FEATURE: Are All Video Game Movies Bad?

Obviously, there's no real answer as it ultimately comes down to personal opinion but it's no secret most video game movie adaptations have done very poorly, and its a shame because your most beloved video game can be handed over to a director who has no idea what the game is actually about, who then makes a movie that does the game no justice what so ever. However, there are some exceptions believe or not, and so here's just a few video game movies that are actually half decent.

Silent Hill (2006)

Silent Hill manages to capture the same amount of gore and visual deformities that gamers could recognise straight from the actual video game, whilst incorporating elements from the first Silent Hill through to Silent Hill 4: The Room, making for a loosely relatable. yet gripping narrative. The movie manages to get from one point to the other but adds a gigantic dose of mystery and weird along the way, much like the game. Definitely the better adaptation, Silent Hill portrays the world, characters, themes, and monsters you know from the franchise very well, which movies such as Resident Evil failed to achieve on many different levels, but that's a completely different feature all together.

Mortal Kombat (1995)

Perhaps the cheesiest movie of all time right here, but the sheer amount of work put into it is something which should be recognised as it doesn't come across as "another lame video game movie", rather a movie that has impressive choreographed fight sequences, brilliant special effects (for the time, at least), a soundtrack that equally matches the game's atmosphere, and characters who stay true to their narratives from the game. Its narrative is largely generic and predictable, but it doesn't matter because there's enough action taking place on-screen that distracts you from the flaws. Don't bother with the Street Fighter movie, Mortal Kombat is where it's at. 

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)

This is a tricky one because you ultimately have to play the game to really appreciate Advent Children, so if you plan on watching this without doing so, you're bound to be massively disappointed as a lot won't make much sense. However, as a viewer going into this having played the game once or twice, there's so much to appreciate, whether it's the impressive CGI, which is almost a preview of what a Final Fantasy VII remake would look like. The narrative isn't hugely strong, but it's engaging enough to keep you interested, especially when you get to see what the characters from the game are up to now. An incredible score accompanies some hectic, often fast-paced battle scenes, including Bahamut itself - check it out.

Unfortunately, the list for worst video adaptations massively outweighs the other - but keep in mind, no matter how good or bad a video game movie is, they seem to more than often make a gigantic amount of money at the box office, and that could be down to the novelty of it all. Whilst the Super Mario Bros. movie is truly awful, it's still weirdly enjoyable to watch because it relates to a video game we all know and love - deep down you know you'll watch practically every video game movie as long as you have an interest in the game itself. Does it mean you're going to watch the best movie ever? Absolutely not, but they're weirdly satisfying anyway.

FEATURE: Remakes That Are Actually Worth Watching

For the most part, remakes of movies often turn out quite terrible, not doing much justice to the original. This can lead to frustration as you feel as a dedicated fan of a particular movie, you've sort of been betrayed as that iconic and timeless movie has been turned into a complete mockery. However, there's the rare occasion that remakes turn out to be much more than you expected, something that for the most part stays true to its original counterpart, whilst providing an all-round fresh perspective. Here's some remakes that are absolutely worth your time.

Scarface (1983)

Surprisingly, a lot of people are still unaware this is a remake of the original 1932 movie. Well, it's not that surprising considering the amount of success the 1983 remake has had since its release - and it's success it rightfully deserves as Al Pacino once again pulls off one of the best performances in cinema history, making for a remake which can be watched over and over, whilst maintaining a level of entertainment that keeps you engaged consistently. It's fair to say Scarface has comfortably stole any limelight the original had, but its worth checking out both movies either way.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

When a horror movie is remade, you don't generally expect good results - often the original narrative is completely butchered (no pun intended) and the characters are for some reason always annoying without meaning to be. However, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake took a big risk as the original was already a massive cult hit, so if the remake turned out bad, a lot of people wouldn't be very happy. Fortunately, it's one of the best horror remakes ever, which ticks all the right boxes, whilst throwing in a healthy dose of creative death scenes as well as a Leatherface that is just as terrifying, if not more.

Halloween (2007)

Instead of going off-track completely like a lot of other horror remakes, director Rob Zombie took the original formula and altered it in a way that suited his other movies, which are generally popular among horror fans, and so when it was revealed he'd be tackling the Halloween remake, you practically knew what kind of style the movie would be. It's massively bloody and violent, whilst containing a gripping narrative as well as a reimagined Michael Myers which seemed to surprisingly well.

