The Gate

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

Those little demons in Don't be Afraid of the Dark left me nostalgic for this film. A Genuine 80's kids horror film and a childhood favourite. This film is balls out awesome, filled with great freak out moments and has some of the greatest 80's Toronto teen fashion this side of Degrassi.

Randy Cook, visual effects supervisor on Lord of the Rings, was doing FX on this and they use every old-school trick in the book. Some truly wonderful work including some shots I have no idea how they could have pulled off back then. For the longest time I was convinced the only way most of the shots were possible was if they actually summoned real demons to help out with the filming. When I got the new Anniversary DVD, which has a nice shiny widescreen transfer and some behind the scenes extras and retrospective interviews, they were the first things I watched and the craft is fascinating. But they still don't give everything away there so there's still a few shots I'm just baffled by.

Little Stephen Dorff, who recently played one of the most enjoyable characters in Immortals is great as the young kid who unwittingly unleashes hell. I forgot how epic in scale the finale of this is and he really sells it all.

This is just a brilliant film to scare the crap out of kids, it really feels to me like something Amblin would have released if it just wasn't so dark. Avoid the dreary sequel but definitely seek out this forgotten gem. I love it dearly.

Puss in Boots

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Jordan, Amberly

Well it's far better than the last 2 Shrek films that's for sure. For an animated film from Dreamworks I was surprised at how slow and boring the start was. I mean there was running and swordplay but theres a bunch of clunky exposition to get out.

The best thing about the film is the 3D, it's really great and definitely worth the effort to see for that. It's not as post modern annoying as Shrek but it's still nowhere near as great as How to Train your Dragon or even Kung Fu Panda 2.

It does feel like a spin off film. It's not very grand in scale and despite having such great technical look there's never much weight to anything that happens. Or perhaps it's just me. But it was fun enough and there were one or two jokes that I really liked. I also like the split screens. Sufficient.

Attack the Block

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Paul

Here's my first write up. And second.

Finally I get to see it in a cinema! Only, what, like a year after it came out overseas? Bah.

Anyway it works wonders in a cinema, it plays really well. So strange how everything seems heightened at the movies as opposed to watching at home. Perhaps the lack of distractions helps.

The only disappointing thing is there wasn't much of a crowd. It's gonna be one of those films I love that no-one else will ever hear about. So sad. Unless they listen to the Super 8 commentary...

Zulu

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Dad

I've had this on a crappy DVD for about 6 years but always held off watching it. The disc was a crappy pan and scan. This is a film that needs the full widescreen. Looks great in HD too. There are some very nice vistas on display here often populated with thousands of extras, always impressive.

Michael Caine's first major role in a feature film. He's so damn British in this too, it's hilarious.

I'm not really one for war stories and this one didn't grab me too much aside from the cool use of extras (and cows in one scene). It lays out the battle pretty well. Still it's a little hard to get over how much make up everyone has caked on. Caine has a lot of eyeliner. A lot.

Zombi 2

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

AKA Zombi, Zombie, Zombie 2, Zombie Flesh Eaters, Island of the Flesh-Eaters, Island of the Living Dead... Basically it's Lucio Fulci's zombie movie that was at some stage given the sequel moniker to try and cash in as an unofficial sequel to Romero's Night of the Living Dead.

And as was the usual practice of Italian produced films with mixed nationalities in the cast, no audio was recorded on set and everything was dubbed in later. the sync problems from these old Italian films always wig me out a little. Also there seeming lack or ethics regarding animal treatment *cough* Cannible Holocaust *cough*. Or perhaps this time it was all a trick.

Okay so lets talk about that, because that's why everyone remembers this film and it's been given a bluray treatment and made a bit of a comeback. Zombie vs Shark. A zombie fights a shark underwater. Hand to hand. I'm serious. Holy crap it's badass.

Apart from that, some amazingly fun eye trauma, a great many classic rising from the ground scenes and a few fire deaths there isn't much to this film. The zombie make up has a very unique look but also looks a little cheap now, with patches or normal skin always poking through here and there.

Still, I am glad I saw that zombie/shark fight. And I do like the more classical voodoo zombie vibe it has going.

Bridge to Terabithia

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Jordan, Amberly

Oh man that trailer is hilarious. It's one of the few false advertising campaigns that I like because of how devious it is. "Come on kids, Walden Media and Disney have the next Narnia adventure waiting for you!" Get them all excited and in the theatre and then BAM, punch them in the face.

This was one of the required reading texts in school so I was well aware of what to expect and as it did many fans, that trailer had me very worried. But really, how are you supposed to advertise the film without giving anything away? And no-one would probably go and see it if they knew what they would have to explain to their crying children on the car trip home from the cinema.

Well that's not really true the ending is very uplifting.

Suffice to say the finished film thankfully doesn't soft pedal anything from the book. I think it's a really fantastic adaptation and a really wonderful film. Just beautiful, even with the disney-esque sheen the whole thing is coated in.

Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb are bloody brilliant and once again, Bailee Madison shows some real talent. It's just such a beautiful story and I really love the film version. Don't write it off, and if you can avoid spoilers all the better. Watch it and thank me later.