If you are into gaming in any way, you’ll more than likely have come across the Mass Effect series. Now into its third epic title, the sci-fi universe has brought much attention to itself in the last few months, from both positive and negative press.
Despite this, it still remains a hugely popular title and is gaining in its fan base at lightning speed; so much so, they have decided to release an anime as part of its ever-expanding universe. I myself am a huge (HUGE) Mass Effect fan and cannot wait for it to grace our screens.
Before G.I. Joe: Retaliation caused widespread outrage (among toy collectors, mostly) when it was delayed by 9 months, World War Z had already kickstarted the massive-delays trend in March after being pushed back 6 months.
Written, edited and directed by Rodrigo Cortés (who directed the claustrophobic thriller Buried in 2010), Red Lights is another thriller set in the world of the paranormal. Sigourney Weaver is psychologist college professor Dr. Margaret Matheson who investigates apparent paranormal cases; after three decades she has become a dab hand at debunking the fraudsters who conduct séances and claim paranormal activity and who often use the ‘red lights’ of the film’s title to create the sort of visual illusions that Matheson has identified as a trick of the trade. Her assistant is physicist Dr. Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) who remains in Matheson’s department even though funds are dwindling and no paranormal activity has ever been found. When Simon Silver (Robert De Niro), a renowned psychic, comes out of retirement after 30 years following the death of his most outspoken critic, Tom becomes insistent on investigating Silver, though Matheson believes him to be dangerous.
Of his directorial debut Ill Manors, rapper and wannabe auteur Ben Drew aka Plan B said he was making a "British Godfather". Well, despite an evident interest in interweaving narratives, Drew’s picture bears little relation to Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece. Sweeping epic this most certainly isn’t.
At the age of 77, Woody Allen remains one of Hollywood's most prolific writer/directors, producing a film ever year... take that Terrence Malick! He's also notoriously publicity-shy but Curb Your Enthusiasm director Bob Weide has managed to get unparalleled access and the result is an affectionate tribute to Allen's long career from stand-up comic to filmmaker - unfortunately, it is also one that shies away from asking the really tough questions that could have made for a truly interesting film.
I don't have any phobias per se but my only fear right now is that I might see this film again because AFFOE is without a doubt one of the worst films I've seen this year - and possibly ever.
It might sound harsh to open a review with such a damning statement but I honestly struggled to think of any positive aspects of this fantastic mess of a production.
