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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
Episode 43 of The Electric Shadows Podcast sees Robs Daniel & Wallis enlisting in the Infinity War. But, they wonder if it’s worth the fight. Marvel’s culmination of a decade of movies, EIGHTEEN MOVIES, gets us to a showdown that has its moment but is rather beige.
Even with the best efforts of a stellar cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Mark Ruffalo. Plus, Josh Brolin as Thanos, a troubled, but unstoppable baddie with superhuman abilities.
One thing that isn’t beige is the Robs’ podcast chat. Mere minutes in and they’re debating the necessity of including the sexual proclivities of Nazi war criminals in biopics about them...
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
