It Follows [used]

I love horror. Whether it's through reading some H.P Lovecraft or Stephen King, exploring the dark and twisted worlds of games like Silent Hill 2 and Siren: Blood Curse or watching classic films like The Exorcist and The Shining, I love to be scared and terrified. I love all kinds of horror films though. From horror films that are cheesy and over-the-top to ones that are gruesome and shocking, I love them all. But my favourite type are the ones that are understated, sink in after watching them, never quite show too much and ultimately play on our innate human fears. When I heard about It Follows it sounded like it was right down my alley, and while it does tick a lot of the right boxes for the kind of horror film I usually love, I didn't get much from it.

Directed by David Robert Mitchell and out now on Blu-Ray and DVD comes It Follows, a film that fails to follow up on the promises it makes on its superb set-up and its excellent opening scene. The plot to It Follows it one of its best assets, and at its it's heart is pretty simplistic. After having sex with a guy she's been seeing for awhile, the protagonist, Jay, is knocked out using chloroform by the same guy she just slept with. She wakes up tied to a wheelchair in an abandoned building. The guy she was just with, Jeff, tells her he's not going to hurt her and that all he wants her to do is listen to him. He explains to her that by having sex he has passed a curse onto her, a curse that someone else passed onto him through sex previously. The result of the curse is that the person who has it is followed by an entity, some kind of force that takes the form of random people, unknown or known to the cursed individual. If this entity reaches the cursed person they die and the entity will return to the person who was cursed previously. As Jeff is explaining this to a traumatised Jay, a naked woman slowly approaches them. It's the entity, and after dropping her off back home, Jay slowly comes to terms with the curse that has been put upon her. It Follows centres around Jay's struggle to survive against this entity, her attempts to pass it on to someone else and, alongside her friends, her bid to try and kill the seemingly unstoppable force.

There are elements of It Follows that are perfect. For instance, Maika Monroe who plays Jay is fantastic here, and she delivers a performance that's both honest and easy to relate with. She essentially carries the film throughout its running time, and stands out among the rest of the cast.  There are no real weak links in the cast though, but Monroe stands head and shoulders above the rest. Then you have the bloody great soundtrack by Disasterpeace (Richard Vreeland), which is very much in the vein of a classic 80's horror flick, what with its lovely use of synthesisers and the like. You also have the simplistic and unnerving set-up for the film, and the fact that the entity comes in the form of a person slowly walking towards the victim. It doesn't sound that scary on paper, but the scenes in which it turns up are pretty chilling, as you really do get a sense that though slow, this thing will never stop- ever. The only way to stop it is to pass it on, which that in itself raises all kinds of disturbing moral questions.

It Follows' opening shot is incredible, and features a scantily clad girl running from something, which you find out pretty early on is this entity. During this scene the camera never cuts away and effectively stays motionless but focuses on the girl as she runs and walks around the stationary camera. The entity is pursuing her and after she jumps into her car to escape, the scene then cuts to the beach. She's alone and scared, and leaves a message for her father on the phone. We then get a sudden cut to her body on the beach, her limbs broken, bloody and bent. It's an absolutely shockingly disturbing opening scene, but after such a strong start It Follows slowly begins to unravel. Listen, I like my horror films cerebral, but despite a lot of the pieces being in place here to deliver an incredible horror experience, It Follows meanders, aimlessly moves its characters from scene to scene, contains long drawn out scenes of little or no dialogue, and ultimately doesn't really go anywhere in terms of story. Yes, some scenes are absolutely brilliant, but It Follows is not as good as it should be.

I won't give any spoilers, but by the time Jay and her friends decide to try and kill/destroy the entity I just didn't care any more. Maybe I didn't care because there's no logic to their method of vanquishing the entity. Maybe I didn't care because by the finale I was kind of bored of the entity and its appearances. Or maybe I was just sick and tired of the potential It Follows does its best to demolish from after its opening shot, slowly until the credits start to roll. Regardless, It Follows is one of those films that's getting a lot of praise that I just don't get. I went into really digging it, but it just did nothing for me. It Follows looks stunning. Its soundtrack has been on loop here for the past 6 hours. Maika Monroe is phenomenal in it. The entity itself is a compelling concept. But despite all of that praise I could give It Follows, I wouldn't suggest you definitely watch it. For a film so clearly inspired by horror films of the 70's and 80's both in terms of visuals and its soundtrack, its script doesn't even try and emulate what made some of those classic horror flicks so good- a worthwhile story and an entertaining plot. Then again, I'm sure It Follows will be debated in film classes and Starbucks' across the world about its possible interpretations, mostly by dudes wearing scarfs in summer and drinking latte's out of kilner jars. So I dunno, maybe I'm just wrong. There's greatness to be seen here, but not without a nice helping of boredom.

It Follows has far too many boring scenes book-ending great ones. 3/5.

★★★☆☆

Denis Murphy 

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Lego Jurassic World [used]

Jurassic Park was my Star Wars, and I'm sure this was the case for many of you too. Though I wasn't around to be originally swept up in the sprawling and visual excellence of Star Wars during its 1977 release, back in 1993 Jurassic Park did that for me. Like many kids, after watching Jurassic Park I wanted everything to do with dinosaurs. Whether they were books, films, games, toys, comics or whatever, I needed more dinosaur stuff! Though I did enjoy the second film in the series, The Lost World, my love for both Jurassic Park and dinosaurs in general came to an abrupt halt when I saw Jurassic Park 3. I won't get into it here, but yeah, it was shit. But with Jurassic World now in the cinema and the series back on track in terms of quality, the first videogame tie-in is here. It's a Lego game.

Developed by Traveller's Tales and out now for pretty much every console you currently own comes Lego Jurassic World, a Lego game that pretty much plays like every other Lego game ever, but hey, it's got dinosaurs in it, dude! Since the release of the first Jurassic Park film there's been loads of games released that have expanded the franchise. From games that were arcade shooters, side-scrollers, theme-park simulators, pinball games, first-person shooters and even beat-em ups that let you take control of the dinosaurs, the franchise has seemingly done it all in videogames. However, one thing we haven't seen is a Jurassic Park Lego game... until now that is. Just like Traveller's Tales did with Harry Potter, Star Wars and Indian Jones, instead of Lego Jurassic World basing itself on one particular film, it instead offers the player a chance to play through multiple adventures. In the case of Lego Jurassic World, every film in the franchise can be played through here- Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Jurassic Park 3 and Jurassic World. Though each adventure is very much a truncated and shortened version of their film counterparts, they still hit all the major moments.

