Film Reviews by Spoons

The Jackal is a highly entertaining film. Richard Gere plays a very convincing ex IRA terrorist (I thought his Irish accent was very good) and Bruce Willis is chilling as The Jackal. I saw this when it was first released in cinemas and thought it was good then, but on this second viewing I enjoyed it even more. Great story and pacing, fine acting and terrific cinematography. Recommended.

I can certainly see why reviewers and horror buffs liked this because it is certainly an original. I'm really not a fan of the found footage/mockumentary genre but I thought I would give this a go as it sounded like a different slant on this type of film making. I shouldn't have been surprised that it didn't really float my boat but I did however enjoy the references to Halloween, Friday The 13th and Nightmare On Elm St, the films from which the killer moulds himself on. Like I said, not for me, but if you enjoy mockumentary horror comedies then this will probably be right up you're street.

Well I dont' think so. Rubber is a prime example of a Marmite movie, you're either going to like it or loathe it. I like quirky offbeat movies so I fall firmly into the like category. Sure it is totally absurd and I'm sure most people will absolutely hate it, the previous two reviewers certainly did. But even if you are only a slightly bit curious about this film and you like your movies to be.........well different is the best way of putting it, then give this a go, You may be pleasantly surprised.

I really enjoyed this little creature feature from the early 70s. It had slipped through my movie viewing net but I finally got round to seeing it courtesy of Cinema Paradiso. Highly entertaining although I wouldn't recommend it especially if you have a phobia of snakes. The scenes involving the slithery creatures are really quite intense, even more so as we are told at the start of the film that every snake used in the picture is indeed real and the actors, all of which are very good, did expose themselves to a certain amount of risk. Interestingly the producers Zanuck and Brown went on to produce probably the biggest creature feature of all time a few years later. A little movie called Jaws.

Rolling Thunder is a typical "vet returns from Vietnam a hero only for his family to be murdered so he takes revenge" movie. The film starts off brutal but becomes plodding as it builds to it's violent climax. The picture is written by Paul Schrader who was also responsible for the brilliant Taxi Driver and the end scene of Rolling Thunder is very reminicent of the Martin Scorsese movie. However this is certainly not in the same league as that masterpiece. Still enjoyed it and it had enough to keep me entertained for 90 minutes.

I'm sort of having a mid life video nasties crisis at the moment, re watching all those so called films that were so depraved that they would corrupt us all and end up being banned. Actually most of them were laughable and never warranted the video nasty tag. Is Cannibal Ferox as bad as I remember it..... well probably, but it has to be said that the intended shock impact of the film is completely diminished by the heavy censor cuts by our beloved BBFC.

I'm not going to say anything about this film as the previous reviewer has summed it up perfectly. However as you can see I've given it three stars which indicates that I thought it was good which it certainly isn't, neither is it bad which brings me to star ratings. Two stars indicates that you don't like the film. It's just a suggestion but couldn't two stars mean that the movie is average, which Tower Of Evil most certainly is.

Ok so we know that CGI wasn't around in the 70's but that just goes to show that you don't need overblown SFX to make a great science fiction movie. Silent Running has to be the minimalist, gentlest sci/fi film ever and it's fantastic for it. Bruce Dern is fantastic and gives the viewer a real sense of isolation and the relationship between him and the two drones is strangely touching. The end scene will tug at even the hardest of heart strings. I saw this back in the 70's and it's subject matter is still relevant today. If you or you're children grew up watching overblown space/super hero epics, then I urge you to check this out. It may just change your perspective of how a real science fiction film should be made.

It must be said that most of the so called video nasties were dreadful affairs and look even worse when seeing them today. However Mothers Day is one that manages to rise above the dross and manages to entertain. I first saw this back in 1983 and liked it then and it still holds up today. It's nothing original as it treads the well worn path of sicko psycho's in America's backwoods. However it does boast some nice set pieces and some great gore FX. Couple this with a cracking uncut print released by the distributor and you have a video nasty that is actually well worth seeing.

The Believers was one of a handful of films in the 80's that dealt with the occult. But this one and The Serpent And The Rainbow were the only two that really stood out. Martin Sheen puts in a great performance as do the supporting cast and give the movie a real feel of impending dread and doom. While not particularly frightening it does manage to give you the odd chill and definitely entertains. My only complaint is that it is slightly overlong and could have been cut by fifteen minutes or so which would have gave the picture a tighter feel. Recommended.

Dead Calm has to be one of the last great suspense thrillers of the 80s. This will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Brilliant performances from Sam Neill, Billy Zane and Nicole Kidman in her first major screen role and boy does she look sexy. Beautifully shot and with a haunting score, this movie oozes atmosphere to the point where you feel like you are out on that ocean. Brilliant stuff.

While I enjoyed Arachnophobia, I have to say that surprisingly for a film that comes from the Steven Spielberg Amblin stable, the film lacks a certain magic that you'd expect from this company. Entertaining enough but if you are an arachnophobe then stay away.

I have to say I wasn't expecting much from this but I was pleasantly surprised. A nice slice of B movie horror hokum which whilst not very scary does manage to entertain for 90 minutes. Good cast and the ghost ship looks suitably eerie. Good late Friday night viewing.

If anyone else would have been cast in the roles of Vincent Price and Peter Cushing, then I have no doubt that this would have just been another very average horror flick. However with the above mentioned they manage to make this film rise above average status and turn into a very enjoyable movie. If you enjoy old Amicus /Hammer films then this comes recommended.

Tales That Witness Madness is one of the weaker anthology movies that came out during this period, however that's not to say it's still enjoyable and entertaining hokum even if some of the tales border on the ridiculous. Well worth watching for sexy Joan Collins and the delicious Mary Tamm who is sadly no longer with us. As footnote I would like to say a big thank you to Cinema Paradiso for having films like this in their library. I love delving back into the archives to find old films like this and CP serves this purpose perfectly. Long may you continue. In my eyes DVD/BLU RAY rental is still the best way to watch films. Thank you.