This Is England '86: DVD review

This Is England 86
Released by Madman
Rating: M

Director Shane Meadows returns to familiar pastures with this 4 ep series spun off from the successful This Is England film.

Set three years after the film and influenced more by the Mods than the skinheads this time round, it still concentrates on the same gang of Shaun, Woody, Lol, Smell, Gadget, Meggy et al and follows their escapades as they try to negotiate life in 1980s England.

It begins with the attempted wedding of Woody and Lol but quickly spirals away from that as life takes a hand (to reveal too much is to spoil the central story) in events.

With recession and lack of jobs affecting the UK at that time, there's plenty of material for Meadows to broaden the depths of his characters - and despite some initially dour moments, there's a welcome shot of dry humour throughout this mini series.

Joe Gilgun and Thomas Turgoose give great central performances and are compelling from beginning to end; it'll help to have some familiarity with the characters from the film but This Is England 86 gives welcome life to the gang - and while it could be said to be quite downbeat and perhaps a little miserable in places, it's still British drama at its finest.

Rare Exports: Blu Ray Review

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

Rating: M
Released by Warner Home Video

A Finnish fantasy tale, Rare Exports is an odd beast.

It's set in the Finnish Korvatunturi mountains; it's there a series of miners on an archaeological dig believe they've unearthed one of the biggest secrets of the festive season: Santa Claus.

But while the digging goes on, a pack of hunters in a nearby village is beset by strange goings on; their reindeer are slaughtered and children begin to go missing. However, while the hunters are at a loss to what's going on, one child Pietari (Onni Tommila) seems to be fully aware of the danger they face....

Rare Exports is a twisted slice of Christmas fare; from its Gothic opening titles where the horror of a folklore Santa Claus is revealed, it's clear this isn't a tale of "ho, ho, ho" more like "ho, ho, holy heck what was that?"

There's some beautiful scenery though; the white crisp snow and the mountains look absolutely stunning on the screen; and images such as the slaughtered reindeer look at odds with that. However, that's what the director's gone for with this - it subtly pulls the carpet from under you when you least expect it.

There's a slow atmospheric build up to the big reveal about what's hunting the hunters and what the miners have uncovered; but when the jolts come, they're fairly effective and you won't look at Santa again without seeing a ghoulish emaciated figure with a glint of pure evil in its eyes looking back.

Rare Exports is aiming for cult glory and is bound to be embraced by those who love all things a little bit cult.

Lovely, Still: DVD Review

Lovely, Still Rating: M
Released by Vendetta Films

Set against a backdrop of Christmas, this is the story of Martin Landau's Robert, an elderly gent who's working in a supermarket and who lives alone.

One day, he meets Mary (Ellen Burstyn) and spurred on by the potential for romance, the pair begin to date.

And that's really all I can say about the plot of this film - as you really don't want to know too much more about it to be honest.

Director Fackler's created a wondrous piece which will leave some on the verge of tears and may even melt the most cynical of hearts as this romantic tale plays out - but it's in the casting where he's really triumphed; both leads have wonderfully expressive faces, etched with the lines of life, hopes, regret and possibility. Theirs is a courtship of confusion, simplicity and above all heart.

Landau is an absolute stand-out as Robert; scenes of him asking his shop manager for help about going on a date, coupled with close up shots of his daily routine in front of the mirror are quirky, different and engaging from the get go. Coupled with Burstyn, there's a warmth and ease to both their performances which will have you thinking about grandparents, parents and lost loved ones as the story plays out. Throw in some solid support from Banks and particularly Scott, and this story is a compelling watch from beginning to end (even if you are a little cynical, it's hard not to be won over).

Suffice to say there is a twist in this tale of old love and it's one which really whips the carpet out from under your viewing eyes and demands you watch again to pick up the intricacies of the plot - but in this day and age of instant gratification and visual satisfaction, it's commendable to see story comes first.

Tugging at the heartstrings and leaving you with a warm glow, Lovely, Still is a perfect two-hander, beautifully played and engaging; it's also one which will command you curl up with your loved one afterwards.

Cowboys and Aliens: Blu Ray Review

Cowboys and Aliens

Rating:M
Released by Universal Home Ent

In a dusty western desert setting, a man (Daniel Craig) wakes up with a jolt; bloodied and wearing an odd looking bracelet on his arm, he's got no idea who he is, where he is or what he's done.

Unfortunately, this man, Jake Lonergan, is a wanted outlaw and doesn't really have time to work it all out - he ends up in the small town of Absolution and is on a collision course with Harrison Ford's Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde, a cattleman and who seems to own most of the town in some form or another.

But the pair have to put aside their potential differences and work together when an other worldly presence attacks and abducts most of the townsfolk

Cowboys and Aliens is the latest adaptation of a graphic novel and a mash up of sci fi and western (though the emphasis is more on Western than anything else.)

