Who Am I This Time? (1982)

Harry Nash works at a hardware store; he's a shy, awkward recluse, but when he hits the stage in the local drama group he becomes someone new entirely. It helps that he's Christopher Walken, who shows us why he's a legend in acting. I've never been a fan of Susan Sarandon but here she won me over. Don't turn off in the first ten minutes; I assure you it gets much better.

4 picnics in the wings out of 5

Back to the Future (1985)

Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time and must find a way back home while making sure his parents first meeting takes place as Marty’s presence in the timeline has disrupted past events.
The Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg Sci-Fi Comedy masterpiece is still a joy to watch. Michael J. Fox plays both the comedic and dramatic parts well while Christopher Lloyd as the eccentric Doc Brown is so iconic, it’s hard to imagine anyone else who could have played him. The detail that was put into the film is great and still inspires arguments about logical time travel consequences. Absolutely fantastic.

5 We don’t need roads out of 5

Nutted by Impudent Urinal.

New Rose Hotel (1998)

Some nonsense about corporate extraction and the nature of truth and love. It's based on a short by William Gibson and translates his sense of detachment and cold impersonality to the screen; I'm not sure if that was intentional or just bad filmmaking. It's depressing and empty, but has Christopher Walken and Willem Dafoe, so it didn't get the stop button.
Features Japanese illustrator Yoshitaka Amano and daughter of Dario, Asia Argento, who gets on the cover because she has tits. If Walken had tits he'd probably be there too.

1½ style over substance out of 5

Iron Maiden: Rock in Rio (2002)

Live concert filmed during the Brave New World tour. It starts with the new material, but goes on to feature at least one song from almost every Maiden album (except Somewhere in Time and No Prayer for the Dying).
Maiden have been doing this for years and they are tighter than a gnats anus. Sound quality is better than excellent.
Editing was by Steve Harris who is obviously enthusiastic but remains a hell of a better bassist than he is an editor; a better editor would have brought the score to maximum. If you’re a fan of the band, it’s essential. A second disc gives some throwaway extras.

4 human air-raid sirens out of 5

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

I was expecting a film with some filler, what I got was filler with some film. I’d even prepared my brain before watching by parking it in the shitfest spot and hiding the key under the seat. Never again, not even while playing the drunken blindfold game. The strangest thing was some of the acting was passable. The script wasn’t. Sam Jackson managed to not ruin his career.

Still, what a title. We need more titles like that. Man in a Vest starring Bruce Willis. Cars That Go Fast starring Vin Diesel. Hell, yes!

0½ for Troy giving me a chuckle out of 5

RAT RACE [2001]

Jerry Zucker of Airplane! & The Naked Gun fame, steps away from his usual sight gag comedies and attempts to nestle his humor into a character based comedy in 2001's Rat Race.
Starring a huge ensemble cast of entertaining actors, who will do any film that comes along for a paycheck (where's Michael Caine & Morgan Freeman?), Rat Race manages to get quite a few good laughs in but also has it's fair share of jokes that fall flat on their face.
It's not essential viewing but is worth a look at at least once for the good laughs it does provide.

3 Squirrel Ladies out of 5

A Serious Man (2009)

There's no one who knows how to find the funny in the horrible quite like the Coen brothers. They're unafraid of putting the characters in A Serious Man through the wringer, but the film never feels bleak or depressing the way it might in other films. Instead, the film is heartfelt in its horribleness, and humorous no matter what happens.

This isn't one of the Coen brothers' best. The dialogue isn't as sharp as I'd expect from them, and not all of the film's non-sequiturs work for me. However, even a so-so movie from the Coens is pretty swell, and the powerful performance from Michael Stuhlbarg makes it even better. It isn't a must-see, but it's worth your time.

3 members of the airplane out of 5.

