Review: Robocop (1987) (Part Man, Part Machine, All Great Film)

“And remember, we care”

Robocop celebrates its 30^th anniversary this year. Well, it was last week, but I was on the island of Lokrum sat on the Iron Throne. Holidays pass too quickly! Robocop is one of my favourite films. It holds a place on my Top 10 Films Of All Time (click here to view) and my Top 10 Films I’ve Watched More Than Fives Times (click here to view). I’ve loved it since I was a kid (yes, my parents allowed me to watch a lot of stuff I shouldn’t have watched!). It can be viewed as a straight sci-fi action film, a revenge thriller, a satire on capitalism/privatisation, a Christ parable…but however you view it, it’s a bloody pleasure to watch.

Review: Predator (1987) (If It Bleeds…)

“You’re looking good, Dutch”

Can you believe that ‘Predator’ is 30 years old this year? 30! The plot is simple. Spaceship lands on earth, alien comes out of said spaceship, alien hunts and kills humans. A military task force headed by Dutch (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger come face to face with it…It’s not the plot that really matters here, but the visual language and what the audience interprets along the way. It’s a more thoughtful film than you’d think.

Review: ‘Watchmen’ by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (The Greatest Graphic Novel Of All Time?)

“Hmmm…that’s quite a drop”

Thirty years on since Issue 1 of ‘Watchmen’ was first published, has there been a better graphic novel/comic book serial? Is it really the greatest graphic novel of all time? Now, I’m no graphic novel/comic book expert. Graphic novels, I’ve read  a few…the heavy hitters spring to mind, like ‘The Dark Knight Returns,’ ‘V For Vendetta.’ Daredevil: ‘The Man Without Fear’ and Batman: ‘The Killing Joke’ also number my small collection. However, even without any knowledge of graphic novels, it’s easy to say that ‘Watchmen’ is a masterpiece. It’s easily the greatest graphic novel that I’ve ever read.

Review: ‘Aliens’ (1986) (Or…How To Do A Sequel!)

(SPOILERS AHEAD!)

“All right sweethearts, you heard the man and you know the drill”

‘Aliens’ is yet another film that I’ve watched over and over again since I was barely out of a single digit age. I taped it on ITV one year and wore the tape out with constant use. Of course, when the Director’s Cut came out on DVD, I immediately upgraded to that! It added depth to the film’s various themes. That’s the version I always watch! Not sure I could handle the theatrical cut anymore…But, suffice to say, it is one of my favourite films. Not only is it a case study of how to do a sequel, but it can also stand on its own without the first ‘Alien’ to hold it up. Yes, the two are different beasts, and suit different moods and tastes. But I’d say ‘Aliens’ is more accessible than ‘Alien,’ and take that as you will! As it celebrates its 30^th Anniversary this year, it would be a shame not to review it!

Review: The Karate Kid Part 2 (1986) (A Worthy Sequel?)

SPOILERS AHEAD

“Mercy is for the weak”

‘The Karate Kid Part II’ used to be my favourite of the trilogy (I dismiss the existence of the fourth one!) when I was a lot younger. Yes, it essentially told the same story as the first, but there seemed a lot more emotional weight to the film. There were two love stories and a sub-plot involving Miyagi’s dying father. The last fight was Daniel fighting to protect his new girlfriend! Is there anything more heroic than fighting for your love? Sato, Miyagi’s ex-best friend and love rival, seemed to be a greater menace than any ‘villain’ in the original. He not only threatens Miyagi’s life, but threatens the existence of the entire village that Miyagi was born in. Is the film any different viewing it with older eyes? I watched it to celebrate its 30^th anniversary…

Review: Stephen King’s ‘IT’ (The Book, Not The Film!)

“Everything down here floats”

I’ve just read Stephen King’s ‘IT’ for about the tenth time. Ever since I laid my hands on it, in a school library at the age of fifteen, I’ve reread it every few years or so. I had been a fan of Stephen King since the age of seven or eight, but had never gotten around to read ‘IT.’ However, I stumbled upon ‘IT’ in the school library. A half-baked memory arose from staying over at my grandparents and watching the TV movie based on the book. I could hear a clown saying something about floating. I remembered showerheads attacking a weedy little kid, a blood bubble bursting in a pipe, and a massive spider. So I immediately picked up the book and began to read it (and, funnily enough, I finished the book in my grandparents house!).