Gameplay within Lego Jurassic World is nothing new, as throughout the four films on offer to play through here you'll spend the vast majority of your time breaking Lego blocks, collecting studs and countless other items, solving Lego related puzzles, building various structures and vehicles using pieces of fallen and hidden Legos, button bashing to on-screen cues, taking control of various dinosaurs and, naturally, also fighting dinosaurs from across all four films. You'll take control of well over 100 characters in the game too, many of which have their own unique abilities, which you'll need to utilize at key moments throughout the game in order to advance. However, beyond the characters already within the game by default, you also have the ability to create new characters  from scratch by essentially assembling your own Lego figure. This level of customization also extends to the dinosaurs too, as thanks to it being a plot point in Jurassic World, you also have the ability to make your own dinosaur, one that is cobbled together from various other ones you've interacted with over the course of the game.

Every single Lego game plays the exact same. This is a fact of life. When I played Lego The Hobbit I thought it played just like Lego The Lord of the Rings. When I played Lego The Lord of the Rings I thought it played just like Lego Star Wars. Rinse and repeat. But while every game essentially dishes out the same kind of gameplay, a great Lego game is made through its setting, characters and its ability to let you take part in an already beloved franchise. Lego Jurassic World successes at this, as whether I was dicking around as Ian Malcolm, pulling Lex and Tim out of the crushed Jeep as the T-Rex is trying to eat them, racing around on my motorbike as Chris Pratt or simply being inside the films and exploring locations I've seen time and time again, I had a lot of fun while playing it. Lego Jurassic World is just  clean simple fun, and hey, every game doesn't need to be some edgy, mature “Citizen Kane of gaming”. It's not amazing, but I liked it.

Beyond the fact that in gameplay terms it's very much the same as every other Lego game, there is one other major criticism for Lego Jurassic World. Though I appreciate the fact that, much like with Lego The Lord of the Rings, the developers used the films' dialogue within the game, some of it sounds distorted and warbled as they've clearly tried to tune out other background noises present in scene. The result just sounds terrible, and though it's always great to have authentic audio for a game like this, it just sounds very disappointing. Lego Jurassic World is fun, but just don't expect anything new from the Lego gaming franchise here.

Lego Jurassic World, despite being fun, is a clone of every other Lego game. 3/5.

★★★☆☆

Denis Murphy

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Kajaki [used]

A lot of you may not have heard of this film. I hadn’t heard a lot about it myself. Kajaki received a very short theatrical release across a fairly small amount of cinemas, with little marketing. It’s out now on Blu-Ray & DVD, and for this review I went into it fairly blind. I thought to myself “here we go, another generic war film”…I was very wrong. Kajaki is an extremely fresh, albeit horrifyingly tense, take on the genre.

Directed by Paul Katis, Kajaki tells the true story of a small unit of British soldiers positioned near the Kajaki dam in Afghanistan. In 2006, the group found themselves trapped in an unmarked minefield with no clear way out. Any movement was a huge risk. Out of this dark and harrowing day came extraordinary tales of bravery, selflessness and heroism, but also tragic consequences, for leader Corporal Mark Wright and his comrades. The story is told with great respect for the subjects, and is very accurate from what I’ve read. Whilst American war films (eg. American Sniper) tend to just be propaganda that make their subjects out to be superhuman heroes and take certain liberties with their accuracy, Kajaki respectfully portrays the men as just normal British lads under their brave and heroic exteriors, but doesn’t underplay the horror of the events they experienced.  

In terms of the production, Kajaki is fantastically written and performed. It almost plays out like theatre – we follow a small group in a fairly small area, with no music or major time transitions. It begins with something of a fly-on-the-wall look at the comradery and friendship the soldiers share with one another, before things start to get tense and violent as they reach the minefield. The cast have fantastic chemistry together and, as the cast are largely unknown, feels very authentic. The film is visually stunning too, with fantastic understated cinematography capturing the immense vastness of the Afghan desert and hills in which the film is set. You feel the isolation and, arguably, you feel like you’re trapped with them. But the intensity and fear of the film as it goes on is something I haven’t felt in cinema in a while, and had me on the edge of my seat.

I won’t lie to you, Kajaki is a very difficult film to watch. It’s extremely tense, harrowing and violent.  But it’s a film that needs to be seen. Why? Because our soldiers go through things like this all the time, and they have my eternal respect and gratitude for that. I’ve read crowd reports of people walking out of cinemas when watching this film. If they’re soldiers, I can imagine it’s very difficult to re-live things like this. But if they’re not, I feel like they shouldn’t walk out. The soldiers probably wish they could walk out, and they can’t. Why should we be able to? We must never forget what they go through for us. To quote Apocalypse Now; ‘someday this war’s gonna end’. Then they’ll get to enjoy the luxuries we do.

Anyway, Kajaki is truly how you make a war film. In recent years, war films have been very hit-and-miss (with an emphasis on miss), but this has restored my faith in the genre. It’s been labelled a ‘British answer to The Hurt Locker’ and I get that. But it’s far better. Simply put, it’s one of the finest war films I’ve seen in a long time. Like Apocalypse Now, it’s more about the horror and the people than the war itself. In closing, Kajaki is not for the faint of heart. It’s the most harrowing, horrifying and upsetting film I’ve experienced in a while. I can’t emphasise that enough. But again, it is a film that simply needs to be seen.

Phenomenally written, acted and shot; Kajaki earns a solid 5/5.

★★★★★

Sam Love

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Fifty Shades of Grey [used]

I’m going to start this article by saying I am completely against all things Fifty Shades. I’ll admit, I haven’t read the books (because, y’know, I have self-respect) but the idea of women swooning over a depraved, sadistic pervert just because he has a few quid in the bank and a nice body makes my blood boil. However, I went into the film with my bias left at the door, hoping to come out with a fresh understanding of the characters and story and maybe a bit of respect. I came out the same way I went in. What a load of shit.

