FILM REVIEW: End of Watch (2012)

Director: David Ayer

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Micheal Pena, Anna Kendrick, Natalie Martinez, Frank Grillo

Running Time: 109 minutes

Genre: Action drama

David Ayer has an impressive background in L.A. cop films. The writer of Oscar-winning Training Day, the underrated Kurt Russell pic Dark Blue and director of the silly, but highly enjoyable Street Kings returns with this searing thriller about two L.A.P.D. officers who get in over their heads with some with pretty nasty Mexican criminals. Using a variation of the found footage genre mixed with traditional camera set-ups, it makes for a compelling and gritty thriller that packs a punch and reaffirms Ayer's status as a promising writer/director.

End of Watch is not as much a cop film, more of a buddy picture that relies heavily (and thoroughly succeeds) on the performances of the two leads, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. Simply put, either the film fails or succeeds on the relationship of the duo. Gladly, it is very much the latter as Taylor (Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Pena) feel like fully fleshed out characters and the primary focus is on their relationship from the beginning with the oft hilarious banter or heart-to-heart conversations about relationships that don't seem forced and seems like everyday conversations two guys would have. The film's more intimate moments with Taylor and Zavala's families further back-up the full characterization of the two leads with Zavala's wife Gabby (Natalie Martinez) and Taylor's love interest Janet (Anna Kendrick) providing more personal insights into the two. Both Gyllenhaal and Pena are great, with Pena in particular excelling (as he has done consistently in his career) as second fiddle to Gyllenhaal's Taylor. The story unfolds slowly, but it does not take away from the momentum of the film, with some clever set-pieces that only heighten the sense of dread that trouble is around the corner. Once the two run into trouble, there are some hyper-violent and dazzling action scenes that are wonderfully shot and executed. Tense and thrilling in equal measure, Ayer has perfected tense gun battles (see the opening to Street Kings for further proof) and again here he excels. However, one aspect of the film that suffers is the bland generic villains that while being intimidating and proper psychopaths, never get a decent enough look inside their world to understand their motives. It is a small niggle in such an entertaining film however, as it truly is Gyllenhaal and Pena's show.

End of Watch is a tough and gritty thriller (partly in thanks to the use of found footage style) with plenty for fans of the cop genre. Moreover, there are plenty thrills, excitement and entertaining performances to be found that raise the film above the run-of-the-mill generic cop thrillers out there, thanks greatly to the commanding and charismatic performances by Gyllenhaal and Pena. 

84

ALBUM REVIEW: Deftones - Koi No Yokan (2012)

Artist: Deftones

Album: Koi No Yokan

Label: Reprise

Genre: Alternative metal

Length: 51.50

The seventh album from Sacramento's finest alternative metal band has arrived and in a similar vein to 2010's expansive Diamond Eyes. Very much a sister piece to Diamond Eyes (partly down to Chi Cheng's absence, still recovering from a near fatal car accident), Koi No Yokan is a conflicted monster of an album, the quiet melodic grace and beauty is in constant battle with the grinding guitar riffs of Stephen Carpenter and blind fury of Chino Moreno's scowls. The band has found the perfect place between the contrasting sounds of metal and alternative and it is Koi No Yokan.

Deftones are definitely survivors. After six albums filled with multi-platinum highs and internal/personal lows, the band continues to mature and have come back even stronger with a progression in their artistic style and Koi No Yokan is the culmination of this artistic redefining and is an unrepentant success. From the infectious opening riff of 'Swerve City' to the slow burn finale of 'What Happened To You?', the group display an intricate skill for mixing elegantly complex lyrical verses with Carpenter's heavy alternative metal guitar riffs that are backed up by Chino's varied vocal delivery. With any other singer, a lot of the tracks on Koi No Yokan would fail miserably, but with Chino's assured delivery and outstanding vocal range (which varies from hauntingly beautiful to loudly violent and intimidating) it makes the album a resounding success. 

What stands out most on early listens to Koi No Yokan is the tender and melodic tracks like 'Romantic Dreams', 'Entombed', 'Rosemary' and the aforementioned 'What Happened To You?'. This softer sound is much more prevalent than on their previous records and presents a more intimate and personal side of the band than possibly ever seen before. An album stand-out is 'Entombed', lead guitarist Carpenter's intimate and sweeping riff mixed with Chino's ability to balance the melodies with reaching the high notes. 

The album's first single 'Leathers', much like Diamond Eyes opening single 'Rocket Skates' and very similar in style and set-up is a decent advertisement for the album's broad sound and is very much the vintage Deftones sound. Containing heavy riffs, an epic chorus and top notch production values (again from Nick Raskulinecz), it's a good, solid rocker. The second single from the album, 'Tempest', is a different beast altogether. Clocking in at over six-minutes long, it is an epic slow builder with Chino's melodic delivery met with some top grinding from Carpenter. This is one of the more progressive songs on the album and is a joy and was a great choice for the second single.

