BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE [2016]

DC Comics, Warner Bros. & director Zack Snyder clumsily rush into an attempt to create a comic book movie universe as large as MCU's with the overly zealous Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Broody Batsy dukes it out with frowny Supes while shadowy Wonder Woman makes her big-screen debut and in the process steals any scene she's in.
By borrowing mostly from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, the film promises a load of unintentional silliness amongst it's seriousness and hilariously clunky dialogue that a 14-year old could write.   Then toss Snyder into the mix and you're guaranteed to go big but left wondering where all the substance got lost in something this huge.
On the plus side, there's the odd exciting moment, plenty of pretty looking visuals and in all honesty, I look forward to seeing Affleck & Irons continue as Batsy & Alfred in their inevitable stand-alone film.

2 really terrible dream sequences out of 5

The Burning (1981)

In the first release from Miramax Films, the Weinsteins used the basic slasher film structure made popular by such films as Friday the 13th and Halloween and injected the urban legend of Cropsy (a scary story really told around campfires at the time). In this version, a prank gone wrong on a hated camp groundskeeper leaves a man burned beyond recognition and out for revenge. It's very derivative of the genre and even the director admits its cookie-cutter, but with a positive crew and the sfx guru Tom Savini behind the gory mayhem, it works quite well. The director Tony Maylam did a nice job of setting the killer apart with the use of a simple yet unique POV and the iconic wielding of his deadly shears. It's too bad the ample amount of build-up is squandered with a less-than-effective reveal in an abbreviated conclusion.

3 rafting massacres out of 5

MANGLEHORN [2014]

Director David Gordon Green does with Al Pacino what he did with Nicolas Cage in Joe and redeems the actor, who hasn't had a decent film in well over a decade, with a nice poignant character piece to work with.
Manglehorn tells the story of a socially inept man who's never recovered from the death of his wife and prefers the company of his seriously unhealthy cat.  DGG does a wonderful job at capturing the little moments in life and Pacino does an equally superb job making them all the more believable with one of the most restrained performances of his career.  The character grows and twists into a different creature than where the film began but it's never predictable and occasionally his lewd behaviour is both shocking and frustrating.  With all sorts of bizarre occurrences going on in the background it never distracts from the beautifully pieced together frame of sublime emotional arcs unfolding before us.  There's a few nit-picky moments and Holly Hunter's character is criminally underused but when all is said and done, it's an enjoyable film that does nothing to offend.

3 inconvenient beehives out of 5

Crash (1996)

A married couple with an active but unrewarding sex life delve deep into a bizarre subculture of people who fetishise car crashes. It's consensual within the group, but their hidden world is hazardous to our world.
Reading the J.G. Ballard novel (1973) upon which Crash is based isn't much fun, but it’s essential to understanding the otherwise impenetrable aspects of the film. Somehow Cronenberg translated the insipid moments into filmic intensity. He distorts the traditional role of the viewer by putting us too close for comfort, turning viewer into voyeur—a position of distanced participation. It’s uncomfortable and I believe the main reason that most people shy away from even discussing the film in public. It’s a shame, because it’s a powerful work with some outstanding acting, but it'll take a very open-minded person to see past the taboo wall.

3½ reshapings out of 5

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

‘O Brother’ is the reason I like Clooney. He plays one of three guys, none of whom are the sharpest tool in the box, as they set out on a journey from point A to B. It’s not that simple, of course, because the law are hot on their hayseed heels every step of the way.
It doesn't strive for realism. It exists in a kind of made up version of the South with elements of classicism that imbue it with a magical quality without stretching the credulity too much.
Repeated viewings enable a deeper appreciation and reveal just how beautifully constructed it all is. And that soundtrack! Oh, my.

5 obstackels out of 5

A LIFE LESS ORDINARY [1997]

The adorably malicious A Life Less Ordinary is director Danny Boyle's version of a romantic fantasy comedy.
There's guns, headshots, car wrecks, musical numbers, animation, robots, angels and bank robberies, in short, everything that makes a good rom-com.  Unfortunately after you're done taking this fun ride of a road trip you can't help but feel there never really was any point to it all.  No matter it's really just good fun without a lingering aftertaste or really nary an afterthought as well.

3 gravediggers out of 5

Raising Arizona (1987)

A Coen Brothers comedy filled with outlandish shenanigans.
Nic Cage can be a lead weight sometimes, but he doesn't overact and ruin this one. His character exists in a surreal mid-point between responsible husband and habitual offender with a thing for convenience stores. It's the husband part that gives him the most trouble.
It's definitely style over substance, but it's Coen style, which means wonderful dialogue and a fantastic chase scene.
If you still need convincing, it also stars Holly Hunter and John Goodman!

4 new babies out of 5