Torchwood - You got to go there to come back

I have watched the first two seasons of Torchwood before. I'm not sure how much I liked them but I'm pretty sure I thought it was getting good at the end of Season 2. So why did I feel the need to revisit season 1, well for the same reason I will be watching Season 6 of Smallville - I'm a bargain hunting HD whore.

Anyway, I'm two episodes in and what have I learned. Well It's British. I always hope for a British TV (mainly scifi) show to be as good as some of our American imports. They never are of course but then I suppose I have to understand that they can't be as they are UK not US. I suppose if I was American then I might pick the same holes in USTV as I do in my own. So what are these holes.................

Well, there's that fact that this is Dr Who for adults (allegedly), Who after dark I suppose. What does that mean? Well it means a copper can say the word 'Fuck' after about 3 mins for a start. In a Welsh accent as we are based in Cardiff. In fact everybody seems to be TOO Welsh at times. So much so that I don't think half the actors are Welsh themselves. Which would make sense as the last time I went to Cardiff it seemed quite a cultural city.

So, apart from swearing and Welshness what else can they do. They can do Sex of course. And, Well it is Russell T Davies so that means we get the 1 in 4 as well. I'm only 2 episodes in and we've had some girl on girl, mano mano and even a Gay sperm donation. He's so predictable.

Anyway the obligatory new girl takes someones place first episode and a bit too much like 'Species' second episode and I think I've got 11 to go. Lets hope season 2 gets reduced in price soon.

50 First Dates - They would never go as well as this

Adam Sandler. Comedian, Musician, Performer, Romantic, Idiot. I'm pretty sure he mostly plays himself in his films, but why change when you can be this funny. Now Romcom is not a genre that I sit that comfortably with. The Ex is an example of the average category that these films usually fall into. But when you get something like The Heartbreak Kid, The Wedding Singer and this to fit that bill, I'm with it all the way. The difference being is that I don't want to watch some sappy shit for girls unless I get some crazy ass comedy shit going on to. Thank god for the Sandler, Barrymore, Schnieder show.

A truly moving story hiding under that adolescent humour showing either mans pursuit of his dream girl or mans pursuit for something he cant have. You do the math.

The Happening - Yep I watched it again

I had to. I kept seeing bits of it on Sky Premier so I sat down and watched the whole movie again. Well maybe about half of it. You see it has some truly great moments, it really does. But it is still very very very poor. It didn't have to be though and it's not just Wahlbergs fault. There has to be more people that have to own up. Yeah, filming some wind blowing through trees is unlikely to be scary but then it could and should at least build tension for a moment and not make you laugh your ass off. Take a few tips from The Omen M.Knight (see previous) you wasted what could have worked. We await Air Bender with anticipation but for all the wrong reasons.

The Omen - The Sixth day of The Sixth month 1976

Ahhhh remember the time when Hollywood knew how to make a horror movie. Great actors required - Not beautiful actors. Terrifying deaths required - Not gory deaths. A great score that fits the movie - Not a Nu-metal Emo soundtrack that sells a CD. The Omen is just that. A haunting movie that still chills me today.

You see a dynamic acting performance will last even if the actors now appear to be dated. A good death will still scare you if you haven't tried to SFX above your weight. And a fantastic haunting powerful original soundtrack will still do the job it was designed for over 30 years later. This is scary stuff. Lights off, curtains drawn, volume up scary stuff.

I don't want to watch the remake but I will have to.

Unleashed - Danny the Dog to some

Not directed by Luc Besson but has his style all over it. Lets face it if you see Bessons name on a film you know it will be good (Hmmmm... Bandidas?!?) Silly maybe, shallow even, but still a great watch for popcorn lovers at the very least. The story of a man raised like a dog to do his masters bidding when the collar is removed falls into the'silly' category alright but who cares with action and acting this good.(note - Action from Jet Li Acting from Freeman and Hoskins) The simple story works though and Li does play his dual character rather well considering this is an English language film. And those fights man....... Awesometasticalbaroombrallingness give me more more more :)

Eastern Promises - This used to made in Bristol .....right???

A slow and brooding thriller from horror legend Cronenberg. Strangely there is no horror or even the weirdness that crept into similar genre jumping piece - 'A History Of Violence'. A lot of people thought this slow or dated but I think they missed the directors style. His films are often appear empty looking affairs, much like Kubrick, it helps you draw your own thoughts. I can forgive these people as they are the ones missing out. Even though the violence is sparse and quite obvious when it appears, I was always on the edge of my seat in terror of what was going to happen. Viggo and the ever better Vincent Cassel assured this as they were in over intense mode.

All said and done though this was a film about East European gangsters. Scarface is one of my all time movies and the awesome GTA III kind of ruined that film for me when it stuck the soundtrack to that movie in it's game. It loses certain moments when I re watch it now. My fault for playing the game to death I suppose. Alas GTA IV has also lessened the effect of the Russian gangster. Oh well :)

The Green Mile - What a Pisser!!!!

The King and Frank pair up for the best Prison Drama/Feelgood (kindof) movie since The Redemption of Shawshank. What can you say about this??? Nothing....It's Fantastic. Okay maybe I should say more. Nope I can't. Shawshank, Cuckoos Nest, Green Mile - All films that can be watched over and over and need no selling.

All workers should be like the guards in this place. They all get on like a house on fire and have a great time. Just the one bad egg in Percy (Brilliant played by X files Toombs) but the others are a blast. OK maybe they're just a little too keystone cop at times for people working on death row, but then this is supposed to be dramatic but accessible. One tip that I don't usually go for...Read the book before you watch the film. It's a great too.