21st May2013

‘Parental Guidance’ Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott, Bailee Madison, Gedde Watanabe | Written by Lisa Addario, Joe Syracuse | Directed by Andy Fickman

Parental-Guidance-cast

The family comedy with a moral message has been a staple of Hollywood for eons. They have also been a go-to for filmmakers looking to fill cinemas with a family audience, because we all know that the wider the demographic the more box-office right? Wrong. Some of Hollywood’s most recent family comedies have under-performed both critically and commercially. Remember Little Fockers? I do (although I wish I didn’t). That film was enough to put you off watching these types of comedies for life. That being said, the trailer for Parental Guidance actually had me in stitches – not enough to make me want to see the film in the cinema admittedly, but now it’s hitting DVD and Blu-ray I decided it was time to test the proverbial family comedy waters and see if director Andy Fickman, who previously helmed not one but TWO movies starring The Rock, could bring anything interesting to a much-maligned genre.

It helped knowing that Flickman was behind one of my favourite gross-out, post-American Pie comedies, the underrated DTV flick Who’s Your Daddy?

The plot of  Parental Guidance is as old-school as it’s cast. Baseball-commentator Artie (Crystal), who is accustomed to calling the shots in life, meets his match when he and his eager-to-please wife Diane (Midler) agree to babysit their three grandkids when their go-getting daughter (Tomei) and her husband Phil (Scott) go away for work. But (like all good family comedies come morality tales) when 21st century problems collide with Artie and Diane’s old school methods of paternity, the whole family must overcome their doubts, fears and eccentricities if they’re ever going to be a “real” family again.

Now me reviewing a family comedy may be surprising to some of you long-term readers. After all I tend to focus all my energies on horror, thriller and sci-fi flicks. If I do review comedies, they’re usually of the gross-out kind or the occasional spoof movie. However I do have a soft spot for family-friendly comedies – no doubt due to being raised on the likes of The Great Outdoors, Parenthood, Uncle Buck and National Lampoons Vacation. And I will always give the genre a fair shake, all in the hope of finding a film that measures up to the classic I grew up with. Sometimes you hit gold – I remember loving Meet the Parents on first release – but more often that not you end up with a dud like Tooth Fairy 2 (although its my own fault for even trying to watch that one!). Thankfully Parental Guidance falls more towards the former than the latter.

Besides a surprisingly sweet, old-fashioned yet good-natured script from Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse, whose only other major credit is the 2007 animated movie Surf’s Up, the real highlight of Parental Guidance is the cast. Billy Crystal is his usual acerbic comedic self and has the perfect foil in Bette Midler, whose flamboyancy screams awkward grandma and whose grandiose performance matches Crystal’s loud comedy stylings to a tee. Meanwhile Tom Everett Scott channels his inner geek as Tomei’s techie house designing husband. Speaking of Tomei, whilst she never really feels young enough to be Crystal’s daughter, she does pull off the frazzled daughter role with aplomb and her interaction with the kids of the film really does feel incredibly motherly – especially in the later scenes with the film-stealing Bailee Madison.

However Madison doesn’t really get to shine for most of the movie, merely fulfilling the high maintenance daughter role for the majority. That is until the tear-inducing argument she and Tomei have and the eventual mutual understanding the two come to – those scenes are core to why Parental Guidance succeeds as both a comedy and a family drama. In fact without the films entire final third act this film would have been a typical slapstick-esque comedy a la Meet the Fockers et al., but the switch to the more dramatic and the heart-string tugging story means that you leave the film feeling fulfilled on an emotional level as well as on a humorous one.

A film that made me laugh, touched me emotionally and most of all surprised me, Parental Guidance is released on DVD and Blu-ray on May 27th.

**** 4/5

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20th May2013

Panel Discussion #006 with Jack and Mark

by Jack Kirby

JandM-Comics

Mark, being more proactive this weekend than I, takes the lead this week. I only actually bought one comic (in addition to a swish box to keep my burgeoning collection in) and I have chipped in where necessary.

May 15th 2013

Iron Man #10, Kieron Gillen, Dale Eaglesham, Marvel (Mark)

“The Secret Origin of Tony Stark” kicks off proper after last issue’s prologue, which saw the space-faring Stark on the hunt for a genocidal robot named 451 but betrayed at the last moment by his supposed partner and control of his armour wrested from him, only to be forced to watch a filmed message from Tony’s father, Howard. We pick up shortly after that film has ended, leaving Tony in a state of disbelief at the actions his mother and father took, and the bulk of the issue is a flashback to daddy Stark’s days trying to find a way for his and his wife Maria’s unborn son to come to term, a process made difficult by an undefined affliction.

What follows is a snapshot tour of Marvel’s many scientists and magic users who can’t help but eventually lead him to the aforementioned 451…who’s imprisoned in a Vegas casino run by little grey men. So, naturally, Howard has to gather a team of blasts from Marvel’s past to Danny Ocean his way in (something of a recurring trope in Marvel comics of late…), and while it’s nice to see Johnny Woo and Dum-Dum Dugan every once in a while the whole episode feels a bit ephemeral – though much more entertaining than Hickman’s recent folly, certainly. Gillen’s flair for witty dialogue and economical characterisation (“Just pay me enough to keep me in dog food and gin,” for example, says all I need to know about Howard’s demolitions expert) carry the scenes that feel a little lacking, though honestly there aren’t really that many, mainly due to the constant forward momentum he brings and the elegant, expressive linework of Dale Eaglesham, who actually brought me back to this series after Greg Land drove me away back at issue #1. Suffice it to say that there’s enough in this story to keep me coming back next month.

The Dream Merchant #1, Nathan Edmonson, Konstantin Novosadov, Image (Mark)

…Whereas in this new series from Image there’s not nearly enough in an entire double-sized issue to interest me in repeat business, unfortunately. A mildly interesting premise – a young man visits a strange world in his dreams and becomes unable to differentiate between them and reality, resulting in his committal to a psychiatric hospital – gives way to a drawn-out, ill-paced and obtuse book that fails to excite even when hooded figures chase our hero and a hospital-cook-cum-accomplice and they’re forced to go on the lam. The “dream merchant” of the title makes an appearance late in the issue, but little is revealed about his true purpose and, to be frank, I’m not all that interested in finding out what that is.

I’m sure there’s an interesting backstory to some of this, but the writing from Edmonson just didn’t compel me, with a lot of clumsy dialogue leading to unnecessary exposition and attempted characterisation taking far too many pages to make a character barely relatable when we could be getting on with the story. The issue’s at its best near the beginning when it’s in flashback mode, giving us a snapshots of the protagonist’s life and getting necessary information to us quickly and effectively, but artist Konstantin Novosadov’s style was much too sketchy for me to really be drawn into the world and his colour palette gives a samey murkiness to the pages that makes it hard to differentiate between panels, let alone tell what’s going on in wider shots. Not one I’ll be picking up again unless the trade gets great reviews, I’m afraid.