Daniel Craig brings his usual purse lipped steeliness to the role of the mysterious loner - though I think based on this, he'd do very well as a lead in a Western; Harrison Ford is his grumpy self as the rich cattleman who, surprise, surprise has a heart of gold underneath that very gruff exterior and Olivia Wilde continues to impress by underplaying the only real female on the screen Ella. Sam Rockwell is criminally underused in the role of bartender Doc (and is a real disappointment).

As for the aliens themselves, they're nothing spectacular - early scenes bring a sense of menace to their presence but once these bipedal lizards start running around like apes, they lose a bit of their panache and simply become moving blobs.

It's half of the problem of Cowboys and Aliens - while I'm not exactly raving about the film, I wasn't underwhelmed either; I was simply left feeling a little lukewarm.

The meshing together of the story, genres and scowling grumpy characters simply didn't gel; this straight laced film just never kicks fully into gear - there's never really a wow moment which it needs to pull you out of a 2 hour lull.

Extras: Commentary, Director interview, making of

Jurassic Park: Ultimate Edition Blu Ray

Jurassic Park Ultimate trilogy
Rating:M
Released by Universal Home Ent

18 years since the dinosaurs changed the face of the cinema and finally they've got the treatment they deserve on this HD outing.

The three films may be a little varying in quality with neither sequel really reaching the highs of the first film but there's just something thrillingly entertaining about these films.

It's a very simple story - man meets the monsters which patrolled the earth millennia ago - but there's something very appealing and enduring about the first film in particular. Maybe it's because it's from Spielberg, but there are scenes which just continue to capture the imagination - including the iconic moment when a cup of water vibrates as a dino moves into shot. Nearly 20 years on, that one scene is still as exciting as it was as it unfurled on the big screen.

With over 7 hours of extras, there's plenty to get your (dinosaur) teeth into - including a six part doco reuniting all the original stars.

Coupled with a great transition to HD, this ultimate trilogy represents a great bundle of entertainment.

The Orator: DVD Review

The Orator

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

The Orator (O Le Tulafale to give its Samoan title) arrives with a certain amount of prestige behind it.

The tale from first time director Tusi Tamasese has been submitted for consideration as Best Foreign Language Film for the 84th Academy Awards®, to be held in Hollywood on the 28th of February 2012.

It's the story of Vaaiga, (Tausili Pushparaj) who's been banished from her ancestral village - she's now living with little person Saili (a stunning turn from debut actor Fa'afiaula Sagote) who's angered neighbours near their home by refusing to move the graves of his parents.

Vaaiga's brother Poto (Tanielu) is also causing problems for this small family; he's sick and wants her to return home.

However, Poto's wish has disastrous consequences for all of them.

Quite frankly, if you fail to be moved by The Orator, you don't have a pulse.
Lusciously shot and beautifully subtle and nuanced, this entirely Samoan film is one for the heart as well as the eyes.

This isn't all about highly compelling slow-burning drama; there's a rich vein of subtly dry humour running throughout - mainly thanks to a Samoan rugby team - which gives the weightiness of the script a much needed touch of lightness.

Ultimately though The Orator is simply strong measured storytelling and impressive acting; it's engrossing, heartfelt and in its final scenes, profoundly moving.

Extras: Short film and trailer

Billy T : Te Movie: Blu Ray Review

Billy T: Te Movie

Rating: PG
Released by Sony Home Ent

"His mark on comedy is like a pen mark on a shirt - by a Vivid pen - it's indelible."

So a doco about the irrepressible and much loved Kiwi comic icon Billy T James finally hits the small screen. 

Te Movie is more about Billy T's life and draws inevitable parallels with Leanne Pooley's Topp Twins Untouchable Girls in terms of how it's put together. Using archive performance footage, past interviews and current day recollections and reconstructions from colleagues, friends but no immediate family, this piece by Ian Mune is a sensitive, relatively rounded portrait of the man who clearly set the standard for Kiwi comedy (and whose groundbreaking talent and natural showmanship have yet to be matched from what I can tell.)

Ian Mune uses footage of him truly rocking the house and reducing everyone to laughter to show what a talent he was - and what a stellar performer he was once he overcame his initial shyness and found his stride in the Maori Volcanics group.

He's also wisely chosen to adopt a somewhat matey approach to interviewing friends and colleagues of Billy T - a trio of bros is interviewed in a field in Auckland, quite a few other mates are interviewed near a cowshed - there's a very uniquely Kiwi and casual approach to putting together this film. Contributions also come from long term Billy T cohort Peter Rowley as you'd expect.

But it's telling that there's no real comment - other than archival footage - from immediate family and that's the one real hole and glaring omission which truly stops this from feeling like a rounded and full portrait of the man.

Ultimately, because of the lack of immediate family, Billy T: Te Movie falls just short of greatness; don't get me wrong - Ian Mune's pieced together a warmly fitting tribute to the man who made such a difference to entertainment and Maori/ Pakeha relations.

And quite frankly, decades on, Billy T still has what it takes to reduce audiences to laughter - no matter how old or young they are in this charming doco which will have you giggling like Billy T.