Man on Fire (2004) – Tony Scott

I love Tony Scott films; the saturated colours, the moving cameras, the tight pacing, the visual shorthand he used in his storytelling style. I don’t think I ever met a Tony Scott film I didn’t like. Sure I like some more than others, but all of them have his indelible print on them. Man on…

Blow Out (1981) – Brian De Palma

With a film like Blow Out it is very easy to see why comparisons to Hitchcock were made throughout De Palma’s career. A fantastic thriller that makes unique use of camera angles, framing, shots and the all important sound aspect of film. John Travolta headlines as Jack a soundman for low-budget horror movies who is…

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021) – Patrick Hughes

Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek return to cause problems, violence and dole out colourful language in the sequel to The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Director Patrick Hughes remains in the big chair and delivers a fast-paced sleek tale, that feels a little tighter in its storytelling, and its runtime. Michael Bryce…

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive (2024) – Craig DiLouie

I greatly enjoyed Craig DiLouie’s Episode Thirteen, and liked how he converted the found footage genre into a novel. So when I heard that he had a new one coming out I had to get my hands on a copy. How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive came out this week, released through Orbit…

Hide (2022) – Kiersten White

I loved Kiersten White’s Mister Magic so I had to hunt down another novel by her, Hide. Once again, she delivers a tale that is very easy to curl up in and explore. It’s fast-paced, and White is wonderfully skilled at bringing her characters to life, but despite the promise of twists and turns, there…

Drive (2011) – Nicolas Winding Refn

It’s taken me a while to get around to watching Ryan Gosling in Drive, I’m not sure what was holding me back, but I finally settled into this one, and I have to admit, I really dug it. First off, let’s mention the cast that surrounds Gosling in this film, there’s not an actor that…

The Gray Man (2022) – Joe and Anthony Russo

The Russo Brothers, who made an indelible print on the MCU, gather a fun cast to deliver a fast-paced action film that features fantastic kinetic camera work, but is held back by some cardboard characters. Six (Ryan Gosling) is a career criminal that gets recruited by a CIA handler, Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton). He’s incredibly…

The Stone Tape (1972) – Peter Sasdy

The Stone Tape is an interesting exercise, though trapped by the confines of its production, working on stages and studio cameras, and the actors delivering their lines as if they are performing on stage instead of more restrained performances for film and television. Written by Nigel Kneale who wrote the Quatermass series/films the story follows…

Never Dream of Dying (2001) – Raymond Benson

James Bond returns in Raymond Benson’s Never Dream of Dying, and this time around things get emotional for Ian Fleming’s 007 as he goes after Le Gerant, the leader of the notorious Union organization that has been causing him so much trouble over the past few novels. With his adventures taking him across the continent…