Zombie Spring Breakers: Hans After Peep Show

Zombie Spring Breakers is a horror comedy directed by Andy Edwards. The plot sees a group of young people head off to Ibiza to escape all the pressure of back home, namely a zombie outbreak. However, surprise surprise the party island hasn’t been able to keep the zombies out and the island becomes infected soon after their arrival and our plucky group needs to escape.

This is great horror junk food; will it change the world or reinvent the genre? No. However, it is good for a few good laughs and some gory kills. This is defiantly a zombie comedy rather than a horror comedy as there is no horror in this film at all, this film doesn’t even consider trying to balance the two genre it just throws everything into the comedy.

With that it mind, this film is funny it does have it’s moments, not all of the jokes land it isn’t a joke a minute, none stop, laughing fit, but it will give you a smile or two while you watch it. The main comedic force in this film is Matt King (of Peep Show fame), who plays the film’s villain, evil club owner Karl. King has all the best lines and every time we get to see him interact with another member of the cast or deliver a line; we get to see why he is such a talented performer; if it wasn’t for him this film would be easily forgotten.

The rest of the cast is fine, they are serviceable enough, they won’t blow you away. None of them are really memorable and you will forget them when the film ends. They are the usual collection of stereotypes and character types, as you probably aren’t surprised, but at least they seem to have good on-screen chemistry together.

Overall, this is the sort of film that won’t affect you either way if you miss it, however if one night it is on the TV and you’re bored and maybe a little drunk there is far worse things to watch.

Pros.

Matt King.

The cast have good chemistry.

Cons.

The characters are boring, bland and forgettable.

There is no horror.

Lots of it makes no sense at all.

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Tully: Help When Needed

Tully is a comedy drama film directed by Jason Reitman. It tells the story of a struggling mum of three Marlo (Charlize Theron), who forms a bond with her night nanny Tully (Mackenzie Davis). Tully seems to make everything in Marlo’s life better, while always remaining mysterious and wise beyond her years.

Let’s start off with the most important bit, the twist. In the final moments of the film it is revealed that Tully never existed and that everything that she has done was actually Marlo, having some sort of mental break. The twist isn’t hugely surprising, as right from the beginning there is clearly something off about Tully, however due to the good writing it is never obvious quite what is going on and there are multiple red herrings throughout that throw you off what is actually going on.

This film I believe is classified under the wrong genre, rather than being a comedy film, or even a dark comedy, it is by all means a horror film. It shows motherhood and parenthood as hellish, a never-ending cycle of sleepless nights and screaming kids, this film is enough to put anyone off wanting to have kids.

Mark Duplass plays Marlo’s brother Craig and even though he is only onscreen a very little bit he is terrific every second he is on screen. The two share a scene together and it is electric, and they have a great on-screen connection together.

On top of this the relationship between Tully and Marlo is also fantastic, the two women have a great bond, that sometimes verges on the extreme; which is highlighted in one really uncomfortable scene. Mackenzie Davis is amazing as always; she has a great quirky energy to her that reminded me in a lot of ways of Ellen Page in Juno.

Overall, the performances in this film are terrific and its depiction of motherhood is grounded and realistic; which makes this film a horror in every sense of the word. This film is an acquired taste, but if you give it a go you will see that it has something powerful to say.

Pros.

The performances.

The writing.

The realistic depiction of motherhood.

Cons.

The twist.

Some of the scenes are quite uncomfortable to watch and they don’t add much.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Mayhem: Corporate Is A Killer

Mayhem is horror comedy film directed by Joe Lynch. The plot sees hard working office worker Derek (Steven Yuen), trying to reclaim his job amidst a pandemic outbreak. This pathogen breaks down people’s inhibitions and makes them give into their baser impulses including lust and murder. In a very Raid esque way, Derek and pissed off client Melanie (Samara Weaving), have to beat/kill each one of the important office figures to get their key cards allowing them to get to the top of the building and plead their respective cases.

This film is excellent, it manages to tap into to that inner anger that anyone who has ever worked a job they hate has within them, pure rage. This becomes a nice undertone to the film that when coupled with the copious amounts of gore throughout the film feels almost primal.

The gore is top notch, it feels like punctuation to a bloody point, never does it feel needless or gratuitous it feels just right. My favourite kill in the whole film is when they disembowel ‘The Reaper’ when a handsaw, it is so unexpected and well done it made me laugh with gory glee.