For fans of the bands more heavy side, there is plenty to find on Koi No Yokan with tracks like 'Swerve City', Poltergeist' and 'Gauze' fill the quota to varying degrees of success. 'Swerve City' is a fantastic opener to the album, with a strong and stand-out guitar work from Carpenter to match Chino's ever impressive howl. 'Poltergeist' is by far the heaviest song on the album, and is an onslaught of heavy riffing and ominous vocals from Chino. 'Gauze' is a good solid rocker, but is one of the lesser songs in context of the whole album.

So far, so good, right? It gets better. The album's 9th track and centrepiece song, the near-seven minute long 'Rosemary', will go up there with the finest efforts in the band's long career. Describing this song as epic is an understatement. It is a layered, sprawling effort, with lavish production and a heavenly sound. It becomes clear at this point, that the Deftones are a band at the peak of their creative powers, a band on a creative roll who has reinvented themselves as an important band in the rock landscape. 'Rosemary' is this albums crowning achievement. 

The album closer, 'What Happened To You?' finishes the album on a perfect note. Similar to the sound found on their 2011 album Covers, 'What Happened To You?' sounds unlike a Deftones song. That is what makes it a success. A group willing to broaden their musical range and that is what Koi No Yokan is undoubtedly about, artistic progression. What started with Diamond Eyes has reached its peak here. 

Koi No Yokan is an unprecedented success. The group's seventh album builds on everything good in their previous efforts and adds a new dimension of layered sound and expands on the melodic sounds hinted at in Diamond Eyes and their previous efforts. It is refreshing that a band that has been around for so long is not afraid to evolve and refine their style without completely losing their trademark sound, Deftones have managed this with considerable success and acclaim. This album is broad and expansive with great variety and substance to it and a contender for album of the year.

FILM REVIEW: V/H/S (2012)

Directors: Adam Winguard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence

Starring: Calvin Reeder, Lane Hughes, Adam Winguard, Hannah Fierman,  Mike Donlan

Running Time: 115 minutes

Genre: Horror anthology

The found footage gimmick is becoming stale. It's resurgence in recent years due to the success of the Paranormal Activity has brought up a host of cheap and tacky imitations trying the same trick over and over. V/H/S is a breath of fresh air in that regard. Unlike the majority of these films threats of near-misses for 90 minutes and then one big reveal at the finish, V/H/S goes straight for the jugular. It's gruesome, nasty, vile, ultra-violent and disturbing in parts, but one thing you can't deny is that it is an effective horror film that sticks a middle finger to the safe horror that is constantly being thrown into cinemas.

Rather than being one long haul, V/H/S is an anthology film, broken into six short segments (five of which are seen in one main arc called 'Tape 56'). This allows for greater variety in tone and style, which is often a hindrance on such films, where the found footage gimmick can wear thin pretty quick. Tape 56 suffers the most from being broken up in bit segments while the other shorts play and is the most confusing, but there are a few chills to be found, despite the group being a bunch of douchebags. The opening short, Amateur Night (directed by David Bruckner) is the best of the bunch. Following three guys on a night out, their drunken antics (except the quiet and nice guy of the group cameraman) and their inability to see that everything isn't okay with one of the chicks they pick up from a bar. Cue madness. This segment is bat-shit bonkers. The warning signs are evident for the boys early on and it's horror movie school 101 stuff, but is executed with such thrilling style and makes exceptional use of the found footage format. Visceral and pretty much every young man's nightmare, it's a fantastic opening segment. The second segment, Second Honeymoon (directed by Ti West) is a more subdued affair. Anyone who knows West's output will instantly know his involvement here. Slow building and full of quiet menace, a couple on their second honeymoon become victim of a deranged stalker. Here, the use of the found footage is haunting and eerily creepy. West's horror instincts (as seen in the great The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers and probably the main reason I wanted to see this film) are old school, the slow build, the ominous signs and the night scenes. They are beyond scary. The stalker using the couples camera is a master stroke. The menace and threat of the stalker in those scenes do more than the blood-letting that comes afterwards. The shockingly brutal climax will warrant a strong stomach and is about as explicitly violent a film can get without being censored. Be warned! 

The third segment, Tuesday the 17th (directed by Glenn McQuaid), plays with the slasher movie format and after the first two segments feels like a let down. It has its moments with some genuinely spooky flashes. One or two of the kills are rough and nasty, but the over-reliance on gore here (and some shoddy effects/fake looking props) hinder. It has its moments, but nowhere as effective as the previous two. The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Young (directed by Joe Swanberg) is the weakest segment of the film. Relying on a Skype camera call scenario, a young woman who suspects there is a ghost in her apartment contacting her doctor boyfriend to keep a record of the events. There are scares to be had here, as the Paranormal Activity premise is turned on its head in pretty disgusting fashion. Two impromptu surgery scenes again keep the recurring theme of extreme gore at a high. This is perhaps the weakest segment of the film, but given the tricky and confining setting, it does well all things considered. The final segment is the most fun of the bunch, 10/31/98. Directed by Radio Silence, this segment has by far the most visual scares of the film, as a group of guys go to the wrong Halloween party and enter a real life house of horrors. The scares are not a gruesome as the previous segments and there is a lighter feel to this segment (for the opening exchanges anyway). The scares are great, giving more in jumps in 15 minutes that the combined Paranormal Activity franchise combined. 

