Wallace and Gromit: DVD Review

Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

Roadshow Entertainment
Starring: Wallace and Gromit
Rating G
Rating: 8/10
More animated brilliance as Wallace and Gromit return to the small screen after their Curse of the Were-Rabbit feature film.
This time, the pair have started their own bakery "Top Bun" whose slogan is delivering from Dough to Door.
Business is booming - but poochy pal Gromit is deeply worried about the news 12 bakers have been dispatched to the great bakery in the sky during the past year.
Wallace, however, is unconcerned by the news; preferring instead to go dough eyed in love with Piella Bakewell, the new woman on the block.
But when Gromit digs deeper, he discovers Piella's not all she's cracked up to be&.and the pair face a new danger.
A Matter of Loaf and Death continues the tradition of brilliance (and bad puns) from Aardman Animation.
The sheer imagination with which Park and his co-creators bring to life this duo's world and adventures gets ever more astounding.
A behind the scenes doco shows just how well this is story boarded - but the work which goes on behind the camera at all levels is just astonishing.
Their eye for detail during the film - and cinematic references (which this time include Aliens, Hitchcock and Batman) make the whole 30 minutes short zip by - although there must also be credit given to those behind the story as the narrative flows seamlessly from beginning to end.
Funny, warm and touching, A Matter of Loaf and Death will keep kids of all ages amused for an hour or so - not just for the short but for the extras which keep on piling on the hilarity.
Extras:
- The Making of A Matter of Loaf and Death
- 10 Cracking Contraptions
- 10 Cracking Contraptions - behind the scenes
- When Wallace Met Harvey

Rating: 8/10

Bottle Shock: DVD Review

Bottle Shock: DVD Review

Bottle Shock
Cast: Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Freddy Rodriguez, Rachael Taylor, Eliza Dushku
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman stars in this true story about vintners, wine snobbery and how the wine world changed back in the 1970s.
Rickman is Steven Spurrier, who, stuck in France and tired of the wine snobbery of those who've been in the wine industry for years, heads to America to see if there are any wines out there waiting to be discovered.
He ends up in California's Napa Valley and meets Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) a struggling vintner whose Chateau Montelena is on the brink of collapse. Initially skeptical about Spurrier's motives and with no sign that his Woodstock hippy son Bo Barrett (Star Trek's Chris Pine) is ready to take over, he's not sure he wants in. Throw into the mix Chateau Montelena's foreman Gustavo (Six Feet Under's Rodriguez), a wannabe winemaker and an intern Sam (Rachael Taylor) and you have a fruity bouquet.
However, what transpires over the film's 1hr 45minutes, changed the history of the wine industry forever - and opened up the market to more than just competition.
Bottle Shock (terrible title - even though it has wine making connoitations) is a gentle piece with a great ensemble cast which looks great in its locations and vineyards. Pullman and Rickman are clearly head and shoulders above the rest; but Pine et al do well with what could so easily have become predictable and unoriginal.
Though there's some question about what actually happened (the real Spurrier's taken exception to the story), it manages to be a pleasant day's viewing - it won't exactly set the world alight, but if you're after a gentle character piece, then Bottle Shock is your vintage.
Extras: Deleted scenes and a featurette about the Chateau Montelena Winery complement the package

Rating: 6/10

Let The Right One In: DVD Review

Let The Right One In: DVD Review

Let The Right One In
Starring: Lina Leandersson, Kayre Hedebrant
Rating: M
Rialto Home Cinema
The Vampire genre is pretty quickly becoming a crowded one thanks to the Twilight phenomenon.
However, this superior film deserves a place on any self respecting cinephile's shelf - even if it is next to the Lost Boys.
Set in the chilly sheer white world of Stockholm, it's the tale of 12-year-old Oskar, who's being bullied at school and ignored at home.
Gradually, he retreats into a world where he plots revenge on the bullies - and despite the domestic conditions, he's fiercely intelligent and is interested in crime scenes and murders (your average pre-teen healthy interests).
One day he meets Eli, a young girl with whom he forms a friendship - but of whom, he knows very little.
However, as the partnership begins to blossom, each of them open up more and begin to reveal the truth about who they really are.
Let The Right One In is a superior entry into the vampire genre - it's a classy, slow burning affair which centres itself on moody shots, stark contrasts (plenty of blood on deep white untouched snow), and a lot of suspense.
It's also a very intelligent piece - whereas Twilight romanticises the notion of the vampire, this film sees them as parasites, forced to feed where they can and only to satiate a never ending hunger - it's vampirism as a curse, rather than a gleeful alternative to life.
Without a doubt, this film is gripping, beautiful yet violent and a masterpiece.
Extras: None

