Date Night

15, 2010, Directed by Shawn Levy
Starring: Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson

Steve Carell, and Tina Fey: matchmade in comedy heaven, right? You would be hard pressed to think so once the credits of Date Night are rolling in front of you. No doubt they have their moments but said moments occur sparingly. The problem lies in the worn-thin plot which sees a happily married couple head out on their 'date night' - a much-needed break from their hectic daily schedules and parental routines. After being turned away from a plush restaurant, they craftily nab the Tripplehorn's reservation only to soon discover that the Tripplehorns possess something that some very nasty individuals want. Hence a night of chaos for the hapless couple, offering nothing new to the table of mistaken identity.

Date Night is a confused film; it seems that there are random strong elements for what could be a thriller at play, with a genuinely tense chase sequence convincing. All sense was ironically thrown out of the window after director Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen, Night at the Museum) landed on his feet with two US television comedy heavyweights (The Office and 30 Rock), as he attempted to integrate hilarity into proceedings. He is successful in parts (take a bow Marky Mark Wahlberg) but embarrassingly misses the mark in others (Ray Liotta, you used to be so cool...). There is some fun to be had with some unexpected cameos, but at the end of this night, you will most probably be staring at the screen with a furrowed brow, as opposed to a cheeky grin, confused as to how Levy missed such a golden oppourtunity.

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Thor

2011, 12, Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins

If there’s one filmic concoction you never expected to see, it’s pretty certain that Thor as seen by Kenneth Branagh was up there. You won’t be surprised to know that the resident Shakespearean thesp wasn’t Marvel’s first choice for the gig (Matthew Vaughn currently too busy with X Men: First Class), but an odd decision that makes for curious viewing. One of many ongoing vehicles for next year’s massive mash-up The Avengers, Thor was always going to be the toughest hero to handle: he is, after all, the Norse God of thunder. But handle it Branagh does… and with panache too. Opening with Thor’s entrance to Earth witnessed by astrophysicist Natalie Portman and her team (Stellan Skarsgård and something of a show stealer, Kat Dennings), we are then shown an extended pre-cursor to events on Asgard in which the gap is filled – and for a classic comic character, there is a long gap. Asgard itself puts the Marvel into marvellous; to describe it here would not do the landscape justice, but the scope of it is something else. Branagh succeeds in completely immersing you into what unfolds onscreen, so much that when the film flits back to Earth, Thor feels like a completely different film altogether.

Chris Hemsworth (notable for a cameo in 2009s Star Trek) plays the cape-wearing hammer-thrower deprived of his powers very well indeed. Spitting lines that bear serious meaning on his own turf but provide heavy laughs on Earth is an impressive feat emphasised by the support around him. However, the ‘stranger from a strange land’ gimmicks which involve the mighty one marching into a pet store to request a horse do wear thin. Which is where Thor is let down: through the hammering across of moments that work best. Granted, the story is lifted from a comic book, but this fails to prevent the plot twist of the jealous brother hungry for power (an unfortunately weighed down Tom Hiddleston) causing the eye to roll every so often. The key was not to take itself too seriously creating something of a double-edged sword (or hammer) for Branagh to attempt to dodge tonally. There is fun to be had though: the action is surprisingly not clunky, with the dialogue being just that – somehow adding to proceedings.  Similarly, everything manages to be tied up in a neat manner with the hero thankfully not outstaying his welcome; just as well seeing as we’ll be paying ole’ Thor a visit, albeit with company, next summer.

3/5



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Scream 4

2011, 15, Directed by Wes Craven

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Emma Roberts

1996 saw Wes Craven mould his love of the slasher movie into an all-knowing modern classic that followed the text book but still provided shocks. Its sequel followed a year later packing enough jumps and standout set-pieces to be a worthy adversary to the original. The completion of the trilogy in 2000 may have sapped in originality, but managed to achieve something rarely seen: a truly enjoyable horror trilogy. Ending it there seemed to be the right move, all things considered: Scream 1 and 2 scriptwriter Kevin Williamson had quit whilst ahead, not content with just forming a retread of previous successes. Flashforward 11 years later and let me introduce to you Scream 4, the completely unnecessary but hugely watchable franchise-entry; its Ghostface for the YouTube generation. Campbell, Arquette and Cox all return to Woodsboro for the release of Sidney’s book based on her (scarily regular) dice with death, only to find yet another masked murderer targeting the highschool friends of her niece, Jill Roberts (played by Emma Roberts AKA Julia's niece).

In typical Scream fashion, the opening scene embeds in the memory, this time around focusing on establishing Screa4m as zanily tongue-in-cheek; something not to be taken seriously, but not to underestimate either. Seeing Sidney, Dewey and Gale back on the big screen is an oddly pleasant feeling and – although irrationality overrules – you root for them, no matter what. Supporting characters help things move along nicely too, namely Hayden Panettiere’s feisty Kirby. Not only is the gore-factor upped (note the 15 certificate), but the comedic one too. Arguably the funniest entry thus far, Scre4m also boasts the most leftfield shocking climax too. What makes the film feel whole though is how the continuity from the original trilogy extends the authenticity of the universe (the film club at Woodsboro hold an annual Stab-a-thon), as well as our universe (when told she is going to be watching Saw IV, a female character tells her friend she cannot stand torture porn – she may as well be Craven in a wig). It is very easy to dismiss Scre4m as just another flimsy sequel, but this is anything but; the world may not have been screaming out for another, but with any luck, you will be after viewing this.

