Xan Brooks: Shutter Island is pacy and muscular but falls short of Scorcese's bestHenry BarnesXan Brooks...

In the summer of 2004, Sergeant J.T. Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge of Bravo Company are at the volatile center of the war, part of a small counterforce specifically trained to handle the homemade bombs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), that account for more than half of American hostile deaths and have killed thousands of [...] Read the full post at shaolintiger.com....

He is one of the world's most revered action directors, twice rescuing the Bond franchise. Now Martin Campbell has returned to Edge of Darkness, the 1980s TV drama that made his name. He talks to John PattersonHe has directed a string of global box-office smashes and honed ­action film-making down to a fine art, but Martin Campbell doesn't scream and shout about it. Or himself. A relentlessly self-effacing man, he is keen, in his plainspoken New ­Zealander way, not to get "too up ­myself". In person, he looks quite tough, combining a lean physique with a convict's buzz-cut, but he is instantly friendly, if maddeningly modest about his achievements. As he discusses his career – which has taken him from New Zealand to Britain to Los Angeles, and from TV drama to blockbusters –...

The Hollywood star refused to come out of his trailer, the leading lady's hair melted and the actor hired to play the joy- rider couldn't driveBrixton-born City trader Robert Fucilla had succeeded in everything he had put his hand to, from selling oil to backing British hip-hop acts, and believed his Italian ancestry gave him a shot at being a British Al Pacino. Of course, millions dream of breaking into the movies, but what underpinned Fucilla's ambition, friends and workmates agree, what made him stand out from every other fantasist and wannabe, was self-belief and a monumental ego.Too impatient to train as an actor, and having briefly tried the traditional route of castings and pumping connections, Fucilla decided to buy his way in. At first, this approach proved...

Donnie Darko director spins out neat, one-act conceit into tiresome near-two-hour messXan BrooksHenry Barnes...

An intriguing premise turns in to 115 minutes of codswallop. Peter Bradshaw squirms awayThere are some films that confront the viewer with profound ethical dilemmas, agonising moral choices. In this one, an ageing man with a horrible face approaches a happily married woman with a proposition that could earn her $1m. Oh, heavens to Betsy, you are probably thinking, it's that Robert Redford back again, the incorrigible old goat, making another of his indecent proposals: a sackful of cash in exchange for the chance to let his expensive trousers and pants pool round his ankles while he puts you on the receiving end of a one-off rogering. How absolutely loathsome. And yet it is a lot of money, so gosh, would I? Would I?But it is not Robert Redford. This time it is Frank Langella, playing a man...

Adapted from the Millenium Trilogy by the noted Swedish author Stieg Larsson the first film "Män som hatar kvinnor" focuses on Mikael Blomkvist a middle-aged indicted journalist and a talented young female hacker named Lisbeth Salander who is the real main character of the story. The Swedes have been coming out with some awesome films this [...] Read the full post at shaolintiger.com....

Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson and Brenda Blethyn star in crime thriller Dead Man RunningXan BrooksHenry Barnes...

The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate's fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the [...] Read the full post at shaolintiger.com....

Jacques Mesrine, once France's most notorious criminal, is brought vividly and violently to life in a brace of engrossing filmsRichard Maibaum, now best known for scripting the best James Bond movies, ran into censorship problems in 1949 when adapting The Great Gatsby for Alan Ladd. The Hays Office thought the film insufficiently moral in the treatment of its underworld hero, so Maibaum came up with a framing prologue in which Nick Carraway visits Gatsby's grave, on which he's inscribed the epitaph "Proverbs 14:12". Asked what it means, he recites: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Much later, Maibaum said he had no idea what this meant, but its sonorous moral ring had satisfied the censors.That Old Testament verse, which means...

Potential foster parents should stay away from Jaume Collet-Serra's evil kiddie horror...

The story has gone from page to TV screen, but in its transfer to celluloid, the film-makers seem to have thrown everything into it, including the kitchen sink and Cameron Diaz emotingOnce upon a time there was a very short story with a very long shelf life. Button, Button by Richard Matheson was originally published in Playboy in 1970, where it was widely read, because even back then everyone really bought it for the articles.Fifteen years after original publication, possibly after a producer came across it while flicking through a large stack of loo reading, it was turned into a Twilight Zone segment. And then – well, now – it has been turned into a full-length feature. This isn't Button Button. It's the same story, but this one is called The Box. So, can the director of Donnie...

