Darkmatters Review: Altitude

Altitude (15)


Dir. Kaare Andrews

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“Keep an eye out…”

“For what?”

“For ANYTHING!”

Ladies and gentlemen please fasten your seat belts and prepare for some rough air – thing are going to get a little hairy for the next hour and a half…

Altitude - the debut feature from award-winning comic book writer and illustrator Kaare Andews (The Incredible Hulk; Ultimate X-Men; Amazing Spider-Man), is a supernatural thriller that puts several hot teens in some serious aerial danger. Altitude features "90210" star Jessica Lowndes (The Haunting Of Molly Hartley) who heads the cast of up-and-coming young talent that includes Julianna Guill (Friday The 13th), Ryan Donowho (The O.C.), Landon Liboiron (Life Unexpected) and Jake Weary (As The World Turns).

"Boldly going where no teens have gone before..."

It’s hard to sum Altitude up in mere words – maybe you should watch the UK trailer before reading on:

http://onlinemoviepromo.com/newplayer.php?id=3905

The plot sees rookie pilot Sara (Lowndes) taking to the sky with some pals, only to lose control of the plane as they hit some freak weather. And when I say ‘freak’ I mean a diabolic storm that is home to a strange, angry and homicidal malevolent creature. It’s a clever play on the fear of flying mixed with a huge Lovecraft-esq tentacle spouting beastie.

For maximum enjoyment, don’t try to think too much about the plot – just sit back and lap up the teenagers in peril suspense which is nicely worked. Altitude has been likened to Donnie Darko or Twilight Zone which isn’t entirely unfair – it’s a movie that takes the themes of fear and the power of the imagination to terrifying new ‘heights’.

"The plane hits some WTF is that turbulence"

The DVD comes packing some decent Special Features too which include: audio commentary by director Kaare Andrews; Altitude: Behind The Scenes; Green Storm featurette; original concept gallery; trailer; 2.0 Stereo and 5.1 Dolby audio options.

Overall Altitude is a confirmed cult classic B-movie horror that delights whist you watch it and is forgotten the seconds the credits roll.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:


ööö

(3 - solid airborne horror hokum)...

PlayStation®Move does Lily Allen’s Lucy In Disguise

PlayStation®Move announces second collaboration with Lily Allen’s fashion concep Lucy In Disguise.

What do you get if you cross a pop sensation, scanty underware and PlayStation Move?

...Lucy in Disguise

Darkmatters are happy to announce that a new collaboration between PlayStation®Move and Lucy In Disguise to celebrate London Fashion Week. The collaboration see’s Lucy in Disguise founders Lily Allen and Sarah Owen produce a new three minute short film and a special new window installation inspired by movement.

PlayStation Move is the funkiest way to play games on PlayStation 3, users just need to pick up the Move controller and interact with the game on a whole new level! As part of the relationship, Lucy in Disguise was one of the first places in the UK to showcase the new games available with PlayStation Move.

Lucy In Disguise is a unique concept store from sisters Lily Allen & Sarah Owen. Visitors are able to delve into Lucy’s wardrobe and hire or purchase beautifully selected vintage clothing from the 20’s all the way through to the 90’s, along with Lucy In Disguise branded products such as T-Shirts, candles and screen prints. There are two Sony PlayStation installations in store, one for the boys and one for the girls.

The short film explores the theme of time travel - produced and styled by Lily Allen and Sarah Owen and directed by Marie Kristiansen.

The short sees Lucy getting ready for a night out and being drawn into her closet and taken on a magical fashion time tour through different fashion era’s from the 1980’s back to the 1920’s. Part of the inspiration for the short has come from Lily and Sarah’s favourite PlayStation Move game Buzz! The Ultimate Music Quiz.

Watch the film here:


In the behind the scenes making of, Lily and Sarah are transformed into Buzz! quiz contestants, scanning their face into the game and choosing their 80’s inspired outfits before battling it out to see who will be named Buzz! Ultimate Music Quiz champion. Lily and Sarah have also created a Lucy in Disguise PlayStation Buzz quiz to go with the short.

You can view the video and Lucy’s new blog and fashion tips at http://www.lucyindisguiselondon.com/

‘For our second Lucy in Disguise film project we wanted to explore fashion through the ages - the film like the store is about girls living it up in a fantasy world, where we rule and are let loose. Out of all the PlayStation Move games we play, Buzz: The Ultimate Music Quiz felt like the perfect accompaniment! ’ Lily Allen and Sarah Owen

Alongside the film will be a special motion sensitive light window at the Covent Garden Store commissioned by PlayStation Move and inspired by the idea of movement in fashion.