The Departed (2006)

Pretty confident I'm not alone here, but it seems to be the general consensus that America like to ruin foreign movies, but there's occasionally the exception, which is The Departed - a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong flick; Infernal Affairs. There's so much going on here that is able to define The Departed as the better version, whether it's the casting, the immense amount of tension played upon throughout, and other themes that aren't for the faint of heart, whilst providing a quirky twisted sense of humour. 

Three Men And A Baby (1987)

Although it's massively predictable and generally ridiculous, Three Men And A Baby is still one of the better remakes due to its ability to make you laugh and feel good through comedy that really isn't that funny in the slightest, yet you'll still find yourself giggling quite a bit anyway. A movie with Tom Selleck, Ted Danson, and Steve Gutternberg on the same screen is certainly "interesting" to say the least, but their chemistry works very well and is perfectly suited to this type of movie.

Honorable mentions...

12 (2007)

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

King Kong (2005)

Let Me In (2010)
The Fly (1986)
3:10 To Yuma

Don't bother with this lot...

A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)

Psycho (1998)

The Karate Kid (2010)

The Wicker Man (2006)

Friday The 13th (2009)

My Bloody Valentine (2009)

Prom Night (2008)

FEATURE: 5 Must-See Documentaries

Whether a documentary is funny, serious, or a bit of both - there's usually something out there for everyone. It's interesting to take a look into worlds we perhaps will never get to see, and so here's a short list of some documentaries you absolutely must watch (in no order).

Bowling For Columbine (2002)

Going face to face with the tragic Columbine High School massacre of 1999, Michael Moore examines America's gun culture and just how easy it is to attain firearms, essentially making the shootings possible. Whilst the topics within the documentary are very serious and often distressing, there's a dose of black comedy, mainly done through comical animations that often lighten the mood, but also have thought-provoking meanings. It's Moore's best documentary - one that shouldn't be missed.

The City Addicted to Crystal Meth (2009)

Although this is a documentary that essentially goes into the lives of many different meth addicts, there's something about Louis Theroux that adds a sense of charm despite the dark themes seen throughout. He brings a level of journalism that is certainly different from most, and it works. Throughout the film, we see some of the most intense lifestyles because of the drug, which goes to show meth is nothing like Breaking Bad. A massively insightful look into a life we'd rather not think about - check it out.

Craigslist Joe (2012)

Surely you know of Craiglist, the highly popular classifieds website - well, one individual known as Joseph Garner embarks on an adventure like no other. He essentially packs his bags and travels across America all whilst relying on the users of Craiglist to provide a bed and food for each night. This is a humbling documentary that puts faith back into humankind, showing how generous and amazing we can be at times.

Best Worst Movie (2009)

Looking back at the 1990 horror; Troll 2, this documentary examines how the movie has had such an impact on the actors involved and its audience. Troll 2 is notoriously known as the worst movie of all time due to its questionable acting and narrative that makes little sense. Best Worst Movie offers tons of hilarious moments, which are often accompanied with genuinely touching moments that makes you realise Troll 2 actually means a lot to some, whilst providing endless entertainment for others. 

The Bridge (2006)

Not to end on a low, but The Bridge has to be one of the saddest documentaries ever. Director Eric Steel set up a camera on the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004 for just one year, and what gets captured is truly astonishing. The bridge is known for a suicide hotspot with people regularly taking their own lives by throwing themselves into the ocean below, and we get to see this actually happen. Touching and emotional, The Bridge is controversial for many reasons, yet is a must-watch as it's likely you haven't seen anything like this before.

REVIEW: Dark Days (2000)

Director: Marc Singer | Genre: Documentary | Runtime: 94 min.

Easily one the most genuine, heartfelt, and honest documentaries that tackles the unique lives of several homeless people as they live underneath the streets of New York City, quite literally. 

Taking place in the dark and bleak subway tunnels of New York, Dark Days is an adventure or sorts, taking you down a path of some very interesting lives, providing an engaging experience as you'll often find yourself wanting to know more about the individuals involved. Although there's lots to be sad about, there are so many moments that are truly uplifting, showing how even in the most desperate of times, people still have a powerful sense of humour and spirit. It's often easy to forget how tough the lives of these people are considering they have such warm personalities. 

