 3D, it does nothing to enhance the story and is just a gimmick that the movie industries try to revive every twenty years or so.  In Dredd however the 3D probably does a little something for the story, mostly because there is no story! It's very straight forward Dredd locked in tower block with evil gang with lots of fire-power. This is not the worst movie ever, Stallone pretty much took care of that in his version, but it really could have done with a little more story and less reliance on over the top gore and 3D (which admittedly did look really good in the slow-motion). It reminds me of when Robocop when it first came out with how shocking the violence and gore was, well this is clearly the next step up. Good but should have been better.

Beerfest

First things first, this film is stupid, it is also completely ridiculous and has a story plot that I haven't seen used in a long time... spoiler alert (like you'll care)... a character dies and is replaced by his twin that no one knew about! There is however something vaguely amusing about everything, probably the funniest thing is the crazy (and very stereotypical) accents which are completely over the top and too stupid to be offensive. It's a short and easy film to watch if you've got little else to do.

Cheers!

04/10/2012

Feast

A group of strangers are drinking late into the night at a bar in the middle of no where when a man covered in blood holding a strange head bursts in to warn them of the impending doom.

This is bloody good fun... sure it's not the cleverest of films, if anything the concept is simple.  It's good because it constantly surprises you, you never know who is going to survive, where the next attack is coming from and it is crude and ridiculously good fun.  It's not quite as good as From Dusk till Dawn, which it did remind of from time to time, but still well worth watching.

The Artist

Well! Let me first say that I watched this on an aeroplane whilst the guy in front of me was watching District 9, and quite frankly District 9 was more entertaining on a six inch screen at a distance whilst being partially obscured by his shoulders and with no sound than this was, by a long long way. The Artist, more like the piss-artist how this got 5 Oscars I'll never know, is boring, dull, rubbish and did I say boring! Nobody makes silent films any more because they don't have to, and black and white was for a time when colour was not an option. Probably the cleverest part was when the star was having a nightmare with sound, other than those thirty seconds this was a complete waste of my time, and I was trapped on an aeroplane with no where else to go!  Complete and utter Oscar twaddle!

03/10/2012

Carriers

Two brothers travel across the country to try and escape a deadly outbreak that has already decimated most of the population.

This is a very dark and gripping story, sure Chris Pine's character is a bit of dick, but then I'm pretty sure that's what they were going for, so I'll let it go.  I'm not sure why, maybe it's seeing how people will react to society crumbling or having to survive against all odds but I do really enjoy a good end of the world / after the apocalypse movie.  Not sure what says about me, but I can't help myself.  There is definitely a stronger emotional sense from these sort of movies especially when they are done well, like this one which was thoroughly enjoyable (in a dark end of the world sort of way).

24/09/2012

The Castle

Darryl Kerrigan has the perfect house, perfect for his family anyway. He can't understand how he got it so cheap, it's walking distance to the airport and very close to power cables... ideal! But when the airport wants to expand and sets about purchasing his house he's not going to sit back and let them take his castle!

For anyone that has spent any time in Australia or New Zealand this will speak so many truths, if you haven't don't worry it's still very funny. If you like Kath and Kim then this will be right up your street. This is absolutely a great feel good comedy which really has to be seen. Also watch out for a young Eric Bana.

18/09/2012

Another Earth

On the night that a new planet is discovered, a planet that seems to mirror Earth exactly, two stranger's lives are drastically changed as a result of a tragic accident. This is a very interesting story and it really takes you on a ride through the full spectrum of emotions. If I had to find a fault it would be the raw filming which resulted in some unnecessary camera wobbles, but then that's just me looking for faults. In truth there is absolutely nothing wrong with this film and it really is worth seeing.  The acting is excellent through out and some of the visuals are brilliant.  And get ready for the ending!

15/09/2012

Immortals

Visually this is would deserve 4 or 5 stars, the execution of the story however was a long way off that and so it sits somewhere in the middle.  There was a couple of continuity errors but nothing too stupid.  It is a fantastic story but the delivery just didn't do it justice.  Ultimately for me the most troublesome part was the teen pop gods who just seemed a touch ridiculous which was a real shame because like I said before visually I loved it.  It falls into a similar bracket as Sucker Punch, all style no substance.

11/09/2012

Priest

So the war between humans and vampires is over and humanity's savours, the Priests, are stripped of their power and forced to return to society, a society control by the church.  When one Priest's niece is kidnapped in a vampire attack he breaks his vows to go and rescue her.  He discovers that the war is far from over.  This is a pretty good action flick with some good bits and some not so good bits.  The best part of this film was Karl Urban who's character was excellent and deserved far more time on the screen.