Tony Scott, director of Top Gun and the new Taking of Pelham 123 remake, tells Andrew Pulver about the lure of action movies, how he moved from painting to film-making, and the 'R word' – his brother Ridley...

So Michael Jackson hasn’t got a brain? Can’t say that came as much of a surprise. And why would they not bury ‘im wivvout it? ‘E managed to get through life wivvout a brain so why worry now ‘e’s croaked? Ah always figured that Thriller vid looked too realistic. An’ we all know Zombies don’t ‘ave no brain. You should see ‘em dahn the Cucumber and Crumpet Club rahnd throwin’ out time. Fatchav till the day ah die (or get a gastric band)......

  Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers’ sins they will waste away - Leviticus 26:39   Since my knowledge of the crime fiction is based almost solely on TV and film adaptations there were a number of things that were noticeably absent from the opening chapters of Karin Alvtegen's novel, Shadow. There is no detective, either world weary professional or annoyingly enthusiastic amateur sleuth. There are no police scurrying around wrapping everything in yellow tape. There is no corpse. In fact we learn of no actual crimes having been committed unless you count child abandonment in the first chapter (but that was way back in 1975) and adultery in chapter sixteen; that is still strictly a...

I have not encountered the subject of mental illness very often in literature – films, yes, they're full of deranged individuals. The first time was in Gogol's short story, Diary of a Madman, generally regarded as one of the earliest portrayals of schizophrenia, where we witness the gradual disintegration of Poprishchin, a low-ranking civil servant, who comes to believe he is the king of Spain. The next was Chief Bromden, in Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. A relatively minor character in the film, in the book he is the narrator. He has been diagnosed as an incurable paranoid schizophrenic, who pretends to be deaf and dumb, in order to protect himself from the forces of "The Combine", which he believes is a mechanised society intent on usurping freedom...

Here is the second in my series of idols of this decade. Although technically not really an idol of the naughties (because nearly all his great work happened before now) I think that his untimely death warrants Michael Jackon a place in this blog-post series. His life deserves to be truly celebrated. Essentially Michael Jackson was the reason why I ever began to love music, and no other artist has had a bigger influence on the types of music and artists I listen too. Jackson was my original idol, he was my generation’s superstar and he will be sorely missed, no doubt about that. I was fascinated to receive messages from friends and family to see if I was okay about his demise, which reminded me once again on the lasting impact he has made on me. I will forever remember the day he...

The Public Enemies director, Michael Mann, tells what drew him to the Dillinger story...

I don’t believe that it has taken me this long to mention the death of a certain king of pop on this site. I guess I am still coping. All child-molesting charges aside, Michael Jackson was a musical icon and had a lot of talent. I suppose the height of his popularity was the 1982 Thriller album. Every song on that album was in the top ten, and the album itself sold more than any of its time. You might think this deal is some sort of sick marketing ploy to make some money after the death of a huge pop icon. I don’t think this was ever the reason why this 2GB USB drive was made, as it celebrates the 25th anniversary of Thriller, which would have been in 2007, not this year. However, the timing feels a little weird, as the demand for MJ’s work is clearly going to spike. Yet...

“…and Gordon Brown will probably moonwalk into Prime Minister’s questions.” To understand the cult and martyrdom of Michael Jackson, we need to go back to Thriller, the... [Visit boris-johnson.com for the full post and more information about Boris!]...

I wasn’t going to say anything about this, because I’ve been quite irritated by the general level of hysteria (and news service obsession) with Michael Jackson’s death. But Tomasky has a good take on the phenomenon: even pop icons who did not turn out to be geniuses usually had some cool about them. At least, they weren’t circuses sideshows. I look at the Jonas Brothers, and I think, well, they’re kinda cool-looking young guys, I can see how a 12-year-old girl would want to scream at that. But the sustained Jackson adoration – and I understand that he lost some fans, but it seems he retained most – was able to overlook completely his deranged personal life. This remains a deep mystery to me. It must have something to do with the media culture and with...

The Taking of Pelham 123 - Coming June 12 2009 (wide) New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber's ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. Ryder, a criminal mastermind, leads a highly-armed gang of four, threatening to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?...

