Joeblade

Short reviews

  1. The Animatrix

    These short animations based on The Matrix are a mixed bag; still the only good thing ever to be spun-off the original film.

  2. The Canyons

    Dreadful. Like watching porn if you took out all the sex and just left the story, acting and script.

  3. Phase IV

    Almost certainly the best ant-based sci-fi film I’ll see this year.

  4. Dark City

    As brilliant now as it ever was. Looks and sounds great, and Rufus Sewell and Richard O’Brien have never been more watchable.

  5. Clone

    A terribly dull cloning/incest drama that manages to be both boring and kind of icky at the same time. Avoid, despite Eva Green.

  6. The Book of Life

    Really stunning visuals in this animated Mexican Day of the Dead story. Story itself a little weak but plenty of charm.

  7. Mr. Peabody & Sherman

    Loved it. Like watching a time-travelling episode of Frasier if Frasier was a dog.

  8. Nightcrawler

    A convincing, skin-crawling portrayal of a sociopath. Recommended.

  9. Avengers: Age of Ultron

    At this point it feels like critiquing individual TV episodes rather than films, but, I liked it.

  10. Double Indemnity

    The hard-boiled dialogue felt a bit cheesy to me with its “list synonyms” way of padding the script, but otherwise perfect.

  11. Horns

    A tonally-bewildering comedy/drama/horror/coming of age/fable. Veered wildly from good to terrible, sometimes in the same scene.

  12. Batman: The Movie

    It’s great, because it’s the ’60s Batman which is all great, but if I’m being honest the last half hour drags like hell.

  13. Vamps

    A mostly-awful, somehow-watchable comedy vampire film with Alicia Silverstone if you remember her. Corny & kind of crappy. Worth a go.

  14. The Limey

    A classy and interestingly-disjointed crime flick, though Terence Stamp’s awkward Cockney rhyming slang grates after a while.

  15. Silent Running

    I’ve tried over and over to enjoy this film, but I can’t. Just find it boring and slight. Nice visuals though.

  16. Blackmail

    Early Hitchcock thriller that might be historically interesting but hasn’t aged well. Very stilted performances, generally dull.

  17. A Million Ways to Die in the West

    Painfully, cripplingly poor. Such overwhelming awfulness it left me sad, confused and angry.

  18. The Killing

    Early Kubrick film noir, a complex, intricate crime thriller. Taut, brief and gripping.

  19. Wonderland

    Fantastic ‘90s drama following a several people around London for a week. Excellent, and always nice to see the ‘90s on film.

  20. Austin Powers

    A bit dated and weak, but so inextricably linked to my ‘90s university years I can’t help but be a little fond of it.

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