Rating 8/10

Case 39: Movie Review

Case 39: Movie Review

Rating: 4/10
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Kerry O'Malley, Bradley Cooper, Callum Keith Rennie

Director: Christian Alvert.
Well, well, it appears creepy kids are coming back again in Hollywood.
In Case 39, Renee Zellweger's social worker Emily Jenkins is overworked and over caring about all the cases she investigates.
And just when her workload threatens to fully take over her life - both professionally and personally - she's given one more case to look at on top of her 38 case strong workload - the eponymously titled Case 39.
But this case is the straw which breaks Jenkins' back - troubled 10-year old Lilith Sullivan (Ferland, soon to be seen in the Twilight Saga ) whose parents are, in her own words, trying to kill her.
So Jenkins manages to get the girl away from her potentially murderous family - and into her own care - however, that's where the trouble begins - as it appears Lilith's parents may have had justifiable cause for trying to despatch their demonic daughter.
Case 39 is a standard by the numbers kind of horror - there's a few shocks and jolts here and there but all in all, it's a little of a disappointment.
It's no wonder this has been bumped back and forth in the release schedules - and was first talked about back in 2006. Zellweger looks pained throughout - and while she puts in a reasonable performance as Jenkins, she's saddled with a bit of a dog of a script.
The supporting cast are all satisfactory - although it's Jodelle Ferland's performance as troubled ten year old Lilith which stands head and shoulders above the rest - she channels just the right kind of spooky and creepy and somehow manages to out act some of her onscreen co-stars (Bradley Cooper I'm looking at you)
Case 39 is a reminder of why some horror films don't always work - it's a lazy script and while it sets out to be shocking in places (as you may have seen from the sponsored scene put on Facebook of the child being put in the oven), it doesn't manage to scale the heights of what it wants.

Transporter 3: DVD Review

Transporter 3: DVD Review

Transporter 3
Starring: Jason Statham, Robert Knepper, Natalya Rudakova
Rating: M
Icon Home Entertainment
Jason Statham (aka Britain's action hero answer to Bruce Willis) is back as Frank Martin in the third high octane fuelled portion of the Transporter series.
He's a courier with the will to get done what needs to be done - and this time, the former Special Forces mercenary is going to need all his nous about him.
He's forced to deliver Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), a kidnapped girl - but with a twist; if he moves more than 75 feet away from his car to avoid delivery, a bomb on his wrist will explode.
There's not really much plot at play here - and to be honest, this film really isn't about reems of exposition - it's about things exploding, cool car chases and really really bad guys.
And Jason Statham ripping his shirt off to have a bit of a fight.
But then if you're a fan of this series, you'll already have this DVD and will have enjoyed it multiple times - it all looks perfectly good on the small screen but as far as I'm concerned it feels a little soulless.
Although having said that, there's a very, very cool chase scene which sees Frank taking to a BMX to catch up with his car before the explosion goes off - and that's probably the most original part of the whole 1hr 45mins.
Extras: Commentary with director Oliver Megaton.

Rating: 3/10

Flashbacks of a Fool: Movie Review

Flashbacks of a Fool: Movie Review

Rating: 4/10
Cast: Daniel Craig, Felicity Jones, Harry Eden, Eve, Emilia Fox, Jodhi May, Miriam Karlin
Director: Baillie Walsh
Daniel Craig stars in this film about a fading actor who's squandered every chance he's ever had while living in America - and while trying to live the rock star lifestyle he's become accustomed to.
Craig is Joe Scott, who in the opening act of the film hears of his best friend's death and the death of his own career within just moments.
Pushed over the edge by this turn of events, he heads down to the beach and simply floats off - as he does this, he flashes back to his life in a British seaside town, where he was seduced by his mother's friend.
However, the tragedy of what happens there in his earlier life comes to explain why he became what he did - and also facilitates a return home to the UK.
Flashbacks of A Fool is a bit of a serious mis-fire - Craig's performance is pretty damn good though as he channels the reasons for his rockstar lifestyle and regret over his earlier behaviour when he was growing up.
The problem with this film is it's extremely slow to get started and it's hard to really care too much about Joe Scott, who doesn't really care too much about himself - although, that's part of the reason he is who he is - and the general pacing of the film early on doesn't lend itself to enticing viewing.
The flashback itself is far too extended as well (overall the film clocks in at just under 2 hours) and with a tighter reigning in of the script, it could have been a much more effective story.
While the sexual awakening and recollection of Scott's earlier life are done adequately, the shock of why he left the UK when he did is perhaps the best part of the film - although it's a little incredulous, it's quite an explosive jolt to the senses.
The young actors do well to convey the awkwardness of youth growing up in small UK seaside towns with nothing to do is except experiment with their sex lives - and Craig does well as he wallows in a sea of regret and unhappiness.

