Film: Hamlet 2

Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge) is failed actor turned drama teacher Dana Marschz in this 2008 comedy.

When a group of delinquents join the class Marschz must use his awkward street-smarts to help the troubled youths express some creativity, but following a string of critically savaged plays the school decides to close the drama department leaving the teacher to ponder his (and his students’) future.

Is producing a sequel to one of the world’s best loved plays the answer?

American audiences unfamiliar with Coogan’s brand of humour didn’t take to this film but it isn’t as bad as you might expect. Marschz’s life is in tatters as his job and personal life fall apart and Coogan performs adequately in the role, even delivering some very funny physical comedy moments.

Elisabeth Shue (Cocktail, The Karate kid) pops up as a parody of herself and her inclusion also brings from the star-struck Marschz.

Unfortunately the films climax (the performance of Hamlet 2) detracts from the comedy on offer and contains very few laughs itself, ensuring that Coogan follows in the footsteps of British comedians such as Rik Mayall (Drop Dead Fred) and Lenny Henry (True Identity) who also have a Hollywood flop in their CVs.

Ric’s Rating: Dodgy. 

Film: Under Cover

A cop masquerades as a high school student in order to find those responsible for the death of his friend in this 1987 thriller.

David Neidorf (Platoon, Best Shot aka Hoosiers) is Detective Sheffield Hauser who along with female cop Laroux (Jennifer Jason Leigh) infiltrate the high school drug scene.

Things take a surprising turn when evidence points to a baseball team member that Hauser has befriended. Is he responsible for the other cop’s death?

Following an excellent showing in Best Shot (UK title for Hoosiers) and a brief but noteworthy appearance in Platoon, Neidorf takes the lead in this Golan-Globus production. What he lacks in charisma he makes up for in charm as he easily falls into the role of awkward teenager despite his appearance.

“How many high school students do you know that are bearded and balding?” yells his LT at the initial suggestion of the assignment.

Jennifer Jason Leigh (Single White Female) also puts in a competent turn as Hauser’s undercover partner.

After a string of TV shows and movies Neidorf quit acting altogether in 1995 making this a one-off. I had fond memories of it from back in the day and it still works reasonably well today. Neidorf is very watchable and the dependable Barry Corbin (No Country For Old Men) also turns up as the local Sheriff.

Under Cover is showing on TCM in the UK now.

Ric’s Rating: Good.  

Film: Death On The Staircase: The Last Chance

This captivating documentary film re-visits the case of Michael Peterson, a man convicted of murdering his wife, as he attempts to convince the court that he didn’t receive a fair trial.

Peterson has spent eight years in jail and with various appeals already rejected he cuts a rather forlorn figure as we see him in his cell and wandering around the prison yard.

Throughout proceedings Peterson’s dogged attorney David Rudolf and almost his entire family, including 4 out of 5 of his children, remain steadfast in their support of a man who has always protested his innocence.

You’ll notice from the poster that this is actually a sequel. The original series, The Staircase, covered the initial case & trial but thankfully we get enough of a re-cap here to cover all the pertinent points. The case is anything but straightforward and as the original trial moves toward it’s conclusion some surprising and shocking information comes to light.

Evidence later emerges that questions the motives and reliability of one particular prosecution witness.

Are Peterson and his team successful in their pursuit of a re-trial?

You’ll need to catch this riveting documentary from French film-maker Jean-Xavier De Lestrade to find out.

Death On The Staricase: The Last Chance was shown on BBC4 in the UK as part of their Storyville series but as you can see it’s also known as The Staircase II so keep your eyes open for it.

Ric’s Rating: Essential.          

Film: Felon

Just as Wade Porter (Stephen Dorff) is about to expand his building business, his life turns upside-down. In his attempts to stop a burglar he accidentally kills the thief and ends up serving time in a very violent prison.

Prison is always a very dramatic setting. It has given us many classics such as The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and tv series Prison Break. Surprisingly, you can count this among them.

Porter soon finds himself embroiled in the complicated world of gangs, violence and corruption within the prison walls while his fiancée (Mirisol Nichols) struggles to bring up their son and pay the bills on the outside.

Porter also finds himself subject to the attentions of Lt Jackson (Harold Perrineau, recently seen in Sons Of Anarchy), a corrupt and sadistic guard.