Jack: This is the only book I bought this week and honestly, I couldn’t disagree more with Mark. I thought it was wonderfully drawn –except for the way Novosadov draws noses head on. I loved the artwork, which really drew me into the book. Maybe that’s because the characters kind of look how I doodle people when I’m waiting for the dilapidated computer system we use at work to save larger files only 2,386 times better. I also especially liked the use of colour in the dream sequences.

Writing-wise I thought that The Dream Merchant offered a fairly measured account of mental illness and the tolls that has on those that suffer from it. Sure, we don’t know a whole lot about what’s going on but I was intrigued by this. The double sized issue felt like decent bang for your buck to me and I had no problem with the pacing. I’d go as far as to say I was actively thinking how much I liked where it was going and at an appropriate speed. As a limited series, I feel satisfied that we’re going to get a decent story in six issues. I liked both of the main characters and I think Edmonson has done a lot with very little to suggest the complexities of their relationship. The only real criticism I do have is for Image themselves, who described the book as a sci-fi on their site, which on the evidence of this book seems inappropriate. It’s much closer to a fantastical, magic-realism type thing, which I was pretty happy with.

FF #7, Matt Fraction, Michael Allred, Marvel (Mark)

Now, I know I probably seem like a bit of a Fraction groupie from these reviews, but the guy just keeps knocking them out of the park. I’ve already written about his Fantastic Four, and FF is great for a lot of the same reasons – chief among them being an understanding of the characters as real (enough) people and allowing each their moments to shine – but issue #7 really excels at demonstrating both the playfulness and pathos that makes it something special.

Having been transported – along with the entire Baxter Building – to the Negative Zone by the new Frightful Four (which includes a mind-controlled FF member Medusa among their number), so that clone-of-a-super-villain Bentley-23 (it’s a long story, but it doesn’t really matter) the FF decide to take the fight to their attackers. And that means ALL of the Future Foundation, including the children they’ve had to take under their wing. As Onome, a young girl, points to current Ant-Man Scott Lang, shouldn’t he be worried about them getting hurt or even dying?

But that’s where the book really steps up: he knows all too well that there’s every chance they’ll get hurt and join his daughter Cassie on the other side, but tells his charges that the world’s not going to get any safer just because they are. The ethos of the book and Scott’s struggle to look after these children are gorgeously rendered by the Allreds, who can flip from wacky to heart-achey in a moment. That pretty much sums up what’s great about FF for me.

Well, that and lines like, “Holy cats! It worked!”

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19th May2013

‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ Review

by Dan Clark

Stars: Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, Anthony Pizza, Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta, Craig Van Hook, Mahershala Ali, Olga Merediz, Ben Mendelsohn  | Written and Directed by Derek Cianfrance

The-Place-Beyond-The-Pines

The Place Beyond the Pines is an ambitious tale of scope and sequence. It embodies the impact of heritage and the lingering effects of our actions. Director Derek Cianfrance brings the same unrelenting realism to the stark relationships of this film as he did with his last project Blue Valentine. Both films share a sense of moral ambiguity where no choice is a forgone conclusion. The triptych narrative unfolds like a novel coming to life. Every act is distinctly different from the next as it follows a particular set of unique characters. Each storyline progresses from where the last one left off as the life of one character bleeds into the life of the next. Themes are effectually handled and the points certainly come across—sometimes too bluntly. Much of the third act feels less like a fitting conclusion and more like an elongated thesis on Cianfrance’s life principles. Still, there is enough craftsmanship at play to make The Place Beyond the Pines a chilling account of misbegotten legacy.

In the film Ryan Gosling plays Luke, a motorcycle stunt rider who discovers he has fathered a child without his knowledge. Eva Mendes plays Romina, whose one night stand with Luke turns into a life time commitment. Luke wishes to provide for his child so he turns to bank robbing to earn some quick cash. His decision begins a sequence of events that will live on for generations. There are a lot of films that have multiple storylines that connect into one another. Films like Crash or Babel take the large-scale approach as they cover a multitude of storylines all at the same time. The Place Beyond the Pines is slightly different as it focuses on one narrative at a time. This opening act forges a strong foundation for the film to build upon.  It brings you into this grimy world of miscreant creatures. Cianfrance has a knack for creating characters with a harsh authenticity. Though the cast is full of some of today’s hottest stars, they fit into these roles with ease. Gosling is great as this brooding scoundrel who mistakes action with intelligent decision making. Luke is not a saint by any means but you are given enough background to sympathize with his plight.

Part of what makes the first act stand above the rest is it’s amped up momentum. The pacing would never be confused with a thrill ride, however the car chases and bank robberies deliver large doses of excitement. Sean Bobbit’s cinematography helps capture these moments with his stunning use of the camera. It is equivalent to watching the best shot version of Cops ever made. The bank robberies were distinctive in their simplicity. There were no grand schemes or years of planning. Just get in and get out as quickly as possible. Real banks were used for these scenes, which added a level of validity to their execution. Common conventions were avoided at all costs. It was as if Cianfrance specifically designed the film to curtail your expectations.

Cianfrance also plays with expectations by abruptly ending the first act to move into story of Avery—a young rookie cop played by Bradley Cooper. This fresh-faced police officer becomes a hero due to being in the right place at the wrong time. His new-found fame brings him into a world of corruption he is not ready for. He soon realizes the line between cop and criminal is not as distinct as he once thought. His story continues the theme of instantaneous choice and the effects it can have. The slight influence from outside forces brings these characters down roads they didn’t expect to travel on. No choice is without repercussions, and righting a wrong does not necessarily fix the problem.

These themes of legacy, father-son connection, and the continued influence of one’s actions lead up to the coup de gras final act. Parallel imagery was elegantly used to relieve poignant moments of the films early stages. The scope of the film goes from zero to hundred with this last bow. Character motivations were glossed over to fit into the narrative’s wishes. More importantly the characters in the final act are far less intriguing than the first two. They feel less like characters and more like gears stuck in this frozen line of destiny.  In addition the plotting becomes muddled within this framework. Its hesitation to move forward inhibits any type of momentum from being established.

