May 17, 2018, Posted in  Reviews Comments: No comments

Director: David Leitch

Writers: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Ryan Reynolds

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Zazie Beetz, Julian Dennison, Brianna Hildebrand, T.J. Miller, Terry Crews, Rob Delaney, Eddie Marsan

Cert: 15

Running time: 119mins

Year: 2018

What’s the story: Unhinged, fourth wall smashing superhero Deadpool aka Wade Wilson aka Ryan Reynolds is contentedly separating regular criminals from their limbs. But, he must form a band of super crimefighters, including X-Men old and new, to protect young mutant Russell (Dennison) from the murderous grasp of time-traveling warrior Cable (Brolin).

What’s the verdict: Deadpool 2 opens with the indestructible motormouth informing the audience the first movie’s $363m domestic gross was almost the highest ever for an R...

May 10, 2018, Posted in  Reviews Comments: No comments

Director: José Padilha

Writer: Gregory Burke

Cast: Rosamund Pike, Daniel Brühl, Eddie Marsan, Lior Ashkenazi, Denis Ménochet, Nonso Anozie

Cert: 15

Running time: 107mins

Year: 2018

 What’s the story: In 1976 four anti-Israel terrorists hijack an Air France plane. Over seven days they hold the hostages at Uganda’s Entebbe airport, under the eye of tyrant Idi Amin. The Israeli government debates whether to take offensive action.

What’s the verdict: Director José Padilha helmed the Brazilian drug cartel movie Elite Squad and its impressive sequel. He oversees the similarly hard-hitting series Narcos (for sake of argument we’ll ignore that ill-advised 2014 RoboCop remake).

Padilha directs with the immediacy he brought to the documentary Bus 174, his searing debut and a true Fi...

May 6, 2018, Posted in  Reviews Comments: No comments

Director: Ron Shelton

Writer: David Ayer (screenplay), James Ellroy (story)

Cast: Kurt Russell, Scott Speedman, Michael Michele, Brendan Gleeson, Ving Rhames, Jonathan Banks, Dash Mihok, Kurupt, Lolita Davidovich

Cert: 15

Running time: 118mins

Year: 2002

FILM:
EXTRAS:

What’s the story: On the eve of the 1992 LA riots, corrupted police officer Eldon Perry (Russell) watches his world of power and control begin to collapse.

What’s the verdict: Ask most people to name Kurt Russell’s best performance and you’re likely to hear The Thing’s MacCready, Escape From New York’s Snake Plissken, Tombstone’s Wyatt Earp, The Hateful Eight’s John Ruth, or Elvis’, er, Elvis.

There may even be some who cite The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes’ Dexter...

May 5, 2018, Posted in  Podcast Comments: No comments

April 30, 2018, Posted in  Reviews Comments: No comments

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin, Zoe Saldana, Tom Holland, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pratt, Don Cheadle, Karen Gillan, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Hiddleston, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Peter Dinklage, Benedict Wong, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Danai Gurira

Cert: 12

Running time: 150mins

Year: 2018

What’s the story: Galactic warlord Thanos seeks the remaining infinity stones that will make him ruler of the universe. The Avengers, led by Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, must battle him on Earth and beyond the stars to stop this.

What’s the verdict: 10 years since Iron Man hit box office pay d...

April 25, 2018, Posted in  Reviews Comments: No comments

Director: Michael Pearce

Writer: Michael Pearce

Cast: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Geraldine James, Trystan Gravelle, Shannon Tarbet

Cert: 15

Running Time: 107 minutes

Year 2018

What’s the story: On a remote island, twenty-something Moll Huntford (Buckley) is haunted by a past random act of violence that puts her at odds with her family. The answer to Moll’s woes may be sun-bleached handyman and part-time poacher Pascal (Flynn). The only snag is, he may be responsible for a spate of sex murders in their isolated community.

What’s the verdict: It’s D.H Lawrence with serial killers as Moll, the ingénue with more than a touch of the vapours, is seduced by bohemian bit-of-rough Pascal...

April 21, 2018, Posted in  Podcast Comments: No comments

Episode 42 of The Electric Shadows Podcast is a special episode to tide you over until Robs Daniel & Wallis get back behind the microphone.

Originally recorded in December 2017 as part of the Justice League episode, their discussion of William Friedkin’s Sorcerer was removed so episode 33 could focus purely on DC’s troubled superhero outing.

It’s being released here because any chance to promote Friedkin’s outstanding thriller should not be passed over. Rob D hails the film a masterpiece, Rob W is a little cooler on it. The two compare it to the original 1953 version, The Wages of Fear, directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, how the film predicted our current troubled times, the method in Friedkin’s madness and more.

We’ll see you again for a discussion of Avengers: Infinity War...

March 25, 2018, Posted in  Podcast Comments: No comments

In episode 41 of The Electric Shadows Podcast Robs Daniel & Wallis journey deep into pop culture and sci-fi when delivering their verdicts on Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One and Alex Garland’s Annihilation. In a typically all-encompassing discussion, Rob D explains why he dug the pop-culture geek-gasm of RP1, while Rob W reveals his reservations about Spielberg’s latest. Conversely, Rob W talks about why Garland’s Annihilation is a masterpiece, and Rob D is the one with the criticisms. Basically, the entire tapestry of the 21st century human experience is here.

Other topics include why releasing movies straight to streaming services could mean the end of thought-provoking mid-range cinema...

March 19, 2018, Posted in  Reviews Comments: One comment

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Zak Penn, Ernest Cline (screenplay), Ernest Cline (novel)

Cast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg

Cert: 12

Running time: 140mins

Year: 2018

What’s the story: 2045, Colombus, Ohio. In an over-populated world where trailer parks have become cities, the masses seek enjoyment in the virtual reality world of the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation). Expert gamer Wade Watts (Sheridan) and others attempt to win a competition that awards them vast wealth and control of the OASIS. Evil corporate CEO Sorrento (Mendelsohn) unleashes an army to ensure no mere gamer wins the ultimate prize.

What’s the verdict: Tron. The Matrix. Ready Player One...

March 11, 2018, Posted in  Reviews Comments: No comments

Director: Yûji Shimomura

Writer: Benio Saeki

Cast: Tak ∴, Akio Ôtsuka, Yura Kondo

Cert: 15

Running time: 100mins

Year: 2016

What’s the story: Former special forces soldier Toshiro (Tak ∴) works in a small convenience store in rural Japan, caring for the orphaned Sachi (Kondo). But, dangerous enemies from his past, led by the mysterious Phantom (Ôtsuka), force him to settle old scores.

What’s the verdict: With action films arriving faster and thicker than kicks from The Raid’s Iko Uwais in a particularly foul mood, they had better come strapped with a good USP.

Re:Born’s is the close-quarter knife-fighting style practiced by both hero Toshiro and his most lethal opponents...