Perrineau steals the show as the vile Jackson but we also see his softer side as he struggles with a recent divorce while still looking after his son.

Val Kilmer (Top Gun, Tombstone) turns in his best performance in a long time as long-term prisoner John Smith, who at first seems a nasty piece of work. The reason for Smith’s conviction and behaviour is eventually revealed in one of the film’s most emotional scenes.

Can Porter overcome the odds and serve his time or will the violence he has become part of consume him and alienate his family?

Made in 2008, Felon is a tense, violent, exciting, emotional and very well acted little known gem of a movie. Catch it as soon as you can.

Ric’s Rating: Essential        

Film: The Dilemma

When Ronnie Valentine (Vince Vaughn) spots his best friend’s wife with another man he faces an awkward social quandary. Does he tell his friend (Kevin James) about it or wait until after their important business deal?

With Ron Howard (Cocoon, Happy Days) directing this was never going to be a slapstick comedy. It’s more of a humorous take on a very uncomfortable situation and as usual Howard found a part for his oddball brother Clint, who was the child star of Gentle Ben.

Vaughn’s rapid dialogue delivery is always amusing and there are some very funny scenes, most of them involving Channing Tatum in his show stealing performance as “Zip”.

If you’re expecting Wedding Crashers or Dodgeball than give this a miss but if you fancy a more thoughtful comedy with a top level cast, check it out.

Ric’s Rating: Good.     

Film: Hush

While out on a long drive Zakes (chalk up one for the silly names count) and Beth (Christine Bottomley) begin to see the shortcomings in their relationship. As the couple bicker Zakes (Will Ash) notices a truck spinning out of control.

The driver quickly regains control of the vehicle but not before the back door swings open briefly revealing a captive woman.

The couple report the sighting to the police and think their involvement is at an end but when Beth vanishes Zakes correctly assumes that the villainous truck driver is the culprit and hurriedly attempts to track him down.

This low budget UK thriller from 2009 combines elements of films like Joy Ride, Dead End and Wolf Creek. Will Ash puts in a cool performance as the panic stricken Zakes and there is good chemistry between him and Bottomley.

The overall result is a tense and entertaining film that is unfortunately let down by the lack of motive for the bad guy and a rather anti-climactic ending.

Ric’s Rating: Good

Film: Out For Justice

Nowadays it’s easy to forget just how good a good Steven Seagal movie is.

This 1991 effort sees Seagal play Gino, a tough Brooklyn cop, out to avenge the murder of his partner.

From the brutal opening scene in which Richie (William Forsythe) guns down the cop in broad daylight in front of his family, you know that this is gonna be all out action.

Seagal swiftly sets about tracking down Richie and his crew and obliterates anyone in his way. The pool hall fight scene remains an all time favourite and the entire film has aged surprisingly well. Look out for The Good Wife’s Julianna Margulies as a downtrodden ex-hooker.

I caught this on tv with no intention of watching the entire thing but before I knew it, it was all over. Seagal’s character is a brilliantly clichéd action hero, the tough guy with a heart of gold which is perfectly shown in the cool puppy rescue scene and the subsequent encounter with the greaseball who threw it out a moving car.

With the odd exception, they just don’t make them like this anymore.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended

Film: The Horseman

A grieving Father decides to hunt down those involved in his daughter’s drug related death in this brutal 2008 drama from Australia, which caused quite a stir on it’s release due to the graphic nature of the violence on-screen.

After viewing a sex tape featuring his daughter Christian (Peter Marshall) systematically tracks, traps and tortures all those implicated in it’s production and distribution. Along the way he picks up a teenage hitchhiker struggling with her own issues.

The carnage is interspersed with memories of Christian’s introduction to Fatherhood, moving moments show the Father and toddler daughter playing in their garden but unfortunately these tender scenes are too few and far between.

The film suffers by concentrating on the terrible vengeance wreaked on the bad guys, It could have been an altogether different story had it made more of the powerful emotions involved.

Overall this is still a decent tale of revenge but the final third gets a bit silly when we see a battered and broken Christian still managing to fight off the villains and escape all manner of dangerous situations.

The Horseman is widely available on DVD and various movie channels etc.

Ric’s Rating: 68%