The_Sandheaver's reviews

In an episode which was arguably the best of the new Doctor Who episodes yet, the Doctor has to help a young woman called Sally Sparrow, whose life is endangered by an unlikely enemy...despite the fact that he is lost in time.

In an episode which may seem utterly confusing at first, it picks up the pace dramatically and with a multitude of clues, Sally Sparrow is forced to work out the mystery of the Weeping Angels with the help of her best friend Kathy Nightingale and her brother before it is too late.

Teeming with references to other time-travel classics such as "Back To The Future", this is a phenomenally written episode where everything takes time to come together but when it all comes together there are shocks and horror in equal measure.

An interesting feature of this episode is its similarity to the Second Series episode "Love and Monsters", because The Doctor is hardly in the episode, yet the episode is so superbly written that it doesn't really seem to matter.

This episode will make any fans beg for answers at several points in the episode due to the confusing way in which the episode is put together, but don't worry, because everything is explained clearly by the end of the episode and the result is immensely pleasing episode.

10/10

In Billie Piper's last appearance in Doctor Who as Rose, the Doctor prepares to find a way to get rid of both the Daleks and the Cybermen who have declared war on each other when they meet in the Torchwood Institute. As always, Rose is determined to do whatever she can to help the Doctor get rid of them, but with danger at every turn, will her life be the price that has to be paid to stop them?

This was an exciting ride as the two worst enemies of the Doctor were finally pitted in battle against each other, and there are some excellent scenes of battle and it all comes to a very emotional climax. The whole cast do this incredible finalé justice, and the way the story comes together should keep any Doctor Who fan on the edge of their seats throughout.

Danny Boyle has always been known for directing and producing several excellent masterpieces. Look at films such as Shallow Grave (1994) and Trainspotting (1996) for evidence. He proves that he has not lost his touch with this magnificent, harrowing film about a man named Jim (Cillian Murphy, Batman Begins) and his struggle to survive in the streets of London, which have been abandoned due to a plague known as "Rage". However, he soon finds out he is not as alone as he thought he was...

This is easily one of the best drama films of the Twenty-first Century, and easily a cult British classic, and will always be remembered for the famous opening shots of the central character, Jim walking through the totally abandoned streets of London. It is just slightly disappointing in that the film seems to be clearly split into two halves. The first half is very intriguing, mysterious, thrilling and pretty scary, as we see how terrible things have become in London. However, the second half seems to completely lose the momentum the first half of the film developed, and it loses its edge, but there is still plenty of drama involved, and there are still some twists to the story left.

"28 Days Later" boasts a fantastic soundtrack, a top-notch crew (featuring the excellent Cillian Murphy, and the quirky Christopher Eccleston), and an intriguing plot which isn't completely predictable, and will cause a few shocks and screams as the story of a crippled world slowly unfolds. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a "zombie" film, more an exploration of human behaviour in the face of a huge, post-apocalyptic crisis, and the results aren't pretty.

In this extraordinary episode, The Doctor has to try and solve a huge mystery as he, Rose and Jack are all suddenly separated from each other after they are seemingly abducted from the TARDIS. To make things even more bizarre, The Doctor is suddenly a house mate in Big Brother, Rose is a contestant on The Weakest Link, and Jack is in what not to wear. Stranger still, all the hosts seem to be murderous robots.

However, when the Doctor finally finds out just where he is, he realises that the consequences of something he did at the very same place some time ago is having serious ramifications now, and the people of Earth are easy prey to one of the Doctor's deadliest enemies...one that the Doctor is determined to fight against to save Rose. Brace yourself for one of the most extraordinary cliff-hanger endings of a Doctor Who episode ever...

After spotting the boat at the end of the previous episode ("Three Minutes"), the survivors are shocked to find out who the occupant is. With the use of the boat, Jack and Sayid come up with a plan to confront "The Others". However, when Jack, Sawyer, Kate and Hurley follow Michael to "The Others", Jack is forced to reveal Michael's deadly secret whilst they are in the middle of nowhere.