One consistent commonality within these three acts was the number of quality performances. With Blue Valentine Cianfrance gave his actors a lot of room to perform. Much of the dialog felt ad-libbed as if he just let the actors live in the moment. There is some of that here, and most of the actors are more than capable to work through this heavy lifting. Bradley Cooper has come a long way since he first emerged onto the scene. He breaks free from his movie star persona to encapsulate this rather grounded character. At times the dialogue did become a little too clumsy. The arguments between Gosling and Mendes were lacking an emotional weight, because the words—or lack thereof—took precedence over the performance. For the most part any issues with these performances were minute at best. If you were to walk in cold not knowing any of these actors you may think the people on-screen are genuine average citizens, which is a testament to their dedication to these roles.

The Place Beyond the Pines is a tale on the longing effect of the power of choice. Much of its hypothesis is commendably portrayed through the act of great storytelling. There are far more successes than failures, but the failures come at one of the most inopportune times. Though it starts with a bang, it goes out with a whimpering dud. Nevertheless that initial bang is still strong enough to pull you through till the end, and there is enough in the final turn to save it from being a complete waste. The legacy of The Place Beyond the Pines has yet to be determined, but the early signs put it on the right track.

**** 4/5

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19th May2013

‘Handgun’ Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Karen Young, Clayton Day, Suzie Humphreys, Helena Humann, Ben Jones | Written and Directed by Tony Garrett

Deep_in_the_Heart

With one broken relationship still fresh in her mind, Kathleen Sullivan (Young) is in no mood to take on a new boyfriend. Larry (Day) however will not tolerate sexual rebuffs; rape is his means of exercising what he regards as a male prerogative. Consumed by anger and hungry for vengeance, Kathleen now finds she must take matters into her own hands.

The film debut of Karen Young, who would later go on to star in Birdy, Daylight and The Sopranos, is an uncompromising look at America’s hand gun culture through the eyes of a school teacher coming to terms with being raped. Helmed by British director Tony Garnett in the heart of Texas using a mix of actors and local people, Handgun is unlike any other rape/revenge thriller that has come before or since…

This very stylised look at American gun culture comes from writer/director Garnett – who was a part of the radical “kitchen-sink” drama movement on British television in the 1960s and ’70s, producing classics such as Kes, Up the Junction and Cathy Come Home – who avoids falling into Death Wish/I Spit On Your Grave territory through a matter-of-fact, documentary-style (without the clinical edge typically associated with the genre), directorial approach. It’s this cinema-verite style that gives Handgun a gravitas over and above it’s exploitation counterparts.

And whilst Handgun does contain some of the tropes of the rape/revenge exploitation genre, the film is less interested in the revenge that it is in presenting a character study of a woman broken both physically and mentally and what it takes for her to regain some “control” over her life. Garnett spends a good portion of the film introducing us to the meek and mild Kathleen before she goes through her ordeal so that we may feel more for her character when the unthinkable does happen. Then Garnett spends even more time showing the transformation of Kathleen from timid teacher to gun-toting killer.

And all the while Karen Young gives a mesmerizing, tour-de-force performance – holding back at the right time, conveying emotion without ever externalising her feelings;  going through a physical change (and not only in appearance) so that we believe she has made the transition to hardened killer – it’s a stunning debut and shows why Young has kept working steadily ever since.

This DVD of Handgun, released by Network releasing as part of their ‘The British Film’ strand also features an archive interview with Tony Garnett and original theatrical trailers for the film. It is also the first time the film has been presented in it’s correct cinema aspect ratio in the UK.

An essential purchase for revenge film lovers and lovers of good cinema alike, Handgun is released on May 20th.

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19th May2013

Tinto Brass – ‘The Key’ and ‘All Ladies Do It’ Blu-ray Review(s)

by Phil Wheat

One of the true pioneers of adult and erotic cinema, Tinto Brass is renown as one of Europe’s leading figures in softcore erotic filmmaking, earning a worldwide reputation for his blend of art and extremity. After joining the Italian film industry in the early 1960’s Brass worked alongside the likes of Federico Fellini and Roberto Rossellini, before directing his debut solo feature in 1963. However it was not until 1976 that Brass would gain worldwide recognition, when Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione chose him to direct the infamous Caligula. Despite numerous editing and post-production issues, which caused Brass to disown the film, it made millions at the box office and ultimately gained him global notoriety.

And now Arrow Video bring us The Key and All Ladies Do It in two dual format editions including brand new uncut and uncensored versions of each film, which have been painstakingly restored for Blu-ray and DVD.

The Key

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Stars: Frank Finlay, Stefania Sandrelli,  Franco Branciaroli, Barbara Cupisti, Maria Grazia Bon, Gino Cavalieri, Piero Bortoluzzi | Written and Directed by Tinto Brass

Tinto Brass’s first major film since Caligula, The Key, originally released in 1983, stars Frank Finlay as a man who is terrified of losing his voluptuous wife Teresa (Sandrelli) because he is unable to satisfy her sexually. He arranges for her to have an affair, by taking erotic photographs of her and asking her would-be lover to develop them. Meanwhile, he keeps abreast of her burgeoning relationship by reading her diary, in the full knowledge that she in turn is reading his.

An adaptation of the 1956 Japanese novel “Kagi” by Jun’ichirô Tanizaki, The Key moves the story from fifties Tokyo to a pre-war Venice, allowing Brass to wallow in the decadence of the era giving his film a sleazier edge and to satirize Italian politics, reaffirming the same socio-political agenda Brass brought to Caligula. However unlike Brass’ Roman epic, The Key sees the director working in a much more restrained manner – amping up the erotic overtones when needed but keeping the film on a much more melancholic slant for the most part, after all this is the story of a marriage with troubles…

Sadly the melancholy overshadows the story and the sex, leaving The Key feeling much like a meandering tourist video for Venice rather than the masterpiece of erotica many claim it to be.

Film: * 1/5
Blu-ray: *** 3/5

All Ladies Do It

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Stars: Claudia Koll, Paolo Lanza, Franco Branciaroli, Ornella Marcucci, Isabella Deiana, Renzo Rinaldi | Written and Directed by Tinto Brass

The longest version of All Ladies Do It ever released in the UK sees the stunning Claudia Koll indulge her unquenchable sexual appetite in a softcore epic loosely inspired by the Mozart opera Così fan tutte (the title is a direct translation). Lensed in 1992 but looking like something that has stpped straight out of the mid-80s, the film tells the story of Diana (Koll) and Paolo (Lanza), a happily married couple who have very different sexual appetites – whilst she loves to flirt and experiment, he’s content to simply listen to the stories of her various adventures. But, when she has an affair that’s much too close to home, he throws her out, and she moves into a Venetian flat to embark upon an erotic voyage of sexual discovery, while at the same time trying to win him back.

