Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

Review: Ted / Cert: 15 / Directors: Seth Macfarlane / Screenplay: Seth Macfarlane / Starring: Seth Macfarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis / Released: November 26th

Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that Seth Macfarlane is one of the most important people in television and comedy over the last ten years. After building up an animation empire on TV, Macfarlane has turned his attention to live action filmmaking and the result is the best thing he has been involved with so far. Ted is simply hilarious and touching in all the right ways.

We begin with young John Bennett being given a teddy bear for Christmas one year and making a wish that the bear comes to life. To his surprise the next day the bear can speak and becomes a celebrity sensation. John and Ted grow up together and we join them later when Ted’s celebrity has faded and John is a 35 year old car rental agency employee who spends most of his time getting stoned with his teddy bear much to the annoyance of his girlfriend Lori who wishes John would grow up and leave his childhood friend to focus on more adult matters. Complicating things further is that a weird obsessive fan and his son are stalking Ted looking to make him one of the family.

It’s amazing how easily Macfarlane’s particular brand of comedy transfers into live action, obviously there are not the more elaborate gags found in Family Guy but a very similar style is in play. Critics of his formula will be pleased to note that there are only two of the flashback style sequences that seem to make up much of his animation output but they work so well in live action that you barely notice it’s his old shtick. There is also the fondness for the pop culture of the ‘80s that is present with an impressive and affectionate love of Flash Gordon and even featuring Sam Jones in a sequence which is simply hilarious. Apart from a couple of gross-out moments not much of Ted feels in bad taste and it’s surprising how well the emotional core of the story comes across. At its heart the film is about best friends having to move on when time and adulthood intrude and it’s something everyone can identify with.

Mark Wahlberg here continues his great streak of comic performances proving strangely enough that he is one of the most versatile A-listers working today. Macfarlane voicing Ted himself is perfect even though it’s Peter Griffin’s voice (which they make light of in one scene). The rest of the cast is populated by people you know and strange cameos that all have their moment to shine.

Ted is without doubt the comedy of the year, brilliantly written and performed and proof that Macfarlane is a major talent.

Extras: The Making of, Alternate Takes, Teddy Bear Scuffle, Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel and Commentary track.

Review: Doctor Who Series 7 Part 1 / Cert: 12 / Directors: Various / Screenplay: Steven Moffat, Chris Chibnall, Toby Whithouse / Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill / Released: Out Now

As anyone who’s been keeping even vague tabs on goings-on in the Whoniverse will know, the first half of Series Seven marked a sad farewell to the Doctor’s long-suffering companions, the Ponds. But that wasn’t the only change – we also bade goodbye to tangled story arcs and said hello to cinematic, high concept, stand-alone episodes, as well as getting a look at the Doctor’s new sidekick, Oswin (Coleman). Whatever you think of these developments, they’re signs of a show that’s still pulsating with regenerative energy.

Revisiting Part One on this box set, it’s clear that this new approach has resulted in at least one enduring gem. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is surely everything you’d want an episode of Doctor Who to be in this day and age. Chris Chibnall’s script turns the nutty premise (which you can picture being flung out to roars of laughter in a rowdy writers’ meeting) into a frenetic but logical yarn that spawns SFX eye candy such as, only a few years ago, you couldn’t imagine on British TV. Plus it boasts a colourful Allan Quatermain-style big game hunter, radiating sang froid. Plus Nefertiti (threatened with slavery!). And, the cherry on top, David Mitchell and Robert Webb lending their voices to a pair of robots with more than their fair share of screws loose.

Steve Moffat’s opener is also very impressive in its mix of panoramic spectacle, snappy patter and intriguing Dalek lore – and it makes for a startling introduction to Oswin, whom we last see embroiled in the mother of all does-my-bum-look-big-in-this moments. Meanwhile, The Power of Three, which starts out like an extra-terrestrial version of The Man Who Came to Dinner, is arguably the most original episode of the five, and another fascinating piece of work by Chibnall. (Shame it tails off into a rather banal, reverse-the-neutron-flow-type finale.)