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and out now on DVD & Blu-Ray comes Fifty Shades of Grey. We all know the plot, whether we like it or not - young college graduate Anastasia meets pervert millionaire Christian Grey and they begin an increasingly kinky sexual relationship together. Does this preposterous story translate well to screen? Of course it doesn’t. I’ll break the film down for you. You ready? Here goes. Girl bites lip. Girl meets rich pervert. Girl bites lip. Rich pervert shags girl. Girl bites lip. Rich pervert shags girl more aggressively. Girl bites lip. Rich pervert shags girl even more aggressively. Girl bites lip. Rich pervert shags girl aggressively again, then spanks her a bit. Girl cries and runs away. END. Yeah, there are attempts to inject a bit of story – oh, Christian Grey is troubled, he had a bad childhood; a perfectly valid excuse for what he does. And do you like legal contracts? Great! Who doesn’t? You’ll love this. Many scenes are dedicated to everyone’s favourite sex pest discussing a written contract of his sexual desires with his ‘submissive’. Ever wanted to watch a scene with a business meeting agenda that includes talk of fisting and genital clamps? Look no further.

Dakota Johnson, daughter of Miami Vice legend Don Johnson, is good. I’ll give her that. She’s the strongest thing about the film by far, delivering an adequate performance as Anastasia which is more about the bravery of taking part in the semi-graphic sex scenes than actual acting talent. She struggles to find any chemistry with her co-star, although that could be due to how bad he is. Jamie Dornan is wooden and uncomfortable to watch as Grey, but you fans don’t care, do you? Look at his eyes and his abs. At the end of the day, you’re here for the sex, aren’t you? Sure, the film is more sexually graphic than your average mainstream blockbuster but at the end of the day, it’s still a Hollywood affair. Quick editing and clever cinematography merely implies dirty stuff is going on most of the time, although we do see plenty of breasts and arses. On the whole though, Fifty Shades of Grey is far tamer than people would have you believe.

But even after watching the film, I still can’t get my head around the appeal of this mega pervert. After talking to my mother who loves the books and will defend the story till the cows come home, she claims I need to read the books to truly understand the characters. Whilst the film is made for the fans, it should stand on its own. If the book truly is as better as people are trying to tell me, then that’s just another negative for the film. On top of everything, it’s a weak adaptation of the source material. Regardless, I doubt there’s much in the book that can change my mind about this ridiculous story and preposterously undeserving icon of romantic literature that is Christian Grey.

On the whole, Fifty Shades of Grey is an instantly forgettable and poorly made film about a vile character. Ladies, why are you so blind to how wildly unacceptable Christian Grey is? He’s an aggressive, controlling, borderline-stalker! Oh yeah, he’s rich and handsome. Sorry, I forgot. Take away his riches and looks, though? Still love him? No. He’s just a pervert. Fifty Shades of Grey is a dreadful piece of cinema; nothing more than a badly produced piece of softcore pornography. It is a poorly acted, poorly paced and poorly written load of Hollywoodised tripe. Guys, if your girlfriend or wife has any interest in this shit, you’re doing something wrong.  I don’t even have the motivation to think of a witty, pun-filled review closer for this absolute toss.

Fifty Shades of Grey is everything that is wrong with today’s society, and just about earns 1/5.

★☆☆☆☆

Sam Love

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Yoshi's Woolly World [used]

When I was younger I loved art shows. Whether it was Art Attack, SMart or Hartbeat, growing up I just loved drawing things, making things and pretty much just getting down and dirty with crayons, paints, play-doh, fabric or whatever. I still doodle when I can, but the closer I journey towards the big three-zero I often start to feel some of my younger self slip away. That's both a good and a bad thing as you grow up of course, but I always want to hold onto that love for hands-on creativity I used to have. Thankfully gaming has tapped into that and has kept it alive, as with games like LittleBigPlanet I find myself still creating things, even if this time it's all digital. This latest game up for review awoke that side of me once again, it is an absolute joy to play.

Developed by Good-Feel and out now for the Wii U comes Yoshi's Woolly World, a charming return to home consoles for Yoshi. Though Yoshi has had a few of his own spin-off titles since his first appearance in Yoshi's Island all the way back in 1995, his last console outing was in 1997's Yoshi's Story on the Nintendo 64.  As expected from a game within the Mario universe, the plot here is pretty wafer thin. The game is set on Craft Island, island made of wool that's populated by lovely huggable woollen Yoshi's. Of course someone has to go and screw things up, right? Sure they do! That someone comes in the form of long time Mario/Yoshi baddie Kamek. He turns all the Yoshi's into balls of wool. However, he manages to miss two Yoshi's in the process, and it's up to you (and possibly a friend) to save the day. Simple stuff, but it's perfect.

Woolly World is a side-scrolling platform game, and at its heart it plays very similar to previous Yoshi games. You'll run around levels, jump from platform to platform, take on enemies and possibly gobble them up. You get the idea, right? However, Woolly World throws the player a bit of curveball, and this is thanks to the new excellent visual style in the game. The first noticeable thing about it are its unique visuals. Compared to previous games in the Yoshi series, everything you see in the game is mode of wool. It's bouncy, bendable and even has little bits of string hanging from platforms and objects- it's lovely. The wool seen throughout the game isn't just for show though, as it directly effects everything from the gameplay, how you defeat enemies to Yoshi himself.

For instance, in previous games Yoshi would gobble up enemies only to spew them out as eggs. Seeing as all the enemies here are made of wool, swallowing them can often produce different results. For instance, when swallowed some will allow you to reveal hidden pathways in levels, tie up enemies so you can bounce on their heads and to even adding chunks of wool to certain obstacles or objects, thereby making them complete and usable. You can also hurl wool at airborne enemies too, and with a simple dotted line there to help you set up a good shot, dispatching bad guys in Woolly World is just plain fun. This use of wool within the game is a really interesting feature, as instead of aimlessly gobbling up dudes and firing eggs about, you'll need think about what you'll do with the many enemies you're eating up. All of these usable wool balls will follow Yoshi around throughout the level too, so you'll often have a great selection at hand.

Also, there are bonus levels in the game that allow Yoshi to transform into various things. There are a total of 6 transformations that Yoshi can morph into, all of which grant Yoshi a new ability. The Mega Yoshi power-up transforms Yoshi into a BIG Yoshi, as after using this you can easily stomp your way through enemies without breaking a sweat. Another nice one is Moto Yoshi, as this basically turns Yoshi into a motorbike, which makes for some excellently fast levels that you'll ride through all the while trying to pick up coins and other collectibles. My favourite though was the Mole Yoshi transformation. This gives the little guy the ability to dig underground, and it makes for some pretty nice levels filled with digging, picking up gems, smashing rocks and avoiding various enemies. All of these transformations are pretty cool to mess around with, though I would have preferred if you could use them on the fly in the main game. Them being only usable during bonus levels is a tad bit disappointing.