After living so long in the tunnels, the homeless form a tight community, complete with shacks that even have electricity, working television sets, cooking appliances, and more. It's incredible to see how friendships mean so much to each other - there is always someone there to talk to no matter what the problem, and everyone supports each other, something that doesn't happen too much even with people "happily" living in stable homes.

The camerawork particularly stands out - it's this gritty completely black and white look that in many ways reflects the nature of the movie, but also provides a real sense of what the environment of living under ground would be like. It almost puts you there right in the tunnels themselves. It's absolutely recommended that you watch Dark Days, it's a stereotype breaker of the homeless, showing amazing spirit and a real sense of community in the most unconventional surroundings. Beautifully shot and accompanied with some very relevant music from DJ Shadow - go see it.

10/10

FEATURE: Remembering A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

A Nightmare On Elm Street didn't change the horror genre by any means, but it certainly worked on existing ideologies within the genre, expanded on them, and made for a truly memorable movie, complete with a very young Johnny Depp. I look at the original Nightmare how it has had such an impact on the horror industry. 

Freddy Krueger...Can Speak?!

Unlike previous horrors, director Wes Craven wasn't afraid of experimenting with the genre, he had some success with other movies, but it was arguably through A Nightmare On Elm Street that he was able to shine. No longer was the killer silent, instead we were introduced to Freddy Krueger, who used his vocal skills just as much as his intimidating knife glove. 

Freddy Krueger. Because green blood is where its at.

Krueger would provoke fear into his victims not by stalking them like Myers, but through words and bizarre imagery, for example there's a scene in which Tina is frantically running - soon enough, Krueger jumps from behind a tree and says "watch this!", going on to cut off his own fingers revealing squirting green blood.The look of despair on Tina's face is priceless as she knows she's dealing with a genuinely crazy psychopath. Krueger would go on to much more theatrical stunts throughout the franchise along with some fantastic one-liners.

Johnny Depp

Before Depp was crafting hedge sculptures with his scissor hands or parading around the seas as Jack Sparrow, he played the role of Nancy's boyfriend Glen. This was Depp's first major role in a movie and a memorable one at that due to the way he dies. There have actually been people who watch the movie that don't recognise Glen as Johnny Deep, which goes to show how much his appearance has changed over the years - back then he was this baby-faced guy who played out the sporty boyfriend role perfectly. Arguably, without A Nightmare On Elm Street, Depp might not have got his foot in the industry at all.

A very young Johnny Depp, aged just 21. 

The Deaths

What's a slasher without lots of death? A Nightmare On Elm Street provides some of the most unique and gruesome kills, even if there are only four victims in total. Perhaps the most memorable is how Tina dies, it's very disturbing for the time and the amount of blood that gets painted across the bedroom is visually spot-on for a movie such as this. Check it out below.

"Tiiinaaaa!!!!?"

And then we have Rod's death, which in comparison with the others, is generally straight forward - a good old hanging/snapped neck brought to you by Mr. Krueger. As a personal preference, the way Glen dies is the best in terms of creativity and visual appeal - he is sucked into his bed, in which a mountain of blood erupts, which essentially confirms Glen is well and truly dead. Watch the scene below.

No human should have that amount of blood, should they?

And finally, the infamous Marge Thompson death - the way she gets dragged through the front door makes it painfully obvious a dummy is being used as opposed to the actual actor, which is completely fine but a little more time spent on the scene would have given her death more credit. However, it is hilarious to watch, so take a look below.

Might just be the best scene in the entire movie. Ahem...

The "1, 2, Freddy's Coming For You" Song

It's no surprise A Nightmare On Elm Street had its own song that would routinely appear throughout the film, however there is something strangely unique and genuinely frightening about it as opposed to other horror themes at the time. The girls playing skip-rope is disturbing, reflecting the overall tone of the movie, all whilst singing the famous song we've all come to know and either love or hate. 

Memorability

Whether it's the Nancy's bathtub scene, witnessing Krueger for the first, or simply hearing the theme song, there's something in A Nightmare On Elm Street that makes it stick in your mind for a long time after watching it, and that's something which is missing from most contemporary horror movies. A bizarre narrative complete with some awesome death scenes, this movie is a must-watch.

REVIEW: The Good Son (1993)

Director: Joseph Ruben | Genre: Thriller / Drama | Runtime: 87 min.

After Mark (Elijah Wood), a young boy, loses his mother to cancer, he visits his aunt and uncle due to his father; Jack (David Morse) leaving for a business trip in Tokyo. Mark soon makes friends with his cousin Henry (Macaulay Culkin), who is of similar age but possesses a dark and violent side, leading to devastating consequences.