A Town Called Mercy is perhaps Part One’s most blatant attempt to deliver a mini-blockbuster. It’s a beautiful episode, with its convincing locales and twangy spaghetti Western score. The trouble with it is the way it tries to pack a full feature film’s worth of weighty themes into its 45 minute duration. Call me cold-hearted, but there’s something faintly irksome about such deeply serious soul searching, when allied to a preposterous and frivolous storyline (and by the way, exactly why does the cyborg wear a cowboy hat? Is he afraid his circuits will melt?).

Yet, occasional heavy-handedness and muddle aside, this is still a very accomplished series, and it’s underpinned by an exceptional performance from Matt Smith. Part absent-minded Phileas Fogg, part desiccated Peter Pan, his Doctor could well become the Doctor for a generation.

Extras: Complete Pond Life, Asylum of the Daleks Prequel, The Making of the Gunslinger

Review: Dead Man’s Luck / Cert: 15 / Directors: Max Perrier / Screenplay: James Chancellor / Starring: Paul Burke, Paula Davis, Anastasia Bondarenko / Released: Out Now

Despite what you may think, nobody sets out to make a bad film. Often an idea seems absolutely great on paper but either through overzealous producers, bad organisation or sheer ineptness the finished film ends up a somewhat lesser product than its original screenplay. When you have a lower budget film, the number of people involved is less so you are less at risk of some of the previously mentioned interference. So if you have a cracking idea but one element ruins the film, then it could be sheer bad luck.

The central premise of Dead Man’s Luck is that down on his luck Sam (Paul Burke) comes across a lady turkey farmer (Paula Davis) who then promptly cuts him, leaves him in her house where he discovers the body of her husband and then ties herself up in his trunk so that it looks like he did the deed. Sam has to figure out what the hell the woman wants, dispose of a body and also try and maintain a relationship with his money grabbing ex stripper wife Jan (Anastasia Bondarenko).

The film has a nice low budget, grimy aesthetic that really works in its favour. Director Max Perrier knows where to place his camera and puts together some nice violence despite having no money. The script has the feel of one of those great run around thrillers as events pile on top of each other and things spiral out of control. There is no reason that this shouldn’t have been a fun knockabout in the countryside. The film even has a tinge of very dark comedy with some sharp dialogue and a cracking final line.

So the assassin in this concoction is the fact that none of the three main players in this film is anything approaching a good actor. We are talking serious porno level acting here that is without tone, emotion or anything like nuance or character. The first sign that things are going to be a chore to get through are when the two main characters stand barely ten feet apart and shout at each other in a weird monotone that suggests they are in a high wind that isn’t there. Things don’t get any better from here, in fact they get worse when a third cardboard thespian is added. Looking at the IMDb none of these actors have worked much, so that explains it.

It gives us no pleasure to kick a low budget thriller when it’s on its knees but Dead Man’s Luck is a film that should and could have been so much better than it is.

Extras: None

Review: Red Lights / Cert: 15 / Director: Rodrigo Cortes / Screenplay:Rodrigo Cortes  / Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Cillian Murphy, Robert DeNiro / Release Date: Out Now

Director Rodrigo Cortes made something of a splash two years ago with the film Buried, which put Ryan Reynolds in a box for an hour and change and managed to remain gripping throughout. Hopes were high for whatever Cortes would come up with next. His latest film, which he wrote and directed, is Red Lights, and whilst it’s not a bad film, it’s somehow slightly disappointing.

Red Lights follows paranormal debunkers Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) as Buckley becomes obsessed with proving that renowned psychic, Simon Silver (Robert De Niro), is a fake when he comes out of retirement suddenly. Strange things start happening around Buckley and when tragedy occurs things only get weirder.