The installation has been designed by Deniz Kurtel so if you're in the area, why not drop on by to check it out?

Here's the earlier film:



About PlayStation Move




PlayStation® Move launched worldwide on the 17th September 2010, offering a motion-based, high definition gaming experience unlike anything currently on the market. Unlike existing motion controllers, the PlayStation® Move controller delivers unmatched accuracy through its advanced sensors as well as a colour changing sphere which is tracked by the PlayStation Eye camera. Through the PlayStation Move system, both fast and subtle motion can be detected and users can provide direct input through action buttons and analogue triggers as well as capturing their own voice or image through the PlayStation Eye.

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®3, PlayStation®2, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) and PlayStation®Network software and hardware in 99 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Since the launch of PlayStation 3 in November 2006, 47.9 million units have been sold globally and continue to be sold at a record level. Maintaining its position as one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history, PlayStation 2 has sold over 149.8 million systems worldwide. Since its launch at the end of 2004, over 67.8 million PSPs have been sold globally, highlighting the importance of the portable entertainment market. With the huge increase in interest and accessibility of network applications and network gaming, more than 69 million accounts have registered to PlayStation Network, the free-to-access interactive environment, and over 1.43 billion items have been downloaded.

More information about PlayStation products can be found at http://www.playstation.com/ 

PlayStation, the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. PS3 and PSP are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

PS3 'saves' Hallelujah!!

"Cloud saving - not even Final Fantasy 7 related"

PlayStation Plus takes gamers far beyond competition

Matt Adcock for Darkmatters

It's a terrifying thought for any gamer who has sunk many hours into a game... Data loss!?
If you've invested in leveling up, getting to the final boss, working towards a Platinum trophy - the one thing you really don't need would be for your save data to be lost.

Many of my Xbox playing friends have openly wept as their machines went the way of the infamous Red Ring of Death or new improved Red Light of Death with the slim model... It wasn't so much the repair bill or replacement cost of the hardware but more the pain of lost game saves. PS3 users too have complained that buying a new PS3 or upgrading the hard drive can mean saying goodbye to some copyrighted game save data.

But while Xbox 360 players will still have that worry - and will need to keep some sort of external disc to hand for backups, now PlayStation 3 owners need never fear losing their save games ever again. All that's required is to sign up for the Sony's PlayStation Plus service - an excellent way to get free games, Beta access and exclusive treats from Sony anyway.

Because Sony know how to treat their gamers and have introduced 'cloud storage' for game saves.

This feature allows gamers to upload 150MB of save game data to the big Sony game save bank in the sky (online), so that you can not only easily transfer game saves between PlayStation 3 systems - should you own more than one, but also access your game save from a mate's PS3 by logging in on their machine.

So if someone should steal your beloved PS3 or heaven forbid, it die from years of hard service - your game saves are protected. Even copy-protected data can still be stored online, which will make the transition between PS3s or Hard Disc Drive upgrading that much more easy.

Nice move Sony, we gamers salute you!!

The Cloud Storage comes with the 3.60 system update and is accessed through the XMB's Saved Data Utility menu.

"Sony's PS3 Angels - waiting to look after your game save data"

Recent cool PS3 games to check:

KILLZONE 3

DC Universe Online

Darkmatters Review: Catfish

Catfish (12)


Dir. Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost

Reviewed by Matt ‘Rachel’ Adcock

My name is Rachel, I’m a sexy young babe with a hot body and naughty mind… I’d love to be your facebook friend and send you some great pictures of myself!? Tell me what you’re into, where you live, maybe we could meet up, I know you want to at least ‘poke’ me, surely it would be rude not to?

"'Rachel' - who looks a lot like Emma Stone"

Of course none of the above is actually true (apart from the hot body bit LOL) but thanks to facebook there’s nothing stopping me pretending to be ‘Rachel’ if I choose to and you might well have become my facebook ‘friend’… In fact I could have created a whole raft of alternate personalities on facebook – all linked to each other and interacting across the virtual social network.

Catfish is a thought provoking documentary which follows Nev Schulman - a New York photographer who strikes up an unlikely facebook friendship with an eight year old girl named Abby who has some artistic talent and likes to paint paintings of Nev’s photographs.

Nev’s brother Ariel Schulma and his friend Henry Joost are the filmmakers here and their documentary records how the virtual friendship between Nev and Abby grows. Nev gets talking to Abby’s mum Angela and comes across her sexy sister Megan – with whom he strikes up a long distance – social network enabled flirtation.

