True Lies: Abducting Your Wife And Forcing Her To Almost Cheat As You Think She Is Cheating On You

Summary

A husband, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and wife, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, become tied up in the spy game.

An Arnold Schwarzenegger action film whilst he was still roughly in his prime is an inherently appealing prospect, however, this film feels deeply rooted in the Nineties and I don’t mean that in a good way. In many senses a lot of the cliches and toxic ideas of the decade do bleed through, the way Schwarzenegger’s character treats his wife is incredibly dated and borderline sociopathic yet the film wants us to think it is okay and justified.

The action of the film is fun in an over the top extremely macho sort of way, Schwarzenegger can break men’s necks with just a quick snap of the neck no struggle at all. Though I would say that the poor CGI does mean that some of these action sequences age poorly and come off looking like an early video game.

In terms of performance Schwarzenegger seems to be having a lot of fun, but Jamie Lee Curtis is incredibly one note and plays the bored yet still loyal housewife cliché, her character lacks any kind of depth.

Overall, fun but incredibly dated.

3/5

Pros.

Schwarzenegger

The over the top action

It is unintentionally hilarious

Cons.

Curtis

Incredibly dated

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White Noise: I Had To Check Whether Hitler Studies Was A Real Thing, That Is The State Of The World

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A family cope with the after effects of a toxic chemical leak.

I don’t really know what was going on with this film, there were so many disparate plot elements happening here that meant any kind of meaningful story simply couldn’t be found. One second they will all be in the town shelter talking about the effects of the airborne toxin, and the next they were back in the family home talking about something else entirely. I would say from a narrative point of view this film is all over the place in such a way that it feels hyperactive.

Moreover, as other reviewers have said there is a certain sense of pretentiousness here for sure, the film is clearly made for a certain type of person and that person is someone who is very much the cinephile. I would say to my own enjoyment of the feature that I found myself laughing and was genuinely engrossed in the goings on that I could make out and understand, but there were times when I was laughing at the film, unintentionally so on its part, wherein I was laughing at just how pretentious it was.

The acting is fairly good Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig steal the show, but Don Cheadle does come in with some great moments as well, so I would say it is a toss up between all three. Though If I were forced to pick I would probably pick Gerwig as her scene in which she talks about trading sex for pills is quite moving.

Overall, not quite as good as Baumbach’s efforts with Adam Sandler, but still mostly enjoyable.

3/5

Pros.

Gerwig

Driver and Cheadle

It is fun and even funny at times

Cons.

It is very pretentious in parts

It is trying to do and be too much

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Uncle Buck: What Is John Hughes’ Problem?

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

After the parents of a trio of children go out of town in is down to their somewhat alternative Uncle, played by John Candy, to look after them for a few weeks.

I thought this film was a delight, it had a lot of the good wholesome family fun of Home Alone with the added charm of a John Candy at the top of his game. Truly this film reminds you of just how much of a talent Candy was, he was gone far too soon.

The comedy of the film isn’t a hit a minute but far more jokes land than don’t. Moreover, the characters are written in such a way that they are all very easy to root for, I would say that John Candy’s Uncle Buck is the star of the show though he is challenged for top spot by a scene stealing Macaulay Culkin.

My one complaint, and for those of you who have read my reviews for a long time you will know what it is going to be, yes that’s right its is John Hughes obsession with sexual assault. There were many other ways they could have shown that the teen daughter’s, played by Jean Louisa Kelly, boyfriend, played by Jay Underwood, was bad, they didn’t need to have a scene where a girl is repeatedly saying no to his sexual advances. It is both uncomfortable and clashes horribly with the family friendly tone of the rest of the film, what Hughes’ problem was God only knows. This felt like a completely needless addition.

3.5/5

Overall, fun but stained by unnecessary darkness.

Pros.

Candy

The jokes

The wholesome family vibe for the most part

Culkin

Cons.