All Ladies Do It is, for the most part, a very different movie to The Key. Whereas that film was ultimately a dull, meandering tale of a marriage in breakdown, this is a fun and humorous  frolic into a very similar territory. It also focuses much more on Brass’ most famous fixation – the arse! What also raises this film above Arrow’s other Brass release is it’s star Claudia Koll. Not afraid to lay her body or her sexuality bare on the screen, Koll gives a mesmerizing performance as the (anal) sex hungry Diana whose hedonistic behaviour drives All Ladies Do It through the monotony of Brass’ story.

Filled with Brass’ trademarks: mirror shots, toilets, urination and plenty of arses, All Ladies Do It is, like The Key, one for Brass fans and completists only. Everyone else will probably left a little cold.

Film: ** 2/5
Blu-ray: *** 3/5

Another pair of interesting releases from Arrow Video, both films look fantastic on Blu-ray, however both releases are let down by a lack of special features. All Ladies Do It comes with a collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic David Flint, illustrated with rare production stills, whilst The Key comes with a collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Tinto Brass scholar Alexander Tuschinski.

All Ladies Do It and The Key are released on Double-Play Blu-ray by Arrow Video on May 20th.

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18th May2013

‘The Stone Tape’ Review

by Mark Allen

Stars: Jane Asher, Michael Bryant, Ian Cuthbertson, Michael Bates, Reginald Marsh, Tom Chadbon, John Forgeham, Philip Trewinnard, James Cosmo | Written by Nigel Kneale | Directed by Peter Sasdy 

I’ve never been a huge fan of ghost stories, largely because most of them feel (if you’ll excuse the pun) insubstantial and are more often than not resolved cheaply and without much in the way of originality. Which is to say nothing of the BBC’s insistence on producing at least four dusty Victorian-era spooky tales every Christmas. With exception, if you’ve seen one ghost story, you’ve seen them all, and The Stone Tape is mercifully one of the former.

Set in an ill-kept Victorian house, an electronics research team stumble across a room in which a female apparition appears at regular intervals to scream and just as quickly disappear, leading them to believe that she’s a psychic impression left in the stone walls of the room, hence creating a (wait for it) “stone tape”. This is exciting news for project leader Peter (Bryant), as the team’s goal is to discover a new recording medium and this might just be exactly what they need, but head programmer Jill (Asher) is significantly more unnerved, being that she’s one of only a few that can actually see the spirit.

What follows is the team’s attempts to both capture the activity on conventional recordings and exorcise it from the room so that they can keep their Thwomp-sized computers in it – the film was made in 1972, so laptops were barely even a fever dream at this point. The Stone Tape hasn’t dated especially well, the superimpositional special effects hardly convincing and the histrionic melodrama of most of the performances coming off more comical than creepy.

That said, the audio commentary with film critic Kim Newman and writer Nigel Kneale goes a long way toward redressing these issues by giving us historical context and discussing the recording methods of the day. I’d actually go so far as to say that I enjoyed Newman and Kneale’s commentary much more than the actual film, which is by no means a detriment to something that tells a compelling, unique story on what was clearly not the biggest budget.

It’s not exactly the spookiest tale I’ve seen, but I hardly think it’s supposed to be; the story is more of Peter’s brutality in removing the ghost and Jill’s desire to understand the spirit’s torment. There’s no happy ending, but if you’re familiar with Kneale’s work on Quatermass then I’m sure you’re used to it by now.

Definitely worth checking out if you want something a little more experimental with your supernatural tales (see also: Ghostwatch) if not for Newman’s insights alone, The Stone Tape is out on DVD now.

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18th May2013

‘Black Sabbath’ Blu-ray Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Boris Karloff, Michèle Mercier, Lidia Alfonsi, Jacqueline Pierreux, Gustavo De Nardo, Mark Damon, Susy Andersen, Massimo Righi | Written by Mario Bava, Alberto Bevilacqua, Marcello Fondato | Directed by Mario Bava

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Mario Bava had been steadily working away in Italian cinema before he hit it big with 1960s Black Sunday, a film which introduced many to both his work and to Italian horror cinema in general. In fact his 1960 opus was such as success that a horror follow-up was eagerly demanded. An so came Black Sabbath, a three-part horror anthology blending modern and period stories, featuring the iconic Boris Karloff as host and star of one of the segments.

Black Sabbath opens with the Victorian-era ‘The Drop of Water’, in which a nurse steals a ring from the corpse of a dead spiritualist, who naturally tries to get it back. This is swiftly followed by the giallo-style ‘The Telephone’, where a woman is terrorised by her former pimp after his escape from prison, and tries to escape him with the help of her lesbian lover, who has a dark secret of her own. However Bava saves the best tale for last – the 19th-century set ‘The Wurdalak’ the only tale in this anthology to feature the great Boris Karloff as a much-loved paterfamilias who might not be entirely what he seems. This tale is also the closest, thematically and visually, to Black Sunday.

From an era that placed atmosphere and storytelling over visual effects and gore, Black Sabbath seems remarkably quaint when viewed today – even when compared to its filmic peers from Tigon and Hammer. The movie is also somewhat of an oddity. From the same era as Hammer yet feeling far removed from that studios output; it was lensed in Italy, yet the tales in this anthology are actually based on stories by Russian writers Chekhov and Tolstoy! Yet Bava manages to bring everything together in a movie that both harkens to horror cinema of the past yet sign-posts Italian cinemas future.

Black Sabbath comes to Blu-ray, courtesy of Arrow Video, in two editions: I tre volti della paura – the European version with score by Roberto Nicolosi and the more familiar AIP release Black Sabbath, re-edited and re-dubbed with Les Baxter score; and both versions of the film look and sound remarkable – especially given the films age. Arrow’s restoration is easily on a par (if not better) with the restored Hammer films from Studio Canal and actually looks better than their release of Bava’s Baron Blood, even though that film was lensed almost a decade later.

An example of superb 60s horror, Black Sabbath is out now from Arrow Video.

Film: **** 4/5Blu-ray: ***** 5/5

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17th May2013

‘Trouble With the Curve’ Review

by Dan Clark

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard, Robert Patrick, Ed Lauter | Written by Randy Brown | Directed by Robert Lorenz

clint-eastwood-trouble-with-the-curve

We all enjoy the opportunity to be comfortable. It brings a warm sensation as we relax from our busy day to feel at ease for a brief moment.  Sometimes movies are capable of providing us that brief moment of escape. They present a certain story or plotline that isn’t challenging and easy to follow. You aren’t required to think yet you still remain entertained. It’s as relaxing as a Saturday afternoon nap where we recharge our batteries before returning to the cruel cynical world. When watching director’s Robert Lorenz’s film Trouble with the Curve I was placed in the ultimate state of comfort. The story is formulaic and never deviates from the obvious path it gives itself. You can easily put the pieces together far earlier then the movies does, but there is some enjoyment to be found in the lead performances. Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams elevate the material that they are given to make Trouble with the Curve the perfect Saturday afternoon movie.

