The Sessions: DVD Review

The Sessions: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Martha Marcy May Marlene's cult leader John Hawkes takes the lead in this film which broke out at the Sundance festival this year and is based on a true story. Hawkes plays journalist and writer Mark O'Brien, who's been paralysed from the neck down due to contracting polio when he was younger. O'Brien lives his days in an iron lung, and one day after falling in love and being rejected by his carer, and when researching an article on Sex and the Disabled at an editor's request, he decides he wants to lose his virginity after 38 years of life.

So, to that end, via a friend and with the blessing of his priest (brilliantly played by a shaggy haired William H Macy) O'Brien contacts sex surrogate, Cheryl (Helen Hunt) to help out.

Cheryl begins a series of six sessions with O'Brien to help him achieve his goal....

The Sessions will knock you sideways.

John Hawkes is frankly a revelation in this film; it's a role which has little physical presence other than moving his head and speaking  but Hawkes imbues his O'Brien with a real strength of character, charm and humour and delivers such an affecting performance that you can't help but be moved by it. Don't get me wrong - this is no mawkish, dragged down into the mire piece - it's the very opposite in fact thanks to Hawkes' performance and a very sharp and witty script.

It's also a film about celebrating a full life whatever the limitations placed on you are - be they physical, mental or religious - and Hawkes delivers that conviction in spades thanks to some greatly amusing lines, a brilliantly warm, witty and real friendship between him and William H Macy's priest and a relationship between himself and his carer Vera (a supporting role played with sensitivity and heart by Moon Bloodgood).

Also Helen Hunt delivers a bravura performance as well - stripping down literally and metaphorically for the audience. Gently played and sensitively handled, Cheryl feels like a real character rather than a sleazy stereotype.

The Sessions is a deeply engaging and powerfully accessible film which has been carefully put together by Lewin, a former polio sufferer. But it's a film which stands or falls on the performance of its lead - and Hawkes delivers in spades despite the physical limitations of what's demanded of him. It's really one of the strongest performances of its ilk that I've seen on the screen in a long time.

Don't miss The Sessions - it may make you re-evaluate your life and will deliver you a film which is mature, thoughtful, funny and hauntingly good.

Extras: John Hawkes becomes, Helen Hunt interview and brief doco on the women

Rating:

Evil Dead: Movie Review

Evil Dead: Movie Review

Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore
Director: Fede Alvarez

A cabin in the woods, a possessed person, plenty of gore and dismemberments, and a reboot of an iconic horror series.

It could only be Evil Dead, which was filmed in Auckland's Woodhill Forest.

Jane Levy (Suburgatory) stars as Mia in this reboot of the Evil Dead franchise, which of course was originally helmed some 32 years ago by Sam Raimi and starred Bruce Campbell. Along with four other friends (including her brother David - played by Shiloh Fernandez), Mia's holed up in a remote cabin as they try to help her kick her drug addiction.

But when one of the five discovers the Book of the Dead and reads out one of the incantations out of pure curiosity, all hell breaks loose as the demons are summoned and Mia is possessed....

Evil Dead starts with a bang and gore and doesn't really let up from there.

It's an old school horror in that it ramps up the tension, plies up the horror soundtrack and ratchets the uncomfortable feeling to 11 - and then some. The idea that Mia is in lockdown and detox adds a little something to the whole possession edge of the film and makes her initial strung-out behaviour a little easier to play on.

Add in tensions between David and Mia because of family and the concoction is there for a truly horrific showdown. And in many ways, that's what you get; buckets of blood, neck-cricking possessions (a la J horror movies) and some moments where you can't bear to look at the screen.

The Evil Dead movie is refreshingly old school; not self-aware, and true to its mythology. It's also the home of some great CGI technology, prosthetics and some stomach-churningly impressive FX work as the splatter-fest begins. It also makes moody work of the Woodhill Forest location and builds on the cabin's claustrophobia. Jane Levy impresses as she gives her all on screen as the shocks and jolts begin to build up.

I'm loathe to go into too many details of the ickiest moments as that's part of the thrill ride of the horror genre but suffice it to say, that if you love your horror movies bloody and gory, as well as taking themselves seriously, then Evil Dead is for you. It could perhaps have done with a touch of humour here and there as the relentless onslaught begins and the five are terrorised over 90 tense minutes, but Evil Dead's smart enough to not deter from what it sets out to do - simply shock and horrify.

Bloodthirsty and brutal, it will appeal to the original fans of the series. It's also bloody good fun in an old school horror way - and with a sequel planned and more films involving Bruce Campbell's Ash from the Evil Dead franchise, now is a good time to get possessed by the obsession which has been running for years.

Oh, and if you're a fan of the franchise, make sure you stick around for the credits for a very neat little surprise...

Rating:

Brand new Lone Ranger trailer is here

Brand new Lone Ranger trailer is here

The latest trailer for The Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer has dropped this morning.


From producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, the filmmaking team behind the blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, comes Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' "The Lone Ranger," a thrilling adventure infused with action and humor, in which the famed masked hero is brought to life through new eyes.

 Native American spirit warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice—taking the audience on a runaway train of epic surprises and humorous friction as the two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption.

New Man of Steel images and trailer

New Man of Steel images and trailer

Here's the latest Man of Steel trailer....a Viral video from Zod...


There are also some brand new Man of Steel images out there too, courtesy of the preview on Entertainment Weekly. Including a first proper look at Michael Shannon as Zod.