Ultimately Flashbacks of A Fool needed to exercise a bit more control at the earlier stages of development - instead of appearing like a bit of a hangover after a good night's partying.

District 9: Movie Review

District 9: Movie Review

Rating 9/10
Cast: Sharlto Copley, an entire cast of relative unknowns
Director: Neill Blomkamp

It's very rare in this game for a film to slip under the radar without masses of pre-publicity and end up surprising those who watch it.
District 9 is one of those films.
Basically aliens came to Earth one day 20 years ago - and instead of landing in Manhattan or New York, they landed in the skies atop Johannesburg in South Africa.
The huge alien craft sat in the skies - and it was only when the powers that be broke into the ship that they found millions of aliens alive and malnourished within.
So while the equivalent of the United Nations discussed what to do with these refugee creatures (affectionately given the racist term "prawns" because of their appearance), they were brought down to earth and put in slum areas, segregated away from the rest of humanity.
As private company MNU (Multi National United) investigates the alien technology to no avail, it's decided to rehome the Prawns from their settlements (it's in their best interests apparently) which have now become riddled with crime and Nigerian gangs.
District 9 follows the unraveling of events as a doco crew follows MNU worker Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) who's given the job of overseeing the evictions - and who inadvertently sets in motion a series of events which change the equilibrium of the last 20 years.
It's very difficult to discuss this astonishing film from Blomkamp without spoiling it too much - so consider this your warning - read on at your own peril.
District 9 was "produced by Peter Jackson" and is a Wingnut films production - and quite frankly, it's one of the smartest pieces of sci fi based film I've seen for a while.
It's hard to pigeonhole is as one particular genre - it's sci-fi, it's guns and explosions, it's unexpected humour, it's geek overload in places, it's Predator, it's reminiscent of Black Hawk Down, Aliens, Robocop - and amazingly, it's buddy cop movie a la Fly - but none of it is derivative
What Blomkamp's come up with is a real mash up of genres - and with a lead who's pretty damn impressive for a first time actor and with rumours most of the dialogue was improvised, it's even more impressive.
The film's initial doco style as a crew follows the start of the MNU led evictions soon passes - and the film abandons its cinema verite ways to follow what exactly happens to Wikus.
There's a sense of foreboding and dread at the start of the film as it becomes clear Wikus has played a major part in what's about to unfold - and there's a real dread as the convoys roll into District 9 where the "Prawns" are and the evictions are put in place.
It's only a matter of time before the touch paper's been lit and soon tempers boil over - and yes, many will draw the parallels with Apartheid and South Africa (as well as what happened in District 6 there) - but District 9 is about more than that.
There's satire as Wikus finds himself hunted thanks to the intervention of the 24 hour ever present media which follows every single event on the day of the eviction.
But at its heart, District 9 is about humanity - what it is to be human, how far you will go to fight for that when you're ethically and morally compromised.
Eventually Wikus finds his rights crushed and threatened in the same manner in which he treats the Prawns (after an encounter with some alien biotechnology) - and as his father in law sells him out for greed, it's downright black and further proof of how depressing the human race can sometimes be.
The only (very minor) disappointment is the last few minutes - which screams "sequel" over all it (even though it's alluded to earlier on) and is a reminder really of why sometimes one, no matter how big it is, is enough.

District 9 is a real jolt to the senses; packs a surprise in virtually every frame - there's so much to engulf yourself in - and most of the major questions are left unanswered (where did the Prawns come from is just one of them) - but in a day and age when movies sometimes often fail to dazzle and be inventive, this original flick is head and shoulders above anything else I've seen on the big screen this year.