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Evil Dead 2 – Another Classic Gore Fest

I can save how much on my car insurance?

I can save how much on my car insurance?

Horror movies have never seen the likes of him since, and are never likely to again.  He is the ultimate hero, fantastically unhinged and the sole survivor of an horrific zombie holocaust.  He will be the man who goes on to battle the medieval dead with a chainsaw for an arm and the ability to chew through lines in a way that Jack Palance could only dream of.  He is Ash.  Destroyer of the Dead.  The ultimate b-movie hero.  Bruce Campbell once again returns to fill the characters size 14 shoes in the gore-fuelled splatstick masterpiece that is EVIL DEAD II.

 

The cult classic EVIL DEAD from visionary director Sam Raimi quickly became one of the original video nasties and this follow up has now been given the 1080p High Definition Blu-Ray treatment allowing the full impact of the gory masterpiece to shine through on our giant plasma screens.

I've got an axe and I'm not afraid to use it.

I’ve got an axe and I’m not afraid to use it.

 

The film speaks for itself.  Raimi has gone on to become one of the most successful directors in movies today and Bruce Campbell has impaled himself on the minds of horror fans everywhere.

 

With special features and extras galore, this Blu-Ray revisits every aspect of the movies production with over 20 cast and crew members plus loads of existing content, all in the new high def format.

 

The Blu-Ray is out on Monday 8th April and you would be mad to miss it.

Evil Dead Pack Shot

 

April 19th also sees the release of the hotly anticipated remake of the original EVIL DEAD.  With promises of no CGI and a director (Fede Alvarez) hand picked by the original team of Raimi, Campbell and original producer Rob Tapert it promises to be another glorious not to be missed gorefest.

 

Keep up the good work StudioCanal and keep the classics coming.

 

McH

 

 

Soka Afrika

Soka Afrika explores Africa’s modern relationship with Europe as viewed through the prism of the world’s most popular sport; football.  Directed by SURIDH HASSAN & featuring African footballing talents KERMIT ROMEO ERASMUS, NDOMO SABO & the 2010 SOUTH AFRICA UNDER-20 SQUAD, This documentary follows the very different stories of two young African’s trying to make it in the world of professional football.  Kermit from South Africa and Ndomo from Cameroon. The story that unfolds reveals the struggle that is prevalent in much of Africa and demonstrates how football is a vital lifeline to which many desperately cling.

 

Kermit Romeo Erasmus, 19, rose from humble beginnings, nurtured by the support of his loving family, trusted agent and no small dose of luck, to sign a professional contract at 18 with Feyenoord in the Dutch league.  But for every Kermit, there are thousands like Ndomo, whose tragic and inspiring story gives viewers an astounding first person account of the illegal trafficking of talented African athletes and the exploitation of their unknowing vulnerable families.

 

Former Cameroon international footballer Jean Claude Mbvoumin has heard many such stories of corruption, and was inspired to found NGO Culture Foot Solidaire, which aims to raise awareness and actively effect change for young athletes exploited by opportunistic football agents. Through his relationship with Ndomo, we witness Jean Claude and his CFS team’s efforts to tackle this tragic trend that is still largely misunderstood or ignored.

 

The film is beautifully shot, setting the wonderful African vistas against a bleak mid-winter Paris.  The stories are powerful but for me, the documentary somehow misses the mark.  The stories of corruption are told over and over and while the CFS are there trying to make a difference, they don’t really seem to do much in the film other than tell Ndomo to go home to Cameroon where they then pay his hotel bill for him when he is down on his luck.  I realize that for him, this is a very big thing and helps him get back on his feet, however I can’t help thinking that they must do so much more for the thousands of illegally trafficked young players.  Perhaps showing us more of this would appeal to our sympathy on a higher level.

 

At 77 minutes, it’s not a long film and is worth a watch.  However after 45 it became very repetitive and by an hour in I found myself wanting to switch off.

SOKA AFRIKA is out now on DVD and Blu-ray.

 

McH

 

The Man In The White Suit

Hmm, you smell nice.

Alec Guinness displays the superb acting talent that eventually led him to becoming Obi Wan Kenobi in The Man In The White Suit.  That old Jedi Knight could certainly have done with some indestructible fabric when he came up against Darth Vader during that fateful encounter on the Death Star.

 

In this superb 1951 film written by Roger McDougall (based on his own stage play), John Dighton and Alexander Mackendrick,  Guinness plays the genius inventor Sidney Stratton.  Stratton comes up with a way to revolutionise the textiles industry by developing a fabric which never gets dirty and never wears out.  He believes the fabric mills will welcome his invention with open arms but is shocked when both manufacturers and unions alike try to suppress it.  Nonetheless he is determined to put his invention on the market, forcing the factory bigwigs to resort to more desperate measures.

 

Beautifully directed by Alexander Mackendrick and shot by Douglas Slocombe, this fantastic Ealing comedy is being re-released on Blu-ray and DVD on the 19th November 2012.

 

Also starring Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough, Ernest Thesiger and Vida Hope, The Man in The White Suit, is a classic tale of the naivety of a man who is unaware the potentially destructive consequences of his actions.

 

Mackendrick was renowned for themes like these in his movies, mirroring his own struggles against superior authority whilst at Ealing.  His films had great depth and complexity  and The Man in The White Suit is being re-released in celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth.

 

I enjoyed this film even more than the first time I saw it.  Buy it, watch it and enjoy one Guinness’s finest performances.

 

McH

Chernobyl Diaries out on DVD

CHERNOBYL DIARIES“I work alone,” says Yuri the Russian tour guide as he strands his victims deep into the heart of Chernobyl. It’s a cliche line and unfortunately it doesn’t get any better, for the six tourists or the viewer.

Despite the visually rich setting of Chernobyl, there is nothing new to see here. Six tourists in for an extreme thrill tour through the deserted landscape of what was once Chernobyl. All too soon they realise they are not alone.

The main problem with Chernobyl Diaries is that we have to wait thirty minutes before the action starts and by the time it starts to gather momentum, over an hour has passed and we are already on the home straight. Too long is wasted trying to establish characters with six highly unsympathetic people. We know it’s all ending in disaster so there seems no point in hanging around.

The thrills are predictable with the usual shaky cam and shocks scattered around to keep interest up, but the twists are run of the mill and just not frightening enough.We are well into the last twenty minutes of the film before the nightmare kicks in. On top of this, screeching, irritating twenty somethings do not make for sympathetic characters as they are seen to ‘ask for it’.

There is an idea here though, albeit a seed of one, that just never seems to take root and flourish. It all just tumbles into a rather pedestrian routine movie that we’ve all seen before. Not that that should put you off. If you’re not expecting much or like your thrills predictable and safe, then this could be the Halloween shocker for you.

Best bit? The bear.

Worst bit? The explanation.

Out on DVD/BluRay on 22nd October 2012 in UK.

Extras include: Alternate Ending, Deleted Scene, Chernobyl Conspiracy Viral Video plus more.

Cert: 15