Matt says Shazam! (review) is the word...

Shazam! (12a)

Dir. David F. Sandberg

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“Hey, what's up? I'm a superhero…”

Before we get to the serious super-fallout of Marvel’s Avengers Endgame, the DC Extended Universe bursts onto the scene with Shazam – a light-hearted romp which is a change of tone from the darker and moody recent efforts.

Director David ‘Lights Out' Sandberg channels a lot of the fun that you remember comic books inspiring when you’re a kid, Shazam! packs a serious amount of wish fulfilment and sheer wonder too.

Meet young Billy Batson (Asher Angel), your standard hard-luck orphan who has a Hunt For The Wilderpeople penchant for running away from the foster homes where he has been placed since he lost his mother at a fair as a child. As fate would have it he Billy gets chosen by ancient wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) to become mankind’s champion and he is given a range of superpowers with which to defend the world.

So, when Billy says the word ‘Shazam!’ he transforms into the super-buff Zachary Levi and has a ball with his newest foster brother Freddie Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) chronicling his abilities. Freddie is handily a swot on superheroes and has his own stash of memorabilia including an ‘actual’ Batarang and ‘authentic’ bullet which bounced off Superman – which lays nice groundwork for connecting this film to the wider DC universe.

phone charge man...

While this all feels a bit like a super version of Tom Hanks' Big – there is, of course, a baddie to up the ante. Villain of the piece is the bitter Thaddeus Sivana (Mark ‘Kingsman’ Strong) who was once tested by the wizard to inherit his powers but found to be a wrongun, so he instead opted to let himself be possessed by the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ – demonic-like creatures who want to kill us all.

The action is handled well, it’s shot through with human emotions and related complications but it’s also really funny too. The humour really works and there are lots of grin-inducing moments, none more so than a cameo at the end which is just superb.

confrontation...

All the cast seem to be having a good time, special mention to the young Faithe Herman (future star alert) who plays younger foster sister Darla Dudley and steals every scene she’s in.

Shazam! is a marvel (excuse the mixed comic book analogies) – a feel-good, fun and exciting new entry into the super world which deserves to be seen! For a super time simply say ‘Shazam!’ when ordering cinema tickets!!

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

öööö

(4 - Super fun which deserves much love!)

Awesomeness öööö – Action and fun in equal measure!

Laughs öööö – Really funny in places

Horror ö – Not too nasty

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - Magic can save you!

Matt Visits: Huntington Gardens (a post Brexit review)

Huntington Gardens (PG)

Dirs. Paul and Simon Wade

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“You must have done this - to throw us off the scent...”

Into the heady mix of political and social breakdown that is Brexit comes a new short comedy film about a residential street in post-Brexit Britain, where the neighbours battle it out for the best parking spot.

Huntington Gardens brings the lives and parking dramas of three families, living on the same suburban street to the fore as each day they wage war over who gets the best parking spaces.

At the end of each workday, the Morris family, the Rogers and the Amins’ all drive back as quickly as they can to beat the others to the best spots on the street. Each family is from different economic, cultural and political backgrounds and their hidden prejudices bubble to the surface as the battle for parking spaces intensifies.

'curtain twitchin neighbours'

Who are these people? Well there’s the Morris family (remainers in the Brexit vote -predominantly directed by the articles read in the Guardian) Mrs Morris (Kelly Adams) is a stressed suburbanite.

Then there are Mr and Mrs Rogers played by Paul Putner and Kacey Ainsworth – a couple who have lived on 'Huntington Gardens' all of their lives, have seen people come and go and have seen it change a lot over the years, (leave voters in the Brexit vote due to reading an article on Facebook about EU regulations having a negative impact on the UK fishing industry and definitely not because of immigration…)

Also caught up in the parking madness is Mr Amin (Amerit Deu) – he didn’t vote in Brexit, as he was too busy with work; he thinks both sides are stupid. The Amin family moved into ‘Huntington Gardens’ five years ago and ever since they have been met with suspicion from the rest of the road. Their dislike of Mr Amin just reinforces his dislike of them and his stubbornness to get the best parking space, by whatever means. He’s not a person who likes small talk or general pleasantries, being quite direct and to the point.

