Reviews by Kyle Ellis

No Country for Old Men is not necessarily the Coen Brothers' best movie, I consider Barton Fink, Fargo, Miller's Crossing and The Big Lebowski better. However it is a great movie, I'd go as far to say it is my definition of a flawed masterpiece(the only other movie I've given that definition to is The Magnificent Ambersons). So why do I call it a flawed masterpiece rather than a masterpiece full stop? Well actually right up to the last twenty minutes, the film was the latter rather than the former. If the last twenty minutes had not felt like a completely different movie, it would've stayed like that. As is the case with all the Coen Brothers' movies, No Country for Old Men is very well made with impressive cinematography, editing and settings. The story is compelling, the direction superb and the script most of the time taut, funny, thrilling and exciting. Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones are excellent in this film, but if I have to give an award to best performance of the film, it would be Javier Bardem in a villainous role that is menacing and chillingly effective. Overall, a great movie but due to the final twenty minutes it just loses out to that extra something. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Warning: Spoilers

Batman has never been more of bad ass! Batman Arkham Asylum is one of the finest outings for the caped crusader. Not only is it a top notch game with excellent attention to detail and amazing production value it is also an absurdly fun game to play. I couldn't even begin to count the number of hours I spent with this Masterpiece. I've beaten the main story several times and I suspect that I will continue to do so in the future. It's by far one of the best video games that I have ever had the opportunity of playing. The Game begins with Batman capturing the Joker and delivering him to the Asylum. Through a sudden turn of events we discover that The Joker had been planning his abduction all along. He takes over the Asylum with the help of Harley Quinn. Now it is up to the gamer to take back the Asylum as Batman. The Best part of it all is that it contains The voices from the animated series. These are both the quintessential actors for the roles. AS much as I enjoy hearing other actors portray the characters There is simply nothing that comes close to the chemistry between Conroy and Hamill. It's so magnetic that it draws the audience into the story like few games could.

The Gameplay is addictive and deceptively easy to grasp at first hand. Right from the start of the game Joker frees the thugs from black gate prison and it's up to you to take them out. To put it mildly The Arkham fighting system is Genius! I've never played an action game with a combat system that made you feel like such a bad ass It's just so simple and yet it looks so cool. There will be moments in the game where you'll find yourself fighting against a dozen to twenty guys at a time and all you have to do is alternate between the attack and counter buttons to dispose of them. But the thing that makes the combat so addictive is that it's easy to learn but insanely difficult to master.

The Other major corner stone of the game-play of Arkham Asylum is predator mode. During these sections of the game Batman will find himself in a room with several men patrolling it armed to the teeth with guns. With all the ass you've been kicking in traditional combat it's easy to forget that you're just a man but these sections of the game do a Masterful job in humbling the gamer. Once you get the hang of this aspect of the game you will truly feel as if you are a force of nature as you find ways to split the group of enemies apart and take them down one by one before anyone of them understand what's going on. There are a number of ways to do this which makes the process overwhelming. It's easy at first but towards the end of the game you'll find yourself in a room with twenty armed guards and you not sure who to take out first. Thankfully Predator is fast paced and aggressive thanks to detective mode. Detective mode is Batman's link to the Batman computer providing by his trusted partner Oracle and is useful in practically ever section of the game. It's basically X ray vision and it allows Batman to see threw walls and buildings as well as isolated armed henchmen. With this feature you will surely see enemies coming from a mile away and will have plenty of time to prepare for your next attack. The best stealth take downs are the inverted ones that you can do from the overhead interior gargoyles. Hanging enemies upside down while they scream in terror simply never gets old. This feature becomes the most enjoyable when the enemies fear meter builds up. At a certain point they become so frightened they begin to shoot into the air randomly. So despite the challenge the predator aspect of the game truly gives you the opportunity to feel like Batman and that perhaps is the highest praise that anyone can give it.

One of the best things about the game, aside from The fun game-play, Dark atmosphere, and great graphics are the memorable clashes that Batman has with some of the super villains in the Asylum. My personal favorite are the haunting dream like sequences with Scarecrow that pop up during certain moments of the story. There are simple no words to describe How Phenomenal this part of the game really is. My favorite moment was when Scarecrow's toxin actually forced Batman to be taken throw the murder of his parents all over again. I actually cried in that moment. No other video game has made me feel that way and I've played Shadow of the Colossus. That is all.

