Daily Archives: September 11, 2015

Sep 11 2015

Movie Reviews 101 Midnight Horror – Comedown (2012)

logoDirector: Menhaj Huda

Writer: Steven Kendall (Screenplay)

Starring: Jacob Anderson, Sophie Stuckey, Jessica Barden, Shizzio, Naga, Calum MacNab, Adam Deacon, Duane Henry, Geoff Bell, Stephen Taylor

 

Plot: Six friends who turn the deserted the tower block they lived in as kids into a pirate radio station soon learn they are not alone, as a resident psychopath begins hunting them down.

 

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Bog Standard Horror

 

Story: Comedown starts by showing us an abandon apartment block in London before showing a clash between gangs. Lloyd (Anderson) fresh out of jail is the first to get involved saving a girl before going to see his girl Jemma (Stuckey). Even after only being out of jail for one day Lloyd is happy to follow his friends Kelly (Barden) Col (Henry) Jason (Deacon) and Gal (MacNab) into the abandoned apartment block which just so happened to get burnt down by Gal.

The group of friends get given a job to attach a satellite to the top of the abandon building for cash and drugs, so cue the break in and entering at the dead of night to climb. It doesn’t take long for them to get split up, but seriously did they all need to go? You know that feeling when you watch a film and you think you aren’t gonna like it, well I have that feeling. It doesn’t take long until the friends clash and personal issue come out. The night takes a turn when Jemma gets taken by a crazed killer still living in the building. The friends believe it to be a rival gang so the remaining five team up to look for answers as they start getting picked off by the killer.

Comedown manages to annoy me from the first moment the film starts, the gang behaviour is so unnecessary, regardless of his money situation if you just got out of prison you wouldn’t go and break the law the first day. Why didn’t the killer just kill Jemma like he did the rest of the friends? Why did the group decide to have a party when the job would have been very easy to do during the day without any problems? All these questions just annoyed me, a lot. Once the idea happens it turns into a standard slasher type of film that is very easy to follow but by then you just don’t care who makes it out. (3/10)

 

Actor Review

 

Jacob Anderson: Lloyd is fresh out of prison, he wants to try and take his life more serious after his girlfriend is pregnant, but with the first day out he ends up back on the wrong side of the law doing a job for an underground person. Jacob does a solid job in the lead role but his character is very questionable. (6/10)

 

Sophie Stuckey: Jemma is Lloyd’s girlfriend who has been struggling while her boyfriend has been away, she is carrying his kid and goes for the job even while pregnant when she should like not. Sophie spends more of the film trapped so doesn’t get any sort of good mark. (2/10)

 

Jessica Barden: Kelly is the only other girl in the group who gets branded a slut but seems to be able to stick up for herself. Jessica makes for a standard supporting character that ends up getting used as a disposable character. (4/10)

 

Adam Deacon: Jason is just one complete ass hole of the group who thinks he is the tough guy and seems to have a grudge against the whole world. Adam does a good job to make me hate him from the first moment he turns up on screen. (7/10)

 

Duane Henry: Col seems to be the slow member of the friends who also ends up being the end of most of the jokes. Col does have to get put through the most because he has to deal with being pushed by the friends but he does take a stand against the killer. Duane does a solid job in the supporting role. (6/10)

 

Calum MacNab: Gal is the crazy arsonist who enjoys burning stuff and will end up being the reason for everything that happens. Gal continues to be a pain in the arse all the way through this film. Calum doesn’t shine and actually looks out of place to the rest of the cast. (3/10)

 

Support Cast: Comedown has a few supporting characters are only in film for a couple of scenes.

 

Director Review: Menhaj Huda – Menhaj has a good idea but ends up wasting too much time making us hate the characters at the start. (3/10)

 

Horror: Comedown does end up working once the horror starts but ends up being very slow getting to that stage. (4/10)

Settings: Comedown does create a good isolation situation for the characters to be trapped in. (9/10)
Special Effects: Comedown does have a couple of good effects with the kills but really doesn’t challenge anything fresh with them. (6/10)

Suggestion: Comedown is one the horror fans might see on one night and try but otherwise it is one to miss. (Late Night Horror Show)

 

Best Part: Nothing comes to mind.

Worst Part: The Characters all unlikeable.

 

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: Hopefully not

Post Credits Scene: No

 

Oscar Chances: No

Budget: $2 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Tagline: It’s fun getting high…but the comedown is a killer.

 

Overall: Comedown ends up being a stale moving horror that never challenges the genre.

Rating 30

Sep 11 2015

Stephen King Blogathon

Stephen King BlogathonBanner-2

Movie Rob and myself are going to be hosting our own Stephen King Blogathon over October, we have selected 62 pieces of his work and we are going to be splitting hosting duties and have selected the films we will be hosting. We are going to try and review as many of our selections as possible but we would also like to here your thoughts.

If you would like to review any of the films or even the ones we didn’t select let us know, also if you want you can review the books, feel free to review in any style written or video. Contact moviereviews101@yahoo.co.uk with your choices.

Here is our list that will get update when people put in their request.

