The Final Rites (2011)
From the writer of Point Break, and starring the likes of Stephen Dorf, Wes Bentley and a wickedly over the top Christian Slater, sadly the rest of the main cast are made up of really bland, pretty faces, not than that matters, as its a real ham feast, with a so silly, its actually quite funny plot. For awhile I just thought this was a bad film, but then the stars of the film are just having too much fun for that. So bad its good in a way, not the best trashy horror, but still pretty funny.
6/10
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
One of the sharpest and most classy films from the goldern era of Hollywood. With really smart characters, dialogue, and plenty of laughs, charm and depth, the leads play off each other perfectly, and the story keeps you guess wait till the end. Simply perfect.
10/10
Konga (1960)
Another gem I found on the horror channel. It stars Michael Gough (Alfred from the Batman films) as a mad professor who returns from a year in Africa with a baby chimp who he starts experimenting with using plant DNA to prove that humans can grow in the same way as plant life. What ends up happening is that he creates a massive Gorilla who he then sets on all his enemies. The film is worth seeing just for the underrated Gough who gets the right amount of menice, and self-aware haminess. The film story itself holds the interest for about two thirds before becoming a bit creeky, the more you see the Gorilla the less convincing it is. The ending is a drawn out retelling of King Kong, but is still quite fun for how bad it looks.
7/10
Sophie Scholl (2005)
True life story, based on the events of the White Rose resistance group and their actions against the Nazi regime in 1943. It focuses on the case of brother and sister Sophie and Hans Scholl who are caught dropping anti-Hitler leaflets in a public building. The rest of the film follows Sophie's detailed questioning by the gestapo as she refuses to give up her friends or family, and stands by her beliefs, how life in prison and the eventually trial. The film is brilliantly detailed, with a wonderful dramatic tension created purely through back and fourth convensations. There is also a touching realtionship between Sophie and her cell mate, who is was also put away for being anti-regime, and who Sophie shares her experience of the world with. The performances are all really powerful, but Julia Jentsch is really compelling as the lead, and really gets across the characters humaine side, as well as her inner strength, and vunerability.
10/10