60-second cinema

4 out of 10 Luc ... my dear sweet Luc ... what have you done??!?!?! I realise that Paris is as proud as punch that the extrememly graceful yet powerful sport of Parkour was invented in the suburbs, but a film based on it could have been so much more. For those of you that haven't yet seen Taxi / Taxi II please form an orderly queue outside Mal's house as I live too far away and you can't borrow my copy - it's just to good, sorry. Once you have seen these, Léon and other associated works you will understand the slight discomfort I felt whilst watching this ... not film ... more concept. So Parkour - running, jumping, being really fit and challenging the 'Urban Jungle' -yeah? So Luc, how did you get on then??? The future ... in a suburb of paris ... walled in by the Police cos the locals are all a bit too naughty with their guns and drugs and stuff ... oh and they have tattoos and Barryed cars too. Also there is a nuclear bomb, and a cop who is a one man dea...

7 out of 10 I saw this at a very early age, forgot about it, and only re-discovered it after a sudden memory and a whole lot of googling to find one of its characters ( Brion James - who i could only remember looked a bit like a rat...well he does!). I almost choked on my can of Red Stripe when I saw that it was my friend (and yours) Mr Samuel Raimi directing ... and penned in cahoots with Ethan & Joel of the illustrious Brothers Coen ! Very odd film, which I still very much enjoyed due to its cost effective and inventive use of camera, sound effects and slapstick. Almost gives the feel that it was part of their final year project, only better, with the characters ranging from the questionably selected to the almighty chin himself - Bruce Cambell . I would suggest seeing this if you can, as it forms an intersection of many entertainment industry folks at a very early time in their careers (including Antonio Fargas ... though I will have to check this). In order to see this hid...

9 out of 10 My first review, good thing I found an absolute gem to kick things off with. On the surface Versus is a simple combination of blood/guts/gore/kung-fu/guns/yakuza/zombies - everything your avid Asia Extreme fan requires in a film. But look a bit closer...go on...is it really that strightforward? Or do you detect a hint of Evil Dead style self mockery? Isn't each actor a perfect fit for representing their (nameless!)japanese stereotype character? Are you being forced into the heart of each confrontation by the extremely inventive camera work? Though this film will excite some, it will also cause disgust in others, a shame as this really is a fun film which is much more accessible than say Ichi The Killer . If you do take up the challenge of Versus , make sure you give it at least half an hour for your brain to relax into. The western mind is not quite as odd as the far (out) eastern noggin and this film is what counts as a citizenship test. I passed said test so I am off...