What at first starts off as a seemingly harmless and interesting set of new contacts for Nev, spirals into something a bit more worrying when cracks and inconsistencies begin to raise doubts in Nev’s mind as to who he is actually in contact with.

Catfish is a brilliant and compulsively watchable cautionary tale – which leaves viewers asking “just how well do you know your facebook friends?” Nev makes a good everyman hero – and his Scooby Doo style investigation with his pals into who or what he is virtually involved with in Abby, Megan, Angela and their increasingly diverse circle of facebook ‘friends’ makes for good viewing.

Needless to say that all is not quite what it seems but I won’t spoil the rest of the plot for you as it works best when you don’t know what to expect. The cinematography is of the shaky cam Cloverfield style – recently employed so well in The Last Exorcism. The filmmakers keep the narrative of their documentary ticking along so that you don’t have chance to get bored during the slow build up as you’ll really want to see how it ends.

There are some places where the film could be accused of exploiting real people’s lives (if in fact this is a ‘true’ as they’d have you believe) but the fact is that you’re likely to come away from Catfish having been moved and challenged – which are reactions that only the best films really accomplish.

Catfish is the perfect flip side to the big budget The Social Network, it seems that Mark Zuckerberg has a lot to answer for, not least empowering people to lead virtual lives that may not actually be rooted in reality. Recommended viewing for every facebook user in your life!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:
öööö
(4 – a carcrash spectacle of eyewatering social interaction)...

Darkmatters Review: Unknown

Unknown (12a)

Dir. Jaume Collet-Serra

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Do you know what it feels like to become insane? It's a war between being told who you are and knowing who you are... Which do you think wins?

My name is Doctor Martin Harris, you’ll never guess what happened to me when I went to Berlin for a biotechnology convention… I’d left my briefcase at the Airport and I had to grab a taxi back – only en-route we were involved in an accident and I was knocked unconscious.

Four days later when I awoke from my coma I found that I wasn’t the man I thought I was. My lovely wife Elizabeth (January Jones) no longer recognised me and to make matters worse some other guy (Aidan Quinn) is claiming to be Doctor Martin Harris!? My only hope of proving that I am not crazy and that sinister things are afoot is to track down the taxi driver Gina (Diane Kruger) whose cab I was in.

Or am I mad? Maybe there never was a Martin Harris? Or perhaps this is all an evil plot and I’m going to have to fight to prove myself.

What would you do to try and take back your life? Surely there’s nothing more worth fighting for… And fortunately fighting back is what this Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) does well. Adopting his ‘Taken’ hard man persona Neeson kicks copious amount of butt in his quest to get to the bottom of what exactly is going on. Car chases, gunfights, beatings and danger lie around every Berlin corner… Director Juame ‘Orphan’ Collet-Serra wants to deliver a Bourne meets Bond actioner but is hamstrung by having to keep the material with the boundaries of a 12a rating. So what could have been a wham-bang crunching cinematic adventure becomes a watchable but unremarkable lightweight dose of low level mystery and thrills.

Unknown doesn’t bring enough new or anything remotely shocking once you get on board with the plot. You can tick the boxes of cinematic ‘tried and tested’ elements including the plucky friend of the hero’s saviour with a short life expectancy, an old-school spy ally, a sinister agent that might not be all they seem – BINGO you’ve got a by-the-numbers action thriller.

As I left the cinema having watched Unknown with my lovely wife, we overheard several people saying the same thing… “It was ok, just not as good a ‘Taken’” and that’s a fair summation.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö

(3 - single serving of mystery action thrills)...

Awesomeness ööö – nice in places

Laughs ö – no funny business

Horror öö – not very grim at all

Babes öööö – January Jones is hot (see below)

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö – your life is worth fighting for!
- - -

Second opinion - try Geeksyndicate

"Miss January... Jones"

Darkmatters: Killzone 3 Review

Killzone 3 (18) PS3 Exclusive

Developed by Guerrilla Games

Published by SCEE

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

We brave PS3 gamers have fought the Helghast and using the ISA marines pushed into their homeworld thanks to Killzone 2…

Now even with their evil leader ‘Visari’ taken down, we find that the war is far from over…

The Helghast forces are not beaten and are mounting a devastating counter-attack, the few remaining ISA are being pushed back to the point we must evacuate the planet of Helghan.

But if we have to go… let’s go in fine style and take as many of the enemy as possible with us – lock and load soldier!!

"don't shoot until you see the reds of their eyes"

Ok, so there isn’t exactly a shortage of fine First Person Shooter games, Call of Duty and Modern Warfare are mass selling master-classes of the genre, Battlefield Bad Company 2 brought tasty destruction of the environment into play. Medal of Honor got revamped with extra beards, Halo Reach continued its classy sci-fi warfare and newcomer Bulletstorm raised the level of insanity with ‘skill kills’. But as we wait for the promising looking Crysis 2 and the potential game of the year Battlefield 3 ...

