Ultraviolet, Red Eye, & Hillside Cannibals DVDs

The first three from earlier today at Torksey, Ultraviolet, Red Eye, & Hillside Cannibals!

All where £1 each!

Highwaymen DVD Report

In Highwaymen, since the hit-and-run murder of his wife five years ago, Rennie Cray (James Caviezel) has travelled across America in his souped-up ’68 Plymouth Barracuda, pursuing her killer. The man he seeks in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse is James Fargo (Colm Feore), a wheelchair-bound psychopath.

Through a series of mechanical innovations, Fargo has turned his rampaging ’72 Cadillac Eldorado into a monstrous extension of his own twisted body, outside the car hes like a snail without its shell, but inside, hes deadly! Now, their battle of wits is about to move into overdrive. And caught in the middle is Molly (Rhona Mitra), who holds the key to their ultimate showdown, there will be only one survivor.

Highwaymen was a very good movie, but short at 75 minutes, IMHO it would benefit for another action scene! Otherwise, a great enjoyable movie!

Here is the trailer...

Stay DVD Report

In Stay, a New York psychiatrist Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) attempts to stop an unusual young patient, Henry Lethem (Ryan Gosling), from a planned suicide on his 21st birthday. Sam is drawn deeper into Henrys life, and then into the labyrinth of his subconscious, putting stress on Sams relationship with his artist girlfriend, and former patient, Lila (Naomi Watts).

Sams own tightly-held grip on reality begins to dissolve, and is faced with increasingly surreal encounters, and a Manhattan transformed into a wildly shifting dreamscape! Sam can no longer figure out what is true and what is happening only in his head!

As you can probably guess from the above, Stay is a very strange movie, very disjointed. Initially, I didn't know how to take Stay. Then I started noticing weirdness in the backgrounds, such as lots of identically dressed twins (the first time caused me to rewind the movie and check). I feel if I knew more about the movie before I watched it, I may have enjoyed it more! Possibly one for me to watch again and then decide.

Here is the trailer...

The Guru DVD Report

The Guru begins with a young Ramu Gupta (Jimi Mistry) in a Delhi movie theatre, rejecting the song and dance movies of Bollywood for the more glamorous American film musical Grease. This leads Ramu to travel to New York as a young man, to launch a career as a dancing actor like his idol, John Travolta.

He finds a different kind of success as The Guru of Sex, catering to an aimless socialite, Lexi (Marisa Tomei), and in wooing the woman he loves, Sharonna (Heather Graham), a porn actress with a heart of gold.

The Guru Bollywood dance routines preformed by American actors are very funny, as is the Bollywood style ending, but overall I found The Guru very dull and boring.

Here is the Grease routine...

TwentyFourSeven DVD Report

In TwentyFourSeven, an unemployed ex-boxer, Alan Darcy (Bob Hoskins), borrows money and sets up a boxing club, it saved him from a wasted youth, and he promotes the idea of it as a gang-prevention strategy!

The young men have nothing to look forward to, and Darcy gives them a reason to live and a dream, converting their violent energy to boxing. Darcy drives them hard to prepare them for their first bouts, against boxers from a rival local team. But Darcy has the team poised to win when one of his best fighters abusive parent threatens to pull him from the match.

TwentyFourSeven is made in black and white, and is probably better for it, capturing the mood of the era, which isn't far from the mood of this era too! This is a very good movie, thought provoking, gritty, realistic and also funny! Recommended!

Here is the trailer...

Mean Machine DVD Report

Mean Machine is the classic football-behind-bars movie, The Longest Yard, updated, and made in the UK.

Danny Mehan (Vinnie Jones) was the biggest star in British football, but was caught throwing a game during the championship. Dannys career and life then went out of control, finally ending up in prison for assault and battery. Danny finds football fans behind bars who still hate him, but Danny has one powerful fan in this prison, the Prison Governor (David Hemmings) who is also a gambler. Danny puts together a team of inmates, to play practice games against the guards.

Can Danny turn a gang of losers, misfits, and violent psychopaths, including muscle-bound lunatic Monk (Jason Statham), loyal Billy the Limpit (Danny Dyer), pyromaniac Nitro (Robbie Gee), tough guy Massive (Vas Blackwood), and enthusiastic but out-of-shape Raj (Omid Djalili), into a team with a fighting chance of winning?

