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Surveillance
Stay Cool
Amiable, returning-to-your-hometown comedy drama from the Polish Brothers, with a well-cast Winona Ryder.
27th May 2012
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Class
80s derivative of The Graduate - that hasn't held up too well, despite the early brat pack connection.
Halliwell says: Ghastly travesty of The Graduate which aspires to every kind of sophistication it can think of but ends nowhere.
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19th May 2012
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Transformers Dark of the Moon
So OTT I had to watch in two sittings, with a final hour of unprecedented Bayhem.
19th May 2012
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Super 8
Spielberg derivative that's more 'Goonies' than 'ET'. Not unsuccessful, but lacking the master's touch.
14th May 2012
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Breathless
Superficial 80s remake of the New Wave classic. Obviously made an impression on Tarantino.
Halliwell says: Fashionable amalgam of sex and violence, borrowed from A Bout de Souffle but far to long after the event.
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7th May 2012
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Behind Enemy Lines
Surprisingly enjoyable pilot-on-the-run action flick that could've been made in 1986.
2nd May 2012
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Contraband
Efficient smuggling thriller. Mark Wahlberg's turn for one-last-job.
1st May 2012
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River's Edge
It may have moved from video shop shelf-filler to cult classic but the clumsy handling lets this down.
30th Apr 2012
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Mr Mom
Dated, but amusing prototype John Hughes flick. Everybody learns something. You fill in the rest.
15th Apr 2012
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Your Highness
Get your quest on, as Eastbound and Down goes retro in this swords and sorcery comedy. Stupid/funny.
14th Apr 2012
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Warrior
Contrived, convoluted, testosterone filled fight flick, worthy of an 80s VHS rental.
2nd Apr 2012
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Take Me Home Tonight
Some laughs as Topher Grace tries period 80s post-college partycom. Rubik's Cube w new stickers.
21st Mar 2012
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Fast Five
Furiously paced ensemble heist movie. A muscle car next to Danny Ocean's vintage Porsche.
17th Mar 2012
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John Carter
An uneasy mix of sandals, sci-fi, Superman and cowboys that holds together, but never quite takes off.
3rd Mar 2012
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Hanna
Abstract, ambitious, pretentious, graphical, European art house thriller. Like Wes Anderson doing Bourne.
2nd Mar 2012
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Battle Los Angeles
Stylish, directionless, underdeveloped video game shoot 'em up. Black Hawk Down with aliens.
11th Feb 2012
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I'm Not There
This novel, stylish, pretentious biopic fails to make the most of its biggest asset...Bob Dylan's music.
10th Feb 2012
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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
More mindless big budget tentpole antics. Nothing new to report, Cap'n.
30th Jan 2012
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The Adjustment Bureau
Unsteady retro sci-fi with religious undertones - that once might have starred Jimmy Stewart.
21st Jan 2012
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It's Kind of a Funny Story
Disappointing blend of Cuckoo's Nest and 500 Days. @Galifianakisz saves the day again.
14th Jan 2012
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Sinoia Caves
The Enchanter Persuaded
Moody synth soundscapes from @_blackmountain_ 's Jeremy Schmidt.
12th Jan 2012
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Mesrine Part 2: Public Enemy No 1
More expensive, directionless French gangster antics. With added Almaric.
4th Jan 2012
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Gulliver's Travels
Unambitious, child friendly update to the classic tale.
2nd Jan 2012
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Cool World
Early 90's car crash, as Ralph Bakshi's kaleidoscopic fountain of ideas collides with the mainstream.
30th Dec 2011
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Tamara Drewe
Middle class village life literary shagathon. Like a decent posh pub lunch.
24th Dec 2011
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Irreversible
Brutal, context-free trawl through a seedy underworld as reverse trauma unfolds. Get your sea legs on.
17th Dec 2011
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The Driver
Moody, but flat and dull original car chase movie with Ryan O'Neal. More influential than it is good.
Halliwell says: Noisy melodrama, very proficient in the screeching tyro department but extremely empty as a character.*
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11th Dec 2011
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Season of the Witch
Surprisingly snappy hokus pokus with Nic Cage and Clay Morrow.
10th Dec 2011
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Amazing Grace
Solid, unambitious, but occasionally rousing William Wilberforce biopic.
7th Dec 2011
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Middle Men
Derivative, wanna-be Boogie Nights romp through the history of Internet porn.
3rd Dec 2011
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Life As We Know It
Unsurprising rom-com with a tragic edge, but none of the flair of 'Knocked Up'.
1st Dec 2011
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Made In Dagenham
Skimpy 1960's women's lib drama. Well acted, but woefully underwritten.
14th Nov 2011
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Rabbit Hole
Slight, small scale character study as Kidman and Eckhart deal with the loss of their son.
14th Nov 2011
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Easy A
Cocky teenage comedy, featuring lots of people talking over the top of each other.
1st Nov 2011
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Due Date
Nicely costumed but otherwise unremarkable inflight entertainment. Planes, Trains meets Old School.
31st Oct 2011
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The American
Dry, pretentious European-style thriller with Clooney in full Nescafé mode.
15th Oct 2011
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Nowhere Boy
Dull, biography-by-numbers of pre-interesting John Lennon from Sam Taylor-Wood.
9th Oct 2011
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The Town
Entertaining heist movie with zero originality. Literally every beat is pinched from another classic.
1st Oct 2011
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Hesher
Uneven, vaguely allegorical, suburban heavy-metal drama with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Natalie Portman.
25th Sep 2011
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The Drums
Portamento
Nowhere near as fresh and punchy as 1st album. Even tempo throughout makes for few peaks
21st Sep 2011
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Ringer
Campy on-the-run mystery w Sarah Michelle Gellar masquerading as her own missing twin. It's double-Bluffy.
19th Sep 2011
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Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Self-important, pseudo i-told-you-so waffle from an ever-tiring Oliver Stone.
13th Sep 2011
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Superman Returns
Big brush strokes can't save Singer's surprisingly mundane and dreary take on the Superman legend.
29th Aug 2011
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Dinner For Schmucks
Convoluted comedy made bearable by cameos from Zach @Galifianakisz, Jermaine and Chris O'Dowd.
3rd Aug 2011
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The Lovely Bones
Schmaltzy drama, re-treading Jackson's own The Frighteners. And the godawful What Dreams May Come.
31st Jul 2011
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Falling Skies
80s style alien invasion w Noah Wyle leading human fight. Starts after invasion: less exposition.
5th Jul 2011
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Maid In Manhattan
Old fashioned romance that's solidly made with few surprises.
3rd Jul 2011
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Twin Shadow
Forget
Relatively ambitious, 80's tinged indie disco. Like Elbow on drugs.
21st Jun 2011
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Neil Young
A Treasure
Unremarkable, newly unearthed, country-tinged live album from a mid-80's Neil.
20th Jun 2011
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Predators
Inventive, but hokey, shallow sequel ...bringing Robert Rodriguez's A-Game.
11th Jun 2011
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