At The Flix with @Timmy666
Hello one and all and welcome to this week’s slice of cinematic action in Birmingham’s screens. It’s a decidedly mixed bag this week! Let’s see what’s hot and what’s not shall we?!
Ant-Man (3D) (12A)
Small things come in big screen packages. There’s a knowing wink and nudge to the Marvel legacy with Ant-Man.
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang has to embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of threats.
Ant-Man allegedly opts for grand invention over scale! Mighty drama can come in a smaller forms. Marvel aficionados will no doubt lap up the universe it inhabits.
Gallows, The (15)
This week’s almost obligatory Hollywood horror offering is based around the premise that some things are better left alone! The question is, is this a movie idea that should have been too?
Twenty years after an accident caused the death of the lead actor during a high school play, students at the same small town school resurrect the failed stage production in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy.
The film is horror tropes with ropes, if you will. The big question is, as the body count rises, is the film on the ropes and will the audience care?
Self/less (15)
Part sci-fi, part psychological thriller, Self/less focusses on a wealthy man (played by Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley) dying from cancer who transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man (Ryan Reynolds).
He starts to uncover the mystery of the body’s origin and the secret organization that will kill to protect its cause.
A great idea for film on paper. Sadly critics have found Self/less to be more, well, worthless noting its lack of substance despite the potential premise and a great case (on paper!)
True Story (15)
When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo–who has taken on Finkel’s identity–his investigation morphs into an unforgettable game of cat and mouse.
James Franco and Jonah Hill are great actors who usually make the best of what comes their way. Sadly the reviews have shown the film to be a rather mixed affair – it’s the performances that stand out as opposed to anything else in particular.
Another film seemingly like on substance this week!
The Misfits (PG)
Showing from Friday 17th to Tuesday 21st July at the mac, a fantastic opportunity to catch John Huston’s take of Arthur Miller’s perceptive fable of unresolved lives starring a legendary cast including Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift
Elsewhere, the Electric have an eclectic and quirky mix of stuff ranging including showings of Sunset Boulevard (PG) to See No Evil 2 (15) including a live screenwriters audio commentary to the return of Trash Film Night presenting Birdemic: Shock & Terror (18) along with another secret trash film. In a week of trashy cinematic fair, the return of Trash Film Night seems like a quality thing to do.
At the mac, Les Combattants (15), showing 19-21 July, is a Gallic take on the coming of age romance tale. Be sure to also watch out for various one-off showings from the London Indian Film Festival.
Anyhow, that’s it from me this week. As always, if you have any comments regarding the above, you can find me on twitter @timmy666.
Until next week, have a great week at the cinema.
#AtTheFlix