Both Yuen and Weaving are on top form here, Yuen is believable as a man pushed to the edge. He manages to be easy to root for despite all the bad things he does throughout the film, more over Derek’s voice over also leads to many hilarious moments that are genuinely funny and sharp.

Weaving once again proves that not only is she a great upcoming talent, but also a budding action heroine. She has great on-screen chemistry with Yuen and the two make for a great pair, I would love to see them in more together. Weaving plays the role of Melanie with the same metal charm as she has shown in her other big screen performances thus far and every second of her performance here is magnificent.

Overall, this film has a really frustrated feel to it, it feels angry at the world and it is a hell of a watch. We go on a journey with these characters and the ending feels very satisfying definitely worth the watch.

Pros.

Yuen and Weaving are both fantastic.

It has a great angry energy to it.

The gore is spectacular.

The ending feels satisfying.

Cons.

It does get a little repetitive towards the end.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Hills Have Eye: Keep On Driving

The Hills Have Eyes is a horror film directed by Wes Craven. The plot sees a family traveling through the desert on their way to California, when they stop midway through their trip they come under attack from a group of cannibalistic murders a battle for survival quickly ensues.

This was my first time watching this film and I am pleased to say it holds up well, it was frightening and menacing throughout and best of all it had a constant sense of dread that would not let up. Right from the first scene of the film you realise that something is wrong, then it builds and builds throughout. The moment when Beauty, the dog is killed, made me sit up and take notice

This film makes you wonder just who is out there, could there really be cannibals in the hills? All of the savage cannibals are terrifying, but Jupiter (James Witworth), was perhaps the most unsettling. The moment when Jupiter nails Big Bob Carter (Russ Grieve), the father of the family, to a makeshift cross it truly shows you just how evil these people are and perfectly illustrates what is to come. I liked the fact that they took the time to explain Jupiter’s backstory I thought it made him more rounded as a character.

I thought the choice to have most of the heroes be horribly inept, expect for when they manage to kill Jupiter in the end and instead have Beast, the other dog, be the one that picks off most of the baddies, is almost wonderfully comical. I would guess that it is not supposed to be humorous, but seeing this dog destroying this some what organised/experienced killer family one by one could be a film in and of itself.

The thing I like the most about this film is the fact that it feels stand alone, the ending neatly wraps everything up without too many lose threads. Of course there was a sequel, but it feels like this film closes the arc, which is how films should be, you shouldn’t have to watch another film to know how the last film ended.

Overall there is a reason that this is a horror masterpiece, a must watch for sure, Craven is a master of the genre.

Pros.

Beast the dog.

The explanation and backstory.

It has great atmosphere.

Everyone is giving great performances.

Cons.

Some of it almost feels comical and that is not great for a horror film.

4.5/5

The Stepford Wives: The Perfect Spouse?

The Stepford Wives is a black comedy science fiction film directed by Frank Oz. The film revolves around former TV executive Joanne Eberhart (Nicole Kidman), who after a career mishap moves to a quaint little town in Connecticut to start anew. However, once she is there, she begins to become increasing alarmed at the strange goings on in Stepford Connecticut. The women are all subservient homemakers and the men spend all their time at the lodge, a place where business is conducted and people change, but what is going on? As it turns out, neural programming.

This film is a fascinating study of gender norms and what makes a woman a woman and what makes a man a man. The conversation proves to be illuminating, albeit a bit silly, as Joanne probes the depth of how far people are prepared to go to have the ‘perfect’ spouse.

Kidman is fantastic and manages to handle the more intense, scarier moments with a sense of weight and gravity as well as play off the other characters in the sillier, funnier moments. After all this is more of a wacky black comedy than a serious look at society. The film manages to walk the tightrope well never being too silly, nor being too serious; the tone is pitch perfect.

Christopher Walken plays Mike the leader of the Stepford men, or so you are led to believe, as always Walken is magnificent and oozes so much charisma it is hard to take you eyes off him. You buy him as this evil doctor/ cult leader figure, and he gives off palpable malice throughout.

Matthew Broderick as Walter Joanne’s husband proves to be the weak link in this film. This in my mind is all down to one scene, in the final act of the film there is a scene where it looks as though Walter has turned Joanne into one of the mindless Stepford wives, however he hasn’t. My issue with this is the character and Broderick plays him seems like the sort who would do it, the hero turn doesn’t suit the character and isn’t hugely believable. Broderick plays slimy well, so I find it hard to buy him as the hero.

