Blu-Ray Review: A Lonely Place To Die

Directed By Julian Gilbey 

Starring Melissa George, Ed Speleers, Sean Harris, Eamonn Walker 

Synopsis:

A group of five mountaineers are hiking and climbing in the Scottish Highlands when they discover a young Serbian girl buried in a small chamber in the wilderness. They become caught up in a terrifying game of cat and mouse with the kidnappers as they try to get the girl to safety. 

Review:

I was expecting this to be a survival horror and found it was more of a tense thriller, that had the threat of scenes in keeping with the survival horror genre. I kept an open mind to the movie, especially as I do like Melissa George. She has had a good run of playing strong characters and I was hoping that this movie would give her another chance at doing what she does so well. I wasn’t disappointed in her portrayal as Alison. To say that she carries the movie is a little unfair on the splendid performances from the rest of the cast, but the movie does centre on her character. 

From the beginning it is apparent that the Directors have spent much time and trouble locating remote Scottish places that would look breathtaking on camera. The majority of the movie is very realistic, especially with the opening sequence’s footage of the climbers. At one point I marveled at the way that Gibley and Ali Asad (director of photography) showed a guy hanging from the mountain face. The sheer terror is brought home from the way in which a couple of shots were inserted; those from an inverted position, really giving the audience an idea of what it could be like to hang suspended. I haven’t seen this done properly and so evocatively in a big budget movie before. If ever a remake of Cliffhanger was on the cards, these guys need to be offered the chance to make it. 

The film’s first act is concerned with setting up the characters as mountaineers and to show Alison’s dedication and experience of it. One of the group hears, what to me, sounded like Carol Anne in the TV set during the movie Poltergeist. Upon investigation, they discover a young girl. Anna (played by the excellent Holly Boyd) and the movie moves from exciting Scottish travelogue to a cat and mouse chase through unforgiving landscape that made me think of First Blood. The group are hunted by two guys with high powered rifles. The pair are crack shots and Gilbey shows us this a number of times. Apart from one “Rambo” moment when Alison takes a tumble and falls some distance with trees breaking her fall, the movie pulls the viewer in with its realistic approach. Eventually, additional characters are introduced and participate as the survivors converge on a small town in the middle of a street party (based upon the Beltane Fire festival). Once the characters enter the village I was reminded a little of the action movie The Tournament. This is no bad thing as the ante is well and truly upped with no holds barred gunfights and brawls. The film is pacy, tense and thrilling, despite the last act that strays well away from the established location referred to in the title.

Melissa George must have gone through a punishing shoot to complete this picture in what comes across as a very physical movie, despite how frequently a stuntwoman might have taken over during the more punishing scenes, not that it’s obvious either way if she had of done. She puts everything into her performance and even gets a Jack Bauer moment at one point in the film. (To elaborate will spoil the movie but 24 fans will get my meaning upon viewing the movie).

Summary:

This is UK cinema on top form. It looks and feels uniquely British and is the old idea of a cat and mouse hunt but put from a unique perspective. Enjoyably action-packed and highly recommended. 

Blu-ray Comments:

The disc is full of interesting extras; from a commentary that is useful due to the technical information given throughout and a seventy minute making of. There is also an interesting featurette on Julian Gilbey getting the climbing bug and climbing the French and Swiss Alps to raise money for Cancer charities. The disc is available at Amazon at £10.79 (as at 26/12/11); a great way to start 2012!

Score: 8/10

TV Review: The Walking Dead 2.07-"If they move, kill em"

I was all set to review episode 2.07 of The Walking Dead. It blew me away and had me almost in tears. It was a powerful, horrible way to end the mid-season, but it was done so beautifully I had to share my views. But, I read Darren Franich's great recap, that was so good it took the wind out of my sails. Why try to better it. Truth is, I can't. Read it here:

" To me, last night's episode was the show's finest hour since its series premiere, and I think it's because the show has finally decided to stop going for realism and embrace its inner melodrama."

 My additional thoughts:

Franich captures much of how I felt about the episode. Jon Bernthal definitely deserves an award for his performance, but then most actors in this do.