In the film Clint Eastwood plays Gus a baseball scout who has firmly entered the twilight of his career. His health is diminishing and many wonder if he is still able to do the job.  There are few people who can play the old curmudgeon like Clint Eastwood.  This is his first on screen performance since Gran Torino and he has reserved himself to these roles of the stubborn old man with an attitude. They do overplay it at times, but it’s still fun to watch him as the cranky man who simply hates everything around him. Part of what stops Eastwood’s performance from feeling redundant is his relationship with Amy Adams, who plays Gus’s estranged daughter Mickey. Gus was a single parent who never quite understood how to raise his daughter. The relationship between Gus and Mickey has always been similar to trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Though Mickey grew up around baseball she has left that life to pursue a law career.  Due to unforeseen events she is forced to break from that life to return to the life she once knew. Neither is thrilled about the idea of sharing life on the road again. Both are unable or unwilling to accept the other and clash stubborn heads countless times. Their story does read like a Lifetime movie, and this could have been a melodramatic mess.

What stop that from happening were the performances of Eastwood and Adams. They continuously pulled the material along as it weighed them down with a number of uninspired ideas and an endless amount of movie clichés. Adams has the ability to morph herself moment to moment with ease. She knew when to play the brash tough girl and when her performance required a lighter touch. You wouldn’t think she would be able to go toe to toe with Eastwood in an argument, but she has no trouble. There were times when you saw the bickering stop and an actual father daughter relationship begin. This was important not only to give us a break from the arguing, but to also to provide us some reasoning to route for them to finally connect.   Watching this relationship develop was unquestionably the best part of the film.

That’s not to say there aren’t any other highlights. Justin Timberlake brings in some much needed life as a burned out baseball player turned scout. The only issue was his character never found a proper place amongst the story, and was often forced into the plot to play go between with two leads. If you are a baseball fan you’ll certainly appreciate its approach to the sport as the anti Moneyball movie. Their focus is on the importance of the personal touch, and how the computer can’t tell you everything. I was unaware of what life is like for a baseball scout, and wished this went more in-depth. Instead it was more compelled to tell us how important scouts are rather than show us. That importance was laid on a little too tick and became ridiculous on occasion. Part of that was due to the performance of Matthew Lillard, who played the scout that represented to new guard. His performance was silly to say the least and at moments hard to watch. The script didn’t do him any favors with lines that read like they were from the most outlandish of campaign commercials. A lot of this film was very cartoony with characters that were paper thin. It would attempt to create conflict in the easiest ways possible by developing these pointless villains. For example you had a blue chip high school prospect whose arrogance was only superseded by his racist tendencies. Gus was following his career to see if he should be the Atlanta Braves number one pick, and the script felt compelled to make that answer as obvious as possible. The worst part was making this horrible character wasn’t necessary and never had a real payoff. For some reason the film felt obligated to fill the screen with a number of poorly written superfluous characters. It was only a few steps away from someone walking on screen and pointing at a person and telling the audience verbatim, “This person is bad and you shouldn’t like them”. Perhaps there is some gratification in watching someone come to their unavoidable demise, but in the end it did nothing to move the story forward.

When it got back to the relationship between the main characters it found its stride. When it deviated you were left with less than stellar material. Trouble with the Curve is a flawed movie for sure that could have been better with a proper script and more capable director.  Trouble with the Curve will certainly have a broad appeal as it casts a wide net when pandering to the audience. It knew how to play the game to have just the right amount of humor to balance out the drama. The highs aren’t too high and the lows aren’t too low.  In the end you are left with a movie that hits it right up the middle.

Trouble with the Curve is released on DVD  and Blu-ray on May 20th.

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16th May2013

‘Upstream Color’ Review

by Dan Clark

Stars: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins, Andreon Watson, Ashton Miramontes, Myles McGee, Frank Mosley, Carolyn King | Written and Directed by Shane Carruth

Upstream-Color-2

Shane Carruth burst onto the scene in 2004 with his intricate Science Fiction drama Primer. The complexities of that film have propelled an endless amount of analysis and debate. It is the type of time travel movie that does require you to do ‘diagrams with straws’ to completely understand everything that is going on. Carruth showed with Primer that you could explore big ideas with a limited budget. Nearly a decade later he has finally come out with his highly anticipated next project. Upstream Color shares many similarities with Primer. It ventures into the genre of Science Fiction with a unique concept rooted in a surreal reality. There is a multitude of moving parts that cause you to constantly play catch-up, and it is evident that you will need to watch it multiple times to completely comprehend what exactly is happening. With that said, the themes it conveys are quite rudimentary in their depth.  It wears its ambiguousness as an oblique shroud to cover up some severe issues, like a number of rather wooden performances. Still, it provides a cavalcade of intriguing ideas that beg to be dissected. Those who feel the Science Fiction genre is void of new ideas would do themselves a huge favor by taking a chance with Upstream Color.

Although it fits within the world of Science Fiction, it is not necessarily a type of film general audiences associate with the genre. There are no robots, futuristic tech, or heavy doses of computer graphics. Carruth explores outlandish concepts not through high tech gadgets, but through means of organic discovery. Worms are specially designed to allow a person to mentally control another human being. A connection is formed and through that connection a person can dictate their subordinate’s actions on demand.  A young woman named Kirs (Amy Seimetz) is fed one of these worms without her knowledge. She is forced through a number of actions including emptying her bank account. When she finally breaks free all the events become a blur as she remembers only small fragments of what happened to her. Her life becomes a mess until she meets Jeff (Shane Carruth). They share this uncommon bond that neither really understands. Together they begin to explore this bond in hopes of better grasping what this all means.

Of course any description of this plot will always be incomplete.  Carruth’s strategy is to present the narrative with a rubicon esc structure that has you placing all the different components together yourself. When you have a world of films that pander to the lowest common denominator it is a pleasure to see one that treats its viewers as adults. The premise of what is taking place is, for the most part, straightforward. Carruth gives you just enough to fully understand the basic plot structure. Not that the narrative is absent of complexities. Motives and the meanings behind many of the character’s actions are left obscure. We know the where and the what, but the why is purposely kept away from us.  In layman’s terms, story elements can get confusing if you do not fully pay attention.

The subtext in this messy mosaic provides a lot of fodder for debate, though you cannot help but wonder if we are putting more into it than is actually there. When you dive deep into the ideas of the film’s foundation they are not actually all that rewarding. Themes like identity, personal connections, and the cycle of life feel shallow for such an elaborate concept. It’s like we are given this enigmatic algorithm that requires intense calculations of the highest order. When the answer is finally discovered we are left emotionally spent. Then when we peak down at our discovery we realize all that work was done to simply determine how many feet are in a yard. Some may still find pride in all their hard work, while others will be left distraught over all the time wasted.

