TheRetroCritic

Just when you thought the Lord Of The Rings movies couldn't possibly get any more epic, Return Of The King comes along and blows its predecessors completely out of the water. Which is not to say that the other two films weren't great but in terms of sheer cinematic grandeur, this really raised the bar for the swords and sorcery genre big time. All those plot threads and countless subplots which didn't always feel like they were going anywhere come together and we finally get the epic resolution we deserve. Between those crazy battles involving giant elephants, a Witchking, dragon-type things and about a gazillion people and the more quietly distressing ring-bearer quest, which looks pretty doomed to failure throughout, there's hardly a moment to breathe! It's even a bit hard to list everything that even goes on in this movie. Let's just say that the highlights include John Noble being awesome as crazy old Denethor, Legolas taking down an elephant all by hi

Stephen Chow takes on the world of acting in this typically goofy comedy about a clumsy but driven extra and his struggles to make it big in movies and doesn't disappoint. Although this isn't quite as cartoonish an outing as we've come to expect from Chow there's still plenty of silliness to enjoy. Watch out for a dramatic death scene involving gross dangling nose fluid and a shameless, cockroach-loving prostitute. There's also a fun Jackie Chan cameo and repeated piss-takes of overblown John Woo-style thrillers complete with gun face-offs, black trenchcoats, flying doves and churches. The film gradually grows a heart and introduces a promising romance between a young "club girl" and Chow's character but when a big name actress gives Chow the role of his life the film loses confidence and takes an odd sudden turn. The third act turns into some kind of dark cop thriller and a lot of the romance is washed over and is left under-developed making the

Why The King didn't appreciate this will always mistify me. Stanley Kubrick's Stephen King adaptation remains one of the best and most genuinely "haunting" (pun intended and instantly regretted) horror films ever made.   Time hasn't been particularly kind to 70's horror films with the likes of The Omen and The Exorcist now feeling dated and hardly impressive in any way. But right on the cusp of the 80's, The Shining still holds up very well, although it's hard to take Danny speaking to his finger too seriously. At the heart of the film is a towering performance by Jack Nicholson, who can do crazy like no other (yes, Nic Cage is a close second) and joyfully cranks up the loon-o-meter to 11. Shelley Duvall was criticised for being too hysterical throughout but, to be honest, anyone not very good with handling stress would be lost in such a huge setting with a psycho husband running loose and such a weird kid...speaking in crazy voic