2.07 had Frank Darabont's stamp all over it. Each character had something to do, well most; T-Dog still seems superfluous and potential zombie bait in the second half of the season. When the end comes and Sophia's fate is revealed, it's not so much a shock as perfectly built-up to and emotionally heart-wrenching. It's more the character's reactions that pulls at the heart strings and Bear McCreary's emotive music. Seeing Carl and his mother in such grief was painful. The look of shock and horror on each face is focused on. Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene is fantastic in this scene as various feelings flit across his face: From sadness to a kind of "I told you so, now you depersonalise these things" look.

Like the end of The Mist, the direction (from the very talented Michelle McClaren) doesn't let you off the hook with what you should be experiencing and what the characters are very much feeling. Incidentally, one shot reminded me of some artwork from Stephen King's The Gunslinger. After Shane and co have blasted most of the zombies from the barn, the foreground is taken up with the finally dead corpses, similar to this:

A page from The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

Not the exact shot that I meant but close

COMING SOON: Graphic Novel to TV show comparisons....

Blu-Ray Review: The Exterminator

Directed By James Glickenhaus

Starring: Robert Ginty, Christopher George, Steve James, Samantha Eggar

Synopsis:

Scorching the streets clean...

Flamethrowers ready as the alleyways of skid row are set ablaze with the brutal vengeance of one man... The Exterminator!

John Eastland has been to ‘Nam and he’s seen things... Things you wouldn’t believe. Surviving torture and witnessing the brutal deaths of his friends, John returns home to a tough neighbourhood in New York and his loving family. But when some local thugs take a crippling dislike to his best friend Mike, leaving him paralysed, something snaps in John. Did he fight the Vietcong for this?

Taking the law into his own hands, Eastland sets out to clean the streets of every low life, good for nothing gang banger, mobster and ghetto ghoul across the city in director James Glickenhaus’ (McBain) brutally violent vigilante classic.

Review:
The 70s spawned a wealth of gritty, sombre vigilante action movies. The most famous of these was the Dirty Harry series, (Ok, he was a cop but the style was more of a vigilante thriller than cop drama), and Death Wish. In fact the success of these movies paved the way for cheaper and sometimes, livelier, cash-ins.

Unlike some of its peers, The Exterminator escapes being 100% cheese by casting an actor in the lead that wasn’t a recognisable face or built like a brick out house. The softly spoken Robert Ginty wasn't your archetypal action hero but perfect for the role of a killer avenging an attack on his best friend, and then finding he likes taking out New York sleaze bags. It was almost an early Punisher film as the characters share some similarities and so do the set ups.

Glickenhaus was responsible for the silly but fun 1991 movie McBain and the also fun buddy cop thriller from 1988: Shakedown (known in the UK as Blue Jean Cop). Both McBain and The Exterminator show Viet Nam flashbacks. I prefer the over the top style of The Exterminator’s opening sequence; full of huge explosions and a memorable and grisly decapitation (courtesy of Stan Winston).

The audience is treated very much as an observer in The Exterminator. Glickhaus seems reticent in drawing the audience in, as if he wants to distance us from the actions of Ginty's John Eastland. After all, he does go about business in a particularly brutal and sadistic manner.

Christopher George (who you might recall from City of the Living Dead) is entertaining, but his scenes with Samantha Eggar seem superfluous and incites to the viewer to call for more brutal action. Steve James is woefully underused and it would be films like American Ninja that showcased his fighting skills and likeable personality. He died far too early at age 41.

I can't help thinking that Glickenhaus' vision wasn't quite met by the budget as the movie seems to be building towards a huge action set piece that doesn't get realised. This shouldn't put you off, The Exerminator is still worth watching.

The Picture and Audio Quality is much sharper than previous releases, although I much prefer the audio on the Synergy DVD release. However that release was a 4:3 ratio. The movie appears uncut but I think that it's missing a grisly image of two bad guys with their faces being eaten by rats. I can't get confirmation if it actually exists. 

Summary:
Ok, so seeing the softly spoken Ginty dispatching the bad guys with ever increasingly inventive ways seems a bit far fetched but if you want a cold hard real look at killing, this movie isn't it. If you want a fun revenge flick with dark overtones then this is the one to get hold of. Judging from the pack shots, Arrow have provided the standard
With Arrowdrome having released McBain, I can only hope they release other Glickenhaus movies, like The Soldier. Blu-Ray releases of Shakedown and the Jackie Chan vehicle, The Protector, would be very welcome.

