All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
Oct 20, 2013Slasher Film
Quite why this received a theatrical release is a major scratch of the head. A slasher film that is slickly put together but beneath that a work of thorough ordinariness
Amber Heard
The Stepfather (2009)
Nov 2, 2009Psycho Stepfather
Disastrous remake of the classic 80s horror film, which comes shorn of its biting satire on Family Values and turned into just another teen horror film
Zombieland (2009)
Nov 3, 2009Zombie Comedy
Enjoyable zombie comedy that has been regarded as a classic by many and contains an appealing nonchalant sense of humour and some great performances, even if it owes much to Shaun of the Dead
The Ward (2010)
Jun 16, 2011Haunted Asylum
John Carpenter returned to the director's chair after more than a decade but failed to light the world on fire. Carpenter makes what you could call a ghost story version of Girl, Interrupted. The scares are tame and the film is hamstrung by an improbable M. Night Shyamalan twist ending
And Soon the Darkness (2010)
Jan 29, 2011Stalked Tourists Psycho-Thriller
Another pointless 1970s remake, in this case of the little-known British psycho-thriller about two tourists stalked in the French countryside (now transplanted to Argentina) with ho-hum results
Drive Angry (2011)
Feb 26, 2011Occult Car Chase Film
Essentially a supernatural version of a 1970s car chase movie with Nicolas Cage as a motorist who has escaped from Hell to settle a score. This makes a play for the trashy and absurd and comes out all the more entertaining for it
Machete Kills (2013)
Oct 12, 2013Gonzo Action Film
Robert Rodriguez turns his earlier action film into an insanely creative comic-book overflowing with SF devices (and homages). The casting alone is side-splitting and Rodriguez's visual absurdism wins the day
Justice League (2017)
Dec 30, 2017Comic-Book Superheroes
Zack Snyder completes his run through DC superheroes with mixed results. The introduction of the characters works well but Snyder too readily throws established continuity out the window, while the visual dourness becomes tedious
Aquaman (2018)
Mar 16, 2019Comic-Book Merman Superhero
A few years ago Aquaman was regarded as a joke among superheroes. James Wan dispels any notion of Aquaman's wimpiness in a series of jaw-dropping effects sequences that propel this ahead of anything the MCU is doing at the moment
London Fields (2018)
Jul 6, 2020Near Future/Femme Fatale/Precognitive Dream
Based on an acclaimed book, once to be directed by David Cronenberg. This opened to bad reviews but is not uninteresting. A near future setting, precognitive dreams and Amber Heard as a sizzling femme fatale
The Stand (2020-2021)
Mar 5, 2021Showdown Between the Forces of Good and Evil After the Collapse of Civilisation/Stephen King Adaptation
The Stand is in my opinion Stephen King’s greatest book. The question is whether this new mini-series version will improve on the laughably failed 1994 version
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Mar 27, 2021Comic-Book Superheroes
Zack Snyder’s original cut of Justice League is a magnificent work that restores much character depth and story. I would far rather watch this than any of the recent MCU films
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
Feb 10, 2024Comic-Book Merman Superhero
The sequel to the DCEU’s Aquaman reaches for epic effects spectacle, although the character of Aquaman undergoes a substantial shift and is now given more of a comedy playing