If "oh cool, the kid from Home Alone is in this movie, it's gonna be fun for all the family" is what you're thinking - think again. Taking on a much more serious role, Culkin portrays a sociopath of sorts who feels absolutely no guilt for carrying out his dreadful actions, and it's a great example of how child actors can provide some of the most impressive performances.

The earlier parts of the movie seem innocent enough, it's when Henry starts his questionable antics that you get a real insight of what he's really like, for example a particular scene has him throwing a dummy off a bridge into oncoming traffic, effectively causing numerous car crashes. Clearly disturbed by this, Mark tries to expose Henry's true nature throughout to the adults, but generally finds no luck - this is constant throughout the movie.

There's a real sense of good versus evil here, proving that evil can form in the most unlikely places - who's going to think a kid sporting a butter wouldn't melt face could do such terrible things? It's certainly an interesting road to explore as we generally don't like to think humans could be this cruel, especially children. Generally, The Good Son is a daring movie that plays upon some very dark themes and it goes all out to showcase them, which is both admirable and challenging to watch for some. 

7/10

REVIEW: Apartment 143 (2011)

Director: Carles Torrens | Genre: Horror / Thriller / Found Footage  | Runtime: 80min.

After a car crash leaving a wife/mother dead, devastation soon sets in within the White family. Re-housing themselves in an apartment complex, specifically apartment 143, strange unexplainable events start taking place - naturally worried, the father; Alan White (Kai Lennox) contacts a group of paranormal investigators, who quickly learn there's much more going on here than meets the eye.

What's that you say? Another ghost flick sporting girls with crazy eyes? Essentially, this is what it is, but there's enough plot twists and genuinely scary moments here to keep you engaged throughout without getting bored, which is often rare in these types of movies. Apartment 143 is shot using the found footage sub-genre through the handheld cameras of the paranormal researchers - however, the characters are actually a very likable group unlike practically everyone in the Paranormal Activity series. You'll more than likely find yourself routing for them as opposed to waiting for a ghost or demon to rip them apart.

Not long into the movie you'll be treated to some supernatural activity, which builds and builds more intense throughout. You almost know when something scary is going to happen, but various imagery and camerawork used still makes it a frightening experience. The activity is very cliche - doors opening by themselves, things falling off shelves, and the occasional glimpse at the thing terrorising the apartment. Something unique is the constant shift between the paranormal side of things and the real story behind the White family, there's just something quite not right about the whole situation, specifically Alan and his daughter; Caitlin White (Gia Mantegna). 

Caitlin hates her father for reasons we aren't supposed to know, and it's that on-going thought of "why does she hate him, he seems like a nice guy, and what does it have to do with the ghostly goings-on?". Unfortunately, nothing more can be said due to spoilers but there's plenty of mystery throughout the movie, making for 80 minutes worth of time well-spent. Certainly different from other found footage horrors out there, Apartment 143 is worth watching as it breathes some long-awaited fresh air into the genre.

7/10

REVIEW: Donnie Brasco (1997)

Director: Mike Newell | Genre: Crime / Drama | Runtime: 127 min.

This true story focuses on the efforts of Joe Pistole (Johnny Depp), an FBI agent who has to go deep undercover within the mafia families of New York under the name of Donnie Brasco - however, after building an intense friendship with Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a recognised member within the mafia, Brasco quickly runs into problems as he doesn't want Ruggiero to take the wrap once the case is over.

Whilst there's a lot of violence and blood in Donnie Brasco, much like many gangster movies, the most interesting and entertaining scenes are those where we see the friendship progress between Brasco and Ruggiero, which is constantly challenged through other mafia associates but more importantly Brasco's wife Maggie (Anne Heche), who finds it increasingly difficult to maintain a relationship with Brasco whilst he's undercover, leading to often difficult arguments and events. 

It's interesting to see Ruggiero slowly reveal himself as a generally low member of the mafia although he acts as if he's near the top when first meeting Brasco. This could be seen as a man who's willing to finally admit he's not willing to put in the work to a business he thought admired him through this delusional world he made for himself, instead a part of him wants to leave the crime underworld behind and perhaps live a "normal" life. 

