gilesadhamilton Reviews

Africa: Blood and Guts (1966)

Brutal and visceral but perceptive

[10/10 · 7 May 2023]

This is a truly visceral and brutal look at the period of greatest African decolonisation in the early 60s. There is death and destruction. At the time it was taken as a warning of a bleak future for these benighted countries and was certainly taken to heart in white South Africa. Unfortunately its warnings were incredibly prescient as the continents succumbed to the basket case we see today.

If there is any criticism it is the way its chapters jump about with no sense of clear continuity as if it is edited together randomly.

We were warned. It happened. And now the people are poorer and more abused than before.

The real heart of darkness.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979)

Ignore the bad reviews

[10/10 · 4 January 2023]

This is high brow, intellectual television that allows the story to unfold rather than hurry it along as in the film. This is a highly believable fiction based loosely on the Philby affair.

Unfortunately many of the reviews here are written by the infantilised modern viewer who demands instant gratification and constant action. Anyone who cannot appreciate this modern classic that features many of the great actors of their generation must be of the lowest of intellects.

On a minor point as I have to increase the length of this review for some inexplicable reason it is worth studying the transformative effect of Smiley's spectacles; surely one of the greatest nuances in modern TV drama.

The Walking Dead: Rest in Peace (2022) Season 11, Episode 24

The finale

[6/10 · 21 November 2022]

The Walking Dead became so obsessed with its moralising, spouting liberal dogma and its own legend it completely lost touch with what started as a very exciting, character driven horror drama with real people rather than ciphers. This last series has been execrable and this finale gives little reprieve. The action is all set pieces we've seen done before with no sense of peril largely because the characters we invested in have been killed or turned into snowflakes. What happened to Rick? Is the question we've all been asking and this last episode only confuses the issue further. I hate myself for hanging on. Seven series were plenty.

The Northman (2022)

Hokum

[3/10 · 16 September 2022]

Cod mythologising, Monty Python accents, boredom , second rate action scenes .... I wouldn't trade this for a single episode of Vikings. Where did the budget go? Why were all these talents wasted? This film is a mystery. Worst of all, why only one small scale battle? Braveheart it ain't. And now we have to write 600 letter reviews when there is so little to say. I'll try. Claes Bang is unrecognisable and all the actresses overact to the point of spoofery. But the accents, all these silly accents. I really can't think of more to say about this truly terribly disappointing movie. A lockdown special.

Cut Throat City (2020)

The usual thing

[4/10 · 4 August 2022]

Umpteenth film about young American black men behaving like animals. I expect it's true to life. Why wouldn't it be? These people and their viewers seem to revel in it.

Better Call Saul: Breaking Bad (2022) Season 6, Episode 11

Irrelevant

[2/10 · 2 August 2022]

More irrelevance and time wasting likely to only appeal to the saddest fanboys. This series is ridiculously drawn out simply for the sake of it. There really is little left to say.

The Final Option (1982)

Classic

[10/10 · 29 July 2022]

One of the greatest British action flicks. Hard nosed, pertinent, unsympathetic, exciting, slightly camp..... basically all the facets that make we English what we are. Lewis Collins is a legend. Rule Britannia.

Atlanta (2016– )

Brilliant to terrible

[7/10 · 27 July 2022]

There is little television as touching and laugh out loud funny as the first two series of Atlanta. Yet there is no TV as woke and broke and nonsensical as the third series. An extraordinary collapse is standards.

Atlanta: Rich Wigga Poor Wigga (2022) Season 3, Episode 9

Unpleasant

[2/10 · 27 July 2022]

Nasty little episode. No wonder America is in such a mess. Far more subtle themes of racism are explored in the first two series. Worst of all Atlanta isn't funny any more. Even the normally reliant protagonists seem bored.

Better Call Saul: Nippy (2022) Season 6, Episode 10

What the heck?

[1/10 · 27 July 2022]

What on earth is going on? Saul is running a fast food outlet in a mall in black and white?????? What on earth is going on??? It's an enjoyable but wildly overrated show but this final series is truly dreadful.

Atlanta: The Big Payback (2022) Season 3, Episode 4

Odd episode but thoughtful

[7/10 · 18 July 2022]

Hopefully the message here is the comical way the white liberal snake is eating its own tail with white people eating themselves up over this race nonsense.

Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins (2021)

Abysmal

[2/10 · 15 July 2022]

Four thuggish small time Essex drug dealers are murdered whilst sitting in their car.