This Means War

When two CIA operatives fall for the same girl they make a pact and agree to let her decide which of the two to settle for, and they're not going to interfere with each others dates... yeah, right.  This is actually very very funny and I wasn't expecting it. Some of the stunts they pull off in order to sabotage each other's dates are brilliant and using the full surveillance of the CIA they quite quickly escalate out of control. If I'm honest I went into this expecting a chick flick but the focus was much more of the chaos surrounding the guys , something that made this thoroughly enjoyable. 

08/09/2012

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

You can always rely on a British film having a very good storyline, maybe it's because they don't make as many as Hollywood so are able to pick the best from what's out there and not just what seems to be left over as is so often the case in America.  This of course is no exception and is a very enjoyable story with some very funny moments, most notably the idea of outsourcing the elderly to India!  The story is very predictable but that does not stop it being very good.  There is also a fantastic collection of actors.  Another fine example of the quality films that come out of Britain, rule Britannia!

07/09/2012

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I am a big fan of the original Planet of the Apes and just about tolerated the Tim Burton version, but this however is an exceptional addition to the franchise.  The story is very good with some great characters and Andy Serkis once again excels as an ape.  There are some moments that were a bit ridiculous but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the film.  There was one moment I would have removed completely and that is where the immortal line, "Get your hands off of me you damn dirty ape!", was reused.  Whilst a nice nod to the original, it seemed completely out of context and was oddly funny when that's not really what the scene was going for.  Already looking forward to the next instalment, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes!

04/09/2012

Wrath of the Titans

Well after the pretty average remake of Clash of the Titans was I really expecting the sequel to be any better, probably not but I am an optimist! Anyhow, surprise surprise it is not very good, sure it looks quite good and there are some concepts that are done very well like the labyrinth, but the story is unbelievably boring.  With all of these fantastic fictional characters with a rich history they really deserved to be given a whole lot more story.

There were some bits which were frankly laughable, trying to stop fire demons with fire... yes really... and then Andromeda orders her men to attack, she runs off head first into the battle whilst her men form up a wall of shields behind her and start slowly advancing, utterly stupid.  I don't know how they managed to get so many of the original cast back! Also Rosamund Pike is no Alexa Davalos.

31/08/2012

Lost S01E24 and E25 – Exodus Part 2 and 3

Brilliant, now that is how to end a season.  It was a double length episode which is why it's episode 24 and 25. Again there wasn't anyone focused on in particular and the flashbacks were a mix of different characters. The best part was Hurley trying to desperately make it to the airport and the numbers just kept popping up everywhere, almost like they were trying to stop him from getting to the airport, his dashboard, the amount he paid the man for his mobility scooter, the gate at the airport.  I love the numbers.  So anyhow the raft has been launched and the Jack, Locke, Kate, Hurley and Arzt have gone to the Black Rock to get some dynamite to open the hatch. Arzt annoys for a while before make a lasting impression on the rest. The end of season cliffhanger is excellent as it's really two cliffhangers, why have one when you can have two!

Well that's season one done, only five more left.  Still love it!

Lost S01E23 – Exodus Part 1

So despite some dangerous signs and dark undertones, this is a very positive episode, sure Rousseau shows up out the blue and warns them that the others are coming and that they will kill everyone, but despite that everyone seems to have their moment.  Jack and Sawyer finally make up and there is an exchange of respect for one another, Jin and Sun finally make up just as he's about to get on the raft and sail into the horizon, however the most touching moment is when Walt's dog, Vincent, tries to swim out to the raft but gives up  and turns back as it gets too far away.  No one in particular is the focus of the flashbacks in this episode we do however meet a new character in one of the flashbacks, Ana Lucia, who was sitting in row 42 to Jack's 23 (ooo! the numbers!!!).  Just lots of pleasantries and all round goodness, that's all going to end very soon!

30/08/2012

Conan the Barbarian

How do you fill the furry boots of Arnold Schwarzenegger? Well pretty much like this. This is everything that the original films are without quite so much cheese, Conan cheese light if you will! There is plenty of action throughout it has a much more real feel about it, very similar in style to Game of Thrones. Conan is everything you would want him to be, tough, uncompromising, vicious and righteous. I really enjoyed this film and whilst it would appear I am in the minority I would love to see them make more films like this, Conan or not.

I do love a good fantasy adventure.

28/08/2012

Battleship

D-3... miss... D-4... hit... you sunk my battleship!  Ok, so this film is obviously a little more entertaining than the original game although the way they tied it into the film was actually quite clever.  All in there is plenty of action and it is quite exciting for some parts, there was a whole load of crap that could have been cut and replaced with more action and excitement and I mean proper cheesy crap as well.  The best thing other than the action was obviously Brooklyn Decker... hmmmm!