The deeply unnecessary sexual assault plotline

It has tonal issues

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The Banshees Of Inisherin: Talk To Your Friends, Don’t Let It Get To This Point

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A friendship breaks down in rural Ireland.

I thought that this film was just the right amount of funny and sad, and shows how Martin McDonagh finally has his light side and his dark side under control, near perfect tonal balance.

The paring of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson works tremendously well and the two play off each other really well. Additionally Kelly Condon and Barry Keoghan add a nice flavour to the film and do make their presence known despite only having relatively small roles. There is a lot of depth to both the world and the characters that inhabit it within this film.

I found the film to be quite funny, it made me laugh several times, however, I will say that the humour didn’t always land and sometimes the elevation and ramping up of the drama between the two men just felt silly rather than earned. Perhaps this was a deliberate intent to reinforce the futility of the feud to begin with, but rather than not I feel like a few of the twists and turns within the narrative are shoved in for cheap shock value, and that is to the films detriment.

Overall, a funny and well done film, that does border on the ridiculous at times

4/5

Pros.

Farrell and Gleeson

It is funny

The characters feel deep and the world feels aching to be explored

The supporting cast also have moments to shine

Cons.

The escalation at times feels done for shock value rather than in service of the story

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The Noel Diary: A Strong Sense Of The Familiar

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Justin Hartley plays a writer who must return to his childhood home and face the demons he has been running from as he clears out his dead mother’s possessions.

In terms of Christmas rom-coms this film is fairly bang average, there is nothing much to write about with it. The plot of a successful man returning home, confronting his past, making peace with it all the while falling in love with a local girl, played by Barrett Doss, is all very by the numbers for this sort of film. Again it seems like someone with a checklist is crossing off story beats as the film progresses, there is no element of surprise or the new here.

Hartly and Doss are fine, they are both serviceable enough but have neither the charm nor the chemistry to liven this film up. James Remar briefly lights up proceedings but he is barely in the film and after we have met him his absence is sorely felt.

Overall, serviceable but nothing more than that.

2.5/5

Pros.

It is watchable

Remar brings something to the film but is mostly underused

It is fairly short

Cons.

It is predictable and been there done that

It is poorly paced

It is boring

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Violent Night: A Father Christmas You Can Relate Too

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

After having lost his Christmas spirit Father Christmas, played by David Harbour, becomes caught up in a home invasion and must fight to save Christmas.

I thought this film was damn near excellent. My one complaint would be that we have seen the grizzled veteran who doesn’t want to fight anymore, who doesn’t know where they stand in the world anymore, or even whether they want to carry on any more character trope so, so many times before that it feels a little repetitive. Also having a child restoring this person’s faith in either themselves or the world only adds to the cliché.

That aside this film is just what I wanted it to be, a silly gory good time. I think the tone manages to perfectly capture both the seriousness and the humour of the situation, dark things do happen but it is all taken in good humour. The film is actually quite surprisingly funny with a lot of good commentary and strong one liners that will have you laughing not just as you watch the film but also when you remember them later on your way home.

However, I think the main strength of this film is David Harbour. As I said not long after watching the film on Twitter, if you cast anyone else in the role of Santa Claus this film would be infinitely worse. Harbour pulls off not just the physicality for the fight scenes but also the likeability to make you want him to beat the home invaders and be reunited with his wife at the end of the film.

Overall, a lot of fun and David Harbour really shines.

4.5/5

Pros.

Harbour

The gore

The silliness

The message

You genuinely end up caring about Santa and Mrs Claus

Cons.

The characters are cliches

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Eight Crazy Nights: Adam Sandler’s Actual Worst Film Ever

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Adam Sandler makes an adult animated film about Hanukkah and it turns out worse than even his biggest critics would expect.

This film is such a horrible stinker that in its relatively short runtime of 76 minutes I had to turn it off multiple times and take breaks from it just to be able to finish it. Honestly there is nothing funny about this film at all, which makes it highly problematic as a supposed comedy film.