There is only one game you need…

Just what can Killzone 3 bring to this overcrowded orgy of destruction then? Well, how about the best and most satisfying online multiplayer frag fest to date, a unique and brilliant motion control method through the Move and by far the richest FPS graphics to grace any console… That’s what I’m talking about… Bring it!!

Killzone 2 was graphically superb but Killzone 3 surpasses it on every level – the levels range from article snowfields which boast the best incidental ‘snow effects’ of any game available through to steamy alien jungles. The industrial Helgan cities and bases return and have been brought to even more vivid life than in the previous games. Both the orange eye Helghast and the macho jock ISA characters are excellent with gorgeous detailing (the feeling of satisfaction when you shoot a Helghast’s helmet off and he turn round to frantically try and find it is immense).

Killzone 3 packs a mighty surround sound punch too – the fear inducing explosions rip from all directions, the screams of the injured and the barked orders of friends and foes echo convincingly around the beautiful battlefields. This game has quality voice casting also with screen legend Malcolm McDowell voicing evil Jordan Stahl and British legend Ray Winstone voicing Helghast Admiral Orlock. Having actors of this magnitude lends the cinematic cut scenes massive watchability and it is a joy to watch the baddie commanders squabbling amongst themselves in the power vacuum left by Visari.

I mentioned that Killzone 3 can be played in two ways – the trusty Dualshock 3 can be used with a Call of Duty button set up which will please fans of those shooters. The new way to play though is through the funky Playstation Move – this uses the glowing light ended controller to ‘look around / fire’ and the nav controller to move. For the most realistic control system out there you’ll want to invest in the sharpshooter peripheral which fits both the two Move controllers into a shotgun / rifle style rig (complete with pump action reloading). It’s just beautiful… Once you acclimatise to set up many have reported getting much better kill / death ratios with the Move controls!?

The main game campaign can be played in either single player mode or through co-op – very satisfying it is too working with a human pal to take down the enemy. It’s good but the campaign is only part of the Killzone 3 package and it’s not even the best part. The online multiplayer mode is where the real fun is to be had – refined and polished from the Killzone 2 online there are a decent choice of game modes including Guerrilla (Team Deathmatch), Warzone (which cycles through different objective based games) and a brilliant ‘Bot Zone’ where you can hone you skills against the A.I. opponents.

Kills and feats will give you points to spend on new abilities and weapons – and the upgrades are very very tasty so it is worth going for them as the gameplay just gets better with each new weapon or skill e.g. the sniper ‘Marksman’ can unlock a powerful Machine Pistol as a secondary weapon which has a ferocious rate of fire…

Overall Killzone 3 is delicious, addictive multiplayer deathmatch perfection… And if you have a 3D TV, this game will show it off like nothing else around. Every gamer on planet earth who has ever enjoyed a shooting game should witness the sheer brilliant carnage that Killzone 3 delivers – there is no substitute!!

"David Cameron's recreation mask"

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö

(5 - Awesome shock and awe)...

Previous love for Killzone 3 on Darkmatters:
 
Trailer
 
Kevin Butler Advert
 

"If Killzone 3 was a woman in would be Emma Watson"

You can also read this review over at funky Irish site FRANK THE MONKEY

Jameson Empire Awards: vote KICK ASS

Film Awards season rolls on...

Matt Adcock gives his picks for the 2011 Jameson Empire Awards.


The shortlist of finalists has been announced - there are only a few days now to get your votes in!

Click here to VOTE

Voting ends 9th March.


Best Newcomer: Darkmatters picks - Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass / Let Me In)

Best Thriller: Darkmatters picks - The Town click here for review

Best Horror: Darkmatters picks - Let Me In click here for review

Best Comedy: Darkmatters picks - Four Lions click here for review

Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy: Darkmatters picks - KICK-ASS click here for review

Best Actor: Darkmatters picks - Colin Firth (The King's Speech) click here for review

Best Actress: Darkmatters picks - Natalie Portman (Black Swan) click here for review

Best Director: Darkmatters picks - Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) click here for review

Best British Film: Darkmatters picks - KICK-ASS click here for review

Best Film: Darkmatters picks - KICK-ASS click here for review

"Chloe Moretz FTW"

Darkmatters hearts Sucker Punch's awesome new trailer

SUCKER PUNCH

Matt Adcock's tip for awesomeness next month...

Check this great new trailer:



Which one is your favourite?