It’s an intriguing set up and was ripe with possibilities but Red Lights sadly has one of the clunkiest screenplays seen for a while. Whereas Buried was stripped down and brilliant in its simplicity, Red Lights has a few scenes which set up what Margaret and Tom do for a living, with some character development, which take up the entire first act. We get a perfectly good idea of all this from the first scene (although it is dangerously close to the recent Apartment 143 which Cortes also wrote) so the next twenty minutes just feel like padding that would have been better spent exploring the back stories of Silver and Buckley. Of course this being a film about the paranormal and debunking there has to be some kind of twist or revelation (which there is) and truthfully the film would be better off without it. When the reveal comes all the good character work seems like a bit of a waste and it’s further evidence that the film didn’t need to be nearly two hours long. Some people may like where the story goes but the film was at its most interesting and intriguing exploring the possible supernatural goings on and the apparent malevolence of De Niro’s character. It’s almost as if Cortes had to include a twist because it was expected and didn’t have the courage to go in the more interesting direction and explore the themes that the film was playing with.

Despite this the film looks great, Xavi Giminez lights the performers extremely well and the sound design gets the most out of the random bangs in the night to make the spine hairs tingle. Sigourney Weaver and De Niro also give their best performances for a long time, unfortunately both belong in a better movie.

Red Lights is a film that, like its subject matter, will divide people. A few may find it brilliant but the rest of us are left feeling underwhelmed.

Extras: Cast Interviews, Director Interview, Making Of, Behind the Scenes.

DVD Review: The Uninvited / Cert: PG / Director: Lewis Allen / Screenplay: Dodie Smith, Frank Partos / Starring: Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Alan Napier / Release Date: October 29th

Finally available on DVD, this 1944 supernatural classic is often forgotten but highly regarded by those who remember it. Now is a perfect chance to catch the film in a fantastic package.

Siblings Roderick and Pamela (Milland and Hussey) come across a neglected hilltop mansion, Windward House, and manage to purchase it for a knock down price. They soon find the property comes with a number of drawbacks; young Stella Meredith (Gail Russell), the daughter of the previous owner, who is emotionally attached to the property, and a malignant spirit that refuses to rest.

Almost everything about this film is brilliant, from the acting to the sets and the evocative music. Director Lewis Allen manages to raise goosebumps in ways not seen in cinema before and helped set the template for the look of ghostly films to come, some 20 years before the granddaddy of haunted house films, The Haunting. It has a poetic nature and the black and white photography (which was Oscar nominated) is perfect, with plenty of shadows dancing across the scenery and the ghostly effects and sounds can tingle even the sturdiest spine. This is definitely a film that should be in every classic horror fan’s collection, and is the epitome of “They don’t make them like this anymore.”

This release, from Exposure Cinema, looks great, if not perfect, but is certainly a whole lot better than the previous VHS releases and no doubt the best the film will look without a million dollar restoration. It also includes a nice booklet packed with rare photos and essays on the film, its stars and Hollywood ghost stories in general, which rounds off a really well presented package.

For more information about the film, check out the in depth feature in Starburst issue 375, and in the current (#382) edition’s The Fright of Your Life.

Extras: 24 page collector’s booklet, stills gallery, trailer, two vintage radio adaptations (1944 and 1949) both starring Ray Milland.

Review: Flight of the Navigator / Cert: U / Director: Randall Kleiser / Screenplay: Michael Burton, Matt MacManus / Starring: Joey Kramer, Veronica Cartwright, Cliff de Young, Sarah Jessica Parker, Paul Reubens (voice) / Release Date: November 19th

Disney’s 1986 kid’s sci-fi romp Flight of the Navigator is one of those 1980s movies which just fell through the cracks and, unlike better-remembered movies from the same era such as Back to the Future, Ghostbusters and especially E.T., it never managed to gain the iconic status it was clearly aiming for.

Viewing it now on shiny Blu-ray over twenty-five years later it’s really not hard to see why. This is a film that wants to be E.T. so much it hurts; it borrows the basic storyline of Spielberg’s family favourite – kid befriends benevolent alien intelligence – but doesn’t really have anything new to add to it and with no real sense of jeopardy and nothing very exciting happening, it just passes by in a blur of affable pleasantness, never making much of an impact.