I think the biggest reason why this is so awful is because of just how mean spirited the whole thing is. Obviously at the outset of the film Sandler’s character is supposed to be a jerk, he has written and sings a whole song about how much he hates the holidays and other people, but then the follow through would be that as the film gets further along he will be more and more redeemed yet that doesn’t happen here. Not by a long shot.

On top of that I don’t find anything funny about a grown man making fun of an overweight child or a kindly old man, or any number of other seemingly innocent figures around town that Sandler’s character mocks for being different to him. I want to clarify that I am no shrinking violet, I am not the sort that if they see something problematic in a film would immediately turn it off, but I think there is a clear line in the sand for everyone individually between good and bad taste and I think in my own personal definition of that this film’s jokes are firmly placed in cruel, needless and thoroughly in bad taste.

Overall, a horrible film that Adam Sandler should be ashamed of.

0/5

Pros.

None

Cons.

It is unpleasant

The whole thing is in bad taste

Sandler is hateable here

There is no character redemption

It may be one of the worst films Sandler has ever made

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Your Christmas Or Mine: Whoever Wrote This Doesn’t Understand England As Country Or How People Interact

1.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

After parting at Christmas a young couple decide to surprise each other by getting onto the other’s train, but are then both surprised when the other isn’t there and has to spend Christmas with their families.

I found this film infuriating, the writing is so damn poor that any chance it ever had of being a new Christmas based rom-com to be remembered for years to come is quickly squandered in the first few minutes. The fact that it takes them a long time to even have the character explain the mix up to their other halves’ family and until that point just has them be a stranger in the household that no one questions is baffling.

Asa Butterfield does make for a likeable lead but the rest of the cast are either miscast, going through the motions or are non-entities, what is really shocking is how the film wastes some veteran performers as well.

The central romance is fairly weak and all the trials and tribulations the pair have to go through are nothing you haven’t seen done better before.

Overall, an incredibly poorly written Christmas rom-com.

Pros.

Butterfield is trying

It is unintentionally hilarious

Cons.

The writing is terrible

It wastes some great actors

The wider casting is all wrong

The pace is very much off

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Blockbuster: The Irony Of Netflix Making A Streaming Series About A Company They Put Out Of Business

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A comedy series revolving around the last remaining Blockbuster.

In many ways this show reminded me of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, not just because Melissa Fumero is in both, however, I should follow that comparison up by saying that it reminded me off the early seasons of that show when it was still finding its feet because whilst this show has some promise it is by no means perfect.

In my view the main draw of the show is the relationship between Fumero’s Eliza and Randall Park’s Timmy, the will they wont they aspect. I think both of these two characters are well developed and are interesting enough for you to care about their lives and want to see them end up together. The rest of the cast, however, are far weaker and less explored, they quickly become the definition of take them or leave them and they add little of value to the show.

The comedy of the show is again patchy there are a number of great bits spread over the run of the first season, but there are also a lot of misses, probably more misses than hits in terms of the season as a whole.

Overall, this is fine background viewing, but becomes a little bit harder to watch if you start paying attention. Not without charm and promise but very rough around the edges.

3/5

Pros

Fumero

Park

A few funny jokes

Cons

The supporting cast are mostly non-entities

There are also a number of misses when it comes to the comedy

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Interview With Writer/Co-Director Adam Leader And Co-Director/DOP Richard Oakes: Feed Me

Written by Luke Barnes

I recently had the chance to interview Writer/ Co-Director Adam Leader and Co-Director/ DOP Richard Oakes about their new horror comedy film Feed Me, which follows a guy in his quest to kill himself by Cannibal. In this interview we discuss processing trauma, finding love whether in others and or yourself and cannibal horror films.I hope you enjoy.

Q: What Was Your Message With This Film?

AD: We wanted to tell a relatable story of grief and trauma through the power of shock, gore and comedy; something we love. We wanted to make a movie that, first and foremost we were fans of so that no matter what, we could be proud when the world saw it.

