Film Reviews by HM

Coming of age movie. Fine performance by Elsie Fisher. The story follows her attempt to find her place as she graduates to High School. She awakens the geek in all of us as she experiences lack of confidence, realises this and attempts to turn things around. Relying on social media to connect with other teenagers, she hits and misses the target. A thoughtful production and amusing script describe the teenage angst we all experienced.

I had my misgivings but it came through in the end. No violence, nudity or exploitation. Fed up with Narcos, gangsters and grim action films telling the stories of unworthy nasty people? Well this is a refresher on the lighter but more relevant side of human nature; it lit my day up, try it!

This is a classic of the horror genre. Creepy and a relative of Hammer Horror, it gives a backdrop of small town culture and characters enlivening what might have been just another vampire story. It is much better than that. Originally a TV series, the whole item running three hours long as a movie is perfectly paced dishing out the thrills with restraint, no splatter and needless 'more is less' gore. This is a movie you have to see if a horror fan and if not, see it anyway as one of those classics of movieland.

Well the baddies cannot shoot straight and Wick shoots anything in sight. The slightest bit of organisation and he would be toast in 2 minutes given the scenarios. Pulp rubbish, but if you like mindless violence as an escape thing be my guest. This garbage makes the Star Wars scripts seem intelligent! I cannot wait to avoid Wick 3.

A sci-fi/horror amalgam. Works very well. Acting top level and plot clever and twisting. A young girl is kept house bound. It turns out there is danger in the outside world. Her mother is imprisoned and the truth of this is a revelation to the child. She wants to experience the outside world putting her family in danger. Cue a tightly directed conflict with neighbours and law and order institutions, but why? Entertaining, engaging and exciting; the plot thickens and the full scenario is gradually prised open. Well worth a watch, much recommended.

The kind of movie Cronenberg would make, so I cannot recommend it more than that.

A cop and wife with son experience spooky goings on in their house as at the same time a serial killer is on the loose, children are disappearing. Supernatural killer or all in the mind? A thriller containing mystery, suspense, thrills and crime. You never know what is going on until the plot is unravelled in flashbacks. Clever, entertaining and very well constructed; enjoy.

The Kelly story is interesting without another fantasy version reflecting the writer/Director's political views and preferred version which suits their agenda. Transportation to Australia was not nice but then 'not nice' people got transported. A fake picture of police and Kelly family relations is painted among other excuses for Kelly's criminal and murderous behaviour. Let's face it, lots of people got transported or as in Kelly's case their parents. However, they didn't all become murderers. Genuine events in his life are married to invention, the downfall of many bio movies (Jessie James and Billy the Kid have suffered worse!). The crimes he committed don't get a look in as his mind set is explained, but is it accurate? Nope, not convincing. Disappointing in the end.

Couldn't take my eyes off it. Intense and at times a traumatising experience; even knocks GOT of its perch. A true story is always more impactive as script writers cannot just drop things in to liven things up however contrived it comes across.

We all know the basic story but the humanising of it draws the viewer in and makes it a hard watch, particularly the injury detail to those exposed to the full force of the radiation. Sickening.

You have to see this series, drama doesn't come any better.

Well there is a semblance of a plot but this gives way to simple minded action violence. More is less and it gets less and less as it drags on. Not suitable for kids and too dumb for adults. Avoid if you value your intelligence.

Starts with a blast then becomes a pointless run around . The trend of thin women beating up large men continues and these men need to improve their aim! Very stupid film indeed, a new low for the exhausted super hero genre. Drunk? Eating popcorn? Cannot be bothered to think? Then this film is for you.

Predictable nonsense with a cast of unbelievable characters; no follow up please!

Robbie is a fine actress but so many of them need to do super hero films to keep in the public eye. She deserves better than this although she was involved in production I gather. Produce something else love!

A suspense film, not really horror as such. Lady is apparently haunted by her dead controlling husband, or is she? Well title gives it away. I found this gripping and intriguing. Plenty of edge of seat excitement as a twist or two are employed. Nothing of the misguided scientist about the story, more of a mad bad stalker. Good stuff and a welcome change from slash horror, altogether more intelligent.

Well a Jewish guy (writer and Adolf actor) sending up the Nazis is understandable but this has nothing new to say. Absurd and occasionally funny the cast clunk along with a young Jewish girl in hiding behaving irrationally given the circumstances which has the film veering between serious moments and the totally daft. Fat German blond woman character, bully boys in the Hitler Youth and other cliched characters abound etc. Scarlett Johansen points her boobs in the right direction and says her lines as usual. Weird I suppose with some entertainment value but not a shred of enlightenment for the audience. More Monty Python than bullseye satire.

16 year olds are to defend a bridge so German soldiers can escape the advancing Americans in last days of WWII. Not much use really as once Yanks get to the bridge nobody is going to cross it are they? First half of the film introduces the characters and domestic circumstances, then we move on to the war bits!

The Hitler Youth boys have a hard time doing their duty as relatives try to persuade them to abandon their posts and come home. Tensions grow between the boys as threat approaches. Eventually heroics abound as they fight the on-coming enemy. Reminiscent of Stalingrad the movie really as we are invited to side with them despite the usual Germans are the baddies depiction in most films. Entertaining and plenty of realistic action.

I don't suppose there will be many Germans are the heroes films but this is one of them. Worth a watch for entertainment value

Out of prison after a 10 year stretch our anti-hero finds his brother in a tangled web of debt putting their family pub in danger of going out of business. So, our boy takes on local hoodlums. An attempt is made to show him as a potential good family man having turned over a new leaf. Needless to say it all goes wrong. A well trodden plot path doesn't offer anything new, but it is a fairly entertaining film with a quick pace, slowing occasionally for 'family moments'.

Most rock/pop movies have lame scripts and drop the band into a commercial vehicle to let us gawp at the good looking twerps therein. This however is a creative masterpiece that is ground breaking in itself and if anything, enhances the ground breaking rock opera Tommy. Ken Russell was born to team up with a rock band.

The songs are a tower block above the weak La La Land and other unmemorable musicals of late, let alone their delivery (Let Cats be a lesson to you!). Each segment of the movie is a foretaste of music videos to come. Tommy is the first complete 'concept album' as Sgt Pepper was a couple of tracks that alluded to that 'concept' then was a collection of great songs.

The sound quality is worthy of a home cinema 5.1 outing so go for it. A unique slice of rock movie brilliance.

The terrible true story of a terrorist attack on a hotel in India. Characters are brought alive to the viewer but suffer slaughter and terror. Hard to watch as it feels like walking amongst the wounded and dead at the scene of a bombing. You can't stay aloof as a mere spectator, it feels as if you are there and may have sickened some viewers. The cold blooded terrorists demonstrate a total commitment to their religion and cause, taking instructions from a faceless and ruthless leader. All are targeted, men, women, children and the old. No mercy for us infidels.

I was riveted to the screen and felt as though I had been through an emotional wringer! Tough entertainment, but brilliantly done.