Overall, despite a miscast Broderick, this film still manages to be both thought provoking and funny, something very few films achieve. Definitely worth a watch.

Pros.

Christopher Walken.

Nicole Kidman.

The underpinning social debate.

The good dark comedy.

Cons.

Matthew Broderick.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Night Of The Demons: Music, Dancing and Demonic Possession

Night Of The Demons is a supernatural horror film directed by Kevin S. Tenney. The plot sees a group of teens head to Hull House for a Halloween party, once the music gets going and the drinks start flowing, things take a turn for the worse as one by one the teens are possessed by demons and the possessed and the non-possessed must do battle and only one can survive.

This is peak 1980’s horror, it is gory, scary and ridiculously over the top. It reminded me in a lot of ways of other 80’s horror films like Evil Dead and Fright Night. I think that one of the things that 80’s horror films do better than a lot of horror films now is they focus on atmosphere rather than cheap jump scares.

The atmosphere of Night Of The Demons is harsh and oppressive, but it also has an underlying campiness that seemed to underscore every horror film released in the 1980’s. What’s more the choice to have it all take place in the funereal home and not allow the characters to leave adds a nice sense of claustrophobia to the film.

Like many other 80’s films this film takes its more adult themes to an extreme the gore, the nudity, the horror are all constant and frequent, so if you’re easily offended maybe don’t watch this. I enjoyed this aspect of the film, it reminded me of B movies, which makes it great genre fun.

As well as the atmosphere, there are quite a few good scares in this film that help to offset some of the comedic aspect and push this firmly into the horror category. There are moments in this film that are genuinely haunting.

Overall, this might not be to everyone’s test, but if you like cheap B movie esque horror fun than it is more than worth the watch. A more extreme Evil Dead!

Pros.

80’s horror fun.

It has a great atmosphere.

It has some genuinely great scares.

B movie charm.

Cons.

A bit gratuitous at times.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke.

500 Days Of Summer: You Never Know What Is Around The Corner

500 Days Of Summer is a romantic comedy drama directed by Marc Webb. The plot see hopeless romantic Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt), fall for Summer (Zoey Deschanel) a girl who believes true love doesn’t exist.

The film details the events the lead up to their relationship, their relationship and then what happens after they break up.

In many ways, this is an anti rom com, the two leads don’t end up together at the end of the film, the both end up in relationships with other people. However, that is the whole point of this film, it knows what a rom com is, and it goes against genre stereotypes in near every way to try and make something that is entirely different.

This is an incredibly nuanced film. It portrays love as it really is with all the highs and lows making the cut rather than portraying it in the idolised over the top ways a lot of romantic comedies do, which simply isn’t how real life is like; Bridget Jones wouldn’t exist in the real life.

Both Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zoey Deschanel are fantastic, they have great onscreen chemistry and are both easily charming and charismatic. They both add a lot to this film’s quirky sensibilities which really set it apart from other parts and makes it feel unique and special.

What’s more as a hopeless romantic myself I love the ending, just when it seems like all hope has been lost and that maybe fate and true love don’t exist the revelation comes that Summer was all part of fate’s plan for Tom and then the love of his life is just round the corner. This film borrows a lot from the logic of How I Met Your Mother.

Overall, this is a romantic comedy unlike anything else, both of the leads are great, and the ending is uplifting. Defiantly something to get you through the hard times.

Pros.

The ending.

The quirkiness.

The two leads.

The non-linear time structure.

Cons.

Misleading for people wanting to see a rom com as this isn’t that.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Stitches: Clowning Around

Stitches is an Irish comedy horror film directed by Conor McMahon. The plot revolves around a Clown (Ross Nobel), who dies during a performance because of the actions of a group of children. 6 years later he rises from the grave, to finish his performance and get his revenge.

This film had been in my periphery for some time, but I hadn’t seen it until just the other day, clown horror is usually quite hit or miss for me, though I do have a fear of clowns. The new IT films didn’t do much for me, I preferred the miniseries, however this and Clown from a few years ago, I believe are excellent clown horror, and capture both the demented fun of clowns, but also their underlying creepiness.

The horror in this film is quite good Stitches, the clown, is scary and menacing at times, obviously it is played more for laughs and often Stitches is more ridiculously over the top than scary. The gore is fantastic and you can tell a lot of hard work went into it, this film seems to revel in it’s gory spectacle and as such there is a lot of gore on display here, everything from seeing someone gentiles cut off, to someone getting their head blown up like a balloon and then bursting. The gore never feels gratuitous, or wince inducing as it is clearly comedic.