The DVD or Blu-Ray contains:
- Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork
- Double-sided fold-out artwork poster
- Collector’s booklet featuring brand new writing on the film by critic David Hayles

The Blu-ray contains:
- Introduction to the film by director James Glickenhaus
- Fire and Slice: Making The Exterminator - An interview with James Glickenhaus
- 42nd Street Then and Now: A tour of New York's former sleaze circuit from director Frank Henenlotter
- Audio commentary with Mark Buntzman, producer of The Exterminator and writer/director of The Exterminator II, moderated by Calum Waddell.

Original Art by The Dude Designs

In original 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
Original Uncompressed LPCM Mono Audio
Feature and extras 1080/24p Region ABC playable worldwide

Available now from all good stockists.

Blu-Ray Preview: A Lonely Place To Die

After closing Frightfest 2011 and enjoying a nationwide release, A Lonely Place to Die comes to DVD & Blu-ray 26 December with a whole host of extras.

Starring Melissa George (Triangle, 30 Days of Night) and directed by Julian Gilbey (Rise of the Footsoldier) the film centres around a group of five mountaineers who are climbing in the remote Scottish Highlands when they make a horrific discovery: a young girl buried in a small chamber, with only a small air pipe to the surface keeping her alive.

She is terrified, dehydrated and half-starved.  Deciding they must get her to safety, the group embark on a dangerous and nerve-racking descent.

Unwittingly, they’ve taken charge of a valuable bounty and are being hunted down by the girl’s ruthless kidnappers, who have everything at stake and nothing to lose.  Caught up in a terrifying game of cat and mouse, they are in mortal danger and there’s no easy way out.

Described by Total Film as hitting “like a bullet between the eyes”, this is the ultimate uncompromising and brutally realistic pursuit thriller.

ON DVD & BLU-RAY

26 DECEMBER 2011

Directed by

JULIAN GILBEY

Starring

MELISSA  GEORGE
ED SPELEERS
EAMONN WALKER
KAREL RODEN
SEAN HARRIS
KATE MAGOWAN

Extras:

The Making of A Lonely Place to Die – 70 mins approx (High Def) 

THE CHALLENGE OF THE ALPS  - Director Julian Gilbey attempts The Matterhorn and The Eiger – 17 mins approx (High Def)

Director’s Feature Length Audio Commentary

Theatrical trailer

Available at all good stockists from 26/12/11

Movie Preview: Villain

Villain

(CERT 15)

 

A film by Lee Sang-il (Hula Girls)
 

NOMINATED for 15 Japanese Academy Awards

 WINNER of 5 Japanese Academy Awards including:

 Best Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor and Music Score

WINNER ‘Best Actress – Eri Fukatsu’ – Montreal Film Festival

WINNER ‘Best Actor – Satoshi Tsumabuki’ – 53rd Blue Ribbon Awards
WINNER ‘Best Japanese Film of 2010’ – Kinema Junpo

 

Starring: Eri Fukatsu (The Magic Hour, Bayside Shakedown)

Satoshi Tsumabuki (Tokyo!, Villon’s Wife, Pandemic)

Hikari Mitsushima (Love Exposure, Death Note, Sawako Decides)

Masaki Okada (Confessions)


 

UK DVD RELEASE DATE:  5 December 2011

DVD EXTRA FEATURES:

Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer with 5.1 Surround Sound and optional English subtitles

1 Hour long ‘Making Of’

Discussion between director Lee Sang-il and actor Satoshi Tsumabuki

Theatrical Trailer

 

With over twenty companies bidding for the film adaptation rights, and many of Japan’s top directors vying for the project, Lee Sang-il’s adaptation of Shuichi Yoshida’s award-winning novel Villain was one of the most hotly anticipated films of 2010.  A critical hit at festivals both at home and abroad, Villain swept the board at the Japan Academy Awards, receiving fifteen nominations in thirteen categories, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Score, and winning awards in all four acting categories.  Villain was also selected by the famous Kinema Junpo critics’ organization as best Japanese film of the year.