V/H/S is a great horror film. Mean and nasty, but with enough clever touches to stop it from being exploitive, there are enough scares and blood here for hardcore horror fans. Definitely not for those with a weak stomach though. All involved have made an entertaining and genuinely unique take on a horror sub-genre that has relied on safe and basic scares. V/H/S rectifies this, with blood-soaked aplomb. Be warned, it is intensely violent and gruesome. One for Halloween then!

78

TV REVIEW: The Shadow Line (2011)

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christopher Eccleston, Stephen Rea, Rafe Spall, Antony Sehr

Genre: Drama

It is easy to forget that not too long ago British television was the pinnacle of programming. Long before the HBO's of this world came along, the BBC (and ITV too) were throwing out show after show of immense quality. The detective drama in particular being a staple of British television over the years and with The Shadow Line, the BBC have delivered a show that remains true to the age old BBC style, but adding modern threads of grit and themes utterly consistent with the finest shows from the States. The Shadow Line is not only the best British drama of recent years, it's one that down the line will be looked at in the same vein as Tinker, Sailor, Soldier, Spy as a classic of the conspiracy/noir genre, a complex and enthralling thriller that exceeds all expectations. 

From early on, creator, writer and producer Hugo Blick sets out to be different. The first scene in particular sets up that this is not your usual police procedural with an inexperienced rookie being shown the ropes at a crime scene by the shady Sgt. Foley (David Schofield) and this sets the ominous overtone for the series seven episodes. These opening exchanges hint at something far different than the usual detective mystery drama, with the thin line between the supposed good and bad guys being non-existent, each character is shadier than the last. Everything is not as it seems and the sense of foreboding bleeds in every darkly lit scene. Jonah Gabriel (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a detective with a shady past of his own working on trying to solve the murder of a recently released crimelord, Harvey Wratten. On the other divide is Christopher Eccleston's Joseph Bede, a man trying to leave the criminal world, but whose own plans are thrown up in the air upon Wratten's death. Bede has to deal with his wife's illness and juggle an assortment of shady underworld characters, including the psychopathic nephew of Harvey, Jay (Rafe Spall), who is determined to kill his uncle's killer. Then there is Gatehouse (a creepy Stephen Rea), a man in the shadows seemingly controlling the show. Along with Spall's Jay, these are two of the most entertaining villains in recent television memory. Spall excels as Jay, delivering a performance that is terrifying and amusing in equal amounts. While the show is mainly laugh free, there are a few scenes that he brings chuckles, but never losing that menacing look. 

This makes Rea's Gatehouse all the more compelling and in complete contrast to Jay as he is a monster of a completely different kind. Quietly sinister and sombrely downbeat but intelligently played by Rea, his Gatehouse is the cold hearted centre of the series and whenever he appears, you know danger is near. As the show progresses, there are a stunning variety of twists, turns, shocks and genuinely disturbing moments. Gabriel's descent into this world and revelations about his own past and his secrets from his wife make him a compellingly flawed central character. Ejiofor is perfectly cast, varying from forlorn copper to a husband trying to juggle a series of mistakes and tribulations. Surprisingly violent, there are several moments throughout the show that will leave you speechless. There are too many sub-plots to go into detail here; with Tobias Menzies crusading journalist out to find the truth about Gabriel's past, or Bede's tragic relationship with his wife (Lesley Sharp), all taking up considerable time. But rather than weighing down the main plot line, these side plots build up the central characters and your connection with them, especially Eccleston's Bede, who becomes the tragic anti-hero of the piece, with you rooting for him to succeed. As the final episode begins, you wonder how on earth will Blick wrap this up and he succeeds in the most shocking and memorable way possible. For a show dedicated to focusing on near truths and deception, the finale is shockingly blunt and in your face. It is a terrific change of pace to a show that never tires of dropping hints and half-truths. The final scenes are the truth, whether you like it or not. 

The Shadow Line is a series of highly complex, clever set-ups and a pay off that is chilling, haunting and up there with the best in recent memory. Even the main theme (performed by Emily Barker) provides the perfect sound for the show, beautiful but with an underlying tone of threat and menace that will stick with you and haunt you long after it is over. This show is a compelling masterpiece. The plot is as deep and complex as they come and interweaves multiple angles. The performances are compelling (especially Eccleston who becomes the series heart and soul), and a final revelation that is nothing short of a shocking masterclass, The Shadow Line is television at its absolute best. A masterpiece.