"Emily Browning is Babydoll"

"Vanessa Hudgens is Blondie"

"Abbie Cornish is Sweet Pea"

"Jena Malone is Rocket"

"Jamie Chung is Amber"

You. Will be. Unprepared...

More about Emily Browning HERE



Darkmatters Review: Drive Angry 3D

Drive Angry 3D (18)


Dir. Patrick Lussier

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“Tell them, I’m coming… Hell is already walking the Earth”

How far would you go to avenge the death of your daughter and save the life of her baby? If you’re John Milton (Nic Cage in full on wild eyed, insane mode) then you’d break out of hell itself and hunt down the sick murdering cult leader who killed your loved one and plans to sacrifice her baby to Satan. Seems only right really.

"Amber Heard - looks very good in 3D"

Drive Angry 3D is a lurid, pulpy nitrous powered assault on your frontal lobes. I don't think anything can quite prepare you for this balls out, full throttle overload of wanton 3D action, sex and violence. So if you’re easily offended – be it by nudity, gore, cussing, violence or dodgy acting, then you really shouldn’t check this film. If however you like your plot and dialogue off the scale stupid, your women smoking hot and your action totally over the top, then Drive Angry might just be the best film you’ve ever seen.

Drive Angry 3D delivers everything that limp comic adaptation Ghost Rider failed to. Here Cage brings his Kick Ass A-game and is ably assisted by Amber Heard who scorches the screen, sizzling in 3D.

"This is 'driving really angry'"

The revenge / save the baby plot won’t win any originality awards but it serves as an excuse for director Patrick ’My Bloody Valentine’ Lussier to wreak as much bloody carnage as humanly possible – all in eye-popping 3D. Lussier delivers a megaton action horror that has put him on the cinematic map, and bagged him the right to make the next Halloween and Hell Raiser films. He is also an unlikely master of 3D – cars, bullets, blood and babes are surely what 3D was developed to deliver and Drive Angry 3D has the best 3D around.

Amber ‘All the boys love Mandy Lane’ Heard is the hot ticket actress of the moment and she delivers a great love interest / side kick to Cage here. The supporting cast are strong too with the excellent William Fichtner channelling Christopher Walken as Hell’s own unstoppable ‘Accountant’ and Billy Burke is all twitchy satanic menace as deranged cult leader Jonah King.

"Not just a pretty face"

Drive Angry 3D is a cult classic in the making, packing mean classic US automobiles such as the ’69 Dodge Charger along with unforgettable scenes including a ‘Shoot ’Em Up’ homage where Cage gets into a massive close quarters gun battle whilst making love to waitress.

It might not be big or clever, but Drive Angry 3D is perfect pulp fiction schlock and action fans should sell their souls to see this!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö

(5 - a perfect storm of grindhouse B movie action)...

Awesomeness ööööö – don't fear the reaper
Laughs ööö – slap stick violence a go go
Horror öööö – goes over the line of good taste many times
Babes ööööö – Amber Heard is a thermo-nuclear hottie
Spiritual Enlightenment ööö – did you know that Satan doesn't like when people sacrifice babies to him?
- - -

Second opinion - try Bloody Disgusting who call Drive Angry 'first “fun” horror movie of the year'.

Try this pro / con list of checking the film too from BLOG CABIN

"Amber is the hot ticket actress for 2011"

More Amber Heard reviews on Darkmatters:

Miss Heard stars in And Soon The Darkness

Best looking zombie in Zombieland

Comedy star in Pinapple Express

and

Trophy girlriend in Never Back Down

Darkmatters Review: PAUL

Paul (15)


Dir. Greg Mottola

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Prepare for some quality close encounters of the nerd kind…

In the beginning there was Spaced, it was a superb slacker TV comedy that fused sci-fi geekiness with laugh out loud comedy to winning effect. Spaced launched the comedy genius partnership of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost onto the world and it also paved the way for their excellent big screen films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

Now the dynamic duo reunite for a new comedy of intergalactic proportions - ‘Paul’. This is the tale of two average sci-fi nerd earthlings, Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Frost), who pick up a hitch hiker named Paul whilst trekking across America's UFO heartland. But Paul isn’t your average traveller – he’s a crash landed alien with a foul mouth and extra-terrestrial powers - who joins the guys on a bawdy road trip that just might alter their universe forever.

"The good, the bad and the nerdy - Comic-Con"

‘Paul’ is the ultimate fan boy sci-fi movie reference viewing experience, a love letter to every cinematic Martian adventure and close encounter we’ve had. From Star Wars through E.T. and Aliens – Paul is packed with dialogue lines, visual gags and nods of the head ripped from those classics of the genre.

Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) has been amongst us for a while, he’s been trapped at a top-secret military base for the last 60 years. But it seems that his usefulness to them appears to be coming to an end and so he promptly escapes pursued by gun toting federal agents. Graeme and Clive are the unwitting humans who he picks to help him get back to his mother ship – and comic misadventure on a grand scale ensues.

"We come in peace..."

Director Greg ‘Superbad’ Mottola brings a more frat boy feel to Paul and evokes a harder side to the comedy of his leading men than Edgar ‘Scott Pilgrim’ Wright did in Hot Fuzz etc. So it’s possible that you’ll be a bit offended by Paul if looking for the traditional Pegg / Frost vein of good natured comedy.

The special effects are great and Paul the alien is a masterpiece of CGI creation, fitting in superbly with the talented human cast which includes Kristen Wiig as a one eyed hill-billie bible basher love interest!?

Overall Paul is a triumphant blast – effectively pressing the inner nerd buttons and packing in more smiles per minute than any other comedy so far this year.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - my God, it's full of stars)...

Awesomeness ööööö – take me to your leader
Laughs öööö – lots of quality laughs
Horror öö – nothing too grim
Babes ööö – Kristen Wiig is fair
Spiritual Enlightenment ööö – faith in a God who can love more than one species required!?
- - -
Second opinion - try Den of Geek

"worth Wiig-ing out for?"

Darkmatters Review: Brighton Rock (1947)

Brighton Rock ( PG)


Dir. John Boulting

Reviewed by Matt Adcock


“Brighton today is a large, jolly, friendly seaside town in Sussex, exactly


one hour's journey from London.


But in the years between the two wars, behind the Regency terraces and


crowded beaches, there was another Brighton of dark alleyways and festering


slums. From here the poison of crime and violence and gang warfare began to


spread until the challenge was taken up by the Police.


This is a story of that other Brighton - now happily no more.”

With the remake hitting cinemas this year – there’s never been a better time to brush up on the excellent original, now digitally restored and available for the first time on Blu-ray.

Featuring a star making turn from young Richard Attenborough as the weasel faced Pinkie, leader of a seedy gang of crooks. Yes Brighton Rock, or ‘young scarface’ as they called in initially in the US is the crime tale adapted from Graham Greene's classic novel.

The new restored picture quality is by far the best way to witness this sneaky peek into the underworld of bustling Brighton. Amidst the tourists and tawdry London types taking the sea air there is a crackling undercurrent of bother that grips throughout.

There are many memorable scenes including the thrilling early chase sequence in which newspaperman Kolley Kibber is hounded by a gang of razor-blade packing henchmen through the daylight streets. The juxtaposition of knife violence and candy floss – mixed up with a heady dose of religious guilt and repressed sexuality – all makes for a fantastic cinematic experience.

Brighton Rock belongs to Attenborough though – his iconic lead performance is absolutely mesmerising to watch.
It’s a bleak and unrelentingly grim storyline brought to vivid life by the superb cast who have created a classic dark noir thriller. Perfectly summed up by Ida (Hermione Baddeley) when she says:
“I've never changed. It's like those sticks of rock. Bite one all the way down, you'll still read Brighton. That's human nature.”


Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 – classic hoodlum seaside angst) go!)...

"Catholicism issues?"

Killzone 3 Anticipation

 Let the games begin!!

Darkmatters review of Killzone 3 CLICK HERE

"Anticipation is high"

"Mmmmmmmmm!"

KILLZONE 3 = potentially Matt Adcock's game of the year: LINK TO TRAILER

Darkmatters Review: True Grit

True Grit (15)

Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“You must pay for everything in this world, one way and another. There is nothing free except the grace of God.”

As a big fan of the 1969 version of True Grit which starred John Wayne as federal Marshall Reuben ‘Rooster’ Cogburn and a huge admirer of the Coen brothers, I had high hopes for this gritty remake.

The new version keeps faith with the earlier film and Charles Portis's novel on which both films are based. It follows the trail of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) in her quest to see justice brought to outlaw Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who gunned down her father in cold blood. She chooses Marshall Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) – a man who she sees has the ‘true grit’ necessary for such an undertaking.

"Marshall Reuben ‘Rooster’ Cogburn"

What follows is a classic Wild West odyssey of revenge, told in the Coen brother’s trademark gorgeous cinematic style. The western landscapes are breath-takingly shot, the build up to the climactic showdown is tense and the gun fight action is suitably fast and furious. This is a classy film that doesn’t rush the plot, lets you get alongside the characters to the point where you become fully invested in their plights and as such is an absolute joy to watch.