Slightly whiny 12 year-old David Freeman (Kramer) finds himself inexplicably transported from his Florida home in 1978 to 1986 where he’s quickly experimented on to find out why he hasn’t aged. Meanwhile a sleek, impenetrable extra-terrestrial spacecraft has crashed nearby and soon David is communicating with it telepathically. A handy service robot takes him to the captured ship and once aboard he makes the acquaintance of a mechanical artificial intelligence which he nicknames Max. David becomes ‘the navigator’ and soon the ship is bursting free of its confines and racing across the world to the befuddlement of NASA bigwigs who are trying to track it down and bring it back.

That’s about it. It’s an easy-going, charming little tale but it’s not really very exciting and never really amounts to much. David never seems to be in any real danger, the ‘alien intelligence’ Max (voiced by Paul Reubens) quickly becomes harmless comic relief and ultimately the film is most memorable for Alan Silvestri’s catchy but painfully-dated synthesiser score, the ground-breaking early CGI effects sequences (which still stand up well today), a few cute wire-operated alien puppets and an early appearance from Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker. Flight of the Navigator has its moments, it’s an interesting and well-intentioned curio but despite its visual ambition and a few neat SF concepts it never quite takes off.

Extras: Director commentary.

Review: Daddy, I’m a Zombie! / Cert: PG / Directors: Joan Espinach, Ricardo Ramón / Screenplay: Daniel Torres / Starring: Paula Ribó, Núria Trifol, Ivan Labanda / Released: Out Now

Not another zombie flick? Well no, actually. You see Daddy, I’m a Zombie! (no, you’re not) is the story of Dixie, an animated adolescent girl with issues who dies and has an adventure in the afterlife. So we’re all agreed then? Not a zombie. We could bang on about Dixie and many other denizens of this afterlife being referred to as zombies throughout the movie but we’re just going to let this go; it’s just semantics, after all. Anyway, Dixie has the usual problems of an estranged mother, bullying classmates and a father who’s a mortician; no wonder she’s opted for the goth-look. After an accident with a tree she goes even more goth and makes friends with a mummy, a ghost pirate, a (grateful) dead hippy and battles with some kind of villainess who is stealing the minds of the zombies (we told you they weren’t zombies). You see, turns out she’s got a legendary MacGuffin thing that does something that is quite important for some reason. Couldn’t tell you what exactly; not without watching it again and we just don’t want to.

Unfortunately, Daddy, I’m a Zombie! is probably awful. When we say ‘probably’, what we mean is that despite its ‘family film’ tag, it seems to be aimed very specifically at pre-teen girls and none were available at the time of review. We did try to get the reviewer’s son to watch it but despite the offer of staying up late he lasted about five minutes until the attraction of a sensible bedtime proved to be preferable to watching anymore of what he confirmed to be ‘a girl’s film’. So if a story about girls being bitchy and then realising the importance of friendships is your kind of thing, you might find something to enjoy here. But we warn you that it involves a friendship bracelet and a romance/jealousy subplot so it really isn’t for the fainthearted on that front. Other than that we can confirm that it isn’t funny, it isn’t frightening and every set-piece action scene is a dismal failure. On the plus side, it is quite atmospheric; the music is pretty much bang-on and the sets and cinematography look great. The stylised animations would be rather good too, if they didn’t all go wrong with the legs and make everyone walk funny.

The film also features the Most Predictable Twist of All Time but as pre-teen girls have seen fewer movies than us it might get away with it. In the end Dixie learns that every problem conceals something positive but ‘it’s just a matter of finding it and adding some colour’. Nope, we have no idea what that means either. Definitely no zombies, though.

Extras: None

Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World / Cert: 15 / Director: Lorene Scafaria / Screenplay: Lorane Scafaria / Starring: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Melanie Lynskey / Release Date: Novermber 5th

For her first film as director, Lorene Scafaria has created a new subgenre, the romantic comedy-cum-apocalyptic road movie (apoca-rom-com?). All attempts to stop it in its course having failed, a massive asteroid is hurtling towards Earth, and humanity only has a few weeks to live. Abandoned by his wife and bitterly regretting a wasted existence, buttoned-up insurance salesman Dodge (Carell) thinks he might as well just sit tight and wait for the end. But when he belatedly gets a letter from the love of his life, he’s galvanized into action and sets off to track her down. Tagging along with him in hopes of hitching a plane ride which will reunite her with her parents is his neighbour, flaky Brit Penny (Knightley).