92

SONG REVIEW: Pure Love - Handsome Devil's Club (2012)

Artist: Pure Love
Song: Handsome Devil's Club
Genre: Alternative rock
Release Date: 22 July 2012

While not having the bang-wallop factor of 'Bury My Bones', Pure Love's second single is everything that the title of their debut album (the ever-so-aptly named Anthems) suggests an absolute rocking sing-along treat. 'Handsome Devil's Club' is such a catchy song (the chorus is immense) and grows in stature and impact on repeat listens. Lead singer Frank Carter's Morrissey-lite lyrics and raw delivery only reinforce the lovelorn and careless in love vibe of the song.

With Anthems not being released until the Autumn and a small UK tour inbetween now and then to rouse anticipation even further along with Handsome Devil's Club will satisfy fans needs until then with ease. It's hardly going to reinvent the rock world, but it is most definitely a catchy and infectious rock song that will you begging for more of these guys. Also, for anyone looking for more Pure Love material, be sure to check out Daytrotter's live sessions for terrific live performances of songs from the upcoming album. 

76

SONG REVIEW: Blur - Under the Westway (2012)

Artist: Blur
Song: Under the Westway
Genre: Alternative rock
Release Date: 2 July 2012

Blur's first single since 2010's 'Fool's Day' is a double release; the oddity 'The Puritan' comes the wonderful poignant 'Under the Westway'. While being no die hard Blur fan and more of a casual listener, this came as a wonderful surprise to me. Despite releasing a single in 2010, the band have not released an album since 2003's Think Tank and any worries about the group losing their touch can be cast aside with this sweepingly beautiful and gorgeous song.

Blur's music varies from their more playful singles like 'Country House' and 'Parklife' to the more serious and melodic offerings like 'Tender' and 'The Universal'. 'Under the Westway' is firmly in the latter bracket and is essentially a love song, but with enough Albarn dramatics and strong lyrics for it to avoid being melodramatic of over-emotional to the point of parody. Albarn's delivery is unique and is not the high note hitting masterclass like crooners, but rather a voice driven by pure emotion and therefore infinitely times more effective.

80

ALBUM REVIEW: The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania (2012)

Artist: The Smashing Pumpkins

Album: Oceania

Label: EMI/Caroline Distribution/Martha's Music

Genre: Alternative rock

Length: 60:02

The Smashing Pumpkins heyday in the 1990's found them universal acclaim, multi-platinum album sales and a legion of dedicated followers. Rock music in general has suffered considerably in the past decade and the decline of The Smashing Pumpkins has coincided with this decline with a long chronicled tale of infighting which led to their eventual split in 2000. Now reformed with frontman Billy Corgan as the only original member in the line-up and with 2008's ugly and disappointing return Zeitgeist behind them as well as the partly finished 44-track experiment hit-and-miss fest Teargarden by Kaleidyscope put on-hold for the release of this "album-within-an-album", Oceania.

Oceania is everything that Zeitgeist isn't. Zeitgeist's overproduced and grinding guitars are largely absent from Oceania despite opening similarly heavy; the end product is a far more melodic and gentle album. Depending on your tolerance levels for Corgan's unique vocal delivery and his often pandering lyrics, this album will satisfy Pumpkin fans who adored the Adore-era output of the band and those who saw any sort of promise in the ambitious Teargarden by Kaleidyscope project. The production here is top notch and the songs are wonderfully varied with traditional Pumpkins mainstays of heavy riffs and gentle tracks to the psychedelic and use of electronic (used to fantastic effect in the great Pinwheels). Corgan's voice is in great shape and always has had a hauntingly beautiful quality to it (when he is not waling at least). Album stand-outs like Violet Rays, Pinwheels, Pale Horse and Wildflower are gorgeously textured tracks and are sweeping in scale and ambition. Violet Rays is an early hint that this group of musicians have finally clicked as a unit and are flowing seamlessly and with artistic vigour. Corgan's grandiose compositions are no surprise given his talent, but rarely (lately especially) has it all come together so well. The best song on the album is the lively and infectious Glissandra and comes at a stage in the album (track 11 of 13) where a kick in adrenaline is needed and it is pitch perfect and invokes memories of some of their biggest hits.

This album is a supreme return to form by Corgan and company. After the bad taste Zeitgeist left, Oceania is a vibrant, expressive joy of an album. The album is a wonderful reminder that while the original line-up of The Smashing Pumpkins may be gone never to reform, Corgan and his choice of replacements have recaptured a sound that has not been heard at anywhere near it's best since 1998's Adore. Unexpected as it may be, this may very well be one of the albums of the year.