With cameos from the world of UK football, Mean Machine is a very entertaining movie! Recommended!

Here is the trailer...

Welcome To The Jungle (The Rundown) DVD Report

In Welcome to the Jungle (AKA The Rundown), Beck (professional wrestling star the Rock), a repo-man, is sent to South America to find Travis Alfred Walker, a treasure hunter who is also a gangsers son, (Seann William Scott) who is seeking a priceless golden idol, which the local gangster Cornelius Bernard Hatcher (Christopher Walken) would like to get his hands on! Add the lovely but dangerous barmaid with a big secret, Mariana (Rosario Dawson), Beck has some obstacles to overcome.

Welcome to the Jungle doesn't have much of a plot, it reminds me of 1980s straight to video movies, but its surprisingly good, action packed with great acting and amusing characters that become believable!

Overall a great movie, I really enjoyed it! Recommended!

Here is the trailer...

Trauma DVD Report

In Trauma, after a car-crash one rainy night, artist Ben (Colin Firth) wakes from a coma, to discover his wife Elisa (Naomie Harris) was killed. Delirious with grief, at a time when everyone is grieving the murder of pop superstar Lauren Parris, Ben moves into a new apartment built over a morgue.

A friendly and attractive neighbour Charlotte (Mena Suvari), tries to fill the void left by Elisas death, but Bens mind plays tricks on him, and when Inspector Jackson (Kenneth Cranham) accuses him of stalking and murdering Lauren Parris, Ben is forced to confront some personal demons!

Trauma is an English movie, funded by the BBC, I found it very disjointed and lacking in direction, very dissapointing!

Sorry, no trailer...

Grow Your Own DVD Report

In Grow Your Own, a handful of asylum-seekers from Zimbabwe, Iran and China, show up to occupy a couple of allotment plots, which cause ructions among the long-time holders, principally with the Little Englander chairman Big John (Philip Jackson), whose racism and self-interest pave the way to his own eventual downfall!

This feelgood movie is a reminder mobile phone companies aren't to be trusted, racists come in many disguises and goodwill is in all of us!

I think the common view that mobile phone masts cause cancer have been very much overlooked in this story, and this would have made a better TV movie than cinema release! Despite this, I really enjoyed this movie!

Sorry, no trailer...

Derailed DVD Report

In Derailed, meeting on a train, executive Charles Schine (Clive Owen) and financial analyst Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston) make an immediate connection. Worn down by his job, marriage, and sick daughter, Charles finds himself drawn to the escape Lucinda seems to offer. Dinner and drinks soon lead to a sleazy motel, where no sooner have the lovebirds got into their room, Philippe LaRoche (Vincent Cassel) a sadistic thief, enters the room, robs them and rapes Lucinda.

As their relationship is somewhat illicit, the two feel unable to go to the police, and are virtually powerless to their attackers continued blackmail, as he threatens their families and lives.

Derailed got many good reviews, but I fail to see why! The plot was so transparent, I worked out what was really happening 30 minutes in, all I can say in its defence, is it picked up in the last 20 minutes! Overall, not too bad if your at a loose end, but thats about all

Here is the trailer...

Messiah 1 DVD Report

In Messiah, a series of men are murdered and mutilated and silver spoons in place of their tongues are the only clues to be found. Detective Superintendent Red Metcalfe (Ken Stott) is the man called upon to try and find a pattern in the killings and to catch the perpetrator.

The men are being killed in the style of Christs apostles, and they work out the dates of them too, but can they stop any of the murders?

I missed Messiah when it was on TV, but what a good story it is! And I didn't guess who did it, which makes a change! Recommended!

Here is a clip...

Elizabeth DVD Report

Elizabeth serves up religious tension, political tension, sexual tension, war, conspiracy, and violence, its England in 1554, and England is in financial and religious turmoil as the ailing Queen Bloody Mary (Kathy Burke) attempts to restore Catholicism as the national faith. She has no heir, and her greatest fear is that her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) will assume the throne after her death and turn the country Protestant again.

The newly crowned Elizabeth finds herself knee-deep in schemes to take her throne, while dodging assassination attempts. Her advisers beg her to marry any one of her would-be suitors to stabilise England. The all star cast include; Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Edward Hardwicke, Daniel Craig, Angus Deayton, Wayne Sleep, Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud, Eric Cantona and many more!