  • 1408 – Filmfunkel
  • A Good Marriage – Early Morning Horror
  • Apt Pupil
  • Bag of Bones – Mel (Fox)
  • Big Driver
  • Carrie (Original) – Kim
  • Carrie (2013) – Kim
  • Cat’s Eye
  • Children of the Corn
  • Christine – Early Morning Horror – Horror Addicts
  • Creep Show – Atothewr
  • Creep Show 2 – Emma – Chelseaa
  • Cujo
  • Dark Half
  • Dead Zone – Michael – Barry
  • Desperation
  • Diary of Ellen Rimbauer
  • Dolan’s Cadillac
  • Dolores Claiborne
  • Dreamcatcher
  • Fire Starter
  • Golden Years
  • Graveyard Shift – Early Morning Horrors
  • Green Mile
  • Hearts in Atlantis
  • IT – S.G. Liput
  • Kingdom Hospital
  • Langoliers
  • Maximum Overdrive – Kim
  • Mercy
  • Misery – S. G . Liput – Niall
  • Mist – Leah
  • Needful Things
  • Nightmares and Dreamscapes (All Episodes)
  • Pet Sematary – Happy Horror – Chelseaa
  • Pet Sematary 2
  • Quick Silver Highway
  • Riding the Bullet
  • Running Man – Laura
  • Salem’s Lot Original – Chelseaa
  • Salem’s Lot (2004)
  • Secret Window – Emma
  • Shawshank Redemption – Niall
  • Silver Bullet
  • Sleepwalkers – Early Morning Horrors
  • Stand – Sofawatch
  • Stand By Me – Summer
  • Storm of the Century
  • The Lawnmower Man
  • The Mangler
  • The Night Flier
  • The Shinning – Khalid
  • Thinner – Chelseaa
  • Tommyknockers – Early Morning Horrors
  • Trucks
Sep 11 2015

Paul Walker Weekend – Vehicle 19 (2013)

logoDirector: Mukunda Michael Dewil

Writer: Mukunda Michael Dewil (Screenplay)

Starring: Paul Walker, Naima McLean, Gys de Villiers, Leyla Haidarian, Tshepo Maseko, Andrian Mazive

 

Plot: A foreign traveller unknowingly picks up a rental car that will tie him to a web of corrupt local police.

 

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Simple Thriller

 

Story: Vehicle 19 starts by showing our protagonist Michael Woods (Walker) in a car chase being pursued by the Police in both cars and helicopters. Then a flashback *yay* to ‘earlier’ where we see Michael trying to keep his relationship together and setting out on what should be a simple 20 minute journey. As his journey continues he finds out there is a phone in the glove box and a gun under the seat, this doesn’t help Michael who is trying to turn his life around with his old flame Angelica (Haidarian).

The journey continues to get more complicated for Michael when he finds out the car he has was part of a police undercover job, but things continue to take a turn when he finds a girl locked up in the boot. Michael finds himself stuck in the middle of a police conspiracy that they are trying to cover up.

Vehicle 19 is one that I had only heard bad things about but by now you know I will give any film a go and will judge every film as an individual. This surprised me because of I was expecting something slightly over the top but in the end we get a film set inside the car following Michael around. It may be very simple but does play out entertaining, sure it won’t win any awards but some films are all about the enjoyment. This is simple, never challenges but it is very easy to watch. (6/10)

 

Actor Review

 

Paul Walker: Michael Woods former criminal who breaks his parole to try and get back to his ex-wife. He just happens to end up in the wrong car and finds himself being hunted down by the police. Michael would have to race against time to uncover the truth before he gets hunted down. Paul does a good job in a role that he has to carry in the main role while people come into small scenes. (7/10)

 woods

Support Cast: Vehicle 19 support cast all come in and out of the scenes quickly or are voices on the phone. They help get to the next chapter of the story though.

 

Director Review: Mukunda Michael Dewil – Mukunda does a solid job directing this film but never offers anything original to the idea. (6/10)

 

Action: Vehicle 19 has a couple of good pursuits but nothing that really pushes the barriers. (6/10)

Thriller: Vehicle 19 keeps pulling you into the story as we get into it deeper. (7/10)

Settings: Vehicle 19 uses its South African setting well helping our lead look lost in the city he doesn’t know. (9/10)

Suggestion: Vehicle 19 is one to try, it is easy to watch but don’t expect anything different. (Try It)

 

Best Part: Chases are good.

Worst Part: It is very simple.

 

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: No

Post Credits Scene: No

Similar Too: Getaway

 

Oscar Chances: No

Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

Tagline: He picked the wrong car. They picked the wrong guy.

 

Overall: Enjoyably Simple Action Thriller

Rating 60

Sep 11 2015

New Releases – 11th September 2015

Maze Runner: Th Scorch Trials maze runner After having escaped the Maze, the Gladers now face a new set of challenges on the open roads of a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles.

My Guess for Rating – 30%
My Anticipation Rating – 20%
Will It Be Number One In UK? – Yes

Irrational Man irrational man A tormented philosophy professor finds a will to live when he commits an existential act.

My Guess for Rating – 80%
My Anticipation Rating – 70%
Will It Be Number One In UK? – No

The Visit visit A single mother finds that things in her family’s life go very wrong after her two young children visit their grandparents.

My Guess for Rating – 60%
My Anticipation Rating – 70%
Will It Be Number One In UK? – No

Pasolini – A kaleidoscopic look at the last day of Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1975.

My Guess for Rating – 70%
My Anticipation Rating – 70%
Will It Be Number One In UK? – No

Containment containment Neighbours in a block wake one morning to find they have been sealed inside their apartments. Can they work together to find out why? Or will they destroy each other in their fight to escape?

My Guess for Rating – 85%
My Anticipation Rating – 80%
Will It Be Number One In UK? – No

Movie Reviews 101 Pick of the Week – Containment

Sep 11 2015

Trailer Alert – The Diabolical

The Diabolical is the petrifying new film from hot new genre producer Ross Dinerstein, the man behind ‘The Pact’ franchise and Xavier Gens’ cult favourite ‘The Divide’. 
 
Madison, a single mother of two, is awoken nightly by an increasingly strange and intense presence. She seeks help from her scientist boyfriend Nikolai, who begins a hunt to destroy the violent spirit that paranormal experts are too frightened to take on themselves. 
 
The Diabolical puts the constant dread and startling twists found in ‘The Others’ alongside the relentless terror of ‘The Conjuring’.