Meanwhile, Locke decides that the time has come to find out the time has come to find out what will happen if "the button" is not pressed. However, Mr. Eko's resolve to continue pressing "the button" is surprisingly strong. So, when Locke concocts a plan to lock Eko out of the hatch with the help of an ally, Eko goes to surprisingly desperate lengths to stop Locke from making what he believes will be a big mistake.

This is a classic episode of Lost, full of secrets, suspense and very few answers to the many questions it poses to its viewers. However, some of the secrets this action-packed episode reveals will be truly shocking to the fans. There is also a trademark end-of-season cliffhanger, which achieves the feat of being both shocking and extremely confusing. One thing is guaranteed, it will keep you guessing right to the very end, and you will still be frustrated with more mind-boggling questions as you wait in agony for the Third Season to begin.

Things finally come to a heated end for the fourth Season of Smallville in an episode which any Smallville fan cannot miss. Complete with the trademark Cliffhanger ending and the non-stop action and suspense, this has everything that makes a perfect episode of Smallville.

In this episode, Lana ends up killing Genevieve Teague whilst possessed by her ancestor with one of the three stones that have been the focus of the Fourth Season. However, things are even more complicated when Clark receives a warning from Jor-El to retrieve all three of the stones and bring them together or a catastrophe of the likes that not even Clark can stop will rain down upon Smallville. So commences a race against time on Graduation Day to stop Smallville from becoming a victim of huge destruction.

I can safely say without a doubt that this is the Best British Movie of recent times, definitely the best film of 1996. It is amazing how the story can focus on such a controversial story and contain an incredible amount of humour, as well as intense sadness and fear. It is all those elements that stimulate the soul that makes this such a compelling and wonderful film.

Set in Leith and Edinburgh, this film focuses on a young Scotsman called Renton (The charismatic Ewan McGregor), his addiction to heroin, and his relationship with his friends, who are all different in their personality, yet all unified by their old friendships. However, it is Renton's realisation at the life of horror that he is living that gradually threatens to destroy the relationships he has with his so-called mates, and makes him review his views on life, which he lays out in the funny yet shocking opening monologue.

This film explores with genuine success how drugs in modern culture is viewed by many different people who live in a place which is notorious for the activity of drug addicts. It tells how the addicts live with it, how they try to keep it, how they view life, and how others view them. The reason for it being controversial is that it both seems to glorify drug use but it more than balances out with the shocking consequences that come of its use.

Ewan McGregor gives his most charismatic, enduring and humorous performances to date as the troubled Renton, who deals with the series of events unfolding around him. But, McGregor is not alone with his amazing portrayal. The performance of Robert Carlyle as the psychotic Begbie is flawless as is Kelly MacDonald's portrayal of the charismatic Dianne. You won't see any of the actors giving a better performance than they do in this outstanding film.

Based on Irvine Welsh's incredible book of the same name, this film deserves to be given praise for the issues it raises, the awareness it brings with it, and it's relevance to modern culture even now as it reaches its 10 year mark. Embued with wonderful performances, a perfect Soundtrack and humour that will make you laugh and cringe at the same time, this is a film that simply must be seen before you die. One warning, this isn't for the light-hearted.

This interesting drama is clever in that it can draw you into the stories and relationships between the four main characters purely through some amazing dialogue, some intense sexual chemistry, and through an incredible cast. It is also very unpredictable in comparison to many other films in the romantic genre, and for this, Closer deserves more recognition than your average romance film.

The film focuses on four characters. Alice (Portman, in arguably her best role to date), Dan (Law), Anna (Roberts) and Larry (Owen). After a series of chance encounters, the two principle relationships are developed. These are between Alice and Dan, the other between Anna and Larry. However, this twisted tale of lust, betrayal, deception and second chances takes a violent turn when Dan embarks on an affair with Anna and breaks off his relationship with Alice, with some revealing consequences that become important as the film goes on.

