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The Muppets
Well pitched, post-modern reboot, with added Brettie - so be warned, it is an actual musical.
6th Jan 2013
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We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen
Engaging niche documentary, featuring a punk who's-who of talking heads.
3rd Jan 2013
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Desperately Seeking Susan
A great story helps carry this career-launching slice of 80s New York cool briskly along.
Halliwell says: Mildly diverting romantic mystery which could have been both funnier and more thrilling.*
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3rd Jan 2013
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The Descendants
Mellow, laid back Hawaiian dramedy - with a touching performance from a low-key George Clooney.
2nd Jan 2013
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Arbitrage
A late capitalism post-Wall St nightmare for NYC CEO Richard Gere to wriggle out of in a cashmere trench.
2nd Jan 2013
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Buried
Tense and inventive one-man thriller that piles on the suspense, but wears a little thin as you might expect.
1st Jan 2013
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The Bourne Legacy
Jeremy Renner runs into M Damon's shoes in this efficient franchise extension. Rachel Weisz roped in.
1st Jan 2013
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The Princess Bride
Witty, totally enjoyable fairy tale romp, with Homeland's Saul sans beard. Modern classic.
Halliwell says: Rather strained fantasy with occasional bright moments.*
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31st Dec 2012
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Valley Girl
Influential teen-punk-rock-angst movie template. High on cred, low on plot.
31st Dec 2012
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What Just Happened?
Engaging, stylish black comedy with DeNiro on rare decent form. Great Bruce WIllis beard cameo.
31st Dec 2012
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Moon
Ambitious, stylish, old fashioned low-budget sci-fi that takes a while to find it's feet, but pays off nicely.
30th Dec 2012
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Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows
Noisy, shapeless sequel, sacrificing pace and clarity for style and set pieces.
30th Dec 2012
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The Sitter
Lame attempt to modernise the brat pack movies of the 80s. Light on LOLs.
29th Dec 2012
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2046
Incomprehensible, semi-futuristic rehash from Wong Kar Wai, who is seemingly out of fresh ideas and fading fast.
29th Dec 2012
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Foul Play
Chevy almost plays it straight in this late 70s comedy-thriller, while Goldie Hawn does the screwball.
Halliwell says: Sometimes sprightly, sometimes tired rehash of Hitchcock elements, rather on the level of the similar Silver Streak.*
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28th Dec 2012
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The Guilt Trip
Seth Rogen & Barbra Streisand drive each other a bit nuts. Amiable momcom, good chemistry underused.
28th Dec 2012
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Bad Santa
Unflinchingly depraved Xmas comedy, with a career-defining performance of Lebowski-esque proportions.
27th Dec 2012
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It's A Wonderful Life
Inspiring, slow-burning sentimental Christmas classic with vintage waterworks finale. \#BTTFII.
Halliwell says: Superbly assembled small-town comedy drama in a fantasy framework; arguably Capra's best and most typical work.****
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26th Dec 2012
Read more 4 star reviews
The Adventures of Tintin
Spielberg brings a bit of mo-cap Indiana Jones action to the Belgian man-child.
26th Dec 2012
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Hugo
Touching homage to cinema from that guy that did Goodfellas, tucked away behind a broad brushstrokes kids film.
25th Dec 2012
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Celeste & Jesse Forever
LA divorcecom. Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg try to stay BFs post-breakup. Nicely judged.
23rd Dec 2012
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Hope Springs
Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep learn to get it on again with Steve Carrell's guidance. Muted romcom.
23rd Dec 2012
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The Watch
More loose dudecom antics, Richard Ayaode joins Stiller/Hill/Vaughan on suburban neighbourhood patrol.
23rd Dec 2012
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Men In Black 3
Time travel thrown into the MIB template, Josh Brolin makes a good 60s Tommy Lee Jones.
23rd Dec 2012
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Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Tepid dud, sacrificing tension for coincidence and cheap laughs via Simon Pegg.
21st Dec 2012
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Trailer Park: This Is The End
Topical end-of-the-world comedy from Seth Rogen, with the novelty of many stars playing themselves.
21st Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Steves Carrell and Buscemi goofing it up as a pair of illusionists who've lost that magic feeling
21st Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: Zero Dark Thirty
Final trailer up for Kathryn Bigelow's hunt-for-Bin-Laden movie Zero Dark Thirty - currently getting a lot of Oscar buzz, while holding a 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
21st Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: To The Wonder
Terence Malick is knocking them out at the moment... Although Javier looks like he could be piling on the jamon as usual in this one. Via @thefilmstage
19th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: Welcome To The Punch
Trailer up for Welcome To The Punch, from that guy that made Shifty. Exec produced by Ridley Scott and starring a bunch of the usual UK crime suspects.
19th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
12 For 2012
In alphabetical order, here's 12 things I enjoyed in 2012...
