I Love You, Man

- dir. John Hamburg

Removing Apatow from the equation and replacing him with Hamburg (dir. Along Came Polly, writing credits Meet the Parents and subsequent follow-ups), results in a lesser film that isn’t, however, without its charms. Paul Rudd seeks friend to be Best Man. Those that surround Rudd give genuinely good performances, which result in a number of funny scenes, particularly those that include Andy Samberg, Jason Segel and Thomas Lennon. Lou Ferrigno gives a great, and wonderfully camp, turn. The male bonding is particularly credible. Surprisingly, the usual likeable Rudd is the weak link, with poorly delivered lines – in jokes too far?   

Rating **

Trust

- dir. David Schwimmer

I doubt many have seen the hateful Run, Fatboy, Run and not been disgusted. However, when Schwimmer was in the directorial chair and the film starred the odious Simon Pegg, tis to be expected. Trust, however, is a dark and incredible take on girl-meets-boy-online-goes-sour. The scenes between said girl and boy, Llana Liberato and Chris Henry Coffey respectively, are truly horrifying and although the film loses momentum and returns to a well-trodden path, it’s mightily impressive in its attention to detail. One has to feel somewhat sorry for Clive Owen; has ever had the opportunity to play someone mentally stable?

Rating ***

Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #1

- J. Michael Stracynski (@straczynski) & Adam Hughes (@AH_AdamHughes)

This sullies the memory of Watchmen #4. JMS lacks the ability to be subtle and with broad strokes whitewashes the original material with vacuous cod philosophy, and only retains interest because of the well-handled non-linear structure. Rather than present a box, inside, a mystery, JMS has torn open, with accompanying fanfare, and spoilt the contents in the first of a four issue miniseries. His plans for the remaining three terrify. Adam Hughes, who was hoping to do justice to Dave Gibbons, has done – this was a triumphant return, and of all the titles, was closest to the original in style.  

Rating ** (twist)  

Frightfest 2012 - The Victim

- dir. Michael Biehn

Written and directed by, as well as starring the aforementioned (whose previous films include The Terminator, Aliens and more recently Planet Terror, on the set of which he read Rebel Without a Crew and became inspired) and his wife Jennifer Blanc, The Victim falls short of the Grindhouse style it attempts to emulate. The film is rumoured to have been completed in two weeks for a $1000 - nevertheless this drivel is inexcusable. I hasten to mention the plot, as it is so scant to say anything would result in a major spoiler. To be clear, avoid at all costs.

1/10

Frightfest 2012 - Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings

- dir. Declan O’Brien

Straying far from the path of the original, director O’Brien returns, having directed the third, with events which predate it, with his three ‘original’ characters – One Eye, Three Fingers and Saw Tooth – who escape the sanitorium in a Saw-esque fashion and subsequently brutalise a gaggle of college kids on route to a ski cabin, 30 years hence, lost having taken a WRONG TURN (ah-ha), as I did, selecting this for an eve of entertainment. Whilst having the staples of horror, T&A and simplicity, WT4BB lacks bloodshed, violence and ingenuity, with a particularly comical weapon of choice, lessening any effect significantly.

Rating 2/10

Frightfest 2012 - Nightbreed

- dir. Clive Barker

What little depth the original novella Cabal may have had must have been lost in translation, given this follows the stellar Hellraiser. Perhaps the film would have been better serviced if Barker and Cronenberg, who stars, had switched roles. As it is, Boone believes himself responsible for a number of murders, a view reinforced by his PSYCHOtherapist, the actual perp, and takes refuge in Midian, ‘where all sins are forgiven’. A tale of possible innocence and (in)humanity becomes confused, with underdeveloped characters, awash with special effects. You lucky Frightfest-ers have an additional 50 minutes to endure in The Cabal Cut.  

Rating 3/10     

Frightfest 2012

@Film4FrightFest

Horror films are perhaps my guiltiest pleasure. For years I’ve frequented Frightfest (and before that Fanomenon at Leeds International Film Festival) and seen the likes of The Human Centipede (First Sequence), The House of the Devil, Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape and Detention. Paul McEvoy, Ian Rattray, Alan Jones and Greg Day run an excellent show. However, this year circumstance has conspired against me. Therefore I’ll sort out a number of films on the bill and indulge - albeit over a longer time period and without massive queues for the karzee. I’ll even turn off my bloody phone.