Another issue that plagues the film is the lack of quality performances.   Amy Seimetz is decent at times in her role, but she never gets much room to deliver any true emotional damage.  Shane Carruth is utterly insufferable as Jeff. Carruth is obviously a very intelligent person with many fascinating ideas, but he has no acting ability whatsoever. Directors place themselves into films all the time, and it typically does not go very well. Especially in a case like Carruth’s that requires a lot from him. He reads line with a shallow brevity as if he was randomly chosen for a local car dealership ad. The film would have been a lot better off if he chosen someone else for this role.

One thing Carruth can clearly do is direct. The imagery he comes up with is striking. Moments like watching these worms take control inside a human body or seeing the title of the film come to life in array of beautiful color are memorizing in their execution.  It hammers home this opaque atmosphere fraught with longing. We, along with these characters, are placed into this sea abstruseness. As they search for understanding we conspire beside them in hopes of determining what this all means. Our discovery may not be as fulfilling as we could hope for, yet there is something to be said for a journey that is willing to forgo the normal tropes we require. There is nothing quite like Upstream Color out there, nor will there ever be. Though it doesn’t come close to the master work of Carruth’s first film, it is still an experience worth doing.

***½ 3.5/5

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15th May2013

Comics Round Up – Devil May Cry, Tank Girl, Meadowhell

by Jack Kirby

What’s that? You don’t get enough of my writing about comics from Panel Discussion with Mark? You don’t? Thank goodness, you’re in luck. I’ve been sent a handful of books and I’m going to tell you what I thought about them using my written communication skills! Buckle up.

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Solid State Tank Girl #1, Alan C. Martin, Warwick Johnson-Cadwell, Titan Comics

Tank Girl, eh? I’ve never read anything with her name on it, but I’ve been aware and amused by her existence for some time. I’m a fan of creator Jamie Hewlett’s art but he isn’t actually attached to this book. Instead, we’ve got some satisfyingly scatty artwork from Warwick Johnson-Cadwell which looks totally boss and is a refreshing change from the super-stylish look of many books.

Alan C Martin’s story is a pastiche of Fantastic Voyage in which Tank Girl and her pals have to save anthropomorphic kangaroo companion Booga from certain death by getting into a submarine, getting shrunk and entering his body to sort out whatever the problem is. It’s daft and silly, but it’s also very funny, irreverent and rude. Which is a good thing. There’s a fairly throw away back up story too, which doesn’t really demonstrate much, but gives a decent flavour of Tank Girl’s schtick.

Meadowhell: The True Horror of Shopping (Pts. 1 and 2), Craig Daley, CD Comics

Here’s something fairly novel: a comic murder-mystery for you to try and solve yourself. Set in 1990 shortly before the opening of the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield. A grisly and possibly occult triple homicide has taken place in the building and it’s up to DCI Bramley and his lovely secretary Belle to wrap the case up before word gets out.

The artwork is a little bit clipart-looking, but I became accustomed to it fairly quickly. It’s not especially pretty to look at but Daley manages to conjure a fair amount of expression and character using his utilitarian style. The plot is surprisingly engaging – it may be a bit of a stretch, but it kind of evoked David Peace’s Red Riding books (Yorkshire setting, gothic murders, police investigations, etc) which I consider to be a very good thing. The clues you’re meant to pick up are fairly obviously telegraphed and whilst the resolution is a little too out there to guess correctly, anyone with a basic knowledge of classical mythology should be able to guess where it’s going.

In short, it was a lot of fun, pretty engaging and struck a good balance between satire, horror and intrigue.

Devil May Cry: The Chronicles of Vergil #1, Izu, Patrick Pion, Titan Comics

I saved the book I enjoyed the least for last. I’ve not played any Devil May Cry games so this spin off comic made very little sense to me. I’m not totally convinced that it would make a lot of sense to people who have (I am asking one for his opinion). It’s about this guy Vergil who has a sword and fights demons and he meets this woman who is psychic somehow and can see ways between dimensions but only if her spirit is loose from her body and this somehow helps Vergil to kill more demons but he is the son of a demon or somesuch, but not a bad one and his brother needs help but he doesn’t know what he looks like and so on and so forth.

To be fair, this comic has been translated, presumably from Japanese, so it’s not inconceivable that something was lost there. That said, video game tie-in stuff has an inconsistent record of being interpreted well in other media at very best. The artwork is okay but has less character than the other books reviewed here. Still, I’m sure fans will like it. Well, they might.

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14th May2013

‘Superman: Unbound’ Review

by Dan Clark

Stars: Matt Bomer, Stana Katic, John Noble, Molly C. Quinn, Diedrich Bader, Jason Beghe, Frances Conroy, Melissa Disney, Alexander Gould, Stephen Root, Wade Williams | Written by Bob Goodman | Directed by James Tucker

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With 2013 being the 75th anniversary of Superman and Man of Steel scheduled to come out this summer it was a forgone conclusion DC would release their emblematic direct to home media animated feature this year. DC certainly has been more successful than their marvelous competition at translating their classic stories to this format. Superman: Unbound  however, ends up being a mediocre entry for this franchise.  With a limited scope and a stereotypical plot it adds nothing to the Superman mythos. It feels less like an extended feature and more like a pilot episode of an upcoming television series. The animation and voice acting are both handled with care, but neither is given that much to work with. The film has a number of thrilling action beats that a too few and far between.  Their repetitive nature inhibits Superman: Unbound  from fully taking flight. This appetizer to this summer’s tent pole leaves you wishing you could just skip to the main course.

Superman: Unbound  adapts Geoff Johns and Gary Franks five issue Brainiac  storyline for Action Comics.  The storyline focuses on the being known as Brainiac (John Noble), who travels around the galaxy abducting entire cities and destroying any planet he finds redundant.  When Brainiac sends a drone to Earth Superman (Matt Bomer) goes on a quest to stop him before he can bring harm to Superman’s adopted home. Superman’s cousin Supergirl (Molly C. Quinn), who has recently arrived on Earth herself, has witness Brainiac’s power firsthand when he attacked and abducted the city of Kandor on Krypton. She fears that even with Superman and her new found powers that Earth stands no chance against the power of Brainiac.

For a film that’s main conflict is an alien invasion its scope felt relatively small. When Brianiac descends upon these cities it is as if the entire invasion takes place on one single city street. This failure diminished Brianiac as this glooming threat for much of the film, which would not have been an issue if its restrictions were replaced with a more intimate setting. Opportunities certainly presented themselves, but they were never seized upon. Moments like Superman interacting with Kryptons for the first time were strikingly hallow. Not an ounce of insight was sought within the development of Superman’s character. It came and went with no longing effect whatsoever.

