Review: Open Grave (2013)

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Open Grave is the new thriller/drama from Spanish director Gonzalo López-Gallego(Apollo 18) and writers Eddie & Chris Borey. The film stars Sharlto Copley (Elysium/District 9/Maleficent), Thomas Kretschmann (Resident Evil: Apocalypse) and Josie Ho (Contagion).

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We open boldly with a stylised shot of Sharlto (John/Jonah) gasping for breath and seeing only by candle-light; discovering for the first time his strange and scary situation, waking up in a huge pit of corpses having no memory of who he is, where he came from, where he is now or how he got there. He soon realises he is not alone however when he finds a house that is occupied by others in a similar predicament. None of them know how they got there or what connection they have with each other.

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Review: Debug (2014)

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Debug is the 2014 Sci-Fi/Thriller big screen debut from writer/director David Hewlett (better known for his sci-fi acting roles such as Stargate & Rise of The Planet of the Apes) and stars Adrian Holmes, Jeananne Goossen and Jason Momoa.

The story resolves around a team of criminal computer hackers that have been sent into space by the Department of Corrections to help salvage old ships by over-riding their computer systems. This seems like an easy job; until they come across an abandoned prison ship. As they interact with the various virtual elements of the ship’s system they s4-debugoon realise it is fighting back in a very real and physical way as it turns the team on each other.

This is hardly new territory in sci-fi (i.e. the Alien franchise starts with a similar premise and there is of course Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Oddyssey) however the hacker angle does provide a fresh and interesting new take on this. All that said I feel the film is well executed but did not particularly stand out for me. Jason Momoa’s performance is ominous and unnervingly evil as the ships AI Iam.

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Review: Reaper (2014)

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Not to be confused with the TV series of the same name; Reaper is the 2014 thriller/horror from director Philip Shih and writers Mark James/James Jurdi. The film features a strong cast including Danny Trejo (Machete Kills), Vinnie Jones (Snatch), Shayla Beesley (Sex and the USA), Jake Busey (From Dusk Till Dawn – TV Series), Christopher Judge (Stargate) and James Jurdi (Pocket Listing).

Reaper (2014) _thumbThe story plays out initially like a typical road horror movie in the tradition of The Hills Have Eyes & The Hitcher. Hitch-hiker Natalie (Beesley) gets a ride with happy-go-lucky travelling salesman Bill (Busey). When Bill crosses the line Natalie turns the tables on him and we learn there is much more than meets the eye to this girl. This leads her to run into drug runner Brad (Jurdi) who is carrying out a pick-up for tough criminal boss Rob (Jones). Later on the pair meet Jack (Trejo) at the suitably named ‘Last Chance Hotel’ and the story turns somewhat sinister. The twists in this tale remind me a lot of Tarrentino’s writing for From Dusk Till Dawn.

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Review: The Shoot (2014)

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From Wonder Wheel Productions and joint writing/directing team John Adams & Toby Poser ‘The Shoot’ stars John DiMaggio (“Futurama,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”), Keith Allan (“Z Nation,” “Mad Men”), Doug Spearman (Cradle 2 The Grave), and Toby Poser (The Lucky Ones).

The main protagonists are Tommy (Adams) & Dougie (Sam Rodd); a pair of struggling musicians that are in debt to a loan shark represented by token ‘Bad Guy’ Steve (DiMaggio) while trying finish off their recording sessions. Continue reading →

Objects of Desire: Special Edition Blu-Rays – Part One

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As appreciated by film geeks everywhere; there is much more to a good DVD or Blu-Ray release than simply the film itself. The appeal comes equally from the packing, presentation, special features & promotional items that are included with the set. These range from well designed standard jewel cases all the way to through to full-blown promotional sets.  Here I examine a few such sets from my own collection and elsewhere.

Breaking Bad: The Complete Series (Deluxe Barrel Edition)

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This set is packaged in a stylish ‘barrel’ case in homage to the shows final season. The discs for each series are stored in plastics rings sealed with magnets (another reference to the show). Also included is a Los Pollos Hermanos apron, booklet and challenge coin. The top of the barrel contains a ‘secret’ compartment with a bonus features disc. Over 55 hours of special features are included as well as a brand new two-hour documentary.

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1OVE (2014) – ‘A Romantic Comedy For Pop Music Nerds’

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1OVE is a fun internet comedy short from GDB Films; written by G. Daniel Bailey & directed by Reynaldo Rodriguez.

The ensemble cast includes G. Daniel Bailey, Laura TenZijthoff. Keith C. Wade (Burn Notice, Graceland) and Frank Francisco (Univision’s Va Por Ti).IMG_1918-0

The concept here is ‘a romantic comedy for pop music nerds‘. This is achieved through the dialogue which is mostly referencing or byorrowed from well known song lyrics (both recent and classic). With everything from Rihanna to The Who there is something for everyone here. Continue reading →

My Favourite Movie Soundtrack: Reservoir Dogs (1992)

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In 1992, Quentin Tarrentino exploded onto the independent cinema scene with his violent and ferocious debut film Reservoir Dogs which featured an ensemble cast including Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen & Tarrentino himself.reservoir_dogs

This film showed the beginnings of Tarrentino’s bold and unique film-making style that was further developed in later films such as Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. He was unafraid of using on-screen violence as a tool to shock and thrill audiences. He also created believable and relatable characters through the use of everyday conversation and pop culture references of the time; you could almost imagine these violent criminals were someone you might know.

But one aspect that really sets this film aside is the use of music. Continue reading →

5 Films That Feature Radio DJ’s

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1. The Warriors (1979)Warriors

While ‘The Warriors’ gang flee from New York City to Coney Island, the radio D.J. (Lynne Thigpen) provides coded information and updates to the gangs that are pursuing them. Continue reading →

Twin Peaks Returns: Will our questions finally be answered?

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By Lewis Mainwaring

Cult Television Classic ‘Twin Peaks‘ (1990 – 1991) will be making its long anticipated return to American television in 2016 on Showtime with a new 9 episode series.

TwinPeaks_openingshotcredits Continue reading →

UPDATE: Kevin Smith’s ‘Tusk’ UK Release Date & Premiere

Posted on by indiemacuser

UPDATE – 29/05/15

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Tusk is available to Buy on iTunes in the UK. Click here. Also now available on Sky Store, Amazon Instant Video and Google Play.

Tusk is already released for Pre-Order on DVD in UK. Release date currently 8th June.
Available from Amazon and Zavvi.

People tweeted (@sonypicturesuk) using hashtag #TuskUKYes to show support for a UK release. Some tweets featured below. Continue reading →