There's a mode in Woolly World called “Mellow Mode” which can be turned on or off at the pause screen. This mode, compared to “Classic Mode”, essentially lets you fly through any stage unharmed. Officially it's for less skilled players, but after finishing a stage I found it fun to replay it with this mode enabled. The game is incredibly relaxing to play anyway, but with this mode in full effect and the games gentle soundtrack playing in the background, it almost put me to sleep with how playful and sweet it was. I guess that's what I took away from the game the most though; it's overall wonderful presentation of its superbly tactile and cute wool world- it's just lovely!

Overall Woolly World is a beautiful, fun and utterly charming adventure through the world of a yarn Yoshi. You can also play the game with a friend too, as one person takes on the role of green Yoshi, while the other person plays a red Yoshi. It's a great little addition to gameplay that really ends up creating a nice and fun gaming experience. It's one of those games that brings me back to my childhood, feels so cosy to play around in and, ultimately, just feels good to play. I played this after finishing Arkham Knight, and though Arkham Knight isn't without its own (dark) humour, it was nice to play something as cuddly as Woolly World. Sometimes you need a game like this, because in terms of huggably cute games out there, Woolly World is possibly the only one that will hug you back.

Yoshi's Woolly World is made with cuteness and stitched together with love. 5/5.

★★★★★

Denis Murphy

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Digging Up the Marrow [used]

Warning. Though they're included in this review for viewers who don't mind spoilers, I'd strongly advise not watching the below embedded clips before watching Digging Up the Marrow.

Both as a reviewer and a lover of movies, there's nothing quite like going into one completely blind.  Before watching Digging Up the Marrow I didn't watch the trailer or see any clips of it. In fact, until around two months ago I didn't even know it existed. When I read a short and interesting synopsis on IMDB I kept my eye on it, and ultimately awaited a PAL Blu-Ray release. So here it finally is, but in the age where the market is literally saturated with cheap horror flicks, is Digging Up the Marrow any good?

Directed by Adam Green and out now on Blu-Ray and DVD comes Digging Up the Marrow, a pretty decent horror flick amid a sea of shit. Digging Up the Marrow is a mockumentary and stars writer/director Adam Green as, well, himself. Just like in real life, in the movie Adam owns Ariescope Pictures, a company started in 1998 that has created a fair few films considered cult classics in certain horror circles. With movies like Hatchet and Frozen already under his belt, Adam receives a letter from a man claiming to have proof that monsters are real. So in the off chance that the guy is telling the truth, Adam decides to film it all and create a horror documentary. The man who has made these bizarre claims is William Dekker, a former private investigator who now lives a very solitary life. After Adam sets up the lighting and cameras, Dekker starts to dish out the goods. According to Dekker he knows about the existence of a underground world, a world inhabited by all the disfigured and deformed people who were seemingly rejected by our society. We're not talking about someone with a toe thumb (like me!) or a bit of a big nose, no, we're talking about deformities that were so shocking and disturbing that these people were taken away to their own hidden world. He calls this world “The Marrow”, and after locating one of the many passageways to this secret world, Adam and his team partner up with Dekker to document The Marrow and find out if there truly are monsters out there.

The set-up in Digging Up the Marrow is really great. From the opening shots of various interviews with big named horror fans at a convention, to Adam's own thoughts on what monsters mean to him, it nicely peaks the viewers interest in the possibility of seeing real monsters in a documentary setting. Compared to what we typically see in movies, the focus in Digging Up the Marrow is uncovering real monsters, bizarre humanoids that live beneath our feet who may or may not be dangerous, instead of a clunking Frankenstein with bolts in his neck. This build up is done superbly well, and during the first few attempts at filming the monsters exiting the entrance to The Marrow, these scenes are nail biting and, thanks to one particular jump scare, the reason why I spilled an entire cup of tea all over my Xbox 360 controller.

This brings me to the best aspect of Digging Up the Marrow- Ray Wise. Ray Wise plays Dekker absolutely perfectly, and throughout the movie his talent really shines. Whether it's a scene of him losing his temper at the film crew while awaiting a sighting of The Marrow's inhabitants, showing drawings of various monsters he has seen or him recalling the first time he came face-to-face with one of the monsters as a boy, he's incredibly watchable, creepy and genuinely believable as Dekker.

However Digging Up the Marrow does falter at times, and sadly a lot of its criticism is aimed towards writer/director/actor Adam Green. Green is a good director and clearly loves the his business and the horror genre as a whole, and this runs throughout Digging Up the Marrow. However, the movie often comes across like an advert for his company, as in pretty much every scene him and his crew are in they're wearing t-shirts of their previously made movies. It's hugely distracting at times and that, on top of various remarks and comments about their other projects, really does stink of shameless . Then you have the climax to Digging Up the Marrow, which while harrowing is a huge disappointment. While I do love ambiguity in movies as I don't need everything spoon feed to me, after the ending I was scratching my head. I won't spoil anything here, but with the what's-locked-in-Dekkers-basement story thread seemingly forgotten about towards the final act of the movie, the ending felt disjointed and rather than relying on me perhaps watching it again and forming an opinion, I felt like I had to read up about it. It's just confusing and while it doesn't wreck the great horror the movie has at times, it does put a bit of a damper on the whole affair.

Digging Up the Marrow despite some flaws, is a horror I really dug. 3/5.

★★★☆☆

Denis Murphy

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Batman: Arkham Knight [used]

This was always going to be a hard game to review. After all, since its debut the debut of the Arkham series back in 2009, it has been hailed as a near masterpiece by many critics and gamers alike. Since the series kicked off it has spawned numerous spin-off games, comics and even an animated film. Needless to say, it's been quite the lucrative franchise to say the least. Now the final chapter in the game series is upon us. However, after Batman: Arkham City set the world on fire a few years ago, can Arkham Knight live up to that greatness?

Developed by Rocksteady Studios and out now on Playstation 4, Xbox ONE and PC comes Batman: Arkham Knight, a fitting final act of the now legendary series. The plot takes place nine months after the events of Arkham City. The Joker is dead and his body has been cremated. With Gotham's most notorious villain now deader than dead, the city is enjoying a long deserved bout of peace. However, within the vacuum that the Joker's absence has caused, bad things are stirring within Gotham. On Halloween night Scarecrow emerges and threatens to flood the city with a new and improved batch of fear toxin. With Gotham evacuated and only a handful of good guys left over, a whole army of Batman's enemies have amassed with one goal on their minds- to finally kill the caped crusader. The story set-up is really f*cking cool, and through all the twists and turns the game takes, you'll come away from Arkham Knight both satisfied but wanting more. 