One of the more positive aspects was the relationship between Superman and Lois Lane (Stana Katic). Lois has been made aware of Clark Kent’s secret identity, and has begun dating the ‘Man of Steel’. Dating a superhero has its problems, and Superman is shown he is capable of being the jealous type. Their bickering could have easily become an annoying hindrance, but it showed a side to Superman that isn’t always explored—his inability to recognize when doesn’t need to come to the rescue. A key component to what makes this work is the quality voice acting. Matt Bomer has a stoic presence as Superman, and adds a tiny bit of personality.  Stana Katic plays Lois Lane with a vigorous attitude and dry sense of humor. Though John Noble outshines them both, as the imposing Brainiac. His voice echoes complete control over all others that oppose him. He is not maniacal in his behavior; instead he treats all others with a dismissive whim.

Overall the animation does what the story requires of it, yet nothing really stands out. Most of it is your typical paint by numbers design. The look of Brainiac’s ship and robot drones are rather generic. No one, in my estimation, has yet to master inputting 3D animation within a 2D film so it is not surprise it does not work here either. The action scenes are crisps and easy to follow, but devolve into video game button mashing sequences. There’s only so many times you can watch hoards of mindless robots get destroyed and stay interested. With a film called Superman: Unbound and a PG:13 rating behind it you one would think there would be a more brooding ferocity involved. Blood is haphazardly thrown into moments like an unrated version of a PG:13 action film—where digital blood is inserted to up the violence count. When Brainiac and Supes finally throw down things start to pick up, but the inevitable conclusion is rather lackluster. The plot in general is one you have seen many times before–often done a lot better.  Those who are desperate to get their Superman fix before this summer’s big show might be able to find Superman: Unbound a suitable warm up, but most others would be better off allowing their anticipation to naturally grow. Otherwise you’d be left with a disappointing adventure that never gets off the ground.

Superman: Unbound is out now on DVD, Blu-ray and VOD in the US. The film is released in the UK on June 3rd.

** 2/5

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13th May2013

Panel Discussion #005 with Jack and Mark

by Mark Allen

JandM-Comics

8th May 2013

Batman #20, Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, DC Comics

It’s taken me some time to come around to Scott Snyder’s run on Batman but now I’m fully on board. I couldn’t stand the Court of Owls plotline when I first read it, but since then, I’ve made a real U-turn on my Snyder-based opinions. I have always rather liked Greg Capullo’s art on the book. The recent Death of the Family storyline managed to take a fairly gimmicky set up and create something effective with actual emotional resonance. At the moment though, we’re pretty much treading water with Batman until the duo’s Zero Year arc begins next month (which, in spite of everything, I’m cautiously optimistic about, which speaks volumes for the amount of trust Snyder has garnered from me).

This is the second of a two part arc starring Clayface, one of the more inexplicably popular Batman villains. Without wanting to sound too damning, the books feel like they’ve been put out to keep the fans happy rather than to serve any greater story purposes.
Similarly, the nod to Batman Beyond in this issue feels like fan-service. In addition, the machinations of the plot, which sees Clayface imitating Bruce Wayne in order to, uh, cause havoc and do crimes, mean that we’re now expected to believe that Lucius Fox, Commissioner Gordon and most of the Gotham City Police Department are stupid enough to not realise that Batman is Bruce Wayne. The dumbasses.

Still, the art remains great and there’s some decent work done with the death of Damian (not that that helps with the possible compromising of secret identities). The backup story, Ghost Lights by James Tynion IV and Alex Maleev is also kind of fun, if, indeed, light and features Batman and Superman sorting out some paranormal activity.

Batman and Red Hood #20, Peter J Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Cliff Richards, DC Comics

Since the aforementioned death of Damian, the Batman and Robin book has begun a rotating cast of sidekicks with Red Robin last month, Batgirl next and Red Hood this issue. Carrie Kelly from The Dark Knight Returns has also cropped up again, though what her role will be in the long term is unclear. It’s hard to see them shoehorning her into the Robin role in this continuity and it would seem that the Harper Row character introduced in Batman is better suited anyway, but we haven’t seen her in a while. Anyway, this ish sees Batman hanging out with Jason Todd in a fairly chummy way (after the events of previous Red Hood and the Outlaws books), kicking arse and setting things straight before having a big argument and obligatory hero-on-hero punch up.

I’m a fan of Jason Todd, particularly in the New 52 continuity and it’s interesting to see how his relationship with Batman has evolved after recent events. Again, some of the content of the book feels gimmicky but Tomasi is smart enough to add relevance and a level of interest to the thing. It’s like buying a packet of cereal for the free toy inside but then enjoying having an additional bowl full of delicious and nutritious breakfast fodder more than the freebie. Or something like that. Do you even get free toys in cereal anymore? I don’t know.

Of the two Bat-books this month, I much preferred this one, primarily as it feels like it’s going somewhere. It manages to juggle the events of the other Bat-titles as well as tell its own story, which given the complexities of the Bat Family, is no mean feat. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to the title long term – can you really have a book called Batman and Robin without a Robin? – but I’m quite happy to enjoy where this grim and moody take on a grieving Batman goes for now.

Avengers #11, Jonathan Hickman, Mike Deodato, Marvel (Mark)

For all the praise that’s previously been heaped upon Hickman’s Image work in this column, he doesn’t half push his luck when it comes to superheroes. I stopped picking up this book’s sister title New Avengers after issue three when I realised that, along with being unable to justify overpaying for two Avengers comics every month, NA was really just telling a different version of the group-of-powerful-men-decide-the-world’s-fate story Hickman is so fond of and telling much more coherently in Manhattan Projects.

With this issue of the ostensibly more straightforward series centring on the recently expanded Avengers *ahem* franchise Hickman and Deodato take us to a Hong Kong fight movie by way of Ocean’s 11 as a team of lesser-known (but still, I’d imagine, world famous) heroes infiltrates a casino in order to get their hands on a secret new weapon the villain community is clamouring for. J-Hix simultaneously goes for big laughs – Cannonball and Sunspot get drunk with a bunch of AIM henchmen, Black Widow wants to hurt people a lot – and super-serious interior monologues from Shang-Chi (Master of Kung Fu, don’tcha know) as he fights poorly defined bad guys in unnecessarily intercut action scenes for most of the issue. The last page tangentially ties this story into the overall plot of the series but I can’t help feeling that this issue was an opportunity for a fun, throwaway comic ruined by Jonathan Hickman’s need to have REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS happen every five minutes.