I bought Elizabeth on DVD as it was 20p lol, but I bought it, so I'll watch it! And its a great movie, history has never been to interesting :) Recommended!

Here is the trailer...

Tristan & Isolde DVD Report

In Tristan and Isolde, Tristan (James Franco), the adopted Britannic son of Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell). During a battle, Tristan is wounded, poisoned and believed to be dead, so is given a burial at sea, but his boat washes ashore in Ireland. Isolde (Sophia Myles), who keeps her identity as the daughter of Irish King Donnchadh from him, secretly nurses Tristan back to health. They fall in love, but because of the conflict between Ireland and Britannia, and Isolde is already bethrothed, the lovers reluctantly separate, believing they’ll never see each other again.

After the death of Isoldes future husband, King Donnchadh holds a tournament for the British, the victor to marry his daughter. Ironically, Tristan wins Isolde, not for himself, but on behalf of Lord Marke.

I've really started getting into these kind of movies, but Tristan and Isolde is too full of romance to appeal to me, and I suspect, too full of fighting to appeal to the Chic Flick brigade, so who will actually like this I wonder? IMHO sadly dull and too full of Romeo and Juliet style lines!

Here is the trailer...

Breach DVD Report

Breach tells the true story of Bitter FBI agent Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper), a computer specialist, who after 25 years of service, is put under surveillance as a suspected sex offender. Eric ONeill (Ryan Phillippe) is the young agent assigned to watch him as Hanssens clerk.

Although Hansen still remains the the boss, they become friends and ONeill starts to wonder if he is really guilty. Then ONeill learns hes not a sex offender, he is really committing treason!

This is what I call a drama thriller, a thriller with no action, but its still a very good story, great viewing!

Here is the trailer...

Erik the Viking Directors Cut & Stuart Little 2 DVDs

Two more from the weekend, Erik the Viking Directors Cut (2 DVDs) & Stuart Little 2.

Both where £1 each!

Zachariah DVD Report

In Zachariah, the Wild West collides with seventies counter-culture in this Western with a rock soundtrack, the musical score and cast are headed by Country Joe and the Fish, Elvin Jones, James Gang, Doug Kershaw and features many others from the era!

Zachariah (John Rubenstein), has just received a mail order gun, he convinces has young friend Matthew (Don Johnson) to ride with him on the trail of the Crackers (Country Joe and the Fish), a gang of bandits. At a saloon where the Crackers are playing, a cowboy picks a fight with Zachariah who outdraws and kills him. Based on this success, Zachariah decides he is a good gunfighter, and searches for fame!

I had never heard of the movie Zachariah before, but on seeing the DVD, I knew I'd love it, and I did. The music is fantastic, the story isn't bad, and it has a morale too, overall a great movie, if your into this era music and movies!

Here is a clip...

Pathfinder DVD Report

In Pathfinder, its the wake of a battle waged between Norsemen and Native Americans, a young Viking boy is left behind and raised by the very tribe his kinsfolk had tried to kill. When the Vikings return years later, the boy is now a man of 25, and vows to end the invaders raids for good, by leading the war against his ancestors.

What follows is a war between one man and the Vikings, a kind of Rambo, only more intelligent and set in the past! Pathfinder is a fantastic movie, I can't sing it praises enough!

Here is the trailer..

Hellboy DVD Report

Hellboy is based on the comic book of the same name and follows the adventures of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), our cigar-chomping hero enlisted by occult scholar Professor Trevor Bruttenholm (John Hurt), to fight evil with the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence. With the help of fire-throwing Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), the amphibious Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, voice by David Hyde Pierce), and Agent John Myers (Rupert Evans), a squeaky-clean FBI agent, they all try to keep the world a safe place!

Things get out of hand when a vicious monster is unleashed by Rasputin (Karl Ruprecht Kroenen), leading to events that may set off an apocalyptic nightmare for humanity.

I didn't like the comic book series of Hellboy, and it put me off the movie, but all I can say is what a great movie is was, very good!

Here is the trailer...

Paddy McGuiness Live, Derailed, & Messiah Series 1 DVDs

This weekend I got Paddy McGuiness Live, Derailed, & Messiah Series 1 DVDs.

Not bad at £1 each!

Pathfinder, Tristan & Isolde, and Grow Your Own DVDs

Yesterday I bought Pathfinder, Tristan & Isolde, and Grow Your Own DVDs.

Not bad for £1 each!