3.5/5

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Scream 3

2000, 18, Directed by Wes Craven

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox Arquette, Patrick Dempsey

More of the same in this third outing which sees Campbell, Arquette and Cox back to nettle yet another incarnation of the iconic Ghostface killer, who this time around sets his sights on the cast of Stab 3, forcing Sidney from isolation. As far as Part 3’s go, this is a damn good attempt, staying in tune with the original and its sequel whilst adding its own fresh layer to the fore. The scare factor is noticeably reduces, but the aptly named Ehren Kruger’s script – whilst not as tongue-sharp as previous writer Kevin Williamson’s – manages to be smart enough for its own good at the best of times; additionally, Craven deftly and skilfully shoots inspired set-pieces (Sidney being hunted within the Hollywood set of her own home from the original Scream). What is lacking however are the number of engaging characters previously killed off (one of who returns in a nice touch), but the returning cast are always a welcome presence. It is usually rare for a horror franchise to still shock third time around, but that Scream 3 does after putting everyone possible into the spotlight for killer. The Scream films extend themselves from the horror and the spoofing of its own conventions to become avariation of the classic ‘whodunit’ plot. Talk of this film completing the trilogy within the film does cause an eye roll knowing that Craven’s Scream 4 – released a whole 11 years later – hit cinemas a few weeks back. However, a poignant, yet unnerving ending may leave you screaming for more.

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Scream 2

1997, 18, Directed by Wes Craven

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Liev Schreiber

The joy of the original Scream lay in the fact that it was a mock-up of the convention it was successful in being. More of the same then in Scream 2 which focuses on the tropes every sequel adheres to, including the fact that they rarely surpass the quality of the original. Although this may be true here, Wes Craven’s follow-up is by no means a disaster. In fact, it is a highly enjoyable watch that features more jumps and tense-ridden scenes (look no further than the moment where Sidney must crawl over an unconscious Ghostface killer to escape a crashed car). Beginning with an opener not quite as memorable, but as effective and tongue-in-cheek as number one, Scream 2 reunites the survivors of Woodsboro two years later as a copycat killer decides to leave victims lying around fresh after the release of Stab, the cheesy film based on the Woodsboro killings. The Scream film’s strong points are the engaging characters and with a longer running time here, there is more opportunity for interaction between these creations (most entertaining being Cox's Gale and Jamie Kennedy's Randy). There are moments which drag, however with passable performances all round, a slick script (the unsung hero, Kevin Williamson) fit with deft direction and a genuine surprise climax, it is no wonder something so grisly can be so fun. Fittingly, it doesn’t manage to surpass the first one – but hey, maybe that’s the point!

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Scream

1996, 18, Directed by Wes Craven

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Courtney Cox

The slasher film is a difficult genre to nail and yet countless filmmakers take a stab at it hoping that they will provide their audience with a fresh original take that they probably do not need, but will enjoy. After a slew of horror hits dating as far back as 1972, including The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes and A Nightmare on Elm Street (all of which have been tellingly remade), Wes Craven ingeniously adapted his love of all things bloody into a fresh groundbreaking take on that same genre. The plot is simple: a killer who has watched one too many scary movies terrorises teens of Woodsboro exactly one year after the particularly gruesome death of the mother of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). And so it is, Scream in it all its gruesome glory, doesn’t reinvent, more re-establishes the rule book. Amongst the slashing, there is a massive element of comedy: Jamie Kennedy’s horror-geek Randy runs through the dos and don’ts whilst watching Carpenter’s Halloween. The film verges on spoof without ever reverting to silly tactics; it is through the references to film’s past that the believability of these characters (Arquette’s hapless cop; Cox’s vivacious reporter) is reinforced and the tension raised. It is for this reason (combined with the iconic Ghostface) that Scream has emerged and will continue to be something of a modern horror classic. The film spawned three sequels, the fourth hitting cinemas last week 11 years after Scream 3.

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Hot Tub Time Machine

2010, 15, Directed by Steve Pink
Starring: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson

John Cusack is a crowdpleaser. Working his way through teen comedies, a few mystery dramas and disaster flicks, he manages to make something not-so-great into watchable fodder. Hot Tub Time Machine, much like his purely awesome Grosse Pointe Blank (also directed by Steve Pink) contains the theme of reflection about times gone past. Only, this is about a million times crazier. A group of disbanded friends reunite when one attempts suicide. Heading to a hotel they stayed at during a particularly memorable time of their lives, they get into the hot tub – only to be thrown back to 1986. Pink’s nostalgic offering is filled with enough raunch and chucklesome moments to direct this towards a contemporary audience, as well as long-time Cusack fans. Add Crispin Glover to proceedings as a one-armed bellboy whose 80s version still has his limb intact and you will be guaranteed a silly amount of hilarity-filled set-pieces in which you wait for the inevitable. As long as you are seeking something not in any way taxing and completely removed from reality, that will make you grin like a child (who the hell isn’t?), then have a soak in this hot tub. When all is said and done however, the feeling remains that without Cusack’s presence, this would barely be watchable.

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