Film: Bullet To The Head

Back in the days of good old VHS one of my favourite directors was Walter Hill. Hill was responsible for classics such as The Warriors, 48 Hours, Red Heat and Extreme Prejudice. Bullet To The Head heralds his return to the big screen and with Sylvester Stallone in the leading role we surely have an action extravaganza on our hands.

Stallone plays hitman Johnny Bobo who is determined to find those responsible for the death of his buddy (Jon Seda). Forming an unlikely alliance with a cop Bobo soon  sets about tracking down the bad guys, leading to a confrontation with the formidable Jason Momoa (Conan The Barbarian).

This formulaic action film is probably more suited to the bygone era of VHS. At 66 years of age Stallone shows he can still cut it but the story fails to engage and the mild attempt to resurrect the buddy movie falls flat.

Bullet To The Head is very predictable and could have benefited from some more action scenes but it’s still a must for Stallone fans. Catch it in UK cinemas now.

Ric’s Rating: Good.

Film: Piggy

Joe (Martin Compston) is a socially awkward guy, someone who prefers his own company to hanging with the crowd. His brother John (Neil Maskell) is the opposite and often persuades Joe to come along to the pub. One such night out has tragic consequences.

Enter Piggy (Paul Anderson), an old friend of John’s who offers to help Joe in his quest for revenge.

Debut director / writer Kieron Hawkes has delivered the best British revenge thriller since Dead Man’s Shoes. Anderson is a revelation as the volatile Piggy and Scotsman Compston does an excellent job, even if the London accent is a bit shaky.

Gritty, violent and somewhat surreal, Piggy will leave you pondering events long after the end credits.

Available on DVD in the UK now.

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%

Film: I Spit On Your Grave

Spolier Alert: Impossible to review this one without some slight spoilers but if you’ve heard of the original you already know the story.

Re-make of the 1978 video nasty in which the victim of a brutal rape exacts horrific revenge on her attackers.

Writer Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) visits a remote cabin for inspiration for her next novel and encounters a group of sexually frustrated local yokels.

The attack that takes place is drawn out in a horrendously long scene that’s a struggle to sit through. Each time you think it’s over there is another level of depravity to go.

The same could be said for what happens to the attackers when Hills catches up with them. The methods used to hasten their demise are graphic and disgusting although there are some darkly humorous elements of poetic justice.

This is the type of film that sparks debate. While it can’t be called entertainment (there are plenty of other ways this story could be told) it takes courage of conviction to make a film that depicts violence in it’s ugliest form. The recent re-make of The Last House On The Left (see review elsewhere here) covers similar ground but doesn’t leave you feeling as dirty as this does. Another comparable film is the French movie Irreversible in which Monica Bellucci’s character suffers an attack of such ferocity that scores of audience members got up and walked out.

I’m glad I saw it so that I can have an opinion but it’s not an experience I’d be keen to repeat.

Ric’s Rating: 50% (I’m firmly on the fence).