'Game faces'

The talented Directors – the Wade Brothers - said: “We wanted to capture the mixture of confusion, misplaced anger, frustration and mistrust of other people and create a film with all of those ideas and placed them on an average British, residential street, a street which hoses a mix of ethnicities, political beliefs and economic backgrounds. The battle for power, superiority and parking spaces amongst three families acting as a metaphor for post-Brexit Britain. “

Huntington Gardens is a clever and wonderfully shot laugh-out-loud piece of fun cinematic joy. It packs an engaging short story with a hard-hitting undercurrent of political comment. Inspired in no little part by the films of Shane Meadows stylistically, with references to other films such as Clockwise and the feel of many quality suburban dramas – the filmmakers manage to mix social realism with fully realised characters, believable environments, locations and highly charged emotions.

'Alls fair in love and parking?'

Highly recommended viewing however you voted!

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

öööö1/2

(4.5 - Superbly fun entertainment that packs a serious issue punch...)


Read Matt's review of a previous Wade Brothers film: A Private Man

Matt is one of 'US'... Review

Us (15)

Dir. Jordan Peele

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“They look exactly like us. They think like us. They know where we are...”

How do you fight an enemy that understands you, can anticipate your every move and will not stop until it has destroyed you? That’s the eerie premise of Us.

In 1986 a young girl, Adelaide (Madison Curry), has a traumatic experience in a sinister hall of mirrors when she wanders away from her parents at an amusement park in Santa Cruz. Just what happened to her isn’t revealed until the climax but whatever it was set off a terrifying chain of events that could jeopardise everyone’s future.

'Beach time'

Now in the present, Adelaide (adult version - Lupita Nyong’o) has a family of her own and they revisit the very same beach even though she has misgivings about it. Her husband, Gabe (Winston Duke) has arranged to meet up with his awful friends the Tylers, a white family who are all about one-upmanship and chilling – summed up by the mum Kitty (Elisabeth Moss) who needs her rosé wine ‘medicine’ even at the beach.

That night a look-alike family dressed in red jumpsuits turn up and start to terrorise Adelaide, Gabe and their children, teenage daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Nelson) and younger son Jason (Evan Alex). It seems that each member of the family has their own evil clone who has come seeking unspecified vengeance.

'Surprise'

Director Jordan ‘Get Out’ Peele has a lot of fun adapting the home invasion horror tropes. He packs in a ton of cultural reference points, film nods, easter eggs and some dark comedy laugh-out-loud moments which help break up the sustained graphic violence and almost unbearable tension.

Us amps up an effective eerie atmosphere and doesn’t skimp on the shocks – the guy next to me in the cinema was screaming throughout!? Nyong’o – who was great in Black Panther - is the beating heart of the film. Her nice / nasty dual role is an exceptional master-class which deliciously provokes both empathy and fear in equal measure.

'A kid with issues'

The soundtrack is excellent too, one stand-out scene sees the mayhem play out to a combo of Beach Boys and N.W.A. The younger members of the cast get to deliver some scene-stealing violent encounters both as their normal and evil selves.

As the nightmare plot twists and turns it brings some breath-taking originality which packs in a multitude of creative ideas and the subtle social commentary too. There are parallels with biblical tales of opposed people being released and taking what is rightfully theirs as well as a modern-day cry for justice that seems out of reach for so many poor / underclass people.

'Fight for your family'

This is a horror film for sure but one that will make you think long and hard - Us is family holiday thrill-ride worth taking for more than just horror fans.

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

öööö

(4 - A powerhouse of a nightmare...)

Awesomeness öööö – Audacious, nerve-shredding scenes

Laughs ööö – Really funny in places

Horror öööö – Very grim and sustained threat

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - How well do you know your family?

Matt dives Under the Silver Lake

Under the Silver Lake (15)

Dir. David Robert Mitchell

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“Our world is filled with codes, subliminal messages. From Silverlake to the Hollywood Hills...”

In select cinemas and available to stream Under the Silver Lake is a heady slice of Californication from the mind of Director David ‘It Follows’ Robert Mitchel. What we have is a feverish neo-noir mystery featuring aimless slacker Sam (Andrew Garfield) that riffs on paranoia, secret code-cracking, sleuth films such as Brick, Mulholland Dr. and Inherent Vice.

"risky business'

The plot sees Sam caught up in the weird and unsettling aftermath of the unexplained disappearance of his beautiful neighbour Sarah (Riley ‘Logan Lucky’ Keough). Being a good sort, or maybe just because he’s more than a little smitten with her, he embarks on a quest across the city to uncover what has happened to her. What follows is a delirious mystery-em-up that delves into the murkiest depths of scandal and conspiracy in the Hollywood Hills.

