The Machinist

How did Christian Bale get so thin for this role? In parts of it he looks like a concentration camp victim. Its a strange film and to complicated to go into the detail now. But worth seeing the new Batman in an even darker role than the Dark Knight

Dexter Series 2

Currently my favourite anti hero on TV. Dexter is just a great watch. If you have got sky due tune in to FX. Though it will be replayed later on the main channels later in the year, though how could you wait that long if you watched the first series.....

After thedeath of the Ice Truck killer (Dexters brother) at the end of series 1, series 2 kicks of with Dexter losing some of this clinical serial killer cool, missing / botching a couple of kills of deserving people. Things get worse when his dumping ground for odies is discovered in the sea and so the cops know someone is out there to catch. Will they get on to Dexter? Will he regain his killer ways? Tune in for the rest of the series to find out.

X-Files new movie

Hmmm.... as a big fan of the early series of the X-files this movie is a real disappointment, in fact its crap. How was this film any different than a normal episode? It was actually weaker once you realise how long it is and how padded out with irrelevant stuff. It firstly suffers as other conversions of TV programmes to film where they feel each programme to set out the backgrounds of the characters, just in case the audience were not previously Xfiles fans. Which of course if you werent why would you have gone to see this in the first place? The more recent Star Trek Next Generation films suffered from this, where they repeatedly had to explain Data and his emotion chip etc

They also seem to need to parachute in all the well loved characters from the series, hency Skinner gets an appearance towards the end which just doesnt stand scrutiny. But then nor does much of the rest of the plot.

The story of a body parts and the link to a psychic are quite weak and previous episodes of the Xfiles covered it better. It is clear why the series was terminated because they had obviously run our of any new story lines.

Please no more TV series film conversions, they are just not up to the mark

Mongol

Really like Mongol as a movie, far more entertain and less epic than I was expecting. He was a cute little boy, who really was good at escaping, though it did become a little to, oh look hes escaped again!

I now want to find out more about that Khan and see how it really was. He did come across as a nice guy and I am sure that wasn't the truth....

Rotten Tomatoes

The place I go to find out information on movies and really just to see the % that people give the films. It seems to be a fairly good indicator of what will be a good movie and definitely what will be a terrible one.

Rotten Tomatoes Site

No Country for Old Men

This oscar nominated film by the Cohen brothers is the biggest thing around at the moment. Reviews from critics and fans on sites such as Rotten Tomates are higher than I have seen and so I went with great expectation to see this movie. I try not to know to much about one I am going to see before going though as I prefer not to know the plot before I see a film.

I have to say though I did find No Country quite a disturbing movie. The level of violence and its shear brutality was off the scale and left me a little depressed. The storys main character is an hitman who is cold and very efficient and doesnt mind collateral damage and popping extra people along the way who get in his way, or for that matter, dont. One scene shows him buying petrol from a little old man at a road stop, when the chap ask how he is, it almost turns into his execution. Only a flip of a coin save the man. A chilling movie and I guess I am already an Old Man for it to mae me so sad.

It may have been the mood I was in that night, and I am not entirely sure I got everything the movie was trying to say to me, and as a Cohen film the plot and results are unconventional, but I dont want to give anything aways by giving you the details. Any do go and see it and explain what it was all about to me!

Cineworld Unlimited

For a Xmas present this year I decide to ask for a Cineworld Unlimited card. For £11.99 you get to watch as many movie as you like per month completely free. With so many movies out this January I am having a bumper time of visits to the cinema which would normally cost more than £8 per visit. I thought January was ment to be a bad month for release?

Anyway I can definitely recommend the card if you like movies, now all I have to do it kick the popcorn and it could be a very cheap trip...

Charlie Wilsons War

I really liked this movie. Sometimes true life is better than anything a fiction novel could come up with. From start to finish the movie really flows with out a minutes gasp for breath. Fine performance from the all star cast as well.

The Synopsis? Charlie Wilson, American Senator who is a drug taking womaniser, is persuade by local socialite (Julie Roberts) to help support Afgan resistence movement against the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. He is persuaded and succeeds in raising American support from 5 million to over 1 billion dollars a year. Sadly whilst the campaign is a success the follow up humanitarian / education support that should have followed doesnt arrive, and political comments in the film is that we all know what happened next because of that......

The Kite Runner

Lovely moving film, well worth a trip to the movies for. Now time to read the book and see if its even better..

Beowulf 3D also excellent really made me feel like I was in the movie. 2 Great movies in a month wow...

I am Legend however was below par. Really needed to bring something new to the genre. But it held fews surprises, cant fault it on its own but the zombie end of the world movie has been covered so many times to trot out the same senario

& tonights movie is Altered....

Babysitting on my own tonight, so left to choose from the films on Sky. Well Altered was perhaps not the best choice. I am not sure why, "By the makers of the Blair Witch Project" appealed, as I couldnt stand that movie (to much yelling and screaming if you ask me). Altered sees a group of abducties capturing one of their alien abducters. What follows is a claustrophobic tale of escape, recapture, death etc as the friends have a heated debate as to what to do with the alien, who seems to be incapable of death. The low budget is obvious, the deaths of the characters inevitable and predictable in what seem to me very unrealistic scenes. Though the mystery keeps you watching as you never quite know where the film makers are going to take you.

An okay movie, probably more suitable for a teen audience late at night.

5/10 Cheap thrills horror look at a well covered scifi subject.

Heroes v Lost

Amazing amazing. Just love this show. So much more entertaining than Lost, which lost me with its never ending clap trap of a plot.

Heroes moved swiftly on, not afraid to kill of the odd character now and again. Though my only thought was the end of season conclusion seemed some what rushed after the long build up.

Looking forward to series 2 very much. Now which special power would I have....

Pirate of the part 2 and 3

The first one was excellent, funny, adventues, though a little long. parts 2 and 3's only similarity is being way way to long. Boring! Does an over blown pointless scripts conjured just to enable the producers to reintroduce all the same characters as the first movie, plus a few more news for good measure, really make a movie worth watching. Well no actually. It just makes for tedium. Same jokes, same walks, sames expressions, just not funny. But people still went in their droves. Are we that sad people?

3/10 Yawm even with special effects.

The Bridge to Terabithia

I went to see this movie some time ago. Did know anything about it at the time except that it was by the makers of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Thinking kids film the 4 year old and me went for an afternoons viewing. Now whilst there are a few fantasy creatures lurking the link to LWW is a complete misdirection. However it mattered not, as I was glad to have been suckered for once. What a magical tale of childhood. The acting from the 2 main leads was excellent and the twist towards the end had me in floods of tears. I'm a hardened male so this is not normal behavourier. A very moving tale of school, relationships, friends, family, loss and more. Sure it wash over my girl but I was moved and sad for days afterwards...

9/10 Not to be missed family movie

Surfs Up or was it?

Surfs Up... hmmm not sure it was all the way.... The 4 year old and me sat through this quite short movie. The premise was clever. A Childrens animated story featuring Surfing penguins but filmed in the style of a documentary on one of the contestants in a competition. Following hot on the heels of this years Happy Feet, it never quite captures the magic of that movie. The gags are okay but a little limp and the lack of music is telling. The little one was clearly fairly bored, though she did think it was cool to say Yo Dude 10 times after leaving the cinema, not entirely sure thats a great enhancement to her vocab.

5/10 - okay but really lacking in magic