Directed by Lee Sang-il, whose inspirational and hugely popular Hula Girls (2006) won Best Picture at the Japanese Academy Awards, Villain boasts a stellar cast headed by Tsumabuki Satoshi (“The Magic Hour”) and Fukatsu Eri (who won the Best Actress award at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival for her stunning performance), with support from Mitsushima Hikari, (“Love Exposure”), Kiki Kirin (“Still Walking”), Emoto Akira (“April Bride”), and Okada Masaki (“Confessions”).  The music is composed by world-renowned
Joe Hisaishi, who has scored many films by Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano.

Yuichi (Satoshi Tsumabuki) is a construction worker who has lived his entire life in a dreary fishing village. With no girlfriend or friends, he spends his days working and looking after his grandparents, with no enjoyment in life other than his car. Meanwhile, Mitsuyo (Eri Fukatsu) also lives a monotonous life pacing between the men’s clothing store where she works and the apartment where she lives with her sister. When the two lonely souls meet using an online dating site, they immediately fall in love with each other. But there’s a secret Yuichi had been keeping from Mitsuyo: Yuichi is the one suspected of killing the woman whose body was found at Mitsue Pass only a few days before...

As Yuichi and his new lover try to elude the police, the events that led up to the murder and its aftermath are revealed. We learn the stories of the victim, the murderer, and their families - stories of loneliness, love hotels, violence and desperation, exposing the inner lives of men and woman who are not everything they appear to be.

A heart rendering story with electrifying performances from the two leads, Villain works both as a powerful character study and as a gripping thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout. 

Villain is based on Shuichi Yoshida’s novel of the same name, which sold over half a million copies in Japan. It has just been translated to English and was released by Random House publishing on August 18th, 2011 – a day before the theatrical release of the film.

 

Certificate:  15; Running time:  140 mins; In Japanese with English subtitles; Colour/35mm and Digital release 

Blu-Ray Review: The Outsiders

Directed By Francis Ford Coppola

 

Starring: C Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane , Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Leif Garrett

 

Synopsis:

 Teen rivalry in a small Southern town sets the stage for this dramatic interpretation of the novel by S.E. Hinton. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Outsiders tells the story of the ongoing conflict between the Greasers and the Socs in rural Oklahoma. C. Thomas Howell stars as Ponyboy, the youngest of three orphaned boys who pal around with the local hoods known as the Greasers. When Ponyboy and his friend (Ralph Macchio) get into a deadly confrontation one night, the two go on the run from the cops, and they grow up quickly and soon realize the insignificance of their petty posturing. Matt Dillon stars as the tough-as-nails leader of their group and Patrick Swayze appears as Ponyboy's oldest brother. A host of other 1980s Brat Pack celebs fill out the cast.

 

Review:

It’s been a great month for Coppola fans, thanks to StudioCanal, with The Conversation having made its Blu-Ray debut, and now The Outsiders. Based on the novel by S. E. Hinton, the movie is a coming of age drama with so much more to offer. This version is longer, has more of the book’s content and has replaced the score with songs from that period.

 

I have to admit, I ignored this movie when it came out. There was too much emphasis on “The Brat Pack” and it made the movie look more like a “chick flick” than a movie I would be interested in. This is a shame because I would have enjoyed it had I seen it. Instead, in 1983 I was watching movies like Risky Business, Lemon Popsicle and any video nasty I could rent. So, that comes some way to showing where my head was at, in 1983.

 

The stand out performance for me is from Patrick Swayze. He is as cool as he is in Dirty Dancing (yes, it’s a “chick flick” but Swayze is cool in it), Point Break and Roadhouse, but with a bit more emotion. He does far better with his emoting in The Outsiders than in Road House, when he finds Sam Elliot lying dead on the bar. The Swayze plays one of three Curtis brothers who, through awful circumstances, have had to live on their own. The pressure of working and providing has taken its toll on Darrel Curtis. Rob Lowe plays Soda Pop Curtis, with C Thomas Howell playing the youngest; Ponyboy. Howell puts in a powerhouse of a performance that eclipses most of the cast. There are no let downs in this film, but Howell does such an excellent job. Matt Dillon is also very good but plays to type. Matt Dillon always plays characters that you want to slap and he doesn’t disappoint here. That said, the climax of the movie is very moving thanks to Dillon’s turnaround and sympathetic performance as his character Dallas breaks apart. Ralph Macchio also tugs at the heartstrings with his performance as the fated Johnny Cade. Emilio Estevez is his usual cheeky self and provides some light relief at one point, which was needed. Although the movie looks as if it should be upbeat, it’s anything but. It’s contemplative and thought-provoking.