Not short on homage – there are conspicuous nods to Hitchcock, Lynch, Carpenter, and Paul Thomas Anderson scattered throughout this screwball tale and yet Under the Silver Lake is something unique and fascinating in its own right. There is a definite slightly unhinged feel to proceedings – with a deranged dog killer stalking the neighbourhood, an enigmatic high-roller who dresses as a pirate and a conspiracy theory nut who writes short ‘zines’ about a deadly naked female murderer known as the ‘Owl’s Kiss’.

Riley Keough revisits classic Marilyn pose...

The original!?

Things get weirder as the film progresses with Sam meeting the "Homeless King" (David Yow) who takes him to an underground bunker beneath the Silver Lake and through whom he finds the enigmatic Songwriter (Jeremy Bobb), who has been secretly controlling popular culture through subliminal messages hidden in the hit songs he has written for Nirvana, Backstreet Boys and more…

As the mystery deepens – there are some freakish twists and turns plus some grisly violence. There is also a ton of nudity throughout, it seems barely any of the female characters get through the movie without appearing topless or in a skimpy swimsuit which makes it somewhat of a blatant male fantasy piece.

"Hitchcock who?"

What makes the film sparkle though are some genius moments such as a fantastic ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ reference which sees Garfield sending up his former role. There are probably a lot of hidden messages in the film too which would require repeat watching to unpack.

Overall Under the Silver Lake is an oddball romp worth investigating as a future cult classic.

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

ööö1/2

(3.5 - Arty, crazy and slightly brilliant mystery...)

Awesomeness ööö – Slacker fun throughout and great film refs

Laughs ööö – Darkly funny

Horror öööö –Several nasty scenes

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - Some mysteries should be left alone?

Matt Reviews Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel (12a)

Dir. Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“I'm not gonna fight your war. I'm gonna end it.”

When even the mightiest Avengers are beaten and in need of a saviour – who you gonna call? Well anyone who’s seen Infinity War will know that Nick Fury sent out a cosmic pager SOS message at the end and in order for us to know just how powerful a helper he is calling, here we have the origin story of our potential redeemer: Captain Marvel.

Captain Marvel – also known as Carol Denvers (Brie Larson) belongs to a literally blue-blooded hero warrior race called the ‘Kree’. But it’s possible that she’s much more human than anyone realises. Her superior / mentor Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) has been training her to get control of the pure photo energy that seems to course through her and which she can shoot bolts of out of her hands.

"Nine Inch Nails fan!"

When shape-shifting Skrull aliens invade 1990s earth to try and trace a scientist working on a light-speed engine — Captain Marvel also arrives to try and stop them. Crash landing through the roof of a Blockbuster Video she certainly makes an entrance, attracting the attention of a cleverly de-aged Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).

Cue lots of chasing, fighting and movie references such as Top Gun (there’s a cool cat called ‘Goose’) and some lovely aerial combat. Directors / co-writers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck play the Marvel rulebook blow-by-blow in establishing the Cap’s back story and explaining her incredible powers. But there is real heart here and a brilliant ‘90s soundtrack helps everything tick along nicely to the sounds of Garbage, Elastica and Nirvana to name but a few.

"cool cast"

Ben Mendelsohn brings good support as Skrull leader Talos, Annette Bening is great as the Kree Supreme Intelligence and there are also good turns from Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau – Denvers’ best friend and her daughter Monica (Akira Akbar) who is nicknamed ‘Lt Trouble’.

The climax is suitably thrilling as Captain Marvell gets to finally unleash her incredible powers and many semi-loose threads from the MCU are tied up such as where the tesseract was between Captain America and Avengers movies.

"She wants a word with Thanos"

This is a key part of the Avengers timeline and needs to be seen by all comic book movie fans. Do stick around for the mid and post end credit scenes which are direct links to next month’s End Game.

BTW has anyone seen my Flerken cat anywhere? There’s a new Captain in town and she’s simply Marvellous!

"Goose - this bogeys all over me..."

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

öööö

(4 - Flerken fantastic...)

Awesomeness öööö – Captain in battle is wonderful to behold

Laughs ööö – Gets in some good funnies

Horror öö –Not too grim

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Fight for what's right

Matt falls into The Hole In The Ground

The Hole In The Ground (15)

Dir. Lee Cronin

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“He’s not your son...”

