Highlander
I always remembered think this movies was the balls but watching it again it actually is just balls. Some really dated, cheesy and poor moments but then again, they do provide some of the charm. Still only half buy a Frenchman playing a Scot, and a Scot playing a Spaniard.
Stardust
Enjoyable but never quite matches the obvious inspiration of Princess Bride though liked it's avoidance of an OTT Narnia/LoTR approach. Think i may have laughed at De Niro's cameo more than most of The Simpsons however it only just balances out Gervais' egotistical performance.
Black Sheep (2007)
Not sure this shows a complete lack of ideas or stroke of genius but either way, it's pretty individual. Well, i say individual, i couldn't stop thinking of 'Bad Taste' through out, pretty sure they even used the same house. It has some fun moments like mint sauce as a weapon and sheep shagging but most deaths are off screen and still unsure how far the makers tongues were into their cheeks.
Desperado
People bang on about Rodriguez and 'Sin City' and probably now alongside Tarantino (who unfortunately cameos here) for Grindhouse, but this is THE Rodriguez film they should bang on about. A hyper violent and very sexy, a Mexican John Woo movie if you will. And if you like Salma Hayek (which you damn well should), you get to enjoy her yummy boobs here.
Sheitan (Satan)
I thought Cassel would have a fun cameo but when i realised he was a main character i then thought i wouldn't be able to take him seriously but he really does totally own the film with a magnificent absorbing and very unnerving performance. The film doesn't quite live up to Irreversible or Switchblade Romance to which it's compared since it never really delivers anything graphic or any violence till the last act, instead just delivering an unsettling atmosphere that would have been nicely complimented with a strong ending that should have come 20 minutes after it did, allowing some actual gory and disturbing pay off.
Escape from New York
Amazing. Carpenter at his best with own synth music and Kurt Russell making history with legendary Snake Plissken, supported with quite a talented cast of now forgotten actors.
Escape from L.A.
Is actually an appalling film that really shouldn't have been allowed to ape as much from the original as it has BUT it does have Bruce Campbell and Kurt Russell together for one of the two times thus cinematic greatness is partially achieved, even if Kurt slightly butchers the Snake character.
Mysterious Skin
Well, the box said it was about alien abductions and had quite a decent looking cast so thought why not since had heard good things about it. But wait, it's not about aliens, it's about gays and child abuse (!!) That shock on the shocking content aside, it's actually quite a powerful and well crafted film with interesting characters skillfully portrayed by a very talented young cast.
The Holy Mountain
Holy ****. This film was off the chain crazy. 1000 shades of awesome.
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
Monster House
Quite impressive, fun times and a nice change of pace in a CGI-er not worrying about directly appealing to younger audiences.
War (Rogue Assassin)
Has trouble living up to any of it's potential and a lot of the marketing is misleading, the titular 'War' isn't Statham and Li mashing it up but the whole plot about setting a war up with Triads and Yakuza. A lot of things could've worked but unfortunately are thrown around half assed and then there's the age old problem that all East Asians looks the same.....
3:10 to Yuma (2007)
Not anything near 'Unforgiven' but a decent Western all the same. A few too many predictable moments and cheesy bits to make it truly good but if you like Westerns give it a go before it's forgotten this time next year.
Malcolm X
Good enough film with an interesting enough story but doesn't pack enough of a punch for true greatness. It's biggest problem was the tendency to film scenes like documentary footage, an empty aesthetic leaving uneven verisimilitude. Denzel does, however, give a great performance, unlike Lee in one of worst cameo roles.
Lawrence of Arabia
As epic as all say it is, much to my surprise. For it's 218m runtime it never really lets up, constantly thrilling and entertaining with a perfect score and some beautiful cinematography. There's only two things that weren't spot on- couple of cheesy edits and the 3 10 minute intermissions of blank screen and music.
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
As heart wrenching as it is heart warming. Another fine performance from Nicholson and lot of young faces show their early talent.
The Third Man
Excellent noir that really doesn't look dated in the slightest except for the jarring and pretty poor music, a one note affair used throughout which is often unfitting for the mood.