Anyhow, it's not nearly as bad as they would have you believe although it could and should have been better.

27/08/2012

Lost S01E22 – Born to Run

Just like buses, nothing for a while and two come along at once.  This is another distinctly average episode, get back to the hatch and other weird and wonderful stuff.  Ok, so Walt telling Locke not to open it was a little spooky but that was pretty much it.  This episode follows Kate and her inability to stay in one place for too long, we also find out who owned the toy aeroplane she carries around.  Not really a lot more to report on this one I'm afraid, at least I have the three part finale next!

Lost S01E21 – The Greater Good

Well, I said I was due an average episode and this was it.  Nice to get it out of the way before the next episode and the three part finale.  There wasn't really much substance to this one, Sayid takes Locke into the woods to find out if he was telling the truth, but then we've seen what really happened so no big surprises there.  We also see that Sayid had a chance to not be on flight 815 like everyone else.  Jack's pretty much incapacitated for most of the episode and we learn that Sawyer is a baby whisperer!!!  Hard stopping myself yawning just thinking about.  Bring on the next one, quick!

Lost S01E20 – Do No Harm

This is an excellent example of an emotionally charged episode.  Poor old Boone spends the entire episode on deaths door as Jack desperately tries to save him.  Whilst all of this is going on Kate is trying to deliver Claire's baby!  And on top of all that we see flash backs from Jack's wedding to none other than Claire Dunphy (of Modern Family fame, does Phil know?).  This is an excellent episode and the ending is complete mess of emotions, brilliant.  Got to be due an average episode soon!!!

Lost S01E19 – Deus ex Machina

Deus ex Machina is a Latin phrase that means God from the Machine and was usually referring to a story where the writer would introduce something or someone that had previous lot appeared to solve a problem.  Usually this would be in the form of an actor playing a god who would be lowered into the set by a crane.So in this sense I believe it means that something falls from the sky to solve an unsolvable problem... kind of like an hatch that cannot be opened... hmmm!  This episode follows Locke and gives us some more flash backs to show us just how crappy his life was before the crash, bit of a theme there!  That said this is a very good episode and one that has links brilliantly with a storyline from season 2.  Almost there!

24/08/2012

Lost S01E18 – Numbers

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42...  4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42... Yesssssssssss!  This is an amazing episode.  4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42...  In this episode we follow Hurley, absolutely my favourite character, and discover that he is incredibly rich thanks to some numbers he heard from a mental patient.  4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42...  The numbers however appear to be cursed and send Hurley on a trip around to world to discover their meanings.  4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42...  And they're on the hatch...  4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42...  Brilliant!

Lost S01E17 – ...In Translation

This is another really good episode and not for anything really obvious.  The story follows Jin and shows us a very different side to Sun's view point from episode 6.  For those with a keen eye they might have noticed that when Jin visited the Secretary for Environmental Safety to deliver a message, the secretary's daughter is watching the TV and Hurley is on it.  Ok, not a massive connection but they also went out of their way to tell us that Hurley still owed Walt $82,000.  Also the Michael's raft get burnt and Sun reveals she can speak English to the whole group.  I love the bit at the end when the happy tune starts playing, so you start waiting for the sinister moment when the music stops... genius!

Lost S01E16 – Outlaws

Episode 16 follows Sawyer and his attempt to enact vengeance on a boar that seems to be picking on him!  We also see into his past and find out what he was doing in Australia; we also find out that Sawyer met Jack's father.  For me this is going to be one of the most interesting elements within the series, I love the connections between each of the survivors and how they are linked by more than flight 815.  There was some nice character development in this episode as various characters came in and out of Sawyer's quest each dropping little gems about their past.

Lost S01E15 – Homecoming

So Claire has returned but she has no memory of anything after getting on the plane.  Then Ethan appears again and demands that Charlie bring Claire back to him or he will start killing survivors.  We also see more of Charlie's back story where he is a copier salesman trying to sell a copier model number 815 (Oooo the same as the flight number)!  There is a little more action than normal as the survivors try to stop Ethan from following through with his threats.  There is a little bit of intrigue and mystery but more of a focus on the action which is a nice change for a little while.  Now, get back to the hatch!