Parenting can be tough at the best of times, so why would anyone be freaked out if your child overnight suddenly became more helpful, polite and loving? Arriving for meals on time, tidying up without being asked and bringing you little gifts… It sounds a bit too good to be true, and in The Hole In The Ground – it is…

Trying to escape her abusive past, single mum Sarah O'Neill (an excellent turn by Seána Kerslake) is aiming to build a new life on the fringes of a backwoods rural town with her young son Chris. The little family face the usual struggle to settle in with school kids being mean and the locals keep to themselves, but things take a turn for the worse when Sarah has a terrifying encounter with a mysterious neighbour. Also, it seems Chris is a bit too fascinated by the huge ominous sinkhole in the forest that borders their home and falling in might be the least of their worries.

"meeting the neighbours"

What follows is an effectively freaky slow burn horror that feels a lot like last year’s excellent Hereditary in its growing sense of menace. As Sarah’s existence spirals into a waking nightmare of paranoia and mistrust of her son – it feels like time is running out for her to try and uncover if the disturbing changes in her little boy are connected to the strange hole.

James Quinn Markey is excellent as Chris, bringing a bright-eyed, Danny Torrence meets Cole Sear from The Sixth Sense steely-yet-vulnerable presence to the role. Has he simply turned over a new leaf to be a more ideal son, or is there a much more sinister explanation to his behaviour? His performance is spot on to keep you guessing.

"if he's not your son - what is he?"

Director Cronin has a brilliant eye for camera angles, cinematic landscapes and dread-inducing scenes. Whilst produced on a small budget, this is a potential flagship for Irish films. The effective and sparsely used score is excellently used too as before long viewers actually start to feel the loneliness and isolation of the mother in her unlikely dilemma.

The creepy atmosphere ratchets up to a climax that feels part The Descent and part Blair Witch – which for horror fans is no bad thing. Overall The Hole In The Ground deserves to be checked out by anyone looking for a thoughtful chiller – especially parents!!

"parenting can be rough"

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

öööö

(4 - Freaksome creepy effective horror...)

Awesomeness ööö – Nail biting compulsory

Laughs ö – Not much funny business

Horror öööö –Very good dread build up

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - A mothers instinct is strong

Matt feels the heat of the Burning Men

Burning Men (15)

Dir. Jeremy Wooding

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“I can see them, all around us...”

Here’s something new and cool. Indie Brit flick Burning Men comes on like a buddy drama and then brings a fun mix a rock ‘n’ roll road movie, unnerving horror-lite and adds some quirky comedy for good measure…

Horror flicks are often great ways for those with cinematic aspirations to cut their teeth and Burning Men unleashes winning youthful energy onto the screen, shot through with a touch of the macabre. The plot sees two pals Ray (Edward Hayter) and Don (Aki Omoshaybi) trying to get their band going but struggling due to limited finances and lack of inspiration.
Their dream is kick-started when Ray literally finds his girlfriend sleeping with their bassist as they are being evicted from their shared flats. With nothing now tying them to London, they decide to cash in their extensive vinyl collection and go to the USA in order to win over the psycho-billy crowd out there.

"watched over by angels?"

Things don’t quite work out as planned though thanks to the market value of their second-hand records not being enough to buy em flights to Luton, let alone the US. But Ray is a resourceful guy and grabs a chance to make some serious cash but stealing a rare ‘black metal’ acetate said to be worth five grand – but also packing a demon summoning curse – and so the scene is set for a supernaturally infused road movie with a difference.

The two pals embark on an odyssey from London to Newcastle via Norfolk and the Northumbria moors - and by the end are driven by dark forces to the holy island of Lindisfarne. I won’t say any more about the plot except that it includes burning scarecrows, violent Scandinavian death metal thugs, drugs – lots of drugs, and a possible new romance along the way.

"Girl power"

Shot mostly in ‘Peep Show-esque’ Point-of-View (POV) which makes the young cast earn their keep. Director Jeremy Wooding (who directed Peep Show episodes) describes the movie as:

“An original mix of road movie, buddy movie and psychological thriller. It charts a troubled young man’s journey, Ray’s journey, towards recognising his gift of second sight. It is also a story of relationship dilemmas as Ray finds himself torn between his best friend Don, and
fellow traveller Susie. It’s both a fun and often unsettling adventure, full of colourful characters and packed with great music.”