And Brasco sees this throughout the movie and tries to discreetly find ways of getting Ruggiero out of the mafia and into normal society so to speak. Instead things regularly go wrong, whether it's suspicion from the boss Sonny (Michael Madsen) who hints that Brasco is a rat or various confrontations between Ruggiero and other mafia associates.

Whilst at first glance, this movie might seem like yet another gangster flick based on true events, which of course it is, it's the relationships between various characters that truly stands out - a true example of how emotions and judgement can rapidly change based on the level of friendship between one another.

8/10

REVIEW: ATM (2012)

Director: David Brooks | Genre: Horror / Thriller | Runtime: 90min.

When a group of friends/co-workers head for the ATM, they quickly realise it was the wrong thing to do - it turns out a homicidal maniac is stalking there every move, effectively leaving the trio stuck with nowhere to go.

Most of us have been to an ATM and been disheartened with the considerably low amount of funds in our accounts, but it would be a good guess you haven't been trapped inside a kiosk with a creepy guy on the outside playing on your fears and emotions. 

This movie is exactly that, but fails to deliver any genuine thrills or horror - you might remember Josh Peck from Drake and Josh, well now he's playing the role of Corey Thompson, a lazy and unreliable friend of David Hargrove (Brian Geraghty), who was originally planning on driving fellow colleague Emily Brandt (Alice Eve) home with possibly the chance of a nightcap. 

However, Corey drags himself along, effectively ruining Brian and Emily's night - Corey needs cash so the group visit a nearby ATM, but when they decide to leave, a mysterious figure is waiting outside starting at them. From here on, the group must determine what this guy wants, perhaps he's a robber or a menacing killer who violently murders innocent people. We all know the answer. 

Practically all of the movie is set within the ATM kiosk and the surrounding car park, which is fine if the locations were used effectively - instead we are given this predictable series of events with little imagination. This type of movie should encourage plot twists or at least a mildly interesting narrative to keep us entertained - after all, we're staring at the same surroundings for the most part, at least give us a reason to keep on watching.

Not knowing anything about the killer is absolutely fine, but only for a certain amount of time - this movie tells us practically nothing about him. It's understandable that he should remain mysterious but without even a little backstory, it's difficult to really engage with what's going on. 

And it's a shame because the concept is great - that sense of isolation even when in a group, knowing that any move you make could put your life at risk, but the screenplay is lazy and poorly executed. Overall, it's not advised to waste your time on ATM - there are many more horror/thrillers out there that are genuinlely clever, unique and original, this movie is none of them.

2/10

REVIEW: Frankenstein's Army (2013)

Director: Richard Raaphorst | Genre: Found Footage / Horror | Runtime: 84 min.

World War II is almost finished and a squad of Russian soldiers are making their way through eastern Germany when they find themselves in a Nazi lab headed by Victor Frankenstein - it's here that "super-soldiers" are being put together with aid from the limbs of dead Nazi comrades. Obviously.

With the onslaught of horror movies these days, it's easy to dismiss most as just "another horror flick", but it's Frankenstein's Army that tries to break that mold - filled with enough gore to keep the usual crowd happy, there's also much more to this movie in terms of visual appeal. Sure, we're all tired of the "found footage" genre and it's a shame director Richard Raaphorst decided to go down that route as it would have been much better shot like a regular movie. 

Instead, we get this annoying shaky camera, which is understandable as to why but makes the viewing experience generally irritating and no one wants that. It's the incredible sets and monster designs that really make this film worth watching - it's definitely not the narrative, the core storyline is bland and doesn't offer much in terms of imagination, that's where Frankenstein's monsters come in to save the day so to speak. 

Each one has something incredibly grotesque about them whether it's the guy who is stitched together with various pieces of human flesh or the Mosquito man, who's equipped with various sharp objects ready to pierce the flesh of anyone who gets in his (its?) way. There are a few twists and turns along the way, nothing that will shock you too much - during the first quarter or so, it's mildly entertaining to see how the Russian soldiers act around each other providing some laughs here and there, but ultimately you'll most likely be anticipating their inevitable deaths from the previously mentioned monsters.

Overall, Frankenstein's Army will keep you entertained just long enough to get that gruesome horror fix, but it's true downfall is the found footage aspect - it doesn't make the movie scary, which I imagine it was intended to do. This bizarre, yet generally entertaining movie stands as a symbolic reminder of Hitler's last desperate attempts at victory towards the end of World War II, let's just hope this never actually happened.

6/10