There is little I can say about Batman Arkham Asylum that hasn't been said already. It's just an amazing game and is certainly deserves it's game of the year award. It will be forever cherished in my memory as one of the finest renditions of the character of all time! A timeless classic and one of my absolutely favorites!

There Will be Blood! What a fine film! In fact I would go as far to say it is one of the best of the last decade. Visually, it is stunning, I loved the skillful cinematography and shots and the scenery was amazing. Jonny Greenwood's music is atmospheric and haunting as well, the script is lyrical, hysterical and sometimes even baffling, the story is excellent and thematically rich and the pace is fine, quite slow but deliberately so.

There Will be Blood is brilliantly directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and the characters are intriguing. In fact to me the character of Daniel Plainview makes the movie. Magnificently portrayed by Daniel Day Lewis, he is quite complex- while monstrous and cold-hearted, because of his love for his adopted son I wouldn't necessarily call him completely evil either. Paul Dano also does a fine job as Eli Sunday.

Overall, a truly fine film and one of the best of the last decade in my view. 10/10 Bethany Cox

There are a few wonderful courtroom dramas out there, Anatomy of a Murder, To Kill a Mockingbird and Witness for the Prosecution immediately springing to mind. 12 Angry Men is so brilliant, it could very well be the definitive courtroom drama on film. Sidney Lumet's direction is masterly, and although the action takes place on one set(an actual New York drawing room) there are a huge variety of innovative camera angles and visual set-ups. The screenplay is sophisticated and smart, and the story is compelling and intelligent. The film is also brilliantly made, and the acting is superb. Henry Fonda especially dominates the film, with an integrity that makes his character so wonderful, but the other actors are wonderful as well, Ed Begley, Jack Warden, John Fiedler, Lee J Cobb, Rudy Bond et al. are all impeccable support to Fonda. Overall, brilliant courtroom drama. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Blade Runner is quite simply wonderful, and not only is it one of Ridley Scott's best films, but also one of the best of the genre. For one thing, the visuals are superb. Not just in the special effects which are just mind-blowing but also in the cinematography, colours and sets. Another strong asset is the score, in fact Blade Runner is easily one of Vangelis's best by how mysterious and haunting it all is.

The story is just great. True, it is the sort of film you need to see more than once to understand/appreciate it, but that is not a flaw in any way, quite the contrary. The story is very compelling, and also very deep thematically. Blade Runner is further advantaged by memorable dialogue, superb direction by Scott and good pacing. I can understand why some are underwhelmed by the ending, I was at first, but the more I saw the film the more the ending made sense to me. Finally the performances. Harrison Ford is perfectly cast, and Sean Young supports him admirably, but the real star of the cast is Rutgar Hauer who is outstanding in his role.

In conclusion, a brilliant film and something Scott should be proud of. 10/10 Bethany Cox

You have got to love the Elephant Man. There isn't one scene that doesn't move me. It is also underrated, as it is very difficult to find, and is hardly on TV. The cinematography was beautiful, and the subject matter about a doctor treating a heavily-disfigured man is so sensitively handled I felt I was there. One of the most moving scenes, was right at the beginning when Treves sees Merrick for the first time, and a tear rolls down his cheek.Extraordinary! The scene with Treve's wife is so sad that I had tears in my eyes for the rest of the movie. When he cries, "I am not an animal, I am a human being," I was actually sobbing. i really was. The ending, with the lovely Adagio for Strings(the only time it has been played well) was so poignant, as was the scene in the theatre, with the Tchaikovsky-like music, and Merrick enjoying himself like a 6 year old boy. The music is very haunting, as made apparent in the crowd scene mocking Merrick in the hospital. Don't criticise the beginning, or the end, because David Lynch was trying to create images of pure sadness and inner beauty, and they were very powerful images. As for the performances, never have I seen Anthony Hopkins more sensitive than he was here(well except for the final scene of Shadowlands). His performance was actually one of the main reasons why this movie is so beautiful. The best performance, without a doubt, is the heart-rending performance of John Hurt as John Merrick. Almost unrecognisable, but so magnificent, especially when he recited the psalm without the help of Treves. It is also incredibly difficult to speak with a lopsided mouth, and John Hurt mastered it. Other notable performances are from Freddie Jones, Anne Bancroft, Michael Elphick and Sir John Gielgud. Anyone who gave this a 1/10, what is wrong with you? This is an absolute masterpiece, without question! 10/10. Bethany Cox