Hitchhiker Susie (Elinor Crawley) adds both a sense of light relief and a little mystery after she decides to stick with the pals after her friend Gemma (Katie Collins) splits – after bedding both the boys. The relationship between this core three is the glue that carries the film as the writing is a bit basic and unengaging at times. Hayter and Omoshaybi are on good form though and imbibe their characters with enough likeability to make you care what happens to them.

"a burning man"

Themes of mental health, family breakdown and erm, Aryan supremacy are all worked in and whilst the horror premise never really delivers anything very scary it all ticks along in an enjoyable blur. Burning Men feels like it homages many other films such as Green Room (evil rock racists), Puritan (unsettling dark magic references) and The Borderlands / Final Prayer (increasing sense of being manipulated by darkness) but in the end, manages to stand as something new in its own right.

One highlight of the film is Justin Adams’ musical score which gives a good range of shifting vibes and there is a great soundtrack curated By Burning Men Pictures in association With Red Menace Records that features a heady mix of artists. Another unexpected highlight is the wicked cool Volvo Amazon that evokes the Trabant car used on stage/album cover of U2's Achtung Baby.

Burning Men might not quite hit the full cult classic status but it is a decent Brit effort which is worth a look. There are a number of places to catch it on the big screen this month with the bonus of having a Q & A session thrown in.

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

ööö

(3 - An addictively freaky road trip)


Burning Men is hit cinemas on 1st March, with a regional tour across the country. For more information, please head to: BurningMenTour

Matt reviews The Kid Who Would Be King

The Kid Who Would Be King (PG)

Dir. Joe Cornish

Reviewed by Matt (@Cleric20) Adcock

“There's something written on the guard. Put it into Google Translate - It means ‘Sword of Arthur’. What if it's the Sword in the Stone?”

Old school magic meets the modern world in a woke new epic adventure from the director of the excellent ‘Attack The Block’. The Kid Who Would Be King brings a heart-warming take on the Arthur mythos where young Alexander (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) thinks he's just another nobody, until he stumbles upon the mythical sword in the stone, Excalibur.

What follows is an all-age friendly quest as Alex enlists both his only friend Bedders (Dean Chaumoo) and the mean school bully Lance (Tom Taylor), and his loyal minion, Kaye (Rhianna Dorris) to try and defeat an ancient wicked enchantress Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson). You see Arthur’s evil half-sister lusts for Excalibur and plans to enslave mankind under the cover of an upcoming solar eclipse.

"destiny calls"

The young cast are great and include a brilliantly awkward Merlin (Angus Imrie) but he’s also Sir Patrick Stewart in his ‘old form’. I took some friends with me to get their opinion on this family-friendly adventure they were quite impressed. Ruby age 10 said: “what I loved was the comedy which was really funny e.g. the lines ‘where did you learn to drive?’… ‘Mario Kart’ – which I won’t forget.” Amelie aged 12 added, “this is an exciting film that children and adults will enjoy with both action and humour!”

There are some mildly scary scenes but no gore thanks to the baddie demonic minions combusting in satisfying mini firework explosions when hit. What is really nicely captured though are the adolescent struggles with insecurity and social standing that pepper school life.

"knight-em-up"

There are fun sword battles although the stand-out scene is probably a chase through the city streets which sees gives Lady Kaye chance to show off her Mario Kart skills. The climax sees a full-scale assault by Morgana’s forces storm Alex’s school – and the pupils have to ‘knight up’ and fight to protect each other in a great battle.

There are strong positive messages running through the film about uniting both friends and enemies into a band of knights and following a code. Director Cornish also manages to slip in some mild Brexit comment about how ‘lost and leaderless’ Britain has become.

"baddies ahoy"

With all our futures at stake, joining Alex on his quest is a great cinematic family treat.

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

ööö

(3 - Quality fun adventuring for the young and young-at-heart!)

Awesomeness ööö – Battles and Teenage Angst a go go

Laughs ööö – Some good nicely observed humour

Horror öö – Mild peril

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - True hearts can win the day

Matt opens the Green Book

Green Book (12a)

Dir. Peter Farrelly

Reviewed by Matt (@Cleric20) Adcock

“Being genius is not enough, it takes courage to change people's hearts.”

Every now and then you find a film director switching up and refining their style – and here we have Peter ‘There’s Something About Mary’ delivering a classy, good-natured road-trip relationship heart warmer rather than his staple more shock-em-up comedy.

