The Cabin in the Woods - Film Review

As a fan of a great horror, a film like The Cabin in the Woods always stood a chance of being a success. Yet, to truly pin down this film as horror would be a gross injustice to what is undeniably a surprisingly hilarious, bitterly dark, fantastically inventive and totally insane tribute to a number of genres. Its tagline so casually states that if "you think you know what's going to happen, think again." You've heard that a thousand times before, yet The Cabin in the Woods actually delivers on what it promises. As of this moment, you haven't seen a film like The Cabin in the Woods. That is a fact.

Philadelphia - Film Review

Philadelphia is a film that has a point to make and certainly isn't shy in tugging on the heart strings in making it. Tackling the issues of AIDS at a time when Hollywood shied away from the subject has earned it a place in film history and thankfully it is a worthy entry on its own terms as a film.

Led by an Oscar winning performance by Tom Hanks, Philadelphia's strengths as a story are played to perfection by its cast. Hanks deservedly got his first Oscar for the role of Andrew Beckett, playing a man who is slowly dying yet fighting for what he believed was a wrongful termination from his law firm due to his illness. Heartfelt and genuine, Hanks makes Beckett's descent towards an undeniable death tragic, graceful and emotional. Never overplaying the normalcy of the man Beckett is regardless of how people view his sexuality, illness or social position Hanks has made a character for the ages. He's just a man who wants to live, and live a normal life regardless of who he is behind his front door.

Good Will Hunting - Film Review

Just about the perfect feel-good film, it's a shame the pairing of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck haven't been able to create another masterpiece together in the fifteen years since.

Perfection with every word, each one thought out to create a prolonged effect and feeling on the viewer days after its credits roll; the script is the films ace. There are several life-changing moments for the characters, and several revelations about what certain characters mean to each other that you don't expect; every single one of them you go through the transition with. It's almost trying to teach you everything there is that's important in life and regardless of whether you knew it before it will make you feel like it's fresh.

The Hunger Games - Film Review

The Hunger Games isn't scared to translate the brutality of its subject matter onto the screen. It's at times quite violent, dark and bleak. It also is a very visually beautiful and thought provoking vision of a world driven to extremes by the very nature of being run by the human race. This is a world where the powerful make the poor fight to the death in a "game" of survival. Donald Sutherland's President claims it is all about keeping order, about controlling the power and about intimidating the Districts who once revolted against the government. It's much more than that though. As Stanley Tucci's Caesar presents the games like the Superbowl, it feels much more close to sport than a form of order. This being a sport which sees twenty-three people dead every single year.

It tinkers around with these grand questions; would the games continue if no one watches, how immoral is it to treat a human life so carelessly and what makes an individual feel no responsibility for the deaths when they can become part of a crowd. However it clearly doesn't want to answer them yet. There are still two more novels to tackle these questions. The Hunger Games is all about creating the world, and finding the important people within it.

New SpoilerTV Podcast - Discussing Which Shows We Would Save From Cancellation If We Could Only Choose Three

There's a new SpoilerTV Podcast up and ready for a listen. You can check it out HERE

Don't forget you can subscribe to the STV podcast on itunes HERE

In the podcast The ODI, CJ and Adam debate on what 3 shows should be saved if all shows were cancelled. We talk about the latest episodes of Awake, The Walking Dead and recap some of the latest TV and Movie News.

Our Weekly Topic: If all shows were cancelled which 3 would you save?
Imagine that in May all TV shows that have aired since August 2011 were all cancelled and you were told you could only save 3 shows to return in September. What 3 shows would you choose? The ODI, CJ and Adam debate (or argue) what shows they think deserve a 2nd chance. Some of the shows we argue over include: Awake, Chuck, Dexter, Doctor Who, Falling Skies, Fringe, Game of Thrones, House, Person of Interest, Sherlock, Supernatural, The Walking Dead and White Collar.

Safehouse - Film Review

I wish that brilliant acting, exciting action sequences and a gritty directoral vision were enough, but sadly Safe House falls so short in it's most vital area; the script.

Wafer thin, riddled with a set-up that is poorly executed, concluded or even explained the story is so blind in the belief that it is clever it's unforgivable. Mix in a twist so pain numbingly obvious you can see it coming within five minutes and it's clear the script is so poor it hurts like a fork to the eye.

21 Jump Street - Film Review

Undeniably the slickest, funniest and smartest comedy to hit cinemas in 2012, 21 Jump Street should also be the first real evidence that Channing Tatum has the talent his name has yet to become synonymous with.

A witty script by Jonah Hill and his team leads to a film which packs in plenty of big action sequences, hilarious set pieces as well as a lot of heart, and it's refreshing to see a team of comedians in their element and with material worthy of their talents.

The Notebook - Film Review

Even though I haven't done so previously, I'd quite like to store all my film reviews in one place, so I'll also be putting in old film reviews as I watch them/write them. Starting with "The Notebook."

The Notebook is a load of sentimentality wrapped so tidily in a bow that you can easily be forgiven for not anything more than the definition of tear jerker. However if you delve a little deeper you'll see two stars of their generation putting to shame many actors who have tried (and ultimately failed) at creating the true cinema romance. The beautiful Rachel McAdams' Allie will win over everyone watching, and Ryan Gosling shows with Noah more than just a spark of the acting icon he is surely becoming.

Sadly, it's bookended and littered throughout with a glance forward in time as Garner and Rowland's old couple tell Allie and Noah's story with a reading of the titular notebook. It fails to hold back the film's secret, becoming obvious early on exactly where this story is going, and McAdams and Gosling's chemistry isn't matched by their elders. I found myself dis-interested in these cut-aways, much preferring to see the "flashbacks" of the story and disappointed I could see the film's conclusion before I wanted too.

John Carter - Film Review

Unfortunately losing the "of Mars" from the title still couldn't hide the fact that the red planet's visuals are very dull and lacking in stimulating locations. Mix into the fold the fact that the film is filled with terminology that is difficult to follow and a shaky performance from Taylor Kitsch, and John Carter finds itself looking big but actually lacking in terms of quality.

It is a shame as the film has a great opening act as Carter finds himself hunted in the Wild West, but the humorous direction from Andrew Stanton is soon lost in a very serious, dark and gloomy middle section.

New SpoilerTV Podcast - Discussing Fringe, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Awake and More...

Hey guys,

The latest SpoilerTV Podcast is live, and is well worth checking out HERE

We discuss the new show on NBC Awake and how we feel it is one of the best pilot episode in years. We talk about the latest episodes of The Walking Dead (2x11) and how we feel it finally has the pace we wanted. CJ catches up with Adam on his thoughts on the last episode of Fringe (4x14) and Person of Interest (1x16). We round-up the podcast with our thoughts on a few other shows (American horror story, The River, White Collar) and talk about the new Avengers Trailer.