83

FILM REVIEW: Project X (2012)

Director: Nima Nourizadeh
Starring: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown and Kirby Bliss Blanton
Running Time: 88 minutes
Genre: Teen comedy

Early previews for Project X labelled it as the next Hangover/Superbad crossover hit. They were wrong, so very wrong. Unfortunately, unlike the two aforementioned titles, Project X comes off as a second rate crude 'comedy' that relies on the lead trio of abusing each other verbally continuously and over-reliance on "OMG we're the cool kids for tonight" type nonsense rather than genuine character progression or development. The lack of those themes in comedy have often worked a joy in the past, but for it to work, the characters need to be likeable and sympathetic to a certain degree and even more importantly, it has to be funny. The film has none of those going for it and is a cluttered mess of direly unfunny gags and swearwords.

To celebrate Thomas's (Thomas Mann) birthday, he along with his friends Costa (Oliver Cooper) and J.B. (Jonathan Daniel Brown) organize the house party to end all house parties. As the crowd grows too big and out of control, the shit hits the fan. That's it, that's the story here. How the writers thought they could possibly get 90 minutes worth of decent entertainment from that is beyond me, even if the script had at least a few laughs and the tiniest bit of charm. It fails spectacularly. The characters are generally generic cardboard stereotypes of the teen comedy genre; the geek, the fat one, the underachiever, the hottest girl in school, the John Cusack cool kid who is nice to the dweebs. The leads even lack the most basic charm or likeability as the birthday boy Thomas, betrays a girl he may be in love with to try and "get with" the school's most popular girl and woop-di-woop, gets caught in the process, but takes some drugs to get over it.  The ecstasy use depicted in the film infuriated me no end and the message that this film sends out to the no doubt legion of underage people that will be going crazy for this film. Taking ecstasy to assist in having a good party time and oh, well "I'll be fucked up tomorrow" after as the only side effect is irresponsible, even in the context of a fictional film is unforgivable (especially in a film marketed at kids). Seeing this blatant mixing of drugs and alcohol equating to fun times is irresponsible film-making and is exploitive and damaging. It's a party film, fine, but glorifying that kind of drug use on screen without repercussions (in fact, it's celebrated in the film with slo-mo scenes of underage kids taking tablets and having a 'good time'). All this would not have mattered if they learned a lesson of some sort or even if it was a genuinely funny film, but it really wasn't.

Project X misses the mark on all the promise of being the next Superbad. Mean, unfunny and basically a 90 minute advert for the latest party dance songs, this film is really poor. For those who enjoy seeing teen geeks fantasies about getting with skimpily dressed teen girls who are "out of their league", this film isn't even for you. It's that bad. Worst film so far this year.

13

FILM REVIEW: Prometheus (2012)

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce
Running Time: 124 minutes
Genre: Science-fiction

While not up to the level of his Alien and Blade Runner efforts, Ridley Scott's big return to the science fiction genre is still a highly effective and creative thrill-ride that takes a well known mythology (of the Alien film series) and not only reinvigorates it, but turns the series in another and more ambitious direction. But while not being a proper prequel to Alien, it contains many odes and obvious references to the seminal 1979 film that made Scott an icon. This film aims to be bigger and more expansive than the Alien franchise and to a level it succeeds, but often at the expense of logic and gaps in continuity. 

From the opening scene, Prometheus is a gorgeous, wonderfully shot and epic looking film. Perhaps this epic and awe inspiring imagery covers up some of the inadequacies in the plot and with the characterization. Noomi Rapace does well with the well-worn female hero role and while being nowhere near as iconic as Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, she puts in a great effort as an archaeologist whose discovery may lead to the extermination of mankind. Her and her partner Charlie (Logan Marshall-Green) become part of the journey to explore the same star maps they found on different archaeological expeditions on earth. On board the ship (named Prometheus), we met the 17 strong crew who and their mission to make contact with extraterrestrial life. Even early on, the standout of the film is Michael Fassbender's David. Fassbender has proven himself as a terrific performer with his roles in Hunger and Shame and again here he is nothing less than stunning in his portrayal of this android. Effortlessly swaying from sinister to sincere, Fassbender's David is a joy. His emotionless performance and robotic delivery is frighteningly divisive, is he good or bad, should we be cheering him on or condemning him (especially in comparison to Alien's Ian Holm, of whom David is an earlier model of). Scott's various odes to Alien are common, none more so than the central villain of the piece, the space jockey (seen in Alien, but not explained) or as they are now called, Engineers. While fascinating and creepy, the plot holes start to come into effect here and it adds to moments of questioning that even pushes science fiction logic to its limits. But as the logic falls, the action suspense and space horror elements are very well done. There are quite a few cringe moments of gore that up the ante and bodies start piling up. Characters like Rafe Spall's Milburn and the underrated Sean Harris's Fifield get little screen time, they make enough of an impression to feel for their plight. Captain Janek (Idris Elba) is the captain of the ship and despite his lack of screen time, Elba is as charismatic as ever. Vickers (Charlize Theron) is the Burke (ooh, Aliens reference) of the film; a company woman with profit and power on her mind as well as a few secrets that turn out to be predictable and poor reveals. The biggest disappointment (besides his terrible make-up) is the genuine waste of Guy Pearce, an actor so good it's criminal to have him hidden behind 40 layers of prosthetics. 