Steinfeld is an amazing young actress who makes the lead role of Mattie her own – determined and no-nonsense she is a powerhouse that matches Bridges excellent Cogburn blow for blow. The bond that grows between these two unlikely allies is powerful and shows that despite the differences to their age and backgrounds – they share a core understanding of honour and justice.

"Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross"

Also along for the ride is La Boeuf (Matt Damon) a Texas Ranger who is tracking Chaney down for his own reasons. He brings some comic relief which helps break up the stark manhunt dynamic and is much better than Glen Campbell was in the original.

As the heroes close in on their target and it looks like Cogburn will have to ride out against at least four gun toting crooks, you’ll be right behind him – reins in your mouth, a gun in each hand!

True Grit as a stunning film, by far the best Western for many a year and a fantastic exercise in gun-slinging, rootin, shootin action. You’d be a fool not to saddle up and mosey on down to Cineworld to check this at your earliest convenience.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:


ööööö


(5 - serious quality retribution)...

Awesomeness ööööö – high plains drifter

Laughs ööö – some nicely worked comedy especially by Damon
Horror öö – nothing too grim but violent throughout

Babes öö – Steinfeld might be cute in later life

Spiritual Enlightenment öööö – justice comes one way or another
- - -

Second opinion - try The Guardian

"Hailee Steinfeld - voted 2nd best dressed woman at the Golden Globes"

N-Dubz 'Took It All Away' - Play Create Share mix

Only on PS3...

Added for Darkmatters by Matt Adcock

You don't need to be a N-Dubz fan (like my eldest son Luke) to appreciate just how cool this is. The power of LittleBigPlanet 2 on PS3 is awesome... So N-Dubz have created the first pop video in Little Big Planet2, and if that wasn't enough the band are also offering you the chance to create your own LBP2 N-Dubz video for a chance to win tickets to meet the band. Head to the YouTube LittleBigPlanet UK Channel homepage for full details or Click here.


Watch the video below  :)

Darkmatters Review: The Fighter

The Fighter (15)

Dir. David O. Russell

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

As the awesome Clubber Lang (Mr T) said in Rocky III “My prediction for the fight? Pain!”

Unlike Rocky III however The Fighter isn’t a showboating fight movie – this is a gutsy recreation of the true life gutter to contender story of Micky Ward whose stop start welterweight boxing career included some of the most memorable fights ever witnessed.

Mark Wahlberg steps into the respected fighters shoes / gloves and turns his usual slightly confused expression to good use as "Irish" Micky Ward – a boxer living in the fading shadow of his older brother Dicky (Christian Bale). Dicky is a crack head former big shot whose claim to fame is that he once floored Sugar Ray Leonard, although some say that Leonard just slipped. Whatever the truth Dicky has been riding on that one fight his whole life – wearing the title ‘pride of Lowell’ - the small town he and his brother hail from.

Bale is a hot tip for Oscar success for his supporting actor role and it’s easy to see why. He looks absolutely nothing like his Batman character – more like the painfully thin lead from a film he did some time ago called ‘The Machinist’. Bales’ Dicky is a twitchy, bug eyed, fidgety freak show – highly volatile and living his life by screwing-up beyond the call of duty. Melissa Leo is also on screen chewing form here as the boys batty mother / manager – an overbearing nightmare who favours her older son and secretly wants to see him regain some of his lost glory. Micky however she is happy to pimp out to fight organizers who just need a punch bag opponent for their upcoming fighters.

"Listen - your wooden acting is making me look great!!"

Director David ‘Three Kings’ O. Russell keeps the action tight and the family dynamics every bit as incendiary as any of the nicely shot boxing matches. Wahlberg does his best but is out acted by all around him – including slutty bartender love interest Charlene (Amy ‘Enchanted’ Adams, playing impressively against her goody goody previous roles).

There is plenty of dark humour to go with the brutal ring action like when a film crew who is following Dicky for an HBO documentary turns out not to be covering his big comeback but actually making a fly on the wall film about the horror of crack addiction.

The fighter is a great film, it has something for everyone – enough fight action to keep the Rocky / Raging Bull crowd happy but also sufficient out of the ring drama to stand as a fantastic piece of cinema. Recommended viewing.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:


öööö

(4 - heavy hitting entertainment)...

