Film Reviews by Spoons

I knew of this movie but for some reason it just kept passing me by. Thanks to Cinema Paradiso that has now been rectified. I don't think I have ever seen a bad Australian film and this is certainly no exception. It certainly wouldn't be to everyone's taste but it mesmerised me from start to finish, it had a docu drama feel to it which I really liked. This is why I belong to CP so I can watch gems like this on the best format .

Of Unknown Origin reminded me of the classic Road Runner cartoons where Wile E Coyote with his contraptions tries and fails to catch his prey. That's pretty much what comprises of the last half of the movie, but who cares....it's great fun to watch. Robocop Vs Rat......Who wins......Rent it to find out.

Of all the new crop of horror movies that have been released over the last couple of years, Megan stands head and shoulders above all of them. I had such a blast watching this and loved every minute. In fact I loved it that much that I went out and bought it on Blu Ray the next day. Pure escapist fun that does what cinema is meant to do....ENTERTAIN .....and that it does in abundance.

M. Night Shyamalan returns to top form with this brilliant thriller/chiller. No spoilers here but I loved the "is it or isn't happening" scenario that kept me totally engrossed the whole movie. A terrific storyline coupled with great performances from the cast and stunning cinematography make this an absolute must see.

And while this doesn't come close to the Eastwood classics, this is still a great slice of 70's cinema. Apart from the original Death Wish and The Sentinel, this has to be one of Michael Winners best movies. Love the grittiness of 70s American cop flicks. Highly recommended if you're a fan of Bronson and that genre, plus it looked great on Blu-ray.

American Gigolo plods along at a slow pace to the point where it almost becomes boring. Only the performances of Gere and Hutton kept me watching and hoping that the film would suddenly start to engage me, which it does to a certain extent. Overall a rather dull affair enhanced slightly by Georgio Moroder's soundtrack.

Airport is a bit of a clunker and hardly a disaster movie as described, only one person dies and he is the villain and it's also dialogue heavy with very little action. Having said that, the quality of the cast and said dialogue keep it very watchable and what a delight to hear every word delivered by the cast in crystal clear charity, unlike today's movies where the actors mumble and whisper their lines to the point where its inaudible. That was meant to say clarity.

A really enjoyable slice of 70s sci/fi. A cross between Wargames and Demon Seed. The set depicting the Colossus computer of the films name is very impressive. If you like retro science fiction flicks this comes recommended plus the the blu ray version has a stunning transfer.

I just can't understand why the snobby critics gave this film poor reviews. I can sum it up it two words....Absolutely brilliant. From a great cast to wonderful dialogue and some really clever touches and nostalgic winks (you'll know when you see and hear them). Ignore the reviews and watch this if this is your sort of movie.

Based loosely on the 70s TV series, Fantasy Island is a highly entertaining piece of utter nonsence but it's not trying to hide the fact that is exactly what it's meant to be. It really doesn't deserve the reviews it garnered from the so called critics. Grab your mates, get the beers in and above all.....ENJOY.

Pete Walker's House Of Whipcord is nowhere near as sordid as the title suggests but that doesn't stop it from being a damn fine piece of entertainment. Worth watching for the brilliant unhinged performance (yet again) of Sheila Keith. 70's British horror at it's best. Recommended.

Blood Rage is one of a handful of films in an elite group. What I mean by that is there were so many horror films in the 80s that were branded as nasties deemed obscene and subsequently banned, when in actual reality, most were garbage, laughable and never warranted the nasties tag at all. Blood Rage is one that manages to stand out from the dross. I missed this first time around and it really bought back that 80S VHS vibe and excitement you got when you hoped you was about to watch something shocking. This has all the right ingredients of what a video nasty should be. Sure it's dated and by today's standards it's relatively tame, but if you want low budget sleaze that punches well above it's weight then this little shocker hits the mark.

I must admit, thirty minutes into Hereditary I was starting to wish I had taken notice of some of the previous reviews of this film as it seemed (and seemed is the key word) painfully slow. It suddenly changes pace and you realise all that had gone before was essential to what was starting to unfold. Once the slow burn is over it grabs you by the throat and doesn't let goand in doing so it becomes a very harrowing and at times disturbing ride. Not many films stay with me after the end credits have rolled but this one certainly did. If you like the thinking person's take on horror movies aimed at the more serious and mature audience then Hereditary come highly recommended.

I used to work in a video rental outlet back in the 80's and being a big horror film fan always remembered this sitting on the shelf. Never got round to seeing it which was probably not a bad thing. However for all it's grade Z cheesiness it is far more enjoyable than it deserves to be. If your in the mood for a bit of 80's video nastiness this could well sastisfy if not corrupt you. Footnote: The original UK VHS video release was cut. This restored print release is fully uncut.

The Island is an enjoyable action adventure flick which is largely forgotton. This may have been down to the poor reviews it received upon it's initial cinema release which in my opinion were un warranted. It's based on the novel by Peter Benchley who we all know was responsible for one of the greatest books and thanks to Mr Spielberg films of all time. While The Island would be impossible to even come close to Jaws, it is however far more entertaining than the rather lackluster The Deep which was also penned by Mr Benchley. Good escapism and at times rather violent and of course Michael Caine doing his best impression of......well...Michael Caine.