There's a brand New Man of Steel image from Zack Snyder due later this year.

It shows Henry Cavill as Superman...

Nathan Fillion in Monsters University

Nathan Fillion in Monsters University

As we get nearer to enrolling in Monsters University, Entertainment Weekly's given us our first look at Castle's Nathan Fillion's character within the film.

Fillion plays portrays Johnny Worthington [the monster with the horns, in the picture]. Worthington is the confident president of Roar Omega Roar (ROR), a Monsters University fraternity that prides itself on its notable Scarers.

More vocal talent's been added to the film - including the likes of John Krasinski who will be Frightening Frank McCay.

Monsters University opens in June.

New Man of Steel trailer debuts

New Man of Steel trailer debuts

Here's the latest Man of Steel trailer....a Viral video from Zod...

From Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures comes “Man of Steel,” starring Henry Cavill (“Immortals,” TV’s “The Tudors”) in the role of Clark Kent/Superman, under the direction of Zack Snyder (“300,” “Watchmen”).

The film also stars three-time Oscar^® nominee Amy Adams (“The Fighter”) as Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane, and Oscar^® nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”) as her editor-in-chief, Perry White.  Starring as Clark Kent’s adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, are Oscar^® nominee Diane Lane (“Unfaithful”) and Academy Award^® winner Kevin Costner (“Dances with Wolves”).

Squaring off against the superhero are two other surviving Kryptonians, the villainous General Zod, played by Oscar^® nominee Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road”), and Faora, Zod’s evil partner, played by Antje Traue.  Also from Superman’s native Krypton are Lara Lor-Van, Superman’s mother, played by Ayelet Zurer (“Angels and Demons”), and Superman’s father, Jor-El, portrayed by Academy Award^® winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”).

Rounding out the cast are Harry Lennix as U.S. military man General Swanwick, as well as Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy and Richard Schiff as Dr. Emil Hamilton.

“Man of Steel” is being produced by Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and Deborah Snyder.  The screenplay was written by David S. Goyer from a story by Goyer and Nolan, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.  Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.  Thomas Tull, Lloyd Phillips and Jon Peters are serving as executive producers.

Zack Snyder’s behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Amir Mokri (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”); production designer Alex McDowell (“Watchmen”); editor David Brenner (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”); and multiple Academy Award^®-winning costume designer James Acheson (“Restoration,” the “Spider-Man” films) and costume designer Michael Wilkinson (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and 2,” “Watchmen,” “300”).

Distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Olympus Has Fallen: Movie Review

Olympus Has Fallen: Movie Review

Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott, Rick Yune
Director: Antoine Fuqua

"When our flag falls our nation will rise"

Well, one man specifically.

Olympus Has Fallen is the first of two similar films being released this year, with essentially the same plot.

White House Down with Channing Tatum follows later in the year, but for now the first cab off the rank stars Gerard Butler as Mike Banning, a secret serviceman assigned to look after the president. As the film begins, it's Christmas and it's clear he's close to POTUS (Eckhart) and the First Lady (Ashley Judd), as well as their moppet son. But when an accident causes Mike to make a terrible choice between saving the First Lady and the President, he leaves the secret service, punishing himself for, in his eyes, allowing the First Lady to die.

Roll on 18 months later, and Mike's working a desk job for the treasury, when all hell breaks loose as terrorists take down the White House. Feeling the strong patriotic call of duty, Mike leaps in to try and rescue the president from the bad guys and save the day....

Olympus Has Fallen is a throwback to the action films of yore, of East vs West, of cold war paranoia before scripts got smarter and sophisticated and in a time before action heroes dispatched the baddies with many a witty quip.

And yet, this latest from Training Day's acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua, strikes a chord and hits the right notes a lot of the time.

High octane, very violent and yet remarkably restrained in places (no temptation to go completely OTT), with shades of contemporary politics and tensions (North Korea and South Korea feature prominently) and a performance from Butler which impresses, Olympus Has Fallen benefits from Fuqua's tight directing and some action sequences which deliver the goods, while copying The Raid: Redemption and TV show 24 in places. (Even down to the hero's questionable use of torture to get what he needs)

That's despite a film which has plot holes a plenty and has jettisoned sense in favour of patriotism and slow mo shots of the American flag shot to pieces and falling from the White House and a secret service man shouting in slow mo when something bad goes down. Logic is all over the place - and clearly the White House is the place to work for security given that Butler's character can leave the job, come back in 18 months later and still find his passwords and security codes working....

But despite some of the cheesiness and predictability, it's actually a watchable piece of blockbuster goodness; with Butler giving an at times, haunted and paunchy turn which shows the everyman can save the day (John McClane, anyone?), as well as taking down quite a few bad guys, while the rest of the elite of the secret service are slaughtered around him. If you're looking for great characterisation, you're plum out of dumb luck with Eckhart's wimpy president given little to do except simper as a hostage, Morgan Freeman being acting president as you'd expect, Rick Yune's villain who is a throwback to the stereotypes of the 80s and and most of the women surplus to requirements, with very little good writing thrown their way.

All in all, though, Olympus Has Fallen rises on its action sequences with Fuqua throwing everything at them, despite the evident silliness and very high body count. It won't win any awards for originality but it may actually provide you with some mindless entertainment and food for thought that Butler has more to offer than you first believed.

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