The basic formula to Arkham Knight largely remains the same compared to previous games in the franchise. Taking on the role of Batman you must fight, sneak and Batarang your way through a large array of missions that will not only take you across the far reaches of Gotham, but also put you up against loads of Batman's most iconic baddies alongside their respective goons. Every bad guy (and girl) is here, including Scarecrow, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Bane, The Riddler, The Penguin, Azrael and Harley Quinn. From the huge selection of missions and side missions on offer, depending on what villain you're going up against, objectives will change quite drastically. For instance, when doing Riddler missions you'll need to solve puzzles, while when facing off against Two-Face you'll have to bust his bank robberies and so on. As each villain falls and is locked up you'll guide the caped crusader closer and closer to his final opponent; Scarecrow. At its heart it essentially plays just like Arkham City, but it literally betters it in even way, heightens the stakes like never before and ultimately crafts a much better story.

Combat is also very similar to previous games too, but it's been tweaked in a few areas. Once again heavily focusing on the importance of blocking and counter-attacking, Arkham Knight's combat truly offers the player a chance to step into the boots of Batman, whether you're dishing out light and heavy attacks, grapple moves or hurling attackers into objects or other bad guys. One nice little addition is the “Fear Takedown” mechanic, which effectively lets the player string together multiple enemy takedowns on unsuspecting foes. The series has of course always given the player the ability to sneak around, but this gives you more of a reason to do so, especially when given the ability to quickly and quietly take down three bad guys who are in your way. Another addition new to Arkham Knight is “Dual Play”. Essentially, this allows the player to instantly control a second in-game character during combat. It can either be Catwoman, Nightwing or Robin, and through using this new feature, you can not only take control of a completely new character, but you can also work together with your partner for dual attacks and moves. It's a nice little addition that shakes up gameplay quite a bit actually.

Just like with Arkham City, Gotham is fully explorable, but this time everything is just turned up to 11. While Gotham looked incredible in Arkham City and had plenty to see and do in it, Arkham Knight puts it to shame. This time the city is around five times bigger than what we saw in Arkham City, and from high up at the top of the many skyscrapers that stretch along Gotham's skyline, to down low in the dark, rainy streets of China Town, a great sense of scale, atmosphere and depth has finally been given to the city. Getting around the city can either be done on foot or via the Batmobile, which you'll be happy to find out controls extremely well. It's easy to use, accessible and, most importantly, feels incredible to drive at break neck speed through the many dingy streets of Gotham. What's more is the fact that, with the flip of a switch, the Batmobile can go from it's default fast mode to a slower, tank-like form. This is excellent for taking out drones and hordes of enemies, but regardless of form you'll find yourself using the Batmobile as a necessary tool in Batman's arsenal in the final act of the game. It does begin to become monotonous to a point though, but all in all the usable Batmobile is a superb addition to the franchise, despite a few minor annoyances.

Coming away from my binge of Arkham Knight the overriding feeling I got from it was that it made me feel like Batman. I know, that's such a basic and flimsy bit of praise, but seriously, whether I was exploring the massive open-world of Gotham, unleashing bone breaking moves on a few bad guys, going head-to-head with a classic villain, zooming down the street in the Batmobile only to open my cape and fly directly up into the air, using the Batarang from afar to smack dudes in the face, silently stalking a group of enemies or simply taking in my epically Gothic surroundings, it all made me feel like I was wearing the cowl. Simply put, it all comes together to deliver the ultimate Batman gaming experience.

Oh and yes, when you find out who the Arkham Knight is under the mask you'll be disappointed, but beyond that mystery there are a lot of surprises still on offer here, especially in terms of certain character deaths. If you've been a fan of the franchise so far, the identity of the Arkham Knight won't be biggest surprise you'll find in the game. In fact, one returning character (I won't spoil it!) makes for one of the best extended cameos in gaming history. If you've played the game you'll know who I'm talking about, but from his interactions with Batman to his voice acting, he's bloody superb!

Batman: Arkham Knight raises the stakes for a fitting finale. 5/5.

★★★★★

Denis Murphy

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Tusk [used]

I'm not one of those long time Kevin Smith fans that thinks he's shit now. Then again, neither am I one of those Kevin Smith fans that still love him. I haven't seen many of his films before, and apart from watching and enjoying both Clerks and Dogma, I'm not really sure what he's truly capable of as a writer/director. Going into Tusk I had no preconceptions of how good or bad it could be, and without ever seeing a trailer to the film, I really did go into this one blind. So, with Tusk being Smith's first widespread release since 2010, is it worth a watch?

Directed by Kevin Smith and out now on Blu-Ray and DVD comes Tusk, a movie that's ¾ great and ¼ utter crap. The story for Tusk originated from a brainstorming session from Kevin Smith's podcast, SModcast. Tusk opens up with two friends, Wallace and Teddy, and their hugely popular podcast, The Not-See Party. After a video of a kid accidentally slicing off his leg with a katana goes viral online, Wallace decides to take to the road and venture into Canada in order to interview the kid. However, once Wallace gets to the kids house he discovers that the kid recently killed himself. Being a total shithead as he was only interested in an interview, Wallace keeps his eyes open for any more local “Canadian weirdos” to give him some kind of story for his podcast. In the bathroom of a bar he finds a letter written by an elderly local guy, a letter that mentions the fact that he has many adventures and stories to tell about his life. Wallace goes to the old guys and meets him. His name is Howard Howe, he's wheelchair bound and lives a very solitary life in his large house. After giving Wallace some tea, Howe begins to tell a story of how as a young man he was lost at sea. He was then seemingly saved by a Walrus, and this Walrus treated him like its own. This was an important time in Howe's life, and is ultimately the catalyst for his perverse endgame. Wallace slowly falls unconscious from the spiked tea, but eventually learns Howe's plan for him; Howe wants to both surgically and mentally transform Wallace into a Walrus. Yep.