Awesomeness öööö – goes the distance

Laughs ööö – you'll laugh but it's no comedy
Horror öö –  some brutal punching but nothing too strong
Babes ööö – Amy Adams goes for it
Spiritual Enlightenment ööö – love thy brother (even if he is a crack head)

- - -
Second opinion - try The Telegraph

"Amy Adams - not as glam as this in The Fighter"

Darkmatters Review: Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go (12a)

Dir. Mark Romanek

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

"Are we human? Or are we dancer? My sign is vital, my hands are cold…”

Never Let Me Go is a powerful, haunting and life affecting story of true love, bitter jealousy and all that it means to be ‘human’.

Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's highly acclaimed novel, director Mark ‘One Hour Photo’ Romanek delivers a film that will slowly and carefully unpick your soul. Romanek is the guy who made one of my favourite ever films – the little known, low budget oddity ‘Static.’ With Never Let Me Go however he is at the helm of a full blooded big screen classic, enhanced by having a stellar cast in the form of Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley).

"through a glass darkly"

The story tells the tale of three seemingly normal friends growing up together, their lives connected by a heart breaking secret. We join them at their time at Hailsham – an oppressive boarding school cut off from the outside world. The teachers, led by the matriarchal Miss Emily (a great turn from Charlotte Rampling) keep their students fed a strictly limited diet of information, and engender a rule of fear created by awful tales of what happens to anyone who ventures further than the school gates.

If you’ve read the book you’ll know what is going on but if like me you come to Never Let Me Go without prior knowledge then you are in for a head spinning treat. I’m not going to explain what makes Kathy, Tommy and Ruth different from the rest of us, but there is a wonderfully sinister backdrop of this film, which comes to drive the main story with some fascinating science fiction elements.

"Ella Purnell does a good young Keira"

Don’t approach Never Let Me Go looking for a feel good experience. The screening I saw this at had several female audience members in tears by the time the end credits rolled. The story is certainly dark and tragic, yet also deeply thought-provoking and likely to leave you pondering what you’ve seen for some time to come.

The cinematography is gorgeous throughout, employing an otherworldly slightly washed out style which works really well in depicting the alternate 1980s England settings. The kids playing the younger versions of Keira Knightley (Ella Purnell), Carey Mulligan (Izzy Meikle-Small) and Andrew Garfield (Charlie Rowe) were excellent too and could well be ones to watch as future talent.

"the future may be bleak"

Screenwriter Alex ‘Dredd’ Garland does a good job in making the novel work on screen and Romanek shows just how good a director he is by handling the building unease masterfully and delivering an artistic treaty on the sadness of being or wanting to be human.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - broken hearts and 'what ifs')...

Awesomeness ööö – powerful stuff

Laughs öö – limited laughs (in the dark)

Horror ööö – an effective growing sense of 'wrongness'

Babes ööö – Carey Mulligan outshines Keira Knightley

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö – love is human

- - -

Second opinion - try reeltalk

Darkmatters Review: And Soon The Darkness

And Soon the Darkness (15)

Dir. Marcos Efron

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Did you hear the tale about the two young, hot, American girls (Amber Heard and Odette Yustman) who go cycling in Argentina?

You know, the one where one of them gets kidnapped, tortured and whose life depends on her lovely blonde friend tracking down the kidnappers and saving the day?

Well – if you this ‘tale’ does sound familiar, chances are that you might have seen the original 1970 British thriller of the same name (which was set in France).

So what’s good about this slick remake? First and foremost is the casting of the two female leads - Heard and Yustman are both smokin’ hot babes – both can act and each of them are carving out decent film careers. I’ve been a huge fan of Amber Heard ever since her amazing performance in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane Heard – and she has sizzled up the screen in pretty much everything she’s been in from then on.

"an important scene for the plot of the film!?"

Even the poor remake of The Stepfather was rendered watchable thanks to miss Heard slinking around in a bikini, which must have been noticed by writer-director Marcos Efron here because he throws in a key voyeuristic sun bathing scene with the express purpose of showing off the two stars. Amber’s no dumb blonde either as she co-produced the film.

From the nice touristy opening, the film then ramps up the suspense, And Soon the Darkness follows the tried and tested formula of cute foreigners in danger thrillers. Karl ‘soon to be the new Judge Dredd’ Urban is the requisite hunky hero who helps save the day. Things look grim for a while and there are some plot twists thrown in for good measure. It all looks good (the scenery as well as the cast) and is competently made, so whilst not ever likely to be regarded as a classic – this is a thriller worth checking out.

"Hero ready"

Walking a fine balance where nothing gets too nasty, the threat and torture are handled with admirable restraint. And Soon the Darkness won’t satisfy gore hungry SAW fans but it shows that there is skill of making an ‘almost horror’ film that doesn’t completely suck.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:


ööö

(3 - Watchable and slick holiday nightmare)...

"another key scene..."