The Inklings

Directed by: Matt Reeves
Written by: Drew Goddard
Starring: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman.





This film is a very much "you re part of the sotry" experience. Filmed on a hand held camera, but please ignore any thoughts relating it to Blaire Witch Project. While that was an interesting experiment with the idea, badly followed through, this is clever, effective and evocative. The key to making a film on hand held look like amature work but still be good, is that it cannot actually be done by someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

I did find the beginning a little annoying with the erratic movement, but when you need it to be still to concentrate on something that's happening or to see the picture clearly, it is. The special effects are used perfectly and while the actors maybe annoying good looking New Yorkers, they are also capable.

It starts at someone's going away party for a new job in Japan, with the usual social goings on, people gossiping and angst and then things kick off. It's all from the perspective of the man with the camera and the small group of partygoers who stick together. You catch glimpses of something terrible that has happened to the city and you are one of them and all you can do is try and run for your life.

There are no explanations for exactly what has happened or why, as those are the answers you can only discover afterwards, if you manage to survive. It's genuinely scary and relaistic and with any of the greatest monster movies, you never really get a clear view of what it is. But you really don't need to.

This is how to make something look like a home video and still be something worth watching. The art of the movies is making something you've created look like it's just a part of reality.

Also the writer Drew Goddard had also penned some of the best episodes of Buffy in season 7 and several Angel ones too.

Directed by: Todd Haynes
Written by: Todd Haynes and Oren Moverman
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Ben Whishaw, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin & Heath Ledger.




A look at the many faces of Bob Dylan, acclaimed songwriter this is something like a stream of consciousness. The story flows and shifts through all six versions, accompanied by a first class soundtrack of his music.

It's a confusion of constant movement and a flow of many people passing through his life, some staying longer than others, but all of them seeming transitory in the long run, from lovers, friends and children. He comes across as someone dissilusioned with the labels and expectations of the music he makes, constantly trying to be honest and unrestrained by catagories and being frustrated at each failure to both break free and to make himself understood.

It's a compelling story of a singular talent. Go watch it and listen to some music.

Created by: Rob Thomas
Starring: Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs III, Teddy Dunn, Jason Dohring, Francis Capra, Enrico Colantoni & Michael Muhney





It is the murder mystery of Lilly Kane that is the main drive for this season, and the questions and answers that come from that spill out into many more mysteries and discoveries. All the characters are forced to change and are faced with unpleasant truths about themselves and the people they know and love. Loyalties are tested, made and broken and the truth brings as much pain as relief.

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: George Lucas & Philip Kaufman (characters) & Jeffrey Boam (screenplay)
Starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott & Alison Doody





( Cast )

One of the classic Indiana Jones films it has all the ingrediants. High stakes, snappy dialogue, great chemistry between the two Jones, humour and great action. Harrison Ford is without doubt the best action hero here, charismatic, sarcastic and witty.

Sean Connery is a great foil and the two of them are a joy to watch onscreen, his sheltered scholarly character the opposite of his classic James Bond persona. It has everything you could want for this kind of film and along with Raiders of the Lost Ark is the standard all other films in this genre have to live up to.

Go watch it, enjoy.

Directed by: Jim Henson
Written by: Dennis Lee & Jim Henson
Starring: David Bowie & Jennifer Connelly





A classic film of fairy tale and magic from the Jim Henson company. A mix of live action and puppets this is superbly entertaining with great music and the kind of adventure all kids wish they could have before they grow up. You're never too old for this film, or any Jim Henson work.

There's a small cameo from Danny John-Jules, better known as the Cat from Red Dwarf as well in part of it.

Created by: Joss Whedon
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, Jewel Staite, Ron Glass & Summer Glau





A short lived series from the creator of Buffy and Angel it is set on a transport ship called Serenity, a Firefly class space ship and the series surrounds the crew of that ship, a motley group brought together through fate, luck and circumstance to form an unconventional but eventually united group of people. Widely acclaimed and loved as a special and unique series that from only 14 episodes, only 9 of which were originally aired and somewhat out of order, has generated a fan base full of devotion, love and unity.

It still remains the second best selling DVD from Amazon to this day, second only Star Wars and is still gaining new fans all the time. It spawned a film titled Serenity< which is something of a coda to the series, but each can be seen separately.

Full of wonderful writing, acting and creativity and a cast that are as much fans of the show as the rest of us, it something well worth checking out. A special series indeed that has been an inspiration to many people and has built of a community of caring and proactive individuals across the world.

Written & Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Forest Whitaker & John Tormey





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This is very quiet film, full of thought and the meaning of what it means to stand by a way of life, to have a code you are willing to dedicate your life to, and having to sacrifice that life to uphold it. It's full of beautiful dailogue. There are many layers of meaning here, from the characters, the way they understand and communicate with each other and the their individual perceptions of the world they all inhabit.

The Japanese story of Rashomon plays significant meaning in this film as well, I definitely suggest reading it along with watching the film, which has wonderful music as well.






The end is important in all things.

Written & Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Seth Rogan, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd & Leslie Mann





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Written & Directed by: Adrienne Shelley
Starring: Kerri Russel, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Shelley, Jeremy Sisto & Andy Griffith





( Full Cast )
This is an incredibly sweet story with lots of humour without any of the characters ever living in the illusion of happily ever after.

Written by: Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jom Broadbent, Timothy Dalton





( Full Cast )

A similar style to the previous film by these guys Shawn of the Dead, this is a fast paced adventure with many nods to related films along the way. The people are deliberate caricatures of the many stereotypes of people found on police action films, but deliberately so and the film never takes itself seriously.

I did find it very funny and entertaining and the uncredited cameos they manage to get are impressive, and when you know who they are, very appropriately placed. I found the ending to get a little too much over the top, but otherwise a well done, nicely edited and directed film. It gives you hope that British cinema isn't just disappearing into the wilderness.