Über #1, Kieron Gillen, Canaan White, Avatar (Mark)

And speaking of important stories: here are a bunch of Nazis with superpowers rewriting history in Gillen & White’s WWII revision. The opening splash page depicts Hitler struggling with a gun in his mouth on the eve of his defeat and suicide in Berlin in April 1945, but the following scenes not only show the Führer being prevented from offing himself but also set up the series’ conflict – that of a desperate but still immeasurably powerful Germany versus resourceful Brits and ragged Russian POWs, specifically a spy who’s just blown her cover (and her “panzermensch” escort) and a captured sniper respectively.

Über definitely has the feel of a good war comic; some grand ideas are in there and are enough to make the story compelling and fresh but at the same time Gillen is careful to ground the story in reality as much as he can so we don’t forget that a lot of this (aside from the laser-eyed-aryans) isn’t too far removed from truth. I’m certainly looking forward to the the rest of the series, especially if White’s art remains as impressively detailed and expressive as it is in issue #1 (seriously, that first shot of Adolf is something to behold).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Season 9 #21, Andrew Chambliss, Georges Jeanty. Dark Horse (Mark)

I’m going to put this briefly, because readers of this comic are divided into those who read all of it and those who read none: if you’ve been reading Season 9, you’ll know that Buffy has been regularly disappointing, especially in comparison with its far superior sister book Angel & Faith. Well, #21 is a long overdue step in the right direction as disparate plot elements come together, the core cast return to their rightful places and the final showdown of the season looms ahead. It ain’t perfect, but it’s a damn sight better than we’ve been getting before now. All else are spoilers, unfortunately…

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12th May2013

‘Bret “Hit Man” Hart: The Dungeon Collection’ Blu-ray Review

by Phil Wheat

Bret Hart has had a long and historied wrestling career, from his early days in his fathers promotion Stampede Wrestling, to his time in the WWE and the controversial Montreal Screwjob in 1997; from his days in WCW to his return to the WWE in 2010, Bret Hart is also one of the most famous wrestlers of the past three decades and this new Blu-ray collection shows why…

Bret-Hart-photo

Bret Hart is an “interesting” character. One of the greatest stars of the WWE during the 80s and early 90s, Hart was – much like John Cena, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker – one of those superstars that could do no wrong. No matter whether he was face or heel, Hart had his fans and they loved him. But then along came the Attitude era, his personal problems (including a severe concussion in 1999 which led to his October 200 retirement), his much-publicised falling out with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and the death of his brother Owen Hart in 1999, and the luster of Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation faded.

Of course Hart has since made his peace with Vince McMahon and the WWE and has made numerous appearances at WWE events (most recently at Royal Rumble 2013) and is, of course, an inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame. However I, sadly, don’t think Bret Hart ever really recovered from the infamous Montreal Screwjob, he may have made some professional inroads back into the spotlight but that magic is no longer there, the “The Excellence of Execution” isn’t as excellent as it once was.

However despite my feelings on Bret Hart he can still draw a crowd. And pull in DVD sales… Already the subject of two documentaries – Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows and Bret “Hit Man” Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be, Hart’s career has been covered quite substantially already so this latest WWE release had to be something special.

Essentially a companion piece to the previous WWE release, Bret “Hit Man” Hart: The Dungeon Collection was compiled by Bret Hart himself and features over 8 hours of in-ring action, encompassing matches never before released on DVD or Blu-ray, including some pre-dating Hart’s time in the WWE – in fact all the way back to the late 70s and Hart’s first few appearances in the Stampede Wrestling promotion.

As Hart’s personal story has already been well documented, this release see Hart takes viewers behind each match in brand new interview footage detailing the inside stories surrounding these hand-picked matches. And what matches! Not only does feature plenty of Hart’s WWE and WCW matches – including those against some familiar (wrestling) faces: Bam Bam Bigelow, Andre The Giant, Mr. Perfect, Ric Flair, Yokozuna, Sting, Booker T; but it also includes two matches with the UK’s own Dynamite Kid, Hart’s match at the Tokyo Dome in Japan where he wrestled Tiger Mask II and his feud with his own brother, Owen Hart, from 1995.

Whilst this is the Bret Hart story, Bret “Hit Man” Hart: The Dungeon Collection is also a look at the history of wrestling through Hart’s matches and as such is essential viewing for not only Bret Hart fans but also for those true wrestling aficionados who appreciate the skill as well as the spectacle.

Bret “Hit Man” Hart: The Dungeon Collection is released on DVD and Blu-ray on May 13th, courtesy of FremantleMedia.

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12th May2013

‘TMNT: Rooftop Run’ Review (iOS)

by Phil Wheat

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Manufacturer: Nickleodeon
Specs: Requires iOS 4.3 or later (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad).
RRP: £1.49
Rating: 4/5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run is, like Cannibalt, Inspector Gadget, Jetpack Joy and Mini Ninjas before it, yet another endless runner game for iOS. This time allowing players to assume the role of their favourite Turtle, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, as they outrun the Kraang’s tractor beam, fighting their way across the rooftops of New York in an attempt to save the city from ultimate destruction, battling enemies with Ninjutsu combat along the way. As enemies are defeated, players earn coins that can be redeemed for the usual power ups, weapons and gear.

Players also need to collect energy orbs to fill the Energy Meter and keep the Kraang away, run out of energy and its game over. However once the Energy Meter is filled, the game enters “Turtle Time” – a fantastic special combat mode where game play is slowed down, and players must tap in rapid succession, a la rhythm gaming, striking multiple enemies simultaneously in a thrilling fight sequence to increase coin collection.

TMNT-RR-Screen

Game features include:

  • Battle hoards of enemies from the Foot Clan, Kraang, and Dimension X
  • Activate Turtle Time to fight up close in a slow-motion combat sequence
  • Outfit the Turtles in exclusive Cyber and Stealth gear
  • Upgrade with weapons, gadgets and boosts like the Laserbot and Turtle Saver
  • Unlock and play as the Turtles’ formidable canine foe Dogpound
  • Earn rewards from the pizza time mini-game
  • Epic Boss Battles

Besides the run, players can visit a Turtle Lair to unlock characters, purchase power ups and upgrade their Turtle’s weapons and gear.  New gear influences coin collection rates, energy meter drainage and refills, builds players’ resistance to certain obstacles and enables them to fast-forward to any section of the game already played, gaining additional coins.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run doesn’t offer anything new to the genre, however there’s a lot of fun to be had in the “Turtle Time” mode, enough to make me want to see more of this type of “combat” game rather than more titles like Rooftop Run. But if you like endless runner games you’ll enjoy this iteration of the now very-familiar sub-genre. Plus kids that love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will lap it up.

Available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run is available on the App Store now for £1.49.

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