A family man is pursued by the office temptress. Sounds familiar, notes Xan Brooks...

Drag me to Hell. Coming: 29/05/09 (wide)Christine Brown is an ambitious L.A. loan officer with a charming boyfriend, professor Clay Dalton. Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan. Should Christine follow her instincts and give the old woman a break? Or should she deny the extension to impress her boss, Mr. Jacks, and get a leg-up on a promotion? Christine fatefully chooses the latter, shaming Mrs. Ganush and dispossessing her of her home. In retaliation, the old woman places the powerful curse of the Lamia on Christine, transforming her life into a living hell. Haunted by an evil spirit and misunderstood by a skeptical boyfriend, she seeks the aid of seer Rham Jas to save her soul from eternal damnation. To help the...

The film follow-up to The Da Vinci Code is unwieldy, elephantine and frequently foolish, but disrespectful of the Catholic church it is not, writes Xan BrooksFor those not blessed with the gift of faith, it is sometimes hard to tell what will enrage the devout. It could be a stray oath, a passing reference to monkeys, or a silly, contrived Hollywood blockbuster that is actually trying to do them a favour. Take the recent case of the Vatican, which was so irked by the prospect of a sequel to The Da Vinci Code (the 2006 adaptation of the Dan Brown bestseller) that it banned the film-makers from shooting in Rome's churches and is still weighing up calls for a boycott. But what's the problem here, exactly? Angels and Demons comes to save Catholicism, not bury it. Its only sin is stupidity.Tom...

State of Play director Kevin Macdonald on how his early ambitions were......

Cameramen posing as tourists shot more than 250,000 photographs and hours of video, used by producers of Da Vinci Code prequel to get around ban on filming in Rome's churchesHow do you film a movie set largely in the Vatican when the Holy See itself has banned you from shooting within its walls? If you are the producers of Angels and Demons, the prequel to the church-baiting worldwide blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, you send in cameramen posing as tourists to take more than 250,000 photographs and shoot hours of video footage.The team behind the new film, which is based on an earlier book by Dan Brown, used the surreptitiously-gathered material to digitally recreate many of the famous papal buildings, Tuscan colonnades, fountains and monuments within St Peter's Square.Special effects...

After several roles in Brit dramas, Riz Ahmed's new film Shifty sees him playing a crack dealer – and consolidating his position as one of the UK's brightest talents. Damon Wise charts his riseRiz Ahmed has in his possession an 18th-century map of London, in which its inhabitants are divided into different types, on account of their respectability. There's "Well To Do", "Comfortable" and "Poor". And where he lives now, just south of the City, is on the threshold of a much less salubrious category. "Semi-Criminal," he grins, explaining what they thought back then of the entire East End community. Ahmed himself, a streetwise and well-educated British Asian of 26, is no such thing, but in his new film, Shifty, he admits he enjoyed his time as a scofflaw, playing a streetwise, well-educated...

Watchmen"Love it or hate it, Watchmen is perhaps one of, if not, the best film of 2009. Watchmen sets the new standard for comic book movies, the unfilmable just broke all the rules!" Fanboys have been waiting years for the release of the greatest film of all time. Did they get it? Based on one of the greatest Graphic Novels of all time, Watchmen delivers a dark, violent and wonder full perception of superheroes looking to bring justice to America. Right from the start when the Comedian was murdered, that electrifying fight scene set the standard for the whole film. I knew that this was going to be good. And it was. Keeping you glued to the screen, right till the end. Each character plays an excellent part, my favourite being Rorschach, having that dark mysterious presence behind that...

The teaser trailer has been around a while – a camera pans over the Vatican and, hovering over St Peter's Square, focuses on a statue of an angel. Suddenly the angel turns its big stone head and TA-DAH! – it's actually a demon. But someone, somewhere, must have thought that first trailer far too clearcut. So now there's a much, MUCH more complicated two-and-a-half minute, dialogue packed extravaganza that says so much and yet does little more than prompt a trailer addict's impassioned response of: "Sorry, what?" Angels and Demons is, of course, a book in the same series as The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Although it's actually a prequel to the Da Vinci book, it's here presented as a sequel – which is only fair since eleventy-billion people read it after enjoying the other one. And...