OK, first the good. The first half of Tusk is genuinely brilliant. Though Kevin Smith's Clerks humour kicks off the movie, as soon as he reaches Howe's it goes full horror. This is mostly thanks to the bloody excellent dialogue and exchanges between Wallace and Howe, as before any foul play occurs, their initial meeting is smart, funny and, of course, unsettling. As soon as Howe's plan becomes obvious the movie gets pretty dark, and quickly jumps from having an unsettling atmosphere to going straight for shocking body horror. Once Wallace's transformation is complete into becoming a Walrus (don't worry, it's not that far into the movie), there are scenes of him screaming and moaning in pain, being forced to swim by Howe and even being starved and then fed raw fish. It's really f*ucking creepy, and throughout these excellent scenes both Justin Long (Wallace) and Michael Parks (Howe) are at the top of their game. Also within the first half of the film is a nice use of flashbacks. These help flesh out Wallace's back-story and his relationship with his best friend Teddy and his girlfriend, Ally. They're only brief but they add an extra layer to each character as the movie progresses.

Now the bad. After Teddy and Ally go looking for Wallace, they come into contact with Guy Lapointe, played by none other than Johnny Depp. This is where Tusk falls apart. Back at Howe's house the horror still continues and is both disturbing and interesting to watch unfold, but once Johnny Depp turns up the mission to rescue Wallace is utterly awful. The scenes with Lapointe play out like they're trying to be like Clerks, but just come across like some cheap imitation, all the while Depp plays the character like something from a Carry On movie. Because of all of this, after the halfway point Tusk jumps from scenes to a tortured Wallace stitched together into a Walrus-like body, to Johnny Depp doing a funny voice, crushing a slider into a flat sandwich and just dishing out piles of inane chatter and shitty conversations. Simply put, both Kevin Smith and Johnny Depp take what was an almost brilliant horror film and f*ck it up. Like seriously, they don't just derail it, they derail it into an orphanage full of children and fluffy kittens.

At its best Tusk is a great body horror. It's shocking, disturbing and, at the right times, funny. At its worst it's cringe-worthy in its attempt to inject inane jokes into every line of dialogue. Like I said in the opening of this review, most of Tusk is really, really good, and far better than most other reviewers are letting on. However, once Depp turns up it all just falls apart, and ultimately loses the chance to become truly great. Depp's appearance just screams of “HEY LOOK IT'S JOHNNY DEPP!!!!!!!”. A shame. With the upcoming spin-off Yoga Hosers looking to star Depp and both his and Kevin Smith's daughters, it sounds like it's already failed in terms of its leading cast. But hey, at least we'll always half the first half of Tusk, right?

Tusk could have been fantastic, but is demoted to a decent enough 3/5.

★★★☆☆

Denis Murphy

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Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy [used]

Dungeon crawlers, though not as widespread as they were when Vanilla Ice was topping the charts, have started to make a bit of a comeback as of late. From Demon Gaze to Legend of Grimrock, there are a few games out there that are seen as the last bastion for the classic genre. I've never really seen myself as a fan of dungeon crawlers personally, but after reviewing Demon Gaze last year (I gave it a respectful 3/5) I started to rethink my stance on the genre. What I always perceived as a limiting, boring and repetitive genre actually ended up giving me some enjoyment. Since then I haven't gotten a chance to jump back into the genre, but finally comes another dungeon crawler that I sank my teeth into. So, how does it stack up?

Developed by Experience Inc. and out now for the Playstation Vita comes Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy, a game by the same team behind Demon Gaze, and one that's as good as their previous attempt at a dungeon crawler.  At the very start of New Tokyo Legacy your character wakes up in a dungeon, though in this game this labyrinthine maze is called The Abyss . You've no recollection of how you got there, and after looking around you find two dead bloody bodies. After finding these bodies you're approached by a mysterious hooded man. After a bit of a natter he rescues you and helps you escape the Abyss. Soon after you're that accepted into the aptly named Abyss Company; a group whose sole purpose is to venture into the Abyss and take on the monsters that lurk within. The monsters in this game, known as variants, are repulsive as they are deadly, and it's up to you to seek out and destroy them. Pretty simple stuff in terms of story, but with its blend of horror and science fiction, the overall plot to New Tokyo Legacy is satisfying and intriguing.

The game plays out in three different areas of gameplay- interacting with characters, exploring the Abyss and then battling the variants inside the Abyss. Interacting with the various characters throughout New Tokyo Legacy is pretty straightforward, and involves you staring at very typically designed anime characters (pointy hair, large breasts, lost of belts, sharp chins, etc) while listening to their chatter. Beyond that you also read through various pieces of text that move the story along amid ever changing 2D images. It's exactly what you'd expect from many Japanese PS Vita games, but it's serviceable down to the pretty decent script and good voice acting. In fact, the visual style, which randomly jumps from cutesy anime characters to dark, Lovecraftian Abyss dwelling beasts keeps the game pretty interesting and nice to look at. Though the 2D sprites are often lifeless and dead, there's enough going on in terms of sound design, script and voice acting to pull it out of the mud.

Exploring the Abyss is done from a 3D first person view, and just like the genre implies, moving throughout levels is done in a kind of grid-based manner. There's no walking where you want, but rather you'll need to stick to the invisible grid system that runs throughout the 3D environment. This doesn't feel as limiting as it sounds through, as it actually helps you get a great sense of the layout of any given level within the Abyss. This leads to backtracking becoming an easier task than in most games, and that's something you'll find yourself doing a lot in the game. There's a nifty map to help you out to wherever you're going so you shouldn't get lost anyway, but it's good to see New Tokyo Legacy going for a very classic, old-school control scheme here. Thankfully it works wonders, and from venturing around, entering doors and using ladders, picking up items, using magic, stepping on traps or avoiding them altogether to, of course, fighting monsters, the games Abyss exploration moments are pretty fun.

That said I guess the real focus of the game comes with its combat.  Naturally it's a turn-based affair, but frankly, it's not anything you've haven't play before, even if you've never played a dungeon crawler in your life. During the game you'll have a total of six characters on your team, and from unleashing physical attacks, using items and dishing out an array of painfully typical magic, there's not much to it really. Granted going up against some groups of enemies can be tough (groups which, for some reason, you can only attack as a whole and not individual monsters!), but even on its hardest setting New Tokyo Legacy is a little too easy for my taste. Battle attack animations are as basic as those of your enemies, many of which are not technically animated, but rather their sprites are slowly stretched and retracted, clearly to simulate breathing. Lazy.

New Tokyo Legacy is not a bad game, but it's one that is often far too easy. You see, gamers who are really into dungeon crawlers tend to be gamers you love a hard challenge. Sadly, if you're a fan of the genre you probably won't get that challenge here. However, I do think fans of the old-school genre should give it a try as it does offer up a pretty great story and well rounded characters, something often overlooked in the genre as a whole. To those of you who have never tried a dungeon crawler before, Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy is the perfect diving in point for the genre. Enjoy.

Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy kicks off an interesting franchise with a 3/5.

★★★☆☆

Denis Murphy

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Love is Strange [used]

As a film reviewer, I’ve always told myself to give any film a chance. Writing more-or-less full time has given me the opportunity to watch more films, including many that I might not usually have had the time for. Films like Still Life, The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman and Stretch are just a few of the slightly under-the-radar films that I discovered and loved, thanks to this position. Here’s another. 

Directed by Ira Sachs and out now only on DVD; Love is Strange tells the story of ageing couple Ben and George, played by John Lithgow and Alfred Molina respectively. After their marriage, George loses his job because of his sexuality, and Ben’s pension alone isn’t enough to pay for their apartment. While they look for somewhere else to live on the money they have, they must temporarily split from each other’s sides to stay at friend’s houses – a situation that weighs heavily on all involved. 

Alfred Molina and John Lithgow, two of cinema’s finest character actors, shine here throughout. Both deliver absolutely phenomenal performances, and it would be hard to pick the better of the two. Through the gentle subtleties in their performances, you really believe this is a couple that have been together for 20 years. Lithgow and Molina have been friends off-screen for a while, and their friendship is truly evident in their chemistry. The lovely Marisa Tomei shows up with a rather stellar supporting turn too, as the mother in a very dysfunctional family where Ben (Lithgow) must stay, while George (Molina) is staying with his young Game of Thrones loving, Apple TV owning, party animal friends.

Love is Strange is a very quiet, understated piece. The soundtrack is made up of well-known classical pieces with Chopin and Beethoven making audio appearances, and the pacing is slow and steady in the finest sense of the words. This is film as art, as well as film as entertainment. Looking for action? Look somewhere else. Love is Strange is the calmest and most peaceful film I’ve seen in a while (save for a few arguments in Marisa Tomei’s character’s household). And despite the fairly slow, quiet pacing; the film clocks in at around 85 minutes – a nice comfortable length that doesn’t even begin to outstay its welcome.

This is a brave film, too – can you tell me another which features ageing homosexuals as the main characters? But where the film excels is that the homosexuality angle is not the point, as perhaps it was in the flamboyant Behind the Candelabra. For me, this film could’ve worked with a man and a woman, or two women come to think of it. The title is Love is Strange. LOVE. The film isn’t called Gay Love is Strange. Love comes in many forms and the narrative is relatable to anyone who’s experience it. The utter devotion and care we feel for another person, the need to have them close at all times; these are universal feelings that everyone deserves to have at some point in life. There were scenes I related to, for me and my girlfriend of two-and-a-half years. But first and foremost, yes, Love is Strange features a gay couple at the heart of the story. If this offends you for whatever reason – and it’s not my place to judge – then I would suggest this probably isn’t the film for you. Everyone else? I’d recommend Love is Strange wholeheartedly.

I went in with absolutely no idea what to expect, other than the premise of ageing homosexuals. I did not know the plot, I didn’t know if it was a comedy or a drama, I knew nothing. I just knew I liked Lithgow and Molina, and was intrigued to see how they portrayed a couple. 85 minutes later, I left feeling moved and inspired, and would’ve given a standing ovation to the leads if this was theatre – which, it quite easily could’ve been. In conclusion, Love is Strange is a very strong piece. It’s an inspiring tale of love, an entertaining drama-comedy, and a vehicle for Lithgow and Molina’s finest performances to date.

Love is Strange. Film is great. 4/5.

★★★★☆

Sam Love

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The Trials of Muhammad Ali [used]

I love a good documentary - what can I say, I like to learn. But when choosing one to watch, ordinarily I’d look right past something like this. Anyone who knows me will tell you I don’t follow any sports, nor do I have any interest in them. But this one grabbed me. Why? Because despite the subject, this is not a sports film. Out now only on DVD, as a single release or in a boxset with I Am Ali and When We Were Kings, comes The Trials of Muhammad Ali.

Directed by Bill Siegel, The Trials of Muhammad Ali is a fascinating documentary covering the greatest fights Ali ever fought – the fight to be accepted as a Muslim (having changed his name from Cassius Clay), and the fight to not take part in the Vietnam War. Ali was a conscientious objector, an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion. He famously stated ‘I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong’, as they never discriminated against his race or religion or harmed him the same way the majority of the US did. And his religion didn’t allow him to fight. But Ali was subsequently put on trial for this objection, and faced being stripped of his titles and thrown in jail for 5 years. Preposterous, right? Well, that’s the 1960s. The era in which people like Martin Luther King were shot for their beliefs of racial equality, and comedian Lenny Bruce was banned from performing in the UK because he swore on stage. Times have changed a lot since then, and for the better. But things still aren’t ideal, are they? 

As a film, The Trials of Muhammad Ali is a very solid documentary. While it doesn’t tread any new ground or do anything remarkable with the genre, it presents an interesting piece of history in an extremely insightful and compelling way. As many of the people involved are sadly deceased, we don’t see a huge amount of fresh interviews. What we do see is a large array of archive footage and interviews, played out chronologically to tell the story – expect for the beginning of the film. We start off with a powerful juxtaposition – old footage of Ali being publicly slammed as a criminal and a degenerate who belongs in jail back in the 60s, followed by more recent footage of Ali in failing health being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005. It’s shocking, isn’t it? Someone we now consider a hero was hated ‘belonged in jail’ Sin his prime. Times change and apologies are given – you know, ‘forgive and forget’ and all that. But it’s preposterous that ‘crimes’ punishable by jail time in the 1960s are often acceptable today, or are just a simple choice. Today, it’s a case of ‘would you like to join the army?’. Back then, it was a case of ‘you’re joining the army’.

In conclusion, The Trials of Muhammad Ali is a strong documentary with a powerful message. Racial and religious inequality is still a big problem, and it really shouldn’t be. Colour and beliefs do not define us. It’s who we are that defines us. Ali was, and still is, a champion. But he almost had that stripped from him for what he believed outside of the ring. Now, we’ve come a hell of a long way in this regard, but we’re not where we need to be yet. Will we be there in another 50 years? Time will tell.

The Trials of Muhammad Ali is a knock-out, and earns a solid 5/5.