23/08/2012

Lost S01E14 – Special

This is very much a middle of the road sort of episode, some stuff happens whilst not a lot happens at the same time... We find out more about Michael and Walt, and would you believe it their troubled relationship (funny how that keeps happening).  The main questions here are, is Walt special or is it the island showing them what they need to see, damn you Abrams et al, now we can't believe anything we see!  And that includes the dodgy special effects polar bear (not impressed).  So Michael is going to build a raft, the black rock is mentioned once more and Claire appears from no where.  Long way to go yet before any of this starts to make sense!

Lost S01E13 – Hearts and Minds

Well it's been almost two weeks since my last episode of Lost, you should never end a session on a low point it makes it harder to come back (that and I've been busy).  Well this episode focuses on Boone and his troubled relationship with Shannon.  We see some flash backs which show us why they were in Australia.  It also shows us more of what the island is capable of, the hatch didn't really progress much an Locke continues to become more and more mysterious but then that's good, give us more mystery, that's what makes it interesting.

15/08/2012

Chronicle

Now officially my second favourite hand held film, behind Cloverfield, this is the story of three high school friends who acquire a set of powers that enable them to do pretty much whatever they want.  This is actually a really interesting story and filmed incredibly well using a bunch of handheld cameras and surveillance devices.  The story is compelling and whilst a little predictable you can't help but watch it all unfold before you. Some of the stuff they do as they are learning and experimenting with their powers is amazing.

14/08/2012

The Darkest Hour

Another apocalyptic invasion, another promising premise, another failed attempt.  So far the best film of the nature I've seen recently is Battle: Los Angeles.  There are some promising moments like the initial invasion, which we only see for about ten minutes.  Then we watch another four or five days of four people sat in a room condensed into five minutes.  By the time they come out all of the inhabitants of Moscow appear to have been vaporised.

Those four days would have been the most interesting part of the story, the struggle to survive, running from the invaders.  Kind of like Skyline but hopefully with more interesting characters.

Underworld: Awakening

This film ticks so many boxes that I am guaranteed to watch it.  Vampires – ding, werewolves – ding, lots of action – ding, Kate Beckinsale in a leather corset – ding, ding, ding… we have a winner!  All that said however I am left feeling slightly disappointed.  The story was almost beyond predictable and lacked any real punch or intrigue.  No doubt they will make another, which is fine I’m more than likely to watch it (feels kind of like the Resident Evil series, if they keep making them I’ll keep watching them), but I’d be much happier if they worked on the story a bit more.

Friends with Benefits

As far as romantic comedies go this is actually quite good.  Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake were good together, although it was Woody Harrleson who stole the show.  Basically two friends both fed up with relationships decide that to satisfy their needs they would help each other out, so to speak.  The outcome is as predictable as any rom-com but as with all of these it’s more about the journey than the result, which for the most part is very funny.

10/08/2012

Lost S01E12 – Whatever the Case May Be

So it took a while before this episode revealed whose flashbacks we would be enjoying and eventually it turned out to be Kate.  The whole episode revolved around a case Kate and Sawyer found whilst swimming in a pool.  A case that Sawyer couldn't open and Kate was desperate to get.  Long story short there are some guns in there and a personal item that belonged to Kate.  This is a very slow episode and not a great deal happens.  There wasn't really any outlandish unanswerable questions and certainly no real revelations.  It would have been hard for a good episode to follow the last two so maybe this is a sacrificial episode so they can get back to the good stuff.

09/08/2012

Lost S01E11 – All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues

So, so, so good... I could probably sit here and watch the rest of season one only stopping for a quick cup of tea every once and a while.  Ethan has kidnapped Claire and Charlie and is being tracked by Jack and Kate and Locke and Boone.  But Ethan doesn't want to be found and to stop them tracking him he hangs Charlie... which is an emotionally incredible moment of TV.  Locke and Boone also discover a metal door in the forest floor!  Complete and utterly brilliant madness.  Oh and this episode gives us flashbacks for Jack and shows us more of what happened with his father before he drunk himself to death.

Lost S01E10 – Raised by Another

Oh, yes, this is where it really starts to get good.  Also this episode follows Claire, who would you believe it had a pretty crappy time before the flight, Mother disowned her, crappy douche bag boyfriend and a creepy psychic who tricked her into going on flight 815!  Not to mention what is going on with the baby that will bring doom to all unless raised by Claire.  This is also the first episode that we discover that they are not alone on the island (and I mean properly not alone, I'm not including Rousseau because she is not one of the others)!  Brilliant!!!

07/08/2012

Lost S01E09 – Solitary

Oh, so many more questions and diddly squat in the answers department.  Another really good episode and it was Sayid's episode although whilst he monopolised the flash backs he shared the bulk of the episode with the mysterious French woman, Rousseau (not Crusoe, that would be ridiculous)!  Also in other news Hurley, another of my favourite characters (I can't wait for his flash back episode I think it's one of the best), builds a golf course so that the survivors have something of a distraction from the constant doom and gloom and monsters and polar bears and...