CLIFFORD [1994]

Clifford is a delightfully twisted, yet harmless, little comedy starring Martin Short as a demented 10 year old boy bent on visiting a dinosaur amusement park and he puts his uncle (Charles Grodin) through hell to get him there.
It may not be a classic comedy that anybody will remember but it packs enough laugh out loud moments, courtesy of Short's amusingly deranged performance, to guarantee a fun weeknight in.
All in all, it's really kinda mostly odd and not for everybody, unless you too are a little bit off your rocker.

3 The Richard Kinds out of 5

SERENITY [2005]

Joss Whedon's Serenity acts like a big screen series finale to his short-lived sci-fi western TV series, Firefly.
Wrapping up the loose ends, Serenity leaps right into the action. It should be noted that you don't have to watch the series to understand the story but you won't understand the characters and that's really the most important factor of Whedon's storytelling.
Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk & Adam Baldwin continue to entertain with their roles, while Summer Glau, who was the weakest part of the series, brings a surprisingly strong presence to the big screen.
It's darker, moodier and a little more violent than Firefly but it's a fitting farewell to the crew of the Serenity.

4 BIG DAMN Movies out of 5

Lost in Translation (2003)

Two strangers meet in Tokyo and recognise in each other an absence of something. It's about finding yourself by seeing yourself reflected in another, by recognising what you lost and what you may gain. It’s that lonely feeling you get when in a crowd. That’s really all there is to it on the surface. Beyond that, it’s about the viewer and how much they can connect with the characters. For me, it’s perfection.

5 glasses of whisky at 4am out of 5

28 Days Later (2002)

It's John Wyndham's Day of the Triffids without the Triffids. It's shot in Britain so the lighting is shitty; plus it's on early DV, so it's grainy as hell. The extras show what it could have looked like if it was on celluloid. I’d have preferred that. Somehow director Danny Boyle makes it good. The music makes it great.

4 here's blood in your eye out of 5

Borat (2006)

A bizarre blend of wickedly offensive humour and honest exposé of the American culture. It's impossible to know how much is actually scripted and how much is ad-libbed. What is clear is how arrogant and bigoted the people Borat met were. I’m sure he chose the footage for that very reason, but the American news report in the extras prove he isn't the only one to use that approach. There are five kinds of truth; the news gives you a sixth.
Sacha Baron Cohen has brass balls as big as his head. It’s a miracle he didn't get shot or imprisoned for his antics.

3 unsurprisingly still banned in many countries out of 5

TRON: Legacy (2010)

A slickly, neon-lit hollow experience. It’s like putting Christmas lights on a carcass. The deeper meanings are glossed over, if indeed they ever existed in the first place. Who knows? There was so many writers involved and it’s still painfully predictable.
It’s eye candy that looks attractive until you realise the sugar topping is an artificial sweetener. Perhaps today’s kids will look on it as fondly as I do the original? I won’t be around to find out.

1½ shite cycle out of 5

8½ [1963]

Influential Italian director Federico Fellini takes us into a black & white surreal dreamworld that is both haunting and hilarious in the comedic fantasy 8½.
Following the story of a stuck in a rut filmmaker who takes to hiding in his dreams and memories, 8½ is a bizarrely structured story that never really seems to worry about making much sense.
An obvious influence on the likes of Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton, this little black & white film about director's block is a must see for every cinephile.

4 R.E.M. Traffic jams out of 5

CYRUS [2010]

Cyrus is an oddball romantic drama with a slight comedic twist to it from Jay & Mark Duplass who co-wrote & directed the twisted indie-horror Baghead.
John C. Reilly is down in the dumps until he meets the perfect woman played by the always wonderful Marisa Tomei. The only problem is her disturbed adult son, Cyrus is willing to do anything to come between them, who is brilliantly played by Jonah Hill.
The Duplass Brothers make use of some wonderful and raw camera work & editing which packs an extra emotional and intimate punch to the film. With great performances all around, Cyrus makes for a quaint little film that leaves you smiling.

3 hidden sneakers out of 5