A return to form this may be for Ridley Scott, it however still falls short of his classic Alien and Blade Runner masterpieces. But you have to admire the scale and ambition seen in Prometheus, it expands on a beloved franchise and breathes new life into a genre that has become stale and tame. Prometheus, while far from being a perfect film and having a weak plot, is a greatly entertaining science fiction thriller that is high on gorgeous visuals, big set pieces and a towering performance from the terrific Michael Fassbender.

79

TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones: Season 2 (2012)

WARNING *major series spoilers contained*

The first season of HBO's Game of Thrones was a revelation. A show brimming with complex characters, blockbuster set design and a world so beautifully realised and expansive that having only 10 episodes in a season felt in itself like a betrayal. Season 2 expands even further on the glorious first season, with new characters introduced as The Seven Kingdom's are on the verge of war as four claim to be king. Add to this some of the series most shockingly brutal moments and delightful character developments that give us a second season that is on par with the epic first season. 

Robb Stark (Richard Madden) is now the head of the Stark's and claiming to be King of the North. He is battling veteran campaigner Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) while Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) and his brother Renly (Gethin Anthony) also lay claim to Joffrey's (the fiendishly good Jack Gleeson) throne.  Their brotherly rivalry and their dislike for what each other has become forms the backbone of the series early episodes. This rivalry is brought to an abrupt ending mid-season with the help of sinister priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten). Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) meanwhile, is now Hand of the King and sets about making waves in King's Landing much to the chagrin of his sister Cersei (Lena Headey). 

Tyrion's clever moves against Cersei and her vicious retaliations are great to watch and set up what King's Landing is about. Even in a scene of warmth between the two where they are open to each other ends in venomous barbs at each other and backstabbing plotting. Arya's (Maisie Williams) journey to The Wall is short lived after she and Gendry (Joe Dempsie) are captured by Lannister soldiers. She is handpicked by Tywin to be his cupbearer and their interactions form the seasons most entertaining exchanges with young Williams performance being sensational even when acting alongside powerful screen presence Dance. Robb decision to trust Theon (Alfie Allen) and send him to Pike to persuade his estranged father to give the Stark army ships sets up Theon's descent from ally of the Stark family to rebel and betrayer. Theon's fall from grace and his reasoning for doing so are fascinating and the mental anguish he suffers at the hands of his father drive him to make unforgivable actions. Theon's actions, while being initially despicable, as the season comes to its climax and in particular in a wonderful scene with Maester Luwin (Donald Sumpter), where a new perspective is put on his tragic circumstances. 

Dany's (Emilia Clarke) exile continues which leads her and Ser Jorah (Iain Glen) to the beautiful yet strange Qarth, where all is not as it seems. While she isn't given much to do this season, her scenes with the Thirteen, who are amusingly sinister and allows for her to exhibit her growing confidence and power. The build up to Stannis's arrival at King's Landing is tantalizing and slow paced, but effectively allows to build up the power of Stannis's fleet and the inner turmoil at King's Landing, where Joffrey is becoming a hated and resented King and whose vile actions are putting the Lannister's and Sansa (Sophie Turner) at risk. As the internal squabbles between Cersei and Tyrion continue up until the ninth episode, we are treated to one of the most ambitious episodes of television ever crafted, the brutal 'Blackwater'. This penultimate episode is unlike any episode of the show seen before. Rather than covering the Seven Kingdoms and more, this episode focuses on Stannis's invasion of King's Landing and Tyrion's attempts to defend the city. What follows is 60 minutes of tense action and spectacle with some of the series most brutal scenes. This episode has it all, great drama, great action and the fantastic spectacle of what this season had been building to. 

The second season of Game of Thrones builds on an already well established and sweeping epic television show. The character and story progression, while expansive and slow in places, comes together fantastically with no character being neglected or thrown aside. There can be no higher praise for the high quality production and set design, the locations are gorgeous and looks like a $250 million dollar blockbuster continuously. More importantly, the core group of characters remain as interesting and as likeable as before (or hated, depending on your allegiance). This show is simply television at its finest on every level.

87

FILM REVIEW: The Raid: Redemption (Serbuan Maut) (2012)

Director: Gareth Huw Evans

Starring: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhain and Pierre Gruno.