Portman gives a stellar performance as the teasing, yet highly emotional Alice, and Owen gives an equally good performance as the tactically minded Larry, who will engage anyone in a battle of wits, with interesting results. But, this isn't to say that Law and Roberts' performances aren't good, they are just simply outperformed. The result is some incredibly intense sexual chemistry, which is just begging to be released. You decide which of these types of scenes you'll find as the most arousing.

Told through a succession of shifts in time, fused with flashbacks that develop the situations, perfectly reflects how life isn't always straightforward, but sometimes, if you blink, you will miss it. This can be described as a psychological drama in the way that the relationships heat up through the amazingly intense scenes, and how people's minds do tend to lose proportionality when placed into a situation that has never previously been dealt with or dreamt of. But, the most interesting thing about this film is how it can deal quite a lot of arousal, even though there isn't any truly graphic/visual depiction of sex in the entire film.

Whatever your views on romantic/sexual films, this should interest with how destructive inter-related lives can be, and how far off the path of morality it can take us, and for anybody who can see any part of themselves in any of the four characters, they can fully appreciate the sharp turns life has, and how accurately the consequences of this are conveyed in the tumultuous relationships this film depicts.

A wonderful film, but beaten at the Oscars by a Million Dollar Baby. 9/10

This film had the recipes of what makes a good horror film. I am a big fan of M. Night Shayamalan's films, and I was really looking forward to this film. Shayamalan's tale boasts an impressive range of actors, an incredible build-up of tension and suspense, but it's key failure was its twist ending, which both shocks and disappoints.

The tale is about an old village (17th/18th Century) and the people who live in it, all of them living in perpetual fear of a strange being that lives in the woods that surrounds them. They are apparently attracted by the colour Red, they seem to have some sort of truce with the town elders, and now, they are intent on breaking their truce because 'they are coming'.

The film focuses on Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix), a shy yet confident man who shows resilience to the mysterious creatures that live in the woods, and his relationship with a blind woman called Ivy (Howard) who admires this courage. Ivy is also a friend of a bewildered and possibly mentally ill man called Noah (Brody) who has some sort of obsession with Ivy. As the film goes on, Lucius starts to break more and more of the bounds that separate the creatures from the humans, and now, the creatures suddenly seem more active, and it seems that Lucius is to blame. Soon, the fate of the Village is anybody's guess.

This film boasts some superb acting. Joaquin is fantastic as the reclusive and gentlemanly Lucius, whilst Adrien Brody is spot on as the psychotic and unpredictable Noah. Meanwhile, Sigourney Weaver, who plays one of the town's elders, gives one of her best acting turns since 'The Ice Storm'. They are all unfortunately hampered by the bad twist, but you could forgive it for the way it builds up the suspense. It is not a bad film, it is perfectly enjoyable to watch once or twice, but it isn't one of those films you'd want to get up and watch obsessively.

When I first saw this movie, I remember feeling very disappointed by the time it had finished. It was a clever concept, as it builds up tension and gets the mood of the teenagers inch-perfect in this modern 'Lord Of The Flies' like tale about four teenagers who all get trapped in an old WW1 Bunker and can't get out again and spend the entire movie trying to get out again.

Told through the eyes of one of the teenagers who escaped, we find out what the fate was of all four teenagers in 'The Hole'. This boasts an excellent performance from Thora Birch, as well as Kiera Knightley as the typical it-girl who ends up in an extreme situation. Tension and Suspense are key elements for the first hour, but the twist in the tale was just a major flaw in the tale, so I thought. But, for anyone who loves paranoid thrillers, you should like this movie. But for me, this was more like a jigsaw with a key piece missing.

Where to begin on how to comment on one of the most beautiful, haunting, tragic yet slightly comical films in creation? This film is absolutely groundbreaking and deserves its place amongst all the greats of Cinema History. Complete with an amazing cast, a wonderful soundtrack and a storyline that will leave you mesmerised for years after your first viewing, this film is truly incredible.

The film focuses on a man called Andy Dufresne, an intelligent banker who is accused of murdering his wife and her lover, and is consequentially sentenced to two life sentences in Shawshank Prison. Andy soon befriends a man named Red, a man imprisoned for murder, and runs an underground syndicate to help his friends get a hold of things from outside prison.

