Okay, I get it, the joke is on all those silly action films with their ludicrously choreographed shoot-out scenes and ridiculously butch leading men. But, even accounting for the fact that Shoot ‘Em Up is aggressively sending itself up, you’re left with one inescapable conclusion - it’s still pretty shit. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not surprising that the film rights for Altered Carbon were snapped up by Warner Brothers so soon after Richard Morgan’s debut novel was published. This story packs such a solid punch, you can’t help but imagine all the action up on screen in a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. Read the rest of this entry »

Economics gets a bad rap. To the layperson, the mere mention of economics evokes thoughts of suited bankers, interest rates, taxation and finance. Economists are seen as just another goon from the pantheon of Finance. Greenpeace doesn’t like them. They’re one of those guys whose reason for being is to help big business make more money, or to prevent countries from going broke. Read the rest of this entry »

Think back to Ben Stiller’s position in the Hollywood star system before the Farrelly brothers super-boosted his career with the classic There’s Something About Mary. He wasn’t even really seen as a comic actor, and was best known for his direction and acting in Reality Bites. Cue to 2008 and look over his work since. Is it just me, or has he played exactly the same character as the one in TSAM in every film since? Is his range really so desperately restricted, or has he just done a Robin Williams and chosen the stability of a career doing the studios’ bidding (i.e. “Give the masses what they expect!”) over exploration of and expansion into his craft? Read the rest of this entry »

Philip K Dick was a man with many personal demons, and he wasn’t averse to exploring them in his work. The Game-Players of Titan is a study in paranoia, and it reads somewhat like a nightmare put to page. Read the rest of this entry »

The appeal of the fantasy and sci fi film genres must seem so easy to understand for the clueless Hollywood execs who churn out so many examples of each these days. Whip up some spectacular CGI effects, throw in a monster or two and loads of breakneck action and insert star here. Amongst all that mediocrity, then, it’s surprising to see an effort that displays such thoughtful craft in its writing and execution. Read the rest of this entry »

Brian de Palma has obviously poured his heart and soul into his film of James Ellroy’s famous novel, The Black Dahlia. Unfortunately, beyond the superficial style and artistry, it fails in almost every other respect. Read the rest of this entry »