Ever since mid-April when I saw Olympus Has Fallen I’ve really been looking forward to this year’s second film about the Presidential home being attacked by terrorists. I was underwhelmed in April but I had high hopes for White House Down…
Rush
2 September 2013 by Leave a Comment
Ron Howard is a funny old director. You never quite know what you’re going to get with him. His work ranges from the brilliant (Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon) to the fairly good (Backdraft, Splash) to the diabolical (The Dilemma) and encompasses every stage in between. He hits more often than he misses but his name isn’t an automatic guarantee of quality…
The World’s End
4 August 2013 by Leave a Comment
There are some films you can watch over and over again. The ones that you know most of the dialogue of, that you laugh at the jokes a minute before they are delivered on screen and you watch on TV every time they are shown, despite owning them on DVD. For me these films include the first two installments in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy…
Monsters University
23 July 2013 by 2 Comments
It’s summer here in the UK, actual proper summer. There’s sun and everything. So how am I spending the hottest days in Britain in years? In beautifully air conditioned cinemas of course. I’m not a sun-seeker, I have very fair skin and once burned under a normal kitchen light…
The American President
23 July 2013 by Leave a Comment
There are no four better words in entertainment than “Written by Aaron Sorkin” – you know if Sorkin has written the script then a quality watch is ahead. His credits are strong…
The Cabin In The Woods
3 July 2013 by Leave a Comment
Sometimes it’s hard to write a review of a book or a film. Not because there’s nothing to say, but the exact opposite – because there’s too much to say. I like to keep my reviews spoiler-free but on occasion the aspect of the film that has most intrigued me is one that would act as a spoiler…
Now You See Me
1 July 2013 by 2 Comments
I used to volunteer for Radio Lollipop, a brilliant charity which provides entertainment for children in hospitals through radio shows and people playing with the children on the wards. Volunteers went through extensive training which could sometimes be a little tough…
World War Z
24 June 2013 by Leave a Comment
’ve been telling everyone I can that key scenes in World War Z were filmed in my home city of Glasgow and that one of the buildings that features prominently (Glasgow City Chambers) is my dad’s office. I even shared some photos from the set. I had taken World War Z on as my own personal film…
Despicable Me
20 June 2013 by Leave a Comment
The summer holidays are only a few weeks away and already there’s a lot of excitement (from me anyway) about two big animated releases coming up. Mid-July sees the Pixar prequel Monsters University where we see our heroes Mike and Sully first meet, but before that…
Behind the Candelabra
19 June 2013 by Leave a Comment
I am just about old enough to remember Liberace, the flamboyant, over the top, fur-coat wearing pianist. He died when I was about 11 and he had only vaguely appeared on my radar before then. As I grew older I considered him in the same vein as great British comedy acts like Larry Grayson and John Inman. Camp as Christmas and gay as they come….