Argo
Ben Affleck turns in another great actor/director turn as a CIA agent heading to Iran to rescue hostages during the 1979 revolution with the flimsiest of bad cover stories: a fake Hollywood studio looking to shoot a Star Wars ripoff. Great beards, trenchcoats, 70s soundtrack - and it's all (pretty much) true.
Breaking Bad S5
Magnetic, bitches! Can't wait for the second half. S4 was possibly tighter, but watching Walt's turn to the baaaad side was pretty compelling.
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
Fresh take on modern R&B, adding Sly Stone psych jams to the digital mix.
Game Of Thrones S2
Adding more families, more magic, more dastardly plots and more blood/guts/sexposition to an ever-expanding world.
Girls S1
Cue a stream of "new Sex And The City" / "they're so shocking" / "why is their NY so white?" articles - all interesting points, but it's easy to get sucked up in the phenomenon and lose sight of just how well written this is. Makes up for HBO canning How To Make It In America. Kind of.
Fables
Bill Willingham's ongoing Vertigo series is like Game Of Thrones for fairytales. A great graphic novel drama/thriller/comedy/soap opera.
The Killing III
Focused finale for Forbrydelsen, with Sarah Lund finding love in a hopeless place (another dark room in Denmark where the lights don't work but it's OK because she's got her torch. And Borch).
Lincoln
Total Oscar-bait, will be v surprised if anything manages to beat this when they're dishing them out. Spielberg back to his epic best, showing the mechanics of US government during the Civil War as Lincoln (Daniel Day Lewis) charms, cajoles and tricks his way to the abolition of slavery.
Tame Impala - Lonerism
Aussie psychedelia with bags of personality and tunes.
Toy - Toy
Two tracks pushing beyond the 7 min mark, tight Krautrock beats and Chameleons-style riffing - a promising, solid debut in a post-Horrors space that had multiple repeats at Chimp Towers.
The Walking Dead S3
Zombie action ramped up, more plots, more characters, less time to think "hey, what about..?"
Also CONSUMED & ENJOYED
Modern Family S4, Boardwalk Empire S3, Homeland S2, The Fear, Fresh Meat, Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes, The US Office, Nurse Jackie S4 (another standout performance from Bobby Cannavale - almost as crazy as Gyp Rossetti), Skyfall.
THE STUPIDO DAMN YOU WHY WHY pile
Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises
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17th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
New Studio Ghibli Double Bill For 2013
Studio Ghibli animators Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away) and Isao Takahata (Pom Poko, My Neighbors the Yamadas) will both be releasing films in summer 2013: Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Rises) and Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (The Tale of The Bamboo Cutter).
17th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: Sound City
Dave Grohl puts on his director's hat for this doc about Sound City, an analogue recording studio in San Fernando Valley that produced classic albums from Tom Petty (Southern Accents), Fleetwood Mac (Rumors), Neil Young (After The Gold Rush), QOTSA (Queens of the Stone Age) and Nirvana (Nevermind). Comes with a new album - including that Paul McCartney / rest of Nirvana song they've been playing recently (so that's what brought them together in the first place).
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17th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Midnight In Paris
Light, fun time travel romcom with proxy Woody Allen Owen Wilson meeting 1920s boho greats at night.
17th Dec 2012
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Seven
The edgy extremities may have worn with time but David Fincher's masterpiece still packs an accomplished punch.
16th Dec 2012
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Safe House
Decent coming-of-age CIA thriller, despite the usual OTT Denzel Washington.
15th Dec 2012
Read more 3 star reviewsShort Attention Span Theatre: Ton Eighty
Nice short after a year of sporting glory. Dir Sam Huntley @zoomerfilm
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14th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: Pacific Rim
Another expectation-lowering trailer - this time for Guilermo Del Toro's monsters vs robots flick Pacific Rim. Looks more like CGI Overload vs Bad American Accents, complete with Inception-esque vuvuzela.
13th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: The Lone Ranger
New trailer up for The Lone Ranger. Looks more stupid than it did at first.
11th Dec 2012 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Short Attention Span Theatre: Eugene
New short up from Hesher director Spencer Susser. Warning, paid for by The Man. More here.
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10th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
In The Mood For Love
Another retread of the usual WKW themes compensated by great art direction and cinematography.
9th Dec 2012
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Trailer Park: Downloaded
Alex (Bill not Ted) Winter's new doc looking at Napster... funny how olde world it all looks now
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7th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Short Attention Span Theatre: Table 7
tight short from Marko Slavnic
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7th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: Only The Young
Promising first-crush story about a couple of teenage skaters in a SoCal desert
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7th Dec 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet
Timecrimes
Ingenious Spanish thriller that ties itself up in all kinds of knots.
6th Dec 2012
Read more 4 star reviews