Green Room tells the based-on-fact tale of Tony "Tony Lip" Vallelonga (Viggo ‘A History of Violence’ Mortensen), a tough guy bouncer with a good heart. When the club he works at is shut for renovations he takes a two-month job as driver for the African-American classical pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala ‘True Detective’ Ali) for a potentially problematic concert tour into the segregated Deep South states.

The two men with very little in common come to learn a lot from each other as they face adversity and racism that you’d find hard to believe if it wasn’t based on a portion of near history. The Green Book of the title is a guide for ‘The Negro Motorist’ issued to Tony which lists hotels that will allow his cultured, genius, virtuoso boss to stay or even buy something to eat.

"classy double act"

The film, co-written by Vallelonga’s son Nick, packs a superb emotional punch thanks to the two central performances. Watching these men form a real bond of lasting friendship, overcoming mistrust and prejudices is a message of what’s possible if we just look beyond the outside and see each other as fellow humans.

This is a great film that really should be seen by as wide an audience as possible – not just for the strong positive message at its heart but also for the experience of diving through well-drawn characters that bring family, culture, dignity and respect entertainingly to life.

Green Book is up for 5 Oscars and the superb performances from Ali and Mortensen whose rapport and chemistry crackle from the screen deserve recognition. Each take what could have been one-note characters and unpack the issues each man has – creating an effective treatise on the inner isolation, masochism and expectations of presenting a ‘strong front’ that men everywhere have to deal with.

"love letter help"

Great cinema has the power to challenge, uplift and inspire all at once and Green Book is a film that will re-ignite hope in mankind, and, could even potentially make you leave wanting to be a better human being.

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

öööö

(4 - Delivers big time friendship, chemistry and feels)

Awesomeness öööö – Hard to believe some of this happened (but glad it did)

Laughs ööö – Nicely balanced laughs throughout

Horror öö – Racism can't be tolerated

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Friendship crosses cultural boundaries

There must be a 'Battle' Angel playing with my heart...

Alita: Battle Angel (12a)

Dir. Robert Rodriguez

Reviewed by Matt (@Cleric20) Adcock

“I'd do whatever I had to for you. I'd give you whatever I have. I'd give you my heart.”

The future isn’t going to be great, unless you are rich and can live in the utopia of Tiphares, a floating city of dreams that is. Most of the populace alas have to exist in the brutal reality of the Iron City where crime is rampant despite bounty hunters enforcing violent retribution on wrongdoers.

Director Rodriguez’s stunning big-screen take on Alita: Battle Angel is based on the Yukito Kishiro manga ‘Gunnm’. It tells the tale of a young cyborg, Alita (Rosa Salazar), who is found by a cybernetics boffin, Dr. Ido (Christoph Waltz), in the junkyard beneath Tiphares.

"ready for battle"

Alita doesn’t remember who or what she is, but it soon becomes apparent that she might be a lethal battle machine and the biggest threat to the ruling elite possible. Is she an angel from heaven or is she a robotically enhanced angel of death?

James Cameron who wrote the screenplay is a huge fan of the original comic books and it shows because there is a powerful fanboy vibe running through this eye-popping cinematic interpretation. This film could have been all style over substance but this has a real beating heart and more soul than you’d expect from a tale of cyborgs.

"careful who you trust"

The visual effects and CGI work are incredible, Alita herself is an immediate action icon in the making due to her innocent look (her eyes are enlarged to capture the original Manga drawings’ art style). The whole look and feel of the movie is meticulously created – the living, breathing sprawling metropolis is packed with details that will bear repeat viewings.

The plot is action-packed and the fights are crunching – as you might expect from the director of Sin City – but it’s not too gory so would be a great choice for those younger teens who can handle some threat. There is, of course, a love interest – teen human Hugo (Keean Johnson) - who has a dark side where his gang attack cyborgs and harvest their body parts for resale. Might Alita be the cyborg to change his ways?

Quality support is provided by the baddies Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali who add class to compliment Waltz’s quality fatherly figure. Alita: Battle Angel could have been just another dystopian action-em-up but rather it delivers on every level and even sets up a tantalising potential sequel.


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

ööö1/2

(3.5 - Quality Manga Adaptation that kicks cyborg ass)

Awesomeness öööö – The action is where it takes off...

Laughs ööö – Good humour modules interfaced nicely

Horror öö – Some violence and threat

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Will cyborgs ever acknowledge a 'God'?