Running Time: 101 minutes

Genre: Action thriller

Indonesia is not a place you would traditionally associate with being at the center of modern Asian action cinema. Despite this, Welsh born director Gareth Huw Evans (who is based in Indonesia) has crafted one of the most entertaining, exhilaratingly pure action films ever made. Being an Indonesian production has only helped Evans in his vision, as surely a film with this level of violence and mayhem would have struggled to be financed in Western cinema. Without a doubt, The Raid: Redemption is the best action film since 2003's Thai martial arts epic Ong-Bak. 

The story is staggeringly simple and perhaps the films tagline is the perfect synopsis of what to expect here; "1 ruthless crime lord, 20 elite cops, 30 floors of chaos", simple, but highly effective. The lack of plot is almost instantly is forgiven (and forgotten) as the early exchanges only serve to amp up the 90 minutes of batshit bonkers madness that is going to follow. We are introduced to our hero Rama (Iko Uwais) and his fellow squad of stereotypes and cardboard cut-outs who we all know are only there for one thing; to die. We also get an unflinching and brutally explicit early look at the crime lord (and his two henchmen) and what our heroes are getting themselves into. Once the squad enter the building, all subtlety goes out the window and quickly descends into chaos, terrifically choreographed chaos with some of the most impressive and badass martial arts and shoot-outs ever seen on screen. While comparisons to 1988 action classic have been highlighted in some reviews (hero stuck in a building full of criminals), it bears very little resemblance and is more like Die Hard's coked-out-of-his-mind distant relative. The thrills come thick and fast and are high-octane and thrilling in equal measure. Necks snap, bones break, blood is let; it is an action junkies dreamland. But more importantly, each set piece is terrifically shot and entertaining and any slight concerns about set design or characterization go out the window (like some unfortunate characters literally do).

Gareth Huw Evans's The Raid: Redemption is the action event of the year. Highly inventive, in your face and containing a badassery level that is off the charts, The Raid: Redemption is a thrill-ride of chaos and carnage that will leave you breathless. And more good news, Evans is planning sequels. Oh my.

90

FILM REVIEW: The Innkeepers (2012)

Director: Ti West
Starring: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, Lena Dunham and George Riddle
Running Time: 101 minutes
Genre: Horror

Ti West is one of the most promising directors to emerge on the horror scene in quite some time. His films are highly influenced by stories that favour atmosphere over gore and character development over high body count. His style, highly reminiscent of 80's auteur John Carpenter, usually has a slow paced opening and a tense build to a finish that gives a finality that tends to allude most modern horror films (usually a cop-out or left open for a sequel). His latest effort, The Innkeepers, builds on the great promise shown in his previous effort, the little seen chiller The House of the Devil.

While billed as a horror film, The Innkeepers borrows from many different genres. There are elements of romantic comedy, slacker comedy mixed with psychological thriller elements that combined with the haunted house story create a peculiar and offbeat treat that is at the heart of The Innkeepers appeal. Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are working in the Yankee Pedlar Inn, a hotel which is closing down after the weekend. As the hotel is practically deserted (bar an ageing actress and a mother and son), Claire and Luke pass the time by maintaining Luke's ghost-hunters website and doing some ghost-hunting of their own in the hotel. While this all sounds like it has been done before story-wise, West builds up the relationship between Claire and Luke so effectively, that by the time the creepy stuff starts happening, we genuinely care for their safety and well-being. Paxton and Healy are great in their roles and both are immensely likeable, even as rom-com possible elements come into play. The effective build-up and introduction of actress-cum-psychic Leanne Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis) allows for the tension to grow further, as her ominous presence brings a sense of dread to proceedings. Like with his previous effort The House of the Dead, the final act sadly comes short, the big reveal of the actual ghost isn't as terrifying as it should be. But there still are still tense, effective chills to be had in the build-up to the underwhelming reveal.

Ti West is an great young talent. His old school direction technique and favouring of a slow and tense build up mixed with endearing character based development over cheap thrills and gore is a refreshing take in a modern horror film community where films tend to be blood-soaked and devoid of humanity. The Innkeepers is a traditional horror tale that embraces the ghost story genre with some modern beats. Add to this good lead performances by Paxton and Healy, where you are genuinely left worried for their safety and you have all the signs of good storytelling.

75

FILM REVIEW: How I Spent My Summer Vacation (aka Get the Gringo) (2012)

Director: Adrian Grunberg
Starring: Mel Gibson, Kevin Hernandez, Peter Stormare, Peter Gerety and Dean Norris.
Running Time: 96 minutes
Genre: Crime thriller

Mel Gibson's has had a tough time of it lately. His personal life has been full of embarrassing and controversial (however true they may be) behaviour. But whatever you may think of him as a person; as an actor, he is still the charismatic lead man that made him a worldwide star for over the 30 years. He carries this fun little thriller emphatically and even though the youthful looks have given way to an older, grizzled looking Gibson, he can still bring the chuckles and badassery when needed and with aplomb.

