January Movie News and Reviews

Wow it's been a busy month! I've been rushed off my feet with screeners, screenings and even the Flight premiere to attend. I've been continuing my writing for Filmoria with many opportunities being thrown my way. My policy is to say 'yes' to anything I get offered in the hope that my enthusiasm and diligence will allow me a better shot at getting the opportunities that I REALLY REALLY want when they come up!

This means any time a PR company send over an offer of a screener, I try to ensure if no one else wants it, that I take it. This month I've had a few TV shows which isn't really my specialty but I've given reviewing them my best shot. The UNIT ONE TV series DVD boxset has Mads Mikkelsen and was a clear influence on The Killing (which I've just started watching after receiving the series one for Christmas) and JACK IRISH Bad Debts and Black Tide are two Australian TV movies starring Guy Pearce and were also pretty good.

I also got the opportunity of writing my first book review. After spending most of the Christmas period racing through the GANGSTER SQUAD book, I think I fairly successfully reviewed it ahead of the film's release (which I have yet to see but keep reading unfortunately middling reviews of).

The DVD and Blu-ray releases I reviewed were THE SWEENEY Blu-ray and DJANGO PREPARE A COFFIN DVD release. It's always interesting to watch a re-release of an old film particularly if there is a reason for a PR company trying to make a buck out of it. Django Prepare a Coffin is rated highly by Tarantino so I got to see where he was taking perhaps a little inspiration from for his latest.

Finally I got to review FLIGHT starring Denzel Washington, as well as chatting to him on the red carpet of the film's London premiere and I also reviewed CHAINED and MAY I KILL U? These last two I saw last year but were only being released this month.

I also reviewed I Give it a Year for Static Mass Emporium here.

Below are all the news stories I covered in January for Filmoria:

Entourage Movie Green Lit

The Sweeney Publicity Stunt

Before Midnight New Stills

New Warm Bodies Poster

Gremlins Reboot Rumours

A Good Day to Die Hard R rated

The Last Exorcism Part 2 Poster

If all that isn't enough, I also wrote a Tarantino retrospective so was kept busy re-watching his old films. I'm also re-watching The Dark Knight Trilogy in preparation for an article for Media Magazine on how conservative the films actually are. I also re-watched The Shawshank Redemption and American History X in preparation for an upcoming article to be published in Splice Cinema Journal.

I also reviewed The Hobbit, The Impossible, Les Miserables and Wreck-It Ralph right here on this blog.

Other films that I watched but didn't review are Videodrome, The Amazing Spiderman, The Angels' Share, Red Tails and How I spent My Summer Vacation.

I have reviews in the pipeline for: The Bay, Rebellion, Lisa and the Devil, No and Black Sunday.

I think The Impossible is my favourite film of the month and May I Kill U? is without a doubt my least favourite.

What was the best film you watched this month?