This month offers a huge amount of awards DVDs (including half of the Oscar’s Best Picture nominees). The variety stretches from drama to war to biopic to musical so chances are there’s something for everyone. La La Land The universally adored, all awards (well, almost all) sweeping comeback of the original movie musical lives up…
Based on the hit, but knowingly cringey, 90s TV show, Baywatch takes on the task of updating it for the 2017 audience and transitioning it to the big screen. It was presumably aiming for a Jump Street style self-aware action-comedy, but instead seems to land halfway between self-awareness and taking itself too seriously, resulting in…
So the sixth film in the Alien franchise, second chronologically, has finally hit our screens. It is a step up from previous installments, but not quite a return to form. Alien: Covenant follows the crew of the eponymous spacecraft as they commandeer a colonizing mission, heading for a new planet. After a forceful and tragic…
As one of the first films sold as a summer comedy to hit our screens this year that features a cast of both old and new top comedy talent, Snatched arrives as a bit of a disappointment. The film is lead by Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer’s mother-daughter duo as they go on a trip…
When Mamma Mia was released in film-form in 2008 it wasn’t exactly the most critically acclaimed output of the year, but for those who saw it for what it was – a great piece of feel-good musical fun – it became a DVD staple. Now, almost 10 years later, a sequel has been announced to…
In amongst the tentpoles and huge blockbusters that generally begin to populate the multiplexes from this time of year onwards, Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal offers something entirely unique and original, a commendable feat in itself but this film also manages to pull it off greatly. The film follows Anne Hathaway’s Gloria who, after being kicked out…
It’s been a while since we’ve had a Washington-based political thriller, and in John Madden’s latest effort, he delivers gripping and well-executed one about a side of Washington that has been relatively under-explored in film: lobbying. The film centres on the titular Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain), a ruthless workaholic lobbyist who is at the top…
Inspired by the release of the full (and excellent) trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk this week, I thought I’d take a look at what makes a good trailer, and why Nolan’s films are great examples of these. The trailer needs to entice the viewer into wanting to see the film, but not give so much…
There’s not a huge amount on offer this month but it varies from historical epics to true stories, to spinoffs from a galaxy far far away. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story The high expectations set for the first Star Wars spinoff perhaps set it up for a bit of a loss. It does well…
Table 19 is a frustrating film. It isn’t all that great, but provides enough funny moments and warm characters to float you along gently, and hint at how much better it could have been. Centred around the last small table in the corner of the wedding reception, Table 19 follows the eclectic mix of characters that…