Fritz Lang was a fine director with an artistic vision that is just genius. This is seen perfectly in pretty much all of his resume, especially in Metropolis and this unforgettable masterpiece, M. The film has a great story that unfolds without feeling too fast or too slow in development with a theme that is still relevant today, and to this day I never thought I would see a film that would make me think that the music of Grieg(Peer Gynt being the murderer's motif in a form of a truly chilling whistle) was scary.

When it comes to sound and visuals, M is a triumph. The images expressionistic in their look and tone are incredibly atmospheric including in the brilliantly crafted opening sequence, and the sound is very inspired, yes even in the small details like Lorre clicking open his knife. The script is accomplished and intelligent, Lang's direction is superb and the characters intrigue not just Lorre's very chilling murderer but also Inspector Lohman. While there is a fair bit of suspense and chills, the final shot actually quite touched me in a way.

The acting is excellent. While the support playing of the likes of Otto Klemike hits the nail on the head, it is the performance of Peter Lorre that lives long into the memory. Here he parodies the sinister snivelling that often makes him so compelling to watch and while he is very menacing there are times as you delve deeper into his character where you feel pity for him. All in all, an unforgettable masterpiece. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is not as fun or as good as the first film, but while it is a very uneven film I do not think it is the worst of the series. That's the fourth. The film's weakness are mostly to do with the story and the pace. The story is very weak and thin a vast majority of the time, and the film feels rushed sometimes. While most of the references/spoofs are fun, some don't work, especially the forced and messy Titanic one. And there is some uneven performances, Marlon Wayans, David Cross and especially Chris Elliot come off best, but Anna Faris while better than she was in the first overdoes it and while Tim Curry was a welcome presence he doesn't have anything worthwhile to work with. However, the film thankfully doesn't look sloppy or straight to video quality and the music was quite good as well. Of course the film is silly and mindless, but most of it is very funny, the dinner scene with the running joke about the hand, the talking parrot and the Charlie's Angels spoof work especially well, and a lot of the script if bizarre and silly is hilarious. The highlight though is the Excorcist-beginning, with a very amusing cameo from James Woods. That scene alone made me think it would be a good movie, but while the rest of the film wasn't quite as good, it is entertaining enough and not as bad as some say. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I really liked the first movie, the second while lacking is in my opinion better than its reputation and I disliked the fourth one. The third instalment to the series is neither a great or a bad movie, just somewhere in between as well as being quite a fun movie. The script does have its funny moments but it isn't as fast-paced, witty or as laugh-a-minute as the first two, the story is thin and on the predictable side and the film isn't as efficiently directed and is uneven in pace being rushed one minute and a little too slow the next. The cast though give it their all, Anna Farris gives her best performance of the series, and Charlie Sheen and Leslie Nielson are a lot of fun. There are some genuinely funny spoofs my favourites being The Ring and 8 Mile ones too, the production values are much more than cheap cheap to video fodder and the soundtrack is great. All in all, not great but I liked it. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I enjoyed the first movie, liked the second though it had problems, and thought the third was okay. This however was a mess and definitely for me the worst of the series. The gags and spoofs aren't as focused this time around, The Grudge and The Village were not my idea of movies to spoof on, and the spoofs on them were rather weak. The acting is rather dire this time round with nobody seemingly able to get past their weak material or stock characters. The script is very unfunny and tired, the film pace-wise is for me the dullest of the four, the story is too thin for the running time and is predictable as well, the production values are rather cheap and the soundtrack is generic and uninspired. All in all, a bad movie and the worst of the series. 1/10 Bethany Cox