Scafaria helms the early stages of the movie very well, wittily capturing society’s gentle slide into anarchy. Some people, like Dodge’s Hispanic housekeeper, struggle to get their heads around what’s happening and doggedly turn up for work as usual. Others beat the asteroid to the punch by jumping out of windows. For many, orgies, drug-taking, the articulation of long-held grudges and the hasty ticking off of bucket lists become the order of the day. There’s a bit of rioting, but in general the streets are eerily empty as people disappear to be with their loved ones.

All this is very entertaining and feels reasonably on the nail. What’s much less believable is the rom-com element as Dodge and Penny supposedly warm to each other on their road trip. To be fair, Scafaria handles it with some tact, making it more a matter of glances and smiles than of clinches and declarations, but even so there’s an obstinate lack of chemistry between the co-stars.

Knightley plays her role in a faded granny frock, hair in a raggedy bob, eyebrows unplucked, but dressing her down in this way has the reverse effect of making her seem even more palpably attractive and out of Dodge’s league. And as for Carell, he starts off by exuding such a stern, judgemental, unprepossessing interior that his subsequent mellowing feels contrived – if he’s harbouring any emotion, it’s probably hatred, not love.

Those of you keen on your ’60s pop will also deduct points for a scene where Dodge puts on a Scott Walker solo LP only for a Walker Brothers tune to come out of the speakers. But all that said, the film definitely has its moments, and it’s graced with a fine performance by Knightley, a winning mixture of kookiness and melancholy. The conclusion, too, is dignified and moving. You wouldn’t want this to be the last movie you ever see, but it’s well worth a spin if you’ve got the time.

Extras: Trailer, Outtakes, Music for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, A look inside Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Review: The Lost Episode / Cert: 18 / Director: Michael Rooker / Screenplay: Joe Nelms, Sue Bailey / Starring: Hayleigh Duff, Beverley Mitchell, Michael Rooker / Release Date: Out Now

Michael Rooker’s directorial debut leaves a lot to be desired. Suffering from awful cinematography, diabolical acting, poor scriptwriting and what feels like a shoestring budget, it’s a wonder The Lost Episode ever made its DVD release.

The plot follows a group of teens who arrive at the infamous mental asylum of Pennhurst (on a dare presumably) and the leader of this dreary bunch recounts a horror tale of an ill-fated camera crew that also came to Pennhurst a year or so ago. The narrative proceeds to follow the crew as they work their way through a series of spooky locations and increasingly bizarre, nonsensical encounters to their inevitable meeting with The Lost Episode’s big bad, Doctor Death, played by Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead). Doctor Death is nothing if not resourceful and kills each character in varied and mostly entertaining ways.

Setting The Lost Episode at the state school and hospital of Pennsylvania’s Pennhurst is a bold move by Rooker. The real Pennhurst became synonymous with abuse and neglect and eventually closed. Its very name having seeped into the public consciousness as bad mojo and would on the face of it seem like an ideal choice to stage Rooker’s drama. And in fairness to Rooker, he doesn’t pass judgment on the former patients. He actually goes out of his way to highlight the abusive practises that took place there, if only for the purpose of dramatic narrative. He also skilfully steers the film clear of any social commentary. Which is a shame, at least then The Lost Episode might have served as an engaging slice of controversy.

Right from the start, The Lost Episode runs into trouble. The tag line on the cover reads: Years after its closure, a TV crew returned to the most haunted asylum in America. Long after their disappearance, their footage has been found…

So based on that blurb one would assume the film to be an entry in the found footage subgenre of horror, something along the lines of Blair Witch Project, Rec, or Grave Encounters. Well, one would be wrong. There’s very little found footage in the film at all; The Lost Episode relies on conventional ways of telling a story. A strong enough departure to make this reviewer reach for the DVD case to make sure he’d read it right in the first place.