Tom Cruise is in this; young, dumb and full of…odd teeth. Yes, this movie was made before the Cruise-meister had his teeth done. He looks kind of like the backwoods redneck that he doesn’t look like in any of his other movies. (Unless he looks a little like this in All the Right Moves. I don’t think I’ve seen that). Mercifully, for the older, better looking TC, he doesn’t take up too much screen time.

The cinematography is outstanding and sometimes resembles the scope of Gone With the Wind, the movie based upon the novel that Ponyboy and … loved so much, especially the sunset. This, of course, all looks great on Blu-Ray. The picture quality is very good. Zoetrope Studios have treated the movie with understandable care.

 

Summary

Despite the film being set in 1967, it is still easy to identify with the characters in the movie. They’re well fleshed out in this version of the movie and although we don’t see enough of how the “Socs” live their lives (it’s very much about the “Greasers” as the title refers) we can see the tragedy behind the segregation of two opposing cultures in many things. The Blu-Ray looks and sounds great for a movie from 1983. This is a great movie for parents to watch with children in their early teens, or simply for adults who know the movie and want to see it in it’s best presentation.

 

Score: 8/10

 The Blu-Ray is out now from all good stockists.

CD Review: The Reasoning Live In The USA: The Bottle of Gettysburg

Most people think when I'm talking about The Cohens that I'm talking about The Coen brothers; the Directors of some fine classic movies like the constantly quoted The Big Lebowski. I'm actually, usually, talking about one of my favourite bands: Cardiff based, The Reasoning. They've been through some turbulent times but always come through it with spirit and the urge to go one better than before. This has inspired the following that this band have got. It's infectious, and this first official live album captures this spirit, perfectly.

My earlier crap joke aside, The Reasoning is the sum of it's parts;

Rachel Cohen: Vocals and Percussion
Owain Roberts: Guitar
Tony Turrell: Keyboards, Piano & Vocals
Matthew Cohen: Bass & Backing Vocals
Jake Bradford-Sharp: Drums & Backing Vocals

Rachel's vocals immediately show why she's won the Classic Rock Society's Best Female Vocalist Award for four years running; she really has the voice of a (Dark) Angel. She also owns the stage and mesmerises both men and women. It was a brave choice of the band to include "geeky" introductions, though. I now take a nap during those moments.

Owain has no credit for vocal but I'm sure I've heard something issue from that mouth of his. Anyway, he more than makes up for it by making the guitar sing, and sing sweetly it does, when need be and roar when it should. Along with John Mitchell, Owain is one of the most exciting and inventive young guitarists around. (I say young, compared to Steve Howe anyone is young).

Tony Turrell was an inspired addition to the band and has proven he can not only fill in for vocals but also add some synth in at the right moments to embellish existing tracks. It's the new arrangements of some tracks that help make The Reasoning exciting to watch and listen to. Tony plays keyboards the old fashioned way too, not just hitting buttons on a computer.

Matthew Cohen is the soul of the band; the backbone through his construction of bass lines through to the hard working promotion of the band, with the maintenance of friendships. Not entirely sure about the vocals but he gets the job done.

Jake Bradford-Sharp is one wiry, mean drummer and great to watch. His skills improve at each gig. A band like this need a strong drummer and they've got in Jake.

The tracklist of this live album is a good collection of past and present tracks:

Intro
Diamonds and Leather
Fallen Angels
The Nobody Effect
Shadows of the Mind
The Thirteenth Hour
How Far TO Fall?
Chasing Rainbows
14
Dark Angel
Aching Hunger

Diamonds and Leather is a storming way to open a gig. This live recording evokes precious memories from High Voltage 2010, when The Reasoning opened the Sunday on the Prog stage. Fantastic!
Ending with Aching Hunger, The Reasoning's anthemic interactive crowd pleaser, this is an album for those that enjoy good solid live albums. If you like live music, you'll want to uncork The Bottle of Gettysburg and Rock!

Buy the album right here: http://www.thereasoning.com/shop.php