Andy manages to help the guards of Shawshank Prison with their personal financial problems using his knowledge as a Banker, and an unlikely 'friendship' emerges, and soon Prison life doesn't seem so bleak for Andy. As Andy's journey through his life sentence grows, so does his friendship with Red, and he soon discovers what effects the walls of Shawshank have on the people in the prison after a series of unexpected and tragic events.

Andy's personality soon earns him new friends as he begins to change people, fundamentally, without knowing how, as he spreads new lessons, both comically and psychologically, and soon Andy turns into a much more intelligent man than we may have realised him to be at first.

As time goes on, Andy resolves to make Shawshank Prison friendlier and he works relentlessly to improve life for the prisoners and for the guards. But, as he continues to work hard for the good of others, he begins to learn the shocking truths of what the true colours of the guards and the Warden of Shawshank are. Revelations all come to the fore when Andy discovers some information which may prove him to be the innocent guy he has always claimed to be, and Andy's life takes a serious turn, and the consequences are dire for everybody as Andy's decisions become more and more unpredictable.

Based on a short book by Stephen King, this film has hardly any faults at all, and is full of beauty, tragedy and comedy, and has a haunting presence as Morgan Freeman gives what is possibly the best performance he has ever given, and Tim Robbins excels as the tormented Andy. But, what makes this film go down in history isn't just the amazing script and the wonderful acting, but the film contains one of the most beautiful Soundtracks I have ever known, written by Thomas Newman. Many of the tunes are simplistic, yet very memorable, and they all perfectly reflect the dilemmas and situations the characters of the film find themselves in.

This film is not afraid to shock people with its subtle shifts in the personalities of characters, and how a situation of comedy and hope may suddenly change to a tragedy beyond what you may have originally expected. This film is a true classic. This is a work of art which is endlessly re-experiencable with painful pleasure.

Personally for me, this was one of the funniest things that I've ever seen, if not the funniest, and is also one of the funniest things ever made. In this stand-up, you have one unique character full of outstandingly original comedy, and comes up with some absolute gems which he will forever be remembered for.

That character is Bill Bailey, the funniest person ever to come from the West Country, and star of such shows as 'Black Books' and 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks.' In this stand-up, he talks about the Masculine Identity Crisis, Sirens, the flexibility of the human voice, and how he craves disappointment because he is British. With the power of some incredible gags and hilarious music, Bill Bailey produces what could possibly be his best works.

Made after the success of 'Cosmic Jam', Bill Bailey's 'Bewilderness' is a work of underrated genius, with some 'cult' moments, such as his rendition of 'The Magic Roundabout', which is possibly Bill's best ever comedy moment. It is a little bit slow to start off with, but from the bit with the 'Sirens' in the middle, to the 'Chaucer Pubbe Gagge' at the end, you will be lying in a pool of your own tears of laughter, as I was...don't take that literally. If anyone is in need for some unique comedy that will make them laugh on every viewing, this is a must.

This was definitely one of the defining moments in Tony Robinson's career. Here he displays his talent for comical writing and gets the mood of the 90s era just right. The gags were spot on and the style was just so unique as it twists the original story of Robin Hood on its head.

Basically, it's about how Maid Marian was the real leader of the Merry Men, and her merry men include: Barrington, a fun-loving Raster (played to perfection by the incredible Danny John-Jules), Rabies, the traditionally dopey but strong type, Little Ron, an aggressive dwarf, and Robin Hood, who is actually a bit of a timid person obsessed with his good looks, who seems to be on the wrong end of most of Marian's jokes.

The series chronicles their adventures and their struggle to beat King John and his cronies, the Sheriff of Nottingham and his two henchmen, Gary and Graeme.

Any fans of the 90s as a decade should find this perfectly enjoyable, as the acting is top-notch, and you'll love the perfectly silly songs. Every character is one we can identify with and find perfectly enjoyable. If you can, watch an episode, as it is well worth it.