RO: There are a few messages in this film, Learning to love yourself when you have low self-worth and guilt is one that resonates with me. It’s amazing what a difference to your life a little self-respect and understanding can have.

Q: What Was Your Favourite Moment From The Film?

AD: For me, it’s the final dream sequence in the woods where Jed and Olivia profess their love for each other. Liv is a figment of his imagination; and what Jed always perceived to be the devil on his shoulder fuelling his tumultuous journey, turned out to be his inner voice motivating him to fight for his life; she was his arc. That scene alone is like a massive breath of fresh air for Jed; his arc comes to this bittersweet conclusion that allows him to finally be at peace with himself before it’s too late.

RO: I Think I like the scene when Jed Finally stands up to Lionel and Lionel shows his true colours to Jed. It’s when Lionel unveils his true nasty. From there to the end is really special to me as Lionel’s character falls apart.

Q: How Inspired Were You By The Real Events?

AD: The fact that a man responded to an advert for being eaten alive and went ahead with it was inspiration enough. That in itself is so bizarre that we just had to use it as the premise for FEED ME. It’s ironic how the most unbelievable part of this movie has actually happened in real life.

Q: To What Extent Is This Film A Metaphor For Moving On And Dealing With Loss?

AD: If you lose the comedy, you’re left with an underlying subtext entirely focused on low self-worth & grief and how one overcomes it. The interesting part is how two traumatized people who are similar in so many ways can connect so well, yet go in completely different directions for better or worse, much like real life.

RO: Yes it’s about dealing with the internal demons that plague you through loss and overcoming the self-destructive nature that inevitably follows the loss of a loved one, again letting go of guilt and learning to love yourself again.

Q: What Is Your Favourite Cannibal Film?

AD: Of more recent times, it would have to be the new Dahmer series. That’s the best thing I’ve seen in a long time, let alone this year. Evan Peters is God.

RO: I would have to say Alive, it’s a fascinating film that I watched as a Kid that shows the real triumph of the human spirit against unbelievable odds and circumstances

Q: How Did You Manage The Tone Between The Comedic Elements And The Darker Ones?

AD: By wearing our hearts on our sleeves with the direction and being fully open to giving the actors the floor to experiment. From the get-go, we wanted this movie to be sprinkled with our sense of humour. It’s who we are as people, and to abstain from implementing our own personalities into our art would have resulted in a mediocre movie that lacked integrity.

RO: Like Adam said, the Comedy is very much a part of who we are and we wanted to stay true to that. The balance just came as a natural result of the way we wanted to pace it.

Q: Do You Have Any Funny Stories From Production?

AD: Neal Ward running naked through the set searching for a blood pump sticks out for me.

RO: One scene was so funny that I laughed so hard that a little wee came out.

Q: Future Plans, Sequels, Spin-Offs and Other Projects?

AD: A sequel is doubtful but there’s another project in the works that’ll hopefully see the light of day in 2023. Somebody did float the idea of doing a spin off about the two cops. I think that’d be amazing and I’d love to do a miniseries on those two bozos never solving anything.

RO: We have thrown a few sequel or prequel ideas around, but to be honest we are not really those people. I guess it also depends on demand. If FEED ME ever became cult status and there was a market for a sequel you never know.

Q: Do you Have Any Words Of Wisdom For Filmmakers Who Are Just Starting Out?

AD: Make films for you, not for others and be prepared for an uphill struggle; filmmaking is all about problem solving. Anything worth doing is never easy, but the personal reward dominates any salary in a career you’re not truly passionate about. Money doesn’t buy happiness; being open, honest and true to yourself does.

RO: START! I have lost count of the people who have told me they are working on a film but are waiting for the perfect conditions etc. These people never make a film. Myself & Adam are very much doers and we will break down barriers preventing that from happening rather than using every little hiccup as an excuse not to start.

If you would like to check out Feed Me for yourself keep an eye out for it on all good VOD platforms

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