Bad marketing aside, The Lost Episode goes on to suffer from terrible lighting, possibly to create the ambiance Rooker felt he needed for this ghost/slasher yarn. It doesn’t work. Scenes are either too dark or are lit up like the 4^th of July. Not that there’s much to go on, anyway. Characters are flat, lacking back-story or dimension, consequently their deaths mean nothing other than to coax a visceral reaction from the audience – Rooker succeeds in this part. The acting is shoddy at best, with the only noteworthy performance coming from Michael Rooker, even then it just doesn’t sit well.

At least The Lost Episode gets the gore right. Genitalia extraction and the trans-orbital lobotomy are two of our favourites, but sadly these moments are few and far between.

It’s a poor first outing for Rooker in the director’s chair. The film’s direction and focus are a hopeless tangled mess and ultimately becomes an exercise in frustration and disappointment. All from a man capable of so much more.

Extras: None

Blu-ray Review: Storage 24 / Cert: 15 / Director: Johannes Roberts / Screenplay: Noel Clarke, Davie Fairbanks / Starring: Noel Clarke, Colin O’Donaghue, Antonia Campbell-Hughes / Release Date: Out Now

To judge by the movies, Britain ranks pretty low on visiting aliens’ lists of places to eat. Or at least that’s how it used to be; these days, they seem to be stopping by for supper more and more often. In this instance, a military cargo plane crashes in central London, causing confusion and power outages, as a result of which a group of characters find themselves trapped inside a 24-hour storage facility. Trouble is, there’s something in there with them, and, yes, it’s got a bad case of the munchies…

It’s the tried and tested monsters-and-confined-spaces set-up, but served up a l’anglaise with low key acting and Eastenders-style fractiousness. At the centre of the story is the soapy relationship between misery guts Charlie (Clarke) and his tight-lipped ex-girlfriend, Shelley (Campbell-Hughes). Smarting after being abruptly dumped, Charlie turns up at the facility to divide their shared belongings, only to find her already there, doing the same – talk about awkward. What with his whining and her sharp-tongued retorts, it’s almost a relief for everyone else present (his bestie Mark and her friends Chris and Nikki) when the alien’s taloned fist comes punching through the ceiling.

The ensuing action largely retreads ground familiar from other movies – their nemesis pouncing on them from the ceiling cavity or scuttling along the walls as they flee in terror, the characters squeezing through air vents and scrambling for makeshift weapons – but it also manages some quirky, imaginative touches, which we won’t spoil for you. The alien’s quite handy, too – a bug-eyed tough nut who’s idea of first contact is performing the Heart Rip move from Mortal Kombat. Alright, it’s basically a man in a creature suit, but a superior one (with a fetching array of mouth tentacles-cum-fingers), and it stands up well to the scrutiny of this HD release.

Johannes Roberts over-directs a little in the opening reel, but moves things along with aplomb in the latter stages, bringing the film home in a brisk hour and 29 minutes. The script (by several hands and based on an original draft by Clarke) doesn’t exactly sparkle, but hits it beats in an unpretentious, workmanlike way, and the storage facility is a great idea for a setting. It’s not exactly genre-defining or even particularly ambitious, and – perhaps its most serious demerit – you might well struggle to warm to its dramatis personae of rather selfish, taciturn Londoners. But Storage 24 still leaves the impression of being a well-crafted mini-actioner that capably navigates between Hollywood slickness and a British kitchen sink mentality. The Blu-ray is fleshed out with over 90 minutes of excellent behind-the-scenes extras, so a full evening’s entertainment is guaranteed.

Extras:  Commentary by Noel Clarke and Johannes Roberts, Deleted Scenes, On Storage Set Featurette, A Day In The Life of Noel Clarke, A Day In The Life of Colin O’Donoghue, Photo Gallery, Creature Development Featurette, Look and Costume Featurette, Music and Sound Design Featurette, On Storage Set Featurette, Weekly Blogs x 3 Noel Clarke, Weekly Blogs x 3 Laura Haddock, Weekly Blogs x 3 Antonia Campbell Hughes, Scene Commentaries by Noel Clarke, Antonia Campbell Hughes & Colin O’Donoghue x 4