★★★★★

Sam Love

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Selma [used]

From director Ava DuVernay comes Selma, out now on DVD & Blu-Ray. The film recounts the tumultuous period in 1965 in which Martin Luther King campaigned to secure equal voting rights by way of an epic march in Alabama, changing history forever - we all know the story; it is history, and an important part of it too. And I know what you’re thinking – “oh great, another film about racial inequality”. I know, it’s something of an annual fixture, after films like The Help and 12 Years a Slave. But while racism remains a problem, these films will keep being made. And even if racism ever does become a thing of the past, it will forever be in history and forever be fair game for Hollywood. And again, history is what Selma is. Obviously, it’s not a history lesson. You know what they say; never let the facts get in the way of a good story. But for the most part, Selma is an accurate portrayal of the period.

David Oyelowo is Martin Luther King in Selma. You will forget you’re watching an actor. In Lincoln, although Daniel Day Lewis delivered an exceptional performance - you were very much aware you were watching Daniel Day Lewis. In Selma, you’re not watching someone act. You’re watching someone truly become his character. It’s an absolutely phenomenal performance which was shockingly snubbed in Oscar season – especially when Steve Carell was nominated in the Best Actor category for Foxcatcher, when he was arguably a supporting role. In any case, Oyelowo is bound to go places after this performance. The film is really a vehicle for him, and the film is effectively a character study. As such, the film is all about this performance. 

Good thing too, because narratively the film isn’t perfect. Very few characters in the huge ensemble are given much depth or development, and some areas seem very rushed. That being said, some of the pacing in the first half is rather sluggish at times and I admit, there were times when I looked at my watch. Clocking in at approximately 130 minutes, Selma could’ve lost a few minutes here and there. But the second half was fantastic – especially when the campaign picks up speed and the march begins. I’m not embarrassed to say that I shed tears towards the climax – especially when Fink’s ‘Yesterday Was Hard On All Of Us’ played over archive footage of the actual march. And, I was impressed to see the assassination was not included. This isn’t a complete biopic of King’s life, but rather just 1965. This lends itself to the problem of pacing, though. If Selma was a complete King biopic, the 1965 march would’ve probably taken up 25-30 minutes of screen time. But here, it gets 130.

I don’t want to get too preachy or political, but I feel like I have to say something. In the Oscar-nominated original song ‘Glory’ which plays over the end credits, one line states ‘Selma is now’. While I wouldn’t necessarily go that far – things have improved a lot since then – we still have a way to go. Racism is still a big problem and it’s shocking to consider how many years it’s been around. To quote Rodney King; ‘Can we all get along?’. Maybe someday, people like Martin Luther King’s dreams will come true. It’s unfortunate that it never happens in their lifetimes, but creating complete racial equality is simple - it just requires certain people throwing unnecessary hate aside.

Anyway, Selma is a solid historical drama of a very important period. Whilst perhaps not overly memorable and certainly not perfect, it is a very moving and powerful piece of cinema. David Oyelowo delivers one of the best performances of the year, and again, the film reminds us that even though things still aren’t perfect – we have come a very long way since those dark times.

Selma marches on to a solid 4/5.

★★★★☆

Sam Love

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Inherent Vice [used]

Ever wanted to go back in time to the early 1970s and sample the drugs in the hippie scene of Los Angeles? Of course not, because drugs are bad! But if you did want to, watching this film might give you a pretty good idea of what it was like. Out now on DVD & Blu-Ray comes comedy/crime/thriller/mystery/drama/mindf*ck Inherent Vice, directed and adapted for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson from Thomas Pynchon’s novel of the same name. Paul Thomas Anderson and Joaquin Phoenix reunite after the brilliant The Master, also starring the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. Is Inherent Vice another modern classic like it, or is there a reason it was largely ignored in the awards season this year?

Joaquin Phoenix stars as Larry ‘Doc’ Sportello, a private investigator and hippie pot-head in the early 1970s. Tasked with investigating the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend, he struggles to make sense of an increasingly complicated state of affairs in sunny Los Angeles. Here I would usually say something along the lines of “That’s all I’m prepared to say, as I don’t want to ruin anything” but in the case of Inherent Vice, it’s basically all I got from the plot anyway. As Doc gets more and more confused at the unfolding case he’s investigating, so will you. This is a film that you have to pay 110% attention to, and even then don’t be surprised if you’re left thinking “….what?”. Director Paul Thomas Anderson has even admitted that the narrative is incomprehensible. But you know what? This does not detract from the film at all. We share Doc’s often drug-fuelled confusion, and it works. I’ve not read the original book – although I would like to – so I don’t know how closely the film follows it. From what I’ve read online, it’s very faithful. As such, I’d imagine the potential ‘problem’ of an incoherent narrative lies with the novel and not the film.

Plot aside, Inherent Vice is a film of immense style. Having been shot on film, the visuals are absolutely stunning – some cinemas even screened the film in 70mm, as with aforementioned previous Anderson/Phoenix collaboration The Master. The grainy look of Inherent Vice really lends itself to the era-authenticity of the film, which is helped even more by the soundtrack, costume design (I want to raid the film’s costume department so bad) and sets. I wasn’t around in the early 1970s, but having watched this film, I feel like I’ve been back in time. The production values across the board here are among the best I’ve seen in recent years, and the cinematography is phenomenal – every single frame is a little work of art. The cast are terrific too, with everyone delivering damn fine performances. But the film belongs to Joaquin Phoenix, who should have been nominated for an Oscar here. Nailing the laid-back hippie attitude with an almost constant hint of drug inebriation, Phoenix delivers his finest performance to date – even better than he was in the incredible Her. Josh Brolin is brilliant too, as hippie-hating Detective ‘Bigfoot’ Bjornsen.

Watching Inherent Vice, I was reminded of The Big Lebowski. A stoner hippie getting out of his depth in the criminal underworld of Los Angeles? You can see where one could draw a comparison. But it’s a lovely comparison to make, because – I don’t need to tell you this, I’m sure – The Big Lebowski is one of the finest comedy films ever made. To utter another film in the same breath is the highest of honours. I feel like Inherent Vice has a long life ahead of it as a cult film like Lebowski, and that someday people may enjoy them together as a double-bill. The Doc abides, man.

Inherent Vice has been nicknamed Inherent Twice due to it requiring two viewings to even begin to comprehend the plot. I know I’ll certainly be revisiting it soon. But even on one viewing, the film is an exceptionally engrossing and entertaining 150 minutes. Groovy, psychedelic and far out, Inherent Vice earns my highest recommendation.

Inherent Vice cracks the case, and smokes up a big 5/5.

★★★★★

Sam Love

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