Matt gets SEVERED Darkmatters review (Matt Hunter Book 3)

Severed

by Peter Laws (@revpeterlaws)

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“When the wind roared David knew it was the devil, sighing with contented achievement…”

It’s been a rough few books for Matt Hunter, the ex-Minister turned professor of sociology who is now established as the ‘go-to-guy’ for the police when they stumble upon murders that might have a religious or satanic slant.

Everywhere the poor atheist goes, there is sure to follow a Midsomer sized body count and the deaths you can be sure will be gory and unsettling. So, when during a communion service at a village church, the teenage son of a vicar brutally tries to decapitate his father with an axe, all hell breaks loose.

The horrified congregation, police and family suspect devil worship, but there might be something else, equally dark at work… The fact that there is a crazy cult up the road who worship Jesus but hate God the Father and who believe that the world is filled with demons called Hollows may not be a coincidence.

Before you can say ‘religious nutters’ Matt Hunter and his scene-stealing cool wife Wren are once again up to their necks in bizarre murders and frightening religious mania.

Severed is the third crime-em-up by Rev Peter Laws and it is a cracking thriller, shot through with serious horror elements. The fast-paced narrative drags the reader kicking and screaming into a world of madness and death, encompassing some hot button topics along the way such as the bigotry of many Christians’ attitudes to gay folk and the manic lengths fundamentalists will go to.

This is a trip of scrambled theology, murder-most-foul and a great building sense of voodoo threat that will leave you shaken and stirred. The characters really work (although Hunter might need to possibly reign in his goofy quirks as he’s at risk of becoming a bit Mr Bean at times in this adventure).

By the time you hit the last few chapters, it’s virtually impossible to put down and if there isn’t a Netflix series of these books I’m going to complain!

Severed is very much worthy of a read – whatever your religious persuasion. And much like films such as Natural Born Killers, it will leave you nervous of those around you… Enjoyable religious-themed hokum doesn’t come much better!!

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

öööö

(4 - hits like a twisted theological axe to the back of the head)...

BUY YOURSELF A COPY HERE


Read the Darkmatters review of Purged (Matt Hunter book 1)

Read the Darkmatters review of Unleashed (Matt Hunter book 2)

Matt get destroyed by Destroyer (review)

Destroyer (15)

Dir. Karyn Kusama

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“I’m mad. I’m still mad. It’s burnt a circuit in my brain.”

What do you do when you’ve lost yourself in guilt, recrimination and self-loathing? These are just some of the issues that L.A. PD detective Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) is dealing with in this hard-boiled crime-em-up where crimes of the past come back to exact vengeance on her.

As well as the threat of a criminal gang lord being released from prison and gunning for her, she must also cope with her disaffected daughter, Shelby (Jade Pettyjohn), who is out of control and in danger of following in her self-destructive life path.

"don't mess with her..."

Kidman is on scenery-chewing form and has undergone a physically incredible transformation to show the horrific state she’s in after years of alcohol abuse. Her present-day looks contrast sharply with flashbacks to when she was a bright-eyed, beautiful young cop sent undercover to infiltrate a dangerous gang of bank robbers. Things didn’t end well back then and her partner/lover Chris (Sebastian Stan) was killed but over the course of two hours, we get to try and work out quite what happened and why Erin never seemed to recover.

Director Karyn ‘ Jennifer's Body’ Kusama walks us through Erin’s personal hell of existence – she’s the destroyer of the title and it is those around her who pay the price. Having lost her moral compass and fearing repercussions of her past Erin blazes a trail of violence as she seeks answers and tries to pay back those who wronged her. But is there any form of redemption on offer – or just an all-encompassing bleakness?

"back in the good ol days"

The obvious stand out here is Kidman’s physical transformation but she attacks the role with such gusto that it’s hard to believe she’s the same actress from lighter fare such as Moulin Rouge. The cinematography is hard-edged, and the cast are on form – praise to Sebastian Stan who brings a searing emotional heart to the relationship with Kidman.

Destroyer isn’t a feel-good film in any sense of the word. It has divided audiences and critics alike but for me it burnt an indelible memory and is likely to be one of my films of the year. Kidman really should have had an OSCAR nom for this role but has been overlooked, whatever, this is a heavy-duty piece of crime noir that deserves to be seen.

"destroy the heart she said..."

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

öööö1/2

(4.5 - Crunching bleakness that is hard to look away from)

Awesomeness öööö – Strong scenes...

Laughs ö – very limited mirth

Horror ööö – Dark and violent

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - How broken is 'too far gone?'