Driver (Gibson) is sent to jail in Mexico after stealing money from a dangerous crime boss (Peter Stormare). The premise is simple in that respect. However, the prison is unlike any prison you have ever seen before and is more like a town, where the powerful control the flow of drugs while the guards prevent violence and bloodshed. It may not be the most accurate portrayal of the prison system but it provides plenty of opportunities for fun set-pieces as Driver hatches an escape plan with the aid of a local kid (Kevin Hernandez) and his mother (Dolores Heredia). The mother and son are kept in the prison for a reason that endears them to Driver and soon we have entertaining sequences with Driver showing the kid the tricks of the trade. The humour in the film is great, it doesn't take itself too seriously and Gibson is not afraid to poke fun at himself, which is refreshing for an actor certain media have branded as a monster. In particular, a scene where love at first sight doesn't go as planned between Driver and Kid's Mom is a wonderful piece of misdirection and sets up the kind of film we're dealing with here, it's snappy and quick paced with great wit. Despite the often light tone, once the bullets start flying, it is as bloody and violent as they come. 

Gibson is back with a bang. He shows the natural charm and charisma that has delighted audiences for decades. Unfortunately due to his personal life this film seems to not have given a chance in the States and that's a great shame because this is a genuinely entertaining thriller that doesn't take itself too seriously. If you want a film that is darkly humourous and highly entertaining, How I Spent My Summer Vacation is definitely the film for you and a greatly enjoyable 90 minutes.

77

FILM REVIEW: The Dictator (2012)

Director: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley and John C. Reilly.
Running Time: 83 minutes
Genre: Comedy

The Dictator could have been a great satirical comic piece that highlights flaws of a modern political world in turmoil. Instead we get a comedy that is big, dumb and not clever in the slightest. It turns out to be a great waste of the talented Baron Cohen and of a great premise, which should have been ripe for political and social parody. Instead we are offered a sluggish and obvious comedy that has more misses that hits. 

Baron Cohen's Admiral General Aladeen is the leader of the fictional country, the Republic of Wadiya. Likened to mega-rich Middle-Eastern countries with extravagant leaders, Aladeen's spoilt child leadership leads to threats from the U.S. and the U.N., whom threaten his oppressive leadership and summon him to the U.N. Headquarters in New York. Cue his betrayal and the eventual culture clash comedy we haven't seen a thousand times before. Sure some of his early insults aimed at environmentalist feminist Zoey (Anna Faris) are amusing, but it becomes a tired act quickly even in a film that is on the short side as it is. There are subtle moments of humour sparsely spaced out in the film, but they are sidelined in set pieces that act only to be crude and shocking (the helicopter trip, the zip-line scene) and are vitally not very funny. The most disappointing aspect of the film is how little it actually has to say about dictatorship and democracy, instead the focus is shifted to the joys of masturbating for the first time and assassinating anyone who does give Aladeen his way. While a speech at the end comes close to highlighting such political ironies, the preceding hour does very little to be anything more than a Don't Mess With the Zohan* rehash (although aimed at a purely adult audience, unlike Sandler's). 

After Borat and Bruno, the team of Charles and Baron Cohen have shown little in the way in progression. They have again settled for crude and shocking humour. Because of this, The Dictator is a disappointing film on so many levels. The political commentary is missing, the gags are not as funny as they want to be (oh look, another penis) and while Baron Cohen is a likeable screen presence (even as a cruel dictator), there is a lack of genuinely funny material and overuse of repetitive gags and a waster of talent (Ben Kingsley in particular) render this a dud.

36


* I haven't seen Don't Mess With the Zohan (thankfully), but from the trailer they look pretty similar in terms of rubishness.

SONG REVIEW: Pure Love - Bury My Bones (2012)

Artist: Pure Love

Song: Bury My Bones

Label: Vertigo

Genre: Rock/alternative rock/punk rock

Pure Love's debut single finally arrives and it has been well worth the long wait. For anyone who had seen the awesome YouTube videos of the Bush Hall gig in February, an appetizer of the upcoming album for the former Gallows lead singer Frank Carter and former Hope Conspiracy and Suicide File guitarist Jim Carroll. The duo have crafted an anthemic rock song that is lively, uplifting and catchy as fuck.

Short and snappy at just under 3 minutes, Carter opens with the lines "I so sick of singing about hate", and it sets the wonderfully pure rock sound that this track has going for it. It is sing-a-long stuff all the way and a drastic change; just ask anyone who knows of his previous output with Gallows. His vocals are as impressive as ever (the surprise was lost when hearing the terrific performance at Bush Hall) and are delivered with aplomb. Carroll's riff is big and I found myself air-guitaring at various points through the song in appreciation of the accessible sound that he has crafted. I can't recommend this song enough, it brings back memories of the big rock songs of the past and a time gone-by. If the rest of the album is anywhere near as accomplished and confident as this track is, we may have a monster of an album on our hands.

88

The song is also available for free download from their official website here.