I have just finished reading the classic novel ‘Neuromancer ’ by William Gibson, written way back around 1983. The story follows our anti-hero Case, a cyber hustler, who as been left damaged (by a mycotoxin) after he tried ripping off his employers and spends his days looking for a cure (as well as looking for the next fix). He is offered a second chance by Armitage, a mysterious character, who fixes his ailments as long as he utilises his hacking and cracking skills for Armitages projects. He has Molly, a razorgirl to take care of him (in many ways), and a time bomb implanted inside him (Snake Plisskin style) to keep him focused on the job at hand. There are a number of twists and turns to the story as the gravity of the situation makes itself apparent to Case and he will need to...

Should they ever get around to shooting a sequel to The Italian Job, might we recommend John Godwin for a supporting role? The Surrey resident was yesterday declared the winner of a competition, organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry, to solve the riddle that ends the classic 1969 film. Thanks to Godwin's solution, Michael Caine's gang of bank robbers can now live to fight another day.Peter Collinson's picture wraps up with a literal hanging ending, as the getaway coach is balanced precariously on the edge of a cliff. The gang is at one end and the gold is at the other. "Hang on a minute, lads," says Caine's ringleader in the film's final line. "I've got a great idea." Four decades on, fans are still wondering what it was.Now, finally, we have an answer. According to Godwin, the...

I’ve been weighing it up in my head for a while, whether to post up and give you all a taster of my novel or to keep it to myself and just tell you if it gets to the shelves. However, there are people who would like to have a read and I think I can post up a little without giving too much away. I want to keep you all guessing, of course! It’s currently untitled and I can’t stand coming up with titles at the best of times and I don’t class myself as an author, mainly because I lack confidence in my writing abilities (I was hopeless at English at school), my grammar was, and probably still is, hopeless…but I’ve had an idea so I’m putting it onto e-paper. Today I shall share with you the prologue. At least I think it’s the prologue, I...

KnowingView the Knowing trailer coming to cinemas: March 20TH 2009 (wide) A single father and chairman of his town's historical society is summoned when a time capsule buried behind an elementary school in 1958 is prematurely unearthed because of a water-main break. The man, whose son attends the school, sifts through the contents and finds drawings of what 1958 tykes predicted the modern world would be like. It's all flying cars and fantasy stuff, with the exception of one chilling entry. One child predicted some of the most horrible events in recent history, and there's one that hasn't yet occurred, which the man attempts to prevent. Yahoo...

The Day the Earth Stood StillStarring: Keanu Reeves."I was expecting more, but to be honest it wasn't that bad, was it?" Before I'd even seen this film there were many bad reviews, but I wanted to see for myself. Everyone has different opinions in the end. I came out feeling the film had been badly written, and some scenes in the film were pointless, verging laughable. On the other hand, I was feeling it wasn't that bad, it was watchable, and was sort of money well spent. The film could have been more cleverly constructed, perhaps better acting, but Keanu played his part quite well I thought. The whole film needed stepping up a gear, if it had, this could have been a brilliant film, the potential was there, but it lacked everything needed to make it that brilliant movie it should have...

Xan Brooks reviews teen vampire film Twilight, starring Robert Pattinson and Kirsten......

Defiance Trailer starring Daniel Craig. Four Jewish brothers living in Nazi occupied Poland escape into the forest where they join up with Russian resistance fighters in battling the Nazis. Throughout the war they built a village inside the forest and saved the lives of more than 1200 other Jews. Based on a true story. Coming: December 31ST 2008 (us) - January 9TH 2009...

Punisher: War ZoneComing December 5TH 2008Waging his one-man war on the world of organized crime, ruthless vigilante-hero Frank Castle sets his sights on overeager mob boss, Billy Russoti. After Russoti is left horribly disfigured by Castle, he sets out for vengeance under his new alias: Jigsaw. With the "Punisher Task Force" hot on his trail and the FBI unable to take Jigsaw in, Frank must stand up to the formidable army that Jigsaw has recruited before more of his evil deeds go unpunished. Yahoo...

The CIA is often credited with 'advice' on Hollywood films, but no one is truly sure about the extent of its shadowy involvement. Matthew Alford and Robbie Graham...

2012Coming July 2009With the Mayan calendar ending in 2012, a large group of people must deal with natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, typhoons and...