The comedy in this film is also spot on, this is the area where Ross Nobel really shines. The dark gallows humour works really well, but so does the more surreal jokes, they all land and this film manages to be both scary and funny; this film should be a template for how to do comedy horror, as it doesn’t sacrifice one for the other.

The young cast are all serviceable enough and the will they wont they love story between Tom (Tommy Knight) and Kate (Gemma Lean Devereux), is sweet and touching. However none of this matter as this is Stitches’ (Ross Nobel’s), film and every second he is on screen is a treat.

Overall, one of the best films I have seen recently a definite must watch if you haven’t already!

Pros.

Ross Nobel.

The Comedy.

The Horror.

The wider clown mythology.

The sweet romance.

Cons.

None

5/5

Dead Hooker In The Trunk: A Canadian Badass

Dead Hooker In A Trunk is a horror film directed by the Soska Sisters. The film revolves around a corpse that ends up in the trunk of Badass’ (Sylvia Soska) car. She can’t be sure whether or not she was involved in the death, so she decides to bury the body with the help of her sister Geek (Jen Soska), a young christen man called Goody Two Shoes (C.J Wallis) and her friend junkie (Rikki Gagne).

The Soska Sisters are probably my favourite horror directors, they have yet to make a bad film, even See No Evil 2 was better for their involvement. I have seen all their films barring their first, which as of the time of writing I have just seen and am now writing about.

The reason why I love this film so much is because of the grindhouse esque, exploitation feel of it, it reminded me in a lot of ways of the early work of Robert Rodriguez, which is high praise indeed. The gore was fantastically over the top and messy, the bit when Geek gets hit in the back of the head and her eye comes out made me both laugh and cheer it was fantastic.

Both of the sisters are fantastic in their roles, they were easily my favourite characters in the film and stood head and shoulder above everyone else, though Goody Two Shoes is also hilarious and has some great lines. I for one think Sylvia Soska makes for a very believable action star and all of her action sequences are really well done.

Moreover, the romantic subplot between Geek and Goody Two Shoes really warmed by heart, I have always been in favour of a good romance in horror films and this one is pitch perfect.

The one issue I had with the film was that the ending was out of synch, the audio and the video didn’t move at the same time and it was jarring and it took me out of it, however, I won’t mark the film down for this as it might not have been the fault of the film it might have been my internet at fault.

Overall, much like the Sisters other work this film is a triumph, simply superb.

Pros.

The gore.

The grindhouse feel.

The Soska Sisters are great.

The action and scope is impressive.

The romantic subplot.

Cons.

None.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Keeping Mum: Maggie Smith As A Cold Blooded Killer

Keeping Mum is a comedy crime film directed by Niall Johnson. The plot sees the Goodfellow family get a new housekeeper Grace (Maggie Smith), who seems to be able to fix all of the family’s problems. However, it is revealed that Grace is harbouring a dark secret, she is a murderer, from there hilarity and heart ensue.

This film has one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen, Maggie Smith is terrific as always, she plays a craziest murderer well, but one that is only killing to help her family. She plays the character like a kindly old lady with a dark streak. The rest of the good fellow family is also perfect, Rowan Atkinson as Vicar Goodfellow is sweet and bumbling and his romance with his wife that is cheating on him, but then comes around to see the light, is really nice and wholesome.

What’s more Gloria Goodfellow (Kristen Scott Thomas), relationship with her mum Grace is also incredibly well done, and the ending that shows that Gloria has carried on her mother murderous legacy is a nice way to end it.

I think this film is also a triumph for British comedy as it is genuinely funny through and through, there are a lot of laughs in this film’s hour and a half runtime. Most of these hilarious lines come from Maggie Smith, who is easily one of the funniest British performers.

The kills aren’t very gory, so if you are going into this film for the horror or the gore side of things then the film probably won’t do much for you. This film is far more of a heartfelt comedy than anything else.

Overall, this might be one of the best, funniest British dark comedies out there, Smith and Atkinson are both doing a great job and the message of the film is surprisingly heartfelt and sweet. More likely to make you laugh than give you chills this is a must see!

Pros.

It is genuinely funny.

It has great heart.

All of the actors are doing great jobs.

Patrick Swayze is in it.

Cons.

The kills aren’t very gory.

3.5/5.

Reviewed by Luke