Lost S01E08 – Confidence Man

Finally we get to see what's going on in Sawyer's head and it's more than you'd expect and fairly tragic (as with everyone else).  He is one of my favourite characters if only for his dry sense of humour.  The survivors end up doing something that they didn't think they would as they torture Sawyer to find some medicine that they desperately need.  But then he doesn't even have it despite not declaring his innocence once and when they find out this causes even further fractures to the group as Sayid exiles himself for his part in it, and so that he may become the star of the next episode.

It's basically more all around Lost goodness, with only a couple more questions from this episode and no answers but then that's how they roll!

06/08/2012

Lost S01E07 – The Moth

Episode seven finally gives a bit more details of Charlie's past and it's appears that none of the survivors had a pretty happy life prior to the crash, read into that what you want but it's bound have some symbolism at a later stage. This episode is very biblical in a sense as we see the temptation of Charlie and even Locke telling him to ask for his drugs three times and he will give them too him. We get to see a little bit more of a hint at the impending Kate, Jack, Sawyer love triangle... it's some way off yet but there is a hint at it. And then Sayid getting whacked near the end adds more questions.

They've still not really answered any questions and yet they continue to pile up, that is one of the best and most frustrating things about Lost, so many questions, how can they possibly answer them all?

Lost S01E06 – House Of The Rising Sun

No surprise here really but this episode follows Sun and dips into her past and reveals more about Sun and Jin's relationship.  Jack also fails to convince all of the survivors to join him in the caves and surprisingly Kate is one that decides to stay on the beach.  There is obviously something about the two corpses that they found in the caves, Adam and Eve, that will no doubt be revealed much later in the show (wasn't in the first four seasons that I remember).  Kate said she didn't want to be Eve, can't help but feel like that's going to come back and bite her!

Bit of an average episode compared to some of the others but the tension is building and it's not going end with a calming song and everyone sitting around a camp fire every episode.  Still one of the most intriguing and enthralling shows I've ever seen.

Lost S01E05 – White Rabbit

White Rabbit focuses on Jack and shows us a glimpse into his past.  We see that he has a past of trying to help everyone and that his parents are exactly the nicest of people and seem to try to undermine him at every opportunity.  This is another episode that starts to reveal the mysticism of the island, or is it just Jack delirious from lack of the sleep and water.  Locke again shows that he seems to be more in tune with the island, but then he's got the most reason to believe.

This is another good episode, shows a little bit more of all of the characters revealing some elements that you wouldn't have suspected.  Again finishing with a little bit of a feel good moment which means the next episode is bound to explode.

04/08/2012

The River S01E01 – Magus

The River follows the family of a wildlife expert and TV show host, very much in the style of Steve Irwin, after he goes missing whilst filming on the Amazon river.  The show is filmed entirely as a documentary with a camera crew and surveillance cameras.  It is reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project in the style that it was filmed, but unlike the Blair Witch Project it isn't crap.  The River raises more than enough questions to keep you interested and shows you enough to make you want to see more without revealing everything straight away.  I really enjoyed it, which can only mean one thing... you can pretty much forget about there being a season 2, we can all hope but looking at the news on Google it looks like it's already been cancelled, so I've got the rest of the season to enjoy and no doubt the frustration at the end of the season at yet another unresolved climax!

02/08/2012

Grimm S01E01 – Pilot

It's going to sound a little bit like I'm completely obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but Grimm is somewhere between Supernatural and Buffy (every where I look I can't help but see her).  The style is very good and fits perfectly with the Grimm fairytale theme.  There is obviously quite a lot of material for them to work with so you would think they should be able to get a good number of recognisable stories to flow throughout.

Interesting premise, look forward to more (although it's not as good as Supernatural which is fantastic).

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I saw the trailer for this about a month ago and it blew me away... that is were this tale sadly ends!  This was nothing like the trailer, the trailer was fast paced, aggressive and comedic in a slightly absurd way.  In reality it was much slower, almost period drama slow in places, and the vampires were almost as scary as those found in Buffy the Vampire slayer or maybe even Sesame Street!  There were some entertaining moments but they were few and far between.

The most notable thing throughout was the over reliance (to the point of obsession) on 3D effects and I'd rather see an end to all this 3D nonsense and some actual focus of clever and funny stories.  Also Ab seemed to age far faster than his best friend who looked pretty much the same the whole way through (and no not his vampire friend)!