Oliver Battershall

Clash of the Titans (1981) 3/5
I wasn’t aware going in that this was a Harryhausen film, so it was a pleasant surprise when the flow of stop-motion enemies got cranked up in the second half. Although I couldn’t help but think throughout about how much I’d rather just rewatch Jason and the Argonauts instead. This definitely suffers in the relative lack of swashbuckling camaraderie, mediocre acting (even from some real greats), and plenty of apparent attempts at day-for-night shooting that just look dim and generally unpleasant to look at. Shout out to the random clockwork owl companion, very cute despite the complete anachronism.

The Astounding She-Monster (1957)
Watched in glorious 240p and crackly audio. Standard B-movie fare with a wavy visual effect on the aforementioned She-Monster (adorned with a leotard and killer brows) that I think would look really cool if it was ever remastered. Aside from a hilarious few frames where she tumbles down a hill and a surprising bit of class consciousness this was fairly dull. Cool poster though.

Payback (1999) 4/5
The gruff-voiced, steely Mel Gibson is great in this pretty underrated action flick with a great cast of characters, noir stylings, a slick sense of humour and a 70s style soundtrack. For such a gritty film it’s a really fun time. From what I hear it’s a well-known example of a director’s cut being way better than the original so I’ll have to check that one out sometime.

My Neighbour Totoro (1988) 4/5
Very sweet and comforting. Lacks the sprawling spectacle of Ghibli’s other canonised films, and it seems they hadn’t quite nailed the “whimsical but tugs on your heart strings” formula yet, but still a fun one despite the annoying little sister. Those water cooler chats between the animators on this and the ones working on Grave of the Fireflies must’ve been wild.

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) 3/5
Didn’t enjoy this as much as I’d hoped! A bit too polished with too much dialogue, it prioritises humour over charm which I think sets it apart from all the previous films bar Loaf and Death. Some fun moments but felt like it should’ve been a short instead. The subplot was a bit meh and the slapstick didn’t hit like it used to! God I’m miserable aren’t I.

Manhunter (1986) 4/5
Mann had an incredibly nuanced understanding of the serial killer genre for his time, particularly the relationship and similarities between the cop and killer archetypes. It’s why I can’t help but see a tinge of untapped potential here. Underneath the beautiful colour palette and irresistibly 80s soundtrack there’s a bit of a lack of stuff to properly ruminate on, since this is paced so quickly. Everything moves along at quite an unrelenting pace which leaves some subplots and themes sadly unexplored beyond a glance, which is surprising since Mann usually likes to take his time. But I’m nit-picking, it’s a great movie I just think it could’ve been a masterpiece. Cox I’d say is as good a Lecter as Hopkins.

Jurassic Park (1993) 5/5
One of those movies I’ve always put off watching because it’s so iconic that it already felt that I, along with most people alive, had already more or less seen the whole thing through sheer cultural osmosis. Clips, references, etc. But that ended up not being an issue because for every other scene I was getting hyped thinking “oh damn it’s THIS scene!”. Great cast, great score and great writing. Kids actually talk like kids in this! Plus this is so genuinely gripping and gritty at times which is a testament to Spielberg’s ability to push the boundaries of a 12 age rating. Thrilling from start to finish with insane CGI.

Miami Vice (2006) 2.5/5
I love a good film that’s had a bit of a critical reappraisal after an initially poor reception, but I really can’t parse why people love this. The script is horrific, Farrell and Foxx are pretty dull, and it stalls a lot to dance round a hollow plot. Is it supposed to be naff? I haven’t seen the original show but Mann said he wanted to distance this from that so I don’t really get what I’m missing. I thought there’d at least be some cool speedboat chases. The final nail in the coffin was the nu-metal cover of a Phil Collins classic, I HATE NU-METAL.

Stardust (2007) 3.5/5
Unpicks fantasy tropes while remaining sweet and earnest. A fun time with a cast of big hitters, including maybe the most unexpected (but most welcome) De Niro appearance ever?