30 Minutes or Less
I absolutely loved 30 Minutes or Less and hope to have a fuller review up soon. 30 Minutes or Less has been the most fun film I have seen this year. Director Ruben Fleischer balances fast paced editing, sharp dialogue and hilarious performances to create a brilliant chemistry between the entire cast – making this a must see film. Can Jesse Eisenberg do no wrong?

It is a completely different film but in terms of entertainment value I rate is almost near Lethal Weapon status. Hopefully I'll have The Establishing Shot's a full review will be up this week. Ruben Fleischer's The Gangster Squad has only just started shooting but is already eagerly anticipated by those in the know.

Red State
Kevin Smith’s latest film Red State is a radical departure from his usual fare. I struggled a bit watching it but feel that politics aside, Red State may be as bold, brilliant and important film as Easy Rider. Some may struggle with it but with Red State Kevin Smith returns to his truly independent maverick film making ways.

It is worth noting that if you are a fan, Kevin Smith and his wife Jen Schwalbach will be recording their regular Plus One Per Diem podcast from the London home of Cult Cinema - the Prince Charles Cinema this Friday 19 September. More info here!

Red State will be released in the UK on Friday 30 September 2011

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Establishing Shot’s review of the classy and outstanding Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is over here! Hopefully I’ll have some more insight and treats from the team behind Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy this week like the brilliant Mr. John Hurt among others.

The Ford Centenary Tour
I was lucky enough to be invited along to Elstree Studios to see 5 iconic Ford cars from film exhibited as part of the part of the Ford UK Centenary Tour. Not only was it a thrill being on the Elstree Studios George Lucas Stage but I got get a close up look at James Bond’s Ford Mondeo from Casino Royale, Jack Regan’s Consul GT (Ford Granada) from The Sweeney, A replica of Dr Who's SIVA Edwardian - Bessie, a replica of the Ford Anglia used in Harry Potter and most impressive of all Lady Penelope's modified Ford Thunderbird Fab1 from Thunderbirds. High quality photos and a blog post will be up shortly.


The Devil’s Double
I struggled with The Devil’s Double. Going in I was unsure if it would be an action film, emotional drama or dark satire. Unfortunately The Devil’s Double is never sure either. It veers from historical character study, propped up by Bond like atmospherics, mashed up with chilling set-ups, deflated by random characterizations, lifted by hysterical character mimicry with segways into propagandist military politics punctuated with gun fire.

Possibly the book written by Latif Yahia the real Devil’s Double goes into some depth into the cultural nuances of the background to the story are lost in translation onto screen. What should be a tour de force of acting from Dominic Cooper in dual roles is weighed down to heavily by the muddy story rollout.

The Devil's Double is in UK cinemas from Wednesday 10 August, 2011

The Devil's Double
A chilling vision of the House of Saddam Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was forced to become the double of Hussein's sadistic son.

Director: Lee Tamahori
Writers: Michael Thomas, Latif Yahia (novel)
Stars: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier and Raad Rawi


Cowboys & Aliens
I managed to catch Cowboys & Aliens at back at Empire’s Big Screen and as much as I try go into screenings with an open mind - Cowboys & Aliens was the biggest disappointment of the summer for me. Maybe it shouldn’t have as I didn’t really enjoy the comic as it wasn’t really to my taste - I thought that the comic was lacking depth and seemed sparse in terms of story and seemed to shift un-developed characters from set up to set up. The film did adapt that pretty well to film. The disappointment being that I had hoped that Jon Favreau would flesh the story out and give it some depth and create a mythology I would be carried away by. Instead it was all style over substance. The pairing of Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford should have delivered more; unfortunately great acting from both wasn’t enough to fill in the gaping lack of story.

Cowboys & Aliens is in UK cinemas from Wednesday 17 August, 2011

Cowboys & Aliens
A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys and natives are all that stand in their way.

Director: Jon Favreau
Writers: Roberto Orci (screenplay), Alex Kurtzman (screenplay)
Stars: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde


Night and the City
Harry Fabian is a London hustler with ambitious plans that never work out. One day, when he encounters the most famous Greco-Roman wrestler in the world, Gregorius, at a London wrestling arena run by his son Kristo, he dreams up a scheme that he thinks will finally be his ticket to financial independence. As Fabian attempts to con everyone around him to get his scheme to work, he of course only ends up conning himself. This is an interesting tale of blind ambition, self-deception, broken dreams, and how a man who always thinks he's ahead of the game ends up tripping himself very badly

Night and the City
Director: Jules Dassin
Writers: Jo Eisinger (screenplay), Gerald Kersh (novel)
Stars: Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney and Googie Withers

Laguna’s hugely impressive and truly independent film – amazingly shot for just $5,000 US on a Canon 7D digital SLR using the camera’s movie mode function – not only succeeds in delivering plenty of shocks and gore, it also features a brilliant debut feature performance by newcomer Hanna Oldenberg in the lead role of Winona, a musician whose leisurely working vacation becomes a terrifying fight for survival.

Following a busy year of relative success in the record business, Winona heads back to her tiny hometown in the remote outskirts of Stockholm to stay at a house her manager has rented where she can relax alone and hopefully find the inspiration to write some new songs. As a snowstorm brews and night begins to fall, she manages to find the house but is disappointed to discover it’s not the luxurious retreat she was expecting.

Shortly after settling in, Winona becomes unsettled by the creepy creaking sounds of the old house and decides to head to a bar in town for refreshments and some company. There, she bumps into a former boyfriend and a couple he knows and invites them back to the house for a few drinks. At the end of the night, with everyone either too drunk or too tired to drive home, they decide to crash until morning. But as the four friends prepare to sleep, an unknown presence stirs within the house, one that has been watching and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Max (Gob), an agoraphobic golfing enthusiast with a murky past, leads a secluded life in the remote Belgian countryside. While out in the woods practising his swing, he stumbles across an unconscious young woman (Coppejans) covered in dirt and blood and takes her home to clean her up and take care of her. Despite not fully trusting the stranger, whom he decides to call Bianca, Max begins to develop an attraction towards this mysterious beauty.

Five days later, on 4th April 2010, the bodies of the Quintanilla family were found in the farmhouse, the members having died in extremely mysterious circumstances. In the aftermath, the police identified and reported the existence of 37 hours of recorded material relating to the events leading up to the grisly discovery. Atrocious finally reveals the shocking authentic footage of what really took place during those tragic five days.