Monsters (2010)

I have just finished watching Monsters and can honestly say it is one of the most enjoyable and intriguing movies I have watched in the past few months. This movie shows how an extra terrestrial concept can be executed perfectly on a small budget ($15,000) without needing extravagant special effects.

Whitney Able in a scene from Monsters

The premiss behind Monsters is that aliens have inhabited half of Mexico for the past six years, while the US and Mexican military try to keep the aliens at bay. The story follows Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) who is a photographer trying to get a picture of an alien in order to elevate his career, he is however roped into bringing Sam Wynden (Whitney Able) who is his boss's daughter home from Mexico.

The journey of Andrew and Sam almost becomes a travel documentary, we as viewers become companions who share this experience with them rather than an audience. The aliens play a big part in this feeling , although may not see them, they are always there, keeping us on edge and full of enjoyment.
Too many science fiction/extra terrestrial films have the tendency to overuse certain elements. Due to the little amount of alien we see, the film becomes about the pair and their journey, rather than a fight against aliens.

The film as a whole was wonderful, the acting was superb, the camera angles and use of real light was also a refreshing change. The film gave me the feeling that it was also showing how border crossing is sometimes the only option, in real life and in the film. The use of a problem in the world being portrayed in a completely different way reminded me very much of District 9 and the provoking nature of that film.

An outstanding effort, check it out if your up for a movie with something more.

9/10

Paul (2011)

Paul (Seth Rogen) and Simon Pegg

I went to see this a couple of days after it was released and had quite high hopes for the film after seeing Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Needless to say, my expectations were passed with flying colours.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite for the third time to bring us another bromantic comedy adventure. However, what this one lacks in blood and guts (Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz) it makes up for with a hilarious stoner alien named Paul (Seth Rogen).

Clive and Graeme (Pegg & Frost) are two British comic book fans who venture to Comic Con for their own road trip across the US. They visit all the famous science fiction related places, from The Black Mailbox to the where Kirk and the lizard fight from Star Trek. Along the journey they encounter Paul, a foul mouthed alien who enjoys smoking and drinking. As you can imagine the trio wind up in all kinds of mess.

The humor in this film will keep you laughing until it ends and you will find yourself quoting it for weeks to come. The bottom line, Paul is a non stop comedy roller coaster that will leave you with a huge smile when the credits begin to roll.

8/10

The Loved Ones (2009)

After seeing countless torture horror movies such as Saw, Hostel and Misery I didn't think that I would watch one that I would enjoy so much and feel every bit of pain inflicted. Enter the small budget Australian movie The Loved Ones.

First and foremost, Xavier Samuel is brilliant in playing Brent, the guilt ridden teenager who blames himself for his father's death after wrapping his car around a tree while trying to avoid a person in the middle of the road. Xavier is certainly a star on the rise and will become a force to be reckoned with.

Xavier Samuel and Robin McLeavy in a scene from the film

The directing is without fault, Sean Byrne in his first full length feature film delivers a production that many experienced directors would kill to create, the soundtrack is a perfect blending of Australian music that range from Parkway Drive to Kasey Chambers.

Equally impressive are the performances of Robin McLeavy (Lola) and John Brumpton (Daddy), they star as the deranged father and daughter pairing who kidnap Brent, the reasoning behind their actions stem from Lola's request for Brent to accompany her to the school dance, Lola does not like hearing the word "no" so together with her father they subject Brent to some of the most brutal yet creative torture I have seen in a while.

Many of the scenes are as disturbing as they come, the one that comes to mind most often is shortly after Brent's kidnapping while hanging out in the woods, his dog returns home late at night bloodied and severely injured at the hands of Lola's father, the sickness I felt in my gut after witnessing this I have not felt in a long time while watching a movie and is a credit to all those involved in creating this film.

If your up for a solid horror movie that doesn't involve spirits from another world or killers who hide behind masks, then do not miss this one, its an absolute gem.

9/10

Asking Alexandria - Reckless and Relentless (2011)

Asking Alexandria

Reckless and Relentless is the second album from British Screamo/Post-Hardcore band Asking Alexandria, they have a brilliant sound, but an unforgivable fanbase of teenage girls who found some dye and their mum's hair straightener.


If you have listened to their first album Stand Up and Scream then you should know what to expect. Danny Worsnop is an absolute machine when it comes to screaming, his lows are nastier than a nun with herpes, and his highs make you want to punch an infant in the face. Danny has improved his clean singing immensely since Stand Up and Scream, these improvements give the album a better feel overall.


The music is as creative as it can be in this genre, the band do well to push the limit of their abilities. The band all play their part perfectly, Ben Bruce the lead guitarist offers some wonderful riffs and breakdowns, while James Cassells, the drummer, holds everything together with his catchy rhythms, double bass and drum fills.


Reckless and Relentless as all albums has its flaws, but those go unnoticed due to how good the album is overall, most of the elements have been improved on from the last album, breakdowns, catchy choruses and synth breaks. Worsnop said in an interview that the album was influenced by "1980's hard rock", as a fan I only found one instance of 80's influence in the album and that was a guitar solo with a bit of wah-wah action.


I have had the album on constant rotation since I bought it, it will take a long time for me to wear out this album. If your a fan of We Came as Romans, The Devil Wears Prada, Bring Me the Horizon or Woe, is Me then you should definitely check this out.


Track Listing


01. Welcome - 8/10
02. Dear Insanity - 8/10
03. Closure - 9/10
04. A Lesson Never Learned - 9/10
05. To The Stage - 8.5/10
06. Dedication - 10/10
07. Someone, Somewhere - 10/10
08. Breathless - 10/10
09. The Match - 8/10
10. Another Bottle Down - 8.5/10
11. Reckless and Relentless - 7.5/10
12. Morte et Dabo - 10/10


Overall - 9/10

One Hour Photo (2002)

For the past year at work I have walked past this movie countless times without taking it home to watch, well I finally watched it and was blown away.

Robin Williams is the perfect example of a comedian who plays serious roles just as well as his roles in comedy.
Here, he plays Seymour Parrish or "Sy, the photo guy", he works in the photo department of SavMart where he prints customers photos for them, he is a lonely employee who over the years has grown attached to one particular family.

So you can imagine when Sy discovers that the husband is cheating that he does everything in his power to right the wrong, only Sy's way of righting the wrong is an extreme one.

Still of Robin Williams in One Hour Photo

Towards the end of the film we are given an insight into Sy's mind when he asks a few questions of the detective interrogating him, through these questions we understand why Sy is a lonely and detached from the world because of how he was treated as a child, its this abuse he suffered at the hands of his father.

This movie shows perfectly how loneliness can in fact affect a person's mental state and cause them to perform heinous acts,  in Sy's mind he was doing nothing wrong, only punishing injustice.

The ending was not a traditional one, there was no murder or a last minute save by the police. Sy clinically set his victims up and made them pay for the sin they had committed by making them perform what must have been the acts that his father had made him perform as a child.

The hour and a half this movie runs for will fly by, make sure you check it out.

8.5/10