This low level gang crime spawns the longest running series of movies in the gangster genre history. They were in their 30s. The actors playing them are now in their 50s. 'Actors' needs a broad interpretation in their case. This latest roll of the dice is a parody. The first film had a certain visceral attractiveness. This has none. It makes an episode of Eastenders seem like a blockbuster.

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021)

Above average

[7/10 · 13 July 2022]

6.5/10. I find most horror films dull and ludicrous. This one was better than most developing a genuine sense of dread. The pay off was as preposterous as one would expect. It's no Blair Witch but it's decent enough.

Mayor of Kingstown (2021– )

Visceral

[9/10 · 1 July 2022]

Brutal, bleak, relentless, thrilling, brilliant TV. The grubby underside of the American Dream laid bare. Superbly acted and filmed without pity. I've knocked one star off for the extremely irritating Diane West character whose virtue signalling is utterly extraneous.

Midnight in the Switchgrass (2021)

Bruce Willis' unforgettable performance

[2/10 · 28 June 2022]

This needs to be seen for Willis' mesmerisingly awful performance. Otherwise it's a nasty thrilless thriller. The usual girl in peril, chained up in a dungeon misery. There's too much of this kind of thing around.

Last Seen Alive (2022)

Inferior Breakdown

[5/10 · 11 June 2022]

Like a low budget TV movie version of the superb Breakdown. It has none of that movies twists and turns and sense of peril. It passes the time but nothing special.

Prince of Darkness (1987)

Unbelievably dated

[3/10 · 4 June 2022]

I'm often a great admirer of Carpenter: Escape from NY, Precinct 13, The Thing were all superb but he's done a lot of awful rubbish. This is one. It has dated worse than a pre-war monster flick. Ludicrous non sensical spot. At least Hallowe'en had its marvellous music. The soundtrack here is barely noticeable. And the acting!.... Oh the acting.

Vendetta (I) (2022)

So so bad

[1/10 · 24 May 2022]

Where to start with this film? The absolutely awful lead actor? The ludicrous ultra violence against women? The utter destruction of Willis' career? Thomas Jane, once a first class b movie lead, putting in the worst performance I've ever seen by a decent actor. And a completely inconsequential one at that. The plot itself would disgrace an episode of Hart to Hart. As if a criminal organisation of Willis' inept gang here could run a bath. This really is the worst film I've seen that contains at least four actors I've heard of.

The Contractor (2022)

Jason Bourne-lite

[5/10 · 12 May 2022]

Someone obviously thought we needed another Bourne movie. Former special forces spook, personal issues, black ops, opaque lines of report, martial art mega punch ups, lousy shots, remarkable shots, vast human collateral damage that would make world headlines and all the usual. Even set in some horrible concrete jungle, featureless Euro city. And of course a B list cast including Jack Bauer. I mean, cmon ... is this the best we get?

The Family Stone (2005)

Virtue ride

[2/10 · 24 April 2022]

Perhaps the most gratuitous virtue signalling ever delivered in a single movie. Intensely irritating, smug, privileged family set sensible girl on the 'right track'. Frankly the roles should've been reversed with Parker bringing these hideous people back to earth.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Unashamedly manipulative

[9/10 · 20 April 2022]

You won't mind being manipulated by this heartwarming story. Beautifully acted and filmed it's one of the great family films, and is occasionally even a mite edgy.

Dune (2021)

Beautiful but empty

[8/10 · 19 April 2022]

When I saw this beautifully made sci-fi extravaganza at the cinema I was hugely impressed eagerly anticipating part two. I've now viewed it on television and it doesn't transfer as well as I hoped onto the smaller screen. The overblown themes and heavy duty dialogue are all very 60s and frankly often laughable. But the look of the thing is extraordinary. It was 8.5 on the large screen but only a 7 on the small.

Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star (2022)

Shaggy dog story

[6/10 · 8 April 2022]

The most longwinded documentary I've seen but it does present an interesting look at post Apartheid SA. Otherwise inconsequential and not really worth the effort.

Outlaw King (2018)

Braveheart 2

[8/10 · 3 April 2022]

Good cast, beautifully set with a real sense of time. The script is a little sparse so one never gets a feel for the individuals involved. But as a spectacle a worthy successor to Braveheart.

Blacklight (2022)

70 year old action hero

[6/10 · 25 March 2022]

There's a wonderful piece of bad editing when you can see Leeson running and it really is a 70 year old shuffling. It makes the rest of the movie redundant.